10/09/16
ICA Sunday Pulpit Message
Make a Confession of Faith to the Lord (Rom 10:9-10)
(Intro)
It’s good to see you. Greet those around you. Have you had a good week? Today’s title is, “Make a confession of faith to the Lord”. There is a rapper named Tupac. If he was still alive, he would be more popular than Eminem because he sold a lot of records. Among his lyrics, there is a phrase, “Friday the 13th”. He was shot on Friday the 13th by gang members. Elvis Presley also made a lot of hit songs. He has a song called, “Anything that is a part of you”. In the lyrics, there is a part that says, “No reason left for me to live”. Afterwards, he passed away at 43. Prior to his death, he would often say that he would die like his mother. His mother passed away when she was 43. Both passed away as drug addicts. There is a saying, “Be careful what you ask for.” It’s strange. When signers make songs, they would have to try 2,000-3,000 times to get it perfectly. There was a singer named Kwang-suk Kim, and he had a song called, “Around the age of 30”. He passed away before becoming 30. There was another singer named Joong-rak Cha and had a song, “Love has passed away with the leaves” and passed away earlier. There is another singer called Patty Kim and she had a song called, “Separation”, and she separated from her husband. The probability that the lyrics of the singers follow their life is 92%. It conquers their mentality. There are so many cases when the life follows the lyrics. Your words will make your own world. If you speak, there are 2 instances. When you say the word, Father, you heard the physical phenomenon. It is a temporary phenomenon. However, when you say those words, you are talking about the person who raised you. It is internal. This is not physical, but it is spiritual. This is not temporary. It is eternal. In other words, when mankind produces words that have meaning, the word has power. What about God?
1. God’s Word has special power
(1) God created the world with His word (Gen 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26)
(2) Jesus Christ, the Son of God, moved the word (Mt 4:19, Mk 4:39, Lk 4:35, Lk 5:13, Jn 11:43)
(3) Once those who are called by God make a confession, they will gain the authority to be the children of God (Jn 1:12, Rom 10:9-10)
God’s word has special powers. You all know that God created the world with His Word. “Let there be light”. It was the first day, and He created the waters in heaven and on earth. Then the plants grew from the ground. He made the suns and moon. We had creatures. As soon as God said something, it happened. His word has the power to create. That is how powerful the word of God is. When you take the Word of God as His voice, rather than a simple sermon, then you will experience His power. Even His son Jesus Christ mobilized everything with His word. Even the Father God created all living beings. In Matthew 4, Jesus called Peter. He said that you would be the fisherman who fishes for humans. Peter became a fisherman who saved souls according to Jesus’ word. The Word of Jesus makes a direction towards the future. In Mark 4, something else happens. Jesus and His disciples are on a boat and crossing a sea. There was a heavy storm and the boat shakes. The waters might leak into the boat and they might die. The disciples didn’t know what to do and woke Jesus up. What did Jesus do? He rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still”. Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. Do not take this as a simple miracle. This is how powerful His word is, not just a miracle. The Word of Jesus moves nature. In Luke 4, Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. He can cast them away and move the spiritual world. In Luke 5, Jesus healed the leprosy and the paralyzed man with His word. The word of Jesus has the power to heal. In John 11, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. We all know that once you die, your life will end. The word of God has the ability to create. Jesus’ word, who was sent by God, has the power to mobilize everything. He is a great and amazing person. What about us? We were chosen by God and received the Gospel. That’s why we can make a confession that we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord, who has freed us from sins. Then you will have the authority to become His sons. There is a person who God calls. And He allows him or her to hear and believe the Gospel. Once you make a confession with your mouth, you will receive the authority to become a child of God. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.“ “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” This is a very strange logic. Even Harvard doesn’t teach this. The Bible tells us about this. The word of God has the power to create. He can recreate a person from being a sinner to a righteous man. It means that their identity and belonging has been changed. A child of the devil becomes a child of God. They used to belong to Satan, but now they belong to God. They were children of wrath. They become people of God. That is how God called Abraham, “The source of blessings”. Also, their state has been changed. They used to follow worldly customs, but now they follow God. Moreover, their position has been changed. In Ephesians 2:6, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” You have salvation. You don’t go to heaven by asking a priest. Once you accept Jesus Christ, you will receive those blessings. He recreated heaven from hell. He changed death to life. The spiritual world will be overturned. It is in the Word of God. It is in the word of Christ, who was sent by God. It’s in the word of people who have salvation. Is it magic? It may sound like it. How can this magic happen? Where does it say that God created this world? It is in the first part in Genesis 1:1. Look at the next verse. “the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” The Spirit of God is moving. After the Word of God is proclaimed, the Spirit of God which is the Holy Spirit is working to fulfill His word. That’s why there should be the result of creation or re-creation. It is called “the working of the Holy Spirit or the power of the Holy Spirit”. That is the work of miracles. If we don’t experience this, we may complain why we need to listen or follow a pastor’s word, “we have our own will”. Do you know that if God comes to us and says something? Suppose that the sun is 5 meters close to us, then we will melt. If the space gets distorted, we will no longer survive. That’s why He came with human body. He sent His apostles because He ascended to seat the right hand of God. Then they raised a pastor in 1 region. Therefore, the pastor speaks the word of life to be fulfilled. What I am saying is that the Holy Spirit is working with the Word of God. When a person who have salvation speaks with faith, the Holy Spirit takes place. If an unsaved person does so, evil spirits take place. The Word and Holy Spirit have an amazing connection. So, how must worshippers worship? They must do so in spirit and truth. The Holy Spirit is a core being. There was the one who was born with the Holy Spirit and was working through the Holy Spirit and was filled with the Holy Spirit. Who was he? It was Jesus Christ.
2. Have assurance of the power of the word that Christ Jesus taught us
(1) People are made so that they need to live the word from God’s mouth (Mt 4:4)
(2) The word given by Christ saves everything with spirit and life (Jn 6:63)
(3) Once you pray holding onto the Word of Christ, you will definitely receive answers (Jn 15:7)
There is the power of the word that Christ Jesus taught us. Don’t forget these 3 things. In Matthew 4, He becomes tested by Satan. He tried to tempt Jesus with hunger. He asked Jesus to turn stone into bread. Of course, Jesus had the power. However, Jesus replied that mankind doesn’t live on bread alone, but also on the Word of God. What does that mean? We originally were supposed to live with the Word of God. People without salvation have a spiritual void inside of them. This word of God has the mystery for human survival. When my older sister used to persecute me, she questioned and criticized my belief in Christ. Now, I believe that Jesus provides everything. God allowed me to be able to live with only the Word of God. In John 6, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing” When we receive this word, which is the spirit and life, everything will live. There is the mystery of restoration in the Word of God. It is the mystery of Christ. It is the mystery of restoration. Even in John 15, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you”. The mystery of answers is in the word of God. Once you pray with the mystery of Jesus Christ, there will be answers. We love and respect Him. That is why we must worship Him. You can make please the Lord with making a confession with faith. Young people tend to avoid older people. You could interpret that in several ways. It could mean that the younger person doesn’t know what respect is or the older person doesn’t deserve respect. God created the laws of gravity. God’s grace will fall from above. Therefore, once you respect those who are spiritually above, you will receive blessings. If we confess our faith, then we will receive His answers.
3. There is a confession of faith that we as Christians must enjoy first
(1) Jesus Christ, you are my Lord who guides all the ways even today (Jn 14:6)
(2) Jesus Christ, you are my Lord who gave freedom from all curses today (Rom 8:2)
(3) Jesus Christ, you are my Lord who gives all of my victory even today (1Jn 3:8, Jn 16:33)
As soon as you wake up, confess that Jesus is the Christ. You may ask why I have to do this. It is because Jesus is the Christ. He ended all problems of mankind. He is the Prophet who opened all ways. He is the Priest who has forgiven us for our sins. He is the King who destroyed the power of Satan. Jesus Christ, you are my Lord who guides me. Jesus Christ, you are my Lord who gives freedom from all curses and disasters today. Jesus Christ, you are my Lord who gives victory, even today. Make that confession. We were made so that we could go with Christ. Our Lord has entered inside of us. However, we ignore that. When we face problems, we are unaware of it. We don’t look for God. When you get emotionally excited, we are worse off than non-believers. Therefore, once you acknowledge it, then His words will be a part of your nature. The words will come true. The works of recreation will happen.
(Conc)
In Matthew 16, Peter makes a confession of faith. He says that Jesus Is the Christ, the son of the living God. This is accurate. In verse 17, Jesus replied by saying that he is blessed because this knowledge didn’t come from the world, but from God. The Father God made Peter realize this. God moves, then there will be results. After the word of God is proclaimed, there will be the work of blessings. In verse 18, Jesus tells Peter that he is a rock and he will build His church. It means that God will make Peter live in the different dimension of world. The gates of hell shall not overcome you. This is the blessing of absolute victory. Then, He stamps his confession by saying that He will give Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind in earth shall be bound in heaven. Whatever you lose on earth will be lost in heaven. This answer came upon Peter. It is when he confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. Do you believe? Even though Peter makes a confession, he still abandons Jesus later on and ran away. Even those you may confess in the morning, you might live like a non-believer in the day. God knew that. God made him overcome those things and he became a great apostle. That means that even though you live like a non-believer, you will be raised up. Christ has the power to make the Holy Spirit work. May you make this confession of faith. May you accept this word with your faith. Once you realize the meaning of this, then you will receive the answer. I bless that you will uncover this.
(Prayer)
Dear Father God who has raised up this Church, I confess that You are the way, the freedom and the victory. May You give faith to these saints. Give them a realization to make this confession of faith. Make them continue with this faith. Let them be witnesses of creation. Let them give testimonies on miracles. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.