Jesus’ Word and Authority that Saves (Matt. 17:14-27)
Let us bless and greet one another, “Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God.” May that great blessing be upon all the members who are worshiping in the church, especially in the regional church of Yakima. Throughout the last week, God has guided our missions team to see the works of God taking place in the fields of Yakima and Portland, Oregon, and we have no choice but to give glory and praise to God as we saw the disciples being raised up. I asked the team if they liked this life of wandering around, and if they would do this their entire life, and one of the team members said they do enjoy that. In my heart, I thought, “This is a person who will be a pastor, because the pastor should enjoy proclaiming the gospel.” Going to all the regions to proclaim the gospel should make our heart race, but the everyday members of the church cannot leave their region. Their business field is their mission field. It was a week full of God’s grace, and I thank you for your prayers.
1. Problem of the field (World)
1) One who has seizures
(1) Lord, have mercy on my son (Mt. 17:15)
(2) Seizures – Suffering greatly (Mt. 17:15)
(3) Disciples – Could not heal him (Mt. 17:16)
Today’s main scripture in Mt. 17 is about a parent and a son who was born with a disease that causes seizures. Even today, we still have seizures. Seizures can be caused by many different medical causes, but there is a point that the Bible is trying to tell us today. If there is one person in the family who suffers from seizures, the whole family must concentrate on that person their whole life because if somebody suffers from seizures, they can collapse at any point, and today’s scripture says that they can fall into fire or fall into water, so somebody must be with them 24 hours a day. More so than financial problems or any other kind of problem, the entire family is suffering because of this one child who has seizures.
2) Jesus
(1) You unbelieving and perverse generation (Mt. 17:17)
This child’s father is not able to go to Jesus, but looks for the disciples, but the disciples were not able to heal the son. Then, the reason why they gave this to us is to fix. If the disciples were not able to fix the disease, then it’s possible that we may not be able to fix the disease. Then Jesus says, “You are an unbelieving and perverse generation.” And Jesus asks, “How long should I stay with you, how long should I put up with you?”
(2) How long shall I stay with you? (Mt. 17:17)
So if you and I are able to correctly restore the meaning of faith, then the works will correctly take place. Do you think the disciples of Jesus lacked faith? When Jesus calls them “unbelieving,” there is another angle He is coming from. You go to church and you believe in Jesus. But why did the disciples believe in Jesus? They followed Jesus with the faith that, “If I follow Jesus, I will get food, I will get money, I will get many things.” That is why, on the Mount of Transfiguration, that is why he said, “Let me build three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” By God’s grace, they do believe in Jesus Christ, but the reason and the motive for their faith is still for themselves. They think, “If I believe in Jesus Christ, then I will get this kind of result or return,” and that is the faith with which they follow him. And of course, with that faith, they cannot help the boy with seizures.
(3) How long shall I put up with you? (Mt. 17:17)
So Jesus asks, “How long shall I stay with you?”
3) Jesus’ authority
(1) Bring the boy (Mt. 17:17)
(2) Jesus rebuked the demon (Mt. 17:18)
(3) It came out of the boy (Mt. 17:18)
And then He said, “Bring the boy to me,” and Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy. So, the problem of the patient with seizures was a problem with demons. We go to the hospital and get healed of our diseases by doctors; we need the help of the doctors because we have a disease, but there is one thing we must know. Humans are not made of only the physical. Humans are made up of spirit, mind, and body, so if there is a physical disease, it is directly related to your spirit.
There is the physical problem of the patient with seizures who is falling over into fires and water, but the beginning is spiritual. If there is a doctor here who recognizes this, they can become an even greater doctor because if the doctor is able to heal not only the physical disease, but also the spiritual, then that is complete healing. Do you think the problems 2000 years ago are not happening today? They are happening today as well. Just like the disciples back in biblical times were not able to heal the disease, there are churches today that are not able to touch this problem. It’s not that they don’t believe in Jesus, they do, but what kind of Jesus do they believe? What is the Jesus that we believe in? Is it possible that we’re designing our own image and goal of what our faith should be?
2. Word that saves
1) Disciples that could not drive out the demon
(1) Little faith (Mt. 17:20)
That’s why Jesus calls them, “You unbelieving generation,” meaning, if you simply have faith, you can cast the demon out. Then, what kind of faith are we talking about?
(2) Believe in the death, resurrection of the cross (Mt. 17:23)
(3) Disciples filled with grief (Mt. 17:23)
It says in Mt. 17:22-23, “The son of man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and on the third day, He will be raised to life,” but the disciples were filled with grief. You need to have the faith that Jesus Christ died and resurrected, but when these people heard that Jesus Christ will die, they were filled with grief, then what is the faith with which these disciples believed? It was a faith they created for themselves. They do receive salvation by God’s grace, but your faith must also be given by God. The faith the disciples believed in was a hope that Jesus would not die. In other words, they needed a Jesus Who would solve their physical problems. If they remain with Jesus, then they receive many physical benefits, that’s why Jesus cannot die. But with that kind of faith, we cannot solve the problems of the field. They cannot even solve their own problems.
If that is the state of the disciples, who, 2000 years ago were walking with Jesus, what do you think is happening to the Christians today? We don’t even have to say it; there are people like this still today. It says in John 5:39 that all of the Bible, including the Old Testament, is talking about Jesus Christ. Luke 24:44 says that the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms are all testifying of Jesus Christ. Even though people are born into Christian families, they go to church, and they read the Bible for a long time, they still don’t have faith.
When they talk about faith, they’re only talking about their own personal conviction; they’re only believing in whatever they have decided. They are just holding onto their stubbornness that God will give them whatever they want and hope for, even though it’s not promised in the Bible at all. But they tell people, that’s what faith is, so successful nonbelievers don’t need that kind of faith because they can have success on their own. If somebody does not have any money or any kind of background, they might be swept up by that kind of faith, but the evidence that this is a fake faith is because it is not an answer to the problems in the field.
2) Gospel – It is finished (Jn. 19:30)
The problems of mankind can only be solved when Jesus Christ dies on the cross and resurrects. Our fundamental problems can only be finished when Jesus Christ, Who has no sin, dies on the cross for our Original Sin and curses. That is how all the forces of Satan, death, and hell can be overcome. That means, that is the problem of mankind. It is the problem of Original Sin, where, invisible to the eye, I try to be like God. It is being centered on myself, drawing my own kingdom. That problem must be finished.
If that problem is not finished, then that will cause every other problem in my life. In order to solve that problem, we must have faith in death on the cross and resurrection, and you should enjoy hearing about that, but the disciples were filled with grief. In John 19:30, everything must be finished. What is finished? Is Jesus Christ going to finish the debt that I owe?” That’s not what we mean. As soon as humans were born, we were born, not with the image of God, but with the image of Adam. Since we were in our mother’s womb, we were born with Original Sin, the state of Adam. As soon as we’re born, we are spiritually dead, separated from God. We were born in a way that thinks and feels emotions as if we were our own god, so even in our mother’s womb, we are born, seized by the authority of Satan, and we cannot escape.
Parents may think their children are so cute, but when you look at the spiritual things, the parents don’t matter to their child because the child is their own lord. When the children are young and playing, they are so cute and the parents love playing with them, but when they get older, they say, “You’re disgusting; get out of my house.” That’s normal.
(1) Died with Christ (Gal. 2:20)
These kinds of humans, one day, believe in Jesus, and the disciples are personally following and believing in Jesus, but they are still not changing. As evidence of that, they are not able to give the answer to the problems in the field. Gal. 2:20 says we have been crucified on the cross with Jesus Christ. I believe that the “me” who was centered on myself with Original Sin, trying to be my own god, has been crucified on the cross with Jesus Christ.
(2) Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20)
That “Christ” now lives and is now living within me. That is what I believe, that is the faith. The disciples do not have the faith that Jesus is the Christ. If that Word had been relayed, then the demon would have been cast out, but the ones who did not believe that. If you were born a Christian, then that could be a blessing; it is a blessing, but there are many cases where that is not a blessing because the incorrect faith goes in. They think that whatever they’re convicted of, whatever they think and idealize, that is their faith.
If we were in the Bible and in Joseph’s situation, our mother passed away early, we were almost killed by our brothers, and we were sold into slavery into Egypt, could we understand that? The Bible is telling us that God is with us and He did those things. Would we be able to understand that? From the perspective of the disciples in the Bible, their mother should not have passed away early. Are there any of you who have a faith of, “Why would my mother die early? The God I believe in could prevent that from happening. If God is alive, then how could He make my brothers try to kill me and sell me into slavery in Egypt?” Could you believe in a God like that?
(3) Life of living with faith (Gal. 2:20)
But the Bible tells us that Joseph believed in that, then, what did Joseph believe? Joseph believed that God was with him according to the Word God had promised him and that God was guiding him, and if you use the faith that the disciples had in that situation, they would never be able to understand it. “If I believe in Jesus, then my parents should live a long life. If I believe in Jesus, then all my older brothers should change to have a good heart. If I believe in Jesus, I should never be sold into slavery. If God is real, He should make me governor immediately, why should I remain as a prisoner and a slave?” If you believe in a God like that, that is a disease. If there are any of you who believe in God and your business has been destroyed and you wonder, “How can God do that?”, that is not faith; that is someone who just believed in the success of their business, but that is not promised in the Bible.
The entire Bible is promising and telling us that Jesus is the Christ. If you believe in that, then the problems of the people in the field will be solved. If you really believe in Jesus Christ today, then your problems will no longer be a problem, but you don’t have this faith. Because you don’t have this faith, you’re not even able to solve your own mental illnesses. You’ll never be able to solve that continuous, repetitive problem. You need to really believe that Jesus is the Christ. You need to actually believe in the fact that He died on the cross, He resurrected, and He is with me.
3) What saves people
If you just know this as a theory or a doctrine, that will never work. He is the Creator God and He is actually within me as life. If you really believe in this, then the works will take place. Even the problems of the seizures in today’s scripture is a spiritual problem. Our problem is also spiritual, it is a problem of faith. If there are any of you who are believing in this with the wrong kind of conviction or with another kind of standard, that is given to you by the message of the devil.
(1) Spirit gives life (Jn. 6:63)
John 6:63 says that the Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. Does that mean we don’t have to eat? I’m saying we do have to eat, but that’s not enough; that cannot save people. The Spirit gives life and the words, I, Jesus Christ, have spoken to you, are Spirit and they are life. In order to save yourself, only the words of Jesus Christ Himself can save you.
(2) Jesus’ word – Spirit, life (Jn. 6:63)
Whatever conviction or ideologies you’ve created for yourself can never save you. Human beings are made as spiritual beings, so in order to live, we must absolutely receive the Spirit and the Word of God. Jesus Christ Himself is living within me as life, and if you truly believe in this, then the Holy Spirit will give you His Word. So, yes, you do have to research the Word, but that’s not enough.
(3) Flesh counts for nothing – People’s words (Jn. 6:63)
Yes, it might be great if we study theology, but that’s not what it’s going to take. Jesus Christ, Who is the meaning of the entire Bible, is within me. John 14:26 says that the Holy Spirit inside of me will teach me and remind me of the words of Jesus Christ, so the words and the abilities of mankind can never solve the problem of the people in the field. That means, no matter how great politicians or the policies we have are, they cannot solve the problems of America. Human beings are spiritual beings, so only the words of Jesus, only the words of life can save us.
There are many people who live their walk of faith for a long time, but it does not work out. They know the Word of God, but it is not accurate. Where must we conclude this Word of God? Jesus is the Christ, and He has finished all of life’s problems on the cross. He has finished our fundamental problem on the cross. He is fundamentally within me as life. We talk about this faith. If we have this faith, then it doesn’t matter what situation we face because we don’t trust in our situation. If you believe in your situation, it means you hope you can rely on your situation, but that’s why you get discouraged; you need to believe in Jesus Christ. You need to believe He is with you and is fulfilling His plan through you.
As you believe in this and relay this, other people around you will come to life, but instead of relaying this, you relay whatever you think. You keep relaying things like, “If you believe in Jesus Christ, your children will get along well.” You need to relay the correct meaning, that when you believe in Jesus Christ, your fundamental problems will be solved and you will be with God forever. The fact that you’re created in the image of God means that the work of God will be revealed through you. It is talking about my thoughts and my heart changing into the thoughts and heart of God. All of our actions will go in the direction that God desires. Even right now, the devil is disrupting that. Instead of God’s plan being revealed through us, he is telling us, “You fulfill your plan in your life.” And Satan tells us, “You create your own plans and ask for God to fulfill what you want,” but all of those are words of the devil.
So, what is the devil doing even now? He makes us oppose or refuse the work of God, and he divides people from God. He makes it so that humans go in the direction that the devil desires, without God. So, Peter actually said the words that the devil desired, and that’s why Jesus Christ told Simon Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!” Even though he’s following Jesus, Jesus called him Satan. It means these were thoughts given to him by Satan.
In Genesis, it says humans were created to think with the Word of God. Yes, it’s true that we can think however we want because God gave us free will, but if you do that, then you cannot conquer this land or this life. If you think however you want, you will be a slave. God’s reign and God’s ruling will be revealed through me because God reigns and rules over me, but the devil prevents you from doing this no matter what.
In Gen. 3, the devil goes in and gives the thought, “You can eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” and the spiritual background that was invisible gave Eve that thought. So, there’s only two options for our thoughts: does it come from God, or does it come from the devil? If it comes from God, then it gives us peace. But most of our thoughts, even the ones that are going through your head right now, are not from God. Satan plants these thoughts into your head, makes you think of them, and makes you act in that direction. You need to really believe. You need to really believe in, think of, and act upon the words of the covenant God has given you.
3. Decision for saving
1) Temple tax
Later in the scripture, they go into the temple and the people ask the disciples, “Why does your teacher not pay the Temple tax?” There are people today who say, “Why does the church keep talking about money? The church needs God’s grace; why does the church need money?” You don’t say that when you go to a movie theater. You don’t say that when you take a ship somewhere. Even when you go to school, you go to private school, and pay them money, why? Because you are giving them money to buy knowledge, and you use money to ride planes, but you ask, “Why do you have to give money to the Temple?” There are many people who ask that.
(1) Those twenty years or older after the Exodus (Ex. 30:13-14)
After the Exodus, in Exodus 30:13-14, it says that every man 20 years old and older needs to give a tax to the temple of half a shekel. If they do not give that offering, they cannot go in. Can you understand that? Why does the church need money? The church does need money, but where does that money come from? It is given by Jesus. In today’s scripture, Jesus says, “Go to the lake and throw out your line; take the first fish that you catch, open its mouth, and you will find a four drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
(2) Jesus – God’s children – Exempt from taxes (Mt. 17:26)
The Temple is God’s. Is it that if Jesus Christ, Who is God Himself, goes to the Temple, does He really have to give the tax? If you’re a child of your parents, and you live in their house, do you have to pay rent to them? No, because you’re the son of the owner. Why is it that if Jesus Christ goes to the Temple, He has to pay tax? He can say words that are very quick and correct, but that is not what Jesus decided. He said, “Let us pay the Temple tax,” why? So that we may not cause them offense.
(3) Gave the tax to not cause offense (Mt. 17:27)
The church is not a place to say correct words. Even if you want to say words that are correct, you hold them back to save the other person. Are there any of you who believe in Jesus Christ because you want to say words that are correct? Then you don’t need to believe in Jesus for that, because with your correct words, you can never save people.
2) Food for idols
In the region of Corinth, there were so many idols and they would worship these idols by offering meat every single day, and there was so much meat that it would be sold in the marketplaces, and because it was at a reduced price, people would buy the meat and eat it. People would know it was meat offered to idols, but right now, there was an issue because these were foods offered to idols. They were arguing, “Can someone who believes in Jesus Christ eat the food that was offered to demons and idols?”
(1) Freedom – Don’t become a stumbling block to the weak (1 Cor. 8:9)
The answer in the Bible says this, “Because we are the saved children of God, we have the freedom to eat the food offered to idols, it has no influence on us.”
(2) Food – If it causes my brother or sister to fall into sin (1 Cor.8:13)
However, let’s say there is someone who used to worship idols and is now believing in Jesus Christ with us, and that person doesn’t want to eat the food offered to idols.
(3) Paul – Never eat meat again (1 Cor. 8:13)
But Paul said this, “We have the freedom to fully eat whatever we want, but in order to not cause this person any trials, I will never eat that meat.” Paul’s decision was this, “I have the freedom to eat that food however much I want, but in order to not cause that person any conflict, I will refuse to eat that meat.”
3) Business
That was the decision that Jesus made. So what is the standard of your decision? It is saving people’s lives. Without a doubt, you will receive your answer. It doesn’t matter how much you study; it’s going to be of no use, because in the future, we will lose 5 million jobs. Now, no matter how much skill we have, the AI will be better than us. Right now, any high schoolers or college students, you need to listen carefully because if you don’t listen now, you will become unnecessary in the future. You only have value if you can be better than AI, but AI doesn’t get sick and AI doesn’t protest. AI doesn’t even ask for a raise because they don’t get paid, and they do their work in such a structured, good way. Now, AI will be in every industry, and many people will face unemployment. So, especially for the future generation, if you’re not listening carefully, then you’ll go into the age of joblessness and you’ll be shocked. Even right now, in a lot of manufacturing plants like Samsung, they’re all made by robots that don’t need people. If you look at the Korean markets, a lot of people don’t like being in a very hot kitchen, so a lot of the food is made by robots. Surgeries that used to be done by humans, they would make mistakes, but it’s no longer necessary; robots can do surgery.
We will come to this age where humans are no longer valuable. That is why, all the more, the future generations must be sharpened by the word of God because the problem of the human spirit cannot be solved by AI. The future generations that truly believe in the Word of God’s covenant, those are the ones who can heal and save the age, not the faith that Simon Peter had today, you need to truly believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross, resurrected, and is with you right now.
But you just know this as some kind of doctrine or teaching, so you say, “Okay, I guess that’s true,” but if you really believe in that, nothing will be a problem for you. Because you don’t actually believe in it, but you just know this as one of the doctrines, no works are taking place, just as it was for Peter. We need to solve that disease within us. We need to break down the disease of our unbelief that only has our own imaginations and doctrines. We need to break down the diseases of just imagining whatever we want, and shoving our faith into that.
Paul learned how to be content in all situations, in poverty or wealth, that is the standard, “Because the Lord is with me,” we need to have that faith. We cannot put anything else there, because if you put other things in there, that may feel good, but that does not save you; that is not faith. Even if something unfair happens to you, you must really believe that the Lord is with you in that situation. When the person who truly believes this relays those words into the field, the works will take place in the field. If somebody tells you to do something you do not want to do, most people say, “no,” but with that, you cannot solve the problems of the field. There is no “you,” you need to look for God’s plan within this, and when you believe in that, God’s works will take place. It’s that faith, then even if it’s something small, the works will take place. If you and I really believe that Jesus Christ died and resurrected and is with me now, then you will save yourself and your field.
(1) Tool to save lives
Then, what is the business or work with which I must run my business? Of course, you are running your business to save lives. If you’re just running your business to eat and survive, then you are like a nonbeliever without God. If you are doing things to elevate your own success and your name to many people, then that is what nonbelievers do. We were created in God’s image, so we need success and all these other things for God’s plan and for God’s glory.
The goal with which the students are studying within the school must be for this plan. If you really believe that your studies will be used as an instrument to save people’s lives, then God will work. That is the studies that David did well while he was young. Everybody at his age was a shepherd; most of the little boys were shepherds at that time, and most people go to school from elementary school. But what did David have that was different? He believed in God; he really believed God was with him, and that was the way in which he shepherded. That is what saved the nation later on.
Your studies must actually have the faith that your studies will be used to save the nation and the world. Because God is with me, then, even though the lions and the wolves take away my sheep, the LORD allows me to take them from the beasts’ mouth. When a little kid like that becomes a youth, there was no one else who could go before Goliath, they were not able to stand before Goliath because they studied differently. But the children who have seen the evidence that, “God is with me,” will save the nation. No one else who had an education could stand before Goliath, and even longstanding believers could not go forth. But the reason David went in front was not because he was brave. Goliath said, “Why is this young kid in front of me? He’s so rude.” That’s not it. “It’s because God is with me,” and he had the evidence, “God was with me even as a young shepherd, and even as this giant is defiling the name of the Lord, God is with me now.” If you have the gospel, you will save the land, you are bound to save your family line and your company, and when a person like this becomes king, it was so great for God to work through him.
(2) Temple construction that saves 237, Healing, Future Generations
So he believed, “I need to do temple construction, that’s the reason why God made me the king,” so he was well-educated from a young age. For you and me, it doesn’t matter how old we are, we need to have the restoration of the correct and accurate faith. What is it that the church must do? Yes, it is true, we receive grace and go back. But what are you going to do with that? What happens if you come here, receive grace, and then go back? God wants you to receive that strength, receive that healing, in order to save the world.
What are you going to do if you study hard and succeed? We don’t believe in Jesus to succeed, it’s to save the world. Only the one who has the gospel can save the world. Only the one who has the spiritual answer can give the answer to those with spiritual problems. So, the church is the place that heals, everybody is diseased, diseased in the spirit. Their spirit is filled with other things that are not God’s Word, and when the Word of God goes into their spirit, they will come to life. All the problems that are visible will just go away with time. Things like depression, it doesn’t matter how much you’re medicated; that problem will be revealed in another way. If you take medication, your hormones can be stabilized, however, if the spiritual problem does not receive the Word of God, it will result in another problem.
(3) Power of the throne (Ac. 1:8)
Right now, the disease of seizures being healed is not an issue because everybody is going to die anyway. We need to really believe in Jesus Christ and receive eternal life. If we speak to someone just once, we need to give them the most precious and most eternal Word that will give them true life, the words of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The church, the Temple to do that work. Your business is for that temple construction. In today’s scripture, Jesus Christ puts coins inside a fish’s mouth and gives that to Simon Peter. What can’t He do? Even a fisherman, who has been fishing his entire life, could catch no fish, but Jesus said, “Cast your net on this side of the boat,” and their net was bursting. When we truly do what God desires, God is bound to work. It is not by our power but the power of God comes upon us.
Conclusion
1. Problem of mankind – Spiritual problem
In conclusion, every single person has a spirit, so they have a spiritual problem. If someone is addicted to drugs, the issue is not the drug. If somebody has a mental illness, that mental illness is not the problem. That person’s spirit has a problem. But because that is invisible, they only look at the mental illness that is revealed; it’s revealed in a visible way, physically.
2. Save with word of the Only Gospel
Every single human is a spiritual being, so they need the words of life, the words of the gospel. Nothing else can ever save. Only the words of Jesus Christ. Everything, “It is finished,” and I will be with you for eternity.” He desires to relay this Word to the field. You shouldn’t add anything else to that, because Jesus Christ Himself is the answer. Yes, we do need to study the Bible and raise disciples, but we must be completely content with only Jesus Christ.
3. Works through the power of the Only Holy Spirit
Any Bible study that doesn’t result in that is unnecessary, and God will follow this kind of person around with His power, why? God follows this person around and works upon them in order to fulfill God’s plan. Some people pray very diligently and receive answers but there are people who receive answers even when they don’t pray. But there are also those who pray almost to death, but they still don’t receive answers. If you and I remain within the path of the gospel that God desires, then God will follow you around and answer. May you receive this answer and enjoy it throughout the week and testify of it in your field.
Message Prayer
Each of you has received an individual Word from God, so let us hold onto that Word and pray together.
Offering prayer
God, we thank You. We thank You for giving us the grace to believe that Jesus is the Christ. Allow us to be rooted in the faith of only Jesus Christ. Allow us to see the evidence of Christ and to stand in the seat of a witness. God, we believe You will guide us so we may know the problems of the field and give them the answer. We have returned Your materials as offering. We pray that everywhere this offering is used, the problems of the field and this age will be solved, and that the gospel of only Jesus Christ may be proclaimed. May this be the materials and offerings that break down the curses, disasters, and darkness in America. We pray that You will give the blessing of the economy of light upon the hands that have given this offering, so the offering may be used to break down the relentless spiritual problems that the politicians of this world cannot solve. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
Announcements
1. Online zoom early morning prayer (Mon.-Fri. 5:30, Sat. 6AM) – Raise the bartizan of prayer.
2. Sunday 3PM Bartizan camp around church.
3. WRC 7/27-28,8/2-4 in Korea.
4. Remnant day is on 7/29 (Sat.).
5. WRC broadcasting at ICSC on 8/5 (Sat.).
6. Offering can be given to the church venmo: @antiochmissionchurch
Benediction
Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the unending love of God, and the indwelling, working, guidance, and fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be upon all the heads of all the people of God, the people of all nations, and the remnants who desire to save with the authority and the Word of Jesus Christ, be with them from now until forevermore always, amen.