2017 Lord’s Day – Page 16

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2017.03.12_Jesus Came in the Flesh

March 17, 2017/in 2017 Lord's Day /by Suna IHM

Senior Overseer Ki-Dong Kim

Outline

[1John 4:1-4]

God
is the Creator.
He
governs the life and death of all things.
The reason Jesus, His Son,
came in the flesh was
to experience death (He 2:9).
For His blood has redemptive power,
whoever denies His blood is the antichrist.
He came to call sinners (Mk 2:17)
and the souls redeemed by His blood are called believers.
Therefore, as those who became believers are baptized
and born again through the Holy Spirit, they are made righteous.
This is the word of God
and an everlasting promise.
Thus
those who heed the word of God belong to Him,
whereas whoever does not believe His words
is the spirit of the antichrist.
The great faith of Christians who believes in Jesus
is the confidence that they are the ones who have received grace.
They have confidence by the blood of the Lamb
and the word of their testimony (Rm 10:9-10).
○ My soul must always overcome sin and its temptations.
We must overcome our unbelief, considering ourselves to be sinners.
A believer is one who has been made righteous forever.
○ An unbelieving conscience and mind
doubts the grace one has received
and still regards himself a sinner who belongs to the world.
○ The soul of a true Christian
always hears God’s word
and testifies unto death that he has been made righteous.
※ Let us have faith.
Let us cast off the things of the flesh
and live in God’s grace only.

Summary

The Spirits from God

God is the creator. God created not only the visible material world but also the invisible spirit world. God not only created all things but also holds them all together. Therefore the existence of all things and their operation are themselves evidence that God lives.

God is almighty. Even though God cannot be seen through the eyes of men, He can show himself to men, and even though He cannot die, He can taste death. As for this, there is something we must take care with if we are to understand it correctly. That is, God the Father cannot be seen, nor can He die either. But He has revealed Himself though His Son,and through the son, tasted death. The Son of God came into the world to reveal God the Father and to taste death. (Hebrews 2:9)

Jesus Christ is the Word of God who came to the world in the flesh. Therefore, Jesus Christ himself is the Word. Our souls become clean only by the Word. (John 15:3) Even a man who is outwardly blameless or has a good appearance and personality, without the Word, he or she can never be clean. Those who want to bear the fruits that God desires must keep their souls clean. In order to do this, he or she must accept God’s Word.

The problem is that it is not that easy to discern the words of God among the many voices in the world. 1John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world”. If a person seems to be living a godly life, including praying earnestly and faithfully attending all church meetings, other people are likely to consider him spiritual. However, with that alone it is difficult to tell whether that person truly belongs to the spirit of Christ or not.

1 John 4:2 says, ”This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist.” It says that anyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh belongs to God, and those who do not, belong to the spirit of antichrist, the spirit that opposes Christ.

1 John 4:1 says, “Test the spirits to see whether they are from God” Just like a paternity test administered through genetic testing, we need to know to whom where our souls belong. Jesus said, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘Away from me you evildoers, I never knew you!’”(Matthew 7:22-23) Surprisingly, this is Jesus’ warning for those who profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and even perform miracles. If they are able to perform powers in the Lord’s name, their faith would have to be greater than average. But the Lord distinguishes among them those who receive the spirit of the Antichrist.

Jesus also said, “The Spirit gives life, and the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63) Some people receive the sermon as the words of a man. In that kind of attitude, even if they listen to many words and sermons, they can never receive God’s words. The reason why people in the world are not saved is that they consider the words of God the words of a man. God’s word is spirit. That is why God’s word can give life to our souls. Are you really receiving God’s words? Even though you have cast out demons and performed many miracles, are you considering God’s word as the words of a mere man?

Those who belong to God confess that Jesus came in the flesh

It is written, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist.”(1John 4:2-3) God atoned for the sins of mankind through His Son who came to earth in the flesh. That means He paid the debt for the sin of all of mankind.

To atone for the sins of mankind, Jesus shed His blood and died on the cross even though he was innocent. The saying, ‘Jesus Christ came in the flesh’ means ‘He came to the world to shed His blood’. The Bible says, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22) The Israelites had slaughtered lambs and shed their blood from Mount Sinai to Jerusalem, a period of about 1500 years, in order to be forgiven of their sins. That was a foreshadow of Jesus Christ who would be crucified and whose blood would be shed on the cross for the forgiveness of the sins of mankind.

On the mercy seat where the high priest sprinkles the blood of the lamb, two cherubs facing each other cover the mercy seat with their wings. This means God covers all the sins of man after atonement has been made. We were once sinners who sinned before God, but by the blood of Jesus we have been forgiven. Of course we continue to sin. But Jesus does not have to be crucified again.

Those who have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and united with Him can still sin, but they can be forgiven by repenting of their sins. There is a phrase in the Lord’s prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:10~11). This gives us confidence that we can and will be forgiven when we pray. Concerning this, 1 John 2:1 says, “If anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” To sum it up, not only have we received, by grace, The atonement of our sins through the blood of Christ, but we also receive daily forgiveness of our sins.

Those who Confess that Jesus Came in the Flesh Never Condemn Others

The foundation of a Christian’s faith is believing that Jesus came in the flesh. In other words, we believe that we have been forgiven because Jesus took away our sins when we were still sinners. Some people when they pray say, “I am sinner.” Perhaps they mean that they are weak. However, strictly speaking, anyone who has been saved by the blood of Jesus is no longer a sinner. We must not see ourselves as sinners under any circumstances. God is not the father of sinners, nor does He listen to sinners. But, if any Christian still considers himself a sinner and is under that condemnation, that means he is being deceived by the spirit of antichrist.

Colossians 2:18 says, “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you from the prize.” The angels gave the Law. The Law was for the time until Jesus Christ would come to the world, whose duty it was to condemn. Regardless of what your intention is, if you confess, “I am sinner”, then it is the same as bowing before the angel who delivered the Law. The Bible warns that you would lose your prize even if you are saved.

1 John 4:4 says, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” Those who belong to God already have overcome the spirit of antichrist, and therefore are not condemned. But if anyone of you pretends to be humble, confessing that you are sinner, then you are still under the Law, deceived by the spirit of antichrist. We must check ourselves and pay attention to whether our confessions are influenced by the spirit of antichrist.

On the other hand, some people are quick to criticize others. Once a man has been joined to Jesus by grace through faith in Christ, he is no longer a sinner. A brother who lives by grace in Jesus and has received forgiveness for their sin, if he condemns a fellow believer, he is denying that the blood of Jesus has justified him. In denying the blood of Christ he is denying that Jesus came in the flesh. Therefore a Christian’s attempt to condemn a fellow believer is evidence that they are being tempted by the spirit of Antichrist.

One day, the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman before Jesus who had been caught in adultery. Then, they said to Jesus, “Moses commanded us to stone this woman according to the Law, but what do you say?” If Jesus had said to them that they should not kill the woman, he would be the one who broke the Law. On the other hand, if He allowed them to stone her, He would be commanding them to murder her. Jesus told them “Let him who is without sin among you throw the first stone.” Then those who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience ent out one by one. Listening to the comment, people there one by one left. When there was no one left but the woman and Jesus, he said, “Is there no one who condemns you? Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.” In Christ Jesus, no one is condemned (John 8:1~11).

God made those who were bought by His blood His church. Let us love the church. Do not reveal one another’s sins but rather let us fulfill the Lord’s will. 1Peter 4:8 says, “Love covers over a multitude of sins.” We need the heart of parents who always care for their children. There is no parents who cut off the disabled parts of their children. It is maternal love that covers her children’s faults. You must not condemn the church if you confess that you love your church. We must acknowledge and love what Jesus did in the flesh. We must make our souls belong to God.

Semuon’s Letter

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2017.03.05_God’s Grapevine

March 7, 2017/in 2017 Lord's Day /by Suna IHM

Senior Overseer Ki-Dong Kim

Outline

[John 15:1-15]

God
is the vinedresser.
He cultivates the vine
and thus the vine bears many fruits.
Jesus Christ is the vine (Jn 15:1).
God exerts Himself only for the works of His Son,
who is the vine; this is His love (Jn 15:9).
As God the Father loves His Son,
He gave Him a commandment (Jn 15:10);
God’s love is a commandment (Jn 13:34).
For us to receive His love is obedience,
while it is disobedience if we do not receive God’s love.
If the branch of the vine does not receive His love
it will wither.
His love is an everlasting commandment (Jn 15:17).
Whoever does not keep God’s commandment will wither.
Then he will be cut off and cast out.
However the one who keeps the commandment of love will not perish.
The church of Jesus is a holy vine (Jn 15:2)
and therefore the church is naturally full of fruits of love.
○ Am I a branch of His vine?
Does His word abide in me?
Is my soul filled with His love?
○ He who receives His love, his prayers will be accepted by God.
If anyone does not receive His love, he is already dead
and will ultimately be cast out.
○ If one says that the church has no love
and fails to receive God’s love, that soul will perish.
Love is above both faith and hope.
※ The church must be
together with God and His Son.
Love has to be divinely holy through the Holy Spirit.

Summary

God’s Vine

(John 15:1~15)

The Gardener’s Beloved Vine

God is the gardener who cultivates the vine. Gardening is not the only thing that the gardener can do; he can do other businesses, but he devotes himself only to gardening. Likewise, God can do anything but referred to Himself as a gardener(John 15:1). That means He devotes Himself to His work, as the gardener.

The vine that God cares for is Jesus Christ, and the branches are those who believe in Him. God cultivates the vine in order to make the vine grow well. This includes the branches, the fruit and the stem. The gardener prunes the branches so that they can bear better fruit. God also prunes us to make us yield more fruit. (John 15:5)

The farmer loves and rejoices in his crops. God also loves His vine and rejoices in it. When Jesus came out of the water when He was baptized, God said, “This is my beloved Son, and I am well pleased with Him,” declaring to the world His heart toward Jesus Christ. God the Father poured all of His love on His Son, and delights in the Son who obeyed Him even to the point of death. As the branches, we must receive the love of God and also be pleasing unto Him.

The church is the body of Jesus Christ, God’s love and joy, and believers are members of the body. In other words, the church is the vine and believers the branches. In church, there are many people who have their various offices, such as pastor, elder, minister, teacher, deacon, etc; all of these are disciples of Jesus and branches who belong to Him. The branches must bear fruit. A branch that bears no fruit has no benefit for the vine, so the gardener has no choice but to prune it. When a branch becomes separated from the vine, it withers and dies. Thus, those who are born of Jesus must bear fruit. They must lead others to salvation.

Grapes are attached to the branches, and the branches are attached to the vine. In the church there are various kinds of people. They vary in the aspects of jobs, culture, life styles, backgrounds, etc. However, they are doing their duties in accordance with Jesus Christ’ will, going beyond the differences. Even though the vine, branches, and fruit are shaped differently, they become one by receiving life-giving nourishment from the tree.

How to hurt the vine

The Devil tries to scatter the unity of the church. Before we came to trust in Jesus, the Devil ruled and controlled the world. The Devil, who cannot bear that people would leave from following him and becoming committed followers of Jesus, tries to tempt even those whom God chooses. There is a nodule between the branches and the stem, and if the branches are detached, that nodule must be taken out. That means the branches of a vine are more strongly attached to the stem than even a tree branch. If we are the branches of Jesus, we must not fall away from Him in the face of the schemes and interference of the Devil.

We once were sinners who belonged to the Devil, but because we have repented, we are now in Jesus Christ. Up until this point God’s love, patience, and labor in order to save us is indescribable. In the same way that a farmer sow seeds, growing the seedlings, and harvests the fruit, so God has labored so much for us to become committed followers of Jesus. Therefore, a Christian should not regard their status and identity in Jesus lightly or take it for granted.

The Devil works hard to make us forget who we are in Jesus. That is how he separates us from God. If a Christian forgets his or her identity, then he or she might fall into temptation and even be separated from Jesus. We must not deny that we belong to Christ, but remember that the branches can never live apart from the vine.

The Devil continuously tries to accuse us, ignoring our identity in Christ. There is a way to overcome the Devil’s attack. Revelation 12:11 says, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives even when faced with death.” So the testimony that we are believers saved by the blood of Christ defeats the Devil.

It does not mean that being a Christian brings physical change. Even after being a Christian, our sinful nature still gravitates toward the world. The world may laugh at us when we proclaim that we have been justified by God. Nevertheless, we must confess and testify with boldness and confidence that we belong to Christ. There are many good and well-mannered people in the world, but God does not recognize them as having been justified. We are justified by God by the precious blood of Jesus. Who then can rightfully accuse us? No one can deny our identity.

The confidence of the Christian lies in the fact that we have been forgiven. The people of the world have not been forgiven, no matter how good they are or how great their personality. But we have been forgiven and justified by God. The blood of Jesus Christ testifies to it. We acknowledge this when we partake of the sacrament of Communion. 1Corinthians 11:26-29 says, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes…whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.” Christians must testify of the power of the precious blood of Jesus until Christ returns to the earth.

Many Christians when they are asked to give their testimonies, tell about getting a good job or that they have been blessed with prosperity in their businesses. That makes sense, but those testimonies are like the leaves of the branches. What the gardener wants from the branches is not leaves but fruit. We can bear fruit when we testify how we came to trust in Jesus. If we spare not our own lives but testify unashamedly of the blood of Christ, not only will we overcome the Devil, but we will bear fruit as well.

We must not condemn or accuse others within the church. Being forgiven by the grace of the blood does not automatically mean that our personalities are immediately transformed. After all, the Lord called sinners, not those who are righteous. The Law condemns sin in various ways. However, the purpose of the Law is to reveal that all men are sinners, not to reveal the source of sin. Jesus said, “…concerning sin because they do not believe in me.”(John 16:9) Jesus the righteous one ascended into heaven and there is no more righteousness to be found in the earth. (John 16:10) But we who have been purchased by His blood and belong to Him are now righteous.

The church is the place where those who have received grace gather. Therefore we must not look down on or condemn others in the church but rather embrace them. 1 Peter 4:8 says, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” No matter what we once were, those who have become a part of the church can be loved by the members of the church. Even if a person is condemned by the world, in church, we must treat him or her with love.

Let us Bear Fruit by Loving Each Other

When branches are healthy, they can bear fruit. The true branches refer to the disciples of Jesus. (John 15:7) Jesus said, ‘If my word remains in you, you will be my true disciples. If my word remains in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you.’ Those who remain in the Lord’s word are the true disciples, God’s branches. The way to make the Lord’s words remain us is to be loved by the Lord. In the same way that Jesus remained in His Father’s love by loving Him, those who keep the Lord’s commandment can remain in the Lord’s love and the Lord’s word in them.

For the true disciples, the most important commandment is ‘Love one another,’ that is, to save souls. Therefore, those who have come to trust in Jesus must testify to others how they became holy and how they came to receive the glory of being a Christian. It is the Lord’s disciple who makes others holy as they are and makes others turn to children of God. When they pray for the kingdom of God, their prayer is heard.

Jesus died horribly to make us children of God. He cried, “May this cup be taken from me!” Nevertheless, He obeyed His Father. By this, the love of the Son toward the Father was revealed, and God also listened to His Son’s reverent submission and answered His prayer.

Jesus’ heart was filled with the joy of being loved by His Father. Therefore it was possible for the Son to obey the Father to the point of death. Jesus also wants us to be filled with the same joy (John 15:11). Where does your joy lie? Money? Or your house? Those things that satisfy our flesh are only temporary. However, the joy that Jesus gives us last forever and can never be removed. We must have the same joy. The heart of the saints must be full of joy, not hatred or displeasure.

The Father was pleased that we were saved by the Son. When we love and save other souls by obeying the Lord’s commandment, the Father will be pleased. This is the joy of the Lord. Are you loving others? Are you joyful that Jesus’ work prospers? Or that the work of the church prospers?

The Church is the place that was bought by the blood of Christ, where the Holy Spirit reigns and works. God chose us who are weak and gave us the opportunity to help in His work. Jesus was able to endure and even rejoice in suffering because of the joy of the Father in saving men. Jesus wants us to have that joy. We must be filled with the joy of the Lord. Without a loving heart, we can never know the joy of the Lord. One can never possess that joy without loving the church.

Are you a branch that is attached to the vine? The vine is the body of Christ. God loves the church just as He loves His Son. We must love others with that love, letting that love remain in us. Let us keep the Lord’s commandment to “Love one another!”

Semuon’s Letter

Dear Sungrak people, may God’s grace be upon your souls and families.

For the last half century, with repentance and tears, and by faith and prayers, I have taken care of our church. Now, I no longer have the energy of youth, but only this old body which is enduring day by day. I have already withdrawn from the first-line of the ministry five years ago. So, now I have no power, no authority, and no leadership; I am only a weak person. Now, I am looking forward to the day of leaving the world – that is who I am. I am just an eighty year old man who, after leaving the ministry is waiting for the day of my death.

Nevertheless to this day I have loved my church so much. I have devoted all of my life and strength to the church. But, on the other hand, I have had many flaws. I cannot help being ashamed of them. Even though you have been disappointed at me, please do not throw stones at my back. And even though you get angry at me, please do not choke me. You are the ones whom I dearly love, who have received much grace, so please love our church. Our church is one with a sense of duty and which has been assigned a mission for our time. Since there are those whose hearts are weak, please encourage one another.

Some people mistakenly believe that I, Semuon, sold some of the church’s property took some of the money for myself. Therefore, I am asking the church to appoint someone who is trustworthy and reliable from among the ordained deacons to thoroughly investigate the matter. I have been living only for the Lord and have been persecuted my whole life, so there must not be any misunderstanding about me in the church. If I have embezzled even an acre of the land, I will be punished according to the law.

I have believed that all I have belongs to God and that I am only a steward of that which is God’s. Therefore, I will reveal all the facts in order to dispel all doubt and suspicion among church members.

Pastor Sung Hyun Kim has been praying to be the servant of God all his life, whether I planted the church or I did not have my worship place, while I have been praying for him. Finally I appointed him as my success or with the support of the Holy Spirit. Please do not ignore the position. I asked him, and he promised with his tears. He promised to devote his life to the Berea Movement which was started by his father. He will surely do it.

It is not in vain that we pray. What we have prayed for decades has not been in vain. God has heard, and he is the one who is appointed by the Holy Spirit. Even last night, I stayed awake praying. I was reassured about him. Please, pray for him.

If anyone of you wants to build a mega church, you can do it yourself by planting your own church. Throwing the church into confusion and disorder is not the true love for the church. The Lord went into the Most-Holy place, sprinkled His precious blood on the mercy seat and covered it with the cherubs, which are the wings of His throne. The church is where love covers over a multitude of sins. I have several things to deal with, but will do it gradually and with prayer.

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2017.2.26_The Function of the Church of Jesus

March 3, 2017/in 2017 Lord's Day /by Suna IHM

Senior Overseer Ki-Dong Kim

Outline

[1Corinthians 12:12-31]

God
is almighty.
He
created the world and testified through all things (Ge 1:1).
Of those created are both visible and invisible things,
which fill heaven, the universe and the earth.
The human body has tens of thousands of functions
which must all work together in harmony
for the body to be healthy and sound (3 Jn 1:2).
The Church is the body and the members of Jesus Christ (Ep 1:22-23),
who is the Word that came to the world as man (Jn 1:14).
In the body are both active and passive members (1 Co 12:14).
The benefits of a large church is that all members contribute to its function (1 Co 12:12-31).
Hence,
the working power of Jesus Christ is displayed,
making each member’s duty and form,
both great and small, absolutely indispensable.
They come together to form His body,
which testifies to the world as the real image of the resurrected One.
As the whole body is connected as one
through blood vessels and nerves,
each member needs to display the various gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The Church of Jesus is His body who is living.
○ Let each of us receive and believe God’s word
and be filled with the Holy Spirit
so that His gifts may be manifested.
○ We must be filled with the life of His blood,
the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit
to be the body of Jesus and a sound church.
○ Let us receive the gifts He gives to each person
and willingly become His workers according to His will
whilst waiting for the return of the Lord Jesus.
※ Our church has absolute power.
Let us become a spiritual church
fully equipped with the truth that is the same yesterday and today.

Summary

The function of the church of Jesus

(1 Corinthians 12:12~31)

God still works today
God is the Almighty. He does His work by His power today the same as yesterday, and will forever. The work of God that started before the beginning of the world is recorded in the Bible. The Bible contains such a long history of the past that some people regard it as a legend and think God is a mythical being.
However, God, who worked in the past, is still working now by the Holy Spirit. Just as the Bible said that “The Savior will come”, the Son of God came to this world. He was crucified and ascended into Heaven after His resurrection. Now He is doing His work by the Holy Spirit. The role of the church is to prove that He is not just a figure of a myth or a legend but the Being who is working even today and to make people realize that.
The power of God is not an abstract concept. The power of God that raised Jesus from the dead is working now and will continue to appear in the future. The duty of the church is to bring people to God in order that they may receive all things that He bestows and reveals to them.

Bible-like Faith
The Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians. When the Bereans heard Paul’s messages, they examined the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was true. All things written in the Bible before the coming of the Holy Spirit came in the form of parables. The Bereans, who had only the knowledge of the parables, didn’t know the truth until they heard Paul’s messages. When they verified that Paul’s messages about Jesus corresponded to the Old Testament, they came to believe that Jesus was the Lord they had been waiting for. It was through the Bible that they came to faith in Jesus.
A Christians’ faith comes from the Bible. No matter how hard you may pray, you cannot have faith if you don’t know the Bible. God created the world by His Word, and make the Word come to this world in the flesh and become the Lord of mankind. The Word of God is God. In the Bible, the very Word is recorded.
God did not give us a religion, He gave us Jesus. He did not give us a doctrine, He gave us the Bible. And He has sent the Holy Spirit so we can receive the Word by faith. Christians are those who believe in Jesus and depend on the Bible and the Holy Spirit to live out their faith. Our faith must agree with what the Bible says. If your faith is in any way different from the Bible, you must repent and correct it.
The Berean movement was born out of the desire to turn from our former way, where we had strayed from the Bible, and determine to make the Bible the foundation of our faith. If we are to have a biblical faith, we must believe in what Jesus did as it was recorded in the Bible, not interpret the Bible according to the doctrines of men or secular world-views. It is hard to believe that the dead lived again but if it is recorded in the Bible, we must believe it. It is equally hard to believe that men walked on water, but we must believe what is recorded in the Bible.
We must repent before God for our unbelief, that our faith does not conform to the Bible. The church must have a biblical faith.
Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is they that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life”. (John 5:39~40)
Some people say that if you believe in Jesus, everything will go well with you and you will prosper financially. However, the reason we believe in Jesus is not to have prosperity in this world but to have eternal life. God loved the world and sent Jesus to this earth so that men could have eternal life. That is why Jesus came and why the Bible was written.
Some people complain that the church focuses only on ‘eternal life’. They argue that there are many good lessons and things that the church can learn from the world and so we should adopt those ideas as well. And although wisdom and knowledge abound in the world, the only place where people will learn about eternal life is in the church.
When many of Jesus’ followers began to leave, the twelve disciples confessed, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”. Many people did not follow the Word of eternal life, but the twelve disciples did. It is the duty of the church to lead people to Jesus and to tell them about Jesus when they are ignorant of Him.
Jesus said, “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well”. (Mark 16:17~18)
The power to drive out demons, speak in tongues and place hands on sick people to heal them is a fundamental power given to all believers. But in this day if you try to exercise this power you can expect to be mocked and ridiculed and attacked. Nevertheless, according to the Bible, believers drive out demons, speak in tongues and heal the sick.

Members of Jesus’ Body
Jesus ascended up into heaven, so men cannot see Him anymore. But Jesus left His body in the world. That is the church (Ephesians 1:23) If you think about how a human body operates, you can easily understand the church because a man was made in His image and in His likeness. (Genesis 1:26)
The human body moves about freely because the various parts and internal organs fulfill their own functions, creating a harmony and balance. Likewise, the church can also operate effectively when its parts with various functions cooperate organically. If the eyes ignore the nose or the nose ignores the mouth, the whole body will be negatively affected.
The eyes and the nose have their respective roles. The individual members of the church also have various functions and roles, and none of them should be neglected or marginalized. What are some of the functions that make up the church?
1 Corinthians 12:7~11 says, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, as he wills”.
The Holy Spirit gives various gifts to each of us, not for our own enjoyment or benefit, but rather so we may work together with others who have different gifts for the edification of the body, which is the church.
1 Corinthians 12:27~31 says, “Now you are the body of Christ and each individual members of it. And in the church, God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, gifts of helping, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way”.
Those who sing better than others will more likely take roles as singers, but even though some others don’t become singers, they can sing as much as they like. The same goes for casting out demons, speaking in new tongues and laying hands on the sick to heal them, which powers are granted to whoever believes. Therefore, you must not think that you are an exceptional Christian because these basic powers are manifested in you and through you.
Whoever believes must play their role as a member of the church. There are various duties and functions in the church. Some people lead praise and worship songs, others usher new comers, and others teach the Bible. None is more important than the others.
Whether something seems a small thing or a big thing, they are all valuable as important roles within the church body. Therefore, you should not judge or criticize any role or function in the church.
Everyone should respect each other and be committed to their own roles. The church is the body of Jesus and we are the members of the body.
God has given us the gifts of the Holy Spirit, so we can work for the church. We must not be bystanders who go to church with no purpose, but members who are used by God. We must accomplish the work that can only be done with the help of the Holy Spirit. God has sent us the Holy Spirit, not just so that we can taste Him, but so that we can live in, obey, and work with the Holy Spirit.
What’s your role in the church? In order to faithfully and effectively discharge the duties of that role, you must be full of the Holy Spirit.
You must accomplish the holy work using the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Semuon’s Letter

What is true love? It is motherhood and fatherhood. True love is not about loving that which one can do well, but about loving everything about the person. My father did not only love what I did well, but also used to smile at me and encourage me saying, “That must’ve hurt”, when I fell down while running.

I was always the worst at running when I was at school and so I have never won a prize on sports day. My father asked me, “Didn’t you win a prize?” Then when my head drooped, he said, “Even though you came last, you are my son. And I love my son.” In this way, I have never heard my father utter a single word of cursing at me for making mistakes. Whenever my church members say that they love me, I remember the very word my father used to say to me. If my church members loved only my strengths, how hard would that be for me? How troubled would I be living such a constrained life?

I am an imperfect and humble person, but God has loved all of me. That is why I am filled with the pleasure of living with God. Even though I make mistakes, I immediately tell God about them and get receive freedom before Him. Even though the whole church says to me, “We love you”, I hope they will love even my shortcomings and mistakes.

Pastors are the ones who live by receiving love from the saints. If they love only the pastor’s merits and do not love his flaws, then the church would be no different from the world, and more like hell. What pleases me is that I am being loved not just by God but also by my church, so even if I am hated and abandoned in the world, I have the joy and thanksgiving by which I can overcome.

Please, love our overseer. He will keep growing, learning, and praying even more. If anyone of you takes only his merits and what he does well, he will have trouble doing his duty. As the Korean saying goes, “To put a person on a tree and shaking it”, if you sway him, the church will be in trouble. No matter what others say, they are not the overseer of Sungrak Church. It is only Sung Hyun Kim that God appointed as the overseer of Sungrak Church. If you, out of personal feelings and based on man’s standard of righteousness, insult the person whom God ordained, it is the same as blaspheming against the One who ordained him.

Our church was established with a great calling for this generation. Thus, it is the Lord’s will that all of us love the overseer as well as the church. This exhortation of mine is my honest and everlasting appeal.

2017 Audio

2017 Video

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