15, Aug, 2021

Scripture: John 20:19-23

Title: “Receive the Holy Spirit”

Preacher: Rev. Daniel Bang

I bless Sharon’s brothers and sisters in the name of the Lord.

The time when Jesus was resurrected and first appeared to His disciples was on Sunday evening, the evening after the Jewish Sabbath.

The disciples were so afraid that they would be captured by the Jews and crucified like Jesus, so they gathered in one place, closed the door, and hid.

After Jesus was resurrected, it was God who existed beyond time and place to show a different form than before.

I and my brothers and sisters are people who have met our resurrected Lord.

The Holy Spirit came upon us and made us aware of it.

Jesus said to his trembling disciples, “Peace be with you.”

‘He showed them the nail marks and spear marks on their hands and side to those who were bewildered and did not know who Jesus was.

It was a mystery because Jesus appeared suddenly in the middle with the door clearly closed.

When the disciples saw the Lord, they were very happy.

At this time, the first words of Jesus are the words of verse 21.

He said, “Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’

This is the scene where the disciples receive the Holy Spirit directly from Jesus.

Acts 2:1~4, the difference is that 120 disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit in Mark’s upper room on the day of Pentecost.

If it is the gift of the Holy Spirit sent directly to the 12 disciples as apostles, Mark’s upper room is the filling of the Holy Spirit with the gift of the Holy Spirit’s speaking language.

There is no distinction between the two. In the church of Jesus, both of these exist.

The church on earth was established by receiving this call from the Lord.

Ephesians 2:20, you are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone.

The apostles are the first eyewitnesses of the risen Lord.

They are people who have been sent by Jesus to preach the gospel to all nations.

The church is built on the witness and ministry of these apostles.

A church cannot be called the church of God unless it is built on the foundation of the gospel that the apostles testified. The characteristics of all heretical churches are that they are not built on the foundation of the gospel of the apostles.

The Church is the successor of the apostles. The Roman Catholic Church claims that the first pope is the apostle Peter and succeeds the apostleship, but it is very wrong.

Only the teachings and work of the apostles remain, but the apostleship disappeared 2,000 years ago.

The evidence that our present earthly church is succeeding to the office of an apostle is the ‘Holy Spirit’.

Romans 8:9, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not of Christ.

Christians in India and Christians in Korea, those who have received the Holy Spirit in the same way are saints and churches.

A Christian who has received the Holy Spirit inherits the apostle’s teaching.

The Holy Spirit is helping us to reproduce and understand the gospel preached by the apostles in the New Testament.

The Holy Spirit impresses us with the Word of God so that we now believe and obey this gospel.

The Church of Rome does not recommend that believers read the Word of God directly, but our Protestants strongly recommend it.

Every layperson must devote his entire life to carrying out Jesus’ command to go into the entire world and preach the gospel.

why? Should I?

Because we must carry on the work of the apostles.

For the past 2,000 years, the church on earth has succeeded in this work, and will continue to do this until the Lord’s Second Coming on the earth.

Sharon’s brothers and sisters. You have been called to this work and have entered Sharon Theological Seminary. This is called ‘calling’. God’s will is to complete his own redemptive work to save the world through Jesus Christ.

The church does not exist to receive salvation.

We have already received eternal life from death to life.

The reason we exist is to do God’s will.

The meaning is to bring the light to those dead people and to preach Jesus Christ to the dead.

Building the kingdom of God on this earth is what the church should do.

Many churches in the world are becoming churches that have given up being witnesses of the gospel.

Never lose hope, believe that we have received the Holy Spirit once again, and we all strive to spread the gospel.

 I bless you in Jesus name.