The Decision that Fulfills the Word to Save Lives (Mt. 26:47-56)
Today was a very powerful praise. Let us bless and greet one another, “Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God.” May today be the greatest time of blessing where we receive God’s answers. What do you think is the problem of America, the land we are living in? The things we see on the news, things like murders and shootings, drugs, mental illnesses, more and more homelessness, and this is a situation that people are not choosing, but they have no choice but to go to. That problem can only be solved by God because it can never be solved by mankind’s powers.
So, what is the real problem of this age? It is thinking that we can do it. Humans think that we can do it, but the problems we see in America and the world today are things we cannot solve. Then, if humans cannot solve the problem, we need to quickly entrust it to God, and in order to solve that problem, God has made a way, and that is the main scripture passage we read. If you look at today’s main scripture passage, there are three different types of people. First, there is someone named Judas Iscariot, and there are also Peter and the disciples, and the third, there is Jesus Christ Who is God, but is also flesh like us. Jesus Christ is God, but He also has the same human body that we have, this means that we can follow the same path that Jesus did. If you have solved all the problems of the world and your family, we would say it has been solved, but why are we not able to solve it? If we decide to go down the same path that Jesus went down, we would be able to solve that problem. To solve this problem was the reason Jesus Christ died on the cross.
1. Judas and Peter
1) Devil
(1) Had already prompted Judas to betray Jesus (Jn. 13:2)
So, God sent us Jesus Christ as a solution to the problems of the world, but there are people who reject that solution. The first example of that is Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot followed Jesus for three years, so in terms of today, this is somebody who goes to church and prays in the name of Jesus Christ. But what state was he in? While he was following Jesus, he one day received a thought from Satan, in John 13:2, to sell Jesus Christ for money. If somebody receives the true and genuine grace of God, the Holy Spirit gives them the thought to believe that “Jesus is the Christ, He is God, and He is the Lord of my life.”
(2) Satan entered into Judas (Jn. 13:27)
So, the first level is that Satan gives Judas this thought, and in John 13:27, Satan actually enters into him. Then, do you think this only happened to Judas Iscariot back then and doesn’t happen today? It happens today as well, but to whom does this happen? Anybody is a target. If anybody does not believe in and receive the grace of Jesus Christ, then Satan will give them other thoughts. Even while they go to church, they try to use Jesus. Instead of receiving Jesus Christ as God, as the Lord of my life, they try to use Jesus to make money.
(3) Deliver him in exchange for thirty pieces of silver (Mt. 26:15)
So, when Satan went into Judas, Mt. 26:15, he counted thirty silver coins and sold Jesus. So, Judas Iscariot was demon-possessed and ended his life with suicide. So, what is the problem of America? It’s not the lack of education. It’s not that people are bad. It’s that people don’t know the gospel, so Satan goes into their thoughts and their heart. Even though they don’t want it, these thoughts come into their thoughts and their heart, so they’re dragged in that direction. The ultimate result is murder, either of somebody else or of themselves. We have to go through that process before we end up murdering others or ourselves. We have to go through things like mental illnesses and depression. Judas Iscariot had tremendous suffering inside of him. He was so oppressed by his guilt trip and mental illness that he ended his life in suicide.
Why are there so many shootings and murders in America today, and why do people keep trying to end their lives? Doctors and hospitals cannot solve this, and professors in colleges cannot solve this. No psychiatrist can solve this. It is because Satan, the devil, is controlling people’s thoughts and hearts. It’s the same thing, even if people go to church, but they haven’t discovered who Christ is, and that was Judas Iscariot. What you and I must know today is, does Satan exist? If you say, “Does he exist?” then you’ll be seized, just as Judas Iscariot was seized by Satan and ended his life. The idols inside of you that are not God; for Judas, Satan’s channel was his idolatry of money. The devil does not just work randomly; without a doubt, he works through the idol in your heart. An idol is anything you consider as precious and worth living your life for, that is not God, and Satan will surely work through that idol. It can be different for each individual and family line. The problem of America can only be solved by the churches, but even among the churches, it must be the church and the church member who knows the real source of the problem and the answer. But what Satan is always doing is making us end our lives. He makes it so that we kill others and ourselves. He makes us commit suicide from our guilt trip.
2) Judas’s betrayal
(1) A large crowd armed with swords and clubs came for Jesus (Mt. 26:47)
(2) Judas’s greeting with a kiss, Arrested (Mt. 26:49-50)
When the devil goes into Judas, he sells Jesus Christ and brings all the high priests and their servants to capture and arrest Jesus Christ, and he kisses Jesus as a signal to them, “This is Jesus.” Jesus Christ came to earth as God and He is the solution to all of life’s problems, but we’re not able to see that. If somebody is seized by the devil, they don’t see Christ, but they see something else instead, and it begins with their state of obsession. Even while they go to church, they’re obsessed with something else. Why are we in a state of obsession? “I’m obsessed with this because I want it, so I want to fulfill it,” then Satan holds you, and if Satan holds onto that, then it takes you to addiction. That’s the reason there are so many addictions to drugs and alcohol.
(3) Decision for money
If we don’t solve this problem now, then that spiritual state will be relayed to the next generations. There are people who drink every Saturday. The devil knows his heart so well that he makes him drink every Saturday night to make him fail in worship the next day. The devil is very subtle. Satan knows exactly how to destroy this person, and it’s actually a problem of our family line. Even if we don’t want to do it, we have no other choice, and this is repeated in our children. We cannot solve that problem without the gospel, and even in the future, this problem will be relayed.
3) Peter
(1) Cut off an ear (Mt. 26:51)
Today, when Jesus Christ is being arrested, one of His disciples, Peter, takes a sword and cuts off the ear of a servant who was arresting Jesus. From Peter’s perspective, Jesus must not be arrested. From God’s perspective, Jesus must be arrested and He must be crucified to save all of mankind. What does this mean? There are people who believe in Jesus and follow after Jesus, but instead of doing the work of God, they actually do their own work instead. They use their own strength to block the Word of God, and they think they are working so hard, but in the end, it turns out it was irrelevant to God. Why? They don’t know what work is taking place right now. Right now, God is on the way to die on the cross to save all the lives, but Peter is blocking that. If you live your walk of faith with the same diligence with which nonbelievers live in the world, you will get further and further from God.
(2) Have in mind human concerns (Mt. 16:22-23)
(3) For all who draw the sword will die by the sword (Mt. 26:52)
OIn Mt. 26:52, Jesus says, “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” That “sword” is their strength. If you have strength, you will be destroyed because of that strength. You want to succeed, you want to be strong, but the Bible tells us that is what destroys us. Do you have evidence of that? Look at the strength of the powerful empire of Rome. It was destroyed. Babylon, Assyria, Egypt, they all were destroyed in their power. Even if you go further back, with the Tower of Babel, mankind’s power caused destruction. For us, our strength must be in the faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. But if you live without that faith and only live with the strength of mankind, then that will be your destruction.
Right now, America is not strong in the gospel; it is strong in skills of the world, and that is why it is being destroyed, and it is currently falling and collapsing. If you’re living in America but you’re not able to see this, you will be dragged down with it. There are people who, even while they worship, are on their phones. Even while they are worshiping, they are so stuck on the internet and they’re looking at their phones because from their perspective, this is what is right. Even though Jesus is being relayed, your interest is elsewhere. Then, will things work out if you keep going following your interests and your desires? It will not solve your problems and the problems of your family line.
It’s so convenient in America because it’s the superpower nation; it’s a land where we can do everything quickly, but the number of people who are addicted to drugs continues to increase, and the people who are leaving the churches continue to increase, and people cannot solve their own mental illnesses. They came to America and succeeded, but they have no happiness. They thought they could fill their void with money, but it’s not being filled. They try to fill their void with drugs and substances, but they can’t. Humans are spiritual beings so we must be filled with the Spirit of God. If humans didn’t have a spirit, then we could just live with our mind and our bodies like animals. Because human beings are spiritual, everybody looks for a religion, but humans can only be happy if the spirit of Christ comes into our spirit. Judas Iscariot and Peter rejected that today. Even though they go to church and there’s a way for them to live, they ignore that and choose something else, and that’s why even as people go to church, they fall. After the cross, the disciples had victory.
2. Jesus Christ’s decision
1) Equipped with the strength to solve problems
(1) More than twelve legions of angels at his disposal (Mt. 26:53)
But for the time being, Peter draws his sword and he cuts off the ear of the servant arresting Jesus, and Jesus said, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once, put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”
(2) Was not arrested when he was at the temple courts (Mt. 26:55)
(3) Decided on the fulfillment of the Word by his arrest (Mt. 26:54,56)
Jesus Christ has the power to mobilize the heavenly angels that would even subdue the mighty army of Rome. We’re so focused on gathering our strength to solve this problem, but that’s the state of people who are separated from God. Today, Jesus Christ has the power, but He does not use the power to solve the problem; He uses the power to fulfill God’s Word. Jesus Christ dying on the cross had been prophesied ever since the Old Testament, so Jesus willfully gives Himself up to fulfill that Word.
In some sense, receiving answers is very simple. “Is this the plan God desires? Is this the plan that saves lives?” That is what you must see and decide. How will Satan make you decide? “Go the way that is best for you, do whatever is of benefit to you, regardless of the gospel, regardless of other people,” but you and I, we must make the decision that fulfills God’s Word. Jesus Christ dying on the cross was an incident prophesied by the Old Testament. Jesus must die on the cross for us to all live.
2) Disciples’ decision
(1) Deserted Jesus and fled (Mt. 26:56)
After the disciples saw Jesus arrested, all of them deserted Him and fled. Is that possible? Yes, it is possible. These are things that are happening to you and me today. When we face a problem, we deny Jesus. When we face a problem, we concentrate on it to solve that problem. From the perspective of the disciples, Jesus was arrested, and that was a tremendous problem for them, so they denied Him and ran away. I’m not just talking about you praying in the name of Jesus Christ when you eat three times a day, or when you come to church, but in the midst of your life’s problems, conflicts, crises, are you going to acknowledge and believe in Jesus? But the disciples, they denied Jesus. Why is that?
(2) Did not understand the meaning of Jesus’s death (Mt. 16:21)
They have heard the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and they have heard the meaning, but they don’t know what it has to do with their lives. Today, Christians go to church and they believe in Jesus Christ, but if they don’t know the reason why Jesus had to die on the cross and resurrect, they are bound to deny Jesus when they face a problem. No matter what that problem is, mental illnesses, addictions, demon possessions, you can only be saved if you hold onto Jesus. We know Jesus because we’ve heard of Him, but the disciples did not know why He had to die on the cross and resurrect.
(3) Disciples’ limitation – Could not deny themselves (Mt. 16:24)
Because they did not know the cross, they are not able to deny themselves; instead, they deny Jesus. So, they just keep living by their own way, but that’s the limitation of mankind. Even the disciples who went to church very well are like this, but when did that begin to change? After Jesus Christ died on the cross and resurrected, He taught His disciples the meaning of His death and resurrection on the cross through the Holy Spirit, and that’s when they believed it with their spirit.
3) Jesus’s death and resurrection
(1) The incident that finished all problems (Jn. 19:30)
(2) I, who was God, no longer live (Gal. 2:20)
“Oh, wow, the death of Jesus on the cross is my death.” If I’m alive but I say that I’m dead, it seems like we’re almost forcing it, we’re not talking about a physical death right now, but the death of the “me” that used to live centered on myself, as my own standards, as my own god, deciding my life, that “me” has been crucified. Satan has planted that thought into us, covered in lies, as if this is the meaning of life, and we’re so deceived by that that we think we’re our own god; that’s the reason that we get worried when we face problems, because we’re our own god and we have to solve it. When we face something that is scary or worrying, we have to shake in fear because “I am my own god.” That’s why the disciples were not able to overcome problems.
(3) Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20)
What grace must God give us? By God’s grace, we must realize the fact that Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection is actually my death on the cross, and now, the life of Christ lives within me as the resurrection. In other words, the life I live with myself as my Lord is a life of lies, it is a life of curses and a life of sin, but I’ve lived my whole life not thinking like that, but that is a life where I live, deceived, seized, and controlled by Satan, the father of lies. Until I die on the cross with Christ, I can never solve that problem. By God’s grace and faith, I must be crucified on the cross with Christ for the Lord of my life to change.
From the moment this went into the disciples, their lives completely changed. If you cast out demons, they’ll come back. If you have a disease, then there’s a reason that leaves you no other choice but to get it. Until this person is fundamentally filled with the life of Christ, that problem will continue to repeat. There is always a cause to the problems. There are some leaks in the roof of the church and it rained so much last year, that we can’t tell where the leak is coming from, so this year, we went up on the roof, and people were saying, “Let’s hire someone to fix it,” but there’s no reason; all we have to do is go up there and look for the cause. Because if that person doesn’t know, then I won’t know either, and if that professional knows, then I can know as well. Because if they had to use some sort of special equipment to identify the source of the leak, then maybe we’d have to do that, but if we’re just looking with our eyes, then I can identify that too. So, we went up there and saw, “This is where the water is leaking from,” so we found the root cause and were able to come up with a solution.
Why am I saying this? Why are there mental problems in this age? Why do I keep getting suicidal thoughts? Why do we keep on getting sick? Yes, as time passes, people can get sick, but I’m not talking about that. We need to find the cause or the source. If you don’t find the source of that problem but you keep on looking at other methods to cover it up, then it’s like not fixing the leak in the roof. If you go to the hospital, they can give you medication and surgery to take care of the physical problems; that’s what the doctors must do, but there is a hole in this person’s spirit. There is a spiritual leak in this person’s spirit that allows Satan to go in and cause these problems, but that person does not know that source or cause, and you need to tell them that source, and if you’ve told them the cause of their problems, then you need to tell them the solution as well, and that is the incident of the cross.
Jesus Christ’s cross has finished the source of all mankind’s problems. What is the greatest cause of mankind’s failure? Humans do not live with only a physical body. Humans don’t just live by reading books and making music. Humans are spiritual beings, so we can only live if the spiritual God, our Creator, blesses us. But, there is damage or a hole in that spirit of ours, and no matter how much you try to fix that, it will come back. This person must fundamentally continuously enjoy the fact that Jesus Christ is the Lord of their life in order for Satan to flee. If there’s a fly around and you swat it away, that fly comes back. It’s because the environment is dirty. Then what must we do? Instead of continuing to swat the fly, you need to clean the environment and then the fly won’t be there.
Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and his resurrection has solved the fundamental problem. What is the fundamental cause of all of our problems? It is that human beings are spiritual, but we do not want to keep the spirit of God in our hearts. But that heart does not come from nowhere; it is surely the temptation of Satan in us. Then, just like Judas Iscariot, we’ll have something else in our hearts, whether it’s money or success or wanting to have a great personality or be a good person. That problem has to be solved, that problem can only be solved if you are only filled completely inside of you with the Triune God. If there are any of you who think, “I don’t get any answers. Why don’t I get any answers even though I believe in Jesus?” If you correctly know and believe in Jesus, God will give you answers even if you don’t ask for them. If a parent has a child, then they will provide for that child, even before the child asks for anything, but it’s that this baby doesn’t think of their parent as their parent, and until that problem is fundamentally solved, that baby has no choice but to live in their fear, anxiety, and cowardice.
3. My decision
So, this death of Jesus on the cross, is it just for Jesus and not me? No, I die with Him. As a payment for the sin that I used to live with, where I thought I was the master and the god of my own life, I die with Christ, in faith. When the Lord lives inside of me as life, that is when the forces of Satan are broken down. In today’s passage, Jesus Christ chose the cross, and what will I choose? Shall I go to school here or there? Shall I go to this job or that job? Shall we move here or there? Shall I get plastic surgery or not? Just do as you will, but no matter what you do, do it for the glory of God. But Christians don’t know what the glory of God is, so they do whatever they want to do, and they just say, “For the glory of God.”
What is the glory of God? Revealing the name of Jesus is the glory of God. Yes, it may not be a good thing to harm your body, but many people are getting plastic surgery these days, so if you do happen to get it, why are you getting it? Through this, will the name of Jesus Christ be testified? Through my beauty, will this other person receive salvation? Then do it. Even plastic surgeons need to make a living, but if it’s not for that motive, then just don’t do it, that is what it means to live for the glory of God. Should I live in poverty or in wealth? Choose based on God’s glory. If I live in poverty, in order to save the poor people, then choose poverty. Or, if you want to become wealthy to save the wealthy people, then choose wealth. So, no matter what you decide, we have the ability to choose, but how can we know specifically?
1) Beginning and end
(1) He who began a good work in you (Phil. 1:6)
It’s because we have confidence that the One Who has begun the good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus, Phil. 1:6. If you know of the gospel and the cross, then you can realize that God has already begun a good work in you, and until the day of Jesus Christ, He will fulfill and complete that. From that point on, I begin to change. In the past, I used to live my life with this heavy burden, but now, God guides me.
(2) In order to fulfill his good purpose (Phil. 2:13)
In Phil. 213, it is God Who works in you to will and act according to His good purpose, to desire His will. If God’s will and my will are aligned, that is what we call “true happiness.” Anything else that brings you happiness is a lie; you’re just pretending to be happy. In your heart, you will never be happy, and that’s why we face mental illnesses and problems. But if the will of God and my will become one, then from that point on, I am faced with happiness, peace, and joy, and that is why God gives us His will and carries out His good work.
(3) God works in you to will and to act (:Phil. 2:13)
There is a work that God desires to fulfill through me, and He places that desire in our hearts. Before you realize the gospel, whatever you had in your heart as your desire was just your own greed. Because you were not completely satisfied and filled with God, you have to fill yourself with something else; that’s why you chase after your own greed and ambition. But from the moment you receive this gospel and you accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life, God will give you His desire and will into your heart and will carry it out, and then even as you think about what God desires, you’re so happy because you’re aligned with God. If you get anxious when you think of whatever you’re doing, it’s evidence that you’re not aligned with God.
But there are some people who take the Word of God and try to force it into their lives. There’s no need to do that. If it is God’s will, then God will give you that desire through His Word, but there are many people who live that religious life. Especially for people who have this really strong ego, they’ll do 40 days of fasting just to ask for what they want. Then if they don’t get what they want, they either stop going to church or get angry at God, but the way they’ll express it is, “Oh, I can’t go to church because of that pastor,” or they say, “I can’t go to that church because of that person,” and that might be true, but what’s really important is, am I aligned with God? That’s what’s important, then, the joy and the peace of God will continuously come through me, then anytime you think of that work, you’re so happy. The mission of God is not a heavy burden, it must come to you as joy, that’s how you know it’s God’s mission. In the beginning, Jesus Christ did not want to die on the cross, He’d rather do anything else, but when the Holy Spirit of God came upon Jesus, He was able to go there, willingly and with joy, and that’s why every single person who was martyred in faith did so with joy, because they were one with God, and God gave them the strength to do it.
No matter what the work is, God can do it. If you say, “I can’t do this,” it means you’re not aligned with God, but also, if you say, “I can do this,” then you still might not be aligned with God, and you think you can just do it with your own strength. Our lives should be joyful. Every time you think of work, it should be joyful because you’re aligned with God. What is your desire? When you think of your desire, are you filled with joy or anxiety? You should be joyful, not a temporary or momentary joy, but every single time you think of it, you should be filled with joy. Then you are able to devote. When a parent has a baby, they need to do so much, they need to feed the baby, change the baby, put the baby to sleep every night, is that difficult? You’re happy to do it, aren’t you? You’re happy to devote because you’re happy to do it. I’m able to devote myself to the desire and the will of God because He gives me that joy. But if you’re just enduring and bearing through it, then one day, you’ll explode because you’re still going according to your own thoughts.
2) God’s mission
(1) Disciples in all nations, Healing, Future generations (Mt. 28, Mk. 16, Jn. 21)
Then, what is the mission God has given to us, in other words, what is the work God is trying to do through me? It’s the same: through the cross, it is to save people’s lives, it is to save people and souls. God is moving everything including your life, politics, and business, for that purpose. God does not move for your business. God is using your business for His good purpose of saving people’s lives. So, when you think of your business, you should be joyful, this means that you are aligned with God, and that’s why the work you are doing is so joyful, so your life is joyful. Studying is the same, it might be difficult, but you’re still full of joy, because it is aligned.
(2) My mission
(3) 3 Courtyards – Temple
If it is so hard for a pastor to give messages and do ministry, then they should not be a pastor because they’re not aligned with God. If they’re not aligned with God, how could they keep doing that? Even before we give a sermon, we should be filled with joy. “I’m going to give a message”? I should be filled with joy, but if there is any pastor who doesn’t feel like that, they’re not a real pastor. That person is just speaking at the pulpit because they were forced to do so, or they just chose a random job. Same thing for the job you’re doing. When you think and pray about that, you should be filled with joy. I’m not talking about the joy that nonbelievers talk about; I’m talking about the joy God gives me. It’s true happiness, then even your cancerous cells will keep dissipating, and when you are continuously filled with that joy, your depression will go away, and when you think and pray for that work, God gives you His power.
So, even when people study, this is how they should be studying, but instead, they are studying to gain their goal of their life that they’ve set in their plans, with their strength and when they meet their limitation, they will fall and they are mentally afflicted because they want to do what everybody else is doing, but is that what God wants? Not anyone can be the president, only one person can. Not everyone can be a college professor, only the ones who can should be. Not anybody can go into the military just because it looks cool, there are people who can do it. Our overseeing Pastor Kim lived a military life for a long time, and that’s why he’s able to live like that for long. If you choose to go into the military because you think the uniform looks great, you’re going to die. They say, “I look so great in a uniform,” but on the inside, they can’t handle it. And if you don’t know that, then for women, if you wear a miniskirt and high heels, on the inside, you’re suffering, and it’s not even good for your bones. Because you’re wearing the miniest of skirts, it’s hard for you to walk, but on the outside, it’s so great to see, but you’re going crazy on the inside, and yes, maybe if you’re a professional model, you’d be happy to do that, but we need to do what God needs to do, that’s what I’m saying. Then, no matter what it is that we do, God will give us this joy.
Everybody wants to be happy and you need to guide your children to choose what God desires for that joy. Some people say, “Hey, you can’t do anything else, so do that,” but that’s nonsense. God has given a talent and job to everybody. If there’s a student who’s not good at studying, there’s something else they’re good at, then you have to discover what that is. Then that person will be filled with joy. God is very fair. God’s will is to make disciples of all nations. Jesus Christ will work upon your business, your life, and your studies in order to make disciples of all nations. If you’re studying and working just to eat and make a living, then you’re not aligned with God, so you have no joy.
3) Only Holy Spirit
(1) Filling, Authority, Witness to the ends of the earth (Ac. 1:8)
Second, God said, “Go and proclaim the gospel to all people and heal those who are demon-possessed.” The Bible specifically says, “By giving them the gospel,” and to whoever believes in Jesus Christ, these works will follow: they will cast out demons and their diseases will be healed. Until that person is rooted down in their faith in Christ. Otherwise, even if you do cast out that demon, it will come back, because you’re empty inside. So until they are raised up in their faith for the gospel. You shouldn’t think of this so simply. If you have cancer, then yes you need to get surgery and treatment, but there’s a fundamental cause. If you go to the hospital, they will do surgery to take it out, but that is treatment, it is not healing. They are just getting rid of what is visible, but they’re not able to solve the problem on the inside. We need to cut out the spiritual cancer inside. If we don’t cut out that spiritual cancer inside, then that problem will continuously repeat. The only way to cut out that spiritual cancer is to allow that person to be completely rooted and filled with the life of Christ. They don’t know that, so you have to teach it to them so that they do know.
(2) Prayer with one heart – Church, Field (Ac. 1:14, 2:42,46)
The person who is running their business and studies with that mission, then God will follow that person around and work upon them with power. God knows I have no power, so He is with me with that power. God knows I need money, so He gives me the power of economy. God is with me with His wisdom to do His work. In order to do God’s work, if I need people, then God will give me the blessings of meetings, because God places His will inside of us and He carries it out through us.
(3) 3 Concentrations – Morning, Afternoon, Evening
So now, you must concentrate. Stop concentrating on the problem but concentrate on the Triune God. Stop concentrating on your scars but concentrate on the God Who is inside of you Who has finished your scars. Stop concentrating on the problems of your future, but instead, concentrate on the God Who is controlling and guiding your future even now. When you go out into the world, stop concentrating on the words of people that you hear, but concentrate on the God inside of you. When you wake up in the morning, you need to have this time to receive this strength. During that time, you’re going to do many things and meet many people. You must not have your center stolen away; you must constantly prepare. In the evening, you must think about everything that happened throughout the day, and receive an answer through God’s Word. You need to pray for whatever work you are doing, your specialization, because the world is continuously developing, and if I don’t continue to develop my specialization, then I will fall behind. God has to continuously and quickly give me wisdom for my specialization in order for me to save lives and go ahead. If you fall behind in the age, then you will be cut out. If you look at the age today, for example, cars, there are cars that drive 360 degrees, they go to the side and diagonally, and now, you can even test somebody’s blood to see what kind of diseases or illnesses they’ll get in the future. We have so many advancements, and if you’re not able to follow along with that, then you will fall behind. God knows us already so that’s why we must receive this wisdom.
Conclusion
1. Every day choose the Gospel
In conclusion, everyday we must make a decision; we must choose the gospel of the Lord being within us, we must choose the gospel of Christ Who has finished all problems.
2. Choose the mission
And we must choose the mission that delights God. If this is the way that saves lives and saves everybody, that’s God’s mission.
3. Choose only prayer
You concentrate on that through prayer. Throughout the week, may you receive the life and the answer that enjoys these words being fulfilled.
Message Prayer
Let us pray together, holding onto the Word we have received.
Offering Prayer and Newcomer Blessing
God, we thank You. We were living our lives without knowing the gospel and without knowing the problem, but by Your grace, You have allowed us to know and believe in the cross and resurrection. We praise the Lord Who has placed Your will in us and is carrying it out. We pray the Holy Spirit will move us so that we can make the decision that fulfills the good purpose of God and delights.
We have returned Your materials as offering. We pray that you will bless all the hands that have given the tithe offering for themselves and the church, the temple construction offering, the missions offering for world evangelization and the future generation offerings and the miscellaneous offerings. God, we believe You will work with the economy of light to save the 237 nations according to the faith and the covenant that we have placed into the offering. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
God, we thank You. We pray that among the three newcomers, that You will give them and work upon them with the filling of the Holy Spirit so they may do the work that delights the Lord and saves lives through Christ. 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. 3/12 (Tues.) – 13 (Wed.) RU Doctorate, Dallas
3. Education Department meeting 3:30pm
4. 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 make the decision that fulfills the Word of God to save, be upon all their businesses, studies, and ministries, be with them from now until forevermore always, amen.