Title: Self-consciousness of saints / John 8:29
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John 8:29
Today's message is what Jesus said about Himself. But in these words, we are reminded of the self-consciousness that we Christians should have. It is important who the believer considers himself to be. Because that's how you live. It is not the self in front of others, the self that others see, but the self that I think of myself, the true self within me. In particular, as a Christian, what kind of consciousness I have is important. You will see it in today's text.
1. Apostolic consciousness
However, even though the apostle Paul was not already the 12 disciples, he applied these words to himself. Although the apostle Paul was not a disciple of Jesus himself, he met the resurrected Jesus and declared himself an apostle of the Gentiles (Romans 11:13). However, if we all say that I am an apostle and you are an apostle, there will be confusion.
2. Temple Ritual
The second word that appears in today's text is 'with me'. There is one who sent me, and he does not send me alone, but he is with me. It does not mean that He sends you and leaves you alone, but that He pours out His power and walks with you. How do you accompany You walk with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is with those who are sent. All the stories of the apostles are all stories of the Holy Spirit.
If you look at what Christians can do with faith, they achieve things that are impossible with the human mind. We do things that the world cannot imitate. This is not because Christians have specific constitutions or special abilities. This is the work of the Holy Spirit working through them. That's why Christians always say this, whatever they accomplish. ‘The Holy Spirit made it work. The Holy Spirit worked.’
For those who believe in the work of the Holy Spirit in this way, amazing works of miracles are accomplished beyond their abilities or talents. No matter what the problem, there is no problem that cannot be overcome. There is nothing you can't handle. You can stand boldly in any situation. Because the Holy Spirit is with them. I would like to call this ‘temple ritual’. I have a holy thought that it is a temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells, which sanctifies the saints.
Your body is among you, which you have received from God.
Do you not know that it is a temple of the Holy Spirit... 1 Corinthians 6:19
It is God who works in you.
He causes you to hope and do for His good pleasure... Philippians 2:13
...it is not by strength, not by power, but by my spirit. Zechariah 4:6
Christians do not ignore or deny human knowledge, abilities, or talents. But I don't believe that alone makes the world move. We believe that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, works among us. It does not belong to human knowledge or talent for a person to believe in God or to change after hearing the Word. It is truly the work of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God.
Everyone, I hope you believe that the Holy Spirit is with you. Faith begins with acknowledging that you have faith. If you think you don't have faith, your faith will disappear as well. Even if you are lacking in yourself, even if you are weak, please believe that you have faith. I have faith. The Holy Spirit is at work in me. I am a man of faith. So please confirm yourself. That faith becomes a seed and faith grows, and that faith becomes a spark and sets off a great fire, and that faith becomes life and creates power.
The Holy Spirit is with me! Believing in it is the Christian temple ritual. This is an essential ritual that any true Christian should have.
3. A sense of mission
Today's text concludes with 'Because I always do what pleases him'. It means that the Holy Spirit is always with you by doing what pleases God. This is a sense of mission. If he had been sent, why would he not have sent it because of what was given? A sense of mission is to do your best to carry out the given task, where you were sent, and for the one who sent you.
Genuine Christians, I hope that you will not be confined in the ‘me’ and become devoted ones who do what pleases God. Don't be a greedy spender of what has been given to me, only for myself, but I hope that you will become missionaries who give it to me and use it happily for the glory of him who sent me and wherever he sent me.
A scholar named Hocken Dyke wrote a book called The Scattered Church. It is already an old book, but it was a book that evoked a very fresh wind at the time. In that book, Hockendijk said that the church had been a ‘gathering church’, but now it should be a ‘scattered church.
What is a 'gathering church'? Our faith is the faith that confesses Jesus Christ as Lord. This belief always makes us gather around the Lord. The zeal of faith is the zeal of gathering. We gather together to pray, gather together to praise, and gather together to gain strength. The training of faith is the training of gathering. Good faith and fervent faith are the faith that I have where the saints gather.
But what is a ‘scattered church’? A scattered church means that the members who have gathered diligently are scattered throughout the world with a mission. If we have gathered together diligently and kindled the fire of faith, we must have the power of faith to be sent into the world. The scattered church refers to Christians who have a mission and enter the field of life, the field of life. The members who are scattered without a sense of mission are nothing but an indifferent group without any power even if they gather diligently. The sense of mission is to be sent with a given task.
What are you doing? You do it because it needs someone else. Because if I am a vegetable seller, there are people who need those vegetables. If I'm the one fixing anything, it's because someone needs help. That's why I'm doing this for him. For that person, God sent me. If that is the case, it is the heart of a Christian and God-given heart to do our best with gratitude, not just for making money, but with a heart to help the person in need and a heart dedicated to that person. That is the heart of the mission and the heart of the one who was sent. Because that's where he sent me to do it.
I hope that you do not have your eyes fixed on yourself, but that you will always live with the heart of a missionary and devotee while looking at God and your neighbors. It will give joy to your heart and make life full of reward and happiness.