Things to Challenge Towards (Acts 1:8)
Where shall we challenge? We need to challenge such that only the Holy Spirit comes upon us, because only when the Holy Spirit comes upon us will we have strength and be witnesses until the ends of the earth. Then, prayer becomes our challenge towards world evangelization. That is how you live for the Kingdom of God. Then, just like God promised, the working of the Holy Spirit will take place, and the working of the Holy Spirit is done by the power of creation. The power of creation is able to make something where nothing existed.
1. John 19:30
The invisible problem has been finished but if you keep using visible things to argue whether something is finished or not, you will never have an answer.
Satan
Until you solve this problem, you will always be a slave to Satan. If you think something else is the problem, you will never have the solution. You know Satan’s existence, but how does he work?
Sin
Satan makes us greedy, and instead of taking the position of the creation, we try to take the place of God. This is Satan working invisibly, so me trying to be in the seat of God is the problem. We use the excuse of freedom and try to do whatever I want to do as if I were God, and if things don’t happen the way that I want, I get angry. But it turns out, it is actually Satan controlling you with darkness.
Death – Hell
We are trapped under the authority of death and hell.
Legalism
They make it so you don’t focus on Christ. They think the prize of living a good walk of faith is living according to the law. They will never know the gospel, they’ve lived their lives completely seized by Satan and make their mental state collapsed.
– Curses
Satan doesn’t just work upon sinners, Satan uses the channel of sin. If I believe in God, how could Satan work against me? Satan works when I have unbelief, so that my spiritual relationship with God is broken. That is the problem that was finished at once by Jesus Christ on the cross.
= Problem
You need to always understand what this means; because this is invisible to the eyes, you need to understand this with faith. Schools do not teach you this, and you cannot see it. As a result of these three problems, there are the problems of America and mental patients. But everybody keeps making the wrong diagnosis, thinking the cause is doing something wrong. This is why people kill other people, fall into addiction, or kill themselves. The Bible tells us the devil is a murderer from the beginning. If someone kills themselves or someone else, it’s because of demons. You must know this well because the schools don’t teach this. In school, you only learn about one small physical portion of life but if you don’t know this truth, you will wander.
2. Acts 1:3 God’s Kingdom
Mission
Satan’s Kingdom
(Physical, Fame, Success)
Why are there so many spiritual problems in America today? Satan is working in the background of America, seizing it with Satan’s Kingdom. The more you think America is great, the more you are seized by demons. Because Satan is holding onto and working through the superpower nation of America, the more you think America is great, the more you’re seized by Satan. The reason for my life is for the Kingdom of God, and the reason I like America is for the Kingdom of God. Is there anything better than Christ? People love America so much but they’re going to get lost in spiritual problems. For us, no matter what we eat or drink or where we are, Christ is the best. But if you’re not satisfied with where you are, you’re always going to have to run away, going here or there. You might think I’m going on vacations or trips, because you’re not satisfied wherever you are. You have to go here and do that in order to feel satisfaction. For us, we go here and there for the kingdom of Christ, that is camp.
We go to Florida for camp, we go to Mexico for camp, we go to Korea for camp, but people are so tired with life that they try to run away here or there, their lives are so despicable and they hate their lives so much that they have to run here or there. If such a person went to prison, they would die, but Paul stayed in prison, he said he had freedom in prison. But if the gospel is not going into you, you would not be able to proclaim that gospel, and even if you did, you’d relay something else like religion. The law is the word of God, and through the law, you relay Jewish beliefs instead of evangelizing. Evangelism should naturally take place. You should enjoy the fields of your life right now with the gospel but if you’re exhausted and disgusted with your life, it means you do not have the gospel. Yes, you may have received salvation, but you don’t know the gospel. Because you don’t know about spiritual things, you keep bickering about physical things and evangelism isn’t taking place. It’s not because you’re lazy. For Paul, evangelism took place even in prison.
Look at Caleb. For example, Caleb’s parents were looking for a barber shop, and they put in an address and the car came here, so they were so confused, but why did they come here? For the gospel. I was at home on a Saturday but I got a phone call, “Pastor Park, there’s a pastor’s family from Zambia in church members, will you come?” So I raced over immediately. Then they told me about the problems they’re facing, so we opened the Bible because he’s also a pastor, and I asked him, “Pastor, do you know where this problem is from?” I’m also a pastor, I can’t pretend to teach another pastor, so we used the Bible to explain the source of the problem with the Bible. They started coming together and now Caleb comes to our church.
We need to have the answer for God to send people to us. If you don’t have the answer, then why would God send people to you? They put in the right address, they just got lost. But you need the biblical answer to every problem to give the answer. Do you have that? You need to have that in order for you to be the platform. That is how you can become the watchtower. If you don’t have that, then it means there’s something else inside of you, the bartizan of the world is inside of you. You’re enjoying the bartizan of the world all the time and you try to talk about the gospel every now and then? Then of course, God will not attach people to you. Maybe in an urgent situation, God may use you, because there’s nobody else, so it’s not because you can’t evangelize, but you’re in a state where you cannot evangelize. It’s not because you’re lazy, because you cannot save people with your diligence or hard work. You need to have the strength and answer for God to attach people to you. You shouldn’t make diagnoses of darkness. “God is not attaching people to me,” this means I don’t have the answer to give them, then you will be aligned with God spiritually. The devil knows this. You need to think about this very carefully, it’s not just about knowing the term, “Gospel,” because otherwise pastors in this movement for 30 years would be fine. It’s spiritual. “I’ve heard the messages for so long,” the Jewish people listened to the messages for so long. When you talk about missions and evangelism, you hear about money or success, so it’s not biblical. It must be biblical. You need to check yourself, whether the gospel the Bible is telling me about is the same. The Bible tells me that everything is finished, and I need to check myself to see whether I believe everything is finished. If the Bible says it’s finished but I don’t think so, then my problems has not been finished. If your life has not been finished, you cannot hold onto the mission of God. Your life is not completed, then you have to hold onto the mission of the world, but if it has been finished, you hold onto the mission of God. There is a difference between a Christian and a biblical Christian. If the Bible tells you something and you disagree, you’re wrong. It doesn’t matter if you’re young, the devil doesn’t take it easy on you if you’re young. He attacks you at a young age. No matter who it is, the gospel must go into them. I’m ok because I’m a pastor? No, Satan actually holds onto pastors even more because that’s how you control the entire church. Every person must hold onto this, “It is finished” must become my words, and I must relay this. The Kingdom of God should not just remain in the Bible but it must be relayed to the world through me; otherwise, Satan and the bartizan of the world will not be broken down.
Mt. 12:29
Repent
You must hold onto Christ for that power, but instead, you’re empty, and instead, seven demons come in. When you go back to another place, you get spiritual influence, then you come back. Last week, David Abrams couldn’t come to church, and that’s because the last week, he went to a Jewish festival with his family, and spiritually he was so oppressed, I don’t think he even realizes it’s because a spiritual thing. He wasn’t even sick, he was spiritually oppressed. If possible, concentrate. When you go back and forth, you’ll be able to tell the difference with the spiritual state.
When you’re in a hospital and you come here, it’s different, right? Do you know why? You need to know why, that’s what I’m talking about today. If you don’t know why it’s different, you’ll always go there and be afflicted. That’s what you call darkness. I’m seized by darkness right now, but I’m not even aware of it. The field is darkness, right? But you don’t even know why this happens. You just know vaguely, thinking, “When I go to church, I feel like I gain grace,” but it’s vague. In the world, you’re seized by darkness but you come to church and you come to your senses, but you need to know the reason why for your eyes to be opened.
The strong man has built his home and holds onto the people in the field. If you don’t know this and you go out into the world to work, you’re oppressed by darkness and you don’t even know why. You need to be aware of this.
Worship
Why does God say that the Israelites worship Satan, and punish them for their sins? Satan says, “I will give you all success and glory in the world; just worship me,” so how do we worship Satan? Satan says, “Don’t worship Jesus or serve Jesus, but instead, live for the success of the world, then I will give you all the glory in the world.” We are enslaved by those things, and that’s why people are dying for success. That’s how you serve Satan, by listening to his words. We must follow after the Kingdom of God, the word of God, that’s what we believe in and obey. Your work in the world is not difficult; you’re spiritually oppressed. Yes, your studies might be difficult, but you’re spiritually oppressed thinking you need to succeed. You’re actually being oppressed by the words of the devil, because those words are physically correct, that you need to study well to succeed, so you’re in a state that is spiritually seized and oppressed.
The Kingdom of God is where the authority of Jesus Christ has influence and works so that you can shine the light of Christ that sets us free from the spiritually invisible world, and living for this becomes my reason and goal for life. Without this taking place, everyone is bound to bow down to Satan. You need to have the standard of your faith set on the Word of God. If you don’t know this, you think your standards are it, or the things you’re thinking are the standard, but that’s not true; that’s you bowing down to Satan.
The Israelites were always like that, and even today, the churches are like that. It’s hard for you to find the normal, average Christians, but the remnants follow abnormal Christians, so people suffer without knowing why, so they take it. God’s Kingdom, you must dream about this. Do you understand? “Through my talent and specialization, I will fulfill God’s Kingdom.” If you don’t have a mission, people are dying, trying to get a job or married, etc.
3. Acts 1:8
Pray for the power of God to come upon your family. Anyone can talk about problems, but those words have no influence. It may be easy for you to vent about it, but you must pray for God to work upon that problem. That’s what this is talking about. Those kinds of Christians must arise one by one to become the absolute answer. Everyone else will fall in the field. Satan is working so if God doesn’t work, Satan won’t take it easy; Satan pretends to be nice because Satan has deceived you and you get sucked into that. But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power to be witnesses until the ends of the earth. IF you want to pray, pray correctly. If you want to challenge in prayer, you must do that correctly.
4. Acts 2:1-
Filling of the Holy Spirit
We must block and overcome disasters but we cannot. Some people say words that are very conscious, “This world is so hard, pastor,” nobody said it would be easy. That’s why, “But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power and be witnesses to save the field.” Those are all people of faith like Joseph and David. Look at all of them, none complained about how hard it was because they knew the field and knew the answer. That is why Pharoah said, “Whom can we find like this, one in whom is the spirit of God?” You need to be a witness until the ends of the earth. If you are smart and think studying is enough, that’s unbelief. Your studies and brain are not the goal; through your studies, it must be for world evangelization. That’s what you need to pray for. Those who rely on themselves and don’t pray, even if somebody is very smart, they don’t rely on God’s power, they get mental illnesses. The Jews thought they were normal, that they were not sinners. The healthy do not need a doctor, so they did not need Dr. Jesus, so they killed Him on the cross as they didn’t need Him.
Who needs Jesus? I’m a patient, I’m blind, I’m a sinner, no matter what I do, I’m a sinner. That’s why I need forgiveness. That’s what it means. If you rely on your brain and think you’re smart and fine, why would you need Jesus? If you think, “I live a perfectly fine life and my thoughts are correct,” then why would I need Jesus? But if you confess, “No matter how good of a life I live, I have these problems, I need Jesus,” that was Paul. He held onto elite ideologies, everything he thought was successful in the past, but once he had the gospel, everything was used for the gospel.
When these works take place, doors of evangelism will open according to the time schedule and the Word and the Spirit. In this field, the doors of evangelism must open, and that’s evidence the Holy Spirit has worked. God is actually very spiritually scientific, but you still don’t pray because you think you can o this with your own strength; and even if you do pray, it’s for physical things. But what happens if the doors of evangelism open? It means the working of the Holy Spirit took place, and that’s evidence you’re holding onto your mission and praying. These doors open because this person has received this answer that their life is complete with Christ.
Why do evangelism doors not open? …
What’s the point of going to church? Christians talk about Jesus Christ, you’re not a Christian just because you accept Jesus Christ. Christians live for Christ in everything. Am I a singer? Am I a musician? Nobody calls me a singer. I can play drums my own way. But what do you call a musician? Somebody who does something as a professional specialization, that’s a musician. Are you a Christian just because you accept Jesus Christ? Are you a singer just because you can sing? Are you a musician because you play instruments? What do you call a “Christian”? The one who has everything for Christ, from Christ, that’s a Christian. Else, I’m a churchgoer. I sing but nobody calls me a singer, they say, “You sing,” and I can play drums as I hit them however I want, but just because you go to church, you’re a Christian? You just go to church. You need to be exactly like this, come to the conclusion of Christ. You can only be a Christian if Christ is the goal of your life. The prayer of a Christian prays for the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ to completely fill you to make you a witness until the ends of the earth. Then, as evidence as the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ has worked, the doors of evangelism open so you can testify to others.
5. Acts 11:19
The Antioch Church opened the doors to missions to testify to the entire world about Christ. If missions is not taking place in your life, it means you’re trapped in religious life, legalism, or something. If the Korean churches are experiencing a little bit of revival without missions and evangelism, it means they’re trapped within themselves. The Jews only accepted people who kept the law, so God did not work greatly upon the Jerusalem Church. He worked upon Antioch Church, the church that fulfills the work to go and proclaim the gospel to all people. The church where people are able to come and receive the Word to receive healing. That is the Antioch Church. There’s also a church of Satan, isn’t that right? There’s a church of Scientology and they don’t even believe in Jesus, so just because you call something a church doesn’t mean it’s Christian. What do people believe? A Christian or a church of Christ is one that proclaims Christ.
6. Acts 13:1-4
You can only receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit if your life is completely concluded in Christ; otherwise, you live your life satisfying your own greed. You’re seized and led by darkness, what’s the result? The result will be all these dirty things, Gal. 5:18-21. The reason you have no choice but to have dirty and despicable results in your life is because of your flesh; you don’t want to live like that but you want to, why? Even after salvation, you follow your father the devil. Conflict, idolatry, drunkenness. Even if somebody tells you not to do that, they have no choice but to live for the things of the flesh. If someone is completely seized by darkness, they cannot quit drinking even if they try. Something interferes, it’s your greed. Instead of receiving the filling of the Holy Spirit You need to be able to tell this to the field. Discipline cannot change people, that’s why you need to pray to be led by the Holy Spirit. You need to pray to receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. I want to tell you again, many people think receiving the guidance of the Holy Spirit will satisfy the cravings of your flesh. That’s just you getting the desires of your flesh; that’s not the Holy Spirit. If you receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit, then you will bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit. So, Jesus says that people who know that You are my disciples.
Some kids never listen to their parents but as they receive the working of the Holy Spirit, they begin to change. Some people get so upset when things don’t go their way, but they change after time. People who used to say, “I can’t do this or that,” but the Holy Spirit changes them to say, “If God allows it,” but until they receive the desire to follow the guidance of God, they will never change. People say they can or cannot do things. Phil. 4, Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ. If something is God’s will or not, but most people give up. Church officers think, “I can’t do this,” but I think this kind of church can’t receive answers. People try to balance diligence with the gospel, in the past, these people said, “If I want it” and if you don’t pray, you’re seized by unbelief. You can never overcome disasters. Even if you graduate from Harvard, you cannot overcome by thinking the nicest thoughts.
7. Acts 16:6-10, 21
Confirm your studies in the field. You know the answer but if you don’t know the field, you cannot give the answer. You have so much knowledge, you’re not able to see the problem and give the answer. Theology is just a tool, but if you don’t have the power of prayer, you will not have power wherever you go.