Press on Toward the Goal (Phil. 3:1-16)

Let us bless one another for the first time, “Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God.”  The greatest blessing of this year is that Jesus is the Christ and that He is our Lord, and the secret for you to live the greatest year of 2024 is the day when the Lord becomes your Christ.  This is the first worship we are giving in the year 2024; what is the plan with which we must live our 2024?  Many people will say many different things, however, how does God desire for us to live our 2024?  

1. World’s goal

Inside of the church, there are two groups of people, the people who are racing towards the goal that God desires and the ones that are racing towards the goal that God does not desire.  Even though they had believed in Jesus Christ and they received salvation and so they came into the church, they were still following the goal that the world desires, not the goal that God desires, so there were two groups inside the church.  

  1) Confidence in the flesh – Imprint (Phil. 3:3-4)

That first group of people are the ones who follow the goal of the flesh. They have confidence in the flesh, it means they have confidence in themselves. To rely on yourself means you are relying on yourself, for example, your experiences, your knowledge, your thoughts.  And, they rely on and follow after the physical things they can see with their eyes.  For example, people who follow after and rely on the background of their education, their children, their power, or their material possessions, these are the ones who follow after the goal of the world.  They also gather together the strength of other people to give them their organizations, or their network, or jobs. 

    (1) Me (Gen. 3:5)

    (2) Physical things (Gen. 6:2-3)

    (3) My, our strength (Gen. 11:4)

Why do you think there are so many gatherings around the New Year?  Do you think people are just gathering so they can eat together? They are using that organization as their background, that is the way the people of the world are living right now, relying on themselves and physical things.  

  2) Root

    (1) Religion – Circumcision (Phil. 3:5)

After they believe in Jesus Christ, all they have to do is go to church, but there are some people who emphasize this religious act of circumcision, and the actions or traditions of worship, and the actions of the law that say, “We need to live according to the law and the Word of God,” and in Ex. 20:8, they lived with sure diligence.  

    (2) Law – Actions (Phil. 3:5)

    (3) Diligence (Phil. 3:6)

What is all of that? Those are people who are living for themselves; “with my diligence, for me, keeping the law, as I keep the form of worship.” Then the common characteristic within all of that is “me.”  We must receive God’s grace. Yes, the form of worship is important, but the content of worship is more important.  

  3) Nature

    (1) Their god – Satan (Phil. 3:19)

Phil. 3:19 says about these people that their god is their stomach.  There’s a lot of nonbelievers who frequently say, “I need to eat and make a living.” People always say that; “I need to eat.” It’s the same thing with everyday people, but even celebrities say, “We’ve got to eat, we’ve got to make a living,” and I have friends who have retired, but they can’t just retire, because they need to make a living and they need to eat. There are even celebrities who are not able to make enough income just by being a celebrity, so they have to get another job in order to eat. 

But the God they believe in is not Jesus, it is their stomach, their goal to eat and survive, but it turns out, they are actually worshiping Satan through idols, and I believe there may be some people like that among us today. “Then, of course we have to eat; should we not eat, then?” But that’s an elementary question. The real question is, why must we eat and live?  We must eat and live for Christ. 

Everybody always cares about what they eat and where they eat it. “Let’s take a plane to Hawaii and eat there.” “During the holidays, let’s pack up our bags with our family, take a vacation, and eat somewhere.”  “Today, I have plans with friends, so where shall we go to eat?”  There are some people who come to church and ask, “What’s for lunch today? Oh, I don’t like today’s lunch,” I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but I’m saying their standard in everything is what they eat.  Yes, you have to eat well, I’m not saying that eating is a bad thing.  Even the reason why kids study is so they can eat very extravagant, luxurious meals.  People who are a bit more extreme will say, “How can I eat these extravagant and luxurious meals, and eat very well before I die?”  

    (2) Live as enemies of the cross – Idolatry (Phil. 3:18)

Phil. 3:18 says that they live as enemies of the cross.  We were created to believe in the cross, but instead, they are living their lives in the direction opposite of the cross.  Their greed is idolatry.  Exodus 20:3-5 says, “Do not make an idol for yourselves.”  The reason people worshiped idols in the Old Testament was so that they could have more sun or more rain for their harvest, because that is how they eat and make a living. “Please, give us good sun, please give us a good harvest,” why? “Because we need to eat and survive.”  They also asked their gods to give them a lot of children because children would be the laborers for the field, so they could have a good harvest and have a lot to eat. 

    (3) Result – Destruction, Shame – Family (Phil. 3:19)

If there are any of you who are living your life in 2024 also with this same physical goal, Phil. 3:19 says, “Their destiny is destruction and their result is their shame.” Why do people choose a religion? It’s for me so that I can gain some rest in my heart.  Or maybe, so I can pray and gain some benefit for my business.  Or, “if this God is alive, then maybe they can help me with my life,” If that is the way you’re beginning your year of 2024, then the result will be destruction and shame.  Are there any of you who are planning your life like that? We already know the result of that life, even before we’ve lived in 2024.  That’s what Apostle Paul used to be like, and that is how he used to live before he changed. How did he change?  Once he believed in Jesus Christ, how did he believe in Jesus Christ?  

2. Jesus Christ

  1) Surpassing worth of knowledge (Phil. 3:8)

In Phil. 3:8, it says that Paul believed that knowing Christ Jesus was the surpassing worth. The surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ is the greatest knowledge because he once thought the things he learned in his past were his greatest knowledge.  He thought that he knew the most and was best-educated on the Word and the law God had given him.  He thought that following all of those laws and traditions was a benefit for himself.  People who don’t have faith will have this weird belief that, if they agree to go to church, then something good will happen to them.  

    (1) Gains to me – Consider loss (Phil. 3:7)

In a physical, worldly way, Apostle Paul was very successful and he worked very diligently, but in Phil. 3:8, he says, “Whatever I considered to be a benefit, I now consider a loss.” It was a loss because of those things, he couldn’t hold onto the greatest thing. Before we had smartphones, we only had phones that could make calls. I kept using my old cellular phone, but  more people around me were watching videos on their smartphones and laughing.  And people would keep on asking me, “Pastor, why don’t you use a smartphone?”  Why do you think I didn’t? Because I thought my phone was the greatest, all I need to do is make phone calls, why do I need anything else? I’m not gonna play games on my phone, I just need to communicate, and I thought that was the greatest.  When did that change?  Once I received the idea that I need to listen to the messages through the videos online, that thought changed. I can listen to the messages even while I’m driving.  

    (2) For Christ (Phil. 3:7)

    (3) I lost all things, consider them garbage (Phil. 3:8)

Apostle Paul used to think the things he knew in his past were the greatest, but after he met Jesus Christ, he realized that this was like nothing else, so everything in his life that he’s done until this point he considers as rubbish and discards it, why is that?  In order for him to be discovered in Christ and in you, we all believe in Jesus, but what do Paul’s words mean? In the past, he used to live such a diligent life of faith, but there was something he didn’t know.  He didn’t know that as soon as humans are born, we are separated from God because of original sin, with the background of curses.  He didn’t know that and he tried to keep the law, he thought all he needed to do was to brush up his academics without knowing that fact, and without knowing that fact, he thought all he needed to do was graduate from the greatest school. 

But why do curses and disasters continue to happen?  There are invisible Satan and demons who are controlling our minds and our fate, but he didn’t know that.  Regardless of what I want, Satan uses his authority to completely drag me to my fate and destiny, and he did not know that.  He didn’t know the reason why he was suffering even though he tried to live diligently and physically well, following the law.  He didn’t know that ultimately, there is a background of hell that is dragging you to death.  For the first time, he realized that until he is able to take care of this tremendous, invisible, spiritual problem, no matter how much he worships or reads the Bible, it won’t work. 

  2) Gain Christ (Phil. 3:8)

    (1) Found in Christ (Phil. 3:9)

The name that breaks down that tremendous fundamental problem is the Christ, and Jesus is the Christ. Christ is the name that breaks down the greatest cause of every person’s problems.  Before we know this fact, I just think, “I just have to live diligently, and live a good life,” but it’s not enough just for you to live well.  People think they just need to live a diligent walk of faith, but that’s not true.  My background itself must change into the background of God.  We live within our background, and even when you live today, you are living under the background of the nation of America.  If you are living in the Gaza Strip or Ukraine, then because of the background of where you live, you would have to be in war.  Or, if you’re living in North Korea because of that background, you have to starve.  

    (2) Background of sin, curses, Satan, hell – Liberated (Jn. 19:30)

Paul didn’t know about that background, so he thought he just had to live well by himself. He thought, “I just need to hold onto the Scriptures, and live diligently with the law.” But all of the scriptures are talking about Jesus Christ.  Age by age, the only way to break down the invisible forces of darkness is Christ.  It doesn’t matter what you accomplish in America, until this problem is broken down, this superpower nation is the place where everyone in the world gathers to make living, and the superpower nation of America has all this knowledge, and they are selling all of this knowledge to the rest of the world.  They are concentrating on this knowledge without realizing the three fundamental problems attacking everyone in the background.  It doesn’t matter how much they go to church, just as it didn’t matter how much Apostle Paul went to church. 

There was no other way than “only Christ,” the way to break down curses and disasters, the way to break down and to cast out Satan and demons.  The way to not live under the background of hell, but instead, to live with the background of heaven, receiving those blessings. That path is Christ. “It is the greatest knowledge. I’ve gained everything,” that is what you call a Christian.  But if you don’t know this and you’re living in the year 2024 without knowing this fact, like Apostle Paul used to, in the past, quickly change.  The background of darkness around you cannot be solved by you living your walk of faith diligently or you living a good life; that’s what Apostle Paul tried before, and it didn’t work.  Nonbelievers will say, “You just live a good life,” and nonbelievers will tell you, “No matter what kind of danger you face, you just need to stay calm and alert in your mind.” It doesn’t matter how much you try to stay in your right mind.  People come to America so they can be in their right mind and study diligently.  They study diligently, they get a good job, and they just work diligently by themselves.  

But why is it that something is crawling into my thoughts and heart, continuing to move me?  Why is it that instead of having normal emotions, I have to fluctuate back and forth with depression?  Why is it that regardless of my will, I get dragged towards my addiction?  I want to have good relationships with people, but why is it that they keep on conflicting?  Do you think it’s enough for you to just try to live a good life? No, that is the result of you trying to live a good life on your own; you need to throw yourself away and Christ must live inside of you and drag you forward.  That must become the beginning of your 2024.  

    (3) Faith – With Triune God (Phil. 3:9) 

By God’s grace, we have come to believe in this Jesus Christ, and now God is with me.  Even right at this moment, the Lord is with you and with me, and if the Lord is with me, do you need your worries? Do you need your plans if the Lord is with you? He already had this planned from long ages past, and He held onto us and saved us, and is guiding us.  He is guiding us towards eternity. That eternal God is with me, then why do I need to make a plan for 2024? Yes, it might be cute to make one, but you need to receive confirmation from the creator God.  If you try to go forward without receiving God’s approval, it’s useless, however, you think you and live by yourself with your own thoughts, so you go forward without God’s approval, then your result will be destruction and shame. It’s going to be humiliating, the kids say. People want to be bold and say what they need to say, but instead, they’re always humiliated, and that’s why parents don’t trust their parents anymore because they use the holy name of God, but they keep facing shame.  We must not begin like that.

  3) Path with God

Then, what does it mean that God is with us specifically? First, He is with us through the Word.  People try to feel God with their senses or their emotions, but God is Spirit.  People try to do a 40 day fasting prayer, to try to feel God, but He is Spirit. When the Word of God comes upon you, then God has come upon you. Because God is His Word, people are not God, the Word is God, and even right now, God is with us doing the ministry of salvation. That is the direction God wants to take me through.  Even right now, God is with you with the power of the throne of heaven. If someone says, “I just need to live a good life and I just need to be in my right senses,” then that is someone who does not believe God is with them. 

    (1) Like him in His death – My death (Phil. 3:10)

For us, we follow God’s Word, we follow God’s ministry of salvation, and God’s power takes us through. Then how do Apostle Paul and you and I live every day? Phil. 3:10, Paul says that he wants to become like Christ in his death. That means that we die as well. That when Jesus Christ died, He was dying for me, so that was my death, but we don’t want to die; you want to live, don’t you? That’s the problem. You should want to die.  Of course it doesn’t mean committing suicide so you physically die, but the “you” that was centered on yourself, that “you” must die.  Buddhists try to devote themselves to prayer, locking themselves in a little room with their own bathroom, just so they could kill this “self,” but as soon as they leave that room, they are just the same self. There is no way to solve this greed inside of people. It’s not possible with morals and ethics.  It’s impossible to empty your greed.  

    (2) Attaining to the resurrection – My life (Phil. 3:11)

In America, transcendental meditation is so popular, you cannot empty it or fill yourself with the universe. The Lord resurrected and I share that resurrection, His life comes into me.  The fact that the Lord came into me means I no longer need my own thoughts, I just have to ask what He thinks, that’s the way to enjoy life. You don’t need your own strength, you can just ask God to give you life.  You don’t need your own plans, you can just ask the Lord what his plan is, that is a life where you die.  That is the life where the Lord lives in you. There’s no reason for you to use your own brain because that “you” is dead, then physically I’m alive, but my software is dead, it means there’s no value to it.  Now, the new software of God comes into you and that is unlimited, and we follow His Word, His plan, and His power. Those people have a goal within Christ, and that goal is not their dream–it is God’s Word. It would be great if the Word of God was revealed in our dreams, but if you dream without the Word of God, that could be given to you by the devil.  

    (3) Me – Not obtained, arrived at my goal (Phil. 3:12)

There’s the lunar calendar, and I get a lot of messages saying, “Oh, this is the year of the Blue Dragon; may you receive a lot of blessings.”  Is the Blue Dragon going to give me blessings in the New Year? I don’t know, everybody is just following what everyone else says. That is the culture of the world. Eph. 2:2 says that the ruler of the Kingdom of the Air, Satan, is dragging everyone with the culture of the world, like this.  Instead of following after the goal of the Word of Jesus Christ, people are following after the ways of the world, and they say, “You’ll receive blessings from the Blue Dragon and he’ll give you everything you desire.” There’s no need for Christ then, and that’s why nonbelievers live with the plan that does not have God.  For us, we follow the plan that the Word of God gives us for the year 2024. 

3. Goal within Christ

  1) Word – Covenant 

    (1) Jesus took hold of me (Phil. 3:12)

In Phil. 3:12, Paul says, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me,” that’s why, through worship, God gives you His Word, and it must seize you.  Even if you want to get married with someone, they need to really take a hold of you. And if you’re not hooked on that person, you can’t get married to them. Either you are seized by their emotions, even if you want to buy something, it needs to really hold your heart because that’s how you pay money and take it.  If there are any of you who are often swindled or conned, listen carefully. There’s a lot of you who are cheated or swindled because of Multi-level Marketing schemes, or when there’s a new car or makeup trend. It’s because they’re seized so easily.  There are also people who are dating and they’re so easily swept up by men’s or women’s words. 

There’s one way to not be cheated, one way to not be deceived by people’s words, one way to not be deceived by yourself either. What do you think that is? There is only one way, it is to be held onto by Christ Jesus.  This is the first Sunday worship of 2024; may you be seized by the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Do not be held onto by depression, but instead, be held onto by the Word of God.  Stop dreaming of and being held by the deception of the Blue Dragon year, that’s a lie. Instead, be held onto by the Word of Jesus Christ. Stop being held onto by your baseless hopes or hopes that have no guarantee.  Whatever has held onto you, that is what the Lord will fulfill. If you were seized by your own dream, then you need to fulfill that yourself, and 2024 will be a miserable year for you. 

    (2) God’s kingdom – Background, mission (Phil. 3:20, Mt. 6:10)

But, if you’re seized by Jesus Christ, then the Lord will fulfill that, why? Because my background is the kingdom of God. There’s a kingdom we go to after we die, and the kingdom of this earth we can enjoy the benefits of, as we live on this earth. And also, the kingdom of God that is my mission while I live on this earth, to break down Satan’s kingdom and to establish God’s Kingdom.  Do you know what the word “mission” means? There’s a mission you must keep as long as you have breath, what is that? There’s only one.  Is your mission in life to build a really nice house? Or, from men, is your mission in life to get these rippling muscles? Or for women, is your mission to get this beautiful face?  Or, is your life mission to gain a lot of knowledge so you can raise your name and accomplish success? That is the incorrect goal that nonbelievers without Christ will live for. Our mission is not of this earth, it’s not going to work with the things of this earth; the things of heaven must be my mission. Establishing God’s Kingdom on this earth must be my mission. 

    (3) With the power of the throne (Phil. 3:3)

In Mt. 6:10, Jesus told us to pray for God’s Kingdom, which does exist, to be established on earth. In Mt. 6:33, it says, “First, seek God’s Kingdom, and everything else you need on this earth will follow after.” So you shouldn’t put your hope on the things of the earth. If you’re holding onto the mission of establishing God’s Kingdom, then all the things you need on this earth will follow you, so this must be your mission.  Then, to whom does God give this mission?  God Who is seated at the throne of heaven will fulfill this mission personally. Through the one who is holding onto God’s mission, God will pour his power upon them. 

    (4) 237 nations, 5,000 unreached tribes (Ac. 1:8)

Then, how specifically, do we fulfill God’s mission? Jesus said, “To all nations,” what are we going to do in all nations?  You proclaim Jesus Christ and you change those people to become children of God.  Then, what kind of business would be a business in 2024?  And how can your studies be done well in 2024?  Even if you’re unemployed or playing, then how can you spend your 2024 well?  All you have to do is play to establish God’s Kingdom in all 237 nations of the world, because even if that person is just hanging out, they have a mission in their heart.  Then, even as they’re just hanging out, the people who are attached to the 237 nations will attach to them.  Even when you run your business, the way you need to do it is to make disciples of all 237 nations and the world.  If your business is just used to make a living and to eat food, that is shame and destruction.  

How much shall you study? The studies to save the 237 nations. If you hold onto this and pray, just try it; then God will come into me through power and fulfill it through me.  I hope you will change your goal this year, 2024. If you hold onto your unnecessary goal, you will recognize that it’s not going to work in 2024. For people who are about to get married, you need to have a match between two people to have that same goal in order to be aligned in the direction of God.  

Then, in order for God’s grace to come upon me, we must concentrate on Him. Do you know what the word “concentrate” means? We concentrate on our studies, right? That means that the studies and I become one, then what do you think it’s going to happen later on?  Later on, the more they concentrate the more they’ll have spiritual problems, because they’re becoming one with their studies.  God, me, and my studies must become one, that is how you will not get spiritual problems.  How can you run your business? God, you, and your business must become one, and that’s what we call concentration, right?  If I’m focusing on something and God is not there, that is what we call “obsession.”  If you’re sitting here and thinking about all the things you have to do, that’s obsession, that’s not concentration on God’s Word. It’s me and God becoming one, that is concentration.  Then, God’s power comes in me, because I’m holding onto God’s Word and mission, then God’s Word will appear in my business.  That is how you must run your business and study. 

Nonbelievers do well even without God, that is why their spirit collapses.  It becomes a Tower of Babel without God. The result of the Tower of Babel was a disaster.  That’s the result of America today; we’ve gone to the very highest summit, but people continue to fall.  The church must tell people this, but they’re not able to, so people are continuing to get dragged off to drugs.  People need to run their business in order to save people, but instead, they’re running their business so they can eat and make a living, that’s why disasters come. Then, what’s going to happen? Destruction and shame.  

In the Old Testament, the Israelites were living like that, and they were destroyed and humiliated, under the nonbelievers of the Babylonians.  So let’s not do that again. God promised to give us the power of the throne of heaven in order to save the 237 nations, the 5000 tribes, the future generations, and the temple construction. Is the work that I’m doing the Lord’s work, or is it my work? Then what is the Lord’s work and what is my work? My work is just to eat and make a living, but the Lord’s work is to use that to save the 237 nations, the 5000 tribes, and the future generations, and without a doubt, the Lord will give His power to do His work.  May the Lord be glorified.  He doesn’t say, “Good luck, try your best on your own,” because then we would receive the glory and God will never lose His glory to us, so from the very beginning until the very end, God shows us and proves to us that we cannot do it on our own, it is all God. That is how 2024 should work out for us, otherwise it will be very difficult.  

You guys keep holding onto your limited experiences, but it’s going to be very difficult with that. You say, “Even if I don’t follow God’s way, I have my own method of doing things,” but later on, you’ll be shamed. Why are you running your business so you can eat slightly better meals?  Instead, establish God’s Kingdom in all nations.  Your business must be related to saving all nations.  I’ll just keep moving forward because you aren’t reacting with “amens.”  

  2) Concentration (Ac. 1:14)

You know “concentration,” right?  Concentration that does not have God is obsession.  People who are so obsessed with something will get diseased. During this year’s Winter Retreat, there were five people with autism, and there’s a few kids who came who had cancer as well.  Every year, it becomes more and more severe for the kids.  In previous winter retreats, it never happened like that.  Autism is incurable, but there’s one way.  Only God can.  If there are any of you who have children like this in your family, I hope you will quickly realize that God has a mission to accomplish through this child in your family. Let’s say there is a child who has a spiritual problem but their parents are elites, and the parents think, “If it just weren’t for my kid, I would be great.”  When the parents say “it would be great,” they mean that in a physical sense, with their job, and their knowledge, they’d live great in a physical sense, but that’s not how the Lord wants us to live. The Lord has put this problem in your household so that He can save the 237 nations. That problem can never be solved unless it is by God.  So, those parents spent their entire lives thinking that their goal for believing in Jesus Christ was so they could live a better life, physically and materialistically, so this is God’s opportunity to change their ideas through the child. That is God’s message to that family, and I hope you will relay this message to them, because there are families all around. In reality, that problem is not the family’s problem, it is the problem of all of America. 

    (1) Triune God – With me

    (2) Power of the throne

    (3) Work of God’s kingdom – In the field of the world

There was a prophet, Hosea, whose wife was a prostitute, and that’s like a modern-day pastor’s wife being a prostitute.  If prostitution is just one of the different occupations, we might not say anything. I’m not trying to talk about the occupation, but why is it that the wife of a pastor is a prostitute? And no matter how much Prophet Hosea prayed, this wife would go out and do other things, and this Hosea began to pray to God. From the very beginning, God made these two individuals meet and told them to get married. 

When Hosea prayed to God, God said, “Your wife is so lustful and adulterous right now, but Israel is participating in idolatry and is being adulterous to me,” that’s why He gave Hosea this problem. And until you realize God’s Word, that problem will persist in your family.  In reality, it’s not really a problem, God has put that as a tool in your life so that you can see what the true blessing is. “I’m going to do well” that’s not the answer; you’re need to realize God’s plan. I’m sure even beyond this, there’s an unsolvable problem with your children or your spouse.  God has allowed that problem in your life so that you will quickly come out of your walk of faith, being bold, and instead, realize God’s spiritual mission. 

God did not give Hannah a child, the second wife was having many children, but Hannah, the first wife, had no children. And God did that on purpose, why? Because why do you want a kid? “I’m the first wife, I need to have a child to be loved by my husband.” And that child had to be a boy; she couldn’t have a daughter.  So, imagine how much the father hurt because she wasn’t being loved by her husband because she couldn’t have children. And she was crying and praying in the Temple.  Then the priest said, “Are you drunk? Why are you blabbering like that?” He thought she was just blabbering out of drunkenness without knowing what was in her heart. She was just crying and weeping and praying and the priest thought that she was just drunk.  Why do you think God didn’t give Hannah a child? Because He cannot just give children; God has prepared the great High Priest Samuel who would save Israel and break down Philistia, and God wanted Hannah to realize that. God has such an amazing and tremendous mission and plan for you, but instead of focusing on that, you focus on the image you’ve created of 2-3 children “so that I can be happy, I can have a picture-perfect home.” Once you realize this, your problem is over; God gave you this problem on purpose, and if you don’t realize this, then your problem will continuously remain. It’s a problem that you cannot use any method to solve, only God can change that.  

If the parent realizes God’s mission, then the problem is finished. And God gave you this evidence to save other children and other families.  But why are you not kneeling before God? You still have no problems eating and making a living, you still have many people out in the world who respect you. Until that is broken down, you must receive God’s grace.  If you receive God’s grace, then you don’t need to be broken down; your heart will just change, so we come to worship to receive God’s grace.  

Think about getting surgery without anesthesia, how painful would that be?  I’ve heard a rumor that in North Korea, they do surgery without anesthesia. Do you want to try living without anesthesia? Grace is like anesthesia, you’re changing and healing without suffering and pain.  Otherwise, without that numbing or anesthesia, you could go out into the world and be beat up to change. Do you want to receive surgery without anesthesia?  When God’s grace goes into you, then you can change without suffering; that is worship, and that is why we stake our life on worship.  The reason you don’t stake your life on worship is because you can still eat and make a living, and make something to your name in the world.  But the problem you cannot speak about to anyone else is remaining. 

  3) 3 courtyards – Me, church, field

    (1) All nations – Disciple (Mt. 28:19)

In 2024, we are racing towards God’s goal and His mission, and the beginning of that is receiving His grace. Now, what is that goal? It is the temple that has the Three Courtyards.  I am the Temple of God, and I must have the mission of the Three Courtyards inside of me.  1 Cor. 3:16 says we are made as God’s Temple, and inside of this Temple, we should not be making it into a marketplace just to eat and make a living, that’s why Jesus got so upset at the Temple and flipped tables. We haven’t made it into a Temple of God, we made it for us. The covenant to make disciples of all nations, to be a place where people of all nations can come and give worship and pray; that courtyard must be within me. 

    (2) Healing (Mk. 16:17-18)

People don’t know the spiritual problem and they don’t know how to be healed, so the covenant to go and heal people must be within me.  

    (3) Future generation (Jn. 21:15-18)

And the covenant to save the future generations to continue this movement in the future must be within me as the covenant, and if this is inside of me personally, then when we gather together, it must be inside the church as a whole.  Then, God will give power to fulfill these three courtyards through the church.  This is not only remaining within me in the church, but it must be put into practice in the field of the world, and that’s why Apostle Paul went to all nations and healed them with the Word of God, and raised the future generations in the synagogues. In order to do that work, God has prepared finances for you. In other words, God has His funds prepared. 

You know the funds, right? There is a separate fund that is prepared for the 237 nations, healing, remnant movement, and temple construction.  Once you go into college, there is a separate fund for scholarships or there is another fund that is prepared to help the top 1% accomplish whatever goal, that fund can only be used in a way that is aligned with the purpose of the fund.  If you just want to eat and make a living, God is going to give it to you whether you’re a believer or a nonbeliever. However, there is a separate fund God has already prepared to do His work of the 237 nations, healing, remnant movement, and temple construction.

In the year 2024, I must remain within Jesus Christ, racing towards the goal of God, and my business and studies must be used to raise the three courtyards to save 237 nations, healing, and the remnants, in me, the church, and the field. 

Conclusion

1. Toward the goal of the word of 2024

2. Forgetting what is behind

3. Straining toward what is ahead

4. I press on to win the heavenward prize

In conclusion, the goal of 2024 is racing towards the goal of God’s Word. Forget everything that is from behind.  The characteristic of people whose present reality is not working out for them is that they focus so much on their past success.  There are these old Senior Deaconesses who say, “When I was in my 20s, I did this,” but it’s because they’re old and wrinkly now that they say that. “When I was in my 20s, I was wearing high heels and mini skirts,” but they need to be cool and classy now, not back then. So forget what is behind and stride forward for what is ahead, you need to hold onto that future and that hope.  That future and hope is not whatever I create for myself; it is promised by God, “So that I may press on to win the prize heavenward.” We are not racing for the things of the earth; all of those things will disappear, we are racing towards the eternal prize in heaven. May you have that beginning.

Message Prayer

Let us pray together, holding onto the Word we received, and praying together is like Acts 2, the work of God will take place.  

Offering Prayer and Newcomer Blessing

God, we thank You.  We pray that You will bless the hands that have given the offering, the tithe to save myself, the temple construction to save the church, the missions offering to save the world, and the future generation offering to save the remnants.  We believe You will work with the answer of the economy of light upon the hands that have given this offering so that it may be used to raise the temple construction to save the 237 nations, 5000 tribes, and the future generations, and heal.  In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.

God, we thank You.  These three newcomers have come to our church today.  We pray that You will allow them to live for the goal that Christ has given them with the power of the throne of heaven.  Through them, we pray that You will save the 237 nations of the world. We pray that You will use their family to heal and save the 237 nations.  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. New Year’s Pastor’s Synod will be on 1/14(Sun.)-16(Tues.). We are accepting donations. 

3. 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 the heads of all the people of God, the people of all nations, and the remnants who desire to hold onto and race towards Your goal of raising and saving the 237 nations, 5000 unreached tribes, healing them and raising the future generations to the summit, be upon all of their businesses, their ministries, and their studies, be with them from now until forevermore always, amen.