Sunday 1st Service Worship
Title/Scripture: The Question of Those Who Tempt (Matthew 19:3-12)
Speaker: Pastor Ryu Kwang-soo
Date/Location: April 10, 2022, Immanuel Church (Busan)
Matthew 19:3-12
03 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
04 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
05 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
06 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
07 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
08 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
09 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
Summary
Jesus, during his three years of public ministry, set a goal of 120 people and intended to teach them everything before departing. Jesus focused all of his attention on this. What we must realize here today is – when great suffering comes to me, what should I do? When great difficulty comes, most of us are unable to pray because we become preoccupied with worry and anxious thoughts. If that happens, we continue to suffer difficulty until God resolves it. But if we keep praying through it, a different answer comes. Why does God give us suffering?
▣ Introduction_ True answers come wearing the mask of suffering.
Those whose spiritual eyes are dark do not understand; those who do not know the gospel do not perceive it.
1. Why does He do this?
1) Because of counterfeits.
(1) This is why Israel suffered seven plagues. Among them, it was because of the few Remnants and those who held the covenant that deliverance came.
(2) It is because there are too many people who argue for something other than the gospel, or for wrong things.
2) Because people chase only the benefit visible before their eyes, God used suffering to deliver true truth.
(1) The disciples who knew this – with these 120 people, they conquered the world.
(2) Those who were helped after seeing Jesus’s miracles – when great difficulty came, they all fled (counterfeits).
(3) Joseph, falsely accused and sent to prison – God sent him with a magnificent answer called the evangelization of Egypt.
2. The Pharisees, who kept asking the wrong questions – while living the life of faith, do not listen to the voice of man.
▷ The disciples were not deceived by this. If you hold firmly to the covenant, history will surely happen.
1) The Pharisees who kept asking only wrong questions in order to test Jesus
To the question “Is it not true that one must not divorce?” Jesus said yes and explained (verses 4-6). They asked, “Did Moses not command that if a wife committed adultery, a certificate be given so they could separate?” That was not a command but a permission, and Jesus said yes, that was so.
2) While living the life of faith, do not listen to the voice of man.
The churches of the world have collapsed that way, and even now the churches of the whole world are going that way.
3. Let us become a church that, even if we alone do so, listens to the word of God and follows the word of God.
This is why He left 120 such people remaining. For the first time since the earth was created, they evangelized as far as Rome.
▣ Main_ How did the 120 members of the early church evangelize the world?
1. The Triune God, the power of the throne, and the kingdom of God – once you hold the fundamental covenant, history begins from that point.
1) The one and only thing Jesus taught – those who held that covenant conquered the world.
(1) Speaking of true blessing, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5)
(2) “Our Father, pray that His name be made holy. Pray that His kingdom come. Even without asking for this or that, God already knows. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6)
(3) Sending the disciples out into the field, “Say that the kingdom of God has come.” (Matthew 10)
(4) When the Pharisees picked a quarrel saying, “Are you the king of demons? How is it you cast out demons like that?” He said, “When the Holy Spirit comes and Satan is bound, the kingdom of God has come. Only then can your house be saved.” (Matthew 12)
(5) At the very end, He called the disciples to Mt Olive and for forty days explained to them the affairs of the kingdom of God.
▷ The 120 members, along with the disciples, firmly held this covenant.
2) Jesus said not to pray any other prayer. This is the prayer we must pray.
“Triune God, come and dwell within me. Let the blessing of the throne come upon me. Let me be able to deliver this covenant.”
▷ Without this, we fall into darkness and die – this was Jesus’s earnest plea. Though this group of disciples numbered 120, they saved the world.
3) The answer that comes at this time
(1) One comes to know what prayer truly is.
(2) Spiritual change occurs.
(3) The foundation (destiny) is changed.
(4) The power to change the world is born.
2. Every time we choose the spiritual, a hundred-year answer comes.
The people of the world demand only fleshly things, but the disciples held on to the spiritual. Every time God’s people cling to fleshly things, they retreat a hundred years.
1) The Pharisees, who with wicked hearts kept asking useless fleshly questions, and Jesus’s teaching (verses 8-12)
(1) In order to pick a quarrel with Jesus’s teaching, “Whoever looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart” (Matthew 5:28), the Pharisees ask whether it is right to divorce or not.
(2) Jesus’s word – one must have the faith and the power to live without abandoning one’s wife. In divorce, in marriage, and in not marrying or being unable to marry, God has a plan in all of it.
2) The reason for the hundred-year answer – world evangelization
The Lord blessed Isaac’s farming with a hundredfold blessing and let him find a source of water.
3) The spiritual thing Joseph chose, and the hundred-year answer
(1) When he was made a slave – he realized this was the surest path to the evangelization of the world.
(2) When he was falsely accused and thrown into prison – he confirmed this was the best way to meet a statesman.
(3) When he came to meet the king – he confessed that it was not himself, but God, who could interpret the king’s dream.
▷ The first thing Jesus taught: “Let the power of the throne come upon my work, that it may evangelize the world.” The second: do not keep following after fleshly, worldly things until you die – take hold of the spiritual and save the world with it.
3. When we look toward the future, a thousand-year answer comes.
1) Jesus called the children who came to him and blessed them and laid hands on them (verses 13-15).
2) Elder Jethro helped Moses in faith – this is a thousand-year answer.
3) Samuel went to David and anointed him with oil, telling him of his becoming king, of the ark of the covenant, and of the future.
▷ Jesus always showed these three things. First, the way to save the world of darkness is the power and blessing of the throne. That is our background and, in the end, the place we must go. Second, what becomes a hundred-year answer that saves the world is teaching the spiritual mystery no matter what persecution comes. With that, we save the world we can see with our eyes. Third, it is passing this fact on to the next generation. Then the thousand-year answer comes.
▣ Conclusion_ When we pray, the eternal answer comes.
Do not think too much – pray. As long as the Triune God exists invisibly, and the forces of darkness also exist, we must hold the mystery of prayer. The fundamental answer, the hundred-year answer, the thousand-year answer, the eternal answer – we go forward holding this covenant.
1. Joseph – when he was sold as a slave, Joseph, who began to pray, left behind an eternal answer.
▷ For the rest of your life, your prayer should be: “God, let me receive the true answer of my life.” “Give me the answer of the throne. Since I must go to the spiritual world in order to save the flesh, give me a spiritual answer. Because a very difficult age is coming, give me the blessing that will save the next generation, the Remnant generation.”
2. David – when King Saul led an army to try to kill David, David turned everything into prayer. It came out as something eternal.
▷ You must have this experience. Otherwise, you will keep holding to your own opinion and your own thoughts until you die.
3. The early church, Paul
▷ You are the remaining ones who must save the world. The remaining ones are those who know what the gospel is. If you do not know the gospel, it is a serious problem. A pilgrim is one who knows what prayer is. A conqueror is one who knows what evangelism is. Hold this covenant, and for the rest of your life, enjoy this astonishing covenant and pass it on. Either way, we must all one day answer a call before God. “In the time I have left, what is the most precious thing I should do?” This is the prayer you must pray this week.
Transcript
Thank you. According to Elder Jang Yeong-gwang’s prayer, the whole world urgently needs the gospel right now. So it is being translated and interpreted right now into more than ten – thirteen, fourteen – languages. The message is going out to the whole world. In order for you to truly receive an answer, you must become globalized and become “237.” When we sing praise, please make the sound a little louder. It needs to be heard from outside. Don’t sing as if only among yourselves – sing loudly so that the whole world can hear the praise. Last time it was also too quiet – it’s fine even if the sound and the praise are loud. You need to lift it up. Also, when filming, make sure to show the whole choir broadly, and also show it up close – do that as well. Because you are praising right now.
Right now the churches are not quickly becoming 237. In our church that worships, all the clocks should be changed to satellite clocks. There is no sense of interest in “237” at all. The clock, the watch you are wearing, is not accurate. Only a clock set by satellite is accurate. Set it that way, and together the interpretation will start all at once like that. Your worship and prayer are being watched by the whole world right now. Thank you, elder, for today. Thank you for praying exactly the kind of prayer the Lord desires. One thing elders should keep in mind when praying: prayer is spoken to God. There is a saying, “Is interpretation really necessary?” Does God not understand Korean? Is prayer not spoken to God alone? Sometimes, when our members pray, they quote too many Bible verses. You should not be reciting Bible verses to God right now. To God, you should simply pray. Please keep this in mind.
▣ Introduction_ True answers come wearing the mask of suffering.
The whole world is worshiping together right now. Jesus, during those three years, was intending to teach everything and then leave. He set a goal of 120 people. Until the time Jesus went to heaven and worked the history of His second coming, that number was 120. Jesus focused all of His attention on that. That’s because it was only three years. Even though His actual public ministry was three years, He remains with us forever, but still – that is how important it was.
Yet He allowed them to encounter many trials and difficulties. What you must realize here today is this: “Why has such great suffering come to me, what should I do about this?” But when great difficulty comes to you, most of the time you become unable to pray, so you fall into much worry and anxious thought. Then it becomes worse and worse, little by little. Until God resolves it, you keep suffering the difficulty, and even though it eventually resolves according to God’s will, we keep suffering that difficulty in the meantime. For example, try thinking, “Why is that person like that?” That thought keeps deepening, and strange things emerge. Instead, keep praying about that person. A different answer will come. That’s how important this is.
Now, why does God give us this kind of suffering? To Jesus, He gave tremendous persecution and hardship in the early church, and through that, things were accomplished. Let’s start with a simple answer in the introduction. True answers come wearing the mask of suffering. Those whose spiritual eyes are dark do not understand; if you do not know the gospel, you do not understand. It comes wearing the mask of suffering, but the real blessing, the real answer, is contained within it. Why is that so? We must think about a few things in the introduction.
1. Why does He do this?
1) Because of counterfeits.
It’s because of counterfeits. If from the very beginning of your life of faith you expect only happiness, joy, delight, plenty of food and drink, then all the counterfeits come.
(1) This is why Israel suffered seven plagues. Among them, it was because of the few Remnants and those who held the covenant that deliverance came.
Israel suffered plagues seven times. Why? Because of counterfeits. Among them, deliverance came by holding on to the few Remnant and those who held the covenant.
(2) It is because there are too many people who argue for something other than the gospel, or for wrong things.
There are too many people who keep insisting on something other than the gospel – as our elder prayed – insisting on the wrong thing. Because there are too many such people, God delivers the true answer wearing the appearance of suffering.
2) Because people chase only the benefit visible before their eyes, God used suffering to deliver true truth.
There is one more reason. Because people chase only the benefit right in front of their eyes, God began to convey true truth by using suffering.
(1) The disciples who knew this – with these 120 people, they conquered the world.
These 120, trained by the Lord for three years, knew this point. With these 120 people, they conquered the world. So you must look closely at our teaching.
(2) Those who were helped after seeing Jesus’s miracles – when great difficulty came, they all fled (counterfeits).
Those who saw Jesus’s miracles all fled when the final great difficulty came. The point at which God wants to give a true answer is not that. Even the many who saw the great things – like feeding five thousand with one lunch box and having food left over – all fled. That’s not to say that was wrong. It’s just that they were counterfeits. Those who received healing and much help all fled when Jesus was crucified and great difficulty came.
(3) Joseph, falsely accused and sent to prison – God sent him with a magnificent answer called the evangelization of Egypt.
How is the difficulty and suffering you have right now? Do not be afraid at all. Please look at it carefully. Then look at the seven Remnants. Joseph was falsely accused with no fault of his own and sent to prison. Was that unfair? Should he lament because of it? Should he give up everything because of it? Should he make an enemy of everyone because of it? No. God had the magnificent answer of the evangelization of Egypt and sent Joseph there for that reason. These 120 people conquered the world. There must have been servants in the royal palace of old who guarded great secrets, right? There must have been people who truly guarded such things. Among such people, it is said they often used the blind. Why? So that they would not see. Because it was too important.
2. The Pharisees, who kept asking the wrong questions – while living the life of faith, do not listen to the voice of man.
1) The Pharisees who kept asking only wrong questions in order to test Jesus
Today, the Pharisees were not asking a question – they asked it in order to test Jesus. Do not focus only on this particular question today. This is something they kept doing continuously. Not living a life of faith, but continuing to ask only human questions.
The disciples were not deceived by this. If you hold firmly to the covenant, history will surely happen. These Pharisees cannot receive an answer. They just keep asking, keep asking wrong questions continually.
Following up from last week, what question did they ask today? They asked Jesus such an obvious question: “Is it not true that one must not divorce? That one must not abandon one’s wife?” And Jesus’s answer was “That’s right,” and He gave a thorough explanation. The two become one – one body – and what God has joined cannot be separated; He said the same thing we always say. What do you think happened? Do you know what they asked next? “Then did Moses not say that if a wife committed adultery, a certificate should be given so they could separate?” They asked this follow-up question again. And that was not a command but a permission. “That’s right – without such a certificate, one must not divorce.” That’s what Jesus explained. Do you know why they asked this question? They are now picking a quarrel with what Jesus said earlier – that is what they are doing right now.
2) While living the life of faith, do not listen to the voice of man.
While living the life of faith, do not listen to the voice of man. If you truly want to receive an answer, do not listen to the many voices, arguments, and opinions of people. The churches of the world collapsed that way, and even now the churches of the whole world are going that way.
3. Let us become a church that, even if we alone do so, listens to the word of God and follows the word of God.
According to our elder’s prayer today, let us become a church that, even if we alone do so, listens to God’s word and follows God’s word. This is why He left exactly 120 such people. Jesus was in the midst of that very work. For the first time since the earth was created, He evangelized all the way to Rome.
▣ Main_ How did the 120 members of the early church evangelize the world?
How did they do it that they accomplished this?
1. The Triune God, the power of the throne, and the kingdom of God – once you hold the fundamental covenant, history begins from that point.
This is first. This is the first covenant you must hold onto today. What has Jesus been saying continuously up to now? He has kept explaining the Triune God, the power of the throne, and the kingdom of God. If you hold this fundamental covenant today, history will keep beginning from that point on.
1) The one and only thing Jesus taught
Jesus, you know, spoke of only one thing. We tend to say various things over and over, but Jesus truly spoke of only one thing. From the very beginning, from when He first began teaching, He taught only this one thing. Because that is what you need. Those who hold that covenant conquer the world.
(1) Speaking of true blessing, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5)
What did Jesus teach? From the beginning, calling people up the mountain, in the midst of saying various things, He said, “These are not blessings – this is the blessing,” and said, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” You must remember this without fail.
People forget everything Jesus taught and keep asking other questions. There are far too many people who live their life of faith like this. They keep following Jesus around, and when He healed the sick, they say, “Why do you make him do that on the Sabbath?” – that kind of thing. So Jesus, exasperated, said, “Then if a sheep gets lost, would you not go look for it?” Even further, they picked a quarrel because the disciples, following along, plucked some wheat – saying they had “worked” on the Sabbath. Once, Jesus had said something they did not quite understand, and they are now asking about that. There are countless people who live their life of faith like this. There’s no need to make it complicated. They even dared to come to Jesus and ask questions like this. Soon their descendants would be scattered throughout the world and would truly be beaten to death, drowned, and never even imagine that such a great disaster was coming.
(2) True prayer (Matthew 6)
Jesus, you know, spoke of only one thing. What should we pray? They asked, right? It’s not that Jesus told them to pray – they asked. What should we pray? There’s nothing much to pray. To put it simply, that’s what Jesus said. “Pray that the Father’s name be made holy. And pray that the kingdom of God comes. Nothing else is needed. Daily bread is enough for the day.” And He also said, “Even if you don’t ask for this or that, God already knows. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
(3) Sending the disciples out into the field, “Say that the kingdom of God has come.” (Matthew 10)
Again, remember Jesus’s words. Sending the disciples out into the field, He said, “Pray that the kingdom of God has come.”
(4) When the Pharisees picked a quarrel saying, “Are you the king of demons? How is it you cast out demons like that?” He said, “When the Holy Spirit comes and Satan is bound, the kingdom of God has come. Only then can your house be saved.” (Matthew 12)
The Pharisees again picked a quarrel. They asked, “Are you some king of demons? How is it you cast out demons like that?” Jesus said, “When the Holy Spirit comes and Satan is bound, the kingdom of God has come. Only then can your house be saved.” That’s what Jesus said.
(5) At the very end, He called the disciples to Mt Olive and for forty days explained to them the affairs of the kingdom of God.
At the very end also, He called the disciples to Mt Olive and for forty days explained to them the affairs of the kingdom of God. The 120 members, together with the disciples, firmly held this covenant.
2) Jesus said not to pray any other prayer. This is the prayer we must pray.
You too must pray this prayer today. Jesus said not to pray any other prayer, right? This is the prayer He prayed. You must pray this prayer even when you are alone. “Triune God, come and dwell within me.” Try saying that. Doing this for three years brought about worldwide change, didn’t it? “Let the blessing of the throne come upon me. Let me be able to deliver this covenant.” Without this, we fall into darkness and die. This was Jesus’s earnest plea. Though this group of disciples numbered 120, they saved the world. Today, you must truly hold on to this very important thing Jesus taught during His public ministry.
3) The answer that comes at this time
What is the answer that comes at this time? It is very important. What is the answer that comes at this time?
(1) One comes to know what prayer truly is.
At last I come to know what prayer is. What matters most for us as Remnants is this – if a Remnant can pray, it’s fine wherever they are.
(2) Spiritual change occurs.
At last, many spiritual changes begin to happen to me. Whether you receive an answer or not is not the important thing. Jesus said this. “The answer is not what’s important. When the kingdom of God comes, all things are accomplished.” That is Jesus’s explanation. He called them to Mt Olive once more and explained it again. See how important this is.
(3) The foundation (destiny) is changed.
Only this way is our foundation truly changed. To put it simply, one’s destiny is changed.
(4) The power to change the world is born.
How is it? For those of you suffering spiritually, no matter how many doctors you visit, it likely won’t get better. Start this prayer. You know, Jesus explained only this during the three years He was with them. Peter, the most uneducated of those who understood this, moved the world, and Paul, the most educated, came to understand and moved the world. Among these 120, there were 70 church leaders. Right? We can’t know the exact number or who exactly, but they were certainly among them. These people are the ones through whom the power to change the world was born. Restore this blessing.
2. Every time we choose the spiritual, a hundred-year answer comes.
This is second. How did these 120 members of the early church evangelize the world – how were these 120 members blessed? This is the question. Among Jesus’s continued explanations, the second point is extremely important. The people of the world are all like Pharisees – they keep demanding only fleshly things – but these disciples firmly held on to the spiritual. It’s not that the flesh is unnecessary, but every time you choose the spiritual, a hundred-year answer comes. Every time God’s people cling to fleshly things, they retreat a hundred years. You must remember this without fail.
1) The Pharisees, who with wicked hearts kept asking useless fleshly questions, and Jesus’s teaching (verses 8-12)
Look at today’s question. Even at that very moment, the sick kept crowding around. The Bible clearly states in verse 8 that the Pharisees asked Jesus this question with wicked hearts. To put it simply, “Is it right to divorce? Is it not?” – that’s what they asked, such an obvious question. Verse 8 clearly states they had a wicked intent when asking.
(1) In order to pick a quarrel with Jesus’s teaching, “Whoever looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart” (Matthew 5:28), the Pharisees ask whether it is right to divorce or not.
Earlier, in Matthew 5:28, there is something Jesus taught while teaching on the mountain. They are now picking a quarrel with that. It was something Jesus said on a completely different level from the Law of Moses. What did He say? “Whoever has lust in his heart has already committed adultery.” Jesus taught this while teaching. Is that not correct? “It’s not about whether you did it or not – you had lust in your heart. That is already adultery. You’ve merely restrained yourself, but it is still adultery. You just weren’t caught, but it is adultery.” That’s Jesus’s answer. They are picking a quarrel about that.
(2) Jesus’s word
What does Jesus’s teaching mean? Of course one must have the faith and power to live without abandoning one’s wife. And what if great difficulty comes and results in divorce? What can be done. There, too, God has a plan. What did today’s text say further? What did it say in verses 12 through 14? “Whether one married or not, whether one could or could not – even there, God has a plan.” They kept asking useless fleshly questions.
2) The reason for the hundred-year answer – world evangelization
Amid the many things you go through, every time you firmly hold to God’s covenant and choose the spiritual, a hundred-year answer comes. Please look carefully at Scripture. Why is it a hundred-year answer? You need the hundred-year answer to come in order to evangelize the world. With what you are doing right now, world evangelization is difficult. It is recorded that the Lord blessed Isaac’s farming with a hundredfold blessing. It’s not just about digging wells – he came to find a source of water. That is the hundredfold blessing.
3) The spiritual thing Joseph chose, and the hundred-year answer
Now, let’s talk once about Joseph, whom the Remnants know best. What spiritual thing did Joseph choose?
(1) When he was made a slave
His brothers were about to kill Joseph but instead sold him as a slave. At that time, Joseph’s realization – he spoke of it when he met his brothers later. What did Joseph realize? That the sun, moon, and stars bowing down to him meant world evangelization. He had to accomplish world evangelization, and he was certain of it, yet he ended up becoming a slave. “I will surely take revenge on my brothers” – that’s a different matter. Most people would think that way. “I will surely survive and take revenge on my brothers.” That is not an answer coming – that is retreating a hundred years backward. What did Joseph realize? He is walking, right now, the surest path toward world evangelization. This is the spiritual eye of the life of faith. What the Pharisees asked is a completely – right now – a question incapable of sustaining a life of faith. We too can easily fall into this. If you realize this well today, true answers will begin to come. You must receive a real answer.
(2) When he was falsely accused and thrown into prison
Now, Joseph was unjustly accused and thrown into prison. What would you do in his place? What would those of you living a good life of faith do? You would go mad from injustice. “I have done nothing wrong.” Look at people – they turn the church upside down. “I have done nothing wrong.” They turn their whole household upside down. “I have done nothing wrong.” Isn’t this the appearance of people living the life of faith in a fleshly way? Joseph confirmed that this was the best way to meet a statesman. And the hundred-year answer came again, didn’t it?
(3) When he came to meet the king
Word spread and he came to meet the king, and he interpreted the king’s dream. What mattered at that moment was the king’s question. He asked the question you would like best. “Do you interpret dreams so well?” he asked. The kind of question you and I would love most to answer with our expertise. “Yes, that’s my specialty.” That’s probably what we would have said, right? Joseph’s answer is astonishing. What did he say? “I cannot interpret the king’s dream.” That’s what he said. The king must have been startled. “It is God who can interpret the dream the king dreamed.” You see? He goes another hundred years ahead. It even surpasses world evangelization.
What is the covenant you must truly hold on to today? This does not mean you should not do business. “God, let the power of the throne come upon my work, that it may evangelize the world.” That is the very first thing Jesus taught. You must not miss what Jesus taught. What is the second thing today? Do not keep chasing after fleshly, worldly things until you die – take the spiritual and save the world with it. There is no reason to stake your whole life on someone else’s divorce issue like that – by doing so you are missing the spiritual entirely. Whether someone else divorces or marries – why should that become such a big deal that you come all the way to Jesus to ask about it? Today, you must ask what Jesus taught during His three years of public ministry that caused these 120 to hold the covenant and receive the answer.
3. When we look toward the future, a thousand-year answer comes.
This is third. There is a thousand-year answer.
1) Jesus called the children who came to him and blessed them and laid hands on them (verses 13-15).
What is this? This is looking toward the future. At this time, children came to Jesus. Because they loved Jesus, the children came running to Him. The disciples told the children to go away. But Jesus called the child to Him, blessed them, and laid hands on them. This is the thousand-year answer, looking to the future. It happens that today, at our worship service, we are grateful that Elder Choi Jong-hwan and Deaconess Jeon Ok-bun, a couple, are with us. When I see them, I am always grateful, thinking, “Ah, that’s right.” They take care of the children. There are many who have truly become successful. Those two have raised and cared for them. Without any name, without any recognition, they take care of the children, the next generation. Many have become government officials, judges, and prosecutors. That is the thousand-year answer. They themselves don’t even know it. That is the thousand-year answer. Do you know why?
2) Elder Jethro helped Moses in faith – this is a thousand-year answer.
Elder Jethro helped Moses, and this became a thousand-year answer. It’s not that Jethro aimed for that when he did it. He simply did it in faith, and it turned out that way.
3) Samuel went to David and anointed him with oil, telling him of his becoming king, of the ark of the covenant, and of the future.
Samuel went to David, anointed him with oil, and spoke to him. To you it may look like an easy thing, but it was not an easy matter at all. While the current king, the wicked King Saul, was still alive, going to find David and saying, “You will become king” – that was an extremely dangerous thing to do. In fact, he must have told David all that had happened – probably spoke of the ark of the covenant, spoke of the future, and anointed David’s head with oil. “You will become king in the future. Do this and that.” This is the thousand-year answer, isn’t it?
Jesus showed these three things. In every sense, He always showed these three things. Truly, the way to save the world of darkness is the power and blessing of the throne. That is our background, and it is, in the end, the place we must go. Jesus taught that. And what is next? What truly becomes a hundred-year answer that saves the world – what makes a single event into a hundred-year answer – is teaching the spiritual mystery no matter what persecution comes. With that, we save the world we can see with our eyes. So what is the last thing? It is passing this fact on to the next generation. That, you know, is the thousand-year answer.
▣ Conclusion_ When we pray, the eternal answer comes.
This is the prayer for this week. Your prayer should involve much thought, but do not think too much – pray. It is strange. The people who move this age today, the philosophers, tell us to think. Right? They emphasized thinking so much that they even said, “Man is like a reed that sways, but he is a thinking reed.” That’s how much importance they place on thought. Buddhism says, “Thought is everything.” That’s true. It is the most accurate answer, but it is a dangerous answer when one does not know the truth. That is true only when you presuppose that there is no God. As long as the Triune God exists invisibly and the forces of darkness also exist, what must we do – we must hold the mystery of prayer.
At this time, the eternal answer comes. Today, three things emerged. What is the fundamental answer? What is the hundred-year answer? What is the thousand-year answer? What is the eternal answer? You go forward holding this covenant.
1. Joseph – when he was sold as a slave, Joseph, who began to pray, left behind an eternal answer.
The eternal answer emerged. As you know, when he was sold as a slave into a place with no one, what thoughts would have come to him? At that time, it wasn’t that he sat there thinking. If he had let himself think, he would have gone mad. He began a prayer that enjoys a blessing far beyond mere thought. The answer Joseph left behind because of this is an eternal answer. You must hold on to this today. No matter how bad your circumstances are, it’s fine. Start for real.
We must not simply end things here, right? “God, let me truly receive the answer of my life.” This must become your prayer for the rest of your life. Since we are going to the throne, “Give me the answer of the throne. Since we must go to the spiritual world in order to save the flesh, give me a spiritual answer. Because a very difficult age is coming, give me the blessing that saves the next generation, the Remnant generation.” This is what Jesus taught. Jesus often spoke about the children. Right? That refers to the next generation. The 120 members who knew this saved the world. Hold firmly to this covenant this week.
2. David – when King Saul led an army to try to kill David, David turned everything into prayer. It came out as something eternal.
In fact, King Saul led an army around trying to kill David. Do this this week. David turned all of this into prayer. It came out as something eternal. You must have this experience. Otherwise, various problems will come. It is dying while continuing to hold on to your own opinion, your own thoughts.
3. The early church, Paul
Look at a figure like Paul of the early church.
So, as I said in today’s lesson, you are the remaining ones who must save the world. These remaining ones are people who know what the gospel is. If you do not know the gospel, it’s a serious problem. What is a pilgrim? One who knows what prayer is. What is a conqueror? One who knows what evangelism is. Hold this covenant, and for the rest of your life, you must enjoy this astonishing covenant and pass it on.
A pastor I knew well passed away suddenly, due to COVID. Also, a young person – very active, quite outstanding, doing many activities abroad – passed away suddenly this time. That person too, from COVID. Some people catch COVID and are fine, but many people die from it too. That matters too, but as I listened to these stories, what I came to feel was, “Ah, we must all one day answer a call before God.” Someday – our individual end, the end of the age, the end of the earth is coming – it is something we will all face one day. “What is the most precious thing I should do?” This is the question that kept arising as I listened to their stories. Of course, I have been living this way all along, but at that time this thought came to me: “Does great success, do many goals, really matter that much? Do the many things we do really matter that much?” When this person was called, he had to stop what he was doing and leave behind even the important things, just like that. He wasn’t even at an age to go yet, but he had to leave everything and go.
Let me tell you something else that broke my heart before. It’s not a big thing, but there was someone younger than me who went to work and died. Nowadays we would call 119 and take them like that, but back then, we had to carry the person, so we brought him back loaded on a handcart. Regarding that person’s death, my heart was troubled about it too, but what really broke my heart was this – they laid the body down and covered it, and next to it was a lunch box he had taken that morning to eat but never got to eat. That was a great lesson for me. Looking at that lunch box, it was unbearable. He had taken it intending to eat it, but never got to, and ended up like that.
In the time we humans have left, what is the most precious thing? You must pray this prayer this week. Also, as we approach Easter Sunday, during this Passion Week, what should we hold on to and pray about before God? Even a single prayer, if it is the prayer God desires, brings an answer. I bless you in the name of the Lord Jesus that today, this week, may become such a day. Let us pray.
Prayer. We thank You, God. We are grateful for this time in which, in whatever circumstance, we look upon Christ by beholding the members of the early church who saved the world. Open our spiritual eyes. Enable us to carry out the mission of saving the world. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.