2023.08.27 District Message
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Immanuel Seoul, Busan, and now Ulsan and Changwon, which we are also seeking to build—each has in common that the air is good. In truth, because you worship every week, it is hard for all these words to be memorized and imprinted in you. Therefore, on Sunday, you must firmly hold to the Word and enter into prayer. Nowadays, there are many illnesses, and in this situation, after you worship and finish the first service, it is good to go between the mountain paths near us. There, enter into deep prayer and practice breathing. Please do this.
Why did God lead the people of Israel into the wilderness? It was a road that could be traveled in a week, yet they were in the wilderness for forty years. In truth, the wilderness is a place where there are no people. A place without people may be difficult for you, but it is an even better opportunity, because there you can receive the true answer.
▣ Introduction: 40 years
So God kept the people of Israel in the wilderness for forty years. In reality, it takes only a few days. Why then did He keep them forty years in the wilderness? He had several purposes for doing so.
1. [Engraving] – root, nature
Change what had been engraved during the time they lived in Egypt. Only then can the root and nature be changed. What is today’s worship for you? It is to change this (engraving).
2. Preparation for Canaan
And keeping them forty years in the wilderness was to prepare them to enter Canaan.
3. Preparation for world evangelization
More than that. During the forty years in the wilderness, many extremely important contents came out—everything needed for world evangelization. Therefore, when you worship on Sunday, you must find very important things. You must find that by which you will gain tremendous spiritual strength today.
(Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
Among them the most important is Deuteronomy 6:4–9. It is a famous Scripture passage. The Jews suffered massacres. Some were even put into gas chambers and killed. It is said that those who died were holding something in their hands. How miserable it must have been, dying like that. When their hands were opened to see what it was, this (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) was in them: “Hear, O Israel.” The content is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And pass on everything that has been until now to your children.” Hence, the famous words, “Bind them on your wrists; write them on your walls; whether you walk along the road or sit”—this means to imprint completely. When the Word of God’s power is imprinted, it will surely take root and change your nature. So although it seems long, your waiting and your suffering seem long—it is complete preparation.
[Wounds]
And the most important among these: throw away all the wounds that have been until now.
▣ Main
So what was there in the wilderness? What happened that made those forty years so important?
1. The three feasts
In the wilderness, the three feasts were regarded as most important.
1) Passover – liberation
Passover—you know this. It speaks of the blood covenant of Christ. On the day they applied the blood of the lamb, they came out liberated. Do not forget this.
2) Pentecost – power
More importantly, Pentecost—the power of God.
3) Feast of Ingathering – background
The Feast of Ingathering—the background of the throne. In fact, this alone is everything. Today you enjoy this all day long. Then it is not that some particular answer comes—that is not the important thing—but as time passes, this (Introduction) is fulfilled exactly. “This answer came, that answer came”—those are important, but what I mean is that you truly possess great power, the fundamental power. This is extremely important. We are often shaken by this or that happening, and we enjoy such things too much, but though those are important, there is a greater flow. Yes, doing business well and doing your work well is important; yet the great flow of God’s blessing must flow to you for works to arise.
2. Preparation
What was prepared there?
1) The 237 vessel
Though it seemed like forty years merely passed, in reality, He prepared the “237 vessel”—the 237 vessel that can do world evangelization.
Now you must open your eyes quickly. The multiethnic people who have come to our church—many of them do not know how important they are. Because this age keeps opening. A time is coming when the entire world will communicate faster and faster. Before long, where I live as a nationality will mean little—it will all be integrated. Therefore, we must share together—how they worship, their lives after worship, and their cultures. This is what we call preparing the 237 vessel. No matter how loudly you shout, if the vessel is not prepared, it cannot contain anything.
2) Healing – entrenched dispositions
And now in the wilderness—slave mentalities and all wounds. The multiethnic people, we ourselves, and everyone, all have longstanding entrenched dispositions. These must be completely healed. There is nothing more important than this.
3) Summit
And though it seemed like it was merely forty years, it was not just that. They were made into summits who can survive anywhere. Many churches do many good things, and those are important, but you must become a summit. Then you will survive anywhere.
3. Nobody, Nothing
And the third point is very important. The wilderness is Nobody. And there is Nothing in the wilderness. There, you must completely find the answers for world evangelization. There are ten important items.
1) Independence
To pass through forty years in the wilderness means to survive anywhere. Cultivate this strength.
2) Spiritual facts
And as you go through the wilderness, do not merely look at the land of the wilderness. See first the spiritual facts. This is extremely important.
3) Reverse thinking
The real answer is elsewhere. Reverse thinking means it is on the opposite side. It may look like the way is blocked, but the answer is not there—it is on the other side. You must see well.
4) Synergy
Many people fight and kill each other, but not so for us. Wherever you go, others must all come to life.
5) Crisis (answer)
When many encounter hardship, they run away. We choose the side of crisis—because the answer is there. This is what was trained in the wilderness.
6) No-competition
And you will win without fighting. When they circled Jericho, Jericho collapsed; the Jordan was parted. If you truly possess God’s power, you will win without fighting. Of course, there are many physical matters, but it is surely so.
7) Re-creation
Why the wilderness? So that at last the power of re-creation may come to you. Do not ever lose hold of this.
8) Spiritual summit
Before becoming summits in the world, become spiritual summits in the wilderness. This is the wilderness.
9) Wasteland
And what then? Choose the wasteland. Make flowers bloom there.
10) Absolute
Lastly, find the absolute things. This is extremely important. Cultivate this strength now and cultivate it during worship.
▣ Conclusion: The throne – reality
How is this possible for us? Because we have the background of the throne. Is this an illusion or a reality? For those not saved, the throne is an illusion. Right? Even if one goes to church, if one does not know the secret of prayer, this (the throne) is an illusion—forever an illusion. Therefore, there are no answers. Did not Jesus speak directly, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me”? And lastly, He explained the things concerning the kingdom of God for forty days. For those who cannot save the world, all this is an illusion. But if you know prayer today, this becomes reality. Truly pray.
Therefore, you must save your region and your nation—this is what you must do. By now, in our church, the contents entrusted concerning the 237 nations should be rising up—rumors should spread. “Which elder has taken responsibility for which nation?”—such things should circulate. We must build that kind of bartizan in the church—such a construction. And you must pass this on to other disciples so that it can continue. This is how it must be done. Such vessels must be prepared firmly.
Then today’s worship will surely result in tremendous fruit. Wherever you go, the kingdom of God will come. Today, throughout the whole day as you pray, set up a great bartizan. I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ that today will also be the best day. Empty time is the best—hold to the covenant and enter deep prayer. There is a long interval between the first and second services on Sundays—enter deep prayer. This is the key. That is why people like Rockefeller came an hour before worship and entered deep prayer. He moved the world. Onassis, at first, was not a believer. He was a dock worker. What power does a dock worker have? Yet after finishing work by the seaside, while others left, he entered deep prayer for an hour. Later, he became the shipping king of the world. The bartizan contained within you is extremely important. I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ to enjoy this spiritual blessing today. Let us pray.
Prayer. God, let today be the day when a spiritual bartizan is set up in us. Let the bartizan of darkness collapse. As we pray today, let Your kingdom come upon our fields, our workplaces, our schools, our jobs, and our places of labor. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.