The weapon of children of God
Acts 1:1~8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (8)
Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #95 O Thou, in Whose Presence (#82 in previous version)
The members of the Early Church who gathered in Mark’s upper room were all faced with a crisis. The powerful Rome and the Jewish religious leaders persecuted the believers of the Early Church who gathered in Mark’s upper room, and the people who gathered in Mark’s upper room had no worldly strength. But they had the Gospel, and even in the midst of difficulties, they prayed wholeheartedly and received power that was only given by the Holy Spirit. The people in Mark’s upper room did not have weapons of prestige, money or power. Instead, they were armed only with the Gospel. What is the weapon I carry in this dark world?
1. Communicating with myself (Acts 1:1)
There are several ways to communicate with the self. But for people with the Gospel, it must be through the Word of God. When we meditate on the pulpit message we hear each week, the Word will take root deep in our hearts, and the nature that hinders the Gospel will be healed to discover instead the hidden plans of God. Additionally, our past will become a platform through which we can discover the Word that is hidden in our today. It will also determine our future. At this time, we will be able to begin the individual prayer of communicating with God, and receive the blessings of being raised as disciples for all the world.
2. Communicating with the church (Acts 2:1)
When we communicate with the self through the Word, we will then see what we have to do in the church. First, we must help the pastor and be their right hand, and then come to understand what God seeks to do through the church. Communication in the church signifies the restoration of the covenant of Pentecost (Acts 2:1) When believers communicate through the Word in the church, the work of the Holy Spirit will take place like the fire and wind, and doors to evangelism will open. The believers will enjoy the blessings of the Word being fulfilled.
3. Communicating with the world (Acts 3:1)
Spiritually communicating with the world is the evangelism movement. When we communicate with ourselves and with each other in the church to restore the answer of the Pentecost, our spiritual eyes will open and we will then be able to give answers to those who need them so desperately in the world. Just like Peter and John relayed an important answer to the crippled man sitting in front of the temple gates, if we communicate with the world, we will come to stand as true evangelists. Additionally, we will enjoy God-given power and authority and be able to handle the things the world cannot.
- We receive spiritual power when we communicate with ourselves, the church and the world through the Word. Meditate deeply on the pulpit message and attempt spiritual communication. World College Retreat Lecture 1 / 2012.1.10