Sunday 1st Service Worship
Title/Scripture: The Risen Christ (Matthew 28:1-10)
Speaker: Rev. Ryu Gwang-soo
Date/Location: June 5, 2022, Immanuel Church (Busan)
Matthew 28:1-10 (NIV)
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Summary
▷ In every nation there are kings who left nothing behind, and there are kings who left something behind. There is one thing that the kings who left something behind had in common. They built temples or shrines. Then what, in the end, are we going to leave behind?
▣ Introduction – The Event of Christ’s Resurrection
▷ What we must remember is that unless we settle our answer through Christ, we can never overcome Satan. Satan does not fear our education, our ability, or our wealth. In fact, Satan has the power to attack and tear those things down. There is only one thing Satan fears. That is Christ, and the one whose answer has been settled through Christ.
1. Matthew 28:2 The Lord’s angel rolled away the stone – this is spiritual evidence.
2. Matthew 28:4 Those keeping watch over the tomb were afraid and fainted. They were bribed with money to keep silent. – this is historical evidence.
3. Matthew 28:6 He has risen just as he said – this is scriptural evidence.
▣ Main – Three Answers We Must Settle Through Christ, a Complete Answer (What He Did upon Rising)
1. We must settle the answer that completely changes our destiny through Christ.
▷ That Christ rose from the dead means my destiny has been completely changed.
1) Once you know the word Christ, the power of the Triune God works.
2) Once you know the word Christ, you come to enjoy the blessing of the throne.
3) The three ages of past, present, and future come alive.
▷ How do you find this answer? You must succeed completely in worship. On the Lord’s Day, when you worship, do not listen to what people say. If you completely hear the voice of God, it is finished. Works will surely take place. Most people do not worship this way, and that is why no works happen. Many people miss worship, and they will surely fail. If you try to just listen to the pastor’s sermon, you will fail. You must listen to the word of God.
2. That the answer has been settled through Christ means the future has been completely changed.
1) Matthew 28:16-20 In this very hour when you are holding onto the covenant, he works with all authority in heaven and on earth, and together with you! He has changed the future.
2) Mark 16:15-20 Christ, seated on the throne, works together with them! This is happening even now.
3) Acts 1:8 He said you would receive power to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth.
▷ You must make the decision for 24 prayer. The future will surely change. When you go and see, the answer is already there. In this very hour of prayer, the kingdom of God is being established and the Holy Spirit is at work. The word is being fulfilled. God sends his messengers to accomplish his plans, sends his angels to run errands for you, and sends armies so that you win spiritual victory. In this very hour of prayer, Satan is bound. So if you do not do 24 thinking but do 24 prayer, if you do not do 24 scheming but do 24 in the Spirit, the future will surely change.
3. By rising, he changed our background.
1) He changed things so that the blessing of the heavenly throne would be given to us — this is our background ↔ the unbeliever’s background is hell and Satan (John 8:44)
▷ So if you actually enjoy 24 prayer, 24 word, 24 evangelism, 24 God’s power, 24 the blessing of the throne, any background can be moved.
▷ I grew up watching my father always sick, and I changed it to 24 health. I went to church and found out that people think evangelism is too hard, so I changed it to 24 evangelism. My destiny was changed. My future was changed. My background was changed as well (the testimony of an evangelist).
2) Christ will bless us from the throne until he comes again as the returning King. We have been given a background in which prayer in that name of Christ receives an answer.
If this happens, the blessing of the throne is bound to come first upon your work. Then you become a solid witness.
3) Whatever crisis comes upon us, it is all right. When problems and crises come, do not worry — enjoy them. Within this there is always an answer called “absolute.” In the meantime, all you need to do is be renewed.
▷ The early church was falsely accused as heretics and faced death. They were not a match for their enemy. Yet they won. The early church knew that Rome was not their enemy to fight, but their territory to conquer. And they did conquer it. For 250 years, people were killed simply for believing in Jesus. Yet during that time the gospel continued to be testified to the whole world. In the end, no one could stop it — within 250 years, Rome and the world completely bowed the knee before the gospel.
▷ Through the covenant called Christ, change your destiny, your future, your eternal background. This is Christ. You must hold onto this covenant and pass it on to the next generation.
▣ Conclusion – If This Happens, Evangelism Occurs without Even Speaking; We Must Reach That Point. Without Evangelizing, the Other Person Sees You and Comes to Believe in God (Joseph).
1. Joseph, called before the king though he had not gone to evangelize (Genesis 41:1-38) He answered that God would make known the meaning of the king’s dream.
2. Joseph, who became prime minister (Genesis 45:1-5) He did not trouble Potiphar’s wife or his brothers. He told his brothers, “It was not you who sold me, but God who sent me ahead of you.”
3. Joseph after Jacob passed away (Genesis 50:1-20) To his brothers, who fell to their knees begging for their lives out of fear that Joseph would kill them, Joseph said that though they had meant to harm him, God had turned it into good, and he promised even to take responsibility for their children.
4. Joseph’s last will in the last days (Genesis 50:22-26) He spoke of going to the land of Canaan, and at that time, of carrying his own bones with him to be buried in the land of Canaan.
▷ If you hold onto God’s covenant, no difficulty is truly a difficulty. Christ becomes our Lord. He changed our destiny. Christ becomes the Lord of our future. Christ is our background.
Transcript
When I came in this morning, our elder handed me a booklet on building the temple. As I received it, this thought came to me. When a king is established in each nation, the people live together with that king. There are kings who left nothing behind, and there are kings who left something behind. The kings who left something behind all did one thing. They built shrines or temples. The kings who did not do this are the same as kings who did nothing at all. Even if it made things a bit harder for the people, they kept telling them about building a great idol shrine — such kings existed. There were also kings who built great temples. Either way, those things remain today. That is why, in countries like those in Europe, later generations make their living from the tourism revenue those structures bring in.
So then, what will we leave behind?
▣ Introduction – The Event of Christ’s Resurrection
The important covenant you must pray over today is that the event of Christ’s resurrection is recorded right now.
I know an elder well — a person who is really fine in every way. This person even has a good job. His family background is good too. And on top of that, he’s good-looking. He’s capable. There was just one thing about this person that didn’t work out. I don’t know where he came from, but he came to our church. And then one day I noticed he wasn’t there anymore. So I quietly asked around, and it turned out he had gone off to some strange heretical group again. Ah, at that moment I thought to myself, “Ah, I really did something wrong.”
There are many people like this. Simply put, the answer through Christ was never settled in them. You must remember this. Unless the answer is settled through Christ, you can never defeat Satan. Satan does not fear your educational background. He knows far more than you do. Satan does not fear your ability. He has far greater power. Satan does not fear the wealth you have. He has the power to attack it and tear it down. There is only one thing Satan fears. It is Christ, and the person whose answer has been settled through Christ. You must remember this.
1. Matthew 28:2 The Lord’s angel rolled away the stone – this is spiritual evidence.
Today’s passage says, “There was a great earthquake, and an angel moved the stone at Jesus’s tomb.” What is this? It is spiritual evidence.
2. Matthew 28:4 Those keeping watch over the tomb were afraid and fainted. They were bribed with money to keep silent. – this is historical evidence.
And it’s recorded that the guards who were keeping watch, the ones standing guard, collapsed when they saw Christ rising from the dead — they were startled. And when the rumor started spreading rapidly, there’s also a record that they gave out money to have it suppressed and denied. What is this? It is historical evidence.
3. Matthew 28:6 He has risen just as he said – this is scriptural evidence.
And the angel said this: “He has risen, just as he said.” What is this? It is scriptural evidence. The evidence is certain.
▣ Main – Three Answers We Must Settle Through Christ, a Complete Answer (What He Did upon Rising)
Today you must settle a complete answer through Christ, and there are three answers you must settle.
1. We must settle the answer that completely changes our destiny through Christ.
First. You must settle the answer that completely changes your destiny through Christ.
1) Once you know the word Christ, the power of the Triune God works.
Once you know the word Christ, the power of the Triune God works.
2) Once you know the word Christ, you come to enjoy the blessing of the throne.
Once you know the word Christ, you come to enjoy the blessing of the throne.
3) The three ages of past, present, and future come alive.
The three ages of past, present, and future come alive.
How will you settle this answer? You must settle it in two ways. You must succeed completely in worship. And on the Lord’s Day, when you worship, do not listen to anyone’s words at all. On the Lord’s Day, listen completely to God’s voice. That’s it. You will surely see works happen. Most people don’t do this, so no works happen. When people come to church, they worship so half-heartedly that they even notice whose bag someone else is carrying. Of course, you can’t help seeing certain things, but even so, they go so far as to check whose bag, whose pen someone is holding, and whose watch someone is wearing. They hear every single sound of every single person. Right or wrong, they hear it all. The only thing they don’t properly do is worship. They will surely fail. It’s not a difficult thing.
I’ve shared this testimony a few times before. Even now I pray while holding onto this, but I once said this to the pastor I was serving under: “I served as an associate pastor for a long time. I missed worship. Because I had to take care of church work. I would linger in the back row, always running errands for the church. It’s not that I didn’t understand spiritual things. I simply had no strength.” I confessed this fact to my senior pastor. I said, “I will work hard on other days, but please let me worship on the Lord’s Day.”
Many of you associate pastors do not worship on the Lord’s Day. Isn’t that right? Many of you. You will surely fail. Church leaders who have to do a lot of work and miss worship will surely fail as well. If you try only to listen to the pastor’s sermon, you will fail. You must listen to God’s word. Do you understand? Christ has risen — this means my destiny has been completely changed. It’s not difficult. You must fully recover this blessing.
2. That the answer has been settled through Christ means the future has been completely changed.
What is the second point? The resurrection of Christ, the answer being settled through Christ — this means the future has been completely changed.
1) Matthew 28:16-20 In this very hour when you are holding onto the covenant, he works with all authority in heaven and on earth, and together with you! He has changed the future.
Do you know why? Right now, in this hour when you are holding the covenant, it says he works with all authority in heaven and on earth. Isn’t that right? He changes the future. “I have all authority in heaven and on earth, and I will always be with you.”
2) Mark 16:15-20 Christ, seated on the throne, works together with them! This is happening even now.
And it’s recorded like this in the Gospel of Mark: “In my name they will drive out demons, and when they lay hands on the sick, they will be healed.” More importantly, at the end of Mark chapter 16 it says, “The Lord, seated on the throne, worked with them” — this is happening right now.
3) Acts 1:8 He said you would receive power to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth.
Jesus said we would receive power to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. I really mean this. This is what I made my second decision on. What did I do? “I must do 24 prayer.” That’s the decision I made. “24.” I don’t know how good it is. It completely changed the future. When you go and see, you will find the answer is already there. In this very hour of prayer, the kingdom of God is being established. Isn’t that right? In this very hour of prayer, the Lord’s Spirit is at work. Isn’t that right? In this very hour of prayer, the word is fulfilled. In this very hour of prayer, God sends his messengers to accomplish his plans. In this very hour of prayer, God sends his angels to run errands for you. In this important hour of your prayer, God sends armies so you win spiritual victory. In this hour of prayer, Satan is bound. Christ is at work right now. Isn’t that right?
When I come in the morning, the first thing I do is receive this piece of paper. On the left side is the list of writing tasks I must complete during the week. On the right side is the list of gatherings I must attend. I take this first, fold it, and put it in my pocket. I confirm the 24. Then there’s something else I do. Only these papers, my staff prints out four copies. One copy I put in my pocket. One copy I attach above the notebook for the meetings I must hold that week. I carry the 24 with me. Another copy I attach onto the paper for next Sunday’s sermon. I carry the 24 with me, two of them. Since these might get wet, I carry them in a plastic sleeve. There’s one copy left over, right? I just leave that one somewhere close by. What is this? It’s my 24. Then, today, I carry the paper for the sermon I must preach as my 24. My schedule is attached here.
Why am I showing you this? Do 24. How happy is that? 24. Do not do 24 worrying, but rely on God’s power —
24. Do not do 24 thinking, but do 24 prayer. Isn’t that right? Do not do 24 scheming, but do 24 in the Spirit. The future will surely be changed. Isn’t that right? If you start now, the future will surely change. You must settle this answer.
3. By rising, he changed our background.
1) He changed things so that the blessing of the heavenly throne would be given to us — this is our background ↔ the unbeliever’s background is hell and Satan (John 8:44)
It’s not just that much. What did Christ do by rising from the dead? He completely changed our background. That’s tremendous, isn’t it? He changed our background, I tell you. What background did he change? He changed things so that the blessing of the throne would be given to you. So I carry this paper around with me, doing 24 prayer, 24 word, 24 evangelism. Many answers happen. Do 24, I’m telling you. Doesn’t 24 make you happy? Shouldn’t 24 excite you? What happens when you worry instead? 24 is power, God’s power. 24 is the army of heaven. 24 is the blessing of the throne. How wonderful is this? This is something God gave you. It can move any background.
As I grew up, I always remembered my father being sick. So I changed it to 24 health. Isn’t that right? Isn’t that prayer too? When I went to church, I first realized that people think evangelism is far too difficult. So I changed it. Evangelism 24. I changed it. My destiny was changed. My future was changed. Isn’t that right? God even changed the background entirely. You must hold firmly onto this answer. You must actually enjoy it in reality. Then works will happen.
That’s why our background is truly tremendous. The heavenly throne and our background. Unbelievers never know when they might be destroyed, because their background is hell. Isn’t that right? They never know when disaster might strike. Their background is Satan. John chapter 8, verse 44 says they are children of the devil. Unbelievers have no choice. It’s not that unbelievers go to hell because they have too many sins. It’s because they are children of the devil. It’s not that those who believe in Jesus go to heaven because they have no sin at all. Isn’t that right? They are children of God. When children finish playing all day and the sun sets, they go home. When your life on this earth ends, you go home too, don’t you? What’s even more important is your background — an incredible background, my background. There’s no comparison between a person whose background is heaven and a person whose background is hell.
That’s why Jesus said this: “Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears my word has eternal life, and has crossed over from death to life.” Jesus said this. This is what you’re enjoying, from now on. Then you won’t need to worry. Evangelism will happen naturally.
Right now, Immanuel Seoul Church has finished preparing its temple building, but last week I felt something — I felt, “Ah, this too is already cramped.” Right away, once the congregation started gathering for worship, even the parking lot ran short, even though it’s such a large church, and there’s a sense that the facilities are inadequate. So I’m even praying about whether we now need to change our worship system.
2) Christ will bless us from the throne until he comes again as the returning King. We have been given a background in which prayer in that name of Christ receives an answer.
It’s been said that Christ will bless from the throne and then come again as the returning King. Praying in that name of Christ receives an answer, doesn’t it? It’s tremendous. The question is why we don’t enjoy this. This changes everything completely. The blessing of the throne is bound to come first upon your work. Isn’t that right? Then you become a solid witness. It never changes either. He promised that he would carry out world evangelization together with you forever. You must hold firmly onto this.
This week I set a prayer topic for myself: “I must pray about this.” Last time I sold everything I had and gave it as a building offering, and the question arose in prayer — do I have to do it again? At that moment this question came to me today. As I was praying, I asked, “How much longer can I live?” As I was praying this question to God — “How much longer can I live?” — I need to think about how much more I can preach standing on this platform together with you all. And then, even if I can no longer stand on the platform, how much longer might I still be alive? How much longer could I live?
These days, if you go to a good hospital, they’ll tell you. Isn’t that right? It’s not that I asked the hospital myself, but my staff asked, and apparently a person can live to 110. That means I would have to give offerings for the next 40 years. That’s the calculation that comes out. Having settled on the answer of building the temple, I wonder how much I should give over 40 years of giving. This prayer will likely continue throughout the week. I’ll tell you the answer next week, once I’ve prayed about it for a week and received an answer.
3) Whatever crisis comes upon us, it is all right. When problems and crises come, do not worry — enjoy them. Within this there is always an answer called “absolute.” In the meantime, all you need to do is be renewed.
The truth is, whatever crisis comes upon you, it’s all right. Why is that? The early church, I tell you, faced death after being falsely accused as heretics. They weren’t even a match for their opponent. They won. Because they were a subject people of Rome, they had to obey Roman law. You must understand this. The early church knew. Rome was not their opponent to fight. It was their territory to conquer. And they did conquer it. The evidence is absolutely clear. Wicked kings rose up and, for 250 years, killed people who believed in Jesus. The most representative figure, someone like Nero, killed the most. It was utterly horrific. They burned them alive. They killed those who believed in Jesus. They had them torn apart by wild beasts, all because they believed in Jesus. This continued for 250 years, I tell you. And yet, during those 250 years, the gospel kept being testified to the whole world. So at that time there were true believers, people who truly prayed. In the end, no one could stop it — within 250 years, Rome and the world completely bowed the knee before the gospel.
If a problem ever comes to you, don’t worry, just enjoy it. There is surely an answer. Or if a crisis has come, don’t worry, just enjoy it. Within it there is an answer called “absolute.” Isn’t that right? Because God holds the answer called “absolute,” he is waiting. In the meantime, all you have to do is be renewed. If you can’t be renewed, there’s conflict, but if you are renewed, it’s fine.
This is the covenant for you to hold onto today. Through the covenant called Christ, change your destiny. Simply put, change your future too. Change your eternal state, change your background. This is Christ. You must hold onto this covenant and pass it on to the next generation.
▣ Conclusion – If This Happens, Evangelism Occurs without Even Speaking; We Must Reach That Point. Without Evangelizing, the Other Person Sees You and Comes to Believe in God (Joseph).
Let me conclude. Even when you say nothing, evangelism happens. You must reach that point. Even though you didn’t evangelize, the other person sees you and comes to believe in God. Even though you said nothing, your family sees you and comes to believe in God. Even though you said nothing and simply stayed quiet, people suffering hardship at work who had been hiding will come close to you and find their answer.
1. Joseph, called before the king though he had not gone to evangelize (Genesis 41:1-38)
Even though he hadn’t gone there to evangelize, the king called for Joseph. This is the kind of thing that happens, I tell you. The king asked, “Can you interpret dreams well?” Joseph answered simply, “I cannot.” The king must have been quite startled. “Then why are you even here?” “God will make known the meaning of the king’s dream.”
2. Joseph, who became prime minister (Genesis 45:1-5)
He became prime minister. Once he became prime minister, he did not trouble Potiphar’s wife. He did not trouble the wife of Potiphar, the very man who had thrown him into prison, I tell you. He did not trouble his brothers either. When his brothers fell to their knees, admitting they had done wrong, he said, “It was not you who sold me, but God who sent me ahead of you.” That’s what he said.
3. Joseph after Jacob passed away (Genesis 50:1-20)
The final moment on the timeline had come. Jacob passed away. Simply put, their father had died. This Joseph wept so loudly that many people could hear it. So Joseph’s brothers said, “Joseph’s weeping is no ordinary weeping. We held back because of our father, but now that our father has died, we’re all going to be killed by that prime minister.” When they begged Joseph to spare their lives, didn’t Joseph answer this way?
“You intended to harm me. But the Lord turned it into good. I will raise all of your children.” He truly helped them.
4. Joseph’s last will in the last days (Genesis 50:22-26)
This is what Joseph said in his final moment. “We will go up to the land of Canaan. When you go, do not simply go — carry my bones with you and bury them in the land of Canaan.” This is Joseph’s final word.
When you hold onto God’s covenant, none of your difficulties are truly difficulties, in fact. Look closely, I tell you. Christ becomes your Lord. Isn’t that right? Your destiny has changed. Christ becomes the Lord of your future. Christ is your background. I bless you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, to surely win the victory, and to enjoy this answer starting today. Let us pray.
Prayer
We thank you, God. From this hour on, give new strength to the saints so they can hold onto this covenant and win the victory. Grant us, God, great spiritual strength. Open our eyes to see problems. Open our eyes to see crises. Open our eyes to see the world. In this very hour, open the gates of heaven and pour out the blessing of the heavenly throne. In this very hour, send the army of heaven to our workplaces and places of study, and let your kingdom, God, be established. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.