Title Acts 01:8 Vision
Contents Vision/Acts 1:8
Introduction
Today, our church wants to proclaim a message with a fresh start. This message is what I proclaim every time I start a church for the first time.
I hope that a clear vision will be engraved on the hearts of the members of our church, which is starting a new church again, and that me and all the members of the church will be able to carry out the essential mission of the church well.
It's been 2000 years since the church was established on this earth. If there is the most exemplary and model church in the church history of 2000 years, what kind of church would it be?
That is why the early church is the model of every age and every church in the 2000 year history of the church. We know through history that the purity and power of the church was revealed when the church kept the faith of the early church, and that when it lost its shape, it fell into a powerless and turbid church.
Our church must also have the appearance of the early church. The slogan of our church should be ‘BACK TO THE EARLY CHURCH’.
In this time when it is urgent when Jesus will return, if only the early church is the first baton runner by inheriting the faith of the early church, we hope that our church will receive the last baton of the Lord and become a church held in the Lord's hands to prepare for the Lord's return. I bless you by name.
Therefore, today, let us examine some characteristics of the early church so that our church can become such a church.
Main subject
First, the early church had faith in ‘Jesus alone’.
The early church was a church that sought only Jesus who revealed only Jesus, testified only for Jesus, and spoke of Jesus when they opened their mouths. So, whatever you do, focus on Jesus, what is it that God is glorified? It was a church that thought and prayed and acted.
What would you do if you were Jesus? Have you read the book called There are people with different kinds of jobs in this book. What would they do if they were Jesus? This is a good book about daring to quit on the professional front and moving forward with the center of Jesus alone. Please read it by all means.
We too must take responsibility for our words and actions. No matter what you do, I hope you will speak and act with the mind of 'What would you do with Jesus?' I hope that you will find and do God's will every moment. This is the only faith in Jesus.
In order to have faith in Jesus alone, you must be centered on the Word. Only Jesus is clearly revealed only through the Bible.
In the beginning of the Gospel of John, there was the word of God in the beginning, and that word became incarnate and became Jesus Christ. So, only Jesus is the only Word. I bless you in the name of Jesus that you will become thoroughly word-centered saints and our church.
The book of Acts is also called the book of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts is the record of the apostles preaching the gospel, and it is also called Acts of the Holy Spirit because it was preached by the power of the Holy Spirit when they preached the gospel. However, when the Holy Spirit works, He always works with the Word and through the Word.
In Acts 2:14 and 4:31, it is said that he preached the word of God boldly, filled with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 6:4 It is said that the power of the Holy Spirit was manifested when the apostles were absent from prayer and preaching.
Acts 8:4 When the scattered disciples of the Lord went around and bore witness to the word by the power of the Holy Spirit, they bore much fruit.
In Acts 10, we know that the Holy Spirit comes upon Peter at Cornelius's family while preaching the word.
In addition, in numerous verses of the Acts of the Apostles, we can see that the Holy Spirit worked with the Word and preached the gospel.
In particular, as in Acts 1:8, whenever the gospel progresses that the gospel of Jesus will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, an interim report appears in the Bible. It is said that the evangelization was accomplished through the work of the Word in every interim report. Let's find out.
1) This is the Jerusalem Interim Report. (Acts 6:7)
“The word of God continued to prosper, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased exceedingly, and a great multitude of priests obeyed this way.”
In this way, the word of God, only Jesus, became more and more prosperous and Jerusalem became the evangelization. In any case, let's make an effort to have the Word flourish in our church in our hearts.
2) Interim report between Samaria and Judea (Acts 12:24)
“The word of God prospered and continued to grow”
In this way, when God's word, only Jesus, flourished, Samaria was evangelized.
3) Look at the evangelization of the ends of the earth. (Acts 19:20)
“In the same way, the word of the Lord had power, and it prospered and gained power.”
These words are an interim report on the evangelization of Ephesus.
In this way, let's work hard so that the word can flourish in the temple and in our church in our hearts.
The above interim report is that evangelization took place where the word of God flourished. Because the word itself has power.
The reason why the Word itself has power is because the Word itself is Jesus Christ. Therefore, there is life force in the Word, and changes take place where there is life force. So, where there is the Word, evangelization takes place.
In any case, the individual temples of all the saints and our church
Let's exalt only Jesus!
Let's do our best to make the Word prosper!
Let the Word have the power to become a revival of saints and churches.
So let’s do ‘Jesus alone’
Thus, the first characteristic of the early church was that only Jesus and the Word were alive.
Second, the characteristic of the early church is the church armed with the Adventist faith.
In the Old Testament times, the greeting is shalom.' Are you at peace?' The early church was Maranatha. It means ‘the Lord is coming’. It is a message of longing for the Second Coming Jesus.
In this way, the early Christians lived longing for Jesus, who would always come again.
The scene of Jesus ascending to heaven is found in Acts 1:11. “Men of Galilee, why do you look to heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as he went into heaven.”
The early Christians were believers who were united in the Adventist faith, who lived day by day waiting for the Second Advent Jesus who promised to come again.
If you ask what is the greatest hope of those who believe in Jesus, of course, you have to say that they are waiting for the Second Coming Jesus.
One of the biggest factors in the revival of the Korean church was the Adventist faith. It was revived by devoting many things to the ancient times of the Lord, who never knew when the Lord would come.
Third, the faith of the early church was the faith of the earth's end missions and world missions.
As in today's text, Acts 1:8 says, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judah and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
So, as the Lord commanded, the gospel began to be preached to the Gentiles in Jerusalem and all Judea in Samaria. After that, the gospel is proceeding to Rome, England, America, Korea, and China. Even now, the gospel is going on.
The purpose of Jesus establishing the church is to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Even at the end of the Gospel of Mark, “You told me to preach the gospel to all people.”
The Lord's Great Commission in Matthew's Gospel also said, "Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."
What the Lord wants the most is for a soul to be embraced in God's arms. All early Christians were missionary members who participated in missionary missions.
Let's do our best to become the Lord's witnesses to the ends of the earth with the Lord's word that one soul is more precious than the world.
The power of the Holy Spirit is needed to accomplish this missionary mission. Let's read 1:8 together. He said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judah and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
When we receive the Holy Spirit, we have power. In the last chapter of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus said, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
And Jesus has given us the power of the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel.
“And these signs will follow those who believe and are baptized: they will cast out demons in my name, they will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.” '
To those who believe in Jesus, the Lord has given power to all.
We see many scenes of spiritual battles taking place where the gospel is preached around us. Even today, many spiritual battles are taking place on the front lines of missions. In many cases, indigenous peoples believe that Jesus is strong Is the God we believe in strong? I ask for a lot of matches. At that time, when I command the evil spirits possessing the indigenous people, “In the name of Jesus, let the evil spirits depart,” I see a scene where many evil spirits leave and Jesus is delivered to them.
If we truly believe in Jesus, let us rely on the Lord and subdue the power of evil spirits working in our church in the individual and family of the members in the name of Jesus. Through this, let us fulfill the Lord's Great Commission.
So we have received the Holy Spirit and have been given power,
our weakness grows stronger
What we are ashamed of becomes bold
Our oppression turns into joy and freedom
Sickness and pain became the testimony of healing
The saints will be filled with the Holy Spirit and the church will be revitalized, so they will have to fulfill the mission of the Lord with this strength.
Tornadoes abound in the western plains of the United States. One time there was straw stuck in a power pole where a tornado had passed.
Our strength and talents are but a straw in our weakness before the Lord. But even the fragile straw has the power to pierce power poles with tornadoes.
That's right. No matter how weak we are, we believe that if the Holy Spirit is with us, we will be able to carry out the missionary mission entrusted to us by the great power of the Lord.
conclusion
The early church was the most desirable and revived church on this earth. Our church wants to be like the early church.
Let us diligently look to only Jesus and become a church where the word is prosperous and a church used by the Lord who is in charge of world missions with faith in the Second Coming that does not know when the Lord will come.
All these things are possible only with the power of the Holy Spirit, so let's pray that the power of the Holy Spirit of the Lord be with us in our church.
Let all who enter this place receive the Holy Spirit and become powerful saints.
Today, we look at the characteristics of the early church, namely Jesus alone, Maranatha, and world missions. I hope that the Church, the body of the Lord, will be like that. I also hope that the church will grow and become all the saints who enjoy eternal life and blessings together.