Urgent situation
Matthew 16:13~20 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (16)
Hymn for scheduled prayer: Korean/English Hymnal #435 Thou, My Everlasting Portion (#492 in previous version)
Many people are wandering and falling. Unbelievers suffer from idol worship, superstitions, and shamanism, and Christians are powerless without assurance in the Gospel. The field is being dominated by foreign religions and the church is losing its strength. What should we not lose hold of in this urgent situation?
1. Jesus’ greatest concern
Most people hold onto other things and suffer and live their life of faith, but the one important thing for mankind is the fact that Jesus is the Christ. Knowing Christ correctly is Jesus’ greatest concern. Jesus came as the Christ who has become the true priest who changed fate and disasters, true king who broke down the power of Satan, and true prophet who is the way to meet God. Witnessing that Jesus is the Christ is evangelism. He has promised to open all doors of answers to those who enjoy the blessing of evangelism. If you just begin to give the confession of faith that you must evangelize, you can receive answers and blessings that God has prepared. Those who have held onto this covenant are God’s greatest concern.
2. God’s sovereignty
For those who are holding onto the covenant, God prepares people who will receive salvation. To the fields that are dying due to the culture of demons and idol worship, only the Gospel is the solution. God has prepared and will fulfill everything for the sake of the evangelism movement. Furthermore, He opens doors of evangelism in prepared places and knows all the circumstances—what problems and conflicts there are. Everything will be solved if God works, so as a result, you only need to be inside of God’s plan.
3. Assurance of those who are saved
The assurance that you are a child of God who has confessed that Jesus is the Christ, assurance that God surely answers the prayers of those who are saved, assurance of forgiveness that all of my sins and curses have been solved on the cross, assurance of victory that God gives tests that you are able to handle and ways to avoid temptation, and assurance that He is with you and guides you until the end of the world are assurances you must have as a person who is saved. God will save your family, nation, and the age through your assurance.
- Am I standing before the Lord’s greatest concern? Examine yourself. Meditate on the work of evangelism that will occur through you.
Reformed Denomination Pastors’ Retreat Lecture 1 / 2011.7.4