2025.09.28 Sunday 2nd Service
Scripture Reading: Acts 6:1-7
Thank you. You are now disciples who see problems as blessings. In other words, you must be able to make problems into blessings. Why? Because that is what the Bible says. God has never once failed to turn problems into blessings. Now, here in this place, and also in churches nationwide and worldwide, there are many assistant pastors, and also RTS families who are rising up. You may have worries such as, “What should we prepare?” In some ways, there are many difficulties for church workers. So you must absolutely do this. Just do what the church assigns to you. Be thankful for it. But at the same time, there are things you must do.
[ Absolutely ]
You must find what you absolutely must do. And then you will be entrusted with one part. You must bring it to life. If that part comes to life, the church members will all be revived. They will be glad. This is not only for the church, not only for church workers, but also how we must act in society.
[ Only, Uniqueness, Re-creation ]
There is one secret to bringing revival. If you discover this, it is enough. Only. Because Jesus said so, others will come to know it in different words. This is uniqueness. Then re-creation takes place. Then the part is revived. When you see this (Only, Uniqueness, Re-creation), it is not difficult. When you see this, revival happens. I personally had nothing special that I could do, so I looked for something simple. I asked the question, “How can children listen to the Word?” In that question I discovered the Upper Room. Then I was in charge of middle and high school students, and the only way to reach them was to go to their schools. That was how I discovered team ministry. Other people saw this and the church members said to me, “Pastor, you’re amazing. How can you visit the schools like this?” But it was not amazing; there was simply no other way. At that time there were no cell phones, so that was the only way. The problem was, because others did not go, they said such things. That is uniqueness. There is nothing difficult about it. And then re-creation follows.
So far, we have already received many answers, but we must prepare, because next year the doors of the 5000 tribes will open wide. Even now they are opening. When I came here I kept mentioning Vanuatu, and many people thought, “Vanuatu? Is there such a country?” America cannot enter into the 5000 tribes, but Vanuatu can. If you enter into the 5000 tribes, within ten days you will die. People from advanced nations cannot enter. That is why countries like these are what God has prepared. That is re-creation.
[ 300% ]
While doing this, what must our assistant pastors do? You must prepare 300% in the part entrusted to you. Then it is enough. Then, in the places you go, in reality many works will arise. And in case you miss anything, many church leaders will pray for you, hold onto you, and support you. Otherwise, unfortunately, unlike laypeople, unlike elders, church workers always suffer from economic and various trials. For example, elders can run a business and make money, but pastors cannot. That hardship follows them. If you are not careful, you suffer for life. This (Absolutely, Only, Uniqueness, Re-creation, 300%) is essential.
In fact, let’s say you enter a company. For young adults, it is not easy to enter. You must adapt to those people and work there. But you must find what you absolutely must do. Because you are God’s saved people, there is a reason God sent you there. You must find this (Absolutely, Only, Uniqueness, Re-creation, 300%). And then you must do the work of saving others. Everyone likes to be helped. You must do the work of saving the company. In this way. While doing this, you must find Only, Uniqueness, and Re-creation. Then many answers will come. And in the meantime, you must prepare 300%. This is important.
Then, what must we do on the other side? There are three things here as well.
[ 7·7·7 ]
Christ gave this to us. He gave us the background so that we can do this.
[ Enjoying prayer ]
You must always pray to enjoy this. Enjoying prayer. If you keep enjoying this, as if it is nothing, what happens? True healing arises here. If you keep worrying, what happens? If you keep being shocked, what happens? You die. Your body as well. But if you keep enjoying, what happens? This is the real thing. Sudden answers like a thunderbolt are good, but the true answers come through enjoyment.
[ Power, Healing, Summit ]
Here, power begins to appear. And the problems I once carried are solved on their own. Fundamental healing takes place. My spiritual problems disappear. That itself becomes the summit.
These two sets ((Absolutely, Only, Uniqueness, Re-creation, 300%) and (7·7·7, Enjoying prayer, Power, Healing, Summit)) are established on both sides. Everyone who received answers in the Bible began in this way. You are busy. You must do exactly this. And you have no time to talk about others. Find it quickly. And there is no need to worry about problems that don’t exist. You must enjoy this quickly.
When you do this, a few things will appear.
[ All problems, all incidents, all crises ]
You already know. All problems become blessings. Is that not so? God has never once cursed. He has disciplined, yes, but never cursed. Did God striking Egypt, or striking Israel, mean He cursed them? Does it look like that? I see it as God saving them. He disciplined them to save them. He made them realize. He also made those nations hear the gospel. That is why all incidents become blessings. Absolutely. All crises become blessings. Then we must take a brief look at the evidence.
▣ Introduction: The eyes to see
Then you must have eyes to see this blessing.
RT 7
The seven remnants. We always speak of them. Even if we look only at Joseph and David, we can understand. Joseph was suddenly sold by human traffickers. This became an immense blessing. Joseph realized this. He told his brothers what he realized: “It was not you who sold me, but God who sent me ahead.” Though he suffered and was falsely imprisoned, he did not shake. That became the path of his success. One day the timetable came and the king called him. People must call you. Strong nations must call you. If you are prepared with 300%. Even if it seems like nothing, if that is prepared, they will call you. For me, I was called so many times that I could not refuse even though I was tired. They will call you. We must prepare so that the world calls our remnants. That is much easier.
David also suffered many hardships. But who received the most answers? David received the most. The word David used most often was “thanksgiving.” He used the word thanksgiving so much. That means he had many hardships, but because he received so many answers, he gave thanks. The fact that he said thanksgiving means he had eyes to see something.
People keep saying the wrong words. I always tell the older elders: “Because you are here, I feel so strengthened and glad.” Truly. It is so dependable. But many people say, “Once you get old, you retire…” The Bible does not say that. That does not fit the times. Now is the age of 100 years. In the future, they may live even longer. How can they retire? They must begin full ministry. People keep having outdated eyes that cannot see. It is the multiethnic age. The laws must be quickly changed. It is the senior age. The field must quickly be changed. It is the delivery age. The systems must quickly be changed. Otherwise, people delivering packages die. A few accidents occur, and only then do they hold meetings… Do they not know? They must prepare. Just like this.
David already realized this. Not a single thing failed to become a blessing. Even his sins—when he repented, God blessed even that. David said, “I have sinned before the Lord.” God blessed even that. God blesses all things. Absolutely. There is much evidence.
Hebrews 11:38
All the people in Hebrews 11 are witnesses. It looked like they suffered, but it was not so. Do not be deceived. It may look like hardships are coming, but it is not so. That is why verse 38 says, “The world was not worthy of them.” That means they overcame the world. That means they were not deceived by the world.
Paul
Especially the one who received the most answers was Paul. But he also suffered the most. The words he used the most were Christ and thanksgiving. Whatever the situation, wherever it was—Christ, thanksgiving. The blessing of changing the world took place.
▣ Main: The age of crisis (6:1-7)
The early church was, in history—not only in church history but in all history—at the greatest age of crisis. Never before had innocent people been executed in such a way. Crucifixion was used for mass murderers or tyrants. Not even war criminals were treated that way. Crucifixion was the punishment of extreme criminals. Yet they crucified them. A legally dangerous time had been created. But this was the greatest timetable. At this time church leaders arose. It says they were “full of faith,” “full of the Holy Spirit,” and “full of wisdom.” When such men were set up, “a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”
Agitation [ Answer that changes the age ]
First. The powerful kept stirring up agitation. If powerless people stir up trouble, it is not a problem. But when powerful people agitate continually, then those watching will all fall away. Yet God gave answers to change the age. Absolutely.
Atmosphere of threats [ True disciples ]
Second. The atmosphere was terrifying. It was an atmosphere of complete threat. They did not know when they might be killed. But at that time, the Bible says true disciples arose. Indeed, those who appeared at that time were true disciples.
Those chased [ Future – World evangelization ]
It did not end there. They were weak, powerless, and pursued. They became chased people. But amazingly, God entrusted them with the future and with world evangelization. To people, it looked like they were fleeing. But to God, they were conquering. The ones who looked like fugitives were the ones who conquered the world. Exactly in this way, world evangelization arose.
Evidence must be given, so you must believe.
Agitation [ Answer that changes the age ]
How far did it go?
Extreme execution
They crucified them, nailing them to the cross in extreme execution.
Legal edict
Then legally they issued edicts: “Do not preach the gospel. Do not say Jesus rose. It is unsettling, so stop. Do not say Christ. Do not say ‘Lord.’ ‘Lord’ means king.” In this way.
Persecution by religionists
And religionists also persecuted them. Who were the religionists? The Pharisees, scribes, and priests. These joined in the persecution.
Merchants persecuted
Merchants also persecuted. “Because of those people, our business is harmed. Leave. Do not come.” In this way.
Rome persecuted
Rome persecuted them. Roman persecution especially said, “Do not use the word ‘Lord.’” In Greek “Kyrios.” Kyrios was only for Caesar. If they used it, they were executed. Yet it did not matter. The gospel can never be stopped. The Word has never ceased. The age was changed. Later even Rome itself was conquered.
Atmosphere of threats [ True disciples ]
The threats were intense. The ones fleeing…
Acts 11:19-30
At that time the Antioch Church was born. “Those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen…” it says. What would you have done? Maybe not you, but many would flee. If it is boring, they flee. All would flee. But these people gathered. Do not miss this.
Acts 12:1-25
Then greater hardships came. At this time all the believers, especially the church leaders, gathered together for one accord prayer. One accord prayer always brings miracles. In Korea’s national crisis, the president even fled to Busan. At that time pastors and elders truly prayed in oneness. Miracles happened. In the early church, the church leaders all gathered before God and prayed in agreement. It was true prayer, not program prayer. That very night God sent His angel and took Herod’s life. To take Herod, no army was needed. If God calls, he is gone. At that time, only true disciples gathered.
Acts 13:1
And then, as you know, Paul returned. Paul, who had gone to persecute Christians, became a believer himself. As I said before, it is like Kim Jong Un coming to South Korea and becoming a Korean. It was shocking. Then a special group was formed to capture or kill Paul. A legal team was formed for this. Yet at that time Paul was formally commissioned as a missionary. What a shocking story. Why? Because true disciples gathered at that time. There is no need to worry.
Those chased [ Future – World evangelization ]
The very fact they were chased was a critical word. You must remember this.
Remnant
The word remnant has two meanings in English. Those left behind. Those who remain. Both are correct. They looked like abandoned ones, but were the remaining ones. They looked like fugitives, but were the scattered ones. Not runaways, but the ones sent out. They turned the world upside down. World evangelization happened.
Acts 13:1-4, 16:6-10, 19:21
At that time the Holy Spirit perfectly guided. The doors were opened. It was not that the doors were shut. It was to open new doors that they were guided to Macedonia, to Rome. This history arose.
So always turn every problem into a blessing. It will be made so. At your company, make it into a blessing. Make your workplace into a blessing. Go to the failures, and make them blessings.
Do you not already know? A young man began with nothing. But then he had an accident. He tried to survive, but another accident happened. He built a small factory, but it burned down in a fire. So he went to a wealthy elder. “Everything is gone, only the land remains. Please let me borrow money with the land as collateral.” But that elder said, “You need no collateral. You yourself are the collateral. I will lend you.” Those words gave the man strength. Indeed. That one word. The accident was not an accident. That young man was Chung Ju Yung, who later greatly helped Korea. We must have eyes to see. Do not say, “That young man made a mistake and failed.” The wise elder saw correctly: “I will lend to you. You yourself are the guarantee.”
Wanderers (A.D. 70)
The early church members looked like chased wanderers. But later what happened? In A.D. 70 a great event occurred. Wanderers arose. From then, through these wanderers, the gospel spread worldwide. At that time the remnants were used.
Now, what problem are you carrying? Do not worry. If you worry, your body and spirit will be harmed. Give thanks and entrust to God. God is surely the God who blesses. People have described God wrongly, like some strange spirit. But God is the Creator. Because people misunderstood, Jesus gave parables. Three parables. “The shepherd left 99 sheep to find the one lost.” “A woman lost a coin and searched until she found it.” “A son squandered his inheritance and became a beggar, but the father waited every day for his return.” Jesus gave these parables. People misunderstood God as a tyrant. But when the son became a beggar, so poor he could not be recognized, the father still recognized him. The Bible says, “While he was still a long way off,” the father recognized him. This means the father waited every day. God knows your weakness. That is why He promised the filling of the Holy Spirit.
▣ Conclusion
Reality (selfishness)
Do not be deceived by reality. Reality is selfishness. All reality is explained in terms of selfishness. Do not be deceived.
Fact (atmosphere)
More important than reality is fact. But fact itself is not truth. It is atmosphere. Is atmosphere truth?
Truth (frame)
Beyond that is truth. But even truth, if from man, cannot be trusted. That too is a frame. Do you know the word frame? Pre-arranged mold. It is like that.
Spiritual fact (disaster)
We must see spiritual fact. We must save all of them equally. We must see the spiritual fact that they may face disaster, and do our role.
God’s plan (salvation)
Then what is God’s plan? You can see it. God’s plan is surely to bring them to salvation. That is all we must do. Those who will be saved are guided by the Holy Spirit.
So quickly conclude. All problems are blessings. Are they not? Confirm it historically. All incidents are blessings. You must make them so. All crises are blessings. History is so. The Bible says so. That is the power of the gospel.
Prayer. Let this week also be a week of many answers. Let my problems become blessings. Let my worries become praise. Let my crisis become opportunity. Let it become God’s opportunity. Let the works that save many people arise. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.