January 7, 2018_Your Sins Are Forgiven (Matthew 9:1-8)

Sermon Outline

God
is perfect.
He sent the Word
in order that those who believe
will be made perfect by the Word (Rm 12:1-2).
The Law and the prophets are the ones
that came out to receive Christ;
they are not the Word.
Jesus is Christ.
He is God’s Word (logos) (Jn 1:1).
The words spoken by Jesus are God’s words (Jn 12:48-50),
which we must obey as they are.
If Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven”, then they are forgiven.
If Jesus gives a commandment,
it is the commandment of God.
If Jesus says, “Take up your mat and walk”,
then one has to obey.
Whoever doubts His words,
does so because he does not believe them
to be the words of God.
He who does not receive them as God’s words
does not have life.
He who does not obey the words of Jesus
does not have power (Lk 1:37).
◌ By the Holy Spirit, understand His words
and accept the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus has redeemed you, so believe!
◌ If He says we are healed of our sickness,
then let us obey and rise up.
To believe in Jesus means to obey Him.
◌ Jesus shed His blood to save us from sin.
He was scourged to deliver us from our sickness.
Jesus is our salvation.
※ The Law brings us death and sin,
but Jesus gives us life and freedom.
Jesus is the truth and life.

Semuon’s Letter

I thank you, my dear Sungrak people, who have just finished this past year. I pray that you will be victorious with God’s great love and grace this year.

To sum it up, in the previous year (2017) our church faced a great trial. It has not finished, and it is a great cause of concern that it is on-going. But God will be victorious in accordance to His will. It is satanic that people cannot differentiate the thought of man and the will of God, but rather they oppose the will of God with the thought of man.

Carrying just one copy of the Bible with me, I came to Seoul in 30th of November 1969.I founded a church at ShingilDong and from nothing until now a great church has arisen. From the very earliest times since I founded this church I had no money, so I prayed and with the God-given inspiration of ‘the 5 loaves and two fish’ I ministered with this inspiration and power. Wherever others put their hands to work the churches they raised were brought to ruin, but wherever I put my hand to work it became God’s land, and God established a place to worship on it.

From the start our church had no finances. But with the power of God who makes things appear out of nothing, like when sowing a mustard seed, it started very small but manifested into something great. Therefore, the current debt the church has is the sign that we summoned an amount of property that was ten times that amount.

No matter what the speculation that is going around I, Semuon, have not laid one hand on the church. I have not laid one hand on the church’s money, but rather it has been revealed that I had donated much more money to the church. This is the result of Semuon working honestly for his whole life time, and it is also the result of you, the Sungrak people, for trusting me in the same way. However, as with the events of last year, a small portion of speculation and misunderstandings have lead to a great disaster.  As a result, for a matter that could have been resolved by waiting for the grace of God, it has come to the point that we needed to go to this world’s law courts, and starting with the dispute ‘Does the Overseer have authority or not?’, it has lead to the dispute ‘Has the Overseer abused or not?’.

However, I do not know if I will pass away today or tomorrow, and in my old age I am a servant who is full of the hope of coming before the Lord and seeing his face. So at least for my soul I toil with all my heart and strength that I will not be one tiny bit ashamed before him. God has promised that he will keep Semuon healthy until he has reached victory. I will even come out of the law courts fairly. Your sincerest prayers will be a big strength and comfort to me. But the contemptible financial pressures placed on the church and other difficult situations imposed by these people will be made known to the world. For our own part we ourselves must overcome all this.

Dear Sungrak people, have you not heard the lament of the prophet Haggai (The Book of Haggai chapter 1-2)? At this time, we must look back to the church with comfort. I earnestly ask that you would help the church stop the financial crisis that will come on March 2018. Please trust the church and voluntarily donate your money. I will give my life to protect all of you and the church.

Because of the unlawful organization called ‘the Church Reform Union’, the church finances has lost several ten billion won, and they have used half of these finances and will not back them back to the church. I appeal to you so that we can overcome this. Please trust the church and Semuon. Please help to overcome this crisis that will take place in March. Thank you.