Time schedule of saving the church
Acts 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #88 I Have Found a Friend in Jesus (#88 in previous version)
Countless Christians around the world are dying when they should be carrying on the commission of God. It may seem as if they believe in God, but they only attend church to network for their own benefit. Pastoral workers who ought to be relaying the Word of God are involved in ridiculous fights for ecclesiastical authority, and church members have been sapped of all their strength as a result of relying on people. What must we save?
1. We must save the field
When we pay heed to the words of people, our thoughts will change easily and conflicts will grow. This leads us to fall because of trivial matters, but we must not be confused. Satan fells us, often through the minutest of conflicts. If we are indeed evangelists with the Gospel, we must not be deceived by conflicts. It is imperative that we enjoy the mystery of Christ first. We can enjoy the mystery of Christ through prayer, and we can realize God-given answers through the Word, and God will give us power as He guards our hearts and our thoughts. The field will be revived if even one person who enjoys this mystery in their lives can step forth.
2. We must save lay people.
No matter the situation, if we do not have the mystery of being with God, we cannot overcome the world. God knows exactly what is not taking place with me, and He also knows that the Gospel ought to be relayed through me. That is why it is imperative that we live our lives with the assurance of a child of God. If we are in the midst of difficulties, we must never lose hold of the Word, lest we wallow in our hidden problems, and it is good to meditate upon the pulpit message for the entire week. Remnants must not be deceived in the face of excruciating circumstances, but instead receive counseling for that week’s problems from lay leaders or pastoral workers, and create prayer teams to pray together.
3. We must save the church.
While it is important to know what we possess, what kind of prayer we give is also paramount. Pastoral workers or lay leaders must examine their spiritual state to ascertain that they are solely relaying the Gospel and nothing else, and must enjoy communication with God when it is most quiet. Problems occur because things that are not the Gospel are being relayed. Pastoral workers must also teach how to pray to Remnants or lay people who do not know how. Depending on situations, as we meditate on the Word to share, we will see God’s answers in the midst of every incident, meeting, and job. When lay leaders gain strength in the church, they will be healed individually, and the field will be transformed and be revived.
- Connect what you see, what you think, and what you are worried about to prayer. GATS (General Assembly Theological Seminary) Alumni Retreat Lecture 1 / 2011.12.6