2024.10.20 District Message
Scripture Reading: Acts 2:1-47
Jesus explained the things about the kingdom of God for forty days. But there is a part that our believers do not believe the most—not that they don’t believe it at all, but the part that feels the least connected to themselves, and that is this (the throne). It is not that they do not believe it—because Jesus spoke of it and it is in the Bible. But this seems to have little to do with me. How do you think about this? Jesus explained it for forty days, but it does not have much to do with me. When this (the camp of the throne) is formed, it becomes the eternal answer. The people who believed this gathered and were praying, and then this kind of answer (Acts 2:1-47) came. That was the Mark’s upper room.
▣ Introduction
There is something you must understand a bit historically. Whenever the gospel was proclaimed, there was always persecution, but in the early church there were about seven kinds of situations.
1. National politics (religion)
At that time, it was not like now where you vote and so on; national politics and religion were tied together. Because of this, even if it was wrong, if the state told you to do something, you had to do it. It was that kind of age.
2. The label of heresy
So these people put the label of heresy on the early church that was preaching the gospel. Historically, this has never failed to happen, but it started from the time of the early church.
3. Legal imprisonment
Now, when it had come this far, it did not end there—if you preached the gospel, they would imprison you legally. How many people do you think would survive if it became like that?
4. Execution
And if you kept on preaching, they would execute you. If such a situation arose, what would you do? Almost everyone would leave. They are being labeled as heretics and killed.
5. Social isolation
In reality, they also cut them off from society. What can you do about that? That is what the early church went through.
6. Team formation
And then, to continually arrest the early church that preached Jesus Christ, they formed teams. That was the situation.
7. Rome (250 years)
What was more difficult was that they made use of Rome. They used Rome, saying, “That’s a heresy, that thing.” When it came out like this, Rome persecuted Christianity for 250 years. That was the situation of the early church. Did it really end that way? You know who won, don’t you? But at that time, they did not know. Now that everything has passed, we understand, “Ah, right, the gospel won.” We understand it like that. But think about what it would be like if, not even knowing that, such hardships suddenly came upon you. So only the genuine ones remained. Everyone else ran away. Even though Jesus had healed their diseases—if it were us, we should stake our life and say, “Because He saved my life, I will also die for Him”—but they all ran away. The miracle of the five loaves and two fish happened, didn’t it? All the people who ate that miracle bread ran away. At that time, a small number remained, and these people accomplished world evangelization.
[ Bartizan of the throne ]
What did He give them? Jesus established the bartizan of the throne. To put it simply, He established the bartizan of prayer that enjoys this. He told them to wait for what was promised. That promise is the bartizan of the throne.
[ Journey of the throne ]
And then He spoke of the journey of the throne—the journey that goes with this power. He said, “To the ends of the earth.”
[ Guidepost of the throne ]
In this context, He even explained the guidepost of the throne: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Now, this is hard to believe. Who would believe it? It has less value than one thousand won. With one thousand won you can at least buy some snacks. That is how it has become. You must think carefully.
(120 people)
But only those who believed gathered. One hundred twenty people. Everyone else ran away and 120 people remained. This number is recorded in Acts chapter 1. These people gathered and began to pray. And world evangelization took place. I want you to enjoy this blessing (bartizan of the throne, journey of the throne, guidepost of the throne) and begin this prayer.
▣ Main: Camp
Then let all of your life become camp. Then the whole path we walk becomes camp. Today, hold onto this and pray. Because this reality is invisible, unbelievers cannot understand it at all. Even those who believe cannot understand it at all. But God gave this promise, and with this promise the small minority defeated Rome.
1. The Holy Spirit – inside me (1 Corinthians 3:16)
We must look at this in a few aspects. Why is it a fact? Because the Holy Spirit of God comes upon me. So He says this: “Do you not know that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Because the Spirit dwells in you, He says, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”
There was a time when our country’s president fled and stayed in Busan. That was during 6.25. The place where that president temporarily stayed in Busan’s Amidong still exists today. When I went there, I saw the bed the president used, the wardrobe, all still there. They preserved it as a historical site. When I looked at the wardrobe, it was the kind of wardrobe that, even if I offered it to you, you wouldn’t take it. It was just a trace showing, “Ah, he stayed here and left.” But if a president stayed there, that is the Blue House. Even a worse thatched-roof house, if the president stayed there, that is the Blue House. No matter how shabby a hut may be, if the king is there, it is a palace. What does this mean? No matter how weak and worthless you may seem, if the Holy Spirit of God dwells in you, you become the temple. You must believe this. Then the power of the throne comes upon you.
2. The gathered church
Also, we have gathered today. The gathered church is also the temple, so when we worship, the power of the throne comes upon us. What comes upon us?
1) John 19:30
In John chapter 19 verse 30, “It is finished.”
2) Acts 1:3
And then in Acts chapter 1 verse 3, He explains about the kingdom of God.
3) Acts 1:8
And this answer came to the Mark’s upper room. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth.”
Because the world sees this as worthless, you can easily receive this blessing. Others may try to seize the position where you are working, but they cannot take this (the main content). During today’s worship you must pray that this will be the time when the power of the throne comes upon all the believers. Something happened that people could not possibly know. These people (from the introduction) rose up like this, but they could not overcome the gospel. You must believe this.
3. The field (Matthew 18:18-20)
The field where you go is church, and the power of the throne comes upon it. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 18 verses 18 to 20, “Where two or three gather in My name, there am I among them.”
4. The temple – Mason war
There is another field where you can receive the greatest answer, and that is our church, the temple. The gathered church is church, but when we build a sanctuary and so on, that is the temple. Upon this, the power of the throne comes. So in the end, it is the Mason war. Was an idol shrine built, or was the temple of God built? This is a tremendous war. So when kings came to power, because they did not know God, what did they almost all do? They built idol shrines. That is why we build the temple.
All of these (in the main message) are fields where the power of the throne comes.
5. Shadow of the throne
And the church is the shadow that explains the blessing of the throne. In a sense, you can see it as a station that leads to the throne.
6. True worship
So when you give true worship today, everything comes upon you. I hope you will gain victory through worship today. If you receive answers, everything else is not a problem. You may say, “My family is like this and that,” but it does not matter. If you receive answers, you can save even the worst family. There is no need to blame your husband or wife. If you receive answers, that is enough. People say all kinds of things about who is like what. If you receive answers, that is enough.
▣ Conclusion: 24, 25, eternity
So you must build the 24, 25, eternity bartizan of prayer. If you build this bartizan of prayer, that is enough. You must hold this as your covenant today. When Joseph received answers and enjoyed this power (of the main message), it was fine even if he went as a slave. Do not be deceived by what you see in reality. Even when he was falsely accused and thrown into prison, it was fine. What is more surprising is that even when he became prime minister, he continued to enjoy this blessing as it was.
I hope that you will gain strength today. You must receive answers. Then everything will be resolved. Wherever you are, if you enjoy this working of the Holy Spirit who comes with the power of the throne, others will live because of you.
Moses realized this late. Moses thought, “Shouldn’t I succeed in the palace?” That sounds right. But until he turned eighty, he did not succeed. On the day he turned eighty, Moses realized this. So he lived forty more years, and there was no one who received as many answers as Moses. Right? In our country there is an issue with how people view the elderly—that is because we are still a developing country. If you go to Japan, almost 100% of the elderly are working. Saying “100%” may be too extreme, but they work as if it were 100%. If you go to France, there are people who are dressed really stylishly. Most of them are elderly. They show all the style they can. Wearing a sharp suit, wearing a hat—they are elderly people. Because he was old, Moses said, “I cannot do it.” That was not true. At eighty he realized this and for the next forty years he enjoyed the greatest answers.
So when one person receives answers, it can become like that. Why? Because they enjoy this blessing of the throne that can move the world. If even one of you receives answers, many people will live.
There is something you must keep in mind. Our remnants must also keep this in mind.
1. Big problems
If you want to do big things, big problems will come. That is how you will find big answers.
2. Background
Also, when God truly wants to use you, your background may be difficult. Right? If He truly wants to use you, your background may be somewhat difficult. That was the case for all seven remnants. But with the power of the throne they evangelized the world.
You must firmly hold onto the covenant. I said this last week too, didn’t I? Our deaconesses must firmly hold onto the covenant. So those who are older must receive even greater grace. Remnants must completely prepare the bartizan for the future.
3. Sickness
It can be like this too. There are many sick people whom God has used. God has called even all these things so that He may use you as witnesses to save others.
During this whole day of worship, as darkness is broken, I hope you will pray all day for the power of the throne to appear in every place related to you. I bless you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that today will be the day you gain great strength. Let us pray.
Prayer. God, we thank You. Grant the power of the throne to the people of the Lord who are worshiping today. Grant them spiritual strength that no one can take away. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.