2024.08.06 District Message
Scripture Reading: Genesis 39:1-6
The workers of our church and every church are important people. In fact, the pastors and ministers in our church and all churches throughout the nation and the world are the most important people of this age. But how do you perceive this? Surely there’s an atmosphere among the ministers and workers—how do you feel about it? Within the church are also many individuals entrusted with important responsibilities. How are they thinking about their work? That is crucial, because it relates directly to the future.
At times, you may also face problems. You may even think, “There are so many problems.” To be unaware of many problems is simply ignorance. But to view everything as a problem after seeing many—that borders on a mental issue. That’s more like a sickness. To not know there’s a problem when there is one, or to think there’s a problem when there isn’t—those are both sicknesses.
Genesis 39:1–6
What do you think? One day, Joseph was suddenly sold as a slave. It was completely unexpected. We usually call such events a crisis.
[Crisis and the 25 Answers]
That’s a crisis. “Crisis and the 25 Answers” is the theme for this week. There are three things you must remember here:
[1. Crisis – 7 Disasters]
In reality, problems and crises come. But you must be cautious: sometimes what looks like a crisis isn’t truly one. It appears to be a crisis, yes—but you must have the composure to discern it. Many people fell into Israel’s seven disasters because of this. If we summarize the Bible, it’s simply this: the gospel, and Israel’s seven disasters. That’s what the Bible is about. We must realize this quickly. The Bible is not about anything else—it’s about salvation and the fall of Israel. But even within that, not all fell.
[2. 7 Remnants – Opportunity]
The ones who were not deceived by the crisis were the seven remnants. For the remnants, it wasn’t a crisis—it was the greatest opportunity. It’s always like that. It may be a crisis, or it may just appear to be. Those who view it only as a crisis will fall into disaster. But those who don’t see it as a crisis will find it’s actually their greatest opportunity. Right? Joseph was taken to Egypt as a slave, but in truth, it was his greatest opportunity.
[3. Posterity (Scars, Summit)]
What really matters is how posterity sees this fact. If they interpret it as a crisis, they will be scarred. But if they see it as an opportunity, they will become the summit. It’s the same situation.
If you grew up poor, that could become a scar. Right? But if handled correctly, it can be your greatest blessing. I’ll mention this again briefly during the first service conclusion, but when I was young, I saw my parents, my church, and everyone struggling with money. Maybe your story is different, but for me, I saw how everyone suffered because of lack of money. That’s why I firmly held onto the covenant—I knew I couldn’t fall into that. If you fall into it, you’ll be ruined. People who succeed financially often fall into financial sin later. A former president even said, “I stole so much money because I grew up so poor.” He confessed that himself. This is dangerous. If you become stuck in poverty, your posterity will be in serious danger.
That’s why parents should never say, “We can’t do that because we don’t have money.” Is money God? If it’s not God’s plan, it won’t happen. But if it is God’s plan, there will be a road through the sea and rivers in the desert. You must ask, “What is God’s plan?” not say, “It won’t work because we don’t have money.” Mothers say this easily—“We can’t do that, where’s the money?” But those words become imprinted into a child’s brain and soul. The child unknowingly starts to believe, “Money is everything.” That’s when they begin stealing. Not just theft—they’ll rob people at knifepoint. That’s how strange things happen.
Whether remnants see past events as scars or the path to the summit—that is the difference. Joseph didn’t just survive—he completely overcame. It wasn’t just receiving an answer—it was complete victory. Now that all the remnant conferences are finished, remnants, you must turn every problem into a perfect covenant. Don’t leave it vague. I’ll introduce a book during the first service, but I studied this deeply: Why are we poor? Why is our nation poor? Why do we have to be poor? I kept studying that. So remnants, when you face problems, difficulties, or crises, don’t just tolerate them. Turn them completely into a platform for reversal. Don’t inflate or exaggerate things. Begin exactly as it is, and aim for the highest.
We often do the opposite—we exaggerate. Especially men: “I know so-and-so, I’ve done this and that.” What’s the point? When I meet someone for the first time and they hand me their business card, if there’s a long list of positions on the back, I never give them any responsibility. One time, I went to preach at the National Assembly and received a business card from Mr. Park Se-jik, the head of the Olympic organizing committee. It only had his name and number. I thought, “That’s better.” Others cram their cards full—probably hard-working, but not my style.
No need to puff yourself up. Do one thing properly. Remnants must not grow up like that. Do one thing correctly, and works will surely arise. Don’t be deceived. No matter how poor your home is, if you do one thing properly, God will surely work. If there’s a truly unfixable problem, turn it into a complete blessing and platform.
▣ Introduction
Things will only get harder in the future. We’re heading into five new ages:
1. Age of Mental Illness
Don’t listen to people’s words. This age of mental illness is coming. Don’t trust reporters—they can lose their minds too. Politicians? Same thing—they can go mad and start wars. That’s why we must pray. The age of mental illness is coming.
2. Age of Addiction
With no clear direction, addiction is rising. If children fall into drugs, they can’t escape. We’re in the age of addiction. Naturally, this leads to more fighting.
3. Age of Conflict
It’s an age of fighting. Conflict everywhere. Soon, wars will erupt.
4. Age of Ideology
People don’t change their thinking anymore. In the age of ideology, people form a fixed mindset and never change. Only Christ can change them—but genuine Christ is hard to find. They don’t change.
5. Age of Mixture
Now, in order to make money, people are mixing everything together. “All religions are the same.” That’s the age of mixture. “Let’s hold hands and go together”—it sounds like a nice idea, but it’s not unity—it’s mixture. Unity and mixture are different. This is the age we are entering. “Don’t say that only by believing in Jesus we are saved.” That’s already here. The world is entering an age of deep problems.
▣ Main
At this time, what covenant should you hold onto?
1. Triune God – Knower – Into the Crisis
First, those who know the power of the Triune God. Those who know it enter the crisis. They’re not afraid. Joseph wasn’t afraid to go to prison. When he was sold into slavery, he thrived. The works of the Triune God and the throne are fulfilled within crisis—so they have no fear.
1) Work of the Throne
You must personally experience this (work of the throne). For example, if the power of the throne begins to appear in your work, would you be afraid? No. You’re only afraid when you don’t know. That’s when anxiety comes.
2) Answer
You can turn anything into the greatest opportunity. Why? Because all the answers come through (1. Crisis – 7 Disasters, 2. 7 Remnants – Opportunity, 3. Posterity: Scar or Summit). Answers come through crisis and problems.
3) Globalization
In the end, God brings you before kings to accomplish globalization. You must remember this.
2. Blessing of the Throne – One Who Enjoys
Don’t just know the blessing of the throne—enjoy it. Enjoy it through prayer. For the one who enjoys it, problems, conflicts, and crises all become blessings.
1) Problem – Answer
All problems are answers.
2) Conflict – Renewal
All conflicts become renewal.
3) Crisis – Opportunity
All crises become opportunities. Enjoy this through prayer.
3. One Who Delivers – Filled with the Holy Spirit
Third, the one who delivers. Being filled with the Holy Spirit means knowing and delivering this power. The Bible calls this being filled with the Holy Spirit.
1) Joseph – World
Joseph saved the world through crisis. Right? Such answers will come. Don’t misunderstand: “Oh no, we’re ruined.” No. It may seem that way, but look carefully—it’s not.
2) Obadiah – Dothan
Obadiah saved everyone in crisis. One man saved 100 prophets, Elijah, Elisha—and laid the foundation for the Dothan movement. He didn’t see the crisis as a crisis—he made a choice. Amazing. If you read the Bible closely, you’ll see everyone received answers this way. This isn’t fantasy—it’s exact.
3) Daniel – Resolve
Look at Daniel. He was taken as a captive. He could’ve despaired—or chased success. But he didn’t choose either. Daniel resolved. What did he resolve? God’s will. He understood and resolved to follow it. That’s it. The Bible makes this clear.
4. Calvary, Mt. Olive, Mark’s Upper Room
These events saved the world. Calvary was the greatest historical event—Jesus, though innocent, crucified. The resurrected Jesus left His message—that was Mt. Olive. Those who believed in that covenant and prayed—that was Mark’s upper room. World evangelization happened. Through this early church—unprecedented world missions arose.
5. Throne, Kingdom, Work
Jesus left us this promise: the throne, the kingdom of God, and God’s work. Just pray about this. Don’t try to get answers right away. If you’ve wrecked your car, don’t expect it to be fixed instantly. Right? If your life is shattered, answers won’t come immediately. God gives unshakable answers. Just pray. Don’t be deceived—just continue, and it will surely be established.
The scars and worries hidden inside you will inevitably lead your life in that direction. Never forget this. The unbelief and anxiety in you will inevitably draw your future accordingly. That’s the answer. The vision, faith, and assurance within you will surely lead you there. What looks like a crisis to us may be God’s greatest opportunity.
▣ Conclusion – [God’s Timetable]
That is the time when God’s timetable is fulfilled. Moses hid in the wilderness for 40 years—and during that time, God prepared the best. Elijah gave up, saying he couldn’t go on—but God prepared the real thing. The early church was in the worst crisis in human history. There’s no excuse for us. In the worst of times, they accomplished the greatest works in church history. Isn’t it clear? Hold to this and wait. Just wait.
But don’t wait idly—truly enjoy while you wait. People keep missing it because they haven’t entered this. It’s heartbreaking. You must develop this power. Because it’s unseen, it emerges mysteriously from somewhere. That’s how it should be. If you try to force something—that’s what unbelievers do. They don’t have the Holy Spirit’s guidance, so they live like that. Even wickedly—just to eat one more meal. That’s the life of an unbeliever. But we’re not like that. We hold onto what’s truly from God—what’s eternal. We enjoy it and use that answer to save the world.
Today’s message wraps up the remnant conferences. Remnants across the nation and world must hold to the message well. To all church leaders laboring for the next generation, your covenant will remain eternally. Long ago, when I mentioned Vanuatu, many said, “Why go to Vanuatu when there are so many other countries?” That’s how people think. That’s why I said pray. Now the president of Vanuatu is visiting Korea—and it’s big news. Security came all the way to Seoul. That didn’t happen before. Now security cars are lined up. They even checked our reserved seats for the event—asking us to leave a wide space for safety. I told them, “Don’t worry. Our identities are guaranteed.” Why all this? Because now they know it’s important.
Why did they come to us? Many politicians, mission organizations, and countries visited Vanuatu. But they saw something in us: we held firmly to the gospel of Christ. And they realized—this group seeks no personal gain. That’s important.
So workers—don’t boast. Understand? Missionaries, everyone—do not try to show off. If God receives glory and people receive benefit, that’s enough. Right? Most people like to take credit—but others can see right through that. If they feel like they’re being used, it’s over. No matter how kind you are, it ends there. But if they sense, “These people truly care. They sincerely pray and support us,” that changes everything. And that’s not just them—it’s the same in every nation. We must be careful. No need to take credit. Even in the unbelieving workplace, just do your job well. If you keep trying to show off and plan ahead selfishly, that becomes a problem.
I bless all remnants to become witnesses who discover what is true within prayer. Let us pray.
Prayer. God, we thank You. May this be a time when Your covenant is confirmed in all the remnants across the nation and the world. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.