Subject 13 : The Gospel According to MATTHEW
[Chapter 16-3] Peter’s Love for Jesus (Matthew 16:21-27)
(Matthew 16:21-27)
“From
that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to
Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and
scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him
aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this
shall not happen to You!’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind
Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the
things of God, but the things of men.’ Then Jesus said to His disciples,
‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose
it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what
profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own
soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of
Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He
will reward each according to his works.”
In
my previous sermon, I explained how the born-again righteous people
must deny themselves, take up their respective cross, and follow the
Lord. Through the example of Peter, let us give some more thought to
this issue.
Jesus
told His disciples that He would go to Jerusalem, suffer many things
from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and rise from
the dead on the third day. Peter then took the Lord aside and tried to
dissuade Him earnestly and desperately, saying, “Far be it from You,
Lord; this shall not happen to You!” My fellow believers, can you
understand what was in Peter’s heart? He had followed Jesus as his
teacher. Even though Peter had followed the Lord staking his entire life
on Him, all of a sudden Jesus said one day, “I must now go to
Jerusalem, suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and
scribes, and be killed. And I must rise from the dead in three days.”
Peter was so shocked to hear his teacher saying that the time was
nearing for Him to die. So Peter took the Lord aside and asked Him
earnestly, saying, “Please don’t do that! Don’t go to Jerusalem! And You
don’t need to suffer from them and be killed by them. Don’t allow
this!”
We
can probably understand what must have gone through Peter’s mind to say
this. After all, who would be pleased to hear that someone whom he
respects would suffer and be despised? I can indeed appreciate Peter’s
wholehearted love for the Lord.
However, Jesus Rebuked Peter’s Love
However,
Jesus rebuked Peter harshly, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an
offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the
things of men.” Of course, Peter was not Satan. He was clearly a
disciple of Jesus. Why did Jesus then say to Peter, “Get behind Me,
Satan!” That’s because Satan had gone into Peter’s heart and was working
there.
When
we consider Peter’s words from our human perspective, we can fully
understand his sentiment because it reflects the fundamental nature of
mankind. Isn’t it our basic human nature to seek the comfort and
prosperity of our flesh? Most people just seek their own comfort. If we
pay closer attention to church names, in just one city alone we would
probably see several churches named “Church of Peace” or something close
to it. How much do people desire to be at peace? It’s because people
want peace that churches are named after it. That’s why Peter was so
appalled when his teacher, to whom he had devoted his entire life and
respected so much, said He would suffer persecution and why he tried to
block the Lord’s way. Would your heart be unperturbed if your teacher
were to bear physical suffering and die? As a disciple, it’s only
natural for you to be distressed if your teacher were to suffer such
things.
We
can therefore appreciate what was in Peter’s heart. We can understand
why Peter said such things to Jesus. And we can also understand how such
thoughts may arise from the hearts of our brothers and sisters and
God’s servants. Like everyone else, Peter did not like physical pain
either and was mindful of his own things rather than the things of God
and that is why he said such things.
When
we look closely, we see how people are so obsessed with their own
affairs just like Peter. At each and every moment, people think of only
their own affairs. Since it’s a basic instinct for them to love
themselves, living according to basic instincts is to live for oneself.
And people think that it’s only natural for them to live instinctively
just for themselves. Do they ever think about God’s work? No, countless
people live without any interest in God’s work. Now, rather than just
living instinctively, it’s imperative for us to pause and give some
serious consideration here, ruminating on the difference between the
things of men and the work of God.
Jesus Christ Is Asking Us If We Are Mindful of His Work
Jesus
said to Peter, “You are not mindful of the things of God, but the
things of men.” From Peter’s perspective, it was only a matter of fact
for Him to be concerned about his teacher’s well-being, but he was
actually rebuked for this. After all, Peter was only too human, and so
how could he have been pleased to hear that his own teacher was to
suffer physical persecution? If there was any disciple who accepted
Jesus’ death as a given and was unperturbed by it, then it’s he who
would be a bad disciple. In other words, Peter’s heart was the same as
ordinary people’s hearts. This, in other words, is the very nature of
mankind. Likewise, you and I also have such a heart. So even though we
say that we love God and cherish Him, when we examine ourselves more
closely, we see that in many cases we are actually mindful of our own
affairs rather than the work of God. As a result, some people often say
different things from their own perspective and sometimes they also find
themselves leading their lives of faith for their own sake. Such people
do whatever they like in the church, and some of them even give up
their lives of faith at the slightest hint of any harm or suffering
that’s on their way. What’s the reason for this? That’s because they are
mindful of the things of men rather than the things of God. It’s
because we are not mindful of God’s work that we instinctively end up
thinking only of our own affairs.
For
our brothers and sisters, and myself as well, we sometimes waver back
and forth, dithering between the work of God and the things of men. When
I speak of God’s work to someone whose mind is set on the things of
mankind, he gets angry. What’s the reason for this? It’s because this
person does not like God’s work. Such people think like this: “Now that I
believe in Jesus, shouldn’t my life be comfortable? It’s great to go to
Heaven, but I believed in Jesus to live comfortably on this earth as
well, to prosper. Why else would I have become a Christian? Why would I
believe in Jesus if I have to forsake myself and my circumstances won’t
improve? It’s all for my own happiness that I go to school, make money,
and believe in Jesus as well. So what kind of nonsense is this? One
moment, I am told that Jesus has blotted out all my sins, but the next
moment, all of a sudden I am told to live for the work of God. Isn’t
this work of God all about asking for my money?”
Those
who cherish only their own flesh, not realizing just how precious God’s
work is, cannot deny themselves even after they receive the remission
of sin. Their hearts are set on money first. So we need to contemplate
on what the work of God is and what the things of men are. Young people
are often thoughtless and act very immaturely. They only know
themselves. But what happens when they mature? They become reflective.
Now is the time for us to also be reflective.
What
is God’s work? God’s work is the work of God, plain and simple. To be
more concrete, God’s work on this earth is the work of saving people
from sin. We are planning on holding some revival meetings in the first
half of this year. These revival meetings are God’s work. It’s also
God’s work for us to gather together in the church to worship God,
listen to His Word, offer our time, our material possessions, and our
everything to serve the Lord. Planting churches is God’s work as well.
Spreading the gospel throughout the whole wide world is also God’s work.
That’s why we are preaching the gospel through both our literature and
our lips. We also offer our material possessions for the spreading of
the gospel and we pray for this gospel and praise God. All these things
are God’s work. All these things that are used by the Lord as His
precious instruments are God’s work. If we were seeking only our own
comfort, all that we have to do is just not preach the gospel all over
the world. If we were to give up our world mission, there wouldn’t be
any need for any offerings marked for this ministry either. Wouldn’t
your flesh then be more comfortable? Your flesh would then be at peace.
But we will have nothing to do with God then.
The Work of Men Stands against the Work of God
I
recently purchased a copy machine for my church. Did I buy it on my own
whim? No. I had many conflicting thoughts before I actually bought the
copier. The reason why I wanted to buy it was to make a gospel newspaper
in tabloid size, so that the Truth may be spread to even those who are
too foolish to understand and believe in the gospel of the water and the
Spirit no matter how much it is preached to them. However, even the
best machine is completely useless if it’s used inappropriately.
Likewise, without a technician who can run the copy machine to make the
gospel newspaper, it would have been of no use even if it were
purchased. So I was vexed at this, unable to make up my mind. I was told
that a copy machine would cost around $1,200, so I carefully considered
what could be gained from investing this money. When I told the
salesman that we were planning to print 48,000 copies in a week, he was
shocked and told me that the particular machine I was looking at could
not handle that much. I was then told that to handle such a load, I
would have to buy a copy machine priced at $3,000 to $3,650.
So
I grappled with conflicting thoughts, but the copier had to be
purchased. We needed to print the hymnals of our church as well as the
gospel newspapers. So I couldn’t just put off the purchase because of
its high cost. Although we were using computers in our ministry, there
was a limit to what could be printed by using computer printers. That’s
why we bought the copier. Our minds are torn while carrying out such a
work of God, but if we weren’t doing such works, would we have anything
to worry about and be quite comfortable? If we didn’t need to make our
hymnbooks and the gospel newspapers, then we wouldn’t have had to
purchase a copy machine. While we might have been comfortable in our
flesh, our hearts would have been rather uncomfortable.
However,
once I bought the copier that cost $3,000 for our ministry, I felt an
acute financial burden and thought to myself, “What should I do now?”
Back then, our finances were so fragile that we couldn’t even make that
payment all at once. So all kinds of thoughts came to my mind and I
wondered, “Why did I buy it? I shouldn’t have purchased this copier.”
But what would happen to us if we were to give up everything and stop
working? We would inevitably turn into jobless people. If we don’t carry
out the work of the gospel, there would be no burden for us, but our
hearts would be even more indebted to the gospel, since we wouldn’t be
doing what we must do only as a matter of fact. If we don’t do the work
of the gospel, we could probably lead our lives of faith amicably in
pleasure just by ourselves, being kind to each other.
There
are many things that we must pay close attention to serve the gospel:
we have to prepare financial resources with pledge offerings; we have to
invite God’s servants and hold revival meetings; we have to invite
souls and make them receive the remission of their sins; and we have to
pray to God and ask Him, “Lord, we need money,” because we are also
planning to go to Yanbian, a northeastern region in China to preach the
gospel. Like this, there are so many things that we have to take care
of.
Should
we then give up the work of serving the gospel just because our flesh
is struggling too much? No, unless the righteous are engaged in God’s
work, they will fall into the flesh. Will you do the work of the flesh
according to your own thoughts like Peter, saying, “Far be it from You,
Lord. Why should You die? You haven’t done anything wrong, and so why
should You be persecuted and killed? This shall never happen to You!”
Peter had himself in mind when he said to Jesus, “Far be it from You,
Lord,” because his own heart was uneasy at the prospect of his teacher
suffering. My fellow believers, you and I both have a heart like Peter.
I, too, desire to live comfortably, saying to myself, “Carry out God’s
work, but take care of yourself a little bit.” In times like this, we
have to think about what is gained from doing God’s work and what is
lost from not doing it. Of course, it’s true that carrying out God’s
work entails financial burdens and requires us to be diligent, busy, and
even put up with suffering. That’s why our bodies get weary when we do
God’s work. Nevertheless, there is so much that is gained from this.
We
are prone to be mindful of the things of men rather than the things of
God. My fellow believers, this is none other than our own minds. You and
I also have Peter’s mindset, thinking, “Pastor, why are you doing such a
thing? Don’t do it. It wouldn’t be beneficial to you nor to any of us.
We would be comfortable if you don’t do this, and so why are you doing
such a thing?” But do you think that you would prosper if you don’t do
God’s work? No, far from prospering, you will end up dying. Unless the
leader of God’s Church pushes the flock to serve the Lord, they will
fall into their own affairs and be swept away along with the world to
their spiritual death.
Do
you like what’s comfortable for you? Of course you do. We all like to
be comfortable after being saved by believing in Jesus. But what can we
gain from living comfortably? Unless a merchant is engaged in his
business, what can he possibly gain? Regardless of the particular type
of business that the merchant might be running, there are many
complicated issues that demand close attention from him. On the other
hand, if the merchant is not engaged in his business, then his life
would be a whole lot more comfortable. But could the merchant stop
running his business when this is his livelihood? Even though running
the business may be cumbersome and tiring, there is much to be gained
from it.
Standing Water Is Bound to Be Polluted
I
am saying these things because there is no one here who just received
the remission of sin. If those who have just recently received the
remission of sins were to hear me now, they would probably think,
“What’s so good about receiving the remission of sins? What’s ahead is
so bleak!” If the recently redeemed come to the church and do not leave
even for just one year, then this by itself is fortunate enough. So
those who regularly come to the church gatherings led by their family
members are blessed. If you go out into the world, your heart will drift
toward it, you will lose all your faith, and you will be trampled by
Satan. This is what happens unless we do God’s work.
What
is God’s work and what are the things of men? The things of men seek
the comfort of the flesh. God’s work, on the other hand, is something
that saves souls. All too often we are mindful of the things of men
rather than the work of God. In our family and in our individual heart,
our minds are often set on the affairs of man. Our faith must begin from
the work of God. Just as God divided the light from the darkness and
the waters which were under the firmament, from the waters which were
above the firmament, at the very beginning of His Creation (Genesis
1:4-7), so must you be separated from the world after being saved. What
would happen if you were not separated from the world? Even though you
have been saved, you would only seek your own comfort and what’s good
for your flesh. In the end, your faith will be corrupted and all mixed
up in the world, and you will be destroyed. That’s all that will happen
to you.
Jesus
said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you
are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Therefore, anyone who has been saved must clearly separate the work of
God from the things of men. We have to know what is God’s work and what
is man’s work, and we must make up our minds as to whether we would
carry out the work of God or the things of men. We need to ask
ourselves, “Will I do the things of men or the work of God?” and our
hearts must be set to answer this question clearly. For those who lead
their lives of faith without setting their hearts on the work of God,
even though they may carry on when their circumstances are ideal, when
something that’s disadvantageous or damaging to them comes along, their
spirits end up dying and they renounce their life of faith.
My
fellow believers, what is it that we must do after receiving the
remission of sin? Think about what kind of work we should do and what it
is that we must do. How should we live the rest of our lives, now that
we have been born again of the water and the Spirit? What should we do
in our lives? You must decide whether you would live your life carrying
out the work of God or the things of men.
What
is it that you want to do? Do you want to do God’s work or man’s work? I
am sure that you all want to carry out God’s work. If this is true,
then you must set your mind on God’s work. You must change your entire
mindset like this. If you are mindful of the things of men, then you are
bound to fall into the affairs of men and turn into a hypocrite before
God. If, on the other hand, you are mindful of the things of God, then
you will carry out God’s work, for your heart will be immersed in His
work. Therefore, where our minds are focused is critically important and
everything comes to pass according to this mindset. If we are mindful
of God’s work and ponder, “What should I do to fulfill God’s work?” then
we will eventually accomplish God’s work and harvest abundant fruits
before the Lord. We would be able to say to Him, “Lord, you delivered to
me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them”
(Matthew 25:22).
In
contrast, if we are mindful of the things of men, then we will say,
“What has God ever given me? All that He has given me is this salvation,
and yet He is so demanding!” We will then hide the talents of His
salvation in the ground—that is, in our hearts—and seek only our own
comfort to perish away in the end. Such people come to live recklessly
in the world, thinking to themselves, “I like being comfortable. It’s a
headache to carry out God’s work, since I would have to serve so much. I
won’t do this. At least I have been saved, so I won’t end up in hell
anyways.” If this happens, then they will be cast out into darkness,
just like the servant with one talent. Even after receiving the
remission of sins, some people may still think that it’s important to
keep their human relationships at all costs. They neither wage the war
of the gospel nor show any interest in God’s work thinking that people
would be offended if they say to their acquaintances, “You will be cast
into hell if you have sin. So receive the remission of your sins.” If
this is how you lead your life, you will surely perish away.
We Must Be Mindful of Spiritual Work in Our Labor
One
must be properly minded. In particular, it’s even more imperative for
the born-again to be properly minded. The Holy Spirit dwelling in our
hearts wants to do the work of God. If this is the case, then we ought
to be mindful of God’s work and the leaders of God’s church should
provide the congregation with opportunities to carry out God’s work. No
matter how much you may desire to do God’s work, unless your leader
guides you to carry out God’s work, you cannot do the work of God at all
throughout your entire lifetime. If this happens, then when the Lord
demands you to submit what you have done for Him in the future, you
won’t have anything to show Him.
As
such, no one can carry out God’s work all by himself. You can do it
only when your leaders in your church guide you and entrust you with His
works. The leaders must be mindful of God’s work, propel the
congregation to carry out the work of God, and enable the saints to
participate in this work. It’s when the saints share their leaders’
mindset that they can finally do God’s work. Even for the righteous,
God’s work can never be carried out all alone. Can you understand what I
am trying to say here?
Peter
spoke to Jesus being mindful of the things of men and the Lord rebuked
him, “You are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Peter made a serious mistake. That’s because he was motivated out of his
human desire. Later on, Peter came to realize that was wrong. We, too,
must reach this realization like Peter, and we must be mindful of the
things of God rather than the things of men. Initially, when Peter first
began to follow the Lord, he was too mindful of the things of men. But
eventually, he came to realize what God’s work was and turned his heart
around.
It
is written, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to
come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow
Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses
his life for My sake will find it.’” Those who are mindful of God’s
work must deny themselves. Anyone who wants to follow God must do so.
The Lord Himself said, “If you want to come after Me, take up your cross
and follow Me.”
You
and I must deny ourselves. You can take up your cross, and follow the
Lord only when you deny yourself. If you and I want to carry out God’s
work, then it’s absolutely imperative for us to deny ourselves. We must
deny ourselves to follow God. Anyone who cannot deny himself cannot
follow God. Do you understand this, my fellow believers? Why must we
deny ourselves? It’s to carry out God’s work, and to follow Him, that we
must deny ourselves. It’s not to deny ourselves that we are laboring,
but it is to carry out God’s work that we must deny ourselves.
When
you want to buy something from a store, you have to pay its price. To
carry out God’s work, you also have to give up your own affairs and bear
your hardship in your life. How then, can we, the born-again saints,
deny ourselves? It’s because we are mindful of God’s work that we can
deny ourselves. How can you control your fiery personality? How can you
overcome your own stubbornness? It’s not we who have changed ourselves,
but it’s the Lord who has transformed us. Therefore, if you and I desire
to carry out God’s work, then we should overcome our stubbornness and
cast aside our own thoughts as well. It’s because we are mindful of
Gods’ work that we can do all things. If you weren’t mindful of God’s
work, why would you need to bend yourself? If this were the case, there
would be no need for us to bend ourselves, nor deny ourselves, nor do
anything that we don’t want to do. Isn’t this true? Of course it is.
That
is indeed the case. You and I must think about God’s work. This year
also, we must continue to be mindful of God’s work. This year and the
next year alike, all our brothers and sisters and God’s servants
throughout the churches in Korea must set their minds on the work of
God, rather than thinking of only themselves or being mindful of the
things of men. It is only right for us to think of God’s work first.
When we carry out God’s work, our minds must prioritize it first.
Whatever it is, we must participate in any work if it is God’s work.
If
the church doesn’t make you carry out the work of the gospel, you will
be completely lethargic. The same goes for the servants of God as well;
anyone who does not carry out God’s work is bound to turn into a
completely useless person. It’s because people are mindful of the
affairs of men rather than the work of God that they are so worried and
wonder, “My future is so worrisome. I need something. How should I make a
living? What I should eat? What should I drink?”
However,
if we are mindful of God’s work, then we can rise up to the challenge
by faith. Those who are mindful of God’s work can grow their faith and
carry on with their lives in society by faith. And they can do
everything and anything by faith. This faith is not only necessary to
serve the Lord, but it’s also necessary to live in society. There is so
much that’s gained by having faith. The faithless, on the other hand,
cannot gain anything at all.
My
fellow believers, we must be mindful of God’s work this year. Do you
understand? You and I each must think of God’s work. I ask you to also
teach others who have only recently been saved to be mindful of God’s
work. What will you accomplish this year no matter how hard you try on
your own? What will you accomplish in your entire lifetime? Won’t you
manage to just get by? We don’t just get by, but we carry out God’s work
in our lives and then we meet the Lord. What do you prefer? Would you
like to live like us or would you like to live the rest of your lifetime
doing nothing else but committing sin? Is the prosperity of your flesh
all that you care about? You should say these things to those who have
just recently been born again. They, too, desire to do what is right in
their lives, but because they don’t know how they can do it, you have to
teach them what the proper life of the born-again is and provide them
with an opportunity to also follow the greater cause of the Lord. That’s
because in many cases people end up living a worthless life simply
because they do not know what is right. My brothers and sisters, do you
now realize that each and every one of us must be mindful of God’s work?
When
I put my mind on God’s work, I cannot help but pray. When my mind is
set on the work of God, my mind is broadened, faith springs forth, and I
am strengthened. Although our flesh would be comfortable if we were not
to do God’s work, there will be no progress of faith. Everything that
we are now doing in God’s church is His blessed work. If you carry out
God’s work, faith will spring forth in your heart, you will be
strengthened, and many souls will also be saved.
This
discipleship training camp itself is God’s work also. So when we
participate in this camp realizing that this is God’s work, it brings
great blessings to our hearts. For us to come to the gathering of the
church is also God’s work. To spread the gospel your own faith must
grow, so if you attend every church gathering and you do this realizing
that this is God’s work, your heart will be tremendously blessed.
Whatever we do, if we labor knowing that it is God’s work, then anything
can be a blessing for us. For revival meetings also, if we participate
in them knowing that it’s God’s work, then the Word will be engraved in
our hearts, we will come to desire to serve the gospel willingly, we
will be strengthened, and we will also be blessed by God. However, if we
are mindful of the things of mankind, you will likely think, “Why do we
need to hold revival meetings? There were many souls who received the
remission of sin even without holding a revival meeting.” But in
reality, such thoughts come to our minds because we think, first of all,
that we would save money if we were not to hold revival meetings, and
secondly, we wouldn’t be persecuted.
However,
when we hold revival meetings, Satan goes berserk, but faith springs
forth in the hearts of our brothers and sisters. In other words, through
the Word preached at these revival meetings, dross is once again
removed from the minds of the saints and their hearts are strengthened.
With God’s work in mind, revival meetings are indispensable, but if only
the affairs of men are what’s on our minds, then there is no need to
hold any revival meetings, nor any discipleship training camps, nor any
other church gatherings, much less to go all the way to Yanbian, China
to spread the gospel. We would think that there is no need for us to go
some foreign country only to toil away, but we must realize that all
these are carnal thoughts and we must turn from them. If we become
carnally minded, we won’t want to do anything at all. Are we completely
free from such carnal thoughts? On the contrary, such desires are only
too prevalent. We have to admit that we, too, are not entirely free from
the thoughts of the flesh and we have to recognize that we are mindful
of both the things of men and the things of God. And we must realize
that we can live only if we do God’s work. If we didn’t serve God, then
while we would be comfortable in our flesh, our spirits would end up
dead.
When
we are mindful of God’s work, we are compelled to carry out His work
and once we begin serving God, there is much to be gained for our flesh
due to His blessings. There is so much that we can gain from listening
to the gospel of the water and the Spirit. I have experienced on many
occasions how the things of God were accomplished easily even when I
didn’t pay much attention to them. If God is willing, everything is
possible. When we are mindful of God’s work and unite ourselves with the
church for the sake of the gospel, God will surely bless us. When we
set our minds on the things of God and carry them out by faith, from the
smallest to the largest, then God will actually help us in our everyday
life and work on us. As you carry on with your life of faith, you will
also experience this for yourself.
Do
you know why Korea is so prosperous? Korea has developed so rapidly to
join the rest of the developed countries, people around the world praise
it as the “miracle of the Han River.” Yet when it comes to the national
traits of the Korean people, they are rather infamous for empty
bravado, fighting, and the lack of unity. If we focus only on the people
and the natural resources of Korea alone, then there is no cause that
explains how the Korean economy has grown so much. Does Korea have any
natural resources or did it have any accumulated technological know-how?
What does it have? It has nothing. Yet despite this, Korea is quite
prosperous. What’s the reason for this? That’s because it has people who
are preaching the gospel of the water and the Spirit. That is why God
has blessed Korea and permitted it to succeed and that’s why Korea is
prosperous now.
It’s
been only about 40 years since Korea first devised and implemented
economic development plans. Why is such a country then so prosperous? By
some measures, Korea is a better place to live than Japan or some other
advanced countries in Europe. That’s because the cost of living is much
lower. While Korea’s GNP is lower than these countries, the actual
standard of living that average Koreans enjoy is not any worse than
them. Most Japanese like to visit Korea because Korea is a great place
to travel with just a little amount of money.
Nations,
states, families, and businesses alike can prosper only if God blesses
them. If you set your mind on the work of God and serve Him then you
will prosper in everything you do, for God will actually help you in all
things. Korea has no natural resources at all. Yet Koreans are still
prosperous despite this, and the reason for this is because there are
God’s servants and people who preach the gospel in our country. We have
to remember that it’s because of those righteous people here who are
mindful of the work of God that He is also mindful of this country and
blesses it.
You
and I must be mindful of God’s work. Make sure to keep the work of God
in your heart and head, reflect on it, and examine yourself to see
whether or not you are really mindful of God’s work. Some people have no
consideration for God at all, and their minds are completely set on
their own human affairs. Those who have not received the remission of
their sins are mindful of only the things of mankind 100 percent of the
time. In contrast, the born-again have to focus their minds on the work
of God. It’s when we are mindful of God’s work that there can be joy and
happiness for us, a sense of fulfillment in anything we do, and fruits
in everything we do.
If
we weren’t mindful of God’s work, what kind of work would we be doing
at most? Unless our minds are set on the work of God, we can’t help but
be like a pig, obsessed with what to eat and what to drink. A pig is
only too happy to oink with its head stuck in the sewage, drinking
filthy water and rubbing itself against all kinds of filth. Without our
minds set on the work of God, we can’t help but live exactly like this
pig. That is the inevitable result when we are only mindful of the
affairs of mankind.
There
is nothing to be gained if we think about only the things of men. When
we think about God’s work, even though it’s burdensome and tiring for
us, on the other hand, our minds are awake and we are strengthened. Even
though we are prone to be mindful of the things of men, the work of God
is worthwhile to us. Some people consume so much when it comes to
committing sin and spending freely for themselves, and yet when it comes
to spending for the Lord, they are so stingy. When the born-again
righteous people are mindful of the affairs of mankind, there is nothing
to be gained in the world, no hope, only darkness. Try to be mindful of
God’s work and see what happens. If you carry out God’s work, you will
surely find hope.
Let
us all be mindful of God’s work. Mankind is made beautiful only if it
thinks of God’s work. For men in particular, if they live for the gospel
of God, then even a useless drunk can break free from his rut and do
what is right and live a worthwhile life that pleases the Lord. Yet this
is impossible if we are mindful of the things of men and that is why we
must be mindful of the things of God. All of us must be mindful of the
work of God.
The
same requirement applies to pastors as well. They, too, must examine
themselves carefully. They must ask themselves whether they are now
indeed mindful of God’s work or the things of men. Those who have not
been born again must also examine themselves carefully to see whether
they are mindful of God’s work or their own work. Yet those who have not
been born again cannot be mindful of God’s work. Even if they were to
give up their lives for the Lord, they are not even qualified to carry
out God’s work, for they have not met His requirement. So when the Bible
says, “You have to be mindful of the things of God,” it is spoken to
the born-again servants of God.
The
Lord often says to us, “Will you be mindful of the things of God or
your own affairs? Which is right?” To our brothers and sisters as well,
our Lord asks, “Will you think of God’s work or your own work?” And the
Lord says again, “You must do God’s work. If anyone wants to carry out
My work, he must deny himself. And he must take up his cross and follow
Me even in hardship. Only then can he come after Me.” Our Lord is saying
this to all of us, you and me alike.
We
must never allow ourselves to turn into those who are afraid of the
persecution that comes from preaching the gospel, shutting our mouths
tight and not even uniting with the church. Any born-again person must
be someone who is harvesting the souls with the Lord. God is saying to
us, “If you can’t wage the battle of the gospel by yourself, then unite
with the church and do what it asks you to do, being faithful to the
work that the church has entrusted to you. That is My work. Do not stand
against My work, but ask for My help and pray to Me if you are
insufficient. Think about what you could do for Me and begin from the
smallest work with the right mindset and proper heart. Do not be so
calculating, mindful of the things of men. Be mindful of My work? Are
you struggling to serve the gospel? That’s not a problem as long as you
are persecuted for My sake. I will surely reward you for your
suffering.” God told us to be mindful of His work, to serve Him, to deny
ourselves, and to never deny the Lord even in hardship, but take up our
cross and follow Him. We will then become the Lord’s disciples. Those
who deny themselves for the sake of the Lord and follow Him bearing
their cross are God’s workers and He will take care of all the lives of
His workers.
Does
this then mean that only the ministry workers such as pastors and
evangelists are supposed to serve the Lord? No, all of us who have
received the remission of sin have the duty to carry out God’s work
before His presence, and we all have the privilege to deny ourselves,
take up our cross, and follow the Lord. Do not forsake such a precious
privilege. Do not bury it in the ground. Do not sell your privilege to
someone for a bowl of lentil stew like Esau. If you do so, you will
surely regret it later on. We have to ponder on God’s work and we have
to live the rest of our lives carrying out this work of God. And we must
dedicate our hearts to the work of God. We have to ask ourselves, “What
is God’s work? What is in my mind? Am I mindful of man or am I mindful
of God? What kind of a person am I?”
Carrying
out God’s work does not mean that we would live in poverty in this
world. We can make a good living even while doing God’s work. I, myself
have nothing to be ashamed of in my life, even though I am carrying out
God’s work. On the contrary, I am full of confidence. I often ask
myself, “Am I too self-absorbed?” Although there are many pastors
ministering who have had the same education as mine, they are so servile
to their elders and deacons that they try to flatter them all the time.
Unlike them, I am not intimidated in my ministry at all. I can say to
the members of my congregation, “The Master for both of us is Jesus. You
and I are nothing more than His servants. Even if you were a prime
minister that means nothing in God’s church.” Isn’t this true? How
ludicrous is it for a pastor, who is supposed to minister to the
congregation, to be so subservient to the elders or deacons? To all such
pastors, I would like to say, “Why don’t you just quit? Rather than
ministering like this, you would be better off to just clean some septic
tanks to make a living. If one is appointed as a general, he should act
like one. How can a general be a general if he is so helpless before
his own soldiers?”
In
God’s church, we should become fools for the things of God. It is
written in the Bible, “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you
seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become
wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (1
Corinthians 3:18-19).
Long
ago, there was a kingdom of the foolish and another kingdom of the
wise, and it so happened that these two countries went into war against
each other. The people of the wise kingdom were all wise, and the people
of the foolish were all foolish. The kingdom of the wise attacked
first. However, since all the people in the kingdom of the wise were
smart, they all thought, “If I were to advance at the frontline, won’t I
end up dead first? Sure I will. Instead of fighting at the front of
this battlefield, I’ll just hole up myself and hide somewhere, and come
out after the other soldiers have passed by. That’s the only way I can
ensure my survival.” Since the soldiers of the wise kingdom were all
smart, they holed up themselves and didn’t advance at all to ensure
their own survival.
In
contrast, when the soldiers of the foolish kingdom were commanded to
charge forward, they all attacked. When commanded, “Pick up your long
lance and charge ahead unconditionally,” they kept advancing. While the
soldiers of the wise kingdom were trying to figure out how they could
save their own necks, the soldiers of the foolish kingdom kept charging
ahead relentlessly and so they killed them all and won the war.
All
of us are servants of God carrying out His work. Only when you and I
both serve God does everything succeed. If your leaders in God’s church
shout out, “Charge!” you must then march forward bravely, just as the
army of the foolish kingdom had done. When you give your offerings and
serve this church, whom are you serving? Are you serving me? No, that’s
not the case. If you served me out of your desire to serve the gospel,
then your service was for the Lord and if I serve you out of my desire
to serve you, then my service is also for the Lord. For you and I alike,
if we were to serve just another man, we would be too disgruntled to do
this. It’s because all of us are God’s people that we pray for each
other, care for one another, and intervene in each other’s life to
admonish one another. As you belong to God’s people, you have to be made
into honorable people on this earth also, and that’s why your church
leaders intervene when you go astray; if you were just a worldly person,
why would your church leaders interfere with your life? Let us then all
embark on the same boat and carry out God’s work together until we
reach the same destination. This is the gist of my admonition.
Let
us be mindful of the things of God. And let us carry out His work. Just
how much carnal thoughts did we have this year? If we do not set our
minds on the work of God, the worries of the things of men will haunt us
all the time. Now, it’s not just pastors or evangelists who are
supposed to do God’s work. You and I alike, each one of us must be
mindful of God’s work. You must each reflect on what it is that you can
do to carry out God’s work, participate in it willingly, and do this
work. That is what our Lord has spoken to us.
This
year, we have set several goals for the work of God that we must carry
out. First of these is preaching the gospel in Yanbian, China. I get all
excited just to think about it. Even though I would have dreaded this
if it were a thing of men and I wouldn’t even want to go there if it
were my own affair, because it is the Lord’s work I am very excited. A
visitor from Yanbian once told me that it’s so cold there that when you
urinate, it freezes right away. When I heard this, I thought to myself,
“I can’t go there! I can’t even stand it when it’s only -10 degrees, and
so how could I put up with -40 degree temperatures? I just can’t go.”
If it were my own work, I wouldn’t be able to go, but because it is
God’s work, I have to go if God asks. And if it’s God’s work, then I
want to be the first to go there. You also want to go there because it’s
God’s work, right? I will go there first and pave the way so that
anyone can go there to do God’s work.
Just
as we are holding revival meetings because that is God’s work, we are
also preaching the gospel to college students and people all over the
world because this is all God’s work. When it comes to giving our
offerings, bearing witness of the gospel, and running the Mission School
alike, we are doing these things all because they are God’s work. It’s
also because it’s God’s work that we are serving the Lord. Isn’t this
the case, to be honest? It’s indeed true. Sometimes we need something to
carry out God’s work. Whatever it is, if it’s indispensable to God’s
work then we buy it. If it’s God’s work, we do it right away.
Whatever
we do, we have to base our decision on whether it is God’s work or not.
After all, we are of those whose minds are set on God’s work, and we
are the saved people who are serving Him. Even though we the born-again
are few in number, you and I still must carry out God’s work. It is my
sincerest hope and prayer that you and I would all keep the work of God
in our minds for this coming year and the rest of our lives as well, and
to also carry out His work before we stand in His presence.
Let
us all serve the work of God before we go to see our Lord face to face.
Let us all pray to God. Let us pray to God to make us mindful of His
work and to be able to carry out all His work that must be done this
year. My fellow believers, let us pray, “Lord, please help us and work
on us, so that we may faithfully fulfill Your work.”
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