2023.04.23 District Message
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:13
Next week’s small-group lesson is Assurance of Victory and the 25 Answers.
If it is not assured, it will not be imprinted. Only what you are assured of becomes imprinted, and answers come according to what is imprinted. If that is so, when you become assured of the wrong things, it is disastrous.
▣ Introduction
- Salvation – The covenant
Today, we—we are the saved. Those who are saved must surely hold to God’s covenant and not be deceived. You must hold to this firmly. Then God will lead us all our lives. What happens if you do not have this assurance? - Worry
Worry arises—because there is no assurance. When you worship on the Lord’s Day, you must prepare properly for worship. It is said that someone like Rockefeller came an hour early on Sundays to pray. His parents did so. Because his parents were seasoned in the life of faith, they told him, “Don’t chatter at church. Pray.” “Since you are a businessman, if you earn much and give much, that is a good life of faith.” So he would always arrive an hour early on Sundays and begin worship—praying. Then answers have no choice but to come.
Regarding your worship or a major conference, you must prepare a vessel that fits it. Right? The Lord’s Day must become the day you hold to the highest covenant by which you live and win the week.
1) Job 3:25
What happens if you worry? In Job 3:25, Satan strikes precisely the area you worry about.
2) 1 John 4:18–19
In 1 John 4:18–19 it says, “Fear has to do with punishment.” We should not fear—but if we fear the wrong things, a very fearful outcome follows.
3) 1 Peter 5:7–8
Even in 1 Peter 5:7–8 it says, “Cast all your anxieties on Him.” Not only “Do not worry,” but “Cast your anxieties on the LORD.” And then comes an important word: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
▣ Main
Hold to this covenant, with assurance—what must you be assured of?
- The people of the covenant
You are the people of the covenant.
1) John 19:30
Christ said on the cross, “It is finished.” Be assured. For me, answers began here. “It is finished—yet I am poor.” What does that mean? I found my answer there. If it is finished, why am I not doing well? I found my answer there.
When I was in graduate school, my prayer was, “I should study abroad.” That door did not open. A classmate of mine—truly poor at English—went. Then I realized, “God has finished everything—why am I trying to ‘finish’ something?” From then on, I entered daily into the fields where no one else went. I received tremendous answers. We keep trying to set up our own plans. If you pray, God’s plan will surely emerge. Believe this.
2) 1 Corinthians 3:16
“The Spirit of God dwells in you.” This is the saved. This implies that in the unbeliever the spirit of Satan dwells. “Do you not know that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”
3) Romans 8:31–39
Believe this. Nothing—no power—can separate you from the hand of Christ. No one can snatch you from His hand. Be assured.
4) 2 Corinthians 4:7–9
Even if you are hard-pressed on every side, you are not crushed. You may be struck down—but not destroyed. Be assured. When hardship comes, we tend to throw ourselves into hardship.
Suppose you are kidnapped and sold into human trafficking. How would you feel? Terrified. Sold into the hands of traffickers—you might die at any moment. Who is that? Joseph. Do not fear. That was the road to Egypt. Joseph could not go there on his own; he was sold. Where did the traffickers take him? To Egypt. Astonishing. They could have taken him to some rural farm—then he could not have done world evangelization. What if they had taken him to a restaurant? Instead, he was placed precisely as a slave in the house of Potiphar, captain of the guard, in Egypt’s center of power. Open your eyes to this. As a complete slave, he was placed in Potiphar’s house. Without wavering, Joseph prayed there. There, the kingdom of God came. Right?
Do you have something “difficult”? It only looks difficult. It is not. Something greater is unfolding. He was falsely accused and sent to prison. What would you do? In our expression—enough to go mad. He had done no wrong. That was the road to make Joseph governor. Do not forget this.
5) 1 Peter 2:9
In 1 Peter 2:9 God gave us something tremendous. What? Not merely protection from the forces of darkness, but the authority to break them—He made us a royal priesthood. He gave this blessing. Be assured.
6) Philippians 1:6
He will carry you on to completion until the day of Christ. Not that everything is already completed—but that He is carrying it on. There is nothing to worry about. You do not need to use humanism. When true answers to prayer start coming to you, you do not even need your own plans. Right? If God’s work truly arises in you, you do not need your own assertions. If God’s work truly arises, the many theories you thought up—you do not need them. You must surely receive such answers this time. Enjoy the 3·9·3.
- The seven Remnants
The seven Remnants are the evidence. We already spoke of Joseph—the seven Remnants are the evidence; view them through five lenses.
1) Absolute sovereignty
We believe in God’s absolute sovereignty. Right? When do you go to heaven? It is in God’s hand.
2) Absolute plan
God’s absolute plan—just find it. Whether answers come when problems come, or difficulties arise, it does not matter—what is God’s absolute plan? You need not be lazy, nor need you be needlessly over-zealous. What is God’s absolute plan?
3) Absolute covenant
Then the third emerges—the absolute covenant of God.
4) Absolute journey
From that point, what happens? From then on you go, enjoying answers—the absolute journey emerges. Right?
5) Absolute goal
And what then? The absolute goal emerges. This is where we are headed—what God has made. You may be assured.
Do you face some hardship? Through this small-group lesson, find the answer. And tomorrow, when you go out, you will meet many people. Lead them to know God’s absolute plan.
- The seven great journeys
At this time, you inevitably enter the seven great journeys. What are they?
1) The Triune
In your life, invisibly, you go the journey in which the Triune God is with you.
2) The ten mysteries (the other side)
Here emerges something crucial: you survive under any circumstances—the ten mysteries. If I pick one word from the ten mysteries—the true answers are all on the other side. It looks like the problem is here, but the answers are on the opposite side. Right? “How could he be falsely accused and imprisoned after receiving answers?” The answer is elsewhere. Do not be shaken by many voices.
3) The ten platforms (the Word)
The ten platforms. If I must pick one from the platforms—what is it? God’s Word. It does not change. From the earliest days, many longstanding church leaders have been with me—you know I have done nothing. Elders usually labored; I gave few directives. I did nothing. If you just hold to the covenant, it is enough. Because the missions conference is so important, strangely I could not sleep for two whole nights. My eyes were only slightly red; I felt fine. You will pray—so even if I doze, please understand. Truly, I could not sleep for two nights. I received so much grace. Preparing the message and praying—I received so much grace. Why do I say this? When pastors go to preach on Sunday, they must ask for God’s absolute things. Do not do “my things.” Dear saints, you must seek and deliver God’s absolute things. Right? You must. On this precious Lord’s Day—you must seek God’s absolute. The Word does not shake.
4) The flow
And then—there is surely a flow. We are not fighting; we are reversing the flow. Why do we do the Remnant movement? To change the world’s flow. Why the 237 movement? To change the world’s flow.
5) Assurance
From here come the five assurances. What are they? You are God’s children—the assurance of salvation. When you pray, answers come—the assurance of answered prayer. It looks like problems are coming, but you will win—the assurance of victory. The curses you should have borne ended at the cross—the assurance of forgiveness. What is visible is not God—that is an idol. God invisibly leads you—the assurance of guidance.
6) 62, CVDIP
Then what comes? The things for your lifetime come into view ahead of time—the 62. In one phrase, CVDIP comes clearly into view.
7) Camp
Lastly, what is it? Your entire life—your work—is the camp of the throne. What is today’s worship? Camp. You must receive great grace. You must build the spiritual bartizan. Right? If you do not understand, from now on say nothing—just sigh for three days. You will likely need a hospital. Conversely, think for three days, “I am receiving such great grace from God,” and see. People miss this enormous reality; some do not even know the value of worship. Pastors must always seek God’s absolute plan, pray, and deliver it.
▣ Conclusion
What conclusion emerges?
1) 237
Then the work we do—your work and studies—are set to match this: the 237. Only then can you do world evangelization. Only then will you make money.
2) The throne
Each week is important; you must truly receive strength. Both the first and second services are important. The first service is the time to speak the final missions commission for missionaries—important. The second service is the timetable for our 237 and all our missions teams and many such workers to hold the covenant. At this time, the blessing of the throne comes upon all your work and studies. It must.
3) Disasters (light)
Receiving this, you shine the light that blocks disasters. Because Christ is the light, even if you merely pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the light comes. While worshiping today, you must pray much within worship—in the name of Jesus Christ.
He went as a slave, but became governor. He went as an adopted son, yet became a truly global leader. Right? Samuel and David, who were separated from their parents as children, became great leaders. So, hold to the covenant—even if answers have not yet come, it is fine. They will surely come, but even if they do not, it is fine. What I love most in the whole world is this: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the LORD will deliver us.” I value even more what follows: “But even if He does not, we will not bow to idols.” Right. Even if we drown in the Red Sea, we will go into the Red Sea. That is faith. God promised to part the Red Sea. Today, many missionaries who have come from all over the nation and the world—may this be the day you receive great strength from God. Our precious guests from Vanuatu—may you receive great grace from God. Let us pray.
Prayer. We thank You, God. Let this be the day the unseen power of the throne is manifested. Let us set up spiritual bartizans that save the world and shine the light. While we worship and pray today, let disease depart. Let the darkness crumble. Let every curse be bound. Let every disaster be bound. Let the glory of God appear. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.