Sunday 1st Service Worship
Title/Scripture: Hosanna (Matthew 21:1-11)
Speaker: Rev. Ryu Kwang-soo
Date/Location: May 1, 2022, Immanuel Church (Busan)
Matthew 21:1-11
01 When they had come near Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, to Mt Olive, then Jesus sent two disciples,
02 saying to them, Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.
03 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, The Lord needs them, and immediately he will send them.
04 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, saying,
05 Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.
06 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
07 They brought the donkey and the colt and put their garments on them, and He sat on them.
08 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
09 The crowds who went ahead of Him and those who followed cried out, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!
10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, Who is this?
11 And the crowds said, This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.
Summary
▣ Introduction_ Children’s Sunday
1. Something to be careful about
1) What did Rome, the greatest nation in the world, leave to its later generations? It left war.
2) What did the Jewish people, who had the greatest intellect in the world, leave? They left a wandering people. Later generations wandered and drifted.
3) Among these, it was the minority who were true Jews who saved the world.
▷ Today’s text is a scene where Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey, and people spread their garments and tree branches on the road, shouting “Hosanna!” This word means “Save us.” This is a tremendous message, and it was prophesied in the Bible.
2. What is important to pass on to later generations
1) Joseph held onto the covenant of Genesis 3:15 that had been passed down since his ancestors, and had a tremendous dream of world evangelization in which the sun, moon, and stars bowed down to him. What happened? He went as a slave, but he was not erased, he did not perish, but appeared as prime minister.
2) When the nation fell into hardship, Jochebed passed this covenant on to Moses. No one imagined that this Moses would defeat Egypt and lead the nation of Israel out.
3) What became of Daniel and Esther, who understood Isaiah’s words that a virgin would conceive and bear a son?
▷ No matter how broken later generations may be, one word from God brings change. The word you have sown will one day, after time has passed, cause the next generation to rise.
4) This hosanna gospel was passed on to Paul, the greatest intellectual, who said he considered everything of the world as rubbish. Paul’s main work was going to the synagogues where the Remnant were (Acts 17:1, 18:4, 19:8).
5) It was the Remnant in these synagogues who held the gospel and changed Rome.
▷ The Bible records that the next generation is the Lord’s inheritance (Psalm 127:3). This means that God Himself governs our children. Never be deceived. When we pass this gospel on to our children, it does not matter whether they listen or not. It is the first opportunity, the last opportunity, an eternal opportunity. If they enter while young, even if they fall away, they will surely rise again. We must not raise our children according to our own thinking. In the godless age, to the Remnant who will run in full force from 2030 to 2080, we must not give them knowledge that will never collapse, but must plant the gospel in them. It is fine even if they collapse. One day that very collapse becomes the foundation for them to rise and be transformed entirely into disciples. The seeds of the gospel that pastors and missionaries have sown will one day rise up as fruit.
3. We must heal the misunderstanding about Hosanna
1) We must know that He did not come only then as the descendant of David, but had already existed since creation.
▷ This is why Jesus said to the Jews, “David and Abraham believed in me and were saved.” The Jews, who knew nothing but eating, misunderstood and asked, “How old are you?”
2) He came incarnate, but people saw this and mistook Him for the son of an ordinary carpenter. Because He was born not in a palace as the son of a king but in a stable, they mistook Him as not being the Messiah. But Jesus, having become incarnate, completed everything.
3) The risen Christ is with us now. That is why we pray in the name of Jesus and use authority in the name of Jesus.
4) People mistakenly think Jesus ran away and will come back like a thief. He is always with us, and He comes as the returning Lord, as King, as Judge.
▣ Main_ Hosanna (meaning the Lord has come to save us)
1. There is an answer in which God gives everything even while we do nothing. Be one who recovers the lost blessing of hosanna.
1) That person is Joseph.
2) That person is Moses.
3) That person is Samuel and David.
4) That person is Obadiah.
5) That person is Elijah and Elisha.
6) Those people gathered together. It is the early church, branded as a heresy. They recovered the hosanna they had lost. At this time, God brought everything with Him.
2. There is a blessing that changes the world even without ability. Be one who continues the blessing of hosanna.
1) That is why He unconditionally answered the 7 Remnant.
2) That is why He unconditionally answered the people of Hebrews 11.
3) That is you. There is nothing to worry about.
(1) When hardship comes, enjoy the gospel. A 100-year answer comes.
(2) When problems come, enjoy the gospel.
(3) When you meet strange people, also enjoy the gospel. Then that is the end of it.
3. There is an answer by which one does not perish even when ruin comes. Be one who passes on the blessing of hosanna.
▷ Those who spread their garments on the road for Jesus as He entered Jerusalem on a donkey and cried, “Hosanna! Save us!” knew who Jesus was.
▷ You will not fully understand the phrase “the gospel alone.” You will understand once many churches close down. The churches of Europe and America are all closing. That is why we send out missionaries who hold to “the gospel alone.” That is why we pray. We need missionaries who will raise up a next generation devoted to “the gospel alone.”
1) Paul confessed, “He gave us what was hidden before eternal ages and what will bring glory forever,” and called this “my gospel” (Romans 16:25-27).
2) Paul delivered this gospel to tremendous men of success and to Governor Festus. They said Paul’s scholarship had driven him mad, but Paul said to Governor Festus, “I wish that all of you might become as I am, except for these chains, and that you would come to know the Lord of Christ’s resurrection alone.”
3) After Paul asked to be allowed to stand before the emperor to preach the gospel to the Roman emperor, the road to Rome for world evangelization opened, and a situation came in which the emperor had no choice but to declare Christianity the state religion.
▣ Conclusion_ Do not be deceived.
1. Having entered into this covenant, the household that faced the greatest hardship became the family of the greatest witness.
2. When I attended seminary, I was the most incapable student, but now I am running hard for world evangelization.
3. It was a life of the greatest persecution, but I have come to stand in the place of world evangelization.
Transcript
There was a person raising two sons, and the elder one studied well. But strangely, the younger one couldn’t study. It wasn’t that he couldn’t, he simply wouldn’t. From childhood he just wandered around everywhere. He would roam the mountains, wander into town, going all over the place like this. Since the older one was good at studying, in those days people who studied well would often get jobs at banks. He landed a job at a bank right away. As for the younger one, since he couldn’t study, he simply couldn’t take exams at all. This kid’s studying was wandering around. Since he wandered around so much, he happened to meet a decent person. So he learned business from him, and he ended up earning ten thousand times more than his older brother. That older brother became the bank’s top depositor. Whenever the younger brother came, even the branch manager would run out to greet him. So there is really no need for all of you to worry so much.
There was a son who fell into terrible corruption. He fell so deep into corruption that it’s hard to even explain it in detail. People thought, “That son is beyond saving.” That son returned through his mother’s prayers, and his name was Augustine (Saint Augustine of Hippo).
▣ Introduction_ Children’s Sunday
1. Something to be careful about
Today is Children’s Sunday. What we must be careful about is thinking about what the Romans left to later generations.
1) What did Rome, the greatest nation in the world, leave to its later generations? It left war.
What did Rome, the greatest nation in the world, leave to its later generations? It left war.
2) What did the Jewish people, who had the greatest intellect in the world, leave? They left a wandering people. Later generations wandered and drifted.
What did the Jewish people, who had the greatest intellect in the world, leave to their later generations? They left a wandering people. All the later generations wandered and drifted.
3) Among these, it was the minority who were true Jews who saved the world.
Among them, it was the descendants of the true Jewish minority who saved the world.
Today, Jesus did not come into Jerusalem riding a horse. He came in riding a donkey. That’s different, isn’t it? When kings or generals enter a city, they enter riding a horse. When they enter, a carpet is rolled out wide for them. But when Jesus entered, the crowd of people came and laid down tree branches and clothing. A remarkable thing happened there. Think about it. It wasn’t that people gathered together and held a candlelight rally, but rather they shouted “Hosanna” in this manner. This word “Hosanna” means, “Save us.” This is a tremendous message, and it is recorded today that it was prophesied in the Bible.
2. What is important to pass on to later generations
What must we pass on to later generations? This is important.
1) Joseph held onto the covenant of Genesis 3:15 that had been passed down since his ancestors, and had a tremendous dream of world evangelization in which the sun, moon, and stars bowed down to him. What happened? He went as a slave, but he was not erased, he did not perish, but appeared as prime minister.
As you know, in the Old Testament era, Joseph was the one who, since his ancestors’ time, realized what was important. While other later generations didn’t think much of it, Joseph firmly held onto that covenant from his grandfather, up through his father, and above him. One day, he had a vision and a dream. What was it? He dreamed of a tremendous dream of world evangelization in which the sun, moon, and stars bowed down to him. In other words, he had received Genesis chapter 3, verse 15.
What happened? We must not deliver this to the next generation as nagging, but must deliver it spiritually. Even if your children may be struggling right now, there’s no need to worry. Many people would have been deceived into thinking, “Joseph is gone.” They would have said, “Joseph, who held onto the covenant, has failed.” One day Joseph became prime minister and appeared. Everyone would have been shocked. Who would have been most shocked? Honestly, I think Jacob would have been utterly shocked. Right? His brothers would have been shocked too. Potiphar’s wife probably fainted. The one she had thrown into prison had become prime minister. That’s shocking. If it were me, I would have called him in for a meeting at least, but there’s no record of that. This covenant was passed down.
2) When the nation fell into hardship, Jochebed passed this covenant on to Moses. No one imagined that this Moses would defeat Egypt and lead the nation of Israel out.
When the nation fell into hardship, she explained the important covenant to her child. No one thought it possible. No one imagined that this person would defeat Egypt and lead the nation out. Right? The problem is, honestly, we don’t really believe it either. But this is what happened.
3) What became of Daniel and Esther, who understood Isaiah’s words that a virgin would conceive and bear a son?
The person named Isaiah explained this hosanna by saying, “A virgin will conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Immanuel.” What became of Daniel, who understood these words? What became of Esther?
No matter how broken our later generations may seem, change can happen through a single word from God. And the word that you have sown will rise up again one day, after time has passed. No one imagined it.
4) This hosanna gospel was passed on to Paul, the greatest intellectual, who said he considered everything of the world as rubbish. Paul’s main work was going to the synagogues where the Remnant were (Acts 17:1, 18:4, 19:8).
This person you know, the intellectual Paul, this hosanna gospel was passed on to him. This Paul, he was a man who studied well. There was no one who could look down on Paul. When he said, “I consider the things of this world as rubbish,” no one could argue with him. If a beggar at Busan Station said, “I consider the things of this world as rubbish,” what would you all say? You’d say, “He’s lost his mind.” But when the truly well-educated Paul said, “I consider the things of this world as rubbish,” why did he say that? It was because the hosanna gospel had entered into him. This is how it changed the world.
5) It was the Remnant in these synagogues who held the gospel and changed Rome.
So knowing this, what did Paul do? He went to the synagogues where Remnant like you were, just as you do. That was Paul’s primary work. And whenever a person appeared, he went with Priscilla and Aquila into the synagogue again. Before going to Rome, he went to synagogues. But no one imagined that the Remnant in these synagogues would change Rome.
After that, Israel, which had persecuted Paul and such people, fell. That was 70 AD. A general named Titus came and destroyed the temple of Jerusalem. And, to put it simply, they prepared to set up camp. One rabbi—a rabbi is a teacher, isn’t he?—one rabbi said this to his disciples. “Say that I have died.” In other words, spread a rumor of his death. “And hold a funeral.” But he wasn’t dead. “Put me in a coffin and carry me out of the city. Then, when you go out, Titus’s soldiers will surely be there. At that moment, open the lid of my coffin.” That’s how it happened. So this rabbi was being carried in a funeral procession, and sure enough, the soldiers waiting at the city gate asked, “What is this?” They said, “It’s a funeral.” “Open the lid.” At this they said, “In our nation of Israel, there is no law allowing the dead to be opened up like this, so we cannot open it.” That’s how it was settled. “Then can we stab it with a spear to check?” “That is even more forbidden.” That’s how it went. At that point they were allowed through, and they went right up in front of General Titus. So they opened the coffin lid. And the dead man would rise up, just like that. Though of course he hadn’t died. At that moment the general was astonished. He asked, “Why are you doing this?” At that point they made one request. “You may kill us all. You may kill me right here. Just grant one promise.” “What is it?” they asked. “Please do not destroy the synagogue. Please just leave the synagogue where our children are growing up.” Titus, being human, thought this made sense. He agreed. And so the Remnant who held the gospel within those synagogues entered Rome. That is why the politicians in Rome themselves didn’t even know how it became evangelized.
This next generation is a fearsome thing. The Bible records them as God’s inheritance. We call the next generation our “children,” but God called them “the Lord’s inheritance.” An inheritance is something managed—so who manages it? God manages it. It is God who manages it, that’s what I’m saying. Never be deceived. Whether we pass this gospel on to our children or not, whether they listen or not, it doesn’t matter. It is the first opportunity, the last opportunity, an eternal opportunity. Even if they fall away after entering while young, they will surely rise up. Am I not a witness of this myself?
It’s not that I didn’t believe. I simply couldn’t bring myself to believe. Honestly I thought, “I should go to church,” but I didn’t know why I should. Sometimes I believed in God, sometimes I didn’t. That’s how I was as a child. And so, well, then, you know how church elders can be a trial to you. When you see that, you use it as an excuse to fall away. It’s so easy to fall away, isn’t it? Making excuses and falling away. So I became stranger than an unbeliever. And so the business people, the merchants in our town, looked at me and called me a real bad character. Because I made things difficult for myself. Then one day, moved by God, I repented and went to church holding my Bible. Two things happened. That merchant looked up at the sky and confessed, “God is alive,” he said. He knew me. The delinquent kids who used to hang around in front of the church, the troublemakers—they all went into the church.
We cannot know, everyone. No one knows the work of God. We must not raise our children according to our own thinking. God is thinking of an age when you will no longer be here. The year when the Remnant of today will run in full force is 2030 to 2080. We won’t be here then, will we? Those children who are growing up now, once they graduate and go out into the world, that will be around 2030. If they then run for another 50 years, that brings us to 2080. What should we give them? It is not knowledge that will never collapse—it is planting the gospel in them. And it’s fine if they fall away. One day that very thing becomes the foundation for them to rise up, and these children are transformed into disciples. The seed of the gospel that pastors have sown, the seed that missionaries have sown, rises up as fruit one day. No one knows this. In fact, not even the person themselves knows it. Did Moses himself know, when he held the covenant and entered Egypt? He only held onto the covenant, that’s all. This is how God accomplishes His great work.
3. We must heal the misunderstanding about Hosanna
Let me move simply into the main body. Today we said “Hosanna.” “Save us.” That means, “The Lord who saves us has come.” Now, there is a bit of misunderstanding about hosanna that we need to correct before moving on.
1) We must know that He did not come only then as the descendant of David, but had already existed since creation.
When Jesus came, when He came as the Christ, the word “hosanna” was used at that time, but that salvation existed before. Right? Jesus said this. He asked the Jews, “Did you not promise that the Messiah would come as a descendant of David?” “That’s right.” “I am the descendant of David. But do you know that David believed in that coming Christ and was saved?” This is what He asked. He asked the Jews. He asked the most important question. Many of us who live the Christian life today get this wrong.
And He said this: “Abraham, whom the Jews respect the most, believed in me and was saved.” Right? So the Jews, who knew nothing but eating, said, “How old are you?” What is the first misunderstanding of Christians? It’s that Jesus didn’t come only at that time, but had already been present before that. Right?
2) He came incarnate, but people saw this and mistook Him for the son of an ordinary carpenter. Because He was born not in a palace as the son of a king but in a stable, they mistook Him as not being the Messiah. But Jesus, having become incarnate, completed everything.
What is the second one? There’s a second misunderstanding. He came incarnate. And we, seeing this, simply mistook Him for the son of an ordinary carpenter. It would have been more natural for Him to come as the son of a carpenter—if He had come as the son of a king, He could not have become the Christ. Right? He was born in a stable. If not, if He had been born in a palace, what would have happened? So people misunderstood. They thought, “He’s not the Messiah, He’s not the Christ.” This misunderstanding occurred. But it was prophesied in Scripture. We must not misunderstand.
3) The risen Christ is with us now. That is why we pray in the name of Jesus and use authority in the name of Jesus.
What is the third one? It is the risen Christ. He is with us now. Right? That’s why we pray in the name of Jesus. Just a moment ago our elder prayed in the name of Jesus. That’s why we use authority in the name of Jesus. He is alive now, and whenever we call on that name, He works.
4) People mistakenly think Jesus ran away and will come back like a thief. He is always with us, and He comes as the returning Lord, as King, as Judge.
The fourth misunderstanding. People talk about the Second Coming as if Jesus ran away somewhere and is now coming back. That’s not true. Why do they speak this way? Does He come like a thief? This means that the day will come unknown to anyone, “like a thief in the night.” Jesus is always with us, and one day He will stand as the returning Lord, as King. He will stand as Judge. Right? People distort that day, spreading anxiety and making people stop working, and asking why they do this—it’s because many such people will appear in the future. They will appear in great numbers. They keep stirring up anxiety, saying “It’s the end,” making people feel this way. That is truly believing in Jesus the wrong way.
Jesus existed at creation, as the Triune God. Jesus became incarnate and came to this earth. He completed everything. That is the hosanna. And having risen, He now works with us invisibly, in spirit. Right? Later, He will stand together with us as the returning Lord of the end of the world, who judges believers and unbelievers.
They talk about it as if He left home and is now coming back. Does Jesus leave home, hide somewhere, have no news at all, and then suddenly appear? When the Remnant go on to university, all kinds of things will come up. Do not be deceived.
▣ Main_ Hosanna (meaning the Lord has come to save us)
Hosanna. We must remember this. Let me explain it simply.
1. There is an answer in which God gives everything even while we do nothing. Be one who recovers the lost blessing of hosanna.
The first point. Even while you do nothing, there is an answer in which God gives you everything. What is it? You should at least know what it is, since you must understand Scripture correctly. There is a blessing where the answer is given even though I did not ask for it. What is it? It is recovering the lost blessing of hosanna.
1) That person is Joseph.
That person is Joseph.
2) That person is Moses.
That person is Moses.
3) That person is Samuel and David.
That person is Samuel. That person is David.
4) That person is Obadiah.
That person is Obadiah.
5) That person is Elijah and Elisha.
Elijah, Elisha—needless to say.
6) Those people gathered together. It is the early church, branded as a heresy.
Those people gathered together. Branded as heresy, they became the early church.
You must remember this. It was a mistaken, false hosanna that had been lost, and it was recovered properly, correctly. At this time God brought everything with Him. Your business? Of course it will succeed. Your future? Don’t worry about it. Please, all of you members, stop living a faith life similar to unbelievers, and believe in God. Don’t worry. It’s fine even if you get sick, but I wasn’t even sick. It’s fine even if you’re sick—that’s not the issue. The point is, why wasn’t I sick? Because there’s no time. God knows that. It’s not because I was so wonderful that He gave me health—God knows, “That one has no time.” Even being sick takes time. My teeth haven’t even decayed. Why? There’s no time. Our beloved evangelizing disciple, Pastor Kim Je-dong, the servant of this age. He’s older than me, and yet his hair is already turning white. Even such a wonderful person is going gray, but I haven’t gone gray at all. There’s no time. So don’t worry about it, I’m telling you.
2. There is a blessing that changes the world even without ability. Be one who continues the blessing of hosanna.
The second point. There is a blessing that changes the world even without ability—what is it? It is being one who continues this blessing of hosanna. It’s a simple matter. Being one who recovers it, and second, being one who continues it.
1) That is why He unconditionally answered the 7 Remnant.
That is why God unconditionally answered the 7 Remnant. Right?
2) That is why He unconditionally answered the people of Hebrews 11.
The people of Hebrews chapter 11—He unconditionally answered them, because they were ones who would carry it on.
3) That is you. There is nothing to worry about.
That is you, that’s what I’m saying. There’s nothing to worry about. You must quickly escape from that dark destiny. It’s simple.
(1) When hardship comes, enjoy the gospel. A 100-year answer comes.
When hardship comes, enjoy the gospel. A 100-year answer comes.
(2) When problems come, enjoy the gospel.
When problems come, enjoy the gospel. When conflict arises, enjoy the gospel.
(3) When you meet strange people, also enjoy the gospel. Then that is the end of it.
You met a truly strange person? Enjoy the gospel. That’s it. That’s all it takes. That’s what the people of the early church were like.
3. There is an answer by which one does not perish even when ruin comes. Be one who passes on the blessing of hosanna.
The final, third point. There is an answer by which one does not perish even when ruin comes. What is it? It is being one who passes on the blessing of hosanna. Recovering it, then continuing it, and then passing it on. It appeared in today’s text. This is what kind of people these were.
When Jesus entered riding on a donkey, they couldn’t lay out a proper carpet since they didn’t have the means, so they took off their own clothes and laid them down, and brought tree branches and laid them down as well. They already knew. Everyone, when the president of each nation comes, when the plane lands, they don’t just get off directly. What do they do? They roll out a carpet right in front of the airplane, don’t they? Why is that? Because the president has come. It was in the news before. This is something that some people questioned whether it was appropriate or not—when the Pope came, they rolled out a red carpet. Since the Pope is a religious figure, why roll out a carpet for him? This caused some controversy, didn’t it? But when the Pope came, they rolled out the carpet all the way from the airplane to the other side.
These people knew this. Since they weren’t in a position to roll out a carpet, they took off their own clothes and laid them down instead. And they looked at Jesus and said, “Hosanna.” “Save us.” This word “hosanna” is no ordinary word. There is such history behind it. “Save us.”
You won’t fully understand this phrase “the gospel alone.” As time passes, once many churches close down, you will understand. Look at the churches of Europe. They are all closing, and now they can’t even rise again. That is why we send out missionaries who hold this gospel, devoted to “the gospel alone.” That is why we pray. American churches are also gradually beginning to close their doors. That is why God says we need missionaries who will raise up our next generation devoted to “the gospel alone.” Whenever we go out to evangelize and preach the gospel, we are always branded as a heresy. So even though we’ve been branded as a heresy, people like Pastor Kim Je-dong—if he were the calculating type, he wouldn’t come to us. This person is someone doing well and stable in America, and his descendants are successful people. Right, this person is. Whether persecution comes or not, we hold firmly onto this, and these are people who have become a strong support for us. Since these people are in America, in the future there is nothing else to give the Remnant—it is delivering this important blessing of hosanna to them.
1) Paul confessed, “He gave us what was hidden before eternal ages and what will bring glory forever,” and called this “my gospel” (Romans 16:25-27).
Do not be deceived. Why do I say this? Paul confessed this. He gave to us what had been hidden before the eternal ages. Right? And he said, “He gave us this so that glory would be given forever, without end.” Seeing that, he said, “and my gospel.”
2) Paul delivered this gospel to tremendous men of success and to Governor Festus.
What Paul was saying, the tremendous men of success thought, since Paul was such a remarkable figure, “That man has gone mad.” Right? Who, in the end, was really mad? This Paul, who held this gospel, spoke of it even before Governor Festus. Paul truly was a remarkable figure. When he spoke of it, Festus said, “Ah,” and said this. He knew Paul well. “Ah, all your great learning has driven you mad.” That means, they knew Paul had great learning. And so, since he spoke only of Jesus, they said he had gone mad.
At that time Paul made a certain statement. Festus was a person of high position, a governor. Paul said this: “I would wish that your excellency also might become as I am.” He said, “I wish that your excellency also might come to know the Lord of Christ’s resurrection alone.” Before that he added one qualifier. What did he add? “I wish that you might become as I am, except for these chains.” He said this because he himself was bound as a prisoner. Truly, it’s hard to understand, the governor said. “You, you have done nothing wrong.” And yet he appealed to Caesar.
3) After Paul asked to be allowed to stand before the emperor to preach the gospel to the Roman emperor, the road to Rome for world evangelization opened, and a situation came in which the emperor had no choice but to declare Christianity the state religion.
Let me be allowed to stand before the Roman emperor. This Paul was truly a remarkable figure. Let me stand before the Roman emperor. Then he could go before the emperor and preach the gospel. “What was hidden before the eternal ages has now been revealed.” They said Paul had gone mad, but not long after, Pompeii in Rome erupted, and after time passed, Rome faced great hardship, and through this the road to Rome for world evangelization opened up. In fact, a situation came where the emperor had no choice but to declare it the state religion. And so the power of the gospel began to go forth.
▣ Conclusion_ Do not be deceived.
1. Having entered into this covenant, the household that faced the greatest hardship became the family of the greatest witness.
Do not be deceived. In our neighborhood, our family was the one believing in Jesus, and we faced the hardest situation—my father passed away and things turned out that way. But even so, to this day we have become the family of the greatest witness.
2. When I attended seminary, I was the most incapable student, but now I am running hard for world evangelization.
Do not be deceived. Even when I was studying theology, I was the most incapable student. I entered into this covenant, and now I am still running hard for world evangelization.
3. It was a life of the greatest persecution, but I have come to stand in the place of world evangelization.
Do not be deceived. It was a life of the greatest persecution, but here we are, together with the missionaries sitting here now and people like these, in a place where we can carry out world evangelization together. Right? Isn’t that enough? What else could we possibly need?
Hosanna—what a tremendous word. May all the missionaries, all the members who are praying, receive great grace this week, in the name of the Lord Jesus. Let us pray.
Prayer. We give thanks to God. We thank You for letting us enjoy the blessing of hosanna. May it be delivered to America and to the whole world. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.