Sunday 1st Service Worship
Title/Scripture: A True Insurance Policy for Life in the Kingdom of Heaven (Mark 9:2-8)
Speaker: Pastor Ryu Kwang-soo
Date/Location: July 17, 2022, Immanuel Church (Busan)
Mark 9:2-8
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
Summary
▣ Introduction
1. Background of the text – Six days after Peter’s confession of faith (verse 2), Jesus took only Peter, James, and John up the mount of transfiguration, and Jesus’ clothes shone with radiance and became extremely white. Elijah and Moses, representative figures of Israel, were together with him. Then Peter said he would build three shelters, one for Elijah, one for Moses, and one for the Lord. At that moment a cloud overshadowed them and a voice came from heaven. “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” And when they looked, Elijah had disappeared and Moses had disappeared, and only Christ remained.
2. A turning point to be held onto for a lifetime – my mount of transfiguration
1) Poverty – God is the Creator. This is about changing the idea that because we are poor we cannot do the Lord’s work.
2) Sickness – He is the almighty God. We must change the idea that being caught in many sicknesses means we can do nothing.
3) Incompetence – If it is a powerless church that cannot carry out the evangelism movement, it is a church that is not needed. This must be changed.
3. Building a shelter for Christ – the most important insurance policy for the kingdom of heaven in my life
▣ Main_ Build a tabernacle solely for Christ. – Make a resolution for your life.
1. Discover God’s absolute plan by looking at myself in absolute impossibility.
▷ For Peter to build three tabernacles was absolutely impossible. He saw God’s absolute plan on the mount of transfiguration.
1) Joseph (Remnant), who discovered God’s absolute plan from the very beginning
2) The figures of Hebrews chapter 11 who discovered God’s absolute plan
3) The three things Peter discovered
(1) Matthew 16:16 “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
(2) Mark 9:5 “I will build a tabernacle for you, for Elijah, and for Moses.”
(3) 1 Peter 2:9 “You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s chosen people, called to proclaim this light.”
▷ Make a resolution for your life. Discover God’s absolute plan. It must become a turning point that changes my life. I am absolutely incapable, but I will absolutely discover the plan God gives. When this happens, then in every area it appears this way. Should not your occupation, your studies, and your work be used for world evangelization?
2. Acknowledge absolute incompetence and believe in God’s absolute answer.
1) Calvary, Mt Olive, the Mark’s upper room, and world evangelization remain.
2) It cannot be done by the law of Moses or the power of Elijah. It is possible only by the power of the light of Christ. Believe in the absolute answer.
3) I will turn the three hells (poverty, sickness, incompetence) into the kingdom of heaven (God’s absolute plan). It cannot be done by my own strength. It is possible through the absolute answer God gives.
3. Though there is much persecution and hardship, I will follow God’s absolute journey.
1) 237 – Let us build a temple where the 237 nations can come and be transformed.
2) Healing – a church that builds a system where the sick can come and be healed
▷ Doctors in our church must step forward and prepare for world healing.
3) Summit – Build a church system that can save the next generation.
▣ Conclusion_ Pass through the mount of transfiguration.
1. Take hold of the covenant to build a tabernacle for Christ.
2. All believers must pass through the mount of transfiguration.
1) It is discovering God’s absolute plan in the midst of my incompetence.
2) It is believing God’s absolute answer in the midst of my reality.
3) It is following God’s absolute journey along the dark road that lies ahead.
▷ Samaria was transformed, and many church leaders rose up in Antioch and the work of dispatching missionaries to the world for the first time began. This is the resolution to be made first.
3. Make a resolution for your life – give your life to God.
▷ It is that the next generation comes here, knows Christ, is healed, prepares for the summit, prepares to save the world, and sets up a platform, a watch bartizan, and an antenna, while we go around the field. Make the resolution that lays your whole life down to prepare a turning point for your life. God will surely give the grace to build the healing and the summit that will save the 237 nations.
Transcript
Over the past week I watched all the videos of you praying. I also watched all the testimonies and confessions of our elders. To be honest, it might sound strange to call it the greatest, but I was blessed to that degree. It’s probably about the same for pastors. No matter how lacking in ability I am, when I see the members and church leaders remaining within the covenant and receiving grace, it gives me strength. No matter how capable a pastor may be, when I see that the members are not within the covenant but standing before people, I truly lose strength. So I was so blessed that I sent it to other churches too. Mostly to churches that are fighting, I sent it. “Look. Hey, our church’s elders are like this. Take a look.” That’s the kind of thing it was. That’s how I sent it out.
▣ Introduction
1. Background of the text
Today’s text is an extremely important text. You need to ride the flow of the Word this way. It says “after six days” in verse 2. What is that? It’s right after Peter confessed his faith and Jesus blessed him. Six days after that. Jesus took only three of the disciples—Peter, James, and John—and went up the mount of transfiguration. Here today it says “a high mountain.” When they went there, Jesus’ face suddenly shone with radiance. It shone to the point of being blinding, unbearably so. Looking at his clothes, they saw him wearing white clothes, radiant, whiter than anyone’s laundry could ever compare to. Peter, seeing this, was greatly startled, and what startled him even more was that two figures representing Israel, Moses and Elijah, were there together with him. So Peter said he would build three shelters, for Elijah, for Moses, and for the Lord. At that moment, events like a cloud suddenly occurred, and a voice came from heaven. “This is my beloved Son, listen only to him.” And when they looked, Elijah had disappeared and Moses had disappeared, and only Christ remained. It’s not just content. What is it?
2. A turning point to be held onto for a lifetime – my mount of transfiguration
He gave us a turning point to hold onto for a lifetime. This is today’s answer for you and for me. It’s exactly the turning point given to carry for a whole lifetime. In a sense, you could call it a beginning. I came to see the blessing of this mount of transfiguration 40 years ago.
1) Poverty – God is the Creator. This is about changing the idea that because we are poor we cannot do the Lord’s work.
I saw that our church and the people around us were too poor. Of course, poverty is not a sin. But that is not the same as saying that because of it I ruin everything and cannot do the Lord’s work.
2) Sickness – He is the almighty God. We must change the idea that being caught in many sicknesses means we can do nothing.
When I was young, the second thing I saw was many people suffering in sickness. Of course, anyone can get sick. But it is not right for an entire family line to remain that way for a lifetime because of it.
3) Incompetence – If it is a powerless church that cannot carry out the evangelism movement, it is a church that is not needed. This must be changed.
And lastly, what I saw was incompetence. Unable to evangelize. I saw those three things. I took hold of that as a covenant, and changing it was my mount of transfiguration. The answer came exactly as I hoped. Because God is the Creator God, he would change the idea that being poor means we cannot do the Lord’s work. Because God is the almighty God, the idea that we are caught in incurable diseases and many illnesses and can do nothing must be changed, that’s it. If it is a powerless church that cannot carry out the evangelism movement, isn’t it a church that is not needed? That must be changed, that’s it. That was my mount of transfiguration. The answer came exactly as I hoped. As you know, our entire cell group evangelism movement has never once stopped because of finances. God has never once, not a single time, kept me from evangelizing because of sickness. At that time, listening to your prayers and testimonies, I was so happy. ‘Wow, is there any greater blessing than having elders like this? Truly, God has restored to me the blessing of this evangelism.’ I took hold of this covenant.
3. Building a shelter for Christ – the most important insurance policy for the kingdom of heaven in my life
We are now finally about to begin, next week. As we begin the pledge offering for the building of the temple, God gave me this word today. Peter said, “I will build three shelters.” This is a tremendous statement. In the end, it means, “You don’t need Elijah or Moses, build a shelter for Christ.” Because everything is contained within that. I came to realize this. When we take out medical insurance, don’t we receive benefits? We receive benefits when we go to the hospital for treatment. It’s a truly good system. Also, when we take out car insurance, don’t we get help when an accident happens? It’s a truly good system. I thought, ‘Building a shelter for Christ is the most important insurance policy for the kingdom of heaven in my life.’
Today we must take hold of this covenant and go forward, and we must be free from incompetence, poverty, and every sickness, but what should we take hold of? Today Peter and the disciples took hold of what conglomerate owners could not see, what kings could not obtain. How can we take hold of this answer? They said, “I will build a tabernacle for you, for Moses, and for Elijah.”
▣ Main_ Build a tabernacle solely for Christ. – Make a resolution for your life.
So God took hold of this covenant: “You don’t need three people, build a tabernacle only for Christ.” Today you must take hold of three things without fail.
1. Discover God’s absolute plan by looking at myself in absolute impossibility.
This is the first. Me, who is in absolute impossibility. Right? You must see this first. Me, who is in absolute impossibility. Someone like Peter, and like me. He discovered God’s absolute plan. The first thing is discovery.
If today you discover God’s absolute plan, in the midst of my incompetence, you must confess honestly. We can do nothing. Peter had no ability to build three shelters, three tabernacles. He knows his own absolutely impossible existence. On this mount of transfiguration he saw something tremendous. He discovered God’s absolute plan. “I will build shelters.” That’s what came out. Now, this is important. What must you discover first in your life? It is discovering God’s absolute plan. Where from? From within my own absolute impossibility.
1) Joseph (Remnant), who discovered God’s absolute plan from the very beginning
Let me give an example. This is the flow of Scripture. Joseph was placed in a situation where he couldn’t even maintain his own life, let alone world evangelization. Right? Joseph was being sold as a slave, and there was no one who could stop it. He didn’t even know where he was being taken. Do you know what slavery was like back then? It’s different now. He was dragged along like an animal. He couldn’t even wash his face. Because they were dragged along like animals, treated so harshly, you couldn’t even tell someone’s age. They couldn’t even wash properly, being dragged along like that. So when pricing a slave, don’t they check the teeth? They calculated by looking at that. If there were no teeth at all, then the price would be cheap. If the teeth were strong and plentiful, then it would be expensive. They calculated that way. Who could stop this? From the very start Joseph discovered God’s absolute plan. This is Remnant.
2) The figures of Hebrews chapter 11 who discovered God’s absolute plan
All the figures of Hebrews chapter 11 were like this.
3) The three things Peter discovered
You are weak, but what Peter discovered here is a tremendous world. What is it?
(1) Matthew 16:16
Among what Peter discovered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That’s what Peter discovered.
(2) Mark 9:5
In today’s text, “I will build three tabernacles for you, for Elijah, and for Moses.”
(3) 1 Peter 2:9
Do you know what he later confessed in 1 Peter 2:9? What he discovered. “You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s chosen people, called to proclaim this light.” Take hold of this today.
Starting next week, don’t just make a resolution, but make a resolution for your life. Discover God’s absolute plan. It must be changed. You must have such a schedule. It must not simply be, “Well, worldly people, many churches build a temple this way and get tested by it.” You must not do that. It must not be that you go through trials just from building a temple. It must become the turning point that changes my life. That is the first. Right? To do that means, “I am absolutely incapable, but I will absolutely discover the plan God gives.” This must become your first prayer. Right? Then, in every area it appears this way, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t your work also be for world evangelization? Right? Shouldn’t your occupation, your studies, your work be used for world evangelization? What is it, if not that, just to receive a paycheck? Anyone can do that. Someone doing day labor day after day also earns a living that way. This word of God, when you think of it now, may sound like an ordinary statement, but at that time it was a tremendous thing for Peter. Peter, who had nothing, said, “For you, I will now build three shelters for Elijah and Moses.” That’s what came out.
2. Acknowledge absolute incompetence and believe in God’s absolute answer.
This is the second. We must acknowledge absolute incompetence. But we believe God’s absolute answer. What was the first? Discovery. What is the second? Belief.
1) Calvary, Mt Olive, the Mark’s upper room, and world evangelization remain.
The reason God called his disciples to the mount of transfiguration is because something tremendous remained. You must remember this. Don’t be discouraged. What called you was leaving behind something tremendous. It remains. Calvary, Mt Olive, the Mark’s upper room, world evangelization—it all remains, in full. Here on the mount of transfiguration he called them, and on this incredibly high mountain he showed them the radiant face and appearance of Jesus.
2) It cannot be done by the law of Moses or the power of Elijah. It is possible only by the power of the light of Christ. Believe in the absolute answer.
It cannot be done by the law of Moses or by Elijah’s power. He discovered that it is possible only through the power of the shining light of Christ. So believe in the absolute answer. In that scene. Christ alone—this way, Elijah and Moses are all included. In your life, it must always be this way, but let this become the turning point. Truly do it once.
3) I will turn the three hells (poverty, sickness, incompetence) into the kingdom of heaven (God’s absolute plan). It cannot be done by my own strength. It is possible through the absolute answer God gives.
I have seen so much from childhood that I can’t even finish telling those testimonies. I can’t testify about them. I really haven’t testified. I couldn’t. It was too miserable, and our country’s circumstances were like that, and our home was like that too, it wasn’t even something you could put into words—the church, complete hell. When I was young there were three places of hell. Below our house, because of the Korean War, we were so poor that we ate American canned food handouts and stacked the cans. Flies buzzed there, and the smell of food. It was hell, absolute hell. When I came home, my father was always sick. It was hell, absolute hell. That’s what I saw as a child. I went to church—they always fought. This was truly hell. I made a decision. ‘God, I will turn these three places of hell into heaven.’ Why? Because it is God’s plan. Because this is God’s absolute plan. Right? So it cannot be done by my own strength. It is possible through the absolute answer God gives. That’s the second thing.
All of you, resolve yourselves. Look around you. This must be done. Starting now. It’s not simply “let’s build the temple.” That’s not even close. The next generation will all perish otherwise. It must be done. Though it is absolute incompetence, Peter believed the absolute answer at that time.
3. Though there is much persecution and hardship, I will follow God’s absolute journey.
This is the last, the third. What resolution is being made? Though it is true that persecution arises and there is much hardship, it is a resolution to follow God’s absolute journey. And so, starting from Calvary, Mt Olive, the Mark’s upper room, tremendous works began to happen.
1) 237 – Let us build a temple where the 237 nations can come and be transformed.
Let us build such a temple. All of you, let us build a temple where the 237 nations can come and be transformed. Dancing, playing, all that is important, but in some sense it’s not needed. Build a temple that transforms people. Be thorough about this from now on.
2) Healing – a church that builds a system where the sick can come and be healed
A church that has built a system where the sick can come and be healed. We will make this certain. Preparations are going well in Seoul. Our doctor-elders must step forward more. In Seoul, doctors are stepping up and preparing thoroughly. There is much work ahead of you in this era. Our church has many good doctors. You all must prepare for world healing. That’s how it should be. Build the church that way. Because it’s urgent.
3) Summit – Build a church system that can save the next generation.
What is even more important? What do you think? The next generation is all dying, right now. “Oh, why is my child like this?” This is not the level of being discouraged. This is God’s message. The whole world is dying. Build a church system that can save them.
▣ Conclusion_ Pass through the mount of transfiguration.
1. Take hold of the covenant to build a tabernacle for Christ.
You may stake your life on it. I will build a tabernacle for Christ. I will build a tabernacle for Christ, who needs neither Moses nor Elijah. Take hold of this covenant.
2. All believers must pass through the mount of transfiguration.
All believers must pass through the mount of transfiguration. Right? This is the finish. This is the beginning. Those of you today whose prayers have not been answered don’t need to struggle so hard. Pass through the mount of transfiguration. Those of you who will truly do business going forward, you must not skip this while preparing everything else. Pass through the mount of transfiguration.
Simply put, what is it? Why must we pass through the mount of transfiguration? Discover the absolute plan. Take hold of the absolute answer. That’s it. Follow God’s absolute journey. This is the mount of transfiguration. Peter’s confession was a condensed expression of this. Jesus actually showed it to them. Look, in the radiant light and the cloud, God’s voice, and Moses and Elijah both disappear—hasn’t the answer already come out? It’s not even at that level. Samaria is transformed. At last, in Antioch, many church leaders rise up and for the first time in the world send out missionaries. This kind of thing began to happen. Make this resolution first.
1) It is discovering God’s absolute plan in the midst of my incompetence.
It is discovering God’s absolute plan in the midst of my incompetence.
2) It is believing God’s absolute answer in the midst of my reality.
It is discovering God’s absolute answer in the midst of my reality. It is believing it. Right? Don’t worry.
3) It is following God’s absolute journey along the dark road that lies ahead.
It is following God’s absolute journey along the dark road that lies ahead. That’s what this is saying.
3. Make a resolution for your life – give your life to God.
It does not end with making a resolution next Sunday. You must make a resolution for your life. Over and over.
I have been praying and preparing myself this way all along. “God, how much longer can I live from now on?” That’s the prayer I began. “My beloved elders, until when will we be able to be together?” Without fail, in the era of 2030 to 2080, we will not be here. Now, you must make a resolution laying down your life.
Because people keep talking about a hundred-year lifespan these days, I can’t know for certain whether I myself will make it to a hundred. So as I kept praying that way, one more conviction came to me. ‘Shouldn’t I devote 30 years?’ It’s not that I’ll stand at the pulpit for 30 more years, which might feel tedious to you. ‘Shouldn’t I prepare for those 30 years? Then how should I prepare?’
‘How much do you go around and spend, how much do we enjoy? Cut that down, and resolve for 30 years.’ That was the answer that came.
You know how it is. There are wealthy neighborhoods. I’ve been to wealthy neighborhoods and I’ve been to poor neighborhoods too. Those who live in poverty, like me, don’t realize something—people in poor neighborhoods spend far more on snacks. Fruit vendors have told me this. If produce isn’t selling quickly, they take it to a poor neighborhood. In wealthy neighborhoods, nothing sells at all.
You all, believers, seminary students, evangelists, say you have no money, right? But you spend far more in allowance. Once, long ago, I said to Pastor Jo Eun-taek, “You need to cut down your stomach. Cut down your stomach and give offerings. Can you see your shoes?” I asked him. I couldn’t see his shoes. (gesturing at a protruding belly) Like this. We eat that much, and then we say we can’t give offerings. That we have nothing. That’s a lie. Give your life to God, that’s what this is about. How the temple begins and how it ends—that is up to God, and I am the one who makes the resolution for my life before God. Even so, our elders’ faith is remarkable. What I said was, “Since we can’t burden the congregation, let’s build modestly according to what offerings come in.” That’s the kind of thinking I had. But the elders of Immanuel Busan are remarkable. They said we need a hundred billion won. That’s what the elders said. I never said it, never instructed it. They say we need a hundred billion won.
Wow, if it comes to this, your faith is three times greater than mine, wow, this is really something… Thinking quietly about it, to evangelize the world, that makes sense. Put simply, that means a thousand units of a hundred million won each need to come together. Isn’t that right? That decision—Yewon went first, Yewon started the hundred-billion-won movement.
At that moment this message came to me clearly. That’s right. Let’s set up a thousand platforms within our church. On top of that, let’s mount a watch bartizan. A thousand of them. And at the very top of each, set up an antenna. Whether working together or alone, however many platforms are built, it doesn’t matter. We are laying our whole lives on the altar before God.
And here, let the 237 healing summit disciples come, and I will now go with the church leaders and Remnant to the evangelism field, the mission field. Our building committee chairman elder said something that struck my heart deeply. He truly said he wanted to finish building the temple and then go out to evangelize together with our evangelists. That’s right. I truly want to settle this and, in the remaining years of my life, preach the gospel and evangelize. This truly struck my heart.
What shall we do—it is that the next generation comes here, knows Christ, is healed, prepares for the summit, prepares to save the world, and sets up a platform, a watch bartizan, and an antenna here, while we go around the field again. So lay down your whole life and make the resolution now, this turning point, for your life. God will surely give the grace to build the healing and summit that will save the 237 nations.
I bless you today in the name of the Lord Jesus, that from now on you will take hold of the true covenant of passing through the mount of transfiguration. Let us pray.
Prayer
We truly thank you, God. Let this become the mount of transfiguration where we see your absolute plan. Because we have no ability, let this become the mount of transfiguration where we see your absolute answer. Because we truly have no strength, let this become the beginning of the mount of transfiguration where we go on your absolute journey. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.