Introduction:
As we prepare for our retirement commissioning and installation ceremony, we need to understand the spiritual significance. The world says when you retire, you get old fast. We are not just making Pastor Cho as a missionary for the sake of retirement, but for God’s greater vision of saving the 237 nations.. Abraham began his ministry at 80 years old. This is the turning point of our church. Therefore, we need to be awake and alert spiritually and pray for our church.
When can we see God’s works take place in our church? There are so many people who judge a church on its size, but God looks for something else: the few remnants who can change the South Jersey and Philly area. Understand how important this gospel, our calling and this moment is and that we are the most blessed in Jesus Christ.
We can look to the Antioch church as a model for answers. Unlike the Mark’s upper room church, who were stuck in only the Jewish people, the few that God gathered there understood the spiritual truth and were concluded in only Jesus. They received God’s grace not just on Sundays but every day. Joseph, for example, enjoyed Immanuel every day, when he was sold as a slave, when he was falsely accused and imprisoned and when he was governor. We need to make Jesus our only source of hope and strength every day. God has called us to enjoy being with God and his grace every day to fulfill his purpose of giving God glory and world evangelism.
1.The moment we discover God’s plan
In today’s passage, Jesus’ disciples gathered to meet Jesus after he resurrected. Jesus in his ministry had walked on the water, opened the eyes of the blind, and fed 5,000 people, yet the disciples scattered when Jesus was nailed on the cross and they were still tied down in their disbelief, despite experiencing the power of Jesus. We are just like those disciples who were filled with disbelief. We have received the complete answer of Jesus Christ but we still doubt.
However, in today’s scripture reading, their lives completely change because they discover God’s plan for them. There are few records on how the disciples died, but we can see they died for the gospel. Apostle Paul once persecuted Christians but his life turned completely upside down when he met Jesus Christ and realized God’s plan for him. In that same way, when we realize God’s plan for us to stand as living witnesses, spiritual ambassadors and watchmen, our lives will completely change like disciples and Paul’s lives did.
When we discover God’s plan, everything in our lives will come to focus and fall into place.
2. When we rise with God’s power
When we hold on to God’s power, God’s work begins to take place. With our own strength, we can’t save our family, our region or our country, but God’s power is so great and can change the world. We need to restore that faith in Almighty God. The news continuously reminds us that neither man’s power, knowledge nor wisdom can solve the problems of the world. The world is advancing so much so quickly, yet mental illness is the one of the biggest problems people struggle with. Christ is the one and only solution to these problems, and he is not just in heaven, but in us. Let’s stand as a model for the world and for the Remnant Movement. Instead of exhausting ourselves by trying to hold on to our own strength, let’s let go and hold on to God’s instead.
Acts 1:8
Isaiah 40:41
Jeremiah 33: Call me and I will answer you and show you great and unsearchable things.
3. When we realize the difference between the Gospel and religion
People in church often can’t distinguish between the gospel and religion, and they think Jesus is only good for them and that other people can find something else that’s good for them. If we don’t clearly understand the gospel in our walk of faith, we have no other choice to fail. The gospel is our relationship with God.
Jesus says he has given us all authority on heaven and earth and is with us so that we can go and make disciples of all nations.
Conclusion:
When we hold on to God’s plan and desire, we are filled with his grace and peace. Then we will see God doing his work. We are just spectators who witness God working in our lives. All we need to do as witnesses to speak of what we have seen and heard. When we come together to pray continuously in concentration holding on to the covenant, God will absolutely work through our church.
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