Title: The Church That Saves the World
Contents
Bible: Ezekiel 47:1-12
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Ezekiel was taken into Babylonian captivity at the age of 25. The year is 597 B.C.E. Ezekiel was originally a priest. However, they were taken captive to Babylon and dredged from the Gebal, a tributary of the Euphrates. So, God gives Ezekiel a different mission. He was called to be a prophet.
The shocking event for Ezekiel was God's departure from his home. In chapters 8-11, we see the scene where God abandoned the temple and left. This event is a great shock to Ezekiel. This shock is described in Ezekiel 24 as a shock equivalent to the sudden death of Ezekiel's wife. God leaving the temple where God's great glory resided in the days of King Solomon says that it is a great shock, as if his wife, who was his pleasure, died.
On the first Sunday of January 3, New Year's Sunday worship, there is something God moves me. With this vision, we have decided on the title of “The Church That Saves the World” with this vision that the glory of God will fill the Hanshin Church again, and furthermore, the Korean Church will be filled to save the world and change the world. The glory of God that has left comes back to the Korean church Spring comes again to the Korean church. Our Hanshin Church will be filled with the glory of God. A church full of the glory of God, only that church can save the world.
The temple is a holy place full of the glory of God. However, the temple from which God left was filled with all kinds of unclean and unclean things instead of the glory of God. All kinds of detestable Asherah poles came in, and there were the prostitutes who lived in the temple. Jesus said, “When you see an abomination standing in your holy place, know that the end is near.” He said that, but since the temple has become like this, it is natural for God to leave. However, as the abominations withdrew from the temple and the fornication departed from the temple, the glory of God returned to the temple.
Our hearts are also temples. Many people think that stealing, lying or cheating is only a sin. But to sin against God is to love others more than God. Please believe in the fact that when we have only God in our hearts, the blessing of God's glory will be filled again in our hearts.
The third vision in the book of Ezekiel is that dry bones will come to life. This is when the dry bones heard what God was saying to them. As the dry bones come to life, the glory of God comes from chapter 40. The important thing here is that the way for God's glory to come in is paved from the moment the word of God is written in our hearts. In 2010, if many members want to live a life full of God's glory, I hope you will listen intently to the Word. So, I pray in the name of the Lord that 2010 will be filled with the glory of God in our hearts.
Another important thing is that when the temple is filled with water, where does the water go? It is said to flow east. It flows directly to the Arabah region. The Arabah region is the region of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is a dead sea. The dead sea comes back to life as water flows into the area where the Dead Sea is located. The water of the temple flows into the Dead Sea, and living things come to life in it. And it is said that wherever the water flowed, trees grew and a work of fruit was produced all year round.
In the same way, the water that fills our Hanshin Church must be flushed away. I think that this water should flow to a smaller church than the Hanshin Church. In particular, this water should flow to the rural churches. In fact, churches in rural areas can be said to be the birthplace of Korean churches. Considering that there are many rural churches with more than 80 or 100 years of history, it is true to say that this is the birthplace of the Korean church. We believe that Hanshin Church, where the river of grace flows, should save these churches.
The reason God gave us river water is not that we eat well and play well together. The rich are responsible for the rich. That's Noblesse Oblige. At least you who live in Gangnam are among the richest in Korea's 5%. Our church should be a church that flows this kind of river. That is why we must become a church that saves lives and a church that changes the world. In the name of the Lord, I pray that the Hanshin Church will become a river where everything comes alive.
2010-01-09 17:09:03