The Church Being Built (Ephesians 02:19-22)
Content God has a dream. It is the dream of saving sinners. It's about finding lost souls. Jesus also had two dreams. The first dream is to carry the cross. The cross was a way to make God's dream come true. The second dream is to build a church. The church is God's way of completing the cross.
After Pentecost, God began to establish the church beyond the history of the whole world. Even now, God is building the church. Missions agencies can come and go. But the church is eternal. Until the Lord comes, the only way God can preach the gospel of the cross is through the church. God wants to build a church that transcends nations, transcends languages, transcends cultures, transcends time. It is through you that God wants to build a church. Just as marriage gives birth to a child, believing in Jesus is to establish a church. There is no big church or small church in God. It's just a church. Hallelujah
Another Tokyo Vision Onnuri Church was established today. We give glory and praise to God. We plant seeds here. But the fruit is produced by God. I believe it will bear great fruit.
I did not come here to build a church, but to heal the sick. I came here to stay for two weeks, so I prepared only two weeks' worth of clothes and underwear. But surprisingly, this is how the church was born. God did it. When we obey, God works miracles.
At first, I tried about ten buildings, but all of them were turned down. The reason was that it was a church. The last building I found was this one. The owner of this building is a very strange person. Others say they can't lend it, but this person says he wants to lend the building to the church. They were told to put up the cross and sing hymns as they wish. The third floor said it was okay because his relatives lived there. There is no house behind this building. No one can say anything to you, even if you sing freely. The rent was also less. The first floor was supposed to be used as a lawyer's office. Looking at the office, I thought, 'It would be great to play Duranno'.
But no matter how much I thought about it, Duranno could not start. So I gave up on Duranno. That afternoon, I saw the owner of this house, even me, standing in front of Mr. Kwon's house. The owner had come to check if the contractor, Sa-nim Kwon, was really living in the house. After telling them to come home, we had a cup of tea together. The owner looked at all of Duranno's books in the room and told him to use the first floor on the spot because he wouldn't give the lawyer. We gave up Duranno, but the landlord told us to do it. All contracts were easily concluded.
Church built in 2 weeks
After the decision was made, the first and second floors were newly decorated for two weeks. Materials were brought from Seoul. God's workers from Seoul worked from 6 am to 10 pm. Since the owner lives on the 3rd floor, it was okay to hammer it. I received decisive help from the President of the Word of Life. It takes about two weeks to set up a book, but I finished what I had to do in two weeks by mobilizing all 10 staff in one day. That was this morning. This speaker was also buried in the luggage of Onnuri Church, which arrived from Seoul. I didn't even have time to test it. Why did God do this? Why is God in such a hurry? Why would God use this method to build a church?
Yes, because this is God's dream. God's dream. God's dream to save sinners. God's dream to preach the gospel of the cross. It is because of that dream that the church is built.
Look at Ephesians 2:19.
Therefore, from now on you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.
We are not foreigners. Of course, Koreans are foreigners in Japan. In Korean churches, sermons are usually preached in Korean. However, the central language of this church should be Japanese, not English or Korean. You must speak Japanese first and then translate into Korean. Koreans may come, or Japanese people may come. However, the central language is Japanese. This is the philosophy of this church. We are not foreigners, we are not guests, we are citizens of the kingdom of God. It is the family of the kingdom of God.
Church being built with Jesus
If you read verse 21, it says that each building is connected. A very important word. The church is one. Denominations may be different. But the church is one. Christ is one. We are interconnected. The church is one so that Satan cannot attack.
There is nothing more beautiful than one. Although their appearance, culture, language, age, and intellectual background are different, the Church is one. I hope to become one with the Japanese church and one with other churches. We are one brother.
The church is still unfinished. But someday it will be finished. We are beings that are being built and beings that are being completed. The Bible says the church is becoming a temple. Don't worry about being immature. Don't worry about immaturity. If you stay within a week, you will mature. In the Lord you will be complete. See verse 22.
You too are being built up in Jesus to be a dwelling place for God in the Holy Spirit.
Hallelujah.
As this church is built with Jesus, you will experience the kingdom of heaven, and you will experience the miracles and power of the Holy Spirit. We are one in the state. Have a dream of God. Have a dream of Jesus. Build a church. We will have 12 children on Japanese soil. Let's become one. Let's work together. Let's acknowledge each other's gifts. Let only Jesus be exalted. To evangelize Japan, we must become one. May God's blessing be with you. Amen.