Sunday 1st Service / Title/Scripture: The Lineage of the Covenant (Matthew 1:17) / Speaker: Pastor Ryu Kwang-su / Date/Location: December 26, 2021, Immanuel Seoul Church
Matthew 1:17
So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Summary
▣ Introduction
1. The genealogy from Abraham to when Christ came – no matter what happened, the person who held this covenant survived. From Abraham to David, 14 generations; from David to the Babylonian captivity, 14 generations; from returning from Babylon until Christ came, 14 generations.
2. The people who entered into this line of covenant – it is a miracle that you are in this line of covenant.
1) Rahab, who was a prostitute – became the grandmother of King David.
2) Ruth, a foreign woman – met Boaz in Israel and accomplished a great work of God.
3) This secret of salvation brings about a great work even without the person knowing it.
3. You who are going through difficulties, you who are new members, what covenant must you hold on to?
1) Abraham (“Leave Chaldea”) – a witness who removes the curse from the family line. God has called you entirely as a witness to remove the curse from the family line.
2) David (“14 generations to David”) – a witness who blocks the curse on the church. David was the first to complete the temple, a witness who completely blocked the curse on the church.
3) The Remnants of Babylon – witnesses who block the curse on future generations. Even those taken captive to Babylon survived if they held the covenant. He has called you as witnesses to block the curse on future generations.
4) The early church – witnesses who block the curse of the age. He called them entirely as the early church that blocks the curse of the age.
▣ Main_ You must stand in three lines.
1. God has placed me in the line of the originator through whom He shines His light. He has called me as the originator of the gospel.
1) Abraham – Leave Chaldea, which was given to idolatry and headed for ruin. Go to the land I will show you. He spoke of 5 blessings.
(1) Covenantal blessing – “Go to the land I will show you.”
(2) Foundational blessing – “You shall be a source of blessing.”
(3) Representative blessing – “Through you”
(4) Monumental blessing – “All nations will be blessed.”
(5) Irresistible blessing – “Absolutely no one will be able to overcome you.”
2) Jochebed – through Moses, she saved a nation.
3) David – God blocked many wars through David.
2. He has placed you in the line of witnesses who save the family line and completely transform it.
1) When you pray, the Triune God works through the Spirit – you who are saved through Christ, from now on when you pray, the Triune God is set to work through the Spirit invisibly and give you power.
2) When you pray, He works through the 9 blessings of the heavenly throne – He has established that when you hold this covenant and pray, He works through the 9 blessings of the heavenly throne.
3) When you pray, He has prepared answers that will save 3 ages – when you pray, God has prepared answers that will save 3 ages.
3. God has called me as a witness to save future generations and the future (Matthew 1:17).
▷ Matthew 1:17 (14 generations, 14 generations, 14 generations) – it speaks of the whole of Israel.
1) Overcoming Egypt is the gospel – even though it seems like you are going through difficulties, overcoming Egypt is the gospel.
2) Overcoming the Philistines is the gospel – even though it seems like you are going through difficulties, completely overcoming the nation of the Philistines is the gospel.
3) Overcoming Babylon, Assyria, and Rome is the gospel – even though it seems like you are going through difficulties, overcoming Babylon, Assyria, and Rome too is the gospel.
▷ The prayer of one saved person surpasses all imagination. In any work of history, testimony has come forth.
▷ Where am I? I must check. If I am within the unfolding of God’s work, there is nothing more to be thankful for than that. Paul was genuinely thankful because being in prison was an opportunity to testify of this gospel to the Jews and an opportunity to preach the gospel to the Roman emperor.
▣ Conclusion_ Save those who have fallen into darkness and lost their way.
1. Great powers – the great powers are devouring the whole world, completely fallen into darkness. Go there and prove this covenant.
2. People fallen into idolatry – many people are dying, fallen into the path of destruction, into idolatry. He has sent you there to prove the power of God.
3. Who am I?
1) God has called me as the originator of the gospel. No help needed.
2) He has called me as a witness to save my family line.
3) He has called me as a witness to save the world and future generations.
▷ The Bible is a book of testimony. History has testified to it. It has been summarized and explained in Matthew chapter 1. Hold on to the certain testimony.
Transcript
The generation before us could not even marry freely. There was a young woman in Busan who believed in Jesus well. One day her father met a friend and said, “Marry that man’s son.” She had never even seen his face, yet she was told, “Get married.” That was how parents were in those days. So she went to live with her husband’s family, and they were completely a Buddhist household. From that point on, she kept praying. ‘I need to go to church, I need to worship…’ she kept praying. So she finally gathered her courage. She took out the Bible she had been keeping and went to church. You know, it seems spiritual things are fearsome. Her father-in-law was not that kind of person, but simply because she went to church, he struck his daughter-in-law with a stick. Now her husband saw this and was beside himself. “Why did you go to a church you never used to go to?” That is what the husband said. “The truth is I am a daughter of God, and I have merely come to live here. I must go to church.” “But with my father reacting like that, can we afford for our family to be ruined? Can’t you just be the one to not go?” That is what he said. “Because I am a saved daughter of God, I must go.” That is what she said. The husband was so furious that he came home completely drunk, to the point he could barely walk. He put down a knife. “Either you stop going to church, or we both die here, one of the two.” That is what he said. Since he was very drunk, he could do something strange. But she was not afraid at all. “It is not that I should stop going to church – it is that you and all our family need to go to church. Stop suffering so much because of this idolatry and receive salvation.” At that, the husband just stabbed the knife into the floor and stormed out. From that point on, since she had to cook rice, she prayed even as she served the rice. The time of serving rice was the time she prayed for each family member one by one. She has since passed away. I mentioned it before. To give the conclusion first: that father-in-law who used to beat her with a stick became an elder. The husband who used to stop her from going to church also became an elder. That father-in-law, until the day he died, went to Busan’s Yongdusan Park every single day without fail and did evangelism. He even kept a list of those he had evangelized. He told me: “Because of my daughter-in-law, our family has received salvation. I did not know – I became a wicked sinner and persecuted her. Until the day I call upon God, I will preach this gospel.” He has since passed away, and in those days if you went to the park he was there every day.
▣ Introduction
Today, even now across our nation and the world in the field, there are new members. And there are also those among you who are going through difficulties. Today we are talking about an extraordinary secret here. We are going through the entire genealogy from Abraham to when Christ came.
1. The genealogy from Abraham to when Christ came – no matter what happened, the person who held this covenant survived.
From Abraham to David, 14 generations. From David to the Babylonian captivity, 14 generations. From returning from Babylon to when Christ came, 14 generations. What is this? It is speaking of history. To Egypt, to Babylon, to Rome – no matter what happened, the person who held this covenant survived. It is something like a miracle.
2. The people who entered into this line of covenant – it is a miracle that you are in this line of covenant.
You know, the fact that you are in this line of covenant – it is a miracle. You do not know what will happen going forward. Among them, a few particularly remarkable figures appear.
1) Rahab, who was a prostitute – became the grandmother of King David.
She entered into the line of the covenant, and this woman named Rahab was a prostitute. She went to Israel, and from among the sons and descendants of Rahab came King David. She was once a lowly prostitute, but she completely became the grandmother of the king.
2) Ruth, a foreign woman – met Boaz in Israel and accomplished a great work of God.
Another remarkable figure appears. It is Ruth, Ruth. That foreign woman, you see, met Boaz in Israel and came to accomplish a great work of God.
3) This secret of salvation brings about a great work even without the person knowing it.
This secret of salvation brings about a great work to the extent that even the person themselves does not know it.
3. You who are going through difficulties, you who are new members, what covenant must you hold on to?
So here, from Abraham to David, it went like this.
1) Abraham (“Leave Chaldea”) – a witness who removes the curse from the family line.
What was it in Abraham’s time? You who are going through difficulties today, or perhaps you who are new members – what covenant did you hold? God said to Abraham, “Leave Chaldea.” Why has God called you? He has called you entirely as a witness to remove the curse from the family line. You must certainly remember this.
2) David (“14 generations to David”) – a witness who blocks the curse on the church.
“14 generations to David.” That is how it appeared. Do you know who David was? He was the first to complete the temple – a witness who completely blocked the curse on the church.
3) The Remnants of Babylon – witnesses who block the curse on future generations.
Here Babylon appears. What is Babylon? Even though they were taken captive to Babylon, those who held the covenant survived – that is the point. As you know, look at Daniel and his friends. Look at Esther. What does this mean? What you must hold on to now is this: God has called you as a witness to block the curse on future generations through you. Members, you must certainly remember this. And our new members must remember this. And those who are perhaps going through difficulties must remember this.
4) The early church – witnesses who block the curse of the age.
And so God called them entirely as the early church that blocks the curse of the age.
▣ Main_ You must stand in three lines.
Looking at this passage, you need to stand in three lines today.
1. God has placed me in the line of the originator through whom He shines His light. He has called me as the originator of the gospel.
This is the first. I stand in the line of the originator through whom God shines His light.
1) Abraham
God spoke to Abraham. “Leave Chaldea, which was given to idolatry and headed for ruin. Go to the land I will show you.” And then He spoke of 5 blessings.
(1) Covenantal blessing
“Go to the land I will show you.” What is it? The covenantal blessing.
(2) Foundational blessing
“You shall be a source of blessing.” Through you. The foundational blessing.
(3) Representative blessing
“Through you.” The representative blessing.
(4) Monumental blessing
“All nations will be blessed.” The monumental blessing.
(5) Irresistible blessing
“Absolutely no one will be able to overcome you.” The irresistible blessing. Through you. You must believe it. The reason He called you is that He called you as the originator of blessing.
Did I not give this testimony before? In Australia, you see, the Mackenzie family went to Vanuatu and then came to Korea to do missions. In Korea back in those days, they came to Busan. Because women were dying in childbirth, the very first thing they established was ‘Ilsin Women’s Hospital.’ It is still there today. It is called ‘Ilsin Christian Hospital.’ On the hill above it, they built a church. They established a church called ‘Ilsin Church.’ Our family attended there. Is that not remarkable? That we went to a church built by foreigners, on that hillside neighborhood – that is where we went. That is where our mother began to believe in Jesus. And in our family, our maternal uncle began to believe in Jesus. What was the result? We are now going to that country to preach the gospel, you see? That Mackenzie missionary was Australian. Now we are going to Australia to preach the gospel. You must certainly remember this. You are a witness who has received the blessing of the originator. You stand in that line.
2) Jochebed
Jochebed, knowing this, saved a nation through Moses.
3) David
Here now, David appeared, and God blocked many wars through David. You must always remember this. The first reason God called me is that He called me as the originator who saves the gospel family line.
2. He has placed you in the line of witnesses who save the family line and completely transform it.
This is the second. You must certainly remember it. The reason He called you is that He placed you in the important line of witnesses who save the family line. It is not only the blessing of the originator. You stand in the line of witnesses who completely transform the family line. How do you transform it? You must start from now.
1) When you pray, the Triune God works through the Spirit.
You who are saved through Christ – from now on when you pray, the Triune God is set to work through the Spirit invisibly and give you power. That woman prayed while serving rice, and a work happened in her family, did it not?
2) When you pray, He works through the 9 blessings of the heavenly throne.
When you begin to hold this covenant and pray, God has established you as a kind of witness – one through whom the 9 blessings of the heavenly throne work.
3) When you pray, He has prepared answers that will save 3 ages.
Pray from today. When you pray, God has prepared answers that will save 3 ages. God has called me as the originator of faith. Always remember: God has called me as a witness to save the family line.
3. God has called me as a witness to save future generations and the future (Matthew 1:17).
This is the third. God has called me as a witness to save future generations and the future. Here is the evidence. Now, 14 generations, 14 generations, 14 generations – how many years is that? It is speaking of the whole of Israel.
1) Overcoming Egypt is the gospel.
Even though you feel like you are going through difficulties right now, overcoming Egypt is the gospel.
2) Overcoming the Philistines is the gospel.
Even though it seems like you are going through difficulties right now, completely overcoming the nation of the Philistines is the gospel.
3) Overcoming Babylon, Assyria, and Rome is the gospel.
Even though it seems like you are going through difficulties, overcoming Babylon, Assyria, and Rome too is the gospel.
You are a witness to save future generations. We are explaining three things. As we speak of the secret of Christ that runs through this genealogy, those who know it see three things. He called us as the originator; He called us to save the family line; He called us to save future generations and the future. How remarkable a thing is this? If you hold this covenant and pray, answers will come.
So then my maternal uncle came to believe in Jesus – he believed from when he was a student. My maternal uncle is still alive. He is a person who is far more handsome and much more educated than I am, doing a great gospel movement. He is someone who evangelizes the entire world.
Through his first and second year of high school, he used to hide his Bible and go to church. Because of all the opposition. One day a strong impression came to his heart. ‘Can I keep hiding it instead of evangelizing my mother?’ He finished the worship service and took his Bible and went straight to the house. His grandmother was a fearsome grandmother, somewhat like a shaman – when she saw it she said, “What is that?” He opened the Bible – the cover was red. “What is that?” “What, can’t you tell by looking? It’s a Bible.” “Are you going to church?” “I am.” “Since when did you go?” “I’ve already been going. Did you only find out now?” He was afraid. The grandmother immediately grabbed him by the collar and dragged him, saying, “Let’s go to the pastor.” “How dare you lure away someone else’s son…” She was dragging him to the church. That grandmother was extremely strong. She could fight a man and win. At that point, our uncle said: “I can do anything for my mother. There is one thing I cannot do.” “What is it?” “I am a child of God – I cannot abandon this and tell my mother that I love her without believing in God. That is not something I can do. It is not I who must stop – it is my mother who must stop. My mother must come to church. This one thing I cannot do. I am a saved child of God.” The grandmother was beside herself. She could not get through to him by words, you see? From that point on, earnest prayer began. So he thought, ‘I need to leave home for a while.’ He found what he thought was the best solution and entered the Air Force Academy. If he went there he could leave home, you see? There he prayed intensely.
He prayed while training at the Academy. He prayed even after becoming a soldier. ‘Yes, I need to become a pastor.’ When he tried to go to seminary, it turned out that no one from the Academy had ever gone to seminary. Our uncle was the first. He became a pastor. So he preached the gospel intensely in the military and everywhere he went, and his rank rose, and so on.
One day when he was attending to the President, a brief time was set aside for a message. This was during the time of President Park Chung-hee. They told him, “Don’t talk about Jesus, don’t talk about Christ – speak only about the nation. Just say things to bless the country.” “Understood.” Our uncle went out and immediately began talking about Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ who delivered our nation. Christ through whom our nation must evangelize the world. Christ who saves and blesses our nation. He kept talking only about Christ, it is said.
When it was all over, as he came out he shook hands, you see? The President shook his hand and said, “Ha, today I heard such precious words.” At that moment when they shook hands, he was about to say, ‘Mr. President, if you do not believe in Jesus you will go to hell,’ but he stopped himself. Through all of this, our grandmother completely received the gospel and was transformed.
▷ The prayer of one saved person surpasses all imagination.
The prayer of one person among you – a saved person – surpasses all imagination. In any work of history, testimony has come forth.
▷ Where am I? I must check.
Where am I? I must check. If I am within the unfolding of God’s work, there is nothing more to be thankful for than that. Do you know why Paul was thankful? It was not that he was thankful to be in prison – being in prison was an opportunity to testify of this gospel to the Jews, an opportunity to preach the gospel to the Roman emperor. That is why he went to prison. He was thankful, genuinely. His thankfulness was not mere thankfulness. If you are within God’s amazing work, that is true thankfulness.
▣ Conclusion_ Save those who have fallen into darkness and lost their way.
Now, let me draw this to a close. This is something you must always know.
1. Great powers – the great powers are devouring the whole world, completely fallen into darkness. Go there and prove this covenant.
Why was it from Egypt to Babylon, to Rome, like that? It is to save those who have fallen into darkness and lost their way. The great powers are devouring the whole world – they are completely fallen into darkness. That is right, is it not? Ultimately, they were destroyed. Go there and prove this covenant.
2. People fallen into idolatry – many people are dying, fallen into the path of destruction, into idolatry. He has sent you there to prove the power of God.
Many people are going down the path of destruction. They are dying, fallen into idolatry.
From my perspective, the most convenient country in the world, among those I have visited, is Japan. When you actually live there it is the most convenient. What would happen if the idol culture of that nation were broken down? They do not know. Because of the idol culture, spiritual problems have come upon the whole nation.
The more you look, the more enormous America is – but right now it is completely fallen into calamity because of three groups. Our Remnants – when you go to America or Europe, absolutely do not be deceived by friends who do drugs. They are completely fallen into drugs. Do not be deceived. For our Remnants, I want you to know that the methods of giving drugs are various. They even make them into snacks. You will be deceived. It will be a disaster. They are completely fallen into darkness and have lost their way. He has sent you there to prove the power of God. You must firmly hold this covenant.
3. Who am I?
Today, who are you? Always remember this.
1) The originator of the gospel.
God has called me as the originator of the gospel. No help needed. He has called you as the originator. You must remember this.
2) A witness who saves the family line.
He has called you as a witness to save the family line.
3) A witness who saves the world and future generations.
He has called you as a witness to save the world and future generations.
▷ The Bible is a book of testimony. History has testified to it. It has been summarized and explained in Matthew chapter 1. Hold on to the certain testimony.
Pastor Kim Dae-yong, whom we have been doing evangelism together with for a long time – his family is now going far out to the Ganghwa area to start there. They must go with the same mindset and do it. In that area, around Yeongjongdo, there are almost no churches preaching the gospel. Always remember – no other help is needed. I am the originator through whom God works. Going there to be a witness who transforms the family lines of the disciples living there and transforms future generations – this is the book of testimony. History has testified to it. That is what has been summarized and explained right here in chapter 1. There is nothing more than this. Hold firmly to the certain testimony. I bless you in the name of the Lord Jesus that today will be a day of blessing in which believers across the nation and the world receive strength. Let us pray.
Prayer. Lord, please let us know the secret of the gospel. Without the gospel, the whole world has fallen into calamity. Even churches are not preaching the gospel and are teaching the things of the world. Please let us become witnesses who save those who are dying in darkness through the gospel alone. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.