Sunday 1st Service
Title/Scripture: The Kingdom of God (Matthew 12:22-29)
Speaker: Pastor Ryu Gwang-su
Date/Location: March 13, 2022, Immanuel Seoul Church
Matthew 12:22-29
22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.
23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?
27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.
28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.”
Summary
▣ Introduction
1. No matter what worry you have, if you enjoy the answer called ‘the kingdom of God,’ it will be resolved.
1) Crosby – Though he became blind, he held on to the covenant of Christ and prayed, and received an answer no one else could receive.
2) The early church – When they were in crisis they prayed, and at that moment God took away King Herod.
3) The evangelist’s confession – From the time he came to understand what prayer was, answers began to come. While going to the Anchang Village entrusted to him by the church, he discovered the reason and content for lifelong evangelism (confirmed 6 conditions of unbelievers).
2. The reason for the kingdom of God – the reality of the field
1) America – There are many mentally ill people on the streets and much drug use. Children have spiritual problems but people don’t know it.
2) Criminals, depression patients – There are many who commit crimes without even knowing it, and many depression patients.
3) Japan – There are far too many people with mental problems and with no one to help them, they commit suicide.
4) Korea – There are 300,000 shamans in Korea alone.
3. Jesus healing the demon-possessed man who was blind and mute (verses 22-29)
1) The Pharisees said Jesus was the king of demons. The crowds were amazed and asked whether he was the Son of David (verses 23-24). This Pharisee-type church cannot save the world.
2) “If a demon-possessed man drives out demons, is it not demons fighting among themselves? Can you carry off possessions from a house without first tying up the strong man? If the Holy Spirit comes and Satan is bound, the kingdom of God has come.” (verses 25-29) This is what Jesus said.
3) “If you cannot understand this, you have nothing to do with God (me). Therefore the greatest sin is not knowing God and blaspheming the Holy Spirit.” (verses 30-32) He spoke of the essence of sin.
4) “They cleaned the house to drive out demons, but later seven demons came in and it became worse.” (verses 43-45) Because the people of the world have no answer, if they do shamanic rituals and fortune-telling and struggle like that, it becomes worse and worse.
▣ Main – The Kingdom of God
Today, as you hold on to the covenant of the kingdom of God during the worship service and prayer time, the answer follows after. If you are too sorrowful and frustrated, you will not collapse immediately, but if you remain in that state you will surely face ruin. That is why it says “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances.”
1. The moment you meet Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God comes.
1) The moment you hold the covenant of Christ and experience Christ, the work of the Triune God begins to happen.
2) When the work of the Triune God happens, the blessing of the throne comes upon you.
3) When the kingdom of God comes, fundamental healing takes place.
2. When you hold on to the word that Christ gives and pray, “When the Holy Spirit works and Satan is bound, the kingdom of God has come.”
1) This person is finished the moment they meet Christ.
2) When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, this darkness is completely bound.
3) Then the spiritual sickness disappears.
3. When you accurately and firmly hold on to the covenant word that Christ gave and begin to pray, works happen.
▷ Works happen even before you go anywhere. This is the kingdom of God. Satan is brought completely to his knees.
1) Moses (Exodus 14:10-20) – Moses, who held firmly to the word God gave him and went before the Red Sea, said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and see the salvation the Lord will perform for you today.” When holding the covenant and going forward, “the angel of the Lord went before Moses, and the angel of the Lord went behind Moses” (Exodus 14:19). This is the kingdom of God.
2) David (Psalms 103:20-22)
(1) “You mighty angels who carry out his word, praise the Lord.” – That is why you hold the word accurately. And then pray.
(2) “You heavenly armies who do his will” – This is the reason you worship. When you hold on to God’s word and will, God sends his heavenly armies.
(3) “You who are in all places where the Lord reigns (heavenly armies, angels), praise the Lord.”
3) King Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:35) – He notified Assyria that he would not pay taxes, and 185,000 Assyrian soldiers came against Israel. King Hezekiah went into the temple, faced the wall, and prayed through the night. The night that King Hezekiah prayed, God sent his angel and simultaneously took away all 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Looking at that, we call it ‘the kingdom of God.’
4) The early church (Acts 12:1-23) – The church leaders who had seized and killed the apostles and taken Peter prisoner gathered that very night and prayed through the night. That night, “an angel of the Lord struck him, and Herod was eaten by worms and died.” (Acts 12:23)
▣ Conclusion – Hold the covenant, pray enjoying the kingdom of God coming upon you.
1. Prayer is traveling to the throne.
2. Prayer is moving the spiritual world.
3. God’s answer
1) He opens the door of world evangelism. – I prayed that the kingdom of God would come upon me and that I would be able to share it, and God opened the doors of the world. You must believe.
2) The moment you hold the covenant and pray, God sends his army to your places of work.
▷ Do not give up. Keep praying until God’s work happens in me.
3) If you keep worrying and being anxious, darkness will surely come later. If you are holding the covenant and praying to enjoy the kingdom of God, works will surely happen.
Transcript
▣ Introduction
1. No matter what worry you have, if you enjoy the answer called ‘the kingdom of God,’ it will be resolved.
1) Crosby
There was a person called Crosby who as a child received eye drops from a quack doctor and became blind. From that time on, he held on to the covenant of Christ and prayed. And yet Crosby received an answer that no one else could receive. Looking at that, we call it ‘the kingdom of God.’ No matter what worry you have, it is alright. If you enjoy this answer called ‘the kingdom of God,’ it is set up so that it will be resolved. Today, while you are worshipping, God is answering at your field.
2) The early church
The early church was facing a tremendous crisis and was praying. At that moment, God took King Herod away. The Bible records, “An angel of the Lord struck him, and he was eaten by worms and died.”
3) The evangelist’s confession
Jesus spoke a very important word today. In the past, I actually couldn’t receive answers to prayer and didn’t even know what prayer was. Today, as Jesus said, I came to understand what prayer is. From that point on, answers began to come.
When I was an associate pastor, the church looked at me and said, “Take charge of this region.” It is still there now in Busan — a place called Anchang Village. Only shamans live there. And people with no homes come up and pitch tents and live there. It is a place where people with no power at all gather. The church was telling me to take charge of that region. I kept going up there. I saw something great. I also discovered the reason why I must evangelize for life. And I discovered the content too. There I confirmed six conditions of unbelievers. How astonishing it was. And that is when world evangelism began.
2. The reason for the kingdom of God – the reality of the field
1) America
Now, an evangelism movement is happening everywhere and the door of world evangelism has opened. So I went to America. When I went to America, there were so many mentally ill people on the streets. Beyond that, they do drugs like that. So many. So our Remnants, when they go abroad, must not walk alone at night. It is that dangerous.
Our interpreter, Esther, Pastor Park Seong-jin’s daughter is studying in America now and is doing well. She told her mom this: “When I grow up and get married and raise children, I will not raise them in America but in Korea.” That is what she said. She has now opened her spiritual eyes and is seeing the field. America — there are spiritual problems with all the children. People don’t know it.
2) Criminals, depression patients
You know there are many people who sin and go to prison. When I did evangelism in prison, that person told me that no matter how hard he tried not to do bad things, he couldn’t help himself. In Korea, about 30 percent of people receive medical help for depression. Well, statistics show about 17% but apparently in reality it is much more than that, far too many.
3) Japan
When I went to nearby Japan, on the streets there were people wandering around in mental distress, or singing, so many. They struggle and struggle and there is no one to help them so they commit suicide.
4) Korea
In Korea alone there are 300,000 shamans.
3. Jesus healing the demon-possessed man who was blind and mute (verses 22-29)
Today, Jesus healed a man who could not see, could not hear, and was demon-possessed. Now, wouldn’t a person with a demon-possessed illness act very strangely? So their eyes don’t see. Try to imagine it. ‘Cannot speak.’ Doesn’t this mean they cannot hear? They cannot hear what others say. So try imagining that scene. Making strange sounds, stammering, crying out loudly — that’s what it would have been like, right? Not knowing how to speak, they would have made all kinds of strange sounds. If that person were your child, what would you feel? Or someone in your family is like that, I mean. What would you do? This is what Jesus healed.
1) The Pharisees said Jesus was the king of demons. The crowds were amazed and said he must be the Son of David (verses 23-24).
Then these Pharisees, looking at Jesus, said something like, “That person must be the king of the demons.” “Otherwise how could he drive out demons like that?” That is what they said. Jesus gave his answer. And on the other side, someone said, “Oh!” — startled — “This person is truly the Son of David.” That kind of person was there too. Today’s text said that. They were startled, saying isn’t this the Son of David. It was all useless. Being surprised and then — gone. The Pharisees said Jesus was a demon-possessed man. This Pharisee-type church cannot save the world. As you know, there are many churches in America today, but they cannot save such people. Because today you must hold on to the word of God.
2) “If a demon-possessed man drives out demons, is it not demons fighting among themselves? Can you carry off the possessions of a house without first tying up the strong man? If the Holy Spirit comes and Satan is bound, the kingdom of God has come.” (verses 25-29)
Jesus answered simply like this. “If I am a demon-possessed person, and I drive out demons, isn’t it demons fighting among themselves? Does that make sense?” He said that. “Without tying up the strong man in your house” — he used the analogy of a robber. “Without tying up the strong man, can you take the possessions of that house? When the Holy Spirit comes and Satan is bound, the kingdom of God has come.” Jesus said that.
3) “If you cannot understand this, you have nothing to do with God (me). Therefore the greatest sin is not knowing God and blaspheming the Holy Spirit.” (verses 30-32)
So if you read through verses 29 and 30, “If you cannot understand this, you have nothing to do with me.” He said that. “You have nothing to do with God.” That is a frightening word. So, “Do you know what the greatest sin is? It is not knowing God and blaspheming the Holy Spirit.” That right there is the very essence of sin.
4) “They cleaned the house to drive out demons, but later seven demons came in and it became worse.” (verses 43-45)
And then he said this. To drive out demons, much cleansing and cleaning was done, and yet later seven demons came in. It became worse. Because the people of the world have no answer, if you do a shamanic ritual you then have to do a bigger one, right? If you do fortune-telling and all these different kinds of struggling, it becomes worse and worse and worse.
▣ Main – The Kingdom of God
Today as you hold on to this covenant, the word is ‘the kingdom of God.’ Now, when the kingdom of God comes, what happens? You must always remember this. Today during worship and prayer time you hold on to the covenant of the kingdom of God, but the answer follows after it. You must always remember this. Today, you are not going to collapse immediately even if you are very sorrowful and frustrated, right? But if you remain in that state, ruin will surely follow. That is why it says, “Rejoice. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances.”
1. The moment you meet Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God comes.
This is the first point. The moment you meet Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God comes.
1) The moment you hold the covenant of Christ and experience Christ, the work of the Triune God begins to happen.
The moment you hold the covenant and experience Christ, the work of the Triune God — it is set up to happen.
2) When the work of the Triune God happens, the blessing of the throne comes upon you.
When the work of the Triune God happens, the blessing of the throne comes. That is the kingdom of God.
3) When the kingdom of God comes, fundamental healing takes place.
Jesus explained today. When the kingdom of God comes, fundamental healing takes place. Do not be discouraged. That is the first point. Because Christ comes with power and the kingdom of God comes, fundamental healing happens. Struggling around doesn’t do it. The root is healed.
Someone who was suffering mentally sent me a text message. “Pastor, I am struggling mentally — what can I do to get better?” they asked. I answered them simply like this. They will probably hear my message now. “Since you know that, if you pray, you will get better.” I said that. Because in the past I would not have said such a thing. I have no mental issues, but others were saying I was strange. Right? Everyone, there is nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to fear. “Oh, I have this kind of problem?” Start praying. Most people are lying, aren’t they? When the kingdom of God comes, you are fundamentally healed.
I told you before. There are so many people who suffer so spiritually. A girl who had just graduated from high school — her mind went strange. Her mother was lying. Saying that it started when the girl started going to church. “Really? Did it suddenly happen like that? Did it start when she started going to church?” That is what she was saying. I am good at checking things like that. When I checked with the school, she had been hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital twice in high school. They lie like that, you see? So I told the girl, “Don’t worry. Until when will you really keep praying? Until God’s power comes upon you and it disappears — that’s how long.” So I just wrote out the Bible passages related to that, right? It wasn’t because of me, was it? Works happened. The moment you experience Christ, the root disappears. Well, it would be complicated for us to heal that person, right? Jesus healed it simply.
2. When you hold on to the word that Christ gives and pray, “When the Holy Spirit works and Satan is bound, the kingdom of God has come.”
This is the second point. When you hold on to the word that Christ gives and pray — when the Holy Spirit works and Satan is bound, the kingdom of God has come. The moment you were saved, that was done and finished, in truth. Right?
1) This person is finished the moment they meet Christ.
This person is finished the moment they meet Christ. Jesus simply drove out that demon.
2) When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, this darkness is completely bound.
When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, this darkness is completely bound. That is the second point.
3) Then the spiritual sickness disappears.
The moment you experience Christ, as the root is healed, when the Holy Spirit truly comes and darkness is bound, this spiritual sickness disappears. You must always remember this.
3. When you accurately and firmly hold on to the covenant word that Christ gave and begin to pray, works happen.
This is the third and most important point. When you firmly hold on to the word, the covenant that Christ gave, and begin to pray, works happen completely. Try experiencing it. When you hold accurately on to the covenant word that Christ gave, works happen even before you go anywhere. This is the kingdom of God. There are earthly kingdoms, but the earthly kingdom and the kingdom of God are different. Satan is brought completely to his knees.
1) Moses (Exodus 14:10-20)
Moses came before the Red Sea leading the people of Israel, didn’t he. He didn’t just come on his own — God had told Moses to lead the people of Israel to the Red Sea. God had said he would let them cross. Holding firmly on to that word, he went before the Red Sea. The people of Israel were so fearful and complaining. Then Moses said this: “Our people of Israel, do not be afraid. See the salvation the Lord performs today. Stand still and see the salvation the Lord performs.” Do you know why? How could Moses speak so boldly? Because God had given him the word before. Holding that covenant and going forward, in Exodus chapter 14 verse 19, after crossing the Red Sea, “The angel of the Lord went before Moses, and the angel of the Lord went behind Moses.” This is the kingdom of God for you.
2) David (Psalms 103:20-22)
David, who received the most answers, said this.
(1) “You mighty angels who carry out his word, praise the Lord.”
“You mighty angels who carry out his word, praise the Lord.” They carry out the word. So you hold on to the word accurately. Hold on to that and try praying first.
(2) “You heavenly armies who do his will”
And what did David pray? “O Lord, you heavenly armies who do your will” — he said that. That is tremendous. The reason you worship is right there. When you hold on to God’s word and will, God sends his heavenly armies — he said that.
(3) “You who are in all places where the Lord reigns (heavenly armies, angels), praise the Lord.”
And what else did he say? “You who are in all places where the Lord reigns” — he said that. That means “you heavenly armies and angels, praise the Lord.”
3) King Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:35)
Everyone, what did King Hezekiah do the very moment he became king? He contacted Assyria. Assyria was a strange nation, but he contacted them. “Until now, our father paid tribute to your nation, but since I am newly made king, starting today I will not pay.” He said that. Isn’t that right? Why should Assyria collect taxes? “I will not send it” — that is what he declared. The Assyrian army, 185,000 soldiers, marched against Israel. King Hezekiah must have been dumbfounded. The Bible says, “King Hezekiah went into the temple and faced the wall.” Why look at a wall? Do you need to look only at people? “Facing the wall.” He prayed through the night. The Bible records it this way. “That night” — it says that. In 2 Kings chapter 19 verse 35 it says “that night.” “The night King Hezekiah was praying” — that is what it means. “At that very moment.” God sent his angel and simultaneously took away all 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Everyone, what do you call that? The kingdom of God. I urge you to hold tightly on to this covenant today.
4) The early church (Acts 12:1-23)
The early church was falsely accused of heresy. The apostles were arrested and killed. Peter was taken away. That very night, the church leaders gathered and prayed through the night. The Bible records it this way. In Acts chapter 12 verse 25, “That night an angel of the Lord struck him, and King Herod was eaten by worms and died.” There was no need to send an army. We were all called by God through his angel when we were called, weren’t we? When God calls, it is finished. Hold tightly on to this covenant today, everyone. Try it.
▣ Conclusion – Hold the covenant, pray enjoying the kingdom of God coming upon you.
I held this covenant and started praying before meeting you all. I mentioned it last week — Korea’s top theologian asked me a question. He asked it in front of many people. “Why does Pastor Ryu Gwang-su talk about angels?” he asked. He is Korea’s top theologian. I was utterly dumbfounded and said, “It is in the Bible.” And then he made a mistake, saying, “It is not in the New Testament.” So while praying for me, at that public hearing where people were seated just like you, a certain pastor raised his hand and said, “It is written in the New Testament like this and like that — why do you say that?” I just didn’t answer. People who don’t believe in God cannot believe the Bible, right? How can they believe in the work of the Holy Spirit which cannot be seen? So how can they believe in the work of evil spirits? How can they believe in the activity of the Lord’s angels? They cannot even believe there is a soul within them. They cannot believe there is a mind within their head.
When I did evangelism at a military base, a middle-aged staff sergeant looked at me and said, “Where is God?” He was mocking me. “Give me his address,” he said. I asked him right back, “Staff sergeant, where is your mind? Show it to me.” I said that. “Even if you say the staff sergeant doesn’t exist, he still exists,” I said. “If that mind leaves or goes crazy, you become a mental patient.” That is what I said. He didn’t believe it. So then, “Well, let’s just pray.” No. It is not “let’s just pray.”
1. Prayer is traveling to the throne.
Prayer is traveling to the throne.
2. Prayer is moving the spiritual world.
Prayer is moving the spiritual world. Hold the covenant and pray, I tell you.
3. God’s answer
I started praying and how did God answer? Later — it happens.
1) He opens the door of world evangelism.
He opened wide the door of world evangelism. I just prayed for the kingdom of God to come upon me — I didn’t even ask for it — God protected my health too. I prayed for the kingdom of God to come upon me and to be able to share it, and God opened the doors of the world. You must believe.
2) The moment you hold the covenant and pray, God sends his army to your places of work.
The moment you hold the covenant and pray today, God is surely sending his army to your places of work. Don’t believe it? You must believe. Do not give up. Saying don’t give up doesn’t mean keep going to the end — it means keep going until God’s work happens in me. That is what I mean.
3) If you keep worrying and being anxious, darkness will surely come later. If you are holding the covenant and praying to enjoy the kingdom of God, works will surely happen.
So that is why it says “do not worry.” If you keep worrying and being anxious, you won’t collapse immediately, but darkness will surely find you later. Right? If I am holding the covenant and praying to enjoy the kingdom of God, works will surely happen. I bless you in the name of the Lord Jesus to begin with this covenant from today through this coming week.
Let us pray.
Prayer. Thank you, God. Please do not let us miss what you have promised. Jesus called us to Mt Olive and explained the things of the kingdom of God. Please let it become our covenant. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.