It is so good for me to come back and have Sunday worship service together with you. Kkumustapo kkayo? (How are you?) Mabuti?(Fine?) Ppag Ppalain kkayonang Dyios (God bless you) Mahalkitta (I love you). Ssalamat Bbo (Thank you). I was here in July 2009 and delivered a message entitled ¡°What is the life all about.¡± I was here in April 2011 and delivered a message entitled ¡°Happy dwellers in the house of the Lord.¡± I was here in January 2013 and delivered a message entitled ¡°Goodness of affliction and suffering.¡± I was here in March 2014 and delivered a message entitled ¡°Loving the Lord, Loving the church.¡± I was here in April 2015 and delivered a message entitled "Happiness is worshipping God and Sunday observing.¡± I was here in July 2015 and delivered a message entitled ¡°God loves aliens and strangers.¡± Today on Feb. 21, 2016 I came back again and I am going to deliver a message entitled ¡°Gospel, Salvation and Believing.¡± The Rev. Whang Ho Sang asked me to deliver a message about the ¡°Gospel and Salvation.¡±

One of the most important and precious subjects in the Bible is the ¡°Gospel and Salvation.¡± When Jesus was born in Bethlehem angels delivered messages about the Gospel and Salvation as the following. "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.¡±(Luke 2:10,11). Gospel means good news that God sent his only begotten son Jesus Christ as our Savior to save us from the judgment of hell.

The apostle John recorded and testified the good news of salvation in his Gospel of John as the following. ¡°For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.¡±(John 3:16). The apostle John recorded Jesus¡¯ sayings about the good news of salvation as the following. ¡°Jesus answered, I tell you the truth no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.¡±(John 3:5,14,15). "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.¡±(John 5:24)."I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.¡±(John 11:25,26). The apostle John summarized and concluded what he wrote as the following. ¡°But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.¡±(John 20:31).

Gospel means good news that God sent his only begotten son Jesus Christ as our Savior to save us from the judgment of hell. There was already good news of the Gospel even in the Old Testament. There were already prophecies about the coming of Messiah. ¡°Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.¡±(Isaiah 7:14). ¡°For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.¡±(Isaiah 9:6). ¡°But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.¡±(Isaiah 53:5). What is the Gospel? Gospel means good news that God sent his only begotten son Jesus Christ as our Savior to save us from the judgment of hell. The only requirement for salvation is our believing in Jesus Christ as our savior.

Now let us think about what it really means to believe in Jesus Christ. While Jesus stressed the importance of believing he also warned against the danger of formal and false believing. He said as the following. ¡°Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers! Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.¡±(Matt7:22-25). Jesus pointed out that in the last days it will be difficult to fine faith on earth. ¡°When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"(Lk18:8). The apostle Paul also warned against the danger of false believing. ¡°There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, ungrateful, unholy, having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them¡±(2Tim3:1,2,5). On the basis of such warnings against the danger of false believing we could say that there are two kinds of believing. One is formal and false believing. The other is real and true believing. What is the real and true believing in Jesus Christ? Now let us think about five characteristics of the real and true believing.



The first characteristic of the real and true believing is repenting one¡¯s sinfulness with whole heart and soul. When Jesus came to Galilee he first preached the Gospel and exhorted to repent and believe the Gospel. ¡°Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.¡±(Mark 1:14,15). Jesus exhorted to repent first before believing. Repenting comes first, believing comes second. Jesus pointed out that the first requirement of believing the Gospel was repenting. The first message which the apostle Peter delivered on the day of Pentecost was also the message of repentance ¡°Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.¡±(Acts 2:38). The Jerusalem church was born with repentance. The apostle Pau was also engaged in preaching the messages of repentance and faith. ¡°I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus¡±(Acts 20:21).

Repentance is the entrance, process and exit of the life of real and true believing. Repentance means admitting one¡¯s own sins, kneeling down and surrendering. Without genuine repentance there could be no forgiveness of sins, no salvation, no eternal life and no heavenly home. King David and the apostle Paul continued to repent and weep throughout their whole lives. ¡°I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.¡±(Ps. 6:6). David was therefore especially favored and blessed by God. The apostle Paul followed the footsteps of David, repenting and weeping throughout his whole life. ¡°What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?¡±(Rom 7:24). The apostle Paul was also especially favored and blessed by Jesus. Jesus gladly received the body of the apostle Paul as sacrifices of martyrdom. All of the forefathers of faith in church history lived lives of repentance and died deaths of repentance. The life of real and true believing is the life of sincere repentance.



The second characteristic of the real and true believing is offering worship services in spirit and truth. Jesus stressed the importance of worship services as the following. ¡°Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks¡±(John 4:23). The apostle Paul also pointed out that the foremost important duties of those who were saved were offering our bodies as living sacrifices of worship services.¡°Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.(Rom 12:1) .

Christianity is the religion of sacrifices and worship services. In the Old Testament times God arranged the saved people of God to keep the Sabbath holy and worship God in spirit and truth. In the New Testament times God arranged the saved people of God to keep the Sunday holy and worship God in spirit and truth. The apostle Paul kept the Sunday holy and engaged in preaching and worshipping God till the midnight. ¡°On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.¡±(Acts 20:7). The Puritans stressed Sunday observance and Sunday worship so much that the early Puritan residents in the state of Massachusetts made the state law that those who broke the tradition of Sunday observance were punished to death. The early Korean church also stressed Sunday observance and Sunday worship so much and forebade all kinds of secular jobs on Sundays. When we keep the Sunday holy and worship God in spirit and truth God is so much pleased to bless our lives and would allow us entering into the heavenly and eternal rest. Through the abundant grace of God I began to keep Sunday holy and stayed in the church whole day worshipping God from my early childhood. I did not go home but stayed in the church on Sundays. The only reason of my leaving North Korea and coming to South Korea when I was 11 years old was keeping Sundays holy. Even though I became an orphan God blessed my whole life so much. The Korean churches have recently much changed and came to neglect keeping Sundays holy. It is a very sad and horrible phenomenon. The characteristic of the real and true believing is keeping the Sunday holy and worshipping God in spirit and truth.



The third characteristic of the real and true believing is loving and serving others with the heart of mercy and compassion. Jesus taught his disciples to carry mercy and compassion and practice love and service for the needy people as the following. ¡°Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy¡±(Matt. 5:7). ¡°For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.¡±(Mark 10:45). ¡°Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.¡±(john 13:14). Jesus even said that when we extend our hands of mercy, love and service to the poor people in need we would be regarded as good persons who helped Jesus himself and would be welcome into heavenly home. "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.¡±(Matt 25:34,36). The apostle Paul also stressed the importance of carrying mercy, compassion, kindness and of practicing forgiveness, love, service.¡°Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.¡±(Colossians 3:12-14). .

I think that the faith of St. Francis, the faith of Rev. Son Yang Won, the faith of Rev. Han Kyung Chick all manifested as life of mercy, compassion, love, and services. Even though I am an unworthy sinner I have a sincere desire to inherit and carry even small fragments of spiritual inheritance of mercy, compassion, love, and service which our forefathers of faith and love carried. I have therefore visited such poor countries as Africa, Bangladesh, North Korea, China and Afghanistan and extended hands of mercy, love and help.



The fourth characteristic of the real and true believing is casing away all of the worries, troubles, anxieties, fears and carrying peace, joy and thanksgiving. It is because Bibles teaches us as the followings. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.¡±(John 14:1). ¡°Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.¡±(1 Peter 5:7). ¡°So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand¡±(Isaiah 41:10). ¡°Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.¡±(John 14:27). ¡°I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.(John 15:11). ¡°Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.¡±(1 Thess. 5:16-18).

The life of real and true believing is the life of casing away all of the worries, troubles, anxieties, fears and carrying peace, joy and thanksgiving. I would like to add one more characteristic: the characteristic of carrying adventurous courage and dashing forward. Daniel lived such a life of dashing forward. Even though he knew that there were lions he was no afraid. He did not carry worries, troubles, anxieties or fears in his heart but did carry peace, joy and thanksgiving. He dashed forward into the lions¡¯ den. When the apostle Paul and Silas were beaten severely and imprisoned they were not afraid or worried but sang hymns to God ¡°About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.¡±(Acts. 16:25). The life of real and true believing is the life of casing away all of the worries, troubles, anxieties, fears and carrying peace, joy and adventurous courage of dashing forward.

Even though I am a sinner lacking in many ways of life, through the abundant grace of God I was able to believe in God from my childhood and have lived a life of casting away all of the worries, troubles, anxieties, fears and carrying peace, joy and thanksgiving. I have also lived a life of carrying adventurous courage of dashing forward. In 1948 when I was 11 years old, I crossed the border line alone and came to the South Korea. In 1962 I went to the USA to study carrying only $100 and spent 12 years there studying without any lacking. In December of 2005 I crossed the closed borders of both Tajikistan and Afghanistan in order to participate in the opening ceremony of a school which I helped them to build for the poor students in Murodsheh Afghanistan. At that time the national borders of both Tajikistan and Afghanistan were all closed. We were not allowed to cross the borders. We were ordered to return by the soldiers. I did not, however, listen to the orders of the soldiers. I insisted that I should cross the border. The head of the Tajikistan soldiers finally allowed me to cross. I asked him to allow my companions to cross together. He did allow. We all crossed the Tajikistan border. The real problem was crossing the Afghanistan border. I decided to cross the border alone. It was dark at night. I ran about 30 minutes crossing the border. I was arrested by the Afghanistan soldiers. I persuaded the head of the soldiers to allow me to pass. General Delawhere after listening to my explanations allowed me pass. I asked him to send a truck to the Tajikistan border in order to bring my companions together with big amount of gifts we brought for the poor Afghanistan students. Ha said OK and sent a truck and brought companions together with big amount of gifts. We were all so much surprised and so much grateful. We were so much happy to participate in the opening ceremony of a school in Murodsheh. I think the life of real and true believing is the life of casing away all of the worries, troubles, anxieties, fears and carrying peace, joy and adventurous courage of dashing forward.



The fifth characteristic of the real and true believing is looking up with the heavenly hope. When Jesus was delivering the messages about eight blessings, he stressed the blessings about the kingdom of heaven as the following. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.¡±(Matt 5:3). ¡°Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven¡±(Matt 5:10). At the end of his messages Jesus stressed again the blessing about the kingdom of heaven. ¡°Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven¡±(Matt 5:12). Jesus was often looking up toward heaven. ¡°After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you¡±(John 17:1). The apostle Paul was also often looking up toward heave. The apostle John was always looking up toward heaven. ¡°After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven.¡±(Rev. 4:1). ¡°Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.¡±(Rev. 21:1,2).

The heart and omega of the Christian faith is the kingdom of heaven. The forefathers of faith in the Old Testament were described not as thinking of their earthly homes but as looking and longing for the heavenly home. ¡°If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. They were longing for a better country--a heavenly one.¡±(Heb. 11:15,16). The real and true believing is joyfully looking and longing for the heavenly home. The earthly life is like ¡°the new grass of the morning.¡±(Psalm 90:5) and like ¡°a mere phantom¡±(Psalm 39:5). We must therefore look up and long for the eternal heavenly home. The believers of the early Christian Churches exchanged greetings of ¡°Maranatha¡± which means ¡°Lord Jesus, come soon.¡± The Christian leaders of the early Korean church were all looking up for the heavenly home.

I am going to summarize my message. One of the most important and precious subjects in the Bible is the ¡°Gospel and Salvation.¡± Gospel means good news that God sent his only begotten son Jesus Christ as our Savior to save us from the judgment of hell. The apostle John recorded and testified the good news of salvation in his Gospel of John as the following. ¡°For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.¡±(John 3:16). The only requirement for salvation is our believing in Jesus Christ as our savior. Believing is essential for our salvation. Believing changes our life and destiny. There could be, however, two kinds of believing. There could be formal and false believing and real and true believing. What is the real and true believing in Jesus Christ? I have listed five characteristics of the real and true believing. The first characteristic of the real and true believing is repenting one¡¯s sinfulness with whole heart and soul. The second characteristic of the real and true believing is offering worship services in spirit and truth. The third characteristic of the real and true believing is loving and serving others with the heart of mercy and compassion. The fourth characteristic of the real and true believing is casing away all of the worries, troubles, anxieties, fears and carrying peace, joy and thanksgiving. It is also carrying adventurous courage and dashing forward. The fifth characteristic of the real and true believing is looking up with the heavenly hope. Believing is something we possess and carry. Believing is also something we receive as gift from God. Bible teaches us that ¡°faith-this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God¡±(Eph. 2:8). May God be merciful to give us real and true faith and believing! May God so help us that we could live beautiful and happy life of repenting daily, of worshipping God daily, of loving and serving others daily, of casing away all of the worries and fears and carrying peace, joy and adventurous courage of dashing forward daily, and finally of looking up with the heavenly hope daily.