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 Sermon > Official Service |
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Title |
God's grace |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
1 Jn 4:16 |
Date |
2004-10-08 |
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[Introduction]
Dear brothers and sisters, our mission delegation and I have finished the Germany united crusade with God's grace and guidance.
I give thanks to those who took part with prayers, fasting, and mission offerings. I give special thanks to the people who supported us from other countries.
With the strength and devotion each of you provided, Manmin Joong-ang Church has grown up to accomplish the world mission and now we face the 22nd anniversary.
However, I think none of you would say we have accomplished all this with our own strength.
The reason you and I can be used as God's instruments like this and the Manmin Joong-ang Church could have grown up is the grace and love of God the Father.
So, I will make the mission report later. Today, we will have a time to remember God's measureless love and grace that have led to this day, the 22nd anniversary.
Through this message, I would like you to especially realize God's will about the trials in 98 and 99, and the great forgiveness that God gave us this year so that you will be able to feel God's love and delicate hand that leads each of you and this church.
I bless in the name of the Lord that you will make up your mind once again in this 22nd anniversary so that you will run towards New Jerusalem until the Lord comes back again.
[Body]
Dear brothers and sisters, members who are attending the service through the satellite all over the country, members of branch churches, local sanctuaries, Light and Salt mission, Restaurant Mission, members who are attending the service on the Internet all over the world, and those who came longing for God's grace,
Since the establishment, we sometimes say that this church is in God's special providence and plan.
Then, some of the members from other churches or new comers might think why only Manmin Joong-ang Church is in God's special providence and plan.
Yes, of course all the churches that are established in the name of the Lord have God's providence and plans.
Although some churches might be dead churches that do not please God at all and some other churches might have put out the fire of the Holy Spirit as time goes, it is obviously God's providence and plan for the churches to enlarge the kingdom of God and give glory to God.
However, God's providence and plan is not all the same for every church. Even though God gives the same duty and vision to each church, each church and the members obey and accomplish God's will in different measure.
Therefore, God cannot but choose, refine, and use the church that obeys God's Word and can fulfill His providence and plan.
That is why our church had to go through a lot of trials since the establishment as the church that will fulfill God's providence at the end of the time.
It was painful when we had trials, and the reality was hard for us, but as we look back now, each step was God's providence and love for getting true fruit.
Because the primary purpose of human cultivation is to gain true children, God wants to finish everything through His children who have come out as true fruit of human cultivation at the end of the time.
Dear brothers and sisters, God chose the people of Israel in the early stage to fulfill His human cultivation.
He chose them among so many races and nations.
However, it did not mean that their future was easy just because they were chosen by God.
You might think, 'God chose them. So God can supply them with everything and take the responsibility for them.' But you can see the result was not so.
Of course, when they lived within God's will, they could enjoy the power and wealth within God's protection so that no other nation could touch them.
But when they went away from God's will, they had such severe punishments and trials.
It is because the people of Israel were not illegitimates but chosen people like God's own sons.
Because they were the chosen nation, God did not allow any kind of trivial sin. When they had iniquity, God disclosed it and let them receive the penalty.
Then, did God do this because He hated people of Israel?
Or, is it because He did not love them more than other nations?
You know well that it is not so.
Rather, it was because God loved them and cherished them more than other nations.
The reason why God has revealed many things in this church this year and given the chance to repent has the same meaning.
Our church has a difficult duty to accomplish the world mission and the Grand Sanctuary. That is why God is refining you more to make you more perfect with His love.
If God takes all the responsibility and gives us a lot of financial blessings and revival because we have to accomplish the world mission and the Grand Sanctuary, we can fulfill our duty of world mission and Grand Sanctuary very easily.
But it is not just and accomplishing the world mission and the Grand Sanctuary in this way cannot have the true meaning.
When God planned the human cultivation, He did not want to put us in a greenhouse but under the rules of the enemy devil and Satan. The true purpose of human cultivation is to gain children who come out as true fruit even amongst disturbances and deception of the enemy devil.
In the same way, it is truly meaningful only when true children, who have come out as pure gold through trials and tests, accomplish the world mission and the Grand Sanctuary.
This way, it does not violate any part of God's justice.
However, if we face tests and trials and hardships in accomplishing God's works, those who do not realize this providence say with their own fleshly thoughts, 'Why does a church that has such a valuable duty have difficulties?'
They think so because they do not understand the Bible or God's will and providence. We cannot find anybody in the Bible who was used by God without having trials and tests.
Everybody was changed to be used by God through trials and tests, and then they were used as God's instruments to show His glory.
That is why God sometimes allowed tests and trials so that each of you would come out as wheat. Especially, in this year, God has given us very special chance to prepare for the last days.
Dear brothers and sisters, God allowed a very severe trials in 98 and 99, which was enough to be said merciless.
Because it was a trial to divide the wheat and the chaff, for me personally also, I had such a great pain in my heart.
Even for the chaff, from the farmer's point of view, it is very heartbreaking to divide the wheat and the chaff because he wants everybody to become the wheat.
And because I was praying for each person to change into spirit, I had unimaginable pain in my heart watching the chaff being separated away through the trial in 98 and 99.
Of course, at that time, many of you prayed with tears and fasted to keep the church and the shepherd.
And some of you who did so might have thought, 'I did all I could do for the church and the shepherd.'
Also, some of you must have been sure of your faith and trust thinking, 'I can give even my life and I am not shaken in any kind of situation.'
But as God said at that time that He would calculate when the time comes, the calculation began from this year's revival meeting.
God let me explain in the messages what kind of heart and thoughts and words of lips you had, even about those who thought they passed the test very well.
When I explained about these things, many of you began to realize about your heart and deeds that were not right in the sight of God.
Many of you, who thought that you passed the 98 and 99 test well, came to look back on and check yourself.
You thought you had passed the test well, but as your heart and mind at that time was reflected by the Word of God in detail, you could realize your shortcomings.
Also, there were some people who committed such great and unforgivable sins at that time, and they did not even realize how great sins they had committed. Through this chance, God let these people realize their sins.
Those who were living in many kinds of trials and hardships without even knowing the reason could now reflect themselves on the Word and came to realize that they had committed sins that were not forgivable.
Also, even though your sins were not as great as to be unforgivable, some of you came to realize that how great wall of sins you put up against God by simply saying and doing some wrong things.
So, as you came to realize your past sins, so many of you came before me to repent after the revival meeting.
On top of that, God gave us two chances of great forgiveness so that all our members who had any kind of shortcoming or blemish could repent and be forgiven of those things.
Then, why did we have to have this kind of process and why did God allow this?
I hope you will realize how great God's grace and love is through this.
Dear brothers and sisters, Peter the apostle, always tried to protect Jesus more than anybody else and swore in front of Jesus that he would never forsake Him.
But when Jesus was arrested and was in a situation to be put to death, Peter denied Jesus three times out of fear.
Of course, Peter immediately repented and turned back, and through this, his ego was broken away. Until then, for Peter, it was just impossible and unimaginable to deny Jesus.
So, what if Peter did not have this incident? Probably, he would not have been able to find out his heart that was hidden deep inside.
He would still be boasting and leading others, thinking that he was doing well because he was the first among the 12 disciples.
But in that case, the powerful apostle Peter, who made the lame walk, raised the dead, and made thousands of people repent at one time, would not have existed.
For Peter, his denial of Jesus was an eternal burden and pain in his heart, but through that incident, he could have become a very powerful apostle.
Because Jesus knew it well, He endured with the pain of betrayal and rather He waited for Peter silently.
Finally, God let Peter realize about himself through this incident so that he could repent thoroughly and change. Therefore, it was God's grace and blessing.
But what is important is that it was before Peter received the Holy Spirit, and although he denied Jesus, he immediately repented and turned back, and never committed the same sin again in his whole life.
If Peter had not repented of his iniquity, how could he have become a powerful apostle not to talk about being saved?
He had seen so many signs, wonders, and powerful works following Jesus for 3 years. He listened to so many words of life. So, if he did not repent of denying Jesus after all this, we cannot say he had even the minimum faith to be saved.
The reason why God allowed trials in 98 and 99, and has calculated everything after several years lies here.
Dear brothers and sisters, we talk about New Jerusalem like a habit.
And as you look back on the past now, do you think you could have gone to New Jerusalem without breaking the wall of sin against God and the shepherd that you made in 98 and 99?
You know very well that not everybody can go to New Jerusalem.
That is why if you did not find and get cleansed of iniquities and unforgivable sins you made related with 98 and 99 incident, you can never enter into New Jerusalem.
That is why God allowed this chance for you to cleanse all your past sins and begin a new life so that you have the chance to go into New Jerusalem.
If you did not have this chance, you might have just thought you had been doing well and gone to only paradise or 1st kingdom of heaven when the Lord comes back again.
Some of you might have even just fallen to hell due to sins that were unforgivable.
Also, if God had not let you realize your deep heart that you had in 98 and 99, many of you could have just neglected important things without realizing your heart.
And you could have still thought that you were perfect.
But because god let us realize our deep heart through this chance, you can break down yourself and come out with perfection.
You thought you trusted the shepherd, but you could realize how much trust you had in the shepherd actually and what real trust is, so that you could change yourself.
You truly realized what the conditions are and what kind of heart you must have in order to enter New Jerusalem. So, now you make it a goal and run towards it, so that more people can now enter New Jerusalem actually.
The trial in 98 and 99, and the chance of repentance this year was painful for you and me in reality to reveal our own shame.
But through this, more people can now ride on the rapid flow of spirit that is going to New Jerusalem, so how great grace of God this is!
Those of you who have torn down the walls of sin and are trying to change with fresh mind are coming into spirit very quickly taking part in the flow of spirit.
But those who did not catch this chance properly are disturbed by the enemy devil and Satan as much from riding on the flow of spirit.
Dear brothers and sisters, God let us check our heart through the 98 and 99 trial and calculated our shortcomings in the past. And after this, God gave us another chance to repent of many kinds of works of the flesh.
And this is also God's grace.
King David saw the wife of his people and took her. Then, to hide it, he plotted to kill his loyal subject by the hands of Gentiles.
Still, he could not realize how great sin he committed before God.
And when God sent prophet Nathan and pointed out his sin, King David immediately repented thoroughly and received the following punishment with happiness.
Then, did God reveal David's sin so clearly and let him have severe trials because David was more evil than other people?
Did God want to give punishment and suffering to King David? Of course not! It was out of God's love for King David.
Through this incident, David could demolish himself more and change. It was actually blessing for him.
If King David had not gone through this incident, could he have gone into such a glorious place in the kingdom of heaven?
It was caused by his big mistake and was something so shameful before God, but at the same time, it was a chance of God's grace for him to be changed completely.
Once he acted as a slave of the enemy devil, but he realized his fault and repented and could change himself. It was all by God's grace who loved David.
In the same way, we should realize that God has pointed out our works of the flesh harshly to make us repent thoroughly and turn away from them with His grace and love.
Some of you were in such great sins that you were not to be saved, but God opened the way of salvation even to those people to be forgiven of their sins in this chance.
Also, some of you were committing the works of the flesh being at the position where you must never commit them. But through this chance, God let you turn back and find out about yourself and demolish yourself completely so that you would be able to reach more blessed positions.
Dear brothers and sisters, while you are being cultivated on this earth, it would be so good if you have no spot or blemish like John the Baptist and Enoch, but in most cases, it is not so.
However, even though you committed some iniquity and blemishes in the sight of God a couple of times, what is more important is how you act after realizing about your fault.
King David, when he realized his fault, he repented thoroughly and turned back, and changed himself completely.
If you repent and turn back once, but still stay in the same place even after some time, you still have blemish and you will get farther and farther from salvation.
But to those who repent truly and change themselves, the previous iniquity will not remain as a blemish but a chance of blessing to make themselves more perfect.
The reason why God is disclosing your works of the flesh and pointing them out so sternly is not to destroy you or discourage you to make you fall.
If you have truly turned back, you will be thankful to God for letting you find out about yourself and turn back from sins, and you will endeavor in faith more than before.
You must have so deeply realized about things of the flesh and works of the flesh that the shepherd has been explaining to you. Also, you realized what kind of person you were so that you can now get rid of your old self and change into a new person with joy and thanks.
In the process of repenting of and turning away, you must have had a lot of pain in your heart and tearing your heart. But when your burden of sin was taken away, you were filled with the hope for New Jerusalem again so that you can lead your life with God's grace everyday.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
God gave this chance of repentance not to punish you or bring pain and suffering to you. It is God's grace to bless you and lead you to the right way and is the blessing of rapid flow of spirit in this year 2004.
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[Conclusion]
Dear brothers and sisters, you must have been able to check what kind of ministers, Levites, and workers you were and find out about yourself for last couple of months.
I had to speak uncomfortable things on the altar, and some of you had to listen to it with uncomfortable mind.
Those of you who belonged to that kind of group must have mourned in their heart. Even some others could have mourned together watching the shepherd suffering the heartbreaking pain.
Nevertheless, I had to keep on talking about those things. And as time went by, I now see even those who had hard time listening to those things are now having thankful mind.
As they repented and turned back, they can realize everything was God's grace.
Dear brothers and sisters, the second prayer point for this year is 'the fruit of spirit' with the subtitle 'man of spirit'.
God the Father stopped even overseas crusades in the first half of this year to concentrate on refining the hearts of all the members and myself.
Now, we see that process is coming to an end.
Of course, I hoped all of you to come into grace of God 100%, but God told me that one out of ten would not.
God, however, has to wrap up this process because flesh and spirit will anyway be divided and we cannot have a war of attrition, namely we cannot waste our energy, because of those who are falling into flesh anyway.
Now, our members who are on the flow of spirit have to go into spirit and the whole spirit quickly, and we have to gather the strength and energy together to accomplish the world mission and the Grand Sanctuary.
Don't you see how you would have been like now, if God had not given you the trials for the last couple of months?
You must be feeling that your mind and mental attitude after the trial are so different from those of before the trial.
This is the rapid flow of spirit, and through this, like the prayer title of this year, there will be many fruit of spirit, namely men of spirit.
So, looking back on the past, how can we not feel the great love of God the Father who wants to lead you to New Jerusalem in all the ways possible?
Don't you naturally come to confess that all these things are the grace and love of the Father?
If you are riding on the rapid flow of spirit through this chance, you cannot but confess this many times a day.
Therefore, I hope that you will be thankful deep in your heart for the grace of the Father who has given you such a precious chance of blessing at the point where the Lord's coming back is near.
This year 2004, which became the foundation of riding on the rapid flow of spirit, will not be forgotten until the Lord comes back. We will not forget about this even after we get into the kingdom of heaven and offer up thanks and praise to God.
Will this apply only to a couple of persons?
No, it is the mind of most of our members who have been forgiven of many kinds of sins and are endeavoring in their faith now.
Dear brothers and sisters, our good Father God has given all of us such great grace. I hope whoever realizes this grace to cultivate beautiful fruit in your heart.
You should do your duty and come out as beautiful and shining fruit as a person who has received such undeserved grace.
I bless in the name of the Lord that the glory of our Father God will be spread all throughout the earth through all of you who have received His grace. |
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