Title Another Wilderness/Galatians 1:15~17
Content Another wilderness/Galatians 1:15~17
Evangelist Lee Bok-jae
Hallelujah. Our church is a good church. A church full of love and laughter.
Our beloved Nohyeong Central Church already has 44 years of history. I believe it is all by the grace of God. We believe that all members of the church are working together to accomplish God's work in God's grace.
There was not always joy in those times. It wasn't always just pain. Somehow we live in the result of 44 years of time, but I believe that this passing moment is also the process of writing God's work.
In today's world, people tend to favor the outcome rather than the process.
In the moral book we've been taught, if the motives are good and the results are good, that's a good thing. Also, if the motive is good and the result is bad, this is also called good. But if the motive is bad and the result is bad, this is a very bad case. But what about when the motive is evil and the result is good? This, too, is clearly evil.
Beloved, we must not lose the goodness of our motives as we live in the age of material omnipotence and the age of mammon where everything is abundant. If the result is good and the motive and process are bad, then this can never be good.
Jesus first looked at the hearts of those who came to him. As we see the poor widow's money, we need to know that our Jesus sees the motive, the sincerity of his heart.
1. The process should be more important than the result.
Obviously, the results matter. But I believe that it is the process that drives the results.
Even if the process is difficult and difficult, you must overcome it. Do not look only at the hardships of the process, look at the big forest. I hate that there will be a dignified saint standing behind him as a big tree.
One day, I went on a field trip to the Gwangyang Steel Works from the old church with middle and high school students. There I saw a blast furnace that melted a lot of iron. in many processes. Looking at the changing seasons like that - there have been times when I thought, "That's faith, that's maturity."
Looking at the now deceased former President Roh Moo-hyun. I've been swearing hard for 5 years. It is said that he was receiving praise from him until his death, or even now. -I took my middle and high school children to Bonghwa Village during my lifetime. This is because I wondered how many times students would have the opportunity to see, hear, and feel the President in person during their lifetime.
We need to be able to see the process.
It is said that in order to pass through the blast furnace and become good iron, it must go through numerous heat treatment processes. The late President Roh Moo-hyun, serving the people with his own philosophy and the thorough principle of fighting corruption, and impeachment in the midst of many unfortunate incidents, the results have not yet been revealed, but they are slowly appearing in history.
It cannot be said that our process is not difficult.
Our Jesus also gave his life to the disciples in order to receive them.
㉮ Luke 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.
The Lord knew that Peter would deny Him, and He had spoken to Peter. “Peter, I know you will deny me. But I want you to nevertheless not lose your faith and testify to me Even if you deny me, after you are converted, take care of your brothers.” This was what he was praying for.
But Peter did not. He denied Jesus, and after Jesus died, they scattered and cast their nets on the Sea of Tiberias in Galilee, worrying about their livelihood.
But after meeting the resurrected Jesus, their lives changed. changed. They have become stronger people than ever before. As Jesus said, the disciples did not leave Jerusalem and devoted themselves to prayer in Mark's upper room, so they were filled with the Holy Spirit. He had compassion on those who did not know Jesus and turned into people who prayed to give them life.
㉯ Acts 7 describes the martyrdom of Stephen.
There is a scene where Stephen the deacon was stoned to death while preaching the gospel of Jesus. Beloved, what kind of prayer did Deacon Stephen prayed when he returned and was martyred? “God, they are throwing stones at me. I think I'm going to die. Please do not forgive them. Send fire on them and judge them.” It's not like that. This is Stephen's prayer. “Lord Jesus, receive my soul,” he knelt and cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
Beloved, this prayer is the same prayer that the Lord prayed on the cross (Luke 23:34). “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” They learned Jesus' prayer. And that's what I prayed for. Stephen, knowing the love of Jesus, gave his life to death by being stoned. It is because they saw the love of Jesus, learned it, and put it in their hearts. Saul saw this and was changed. Please believe that the prayers of the early Christians and Stephen's prayer changed people.
㉰ Acts 14:19 - During the first missionary journey of the Apostle Paul. Lystra enters the city. Paul was stoned to death while preaching in Lystra Castle. The bible says he is dead. It is said that people from Antioch and Iconium (Cognac) - riding on ice in the Taulus Mountains (these are also poisonous), chased after them and stoned Paul to death. What about Paul's prayer at that time? They don't know what sin they are doing. There he was stoned to death, but Paul did not give up there. The next day, he goes back to the city and preaches the gospel saying, “I'm alive,” saying, “I am alive. To whom does that love extend? A young Timothy is looking at Paul where he is stoned to death. Continuing love.
Obviously, I said that love is handed down.
But what about them to get the result of perfect love?
There were difficulties with the process. What is the process like?
The Israelites left Egypt and went on their way through the wilderness to Canaan.
What happened to them in the end... on that desperate wilderness road?
Okay, let's see the disciples.
I believed that Jesus, the King of the Jews, was the king who would save Israel.
How was he? The Lord I believed in is dead.
What an ordeal must it have been for them? How desperate was the process for them to become full disciples?
Similarly, today Paul firmly believed and followed his philosophy, but after meeting God after his conversion in Damascus, where does he go?
Today he is not going straight up to Jerusalem, but to the wilderness of Arabia.
He can go straight up to Jerusalem, or go to Rome, with his knowledge, with his power, to have a big place, a great work, and a big dream. But why is he leaving everything behind and now going out to the desert to Arabia..?
You are driving yourself into a desperate process. Why?
I believe that the reason is to meet the Lord. Everything about yourself by meeting the Lord
To put it down, he goes out into the wilderness. He goes out to see the full work of the Lord in his life.
But, what was your life in the wilderness like?
It's miserable there. There are poverty, hardship, hardship, bullying, discouragement, desperation, and suffering. There are difficulties.
Who is there?. There is the resurrected Jesus... There is Jesus in the wilderness.
Jesus is there. Our thoughts, our anger, our anger, .... do not see His work. Looks like I'll have to give up.
1 Samuel 12:16 Now stand still and see this great work the Lord is doing before your eyes.
We need this process too. It is necessary to go out into the wilderness. It's not just about going out in the wilderness.
It takes a process to keep the faith. It is necessary to meet the Lord. I need to feel and know that the Lord is directing my life.
Our teachers and our parents need to instill in our children the faith that comes from this process.
Please take care of the children with love. Show your body that you are serving God.
No. Can't...
............................... This is serious. Faith is bungeoppang.
You have to give it time. It takes patience, it takes prayer. I need love.
and difficult process for us. Good results cannot be expected without difficulties.
The same is true of the Church of the Beloved Saints.
Other churches are like this. There can be many stories about that.
In addition, churches with different conditions are well-systemic churches,
But... we need to know.
In the same way.. who is there.. God is there. God lives everywhere.
That God is not another God. There is only one God in all churches.
If you really like the church and are envious of it, you should look inside.
What is in it?
There is the death of the saints in the process of getting results.
John 12:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
There are people who die without a word. You work hard without revealing yourself. Dedicated.
Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.
It's about working together. Let's clap
You have to make it that way. We have to make it that way.
You become the protagonist and you have to achieve it.
Maybe now we can talk while looking at the church as a result.
But right now, it's not a result, it's in progress. should know that
if so..
Please reconsider how you think of the church, how you participate in church events, and how you attend worship.
Now we close the word.
Where are you now? Are you safe in that wilderness? Have you met the Lord?
Seek the Lord. Meet the Lord.
Without your death, without decay, without devotion, you can never impart life.
Nor can you get life.
I pray that the precious grace of the Lord be with you.