sermon series 1 2

Sermon SeriesI

Sermon Series

Ⅰ

Semuon Translation Mission Center

Seoul Sungrak Church

Table of Contents

1. Sermon 1_God's Covenant 1

2. Textbook 1_God's Covenant 13

3. Sermon 2_Hold Fast to the Lord's Word 19

4. Textbook 2_Hold Fast to the Lord's Word 30

5. Sermon 3_Just Say the Word 35

6. Textbook 3_Just Say the Word 46

God's Covenant 1

God’s Covenant

[Hebrews 8:1-13]

Seoul Sungrak Church Lord’s Day Sermon (2015.03.22)

by Overseer Sung Hyun Kim

Life on Earth Crippled With Distrust and Insecurity

People’s lives are filled with countless promises. This can easily be

observed in our daily lives. In the morning people get up and leave

the house hurriedly because they have an agreement with their

employer as to what time they must be at work by. For many

families, the wife prepares breakfast for the husband who works to

provide for the family. This is a kind of agreement between the

husband and wife. On the way to work, people wait for the subway

on the platform because they know that the subway is supposed to

come at regular intervals. At lunch time, people go out to the

shops to have a meal. If a person refuses to pay simply because he

was not satisfied with the food, the police may even have to be

called for.

People’s lives are comprised of so many promises, including those

regarding time and money. If a person provides labor, the hirer

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must pay his wages. If a customer pays money, the seller must give

the product or services. If somebody borrows money, he must pay

it back. The use of violence by the strong on the weak is

unacceptable because this is what the whole society has agreed

upon, and anyone that does not adhere will be subject to the

penalty prescribed by the society. Thus all members of the society

adhere to the promises within politics, economics, diplomatic

relations, morality and so on, to maintain and develop the society.

Once people are born into the world, they become a member of

the society comprised of these many promises and must conform

to those social sanctions. The problem is that people do not keep

promises very well. Some say that there would not be a huge issue

as long as a person accepts the consequences and pays the penalty

when he fails to keep such promises in the society. Yet even if the

lawbreaker is punished, it cannot undo the injury or damage

inflicted on the victim.

The way our society is standing is surprisingly very unstable. A

considerable number of people think that it is okay to break

promises with others for the sake of their own profit. Besides, not

all promises within society are legally binding. Promises or

agreements tacitly made between individuals cannot be governed

by certain laws even if those promises were broken. Hence such

promises which are not legally enforceable are more prone to be

broken.

God's Covenant 3

People who strived to keep their promises can feel discouraged and

unfairly treated to see others who break promises, getting on with

their lives fine without any loss. And they may also be tempted to

do the same and break the law for their own profit. The fact that

there are many of these people within society indicate that there

are a great number of potential criminals ready to commit an

offense as soon as a favorable environment is set up, though

presently they are restrained by the law and their conscience. In

fact, the majority of people are breaking the rules and laws to a

certain degree where they will not be caught by the police.

In a country that has a highly developed economy, promises

between the people are relatively well-kept as opposed to countries

that are not as economically developed. In the instance of the

former, specific laws are put in place with strict enforcement. On

the other hand, although the legal system is poor in less developed

countries, those gaps are filled up by moral codes, conscience,

traditions, etc. Nevertheless, if the legal system is poor there is

bound to be many people who would deceive others to make a

profit. The problem then is that this leads to endless victims and all

members of such a society are left feeling insecure.

In a society with so many breaking promises, we are used to

feeling suspicious of others and hence a sense of insecurity. Our

hearts are very wearied by the fact that there are so many

dishonest people around us. This is quite apparent when we come

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to know a person for the first time, as it is not trust but suspicion

that we have towards him or her. People are paranoid about

suffering losses. They believe that the short time on earth is

everything to their life, like a fish in a pond. Because they are so

afraid of suffering any form of loss, they are determined to break

promises if necessary. However they are still faced with much

betrayal and despair. In other words, man’s life on the earth is

crippled and ailing. Though this “disease” is invisible, its symptoms

are turning up here and there.

People Who Even Doubt God’s Counsel

In the present, God is saving mankind through the church. However

people think that God and His church are forcing faith from them.

They argue, “How can you tell me to believe in God when I don’t

even know if He really exists? Even if He does, I don’t want a god

that only wants to be served. I’m already tired of being lied to in

this world. Why should I have to serve anyone else?” In this life

where people betray and get betrayed, they are all sensitive about

somehow being put at a disadvantage. And although they are

warned of the need to quickly make a choice in regards to eternal

life, they do not take it seriously.

One of the most common things said by unbelievers is that they

would believe in God if we can show Him to them. In other words,

God's Covenant 5

they are saying that they would believe if God demonstrates His

mighty power, which is the same as saying they would believe only

if God forces them to. As one who has been oppressed by the

Devil’s tyranny, it is ironic for man to treat in such a manner what

is the most important matter concerning himself. Demanding God

to show Himself is no different to asking for another tyrant in place

of the ruler of the world.

God is unlike the spirits (gods) of this world. Those gods demand

man, “First serve me, and after that I will compensate you.”

However there is no guarantee that they will actually compensate.

The Devil did exactly that in the Garden of Eden when he deceived

man saying, “First eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.

And then you will become like God.” He did the same when he

tempted Jesus in the wilderness saying, “Worship me, and I will

give you the glory of this world.” The gods of this world first entice

and confuse the minds of people with sweet-sounding words. Then

at the critical moment, they reveal their true identity and destroy

man.

The Devil is the father of all liars. Even the slightest influence of

the Devil can confuse the mind of people who have been striving to

live honest and truthful lives so that their attitude begins to

change. When people see others they trusted starting to change

their attitude or lie, after a while they completely lose all trust in

people. That is why they openly resist and reject those who preach

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the Gospel to them. Their hearts are severely ailing.

God Who Wants Man to Trust Him Willingly

God desires to be trusted by man first. If anyone is uncertain of

whether or not God can be trusted, he actually does not know who

God is. God is not someone who overpowers man by His awesome

majesty and power to force him to bow before Him. He also does

not demand man to offer their devotion and sacrifices first, and

promise to give Heaven afterwards. God is the god of a covenant.

He first gave His covenant and faithfully kept it, fully demonstrating

His faithfulness.

When we say we have seen God, it does not mean we saw Him

with our eyes or in a vision, nor does it mean we saw Him send

down lightning and thunder. God is faithful. He keeps His promises.

And it is with Him that we have a covenant. If anyone claims to

believe in God but cannot fully trust in Him, that person actually

does not know God. Even if he attends church fervently, his faith

would be closer to superstition since he is following after something

he does not even trust.

God revealed Himself to the people of Israel, and their history is

about how they came to know God. In the Old Testament, if

frequently says, “Then you shall know that I am the Lord”. The

God's Covenant 7

Israelites would have heard those words as meaning, “You shall

know that I keep My covenant”. Another phrase that is frequent in

the Old Testament is, “Says the Lord”. The people of Israel clearly

experienced the fulfillment of the promises of God sworn by His

name, through the successes and failures they encountered. Their

history is in itself a testament to God’s faithfulness.

During the time when nobody among man knew about God, God

made Himself known to Abraham. Later, He revealed Himself to the

nation of Israel with the name Jehovah. At the appointed time, God

disclosed His true self through Jesus Christ. But until then, what

God was teaching the Israelites was the fact that He keeps His

covenant.

God wanted to establish a covenant relationship with mankind.

However man is incapable of keeping the covenant. For this reason,

God had the Israelites write down the covenant He made with

them and place it inside the Ark of the Covenant. Thus He had

them remember that they are a people who made a covenant with

God. The reason He maintained His relationship with the Israelites

by doing all of this was for them to confirm that God is one who

can definitely be trusted. That is, He was demonstrating His

faithfulness to them whilst telling them to clearly understand who

He is as God and never lose sight of Him.

God showed His faithfulness through the people of Israel and later

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on, through the Jews. In the end, He fully demonstrated His

faithfulness to the disciples that were gathered in Jerusalem. All the

words He had spoken in the past became fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

After that, God finally gave His name, Jesus to the whole world.

After His resurrection, Jesus asked His disciples, “Now can you trust

Me?” Through the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples came to know

for certain that God is absolutely trustworthy. Then Jesus told His

disciples to testify of this once they receive the Holy Spirit, and

then to have their disciples testify likewise. In other words, He was

saying, “Aren’t you now able to testify? Have I broken any of the

promises I made? I’ve fulfilled all of them. Saints of Jerusalem! Are

you now assured that I am trustworthy? If so, then bear witness to

the world.” When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples after

Jesus ascended, the disciples put their complete trust in God’s

faithfulness. That is why God sealed their faith by sending the Holy

Spirit.

From then on, Christians began to preach the Gospel and

consequently, both Jews and Gentiles came to call on the name of

God. As Gentiles, we received God’s grace when we had little

knowledge of what the Israelites had experienced, when we hardly

knew God. Without even knowing how precious the blood of His

Son is, we were redeemed by that blood and thus received the

right to enter Heaven. It was possible for us to receive grace so

easily because the Israelites thoroughly discharged their duties to

God's Covenant 9

testify of God’s faithfulness.

Now we do not have to endure another 2000 years like the

Israelites to confirm the faithfulness of God. We do not need to

verify each and every single promise of God as the Israelites did to

check if God could be trusted. As long we have the Bible, as long

as the history of the Israelites remains, no one would be able to

deny God’s existence so easily. That is because God has sufficiently

proved His faithfulness throughout Israel’s history. Now any nation

and people can be at ease and trust in God. If we confess, “God,

I trust in Your faithfulness”, He deems this as right and guarantees

our faith by sending the Holy Spirit.

Man is utterly weak at keeping promises. Despite knowing that He

will be put at a huge disadvantage by His covenant with man, God

still made a covenant. God has no reason to depend on man, and

yet He bore the responsibility to fulfill countless prophecies in order

that man would trust in Him. For Him who had to fulfill all the

promises in the Old Testament, God could not afford to enjoy His

glory on the earth even though man had been demanding Him to

show His awesome majesty.

The Son of God came to the earth and led pitiable life. This was

not because He lacked in power or trusted Himself to fate. The life

of Jesus Christ had been planned meticulously for the fulfillment

God’s covenant with the Israelites. Redeeming a sinner is practically

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impossible. And for the Lord who had to accomplish that, He could

not afford to do anything for Himself. When people insulted and

trampled Him, the Son of God bore it through nothing but patient

endurance. It was not by His divine power that He endured, but in

the body of man. Mankind could not be trusted, being abject slaves

of the Devil and full of sin. Yet the Lord fulfilled His covenant with

the Lord even if that meant sacrifice on His part, so that Israel and

all mankind are blessed.

The faith of the Christian church is fundamentally different to

common religiousness. Hence to discuss secular religions and our

faith on the same table in itself is improper. God respects us as

persons and desires us to know Him and thus put our trust in Him

of our own free will. So in this way, our faith is indeed noble. God

does not want someone to have blind or superstitious faith without

knowing who He is. God is telling us, “You’ve witnessed how I

fulfilled all of My promises to you. Now be rest assured and entrust

your souls to me.”

The Lord’s Final Promise

Jesus kept all of His promises, and now there is one last promise

remaining that He needs to fulfill for us. And that promise is, “I will

return!” He promised us saying, “I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and

God's Covenant 11

receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn

14:2-3). The Lord who has kept all the countless promises written in

the Old Testament will certainly keep His promise to take us to the

Father’s house.

In the past, God delivered Israel from the powerful hands of King

Pharaoh. In the same way God has come such a long way to

rescue mankind ruled by the prince of this world. Unless a person

entrusts himself to the Lord while he is still on earth, he will suffer

throughout his lifetime as the Devil’s slave and perish with him in

the end. Though we are low, untrustworthy people, we must

humble ourselves before the Lord’s will who saved us by His own

sacrifice and wants to share His great glory with us. We should

rejoice and give thanks to God who loved us, and finally enter

Heaven through the way He has opened for us.

Hebrews 8:10-11 says, “For this is the covenant that I will make

with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put

My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be

their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach

his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all

shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.”

The Israelites placed God’s covenant inside the Ark of the Covenant.

But now we have God’s covenant in our souls. Hence no one can

take away that covenant from us.

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What we must not forget is that the Lord’s final promise was given

to the congregation who were praying by the Holy Spirit. Our faith

life is not done alone. As every saint is a member of the church,

they must all strive to form a church led by trust. A church lacking

in trust has build trust even through training and discipline. When

there is solid trust between the saints, the church will be able to

carry out the Lord’s desired will much better. Therefore all the

saints need to contribute in building trust, and thus form a church

that is full of love and solicitude.

God's Covenant 13

Behavior of People Reason to Behavior

People get ready in the morning

to leave for work

agreement with their employer as

to when they must be at work

Wife prepares breakfast for the

husband who works to provide for

the family

agreement between the husband

and wife

people wait for the subway on the

platform

The subway is supposed to come

at regular intervals

People pay money after a meal at

a restaurant

Customer is to pay for the food

regardless of whether they are

satisfied or not

Lord's Day Sermon Textbook

God’s Covenant

(Hebrews 8:1~13)

1. Life on Earth Crippled With Distrust and Insecurity

People’s lives are filled with countless promises including those

regarding time and money. This is what the whole society has

agreed upon and whoever does not adhere will be subject to the

penalty prescribed by the society. Yet the problem is that people

do not keep promises very well.

The way our society is standing is surprisingly very unstable. A

considerable number of people think that it is okay to break

promises with others for the sake of their own profit. Promises or

14 Sermon SeriesⅠ

agreements tacitly made between individuals cannot be governed

by certain laws are more prone to be broken. In a society with

so many breaking promises, we are used to feeling suspicious of

others and hence a sense of insecurity. In a society with so many

breaking promises, we are used to feeling suspicious of others

and hence a sense of insecurity.

▞ Imagine you meet someone for the first time. Can you trust

him?

→ __________________________________________________________

▞ What does that indicate?

→ __________________________________________________________

God's Covenant 15

2. People Who Even Doubt God’s Counsel

People think that God and His church are forcing faith from

them. One of the most common things said by unbelievers is

that they would believe in God if we can show Him to them.

In other words, they are saying that they would believe if God

demonstrates His mighty power, which is the same as saying

they would believe only if God forces them to. Demanding God

to show Himself is no different to asking for another tyrant in

place of the ruler of the world.

God is unlike the spirits (gods) of this world. Those gods demand

man, “First serve me, and after that I will compensate you.”

However there is no guarantee that they will actually compensate.

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Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely

die. For God knows that in the day you ( ) of it your

eyes will be opened, and you will be like ( ), knowing

good and evil.” For God knows that in the day you eat of

it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,

knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5)

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high

mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world

and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will

( ) if You will fall down and worship me.” (Matthew

4:8-9)

The Devil is the father of all liars. When people see others they

trusted starting to change their attitude or lie, after a while they

completely lose all trust in people. That is why they openly resist

and reject those who preach the Gospel to them. Their hearts

are severely ailing.

3. God Who Wants Man to Willingly Trust Him

God desires to be trusted by man. God is the god of a

covenant. He first gave His covenant and faithfully kept it, fully

demonstrating His faithfulness. The people of Israel clearly

experienced the fulfillment of the promises of God sworn by His

God's Covenant 17

name, through the successes and failures they encountered.

All the words He had spoken in the past became fulfilled in

Jesus Christ. Through the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples came

to know for certain that God is absolutely trustworthy. Then

Jesus told His disciples to testify of this once they receive the

Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples after

Jesus ascended, the disciples put their complete trust in God’s

faithfulness. That is why God sealed their faith by sending the

Holy Spirit.

and that repentance and remission of sins should be

( ) in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

And you are ( ) of these things. Behold, I send the

Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of

Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.

(Luke 24:47-49)

As long we have the Bible, as long as the history of the

Israelites remains, no one would be able to deny God’s existence

so easily. That is because God has sufficiently proved His

faithfulness throughout Israel’s history. God respects our

personality and wants us to know Him and trust Him willingly.

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4. The Lord’s Final Promise

Jesus kept all of His promises, and now there is one last promise

remaining.

I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a

place for you, I ( ) and receive you to

Myself; that where I am, there you may be also (John

14:2-3)

The Israelites placed God’s covenant inside the Ark of the

Covenant. But now we have God’s covenant in our souls. Hence

no one can take away that covenant from us.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of

Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in

their ( ) and write them on their ( ); and I will

be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them

shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying,

‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of

them to the greatest of them (Hebrews 8:10~11)

The Lord’s final promise was given to the congregation who were

praying by the Holy Spirit. Our faith life is not done alone. As

every saint is a member of the church, they must all strive to

form a church led by trust. The church will be able to carry out

the Lord’s desired will much better.

Hold Fast to the Lord's Word 19

Hold Fast to the Lord's Word

[Hebrews 2:1-4]



The Reason People Cannot Experience God’s Power

Christians generally do not hesitate to acknowledge they have

been saved. But they seem to lack confidence when it comes to

acknowledging God being with the souls redeemed and

manifesting His power in them. Some express God’s power

displayed as ‘a miracle’ (a stroke of good luck), however that is

not so advisable. Because of the meaning originally carried in

that word, people may misunderstand God’s power as something

experienced by chance or coincidentally.

Those who have been saved can freely experience the power of

God. Just as you have to go to the shops to buy certain

necessities or to the pharmacy to buy medicine, in order for the

redeemed to be triumphant in this world, they have to meet

God. Yet God is invisible. Hence the way that God reveals

Himself is through the Word. Whoever desires to meet God must

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listen and believe in the words He has given (Rev 2:7).

John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word

was with God, and the Word was God.” The word that was with

God from the beginning came into the world and revealed

Himself so that we came to know God through Him. As He said,

“He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has

everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed

from death into life” (Jn 5:24), God gives life to anyone that

hears and believes in the word He has spoken. This is only the

beginning to all the good things God wants to give to those who

believe in Him.

Nevertheless, the reason people fail to receive what God is giving

is they live their lives of faith however they please. God

forewarned ahead of time with regards to such things saying,

“Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and

honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from

Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of

men” (Isa 29:13). Though people have been saved, it seems as

though quite a number of them are still fixed at the elementary

stage of the Gospel.

God’s word is like the electric current that travels through power

lines. Though we cannot see the electric current flowing, we

would get an electric shock from touching the high voltage wires.


Similarly, God’s power is manifested in us when we receive the

word of God. This is what Christians who lived by the word of

God have been experiencing over the past 2,000 years, and

indeed what should be experienced as a matter of course.

If people hear the word of God yet fail to experience God’s

power, they need to examine whether the word is drifting away,

unable to settle within them, or if their hearts are being drawn

away to things other than the word. People will not be able to

experience God’s power even after years and years of faith life, if

they listen to God’s word in the same manner they listen to

secular words. The problem is not with God who is giving the

word, but with the person who should hold fast to the word.

The Authority of the Word

Hebrews 2:1 says, “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed

to the things we have heard, lest we drift away”. As God gave us

His word, His utmost concern was that we would fail to hold onto

the word and let it drift away. It was for this reason that God

sent plagues upon the Israelites who failed to obey the Law, that

they may realize the authority of God’s word. Concerning this it

says in verse 2, “For if the word spoken through angels proved

steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just

reward”.

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The Israelites received the word through Moses on Mount Sinai

and yet they resented God and disobeyed His word. God brought

plagues on them in order to demonstrate the authority of His

word that in one day, 23,000 people fell (1 Cor 10:8). God had

given the Israelites multiple chances, but their contemptuous

attitude towards God’s word did not change. Consequently, the

majority of the people that came out of Egypt could not enter

Canaan and fell in the wilderness (Heb 3:17). Thus by bringing

down plagues on those that despised God’s Law, God demonstrated

the authority of His word.

The Law is God’s word given through the angel (Gal 3:19). The

Israelites built the tabernacle according to those words, and in

like manner the priests served God in the tabernacle. The priests

practiced caution in all their service, lest they transgress against

the word unknowingly. The tension heightened when the high

priest entered the Most Holy Place once a year. The high priest

took the blood of an animal into the Most Holy Place and

offered it to make atonement for sins. Though everything was

performed in great reverence, such sacrifice could not cleanse a

man’s conscience.

Jesus Christ entered the Most Holy Place of Heaven made not

with the hands of man as High priest with His own blood and

not that of animals, obtaining redemption once and for all (Heb


9:11-12). He is not one of the angels, but God’s Son, the Word

of God which became flesh and came to the world. He is the

Creator and the Lord of all. God never said to any of His angels,

“You are My Son, today I have begotten You”. Yet concerning

His Son He said, “Let all the angels of God worship Him” (Heb

1:4-7). The authority of the Gospel delivered to us through Jesus

Christ is incomparably greater than the authority of the Law that

was given through the angel.

While some people are touched when they receive this precious

word, with the same word, others fall away. At the Last Supper,

Jesus broke bread and gave to His disciples saying, “Take and

eat, for this is My body”. Then He gave the cup and said, “This

is My blood, the blood of the covenant”. He who is the Word

Himself came to the world, and gave Himself to His disciples

that they may eat and drink of Him. However, immediately after

receiving the bread and the cup, Judas Iscariot went out and

betrayed the Lord, and in result, both his spirit and flesh

perished. The other disciples who were present at the same and

place all confessed, “Lord, even if we have to die with You, we

will not deny You!” (Mk 14:22-31). Thus some will hear God’s

word and obey, while others instead fall into temptation.

Even if people disobey the Law today, they are not met with

plagues right away and as a result, even Christians do not have

much fear of the Law. And as they become accustomed that

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way, they would not even fear the words of Jesus. One thing we

need to be clear about is that, the word of the Gospel is more

steadfast and abiding than the Law. Whoever has rejected the

Gospel is already doomed to go to hell, for he has rejected the

word of Truth.

When anyone transgressed against the Law, that is, God’s word

given through the angel, he died without mercy on the testimony

of two or three witnesses. No matter how much the person

denies of having broken the Law, he was put to death if at least

two or three people testified against him saying, “I saw that man

breaking the Law with my own eyes”. Now how much worse

punishment would a person receive if he tramples on the Son of

God, counts the blood of the covenant by which he was

sanctified a common thing, and insults the Holy Spirit?

The Law given through the angel is definitely God’s word. Hence

when people disobeyed that word, at times tens of thousands of

people died in one day. This was a kind of warning God gave to

the people of the future, so that they would not carelessly let

His words drift away. It was after all this took place that the

Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God was finally revealed.

Hence how steadfast and binding would God have made the

Gospel? Hebrews 2:3 says, “How shall we escape if we neglect so

great a salvation?” God will not let slide those who neglect His

word and certainly repay them (Heb 10:30).


The Days of God’s Miracles

Hebrews 2:3-4 says, “Salvation, which at the first began to be

spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who

heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and

wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit,

according to His own will”. God never gave His miraculous signs

to the Old Testament saints for obeying His words. However New

Testament saints are accompanied by God’s miraculous signs if

they abide by God’s word. Many people today are disobeying

God’s word and yet complacent only because God does not

plague them. But the fact that God’s signs do not follow those

who received the Gospel is a serious problem.

In the New Testament is written the words and works of Him

who is the Word that became flesh. His words were never before

in this world, neither were the works He did. He did many

miraculous signs while He was on the earth. His followers are

witnesses to all that He did. Jesus said to His disciples, “You will

even greater things than what I have done”. And indeed,

remarkable things happened when the disciples went out and

preached. That is not all. People who experienced God’s signs

through them, also went to others and did exactly what they had

seen and heard. In other words, through Jesus Christ, the age of

God’s miracles began.

26 Sermon SeriesⅠ

If miraculous signs and wonders, powers and spiritual gifts are

not being displayed in the church today, we should not doubt

anything else but the attitude and measure of our faith and

correct it. We must honor the authority of the word so that it

will never drift away. Our hearts leaning toward the world must

turn back and hold fast to God’s word. We must make sure the

device God has installed inside of us to make His word binding

is in sound working order. We should not give up in despair even

if we do not see God’s signs immediately; we also need to throw

away our defensive attitude towards our lack of power. The

members of the church need to work together for miraculous

signs to be displayed in the church. We must get rid of our old

habit of perceiving everything as just a personal issue in times

when we need God’s miracles.

When the Israelites disobeyed the Law, God destroyed even tens

of thousands of people in one day to confirm that His words are

binding. The Israelites who received God’s word through an angel

did not know at which moment they might die. For them, every

single day was a matter of life and death. Now for us who

received the word through God’s Son, having God’s signs is the

key to our each and every day. If our lives are devoid of God’s

miracles, we must examine and overhaul our faith. Instead of

following those who enraged God in the Wilderness, we ought to

have miraculous signs accompany our lives endlessly.


If anyone accepts the Gospel, he is saved. This means he is

redeemed from his sins. If we look at it from a different angle,

if we accept the Gospel we can be healed of our sicknesses.

Psalm 107:20 says, “He sent His word and healed them, and

delivered them from their destructions”. This means God sends

His word to heal us and rescue us from our troubles. The Bible

also says that when people brought the demon-possessed to

Jesus, He drove out the demons with a word and healed their

sicknesses (Matt 8:16). The reason we are able to cast out

demons today is the presence of God’s word inside us.

The word of the Lord is not a means of communicating

information. The Lord’s word has the power to fulfill God’s will.

That is the power of the Creator who can both create and

destroy the world. Hence, God’s will gets fulfilled when we

receive God’s word. However if the person receiving God’s word

is only concerned of his own gains and losses, how can God’s

will be fulfilled in him? On the contrary, when we seek God’s

will, not only does it get fulfilled through us, our lives will also

be prosperous as a result. The Holy Spirit has come in us to do

these things. While there are many language and words in this

world that can touch people’s hearts and dictate what they do,

God’s word is different to them in that it has the power of the

Creator. It is imperative that we acknowledge the authority of

the word and hold fast to it.

28 Sermon SeriesⅠ

For the Church

There is something which God anticipates from us as He gave us

His word. And that is for us to save souls and revive the church

through His word. When we testify to the word as witnesses of

Jesus, God will work together with us in order to save souls

(Mark 16:20). When God gives us His signs, wonders, various

powers and gifts of the Holy Spirit, we have to understand that

they involve our duty to preach the Gospel.

If any member in the church is suffering with a sickness, we

should reach out to them, empathize with their pain and comfort

them. Then they will develop the willpower to fight against their

illness. And if they receive in the word and do have the desire,

we should pray for them to be healed and cast out demons. We

must never overlook a person who is oppressed or troubled, as if

it is not our concern, but reach out and help them. Rather than

treating them as sinners, we first need to listen to their story.

Their hearts first need to be consoled in order to have the will

to fight against the problems they are facing. Just as we were

able to overcome with the Lord’s love, we also need to show

love to the weaker members that they may be able to overcome.

Our passion to save souls must certainly exceed that of the Old

Testament saints led by the angel. How can God help us if the

Word that was with God from the beginning is actively drawing


near us but we are only focused and concerned about our own

problems? The Lord is interceding for us day after day before

God the Father, and we should not be making His position

difficult. We have to hold fast to the word of God and not let it

drift away to fulfill God’s will.

30 Sermon SeriesⅠ


Hold Fast to the Lord's Word

(Hebrews 2:1~4)

1. The Reason People Cannot Experience God’s Power

Christians generally do not hesitate to acknowledge they have

been saved. But they seem to lack confidence when it comes to

acknowledging God being with the souls redeemed and manifesting

His power in them. God’s power is not a miracle as something

experienced an unbelievable and extraordinary phenomenon.

God is invisible. Hence the way that God reveals Himself is

through the Word. . Whoever desires to meet God must listen

and believe in the words He has given. God gives life to anyone

that hears and believes in the word He has spoken.

He who ( ) My word and ( ) in Him who sent

Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment,

but has passed from death into life (John 5:24)

God’s power is manifested in us when we receive the word of

God. If people hear the word of God yet fail to experience God’s

power, they need to examine whether the word is drifting away,

unable to settle within them.


2. The Authority of the Word

God wants us not to let the word drift away. For this reason God

sent plagues upon the Israelites who failed to obey the Law, that

they may realize the authority of God’s word. There was a case

which 23,000 people fell in one day. (1 Corinthians 10:8)

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things

we have ( ) lest we ( ). (Hebrews 2:1)

The authority of the Gospel delivered to us through Jesus Christ is

incomparably greater than the authority of the Law that was given

through the angel. While some people are touched when they

receive this precious word, with the same word, others fall away.

[Examples how people react to the word]

Jesus broke bread and gave to His disciples saying, “Take and eat, for this is My body”. Then He gave the cup and said, “This is My blood, the blood of the covenant”

People who are touched People who fall away

Other disciples

confessed, "Lord, even if we have to die with You!"

Judas Iscariot

betrayed the Lord, and in result, both his spirit and flesh perished

When people disobeyed the Law given through the angel, at

times tens of thousands of people died in one day. This was a

kind of warning God gave to the people of the future, so that

they would not carelessly let His words drift away. After all this

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took place that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God was

finally revealed.

How shall we escape if we ( ) so great a salvation?

(Hebrews 2:3)

3. The Days of God’s Miracles

Many people today are disobeying God’s word and yet complacent

only because God does not plague them. But the fact that God’s

signs do not follow those who received the Gospel is a serious

problem.

[The process of God's word]

God's word Mediator To whom Obey Disobey

Old Testament

Era( ) Angel ( ) No Change ( )

New Testament

EraGospel ( )

New Testament

Church( ) No Change

Jesus did many miraculous signs while He was on the earth.

Remarkable things happened when the disciples went out and

preached. People who experienced God’s signs through them, also

went to others and did exactly what they had seen and heard. In

other words, through Jesus Christ, the age of God’s miracles began.


If miraculous signs and wonders, powers and spiritual gifts are not

being displayed in the church today, we should not doubt

anything else but the attitude and measure of our faith and

correct it. We must honor the authority of the word so that it

will never drift away. For the Israelites who received God’s word

through an angel every single day was a matter of life and death.

Now for us who received the word through God’s Son, having

God’s signs is the key to our each and everyday.

The word of the Lord is not a means of communicating

information. The Lord’s word has the power to fulfill God’s will.

That is the power of the Creator who can both create and

destroy the world. Hence, God’s will get fulfilled when we receive

God’s word.

4. For the Church

There is something which God anticipates from us as He gave us

His word that is for us to save souls and revive the church

through His word. When we testify to the word as witnesses of

34 Sermon SeriesⅠ

Jesus, God will work together with us

They went out and preached everywhere, the Lord ( )

( ) them and confirming the word through the

accompanying signs. (Mark 16:20)

Just as we were able to overcome with the Lord’s love, we also

need to show love to the weaker members that they may be

able to overcome.

[What should we do?]

to any member in the church is suffering with a sickness

reach out to them

empathize with their pain and comfort them

they will develop the willpower to fight against their illness

if they receive in the word and do have the desire, we should pray for them to be healed and cast out demons

to a person who is oppressed or troubled

must never overlook but reach out and help them

rather than treating them as sinners, we first need to listen to their story

Their hearts first need to be consoled in order to have the will to fight against the problems they are facing

How can God help us if the Word that was with God from the

beginning is actively drawing near us but we are only focused and

concerned about our own problems? We have to hold fast to the

word of God and not let it drift away to fulfill God’s will.

Just Say the Word 35

Just Say the Word

[Matthew 8:5-13]



Take and Eat the Word of God

God is He who gives life. In order to give us life, He sent forth

the Word that was with Him from eternity past. From man’s

standpoint, it may be easy to take God’s word lightly and let it

drift away or reject it. However we must remember that the

Word is God’s only begotten Son. What God has given us is His

love. That love has already come inside us and became our life,

so that now it is indivisible.

Throughout our lives on earth, we encounter various kinds of

hardship of which the most typical is sicknesses. It is difficult to

understand the suffering of a sick patient without being the

patient yourself. Even a short time at the dentist can be

tormenting. But some people have to bear such pain for many

years. The loss that sickness brings to people is enormous.

Chronic physical pain often leads to emotional and mental

36 Sermon SeriesⅠ

distress for the individual, and even the whole family suffers.

In the midst of these hardships we face in this world, God

nurtures and protects us. The way that He helps us is by the

Word. Thus we have to receive the Word to receive His help.

However, receiving the Word does not mean we accumulate the

Word as knowledge, for hearing the Word as a mere sound and

taking the Word and digesting it are completely different.

The Centurion was Confident of the Power of the Word

As Jesus entered Capernaum, one centurion came before Him,

pleading Him to heal his servant who was lying sick. When Jesus

said, “I will go and heal him”, the centurion gave a surprising

answer. “Lord, I cannot handle You coming under my roof. But

just say the word and my servant will be healed. For I am a

man under authority and have soldiers under me. And I say to

this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he

comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” Surprised

by his answer, the Lord replied, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have

not found such great faith, not even in Israel” (Matt 8:5-13).

The centurion believed that his servant will be healed of his

sickness at the Lord’s command. He regarded the Lord as

someone too great that he could not handle Him coming into his


home. While so many people were competing to receive the Lord

into their homes, the centurion knew what was more important.

He believed that the power to heal the sick was in the Word

that came from the Lord’s lips. If the Lord did go to the

centurion’s house, He definitely would have made the servant

well. There was a time when the Lord twice laid His hands on a

blind person and healed him. Similarly, even if the servant did

not recover immediately after the Lord laid His hands on him, He

would have eventually healed him if He was at the centurion’s

house. Nevertheless, the centurion said to Him, “Just say the

word!” He was confident that his servant could be healed at the

one word of the Lord.

The Centurion was Ready to Obey the Word

There is another reason that the centurion’s faith surprised the

Lord. And that is that he was ready to act according to the

Lord’s command. For the centurion, the point was not in how

powerfully the Lord laid His hands on his servant. He was certain

that the Lord’s word will surely be fulfilled as long as he obeyed

the Lord’s word and his heart was prepared to do so.

The sad thing is that the attitude of Christians today is in great

contrast to this. What would God think of a person who only

turns to him in times of trouble asking, “God, if you help me, I

38 Sermon SeriesⅠ

promise I’ll do this for You”? Would it not seem as if he is only

trying to use God because he is desperate, when in fact he has

no interest in God?

John 14:14 says, “If you shall ask anything in my name, that will

I do.” Because of this verse, some people think that everything

will be granted them irrespective of how they lived or what they

are asking for. However this verse is not explaining the faith

attitude one needs to see a miraculous sign; it simply explains the

principle behind the trigger that brings about God’s miraculous

signs.

The Lord saying, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will

do”, was premised on the verse, John 14:21, “He who has My

commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he

who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him

and manifest Myself to him.” This was the same as the Lord

plainly saying, “I will display my miraculous signs to him who

keeps and loves My commandments.” For this reason, we must

not misunderstand that we can experience God’s signs as long as

we use Jesus’ name irrespective of our faith condition.

Since we have already been saved, we must now walk with God,

for then we can receive God’s help in the face of any kind of

adversity in our lives. Originally, were so degenerate in our

nature that we rejected God and even crucified Him. Now if we


truly have been saved, we need to part with our old nature,

customs and set of values, through our faith life. How can a

person demonstrate that Christ lives in him if he does not have

any change of life? The Lord says to such persons, “I also will

laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes.

When your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction

comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon

you, you will call on me, but I will not answer; you will seek me

diligently, but you will not find me” (Prov 1:26-28).

The Centurion’s Faith was in Essence a Life of Practicing the

Word

There is something worth noting in the centurion’s faith. In a

separate passage of the Bible that mentions the story of the

centurion, we see that he had built for the Jews their synagogue

(Luke 7:1-20). This shows that the centurion had accepted the

Jews’ faith. However the centurion was Roman and it is typical of

Romans to be deeply immersed in philosophy and grounded on

pantheistic beliefs. And yet the centurion accepted the Jews’

faith, which indicates how he was profoundly touched by the

Jewish lives.

As he observed the lives of the Jews, he was surprised by how

they could possibly have such a close relationship with God, and

40 Sermon SeriesⅠ

he was most touched by how the Jews’ faith in God was

thoroughly practiced in their lives. The faith, which the centurion

had learned from the Jews, was certainly not just a belief inside

the heart. As the Jews demonstrated their continuous practice of

faith through obedience to the Word, the centurion thoroughly

accepted this as his own. Though he was new to faith life, his

faith was founded on the fundamentals of faith.

The centurion was never taught by the Jews about faith that is

accompanied by miraculous signs. Until Jesus’ public ministry,

there wasn’t anyone among the Jews who could do miracles. For

them, miracles only happened long ago, perhaps during Elijah’s

time. Jesus’ ministry of casting out demons and healing the sick

was utterly new to them. It was then that the centurion heard

about Jesus, and he discovered that God’s authority was with

Him. The centurion’s attitude before Jesus revealed the principle

of faith he had before God.

That principle of faith was, “When God speaks, whoever hears

Him must take action, and he who acts will experience God’s

miracle.” If the centurion’s sole aim was to get his servant

healed, he would have done anything to receive the Lord into his

home. But what the centurion did instead was demonstrate to

the Lord a life of practicing faith.


Take and Eat the Word of Your Own Volition

All things move according to the word of God. However man is

an exception. Though a person may hear God’s word, he could

reject the word out of his own will. If anyone hears the word

through his ears but does not practice it, he has not actually

listened to God’s word. The word of God can only be received

when one is ready to apply the word in action. Even if God

speaks to our souls, if our flesh acts as the head and refuses to

obey, we cannot receive His word. The spirit must be able to

control the flesh’s deeds in order to receive God’s word.

The word of God is living and active that it can penetrate

through anything in this world (Heb 4:12). Yet this does not

apply to man’s free will. The Lord is knocking on the door. Now

it is our job to hear Him knocking and open the door. This

certainly isn’t difficult at all. Whoever is in Christ has experienced

the working of God’s word, and possesses God’s great miracle.

The key and fundamental word that God has given to man is,

‘Trust in me, and you’ll be saved!” We have already received that

word, and thus been born again (1 Pet2:3). It was not because

we had accumulated our spiritual knowledge to a certain level

that we became born again; it is simply because we accepted

and digested the word which said, “Believe and you’ll be saved”.

In the past, we were clueless and laughing though we used to be

42 Sermon SeriesⅠ

slaves of the Devil; but now we have become children of God,

on guard to fight against the Devil and follow according to the

Lord’s word. God’s children don’t just receive things from God.

For them, their time on the earth is the only opportunity to

express their love toward God. We must not lose this opportunity

which lasts only a few decades at the most but love God. Also,

we have to be faithful to Jesus Christ who gave us His Father

and is helping us daily to take us to the Father’s house. God’s

miracles will accompany those who set their hopes in Heaven and

acknowledge the authority of the Word.

It is necessary to train ourselves in order for our spirits to

consume God’s word instead of simply listening through our ears.

Only then can we overcome unnecessary suffering through God’s

miraculous powers when we encounter certain crises in our lives.

It is of great importance that we constantly experience God’s

miracles, as it is God’s guarantee of our faith. When we

experience God’s hands at work in our lives, we can confirm

once again how God is leading us to Heaven. Another reason it

is important to lead a life of obedience to the word is that is

the way to receive God’s love. By building up our works through

the process of obedience and receiving God’s love, we need to

prepare for the day we enter the kingdom of Heaven.

What we need is the faith like that of the centurion to confess,

“Lord I will obey, so just say the word!” We all had the amazing


experience of being born again through the word. We shouldn’t

let the momentum of this experience die down, but seek the

Lord’s word saying, “I am ready to receive Your word Lord,

command me to be healed; I am ready to receive Your word

Lord, command peace upon our family; I am ready to receive

Your word Lord, command poverty to be banished!”

In the Bible there many passages like, ‘you will be blessed if you

keep and obey My commands’ (Deut 10:12-13), ‘there will be no

poor among you if you observe all My commandments’ (Deut

15:4), ‘if you obey God’s word, you will be blessed in all the

work of your hand and your children’ (Deut 30:9-10). We cannot

ignore these words which highlight obedience and blessing, just

because they are written in the Old Testament. The reason we

are saved today is because God still holds His word. The only

difference is that the word He gave through the angel as a

fleshly ordinance has now expanded to the spiritual realm through

the Holy Spirit.

Practice the Word through Your Life in the Church

It is necessary to train ourselves in order to live by the word, and

for that we must actively take part in the church. No matter how

difficult our lives may be in this world, for our souls to live we

must gain a deeper understanding of God’s grace and continue a

44 Sermon SeriesⅠ

life of obedience through the church. Neglecting one’s responsibility

by only emphasizing God’s grace, or seeking God’s help only in

times of need and ignoring at God at other times is not a sound

Christian’s attitude. We should always prepare ourselves so that we

may be able to receive God’s help at any time.

There are many words of God which we need to practice

through our life in the church. And offering is one of them. We

shouldn’t be stingy in giving our offerings to God. It is only right

that saints who’ve received God’s grace bring offerings of

thanksgiving before God. Offerings given to God get used for His

works. Just as the centurion’s offering given in reverence to God

was used in building the synagogue and thus benefited the Jews’

faith, the offerings given to God today through the church

ultimately gets used in reaching out and saving souls.

The Jews begged Jesus to help the centurion saying he was

deserving, because he had loved the Jews. If we have been made

one as saints saved by Christ’s blood, we ought to love one

another all the more. Giving service inside the church is also

founded on such love. When we hear the word commanding us

to serve, we must not ignore it. Rather than merely attending

the Lord’s Day service and trying to leave as soon as it finishes

thinking, ‘Oh I’m sure there’s someone else who will serve the

church’, we need to dedicate ourselves fervently for the church.


It is important we always obey God’s words instead of praying

for a miracle only when we encounter a particular problem.

Would God listen to the prayers of someone who always ignored

the church just because he calls on Jesus’ name? We mustn’t be

contemptible in God’s sight. If we have any issues with people

such as parents, spouse, children, church members or neighbors,

we first need to repent and get rid of all hard feelings.

God’s word is the same yesterday, today and forever. Our prayer

should be, “Lord, I will obey. Speak Your words to me!” While

we are on the earth, we should receive God’s love by obeying

His words, and likewise receive His blessings. We ought to build

up ourselves on the faith that seeks the Lord's words.

46 Sermon SeriesⅠ


Just Say the Word

(Matthew 8:5~13)

1. Take and Eat the Word of God

God sent forth the Word that was with Him from eternity past

in order to give us life. From man’s standpoint, it may be easy

to take God’s word lightly and let it drift away or reject it.

However we must remember that the Word is God’s only

begotten Son.

In the beginning was the ( ), and the ( ) was

with God, and the ( ) was God. ...the life was the

light of men. (John 1:1~4)

In the midst of these hardships we face in this world, God

nurtures and protects us. The way that He helps us is by the

Word. Thus we have to receive the Word to receive His help.

※ What does it mean receiving the Word? ( )

(1) Accumulate the Word as Knowledge.

(2) Take the Word and Digest.


2. The Centurion was Confident of the Power of the Word

The centurion He believed that the power to heal the sick was in

the Word that came from the Lord’s lips. He said to Him, “Just

say the word!” He was confident that his servant could be healed

at the one word of the Lord.

And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The

centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that

You should come under my roof. But only ( ) a

( ), and my servant will be healed. (Matthew 8:7~8)

3. The Centurion was Ready to Obey the Word

There is another reason that the centurion’s faith surprised the

Lord. And that is that he was ready to act according to the

Lord’s command. The attitude of Christians today is in great

48 Sermon SeriesⅠ

contrast to this. What would God think of a person who only

turns to him in times of trouble asking, “God, if you help me, I

promise I’ll do this for You”?

John 14:14 says, “If you shall ask anything in my name, that will

I do.” Because of this verse, some people think that everything

will be granted them irrespective of how they lived or what they

are asking for. The premise on the verse is “He who has My

commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he

who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him

and manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:21) This was the same as

the Lord plainly saying, “I will display my miraculous signs to him

who keeps and loves My commandments.”

We must not misunderstand that we can experience God’s signs

as long as we use Jesus’ name irrespective of our faith condition.

I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your

terror comes, When your terror comes like a storm, and your

destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish

come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not

( ); they will seek me diligently, but they will not

( ) me (Proverbs 1:26~28)


4. The Centurion’s Faith was in Essence a Life of Practicing

the Word

The centurion was Roman and it is typical of Romans to be

deeply immersed in philosophy and grounded on pantheistic

beliefs. And yet the centurion accepted the Jews’ faith, which

indicates how he was profoundly touched by the Jewish lives. He

was most touched by how the Jews’ faith in God was thoroughly

practiced in their lives. As the Jews demonstrated their continuous

practice of faith through obedience to the Word, the centurion

thoroughly accepted this as his own.

The centurion’s attitude before Jesus revealed the principle of

faith he had before God. That principle of faith was, “When God

speaks, whoever hears Him must take action, and he who acts

will experience God’s miracle.”

5. Take and Eat the Word of Your Own Volition

All things move according to the word of God. Though a person

may hear God’s word, he could reject the word out of his own

50 Sermon SeriesⅠ

will. Even if God speaks to our souls, if our flesh acts as the

head and refuses to obey, we cannot receive His word. The spirit

must be able to control the flesh’s deeds in order to receive

God’s word.

God’s miracles will accompany those who set their hopes in

Heaven and acknowledge the authority of the Word. It is of

great importance that we constantly experience God’s miracles, as

it is God’s guarantee of our faith. Another reason it is important

to lead a life of obedience to the word is that is the way to

receive God’s love.

What we need is the faith like that of the centurion to confess,

“Lord I will obey, so just say the word!”

except when there may be no poor among you; for the

Lord will greatly ( ) you in the land which the Lord

your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance-only if

you carefully obey the ( ) of the Lord your God, to

observe with care all these commandments which I

command you today. (Deuteronomy 15:4~5)

6. Practice the Word through Your Life in the Church

It is necessary to train ourselves in order to live by the word,


and for that we must actively take part in the church.

Offering

We shouldn’t be stingy in giving our offerings to God. It is only

right that saints who’ve received God’s grace bring offerings of

thanksgiving before God. The offerings given to God today

through the church ultimately gets used in reaching out and

saving souls.

Service

If we have been made one as saints saved by Christ’s blood, we

ought to love one another all the more. Giving service inside the

church is also founded on such love. ‘Oh I’m sure there’s

someone else who will serve the church’, we need to dedicate

ourselves fervently for the church.

Relationship

It is important we always obey God’s words instead of praying

for a miracle only when we encounter a particular problem. If we

have any issues with people, we first need to repent and get rid

of all hard feelings.

While we are on the earth, we should receive God’s love by

obeying His words, and likewise receive His blessings. We ought

to build up ourselves on the faith that seeks the Lord's words.

“Lord, I will obey. Speak Your words to me!”

sermon series 1 2

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