Only

Acts 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.

♬ Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #180 When the Trumpet of the Lord Shall Sound (#168 in previous version)

The lay leaders of the Early Church were poor, held no notable position in society and were facing death. However, in the midst of all their difficulties, Jesus gave them the answer of ‘only.’ The Early Church members staked their lives on this answer and proclaimed the Gospel in a field. Eventually, the Gospel was testified to Rome through the Early Church that appeared to be weak and lacking. What was the mystery of ‘only’ that the Early Church enjoyed?

1. Faith of ‘only’
Jesus said that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us.Acts 1:8 However, in each age, there were forces who deny this. They only pursued visible gains or misunderstood the Gospel. At such times, all we must experience is that only Jesus Christ is the solution to all problems. When we have this faith, the evangelism movement arises in the world that is devoid of the Gospel; we meet those who are spiritually desperate and receive the blessing that only the kingdom of God coming upon us. All these answer are only possible through the filling of the Holy Spirit.

2. Commission of ‘only’
God has given three commissions to the believers. First, we must save the church with the Gospel and see the plan of God, given to the church. Next, He has given us the commission of evangelism to save the lives with the Gospel in the world full of darkness. Also, He has raised us as missionaries who preach God’s Word in every corner of the world. When the Early Church devoted constantly in prayer holding onto this covenant, the door of Rome evangelization opened before them. When we begin everything in prayer, God answers us with the same blessings that He bestowed upon the Early Church.

3. Life of ‘only’
There are four mysteries that we must enjoy daily. We must receive Lord’s teaching through the Sunday pulpit; restore the fellowship and thanksgiving inside the Word and the Gospel; meditate and concentrate in prayer on the blessing of salvation. At this time, God gives us prayer topics and the blessing to save people. When these four things are restored, we can naturally devote ourselves for God’s work and witness how God blesses our studies and works.

Forum Topic
The blessing of ‘only’ that the Early Church enjoyed is a blessing that came to me already. What is the secret to enjoying this blessing?
70 Worker Training Message / 2013.2.26