2023.07.23 District Message
Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:1-12
A certain child, when he was in elementary school, kept asking his parents to buy things, so they finally bought him a camera. He loved it so much that he carried it around all day taking pictures. That part was fine, but he stopped going to school and just took pictures all day.
If it were you, what would you have done? You probably would have said, “Give that to me right now,” and taken the camera away, right? You would have scolded him: “You need to go to school! Why are you skipping school for this?” But this child’s mother thought differently. She said, “Wow, you must have a talent in this area,” and encouraged him.
That child grew up to become the world-renowned film director Steven Spielberg.
We adults, as we get older, tend to get set in our ways, right? Our thinking becomes fixed. So don’t become rigid — try to be flexible and open-minded. Mothers, too, often evaluate their children based on their own standards and scold them accordingly. But your children have infinite potential, so you need to handle them carefully. Otherwise, without realizing it, you’ll end up forcing your own limitations onto them.
For example, as you know, when Thomas Edison was young, he once boiled a watch in hot water. From the perspective of an ordinary, “normal” person, he must have looked crazy. But that “crazy” boy became one of the greatest inventors in history.
Perhaps, even now, there’s something in your heart where you think, “This is my problem”. Most of you probably have something like that, right? Maybe you don’t right now, but in the future, you might face problems — usually in daily life. “My child has this problem.” “My husband has this problem.” “In our church, this is a problem.” It happens, doesn’t it?
But beyond those surface-level things, think carefully: right now, what is the real concern weighing on your heart? Take that thing, and try looking at it from the opposite perspective. You might discover something amazing.
[Reverse Thinking] 25 Answers (Matthew 5:1-12)
This is what we call reverse thinking. You may think something is a problem, and yes, you can choose to see it as a problem — but you also have the option to look at it from the opposite side.
And when you do that, something powerful happens: instead of despair, an answer comes — this is where the 25 answers arise. And there are countless cases like this.
So today, even before worship, remember this: around us, there are often more strange people than good people. There’s plenty of conflict around us, isn’t there? When that happens, try looking at things from the opposite perspective — you’ll discover incredible answers.
Let me share an example. After hearing me share this principle, one deaconess testified about her husband. Her husband always used the excuse of “business meetings” but went out drinking late every night. When he finally came home, he would always ask for a glass of water.
One day, instead of scolding him, she handed him the water and simply said, “Thank you.”
Her husband, even though he was drunk, was shocked. He thought, “What? She’s not nagging me?” So he asked, “Thank you? For what?”
And she said, “I’m thankful because you’re working so hard to provide for us, and despite drinking and being out late, you still come home safely. That’s something to be grateful for.”
Then she added sincerely, “I’m thankful that you’re healthy. If you were sick, you might die, but you’re healthy — that’s such a blessing.”
That one comment struck him deeply. For the first time, he thought, “She’s right. If I keep living like this, I’m going to ruin myself someday.”
Her nagging had never once gotten through to him before, but this one statement made him stop and reflect.
That’s why this concept — reverse thinking — and the resulting 25 answers are so important.
▣ Introduction: God’s preparation
If we’re not careful, we end up living according to our own standards, levels, and viewpoints. And when that happens, we fail to see what God has already prepared for us. This is very important.
We must see what God has prepared, but the problem is, no matter who we are, we tend to judge, listen, and speak based on our own way of thinking, our own criteria, and our own limited perspective.
(The opposite side) Daily life
God has prepared incredible things for us, but if you just change your thinking a little — even slightly — and look from the opposite perspective (reverse thinking), what seems like a problem in daily life can actually turn into an answer.
For example, about ten years ago, when I visited the United States, I noticed something interesting. There were Korean restaurants, Chinese restaurants, and Japanese restaurants. But when you looked closely, you could see a difference:
Japanese restaurants were always located in high-end, affluent neighborhoods.
Korean and Chinese restaurants, however, were often in poorer, less developed areas.
And here’s what surprised me even more: when I visited some Korean restaurants, I still saw the same old signs from the Korean War era — unchanged for decades. They had no idea how outdated they looked.
By contrast, Japanese restaurants had modern, stylish signs — sophisticated, well-designed, and inviting. That level of quality extended into everything: raising their children, running their businesses, working in their churches — all of it was influenced by that higher standard.
But in recent years, things have started to change. Korean food has been gaining international popularity, and K-pop has exploded globally, raising Korea’s profile. This is the time to renew and upgrade.
And yet, many Koreans still struggle to adapt. This is precisely where we must apply reverse thinking — this is when we must shift our mindset and look at things from the other side.
▣ Main message
1. Jesus – Breaking the framework
If you really want to receive God’s answers, you must first look at what Jesus taught. When Jesus taught, He completely broke the existing frameworks. Everything He said was the opposite of what people expected.
When you look carefully, Jesus changed the entire conversation — starting from:
1) Blessing
When He spoke about who is “blessed,” He said something completely opposite from what people thought.
2) Prayer – God’s kingdom
And then He redefined prayer — He explained it completely differently.
He essentially asked this question: “Israel is currently a colony under Roman rule, yet you think your high-ranking positions and titles are blessings? Is that really the blessing you should pursue?”
Israel, at that time, was on the verge of collapse — yet people were obsessed with their positions, their status, and their comforts. Jesus pointed them to the opposite:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
“Blessed are those who mourn.”
“Blessed are the meek, rather than the arrogant.”
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”
This was a complete reversal of the way people thought about success and blessing.
I remember when I first studied this deeply. During my second year of college, I happened to attend a lecture series on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew given by Pastor Lee Sang-Geun in Daegu. He was a quiet, scholarly man, but his teaching was so profound that I could never forget it. That was when this message really became imprinted on me.
Jesus also redefined prayer in a completely opposite way from what people expected. He said:
“Do not pray with vain repetitions.”
“Do not pray to show off before others.”
At that time, the Pharisees prayed loudly in public, trying to impress people. But Jesus said, “Go into your inner room.”
Now, that didn’t mean we must literally pray only in our rooms — it meant, “Don’t pray for the sake of being seen by others.”
Then Jesus said something even more shocking:
“Do not keep asking for all kinds of things.”
When I first read this, I was stunned. And from that point on, I stopped praying by constantly asking God for things. Why? Because God already knows what we need.
Instead, Jesus taught us to focus on God’s kingdom:
“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33)
That’s the prayer Jesus taught. When God’s kingdom comes, everything else will follow. That’s the real prayer Jesus gave us.
2. RT
Now, let’s take a look at one example: Remnant Joseph.
1) Slave – Economy
Joseph was sold as a slave. Remnants must never forget this. If you don’t have the right perspective, becoming a slave could make you think and live like a slave.
Many people say, “Oh, my family background is bad… My school environment is bad… My church situation is difficult…” If you keep thinking this way, you become a slave in your heart.
But Joseph didn’t think like that. Instead, as a slave, he learned about the economy. This is extremely important.
2) Prison – Politics
Then Joseph was falsely accused and thrown into prison. There was no way out. Nobody defended him, and he had no one on his side.
At times like this, you must learn to look at the opposite side. And what happened? Inside prison, Joseph learned about politics. Why? Because that particular prison housed only political prisoners — officials and people connected to the government.
Even today, some high-level officials are often kept separately when imprisoned. It was the same back then. By God’s design, Joseph was placed in the very environment where he could understand how nations work.
This was not a setback — this was preparation.
3) King – Mission
Eventually, Joseph was summoned before Pharaoh. Standing before the king of Egypt was an unimaginable moment.
If it were us, we might have panicked. But Joseph didn’t boast about his abilities. When Pharaoh asked him to interpret his dream, Joseph said:
“I cannot interpret it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”
This shows Joseph knew his mission. He wasn’t relying on his strength; he was standing as God’s servant, ready to fulfill God’s purpose.
4) Prime Minister – Evangelism
And finally, Joseph became Prime Minister. He didn’t seek this position; God gave it to him.
Pharaoh said to him:
“I place you over all of Egypt. Do as you see fit.”
That meant Joseph had full authority — second only to Pharaoh himself.
And what did Joseph do with that power? He saved the world. He started a movement that prepared food, helped nations, and ultimately protected God’s covenant people. This was the start of true evangelism.
Remnants, you must remember this. Whenever problems arise, don’t just see the problem — look at the opposite side.
For example, some people say, “I’m so lonely.” If you stay stuck in that thought, you’ll live your entire life in loneliness. But flip it around and think:
“God is giving me precious time right now. This is my opportunity.”
That change of perspective itself is an answer.
In the same way, when family problems arise, or when difficulties happen at church, don’t just fight about it. Instead, ask God, “What are You trying to show me through this?” You’ll begin to receive answers everywhere — even in your daily life.
3. Things of God
Once you learn to look from the opposite side, you’ll start to see God’s things clearly.
1) My thoughts
When God’s answers begin to appear, you realize something amazing: your thoughts aren’t that necessary anymore.
If God has already opened the door, why would you keep insisting on your own plans? When you reach this point, other people will notice.
They’ll say, “Wow, that person must have something special.” That’s when the door to sharing the gospel naturally opens, because people will start asking you for answers.
2) Things of God (God’s plan)
When you reach this place, you start to see God’s plan — clearly and specifically. That’s why the title of this message is important: it’s about God’s things, not ours.
This is exactly what happened with Joseph. Everywhere he went, even in crisis, God’s plan became visible.
3) Three things
At this point, three crucial things become clear:
(1) Why? – Concept
First, you begin to see why you are where you are right now. The “why” becomes clear — and that’s when answers start flowing.
(2) What? – Content
Second, once you understand the “why,” you naturally see what you need to focus on. Among all the options, you’ll recognize what God wants you to do.
(3) How? – System
And third, once you know why and what, the how becomes simple. God shows you the system — the way forward.
If we put this into modern terms:
The “why” = concept
The “what” = content
The “how” = system
Remnants, never forget this formula.
For example, when someone builds a church:
First, they decide what kind of sanctuary they want to build — that’s the concept.
Then, they design detailed blueprints — that’s the content.
Finally, they figure out how to construct it, what materials to use, and how it will function — that’s the system.
It’s the same spiritually. When you pray and look from the opposite side, answers flow through this exact structure.
I’ve experienced this countless times. Honestly, nine out of ten people I meet seem to be completely wrong about something — but even in those situations, I’ve learned so much by looking at the opposite side.
Sometimes, I even face unexpected situations on the road. For example, I might make a small mistake while driving, and the other person glares at me angrily. But instead of arguing, I’ve learned to apologize first.
“I’m sorry.”
And instantly, the atmosphere changes. Why? Because I realized, “This person must be in a hurry. Something urgent is going on.”
Looking from the opposite perspective can turn potential conflicts into blessings.
The same applies to relationships, workplaces, and even evangelism.
And here’s something I discovered:
“There is no competition when you enter the ‘nobody zone.’”
When you go where nobody else goes, there are no rivals. Everyone else overlooks these fields — but those fields are full of answers.
This principle applies in business, ministry, and life.
When I was a junior pastor, the first thing I did — without anyone telling me — was organize the entire church membership records. Nobody had touched them in years. As I updated them, I discovered many people who had left the church or fallen away.
So I visited them personally:
“Hello, I’m the new assistant pastor here. I just wanted to say hello.”
They were shocked: “How did you even know about me?”
I explained, “I was praying through the church records and felt led to come see you.”
Do you know what happened? Many of them came back to church. Why? Because someone saw them. That’s the nobody zone. That’s where God works.
▣ Conclusion: Absolute plan
In the end, when you remove all the unnecessary noise and clutter in life, what remains is this:
God’s absolute plan.
Even when people make mistakes, I try to look from the opposite perspective. The wrong is already obvious — but on the other side, I see ways to heal, restore, and save.
That’s why, even when people criticize me or misunderstand me, I consider those moments reasons to give thanks. Truly.
Why? Because through those situations, God opens new doors and teaches me new things. Every difficulty, every misunderstanding, and every obstacle can become a lifelong source of gratitude when seen through the lens of reverse thinking.
So today, as you worship, I bless you to experience God’s deep grace — that you may see healing, power, and the coming of God’s kingdom in your life.
May this blessing overflow into your children, your workplace, and your entire field, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Prayer. Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us new grace and new opportunities today. Make us witnesses who can see Your plan in every situation. Let this be a precious day where we gain new strength. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.