Transcription
Title for today is treated as a wretched convict awaiting execution. And it comes from the day of lament service from 2008. March 21st.
Is God not the master of all things in the universe? He is the creator. Because of humanity's sins Father God sent his one and only son, Jesus. And the word became flesh in the form of a man. He laid every single sin of mankind upon him. And God is saying, "You take responsibility. Bear it." And the price of that sin is the gruesome cross. The cross.
If you are a human being, you need to think deeply about this. This is a marvelous and strange thing. People are full of sin and though they know God, they neither glorify him nor give him thanks. Toward the forces of evil, their thoughts, ideologies, beliefs. And their very hearts are entirely evil just as it says in Genesis 6. Just evil. Sin is overflowing. And it's filled to the brim and pouring over. Violence is rampant. And the state of the human heart is utterly desolate. It has become corrupt. Is this not why the world was judged in during Noah's time? It's truly heartbreaking.
Originally, the framework of the cross was used in ancient Persia and Phoenicia. And the Roman Empire imported it for the purpose of territorial expansion to execute rebels, rioters, or anyone who is not beneficial to the state. And they would take them all and put them to death on the horrific, gruesome cross. How cruel and how gruesome. And how can a believer in Jesus not worship during Passion Week? What makes you so special? Everyone is a sinner.
How long does money last? And how far do power and honor go? Even if you cry out, life is only 70 or 80 years long. Once you pass the age of 50, your eyes get dim. Your mind or your spirit might be young, but when your body reaches 60, 70, even walking becomes hard. And people go before reaching 70 or past 70 or past 90, don't they? Is Is death the end? It is appointed for man to be born once and to die once, is it not? Then there's judgment. He told us this. He told us to know this in Hebrews 9:27.
>> [snorts] >> And when we look at Matthew chapter 26 from verse 27 onward at Caesarea Philippi, we are judged according to our deeds. Therefore, if you believe, you must be like the Apostle Paul. In Acts chapter 23:1, he says, "I have served God with a perfectly good conscience in all things." Well, look at Pilate. He couldn't even find one sin in Jesus. Look, he's saying, "They're accusing you with evil words. Now, why do you not speak? Why do you not speak?" And when Pilate looked at Jesus, he felt pity. He felt sorry for him. What was the conclusion? He was amazed twice. And his wife came and said, "Honey, do not argue back and forth about that righteous man. I suffered greatly in a dream last night to the point of being startled." And he tried to let him go.
Think about it. When we believe in Jesus during this Passion Week, during these 40 days of Lent, and we and cutting off fleshly relations, especially between couples, is what should happen. And you should be evangelizing. Dear saints, nothing can be accomplished except through the cross of Jesus Christ. Marriage is the cross. Raising children is the cross. Whether you are a pastor, evangelist, elder, or deacon, the moment a believer forgets the cross, they will perish. It is a grave matter. And please believe that our Pyungkang Church will stand out in the world. Even in foreign countries abroad, people are amazed by the Genesis genealogies. They're amazed. It's been translated into Japanese, into German. And it's currently being translated into French. And now it's being translated into Chinese. And a dean of a reformed seminary met me and said, "I will use this as a textbook for our seminary." And he himself is a world-renowned historian.
At any rate, ever since Jesus went, he said he repented, repented for teaching incorrectly. And he knew We have to know nothing but the cross. And Apostle Paul determined to know nothing except the cross. And confessed that he bore the marks of the cross. And that's in 1 Corinthians chapter 2:1-2 and Galatians 6:14-17. And said, "Let no one cause me trouble." He said he bore the marks of the cross. And all of you here today at Pyungkang Church, please believe that you all have received Jesus' cross sign, the sign of the cross. And how evil the world right now. They hate sermons of the cross. It's truly gruesome and horrific. And the salvation of humanity is the cross. The origin of life is the cross. Begins at the cross, proceeds with the cross, and ends with the cross.
But people People treat the message of the cross like some kind of disposable product, like a paper cup you throw away after buying coffee. And they only know it to that extent. But our saints must remember this without fail. God did not speak of Christianity without going through the cross. He did not give grace to the saints except through the cross. You must always long for and yearn for the cross in your heart, holding it firmly with the hand of faith. Wherever you go, to any workplace or business, you must not lose your grip on the cross. And the moment you lose it is the moment you fall into temptation and commit sin. And through the cross of Jesus, the world receives salvation. It's an absolute fact. The church is the gathering place for the crowd saved through the cross. And there's hope in the cross. Just thinking about the cross makes one triumphant and surges with strength. Where is our resurrection without the cross? It is a resurrection through the cross. It's a new life. The living hope. And we have to realize it.
In Isaiah chapter 53, verse 3, in the first part of the verse, it says he was despised and forsaken by men. He was despised and forsaken. And therefore, the message of the cross looks utterly foolish and idiotic. However, though it is foolishness to those who are perishing, to us who are being saved, it is the wisdom, power, and strength of God. True revival of faith is the revival of the cross in the church. There are many churches where the cross has dried up and withered. Always remember, always love the cross.
So, truly, whether traveling by bus or train, or anywhere in the countryside, I see a cross and I say, "Thank you, God." And regarding that church, though I don't I don't know who they are, grant that entire congregation, including the pastor, and may they boast only in the cross. And may the church be revived through the cross. And also, when the church members fully believe in the cross, grant them all the blessings of wealth. And I'm a person who prays like that while passing by. How great is that? And there are people predestined in Christ before the ages, predestined through the cross and saved through the cross.
Now, looking at the Bible, Jesus was on the cross for a total of 6 hours. 6 hours. However, he spoke three words from 9:00 to 12:00. And from 12:00 to 3:00, the sun lost its light. And it was pitch black night. Yet he spoke four words. And that makes a total of seven words, seven sayings. And if you look at Genesis chapter 1, God created the universe and everything in it over 6 days. In 6 days. And he says, "God saw that it was good." Seven seven sayings. And if we inverse as Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, and lastly verse 31, and it says it was very good in my sight or it he said it was very good in his sight. And especially in the last verse, 31, for six times it was good in my sight. And after creating man, it says it was very good in his sight. Jesus 6 6 hours and seven sayings on the cross. Genesis chapter 1, the creation of the universe and all things. He created them over 6 days and blessed them seven times. Jesus, as he was on the cross for 6 hours, he spoke seven sayings. And we see that the compression of Jesus' life with the 6 hours, seven words, and the seven sayings during the 6 days of creation in Genesis chapter 1 are mysterious coincidence. It's a compression. The compression. The 6 hours of Jesus on the cross are compression of a lifetime. And God waited. Those 6 hours were a time that God waited for the redemptive history and salvation of humanity. So, as it's recorded on that on the cross, he spoke seven sayings. And the sixth, he says, "It is finished." And the seventh and the final, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." before passing away, and it is recorded like that.
Now, within those 6 hours, it contains the completion of God's redemptive history, the judgment of Satan, and the final victory of the saints. The Lord's life, 33 years. 33 years. And that is within 6 hours. 6 hours. And how precious are Jesus' 6 hours? They're truly precious. So precious.
Jesus himself is the word is the word itself. In John 1:1, it says, "In the beginning was the word." In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. Since the word was God, with God, the word is God, the word is itself is God. And even Matthew 9, a paralytic is carried by four men on a mat. And seeing this, Jesus said, "Take courage. Your sins are forgiven." And then the Pharisees and the scribes, religious leaders, said this was blasphemy. Only God can forgive sins. How can you, being a man, make yourself equal with God?" And they picked up stones to throw at him. And Jesus said, "I showed you many good works. For which of them are you stoning me?" And they answered, "Not for a good work, but for blasphemy. And how can you, being a man, act as an equal with God?"
And where the word goes, the stronghold of sin collapses. In Matthew chapter 7, verses 28 to 29, when Jesus spoke, none of the Pharisees or scribes could match him. They could not match him. People said, "Jesus' teaching has authority. It has power." To the woman, he said, "Do you want to be healed?" "Yes." And then he says, "Take courage. Your sins are forgiven by my word." And also, in John 15:3, when we look there, he said they are made clean by the word he spoke. So they were supposed to bring cattle, sheep, or doves to the temple. Confess and have blood sprinkled for forgiveness. But he did it by speaking. He did it by speaking. So who could believe that? And he says, "If you hear my word, believe, and my word abides in you." And that's in John chapter 8, verses 51 to 52. And he he said they would never die eternally. They would never see death.
After coming to this earth he spoke. How much did he speak? And I said it before. Jesus was treated worse than a dog, a pig, or calf. And and at sunset animals return to their shelters. And they go back in when it's time. Like pigs go to their pen. But Jesus wandered from morning to night, all day. And saying, "The scrolls you believe in point to me. I am the Messiah who was to come. You must listen to my word to live." And even when given the word, they did not receive it. So he says, "If I speak earthly things you do not understand or believe. And how then will you believe if I speak heavenly things? You cannot believe in the earthly things that and you don't believe, so how will you believe if I tell you the heavenly things? And that's written in John chapter 3, verse 12. John chapter 16, verse 12, and also verse 25.
So when Jesus came did he come to repeat what religious leaders had already preached? No. New words never heard before. He brought hidden words not revealed until then, until now. And even a little bit little bit seems strange to people. So he said, "New wine must be put into fresh wineskins." But did Jesus come to sell wine? No, he brought new words. And so he's saying, "So renew your hearts and receive them. Do not receive the old mindset that you received from some pastors from the past. Receive the new things. Old things are old, but they did not believe. So he gives the word. The word that gives life without dying. And he says, "I am the resurrection and the life. Do you believe this? It is eternal life and resurrection. It's eternal life and resurrection.
Look carefully at the scriptures. Even when the word is given people do not receive it. And they called him demon-possessed. Said he worked by Beelzebub, the ruler of demons. And said he was uneducated. As I said in John chapter 7. But Jesus himself is the word. In order to save humanity God the Father gave and sent him. And bring that out, but even when it is received it is just thrown to the ground and labeled as heresy, so it cannot be brought out. And that's why he said, "Even if I speak of early earthly things, you do not understand or believe, and how then will you believe if I present the words I've brought from heaven?" They struggled. And Jesus healed among the crowds and testified. And when he had time he went to quiet places to pray. For the Father's will. And the Lord's life was a life of prayer from beginning to end.
And now he comes to be hung on the cross. God and Jesus secretly from Satan they speak in secret, in secret. Who? Jesus. He says, "Father they are not receiving the word given to save humanity. He says, "I am being driven as a traitor to the nation. And the leaders will put me to death on the cross. I brought this word to save humanity and to do what pleases God. What shall be done with this word if I die?" And at that time God secretly from angels secretly from Satan secretly from all mankind spoke to Jesus through a private channel between the two. "My son Jesus, do not worry. Satan kills people. And when blood is shed when it drains from the body, they clap saying, 'He's dead.' And you'll fall and pour out your blood without leaving a single drop, will you not?" Yes. Therefore the created word that saves humanity you are the word itself. And the son was so astonished, it was God's wisdom. So he hid it. So whenever Jesus speaks listen carefully. He delivers it, but they cannot receive it. They do not receive it. Therefore so that God's word would not fall to the ground after speaking Jesus stretches out his hand lest it be rejected and thrown away. And when people do not receive the word, Jesus receives himself as the amen, amen. And he says, "Truly, truly I say and so that Satan would not know there's a secret channel between the Father and Jesus. Got it? And when people of this evil world kill, they think once blood is shed, all of this is over. So put the word into the blood. Bring the blackboard. The word. The word itself is God. Listen carefully.
So the Jews at that time kept saying day and night, "Word, word." And what is the word? He said, "The words listen carefully. The words that I have spoken to you the words that I spoke >> The words that I spoken to you are spirit and our life. You'll find this in John 6:63. Quickly find it. Revelation 1:3 says blessed is the one who reads. Young people, read. Read. Let's start. It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I spoken to you are spirit and our life.
Now, look. Our forgiveness of sins Our forgiveness of sins is different between Jesus' blood on the cross and human blood. We have no life. We decay and rot. But in the blood of Jesus on the cross as we read, there is life. It is not the blood itself that forgives sin. Listen carefully and do not misunderstand. Because there is life in the blood. That blood makes atonement for sin. Find a Leviticus chapter 11 verse 11. Find a Find Leviticus chapter 17 verse 11. Let us all start. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls. For it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement. It is not the blood itself that forgives sin. But there is life in the blood. Listen carefully. The blood of the people poured out on the earth that rotted and died, but Jesus' blood is life. And so worldly terms and those who talk about science but Jesus' blood should remain, shouldn't it? And so that they will understand that oh, Jesus' blood atones sins even for all the evil in the world. And they talk about that. And listen carefully.
In John chapter 6 says my words are spirit and our life. In Leviticus chapter 11 17 verse 11, we have learned that because there is life in the blood, the blood atones for our sins. Now write down and find John chapter 12 verse 25. John chapter 12 verse 25. He who loves his life loses it. And he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. In Greek, life means the heart. So in Jesus' blood the spirit that never dies. And in Philippians Philippians 2:5, it says to have this mind. What mind? What heart? The mind of Jesus Christ. Therefore, in Jesus' blood So listen carefully, everyone. Do not be stubborn or insist. Listen carefully. The mind is in it.
And the next John chapter 12 verse 27. Now my soul has become troubled. And we look in the Korean revised version, there is a number next to heart. And in Greek, it is soul. It is soul. Now then in Acts chapter 4 verse 32 and I'll read it. And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul. And what is the will? What is will? And it says those who believe were one heart and soul. And in Greek, that will means soul. In the Korean, it says will, but in English, it says soul. So listen carefully. Write down. First Corinthians chapter 4 verse 21. Did you write it down? I'm going to read it. What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod or with love and a spirit of gentleness? Spirit of gentleness. Spirit of gentleness. Is recorded that the heart is the spirit. It's a spirit. So therefore listen carefully. There is the word and life in the blood. Life is a soul, the heart. The purpose, the will, or the spirit. It says I said the words I spoken to you are life. Therefore, the word is life. And the Lord's soul, the Lord's heart, the Lord's purpose or will, the Lord's spirit these are in the blood. And therefore within the word. Look, this is the word. And inside the word is spirit. Also life is inside. And the words I spoken to you are spirit, right? They are life, right? So that is what is inside. So to help understanding, the word is like a wrapping cloth. And in this wrapping cloth it contains spirit and life. And so you say I have received the word. And you have received the spirit and life. And you have received eternal life. It is receiving eternal life. You have to listen carefully.
And so let's say there's there's nothing inside the jar. No, if soy sauce in the jar, it's soy sauce jar. If salted shrimp is in it, it's a salted shrimp jar. If red pepper paste is in it, it's a red pepper paste jar. No matter how good the exterior is what matters is the content. If you put rice in it, it's a rice jar. If you put salt in it, it's a salt jar. So within that shell within this shell, this wrapping called the word, there is life and spirit. And when you look at any book it contains all the author's thoughts, ideology and that person's will. And likewise within the words of Jesus there is eternal life that never dies. And there is a spirit that has fellowship with the Lord and remains together forever. And that is the mind of Jesus. Or in Greek, it is called the spirit, the heart. The soul of Jesus. The will of Jesus. Let's say it all together. In the Lord's blood the words that I spoken to you are spirit and our life. Life is a soul. The soul is the heart. The heart is the will. And the will is the spirit. This is not coincidence of the world, but the life of Jesus, the soul of Jesus, the mind of Jesus, the will of Jesus, the spirit of Jesus. Wrapped tightly in the cloth of the word, hidden from Satan. Hidden from countless human beings, it was put into Jesus' blood.
So, every time nails were driven into both hands and both feet, fresh blood gushed out. So, if you look at Luke chapter 23, verse 34, and the first saying on the cross is, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And in our Korean Bible, it appears only once. But, if you look at the original Greek, every time they drove in a nail, Jesus continually asked the Father for their forgiveness. Every time they drove the in a nail, every time and they put the crown of thorns, every time they nailed his feet, every time they spat on him, and struck him with fists, hurled all kinds of insults. And when the Roman soldiers went around striking him with whips after placing the crown of thorns, each time Jesus not open his mouth and say, "Oh, I'm dying, I'm dying." But, instead, he said, "Father, forgive them." The one whose life taught do not make enemies, but love your enemies. If your enemy is hungry, feed him. This one, Jesus, who came bearing the sins of humanity, did not open his eyes wide in anger and say, "You just wait and see whether I am the son of God or not. You'll find out." He did not do that.
How terrible sin is. It brings suffering like going in and out of hell of burning sulfur. They beat him so much that the psalmist said, "His back looked like furrows of a field." His flesh was torn apart. Pus and flies clung to him. It came to such a state. He could not even wear underwear. And in that cold winter, just a thin covering, barefoot. The hand that healed lepers, restored the blind, and laid hands on the sick were now completely shattered to the point that they could not be used. It's shocking. The crown of thorns on his head, over 2 cm long. Took 3 years to make. And when they pressed it down mercilessly, how painful must have been, piercing through frat flesh in the skull. And also, at the Praetorium, they called together the whole Roman cohort, and he, after being beaten, he could not walk. So, Roman soldiers came and lifted him up between them. He was completely like a dead corpse. His face was so disfigured, it could not be recognized. And it was just could not open his eyes. His eyes burst, blood pus flowing, unable to open them. His forehead, his head, his whole body, his face almost gone. And the Bible records records that people passing by could not bear to look at him and covered him with cloth as they passed. And this covered their face when they passed. And this is the Lord who suffered like this. And does that even make sense? The people go and meet people and date to such things during Passion Week?
And when we are hungry, if someone buys us a bowl of soup or noodles or gives us some money, we never forget it our whole lives. That is how humans are. So, we who would otherwise have no hope and must live in hellfire forever, God came to this earth as the word, came as a man. And he is the one who knew no sin. And that is 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 21. And also recorded in Hebrews chapter 4. He bore all the sins of humanity and is now suffering such humiliation. The original sin committed by Adam, the ancestor of humanity. I am of the Miryang Park clan. The inherited sins committed by our ancestors, sins of our parents, grandparents, committed secretly from all of our ancestors, grandparents, all that stealing, deceiving, committing adultery, all those things, Jesus bore all of that. And all the sins you committed after being born to this world, envy, jealousy, fraud, theft, all kinds of acts, those sins. If you confess them before your parents, would they accept you? If a husband tells his wife his sins, who could survive that? Original sin, inherited sins from ancestors, and personal sins we knowingly or unknowingly commit, these three at once, in one go, in this reality where we receive forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross, it's so overwhelming and we feel so sorry.
Jesus is now on the cross with both hands and feet. People wearing shoes they had used to go to the bathroom to commit sins. And they trampled Jesus' face, grab his arms saying, "Because he's the son of God, he probably won't feel pain." And when they raised the wooden cross, they tied ropes and dozens of people lifted up. And there is a pit that is dug. And then, did dozens of them hold the cross carefully saying, "Hey, gently, gently, put it down so Jesus won't be hurt?" His heavy body just falls forward. It tears. It tears. And that pain cannot be expressed in words. It falls to the side, it falls forward, collapses to one side, becomes completely like a rag. And then, bang, when it drops into the pit. And think about slipping on a rock in summer while hiking and falling hard. Think about that. You lose your senses. It's dizzying. And you could even lose your eye. And they just drop it into the pit. And Jesus could not even wear underwear. In broad daylight, a man's shame was fully exposed. In broad daylight. And he is praying, "Father, please forgive them all." When they nail him to the cross, every time they strike him with the reed, when they nail his right hand, when they nail his left hand, when they place the crown of thorns, when he is beaten hundreds of times, "Father, please forgive them." The one who said to forgive even 70 times seven sins, he says, "Father." Would he, while bearing the cross for the sins of humanity, speak curses? And look at the original language. In our Korean Bible, he It says he said appears only once. But, in the original language, every time they nailed him, every time they hurled insults, they say, "Please forgive him. Please forgive them." Tears just well up. And that blood that soaked his face, soaked his body, soaked his abdomen, soaked his feet. And it's soaked the wood of the cross. And after soaking the cross, it soaked Golgotha, the center of the earth. It is a blood that speaks. In Hebrews 11:4, does it not say that though Abel died, his faith still speaks? Then, this is blood that speaks better than Abel's and that is recorded in Hebrews chapter 12:24. It is precious blood.
And if you believe in the blood of Jesus on the cross, you receive forgiveness of sins. You receive forgiveness, whatever the sin. So do not worry whether you committed immorality, adultery, fraud, or theft, whatever you did. If during Passion Week you sincerely say Jesus, you came because of my sins, the punishment I should receive, the humiliation, the disgrace that I should receive, you bore it alone. I am so ashamed. I sinned without knowing. I sinned without knowing. Lord, I repent. And believe that by the grace of God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, your original sin, inherited sin, and personal sins are all forgiven and washed clean, like wool, like white snow. The cross is the greatest, the greatest.
Beloved saints, we are sons and daughters of God. We are citizens of the eternal heaven. We are people of that kingdom who will receive its inheritance. Do not believe anything else. As for the Bible, you must not add to it nor take away from it. When you look at Revelation chapter 22:18-19, it says if you add or take away what is written, you receive multiple curses. Our salvation is in no one but Jesus. There's nothing except the blood of Jesus on the cross. Everyone, the spiritual blood of Jesus now remains from your head to your feet, protecting you and guarding you, guiding you to that kingdom and by the power, authority, and strength of the precious blood, believe that you can overwhelmingly overcome until you reach that kingdom. By the authority and power of the blood of the cross, I overcome myself. I overcome the world and I overcome the sin. Therefore, whether you sleep, stand, wake, eat, or drink, hold on to the cross and I bless you in the name of the Lord to become people of the cross. Let us pray.
The word itself forgives sins. And the word itself created all the universe and all things. And without the word of the living God, there was darkness. To this humanity that abandoned and forgot the word, God came to this earth as the word made flesh. In John chapter 1:14, it says that the word came in grace and truth. Living God, during Passion Week, please forgive us for the sin of not having read the Bible and not examining in detail the deeds of the Lord through scripture. Let us become those who live holding only to the word of the living God. Wherever we go, let us firmly hold on to the Lord's cross, boast only in the cross deep in our hearts, and live for the cross. And let us be these kinds of people. Grant us spiritual power once again so that we may boast only in the cross. Make us believers full of the word, full of the Holy Spirit, full of grace, and full of the cross. Due to time, this unworthy servant could not proclaim all the word from now on, little by little at each gathering. I will proclaim testify to all the deeds the Lord performed during Passion Week. Grant spiritual authority to this unworthy servant and grant knowledge and wisdom. Not only our Pyungkang Church, but to all who worship today, may the Lord hold on to them and bless them so that the works of fulfilling their desires may be accomplished through the Lord's cross. Are there any sick families at this time? In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, be completely freed from all diseases. Be completely liberated from all illnesses. As we ask and pray for all these things, we offer thanks and earnestly pray this in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.