The Church That Pleases God (II) 1 Thessalonians 1:5-8, NIV Because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia?your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it. Let us greet each other, saying, “The Lord Jesus is with us.” Let us greet each other one more time, saying, “Good things will happen to you in the Lord.” I would like to share the grace of God under the title, “The Church That Pleases God,” based on 1 Thessalonians 1:5-8. Could you please repeat after me? “The Church That Pleases God. The Church That Pleases God.” The church is the channel of God’s blessings on earth. When the Gospel is preached in the church, many people hear the Word and are saved when they believe in Jesus Christ. They will become church members and listen to the messages. As their faith grows, their lives will change by God’s grace. They will receive God’s blessings and dedicate their lives for the glory of God. We live for the glory of God while on this earth, and we will go to heaven when the Lord calls us home. There will be no sorrow, worry, pain, or trouble in heaven. We will praise the Lord forever and ever in heaven?our eternal home. I pray that you will serve the Lord with all your might and dedicate your lives for the glory of God as you focus on the church. The church is the body of Christ Jesus, and the head of the church is Christ Jesus, the Lord. We experience the grace of the Lord through the church. We enjoy the overflowing grace of God through the church. Therefore, we must give thanks to the Lord for giving us the church, praying, “Father, we thank You for giving us the church. Thank You for saving us, strengthening our faith, and blessing us through the church. Make us Your servants, and help us to dedicate our whole lives to You and Your church. Make our church pleasing to You so that we may manifest Your glory all over the world through our church.” How can we make our church pleasing to God? The church at Thessalonica was pleasing to God. Their church was full of faith, hope, and love. Moreover, the church at Thessalonica was full of the Holy Spirit. First, I want to speak about the church that is full of the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 1:5 says, “Because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.” The Scripture says that the Gospel came to the Thessalonians not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. Herein lies the secret to the revival of the church at Thessalonica. Verse 5 says that the Gospel came with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. Hallelujah! The secret to the revival of the church is the fullness of the Holy Spirit. It is the most important thing from the beginning until the end. The 51-year history of Yoido Full Gospel Church is the history of the Holy Spirit. The church started with the fullness of the Holy Spirit at Bulgwangdong, moved to Seodaemun, and then moved to Yoido, expanding the Holy Spirit movement to reach all Korean churches. All churches participating in the Holy Spirit movement have enjoyed great revival. The Holy Spirit movement of the Full Gospel church has made a great contribution to Korean and worldwide church revival, awakening lethargic churches. We need to desire to be full of the Holy Spirit. When the Word of the Lord works, sitting on the wind of the Spirit, it will bring about great changes, blessings, and miracles in our lives. In Ezekiel chapter 37, the Holy Spirit led Ezekiel to a valley full of bones. The bones were very dry. The Lord told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones. When Ezekiel prophesized to the bones, the bones came together. Then the Holy Spirit entered them, and they formed a vast army. Ezekiel 37:10 says, “So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet?a vast army.” Hallelujah! After our church moved from Bulgwangdong to Seodaemun, the church grew explosively. When Pastor Cho rapidly preached the message of God full of power, the strong wind of the Holy Spirit blew. Thousands of souls?like dry bones?accepted Jesus Christ and began to form a vast army, full of the Holy Spirit. Since so many people swarmed around the Seodaemun area, there was a traffic jam on Sundays, especially between worship services. The police had to direct traffic to avoid accidents. Pastor Cho spoke so fast that it sounded like his sermon tapes had been recorded at double (X2) speed. Since he spoke so fast, we could not recognize when he finished each sentence. It sounded as if he had not completed his sentences. When he spoke like a rapid-fire cannon, all the people became broken before the Lord. Rev. Jun-Kon Kim, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, once said, “Prominent pastors in Korea listened to Pastor Cho’s sermon and became broken before the Lord when Pastor Cho delivered his message like a rapid-fire cannon. When the message was spoken, the great work of the Lord were done, sitting on the wind of the Holy Spirit. When the message was spoken, demons were cast out, diseases were healed, and many problems were resolved. Those who used to lament in the midst of pain and hopelessness listened to the Word and gained strength. They stood up, marched forward with faith, overcame hardship, and became successful. Even though we could not see, hear, or touch anything, we marched forward by faith, were full of the Holy Spirit, and trusted in the Word of God. Then God performed miracles. God blessed us and did wonderful things when we marched forward with “can-do” faith. Mark 9:23 says, “ ‘If you can’? said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for him who believes.’ ” The writing of this Scripture verse was hung on the right side of the pulpit. “‘If you can’? said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for him who believes.’ ” People looked at it all the time and prayed. “If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes.” We prayed, “Everything is possible for him who believes. Lord, give me faith. Give me faith strong enough to move mountains and to cause Your miracles.” On the other side of the pulpit, we read this sign in English, “LORD, SEND US REVIVAL.” “Lord, send us revival.” I want you to declare with faith, “Lord, send us revival.” Then He will send us revival. God’s blessings will come. When we have holy dreams and declare them with faith, miracles will be done. The history of Yoido Full Gospel Church is the history of the fullness of the Holy Spirit and faith. I pray that all of you will be filled with the Holy Spirit. “Lord, fill us with the Holy Spirit. Fill us with Your Word. Strengthen our faith. Lord, send revival to us and to our church. Send revival wherever we go. Perform great wonders through us.” When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the great work of revival will follow us. I pray that you will be full of the Holy Spirit. Second, the church at Thessalonica set an example of believers. The Thessalonians kept their faith in times of suffering and gained victory by enduring all problems. They set a fine example to all believers. 1 Thessalonians 1:6 says, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” Paul and Silas preached the Gospel there for only three weeks. The Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. Therefore, Paul and Silas had to go somewhere else. Acts 17:5 says, “But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.” Since Paul and Silas could not stay there, they went to the nearby city of Berea and preached the Gospel. Even though the Thessalonians heard the Gospel for only three weeks, they accepted the Word by faith. They gathered together and prayed, meditating on the Word. Their church grew splendidly. However, persecution followed their great revival. 1 Thessalonians 2:14 says, “For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews.” They suffered from persecution. Nevertheless, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, they kept their faith, endured all suffering, gained victory, and experienced the wonderful blessings of God. Do not be terrified by suffering. Do not be afraid of problems. I urge you to hold on to the Cross of the Lord Jesus, and march forward by faith. Hymn No. 214 says in verse 4, “So with banners unfurl’d to the breeze, Our motto shall ‘Holiness’ be. Till the crown from His hand we shall seize, And the King in His glory we see. I believe Jesus saves. Moreover, His blood makes me whiter than snow. I believe Jesus saves. And His blood makes me whiter than snow.” Hallelujah! We just sang, “…with banners unfurl’d to the breeze, Our motto shall ‘Holiness’ be.” I pray that you will hold on to the Cross, and go forward in victory. As precious children of God, we must be victorious, full of the Holy Spirit, and overcome all problems. When we have the grace of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we will have overflowing joy in the Lord. Joy is the second fruit of the Holy Spirit. When we are full of the Holy Spirit, we will have overflowing joy, and we can overcome any problem with that joy. 1 Thessalonians 1:6 says, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” The church at Thessalonica became a model church, experiencing the work of the Lord and serving the Lord with the joy of the Holy Spirit, in spite of suffering and persecution. I pray that you will trust the Lord even in the midst of problems and gain victory. James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Hallelujah! When we endure suffering and keep our faith, God will increase His grace and blessings in our lives. I emphasize this: God blesses us after letting us go through suffering. That is why people say suffering is a blessing in disguise. When God give us blessings, He wraps them with suffering. It may be painful and hard to unwrap the package. However, after we finish unwrapping, we will see the blessings and miracles of the Lord that have been waiting for us. There is a book called, The Persecutor, by Sergei Kourdakov. Kourdakov, a former KGB agent, wrote it after he became a Christian. He was one of the persecutors who seized Christians, put them in prison, and punished them. After seizing Christians, he would beat them up, torture them, put them in prison, and take away their property. When he first joined the persecutors, there were about 3,000 Christians in Vladivostok. For two years, the KGB put Christians in prison and took away their property. Two years later, however, there were 30,000 Christians. The number increased from 3,000 to 30,000. When Russians became Christians, they were supposed to lose their jobs and property, unable to send their children to school. Kourdakov was curious why more people were coming to the Lord in spite of severe persecution. He began to notice that they thought highly of the Word of God. They cherished the Bible as much as their own lives. They fervently resisted giving away their Bibles. He found out that nine out of ten Bibles he took from Christians were handwritten copies. Since they did not have a printed Bible, they had to copy the Bible, and they deeply cherished the Bible. Kourdakov was curious about who Jesus was and what was written in the Bible. Secretly, he began to read the Bible. While he was reading the Bible, the Holy Spirit inspired him, and he became a Christian. Kourdakov repented of his sin of persecuting Christians, seizing them, putting them in prison, and even killing them. He took exile in Canada. He traveled around Canada, exposing the evil of communism and the persecution of the Soviet government against Christians. Probably a Soviet killer assassinated him. His body was buried in Washington, D.C. The Lord Jesus that Kourdakov met cannot be overpowered by communism or by any power in the world. Russia became a communist country due to the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. Seventy-four years later, however, their communism collapsed completely. There is no power in the world that can block the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The once closed doors of the Russian churches were opened. Thousands of people came to church and believed in Jesus?all thanks to the Christians who had been persecuted and martyred. When Russian Christians kept their faith, God performed a wonderful miracle, and the Russian church set a fine example. The underground Russian churches defeated atheistic Soviet communism. The underground East German churches defeated the atheistic communism of East Germany, bringing about the unification of Germany. This is true. When we pray, God will listen to our prayers and perform great wonders for us. The power of darkness will be destroyed. All problems and hardship that block your way will be removed. As long as we believe in Jesus, the Lord will change our lives and fill us with His wonderful grace, miracles, blessings, and victory, manifesting His glory in all things. The church at Thessalonica, in the midst of suffering, trusted in the Word and obeyed it. By doing so, they changed. They became like the Lord Jesus. Their changed appearances and lives set a fine example for those around them. 1 Thessalonians 1:7 says, “And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.” Hallelujah! I pray that you will become a model to all believers around you. “Lord, help us set a fine example of faith. Help us imitate You wherever we go. Bring change to the places we go. Perform Your wonders wherever we go.” Macedonia was a Northern Greek region whose capitol was Thessalonica, while Achaia was a Southern region whose capitol was Corinth. Therefore, the Scripture says that the church at Thessalonica was a model church in all Northern and Southern Greek areas. Hallelujah! As members of Yoido Full Gospel Church, let us be model Christians by obeying the Word of the Lord, living in accordance with the Word, and by imitating the Lord. I pray that you will manifest the glory of the Lord all over the world. When the Lord is with us, good news about us will spread. Third, I want to talk about the church whose beautiful faith is known everywhere. 1 Thessalonians 1:8 says, “The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia?your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it.” As the church grew, good news about the church began to spread. The same is true with contemporary churches. Good news about a church should spread widely. Suppose we hear people saying, “That guy has totally changed after going to church. He used to get drunk most of the time and pick fights with others before going to church. He stopped drinking and has become a different person. Which church does he go to? Oh, Yoido Full Gospel Church? Then I will go there, too.” Hallelujah! We need such good news about our church to be spread everywhere. We must always hear good news about our church. We need to hear good news about problems being resolved, that diseases are being healed, and that people are being filled with love, joy, and grace when they come to church. We need to hear good news about the positive changes in people and about their blessings from God after believing in Jesus Christ. After believing in Jesus Christ, our lives should change. When God’s grace is within us, a violent person will become kind, and a hot-tempered person will become patient and gentle. Then good news about our faith will spread. Hallelujah! “Father, we want to change. We want to be a “little Jesus,” imitating our Lord Jesus. We want to be a witness of the love of the Lord wherever we go.” I pray that good news about our church will spread all over Seoul, Korea and to the ends of the earth through your lives, your words, and your actions. When God acknowledges and delights in us, people will praise us, too. Mrs. Madison, the first lady of the fourth president of the United States, James Madison, was highly respected by people. A reporter once asked her, “What is the secret to your being loved and respected by so many people?” Totally surprised, Mrs. Madison replied, “I have never thought about being respected by people, and I have never tried to be respected. What I have done since my youth is to try to live in accordance with the Word and to love and treat all people equally with the love of the Lord.” Hallelujah! When she tried to live in accordance with the Word, God raised her up and spread good news about her. When we try to live in accordance with the Word, the Lord will change us and cause good news to be spread about us. “Heavenly Father, use us to spread good news all throughout the area. Use us to accomplish Your precious will. Change us into the likeness of our Lord Jesus. Help us to give glory to You. Make us witnesses of the Gospel and the love of the Lord Jesus to those who are hurt, sick, and deserted.” Hallelujah! A prominent magazine reporter asked to interview me on the first anniversary of my inauguration as senior pastor. We talked about two hours. The reporter asked me at the end of the interview, “Pastor, do you think Yoido Full Gospel Church is still a friend to the poor and neglected as much as it was when it first started?” I said with confidence, “Certainly.” Then I thought about it. Almost everyone was going through a difficult period when the church was at Seodaemun. People were strongly touched by the Lord at church. They worshipped in tears and with enthusiasm. So many people swarmed to the church that it looked like all kinds of patients and beggars were coming to our church. They came to church and received grace from the Lord, and consequently, their lives were changed. I still remember a woman who was selling fish in a nearby market. She was a vender, carrying all the fish with her. She brought the unsold fish to church and put them under the pew. The fish odor was so strong, but she was unable to smell it, because she was used to it. She received God’s grace while she was worshipping the Lord, crying and shouting, “Hallelujah!” Back then, they salted fish heavily to keep them from becoming stale, especially when they did not sell very well. The woman came to church on Wednesday evenings with the unsold fish, so weary and tired. She would put the fish basket under the pew and worship the Lord. I thought to myself, Why does she have to bring the fish to church? Can’t she put them in her home before coming to church? I needed to repent from those thoughts, because she anticipated the grace of the Lord so much that she was compelled to come to church to worship the Lord. Hallelujah! Even though no one brings unsold fish to church anymore, we should never forget those times. We have been very blessed after moving to Yoido. When the church was about to move to Yoido from Seodaemun, people were worried about bus fare. There were only a few people who owned cars. After moving to Yoido, however, so many people are driving cars to church, that we do not have enough parking spaces. Have we neglected to take care of the poor, the sick, the ignored, or the forsaken now that we have received so much blessing, being content and satisfied? We must examine ourselves. As long as Yoido Full Gospel Church stands, it should be a good neighbor to the poor, the neglected, the sick, and the troubled. This is our mission. Many people are waving at us, calling out, “Come and help us. Come and help us.” Many homes are broken these days, resulting in many abandoned children. They are forced to live in pain. Do not be surprised. All orphanages in Korea are overcrowded, unable to take in any more children. We are not going through a war or a disaster these days. Why are there so many children in orphanages? Their parents abandoned them at the time of their divorce. Since the children had no place to go, they were put in orphanages, causing orphanages to be overcrowded. We need to repent of our sins and heal this illness-stricken society. Do you know why there are so many children living in rural mountainsides? It is because their parents put them in the custody of their grandparents at the time of divorce, never coming back. Those children grow up with explosive hurt in their hearts. Our church should be a good neighbor to such children. We need to become their parents and their brothers and sisters. We need to be a good neighbor to those who are neglected, sick, hurt, forsaken, and homeless. Many people do not take care of their aged and ill parents, letting them live in loneliness and poverty. It is time for us to repent of our sins and to start a holy movement of love through our church. We must start the holy movement of love, becoming friends of those who are neglected, ill, or forsaken. Whoever comes to our church should be healed from their disease and hurt. We have to make sure that they will receive God’s grace and blessing, and their lives will change in the Lord. “Heavenly Father, use us as instruments of Your love. Help us not to forget that our church has been a good neighbor to those who were poor, neglected, and hungry in Bulgwangdong, Seodaemun, and Yoido. Help us fulfill the mission that you have assigned to us until the Lord comes again. “The Lord Jesus dedicated His life to take care of the poor, the naked, and the hungry with His love. Help us to practice His love for the rest of our lives. “Help us participate in sharing our blessings with those who are in need through the Sharing Love and Happiness Foundation. Help us to dedicate our lives to accomplish your work of caring.” When we become the Lord’s servants of His holy love, God will bless us and will change the church, our community, the whole Korean society, and change us. Let us have holy dreams and march forward with faith, praying to God every day, “Lord, send us revival. Uphold us as Your servants of love.” This is my earnest prayer for you. Let us pray. Our Father of infinite love, grace, and mercy, we thank You for sending us the Lord Jesus and making us Your children.We thank You for calling us to Yoido Full Gospel Church, and we thank You for Pastor Cho. We thank You for salvation and grace. We thank You for filling us with the Holy Spirit and for Your continuous blessing until this moment. We have received so much blessing that we are in great debt to You for Your love. We have become blind by our blessings, and we have failed to take care of people who are in need. We repent of our sins. We know that there are many problems, because we have not done our tasks as Christians. Lord, use us as instruments of Your love. Appoint us as the servants of Your love. Make us good neighbors to those who are in trouble. Pour Your grace upon us, so that we will change with Your love. I give all the glory to You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.