We are dealing with a very large topic. Here we see the word gospel, right? This gospel is the word that brings the greatest power and victory to the believers. However, there is another phrase that exists, which is the beginning of the gospel. How did the beginning of the gospel come about? Yes, let’s take a look at it.
In Mark 1:3, it says, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight." As it is written, John the Baptist was preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins in the wilderness, and all the people of Judea and Jerusalem went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. The word baptism appears here.
I think we need to do this a little differently. >> Should we start over? >> It seems like it hasn’t gone online yet. >> Since when hasn’t it been online? >> I think it hasn’t been online from the beginning. >> Then let’s start over. >> Yes. I heard from someone at the broadcasting station that it hasn’t gone online at all. You may not have heard it, but I will start over. This is also the first time, so let’s listen again. Is it going out now? Is it going out now? Yes. I will start the sermon anew.
In Mark 1, as I mentioned earlier, no one knows, right? >> Only I know, yes. A very important word appears. The word gospel appears. This gospel is the greatest power and victory word for us believers. But not only does the word gospel appear, but the word baptism also appears. So when we talk about the beginning of the gospel, it starts with Jesus being baptized; that is what we call the beginning of the gospel.
So who appears here? The great name of Jesus appears, right? Yes. The beginning of the gospel is accomplished through Jesus being baptized. Yes, it is accomplished. So Jesus is now being baptized, and another word appears here. That word is "beginning." You may have just glanced at this structure, but the word "beginning" is used when the heavens and the earth were created. Yes. So in John 1:1, it says, "In the beginning was the Word," and this beginning is the beginning, you see. Yes. So the word used in the creation of the heavens and the earth appears here.
But you know, before the creation of the heavens and the earth, this world was a world of chaos. It was a world of emptiness and filled with darkness. Through the creation of the heavens and the earth, order is established. Thus, the creation of the heavens and the earth is properly accomplished, right? Similarly, baptism is the same. Just as the word that accomplishes the creation of the heavens and the earth is used in baptism, there is also a world of chaos within baptism. You might wonder what kind of chaotic time there is in baptism. The reason is that every sin is different. Each person has a different attitude towards their sins, and everything about receiving baptism is for repentance, right? Yes. It is for repentance, but the attitude towards sin varies.
For example, in Luke, we see that a king commits a sin. The king commits an outrageous sin, right? In Luke 3:19, it says that King Herod was rebuked by John for marrying Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things he had done. This is an outrageous sin even within Christianity, within the church, and among those who believe in God in Judaism. So how should this person repent? Does he need a sacrificial offering? Is it enough to wash with water? Someone needs to provide some sort of clarification on this.
But there are not only people like Herod. There are also Jews. Jews. The Jews think they have no need for repentance because they consider themselves the chosen people. "Hey, we are descendants of Abraham, so what need do we have for repentance?" Some people say this. This is in Luke 3:8. Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' But there are people who say, "We are descendants of Abraham, so what need do we have for repentance?" Because they are descendants of Abraham, they think they can go to heaven without needing repentance, so even the act of repenting and being baptized is in a chaotic time for people. Right? Someone needs to clarify this.
Yes. So someone is needed to clarify this, and that person is John the Baptist. Why? Because he comes to do what? From Mark 1:2, it says, "As it is written in the prophets: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way." Someone is needed to prepare and clarify the chaos. Right? Do you understand why some clarification is necessary even for repentance? The types of repentance are different, the ways of receiving repentance are different, and what to wash with is necessary. It is not a sin. It is for the chosen people. So in 1:3, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight." This person is needed. This person.
But why is this person even more necessary? Why is it more necessary? Why is there a need for someone to properly clarify this midway through the process? The reason is that it is because of the sudden appearance of Jesus. Because of Jesus, what should the sinless Jesus do? Should the sinless Jesus be baptized or not? Should the sinless Jesus be washed with water? Should the sinless Jesus be washed with fire? Someone is needed to provide an answer to this question. Yes. Right. So you might wonder, "Oh, why does this John the Baptist suddenly appear?" In the face of this great event, yes, the word creation is used, and yes, those great words are used; why is this small person, John the Baptist, needed? The reason is that our Lord Jesus Christ, the sinless Jesus, needs someone to provide an answer to how this baptism should be handled, and this person clearly unravels that.
So Jesus is baptized by this person. Originally, He had no need to be baptized because He is sinless. However, in order to set an example for us, yes, in order to set an example for us, Jesus, though sinless, was baptized by John the Baptist. But now, okay, it’s resolved. Jesus, who is sinless, was baptized to set an example for us. But then, how should we live like Jesus who was baptized? How should we live? We need to find an answer to that, right? Yes. How should the baptized Jesus live to enjoy this more abundantly?
It’s scary to walk like this. Should we do it again? Yes. We have also been baptized. Now we have received baptism because we have sins, but since we have received baptism because of our sins, how can we live abundantly in this baptism? How can we live abundantly? We can find an answer to that.
Looking at this, oh, I shouldn’t have mentioned it. I mentioned something that no one knew about earlier. Why I am walking like this. Yes. Before the sermon, I found out that the recording wasn’t going online. So I had to redo the sermon recording. So as I was walking, I mentioned that I had to redo the sermon. So I was worried that something like that might happen. For those who might not know, I wanted to explain that, oh, this is not easy. Anyway, we have been baptized, so how can we enjoy this baptism abundantly? That’s what we are going to look at.
So today’s sermon title is "How Should We Live Like Jesus Who Was Baptized?" First, the heavens must be opened for us. To put it more strongly, the heavens must be open. Many people are under the illusion that they can open and close the door themselves. No. The heavens cannot be opened or closed by me. The heavens must be opened by God. The heavens must be opened by God.
When does this happen? It happens the moment we are baptized, the moment we believe in Jesus, the door opens. And it does not close. It does not close. If the heavens are closed to me, then I am not believing in Jesus. I am not believing properly. Because I believe in the Holy Spirit, because I believe in Jesus, the heavens are opened for me. Because of the Holy Spirit, because of God. Yes. In today’s passage, 3:66, when Jesus was baptized, what happened when He came up out of the water? The heavens were opened. At that time, that heaven opened and did not close again. Yes. It did not close again. Because of the Holy Spirit. The moment we believe in Jesus, the moment we believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit walks with us, and the blessing that God gives us is that the door of heaven is opened so that whenever we come before God, we can enter into deep fellowship with Him, meaning that the door does not close.
So when Jesus was baptized, the door of heaven that had been closed for 400 years was opened. Yes. I cannot open or close it. God did it. Yes. Why? Because it is essential for entering into deep fellowship with God that the door of heaven is open. From now on, because of the Holy Spirit, the door is open, and all those whose doors are open can use that door at any time. Yes. You can go in. It is open. For others, yes, it is closed. For us, God has opened it. This is a blessing. This is a blessing.
Yes. So in Revelation 3:6, it says, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." It always starts with "He who has an ear, let him hear what God says." So we really need to listen. That word is really important. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Then in 7, it says, "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.'" So we do not open and close it. Right? Jesus opens and closes, and only the Holy Spirit can open and close. He says, "See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it." Now, God has set an open door before you. Why? "I have opened the door, but why is no one coming in? I am lonely." The door is open. Come in and use it. And then He says, "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it." He knows everything because the one who opened the door is God. So come and use it.
But you must not be mistaken. As I mentioned earlier, this door is not something I can open or close. Only my King, God, can open and close it. Only my Lord, God, can open and close it. If you are under the illusion that you can open and close it, then that is your kingdom, not God’s kingdom. You must understand that clearly. Yes. Now, God has opened it for you to have fellowship freely. So now it is like, "Hey, let’s have fellowship together. Hurry up and come in. Hey, so-and-so, let’s play. Hurry up and come in." This is what the Lord is saying now.
So what should we do with the open door? Secondly, we need to think about how we can have greater fellowship. How can we have greater fellowship? That is why it is opened. If no one comes in, the Lord will be disappointed. "I said let’s have fellowship, but no one is coming in." Do you know how disappointing that is? You may not have experienced this, but I attended a school in Lebanon in Dubai, and it was my birthday. There were 18 kids in my class, but my family was in such dire straits that we couldn’t even prepare proper food. But my mother, wanting to lift my spirits for my birthday, said, "Hey, you guys are all 18, right? Come over. I’ll make Korean food for you." She prepared dumplings and bulgogi, which foreigners like, and set everything up with the help of nearby church members. Of course, Korean church members came to celebrate too. But no one came. Not a single person.
Have you ever experienced something like this? Wow, the disappointment was beyond words. My family was in dire straits, and I couldn’t even eat meat, but my mother prepared food for my birthday, and not a single person came. I still have a trauma about birthday parties because of that. And it was supposed to start at 10 PM, which is unique in this country. But I counted down from 9 PM. At 10 PM, no one was coming. Yes. But later, I found out the reason no one came. The reason was that most of my friends had Lebanese nationality, and that day, a war broke out between Lebanon and Israel. So no one went out. They could have at least contacted me. Yes. I was completely left hanging, and I thought, "At least one person should come in."
But how can we come to the open door and have greater fellowship? First, when we pray in the name of the Lord, we can move into greater fellowship. In today’s passage, 21, it says that all the people were baptized. Yes. Jesus was also baptized, and when He prayed, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove. Yes. The Holy Spirit came first. Oh, how wonderful it must have been! The Holy Spirit came first and said, "Hey, don’t worry." How wonderful that must have been!
But anyway, it says, "You are My beloved Son; in You, I am well pleased." The Holy Spirit came first, and through that prayer, God shows that He shares abundant fellowship. Through that door. Especially in James, it shows how this fellowship becomes abundant. In James 5:13, it says, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms." I like this verse because it’s good to know that after suffering, there are those who can be cheerful. Yes. It’s not just suffering after suffering. If anyone is suffering, let him pray. I will meet you. Yes. If anyone is suffering, let him pray. But then what follows? "Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms." You will be made cheerful. Let him sing psalms. That’s why I opened the door. Come and meet with Me. Let’s have fellowship. Let’s meet together. Let’s pray.
Also, in 14, it says, "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." If you are sick, let’s pray. If you are sick, let’s pray. Call people to pray. Then in 15, it says, "And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up." And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Yes. The most unpleasant thing to hear might be that. When you are sick, you might think, "Oh, I still need to repent, and what if I lack repentance?" But the important thing is, "Hey, let’s pray." Let’s pray for that too.
We also need to be bold before God. I think a lot about this. Our prayers don’t necessarily cut off our sins. Do you change just because of your prayers? No. But even if you are bold and shameless, pray. God desires that kind of fellowship. God desires that kind of fellowship. Yes. In the end, He will heal you. I have experienced this while selling goods in the past. I have encountered very bold people, and it’s not just one or two. How bold? I worked at a liquor store. The fact that I worked there itself was not a sign of faith. Honestly, at that time, I wasn’t even a believer, so I sold liquor to black people. The liquor is what you put on top of beer. I sold it, but coincidentally, right in front of the liquor store was a historic black church, and a deacon from that church worked with me at the liquor store.
But what happened was that when the delivery person came to deliver the liquor, he went down to the basement. The good thing about liquor is that it doesn’t spoil, so you can just keep it for years. So you can make money. It doesn’t spoil. But the deacon received the goods, and when he looked around, no one was watching him. So he stole a case of beer. But there was only one person who caught him: our boss’s wife. She saw him carrying it outside. Of course, what do you do? You fire him. That’s obvious. But the reason I say this is bold is that the next day, this deacon came to our church. "Are you doing? Is business going well?" And he said, "Since everyone has nothing to do, we all came to visit." Do you understand? What on earth is the black church doing? The deacon stole liquor and got caught, and he was fired, but there was no consequence. And he continued to be a deacon at that church. This is completely absurd. This is really absurd, but what I found somewhat admirable was, "Wow, how can he be so bold?" "How can God allow him to be so bold?"
But we must never do that in the church. Yes. Yes. Just because a pastor says, "Okay," doesn’t mean it’s okay. That’s absurd. But in some ways, in front of my Abba Father, who forgives all sins, a little boldness is necessary. Without boldness, we would end our fellowship with God. Without boldness, we wouldn’t go to church. Yes. Because of that boldness, we can go to church the following Sunday, and because of that boldness, we can have a waiting time until the Holy Spirit touches us. Isn’t that right? Yes.
Think about it. In James 5:17, it says, "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours." Why? Because Elijah was bold. God sent down fire, and he won against many enemies. The God of Elijah. My God. Those of us who sing hymns may not know, but those who praise know, right? But the God of Elijah is the God who accepts that boldness. He was so bold, yet when Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him, he hid and cried out, "God, please kill me." How could this man fall? But he sought God again. And then what kind of person does he become? He earnestly prayed that it would not rain for three years and six months, and our God accepted that boldness. Yes. That person was bold and said, "I will work miracles through you. Come back. Come back. I have opened the door for you. For you, I have opened the door. Come in. Let’s have fellowship." Yes. And then God sends rain. And He says in Matthew 7:7, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Our God says, "Did you fall? Did you betray me? It’s okay. Ask again. Just come back to Me, and I will open the way for you. I will help you find it. Just come back to Me." God promises that.
To that bold person, to that person who is wavering, God says, "Come." Yes. Through this prayer, Cornelius and Peter meet. They are people who should not meet. Yes. They are enemies. They are Gentiles. They are people who cannot forgive each other. How can a Gentile accept me? Yes. How can a Gentile go to the Jews? They are people who think like that. But when they pray, God connects them. So God makes their fellowship abundant.
Also, their fellowship becomes abundant when they sing praises. They were in prison. But they praised. In Acts 16:25, it says that at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God, and the prisoners heard them. And the doors opened. Yes. Do you like to praise God? And when you are struggling and in difficulty, when you sing praises, the lyrics resonate in your heart. Praise! Why not sing those good praises? Also, when you preach the gospel, the door opens. In Acts 7:56, it says, "Look! I see the heavens opened." When? When Stephen, being filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. When he preached the gospel, God opened the door. Yes. And then in Revelation 3:8, it says, "See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it." God opens it, and no one can close it.
Also, fourthly, when we give a full tithe, the door opens. In Malachi 3:10, it says, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it." The door of heaven opens for fellowship. It is your dedication and offering before God. You may only think of money, but this is about dedication and offering. It is fellowship. When that happens, God opens the door.
I hope that the members of Youngnak Church have now been baptized. Because you have been baptized, you have received the open door as a gift, and you can enjoy that fellowship. Why not enjoy this wonderful fellowship? Why don’t you go and find it? Yes. Why not through prayer and praise? Yes. Why not through dedication and all service? Go and find it. God is still waiting for you. Yes. You may think you need to make a promise to go, but you don’t need to make a promise. You can go anytime. God is waiting for you anytime.
Thirdly, how can we live like Jesus who was baptized? When the heavens are opened, we must hear God’s voice. What does this mean? It means that we must be able to hear the voice of God when He wants to speak to us. We must be able to hear it. In the gospels, I think there are three times when the heavens opened and God spoke when Jesus prayed. The heavens opened, and God spoke. That is today’s passage, right? Yes. When He was baptized, the heavens opened. That is in Luke 3:21. When all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and when He prayed, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven saying, "You are My beloved Son; in You, I am well pleased." This is the scene where God opens the heavens and speaks.
When does God open the heavens and speak? It is in Luke 9:35 when He prayed on the Mount of Transfiguration. When He prayed on the Mount of Transfiguration, God’s voice was heard: "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!" Right? When the heavens opened on the Mount of Transfiguration, He spoke again: "This is My chosen Son." The third time God opens and speaks is in John 12:28. This is the message He gives just before the crucifixion. Before Jesus is crucified, God keeps speaking to Him: "Ah, the time has come for Me to be crucified. A grain of wheat must die to bear fruit." He is saying that He must be crucified, and Jesus keeps praying, "Lord, is this right? But it’s hard. What should I do? Am I glorifying You now?"
God, am I glorifying You with my life? Yes. When you are struggling and in difficulty, prayer naturally comes out. God, I want to glorify You, but I worry that my suffering and difficulties will show something other than Your glory. Yes, that’s right. At that time, when the heavens opened for Jesus, God spoke: "Father, glorify Your name." And a voice came from heaven saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again." What does this mean? It means you are doing well. Don’t worry. You are doing well. So the theme of God opening the heavens and speaking is consistent. What is it? "Hey, you are doing well. You are My beloved Son." Yes. You are the one I have chosen. In other words, it means "I love you. You are doing well." So God opens the heavens and consistently gives this message. How comforting this is!
Yes. The message God gives when He opens the heavens is, "I love you. You are doing well. Don’t worry." He keeps saying that. In other words, in Mark 1:11, He keeps saying, "A voice came from heaven saying, 'You are My beloved Son; don’t worry. You are My beloved Son; I am well pleased with you.'" In Psalm 2:7, it says something similar: "I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, 'You are My Son; today I have begotten You.'" Isn’t this an incredible blessing? God, please tell me, "You are My Son; today I have begotten You." But when you look at the background of this verse, you realize it is even more incredible.
It says, "I will declare the decree." What kind of decree is this? It is a royal decree. This scene is like a coronation ceremony where all the foreign dignitaries of the world are gathered. It’s like a scene where the president and all the people of the nation are gathered. God is saying, "Look, you are My Son; today I have begotten You." In other words, it is a scene where our Jesus, our God, is boasting about us in front of all the dignitaries of the world. In other words, many of us seem to misunderstand God’s heart because of our inferiority complex.
Who is our God? He is the one who gathers all the presidents and high-ranking officials of the world and says, "Look, this is My Son. I have begotten him. Isn’t he beautiful? Isn’t he proud?" He is saying that. Our God is saying that. God has never thought of us as shameful. We may feel ashamed because of our inferiority complex before God, but our God says, "I am so proud of you." "Oh, I am not good enough." That’s okay. You don’t have to be good enough. That person who receives Jesus becomes a child of God. Yes. So in John 1:12, it says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." What does this mean? It means that all the people in the world are saying, "This person has received Me today. This person believes in Me. This person is now My child." Yes. So I look forward to this child and hope to see how this person fulfills the will of God with joy. "This person is My child."
So when you evangelize to each person, that is God’s heart. He is so proud. "I rejoice because of this person." Yes. So when this person calls Me Abba Father, our God cannot help but rejoice. That’s what it means when we call God Abba Father. You know this when you have children. You know this when you have children. What is the thing you want to hear the most? What is the thing you want to hear the most? Yes. These days, I look at my eldest daughter and feel a bit emotional. Why? Because it has been quite a while since I had a child. It has been over a year. But this child is now calling me "grandpa." Yes. I still prefer my daughter. But this child still doesn’t call me "mom." Everything is called "dad." >> It’s like teasing, saying "dad" all the time. Even grandpa and grandma are called "dad." So my daughter’s greatest wish is to hear what? >> "Mom." Ah, that’s what she wants to hear.
I think our Heavenly Father is the same. I think our Heavenly Father wants to hear that. Yes. That’s our God. He loves us that much. I hope our members understand God’s heart. How much He loves us. God says, "He who has an ear, let him hear." The voice that God speaks when He opens the heavens is all about that. It’s all about that. "I love you. I rejoice because of you. Will you call My name? Will you call My name? You don’t have to do anything for Me. You don’t have to do anything for Me. Am I your Abba Father? Am I your Abba Father?" Our God is the one who rejoices in that and is moved by that.
When I think of myself, I may feel inadequate. But our God, every time we face Him, says, "I rejoice because of you." I hope you can see and hear that voice of God. Yes. Do not listen to the voices of the world. Do not listen to the voices of the world. Yes. "I rejoice because of you. I rejoice because of you." Yes. He rejoices in your existence, and when you call His name, He rejoices. That’s why I have opened the door of heaven. God has opened it and says, "Let’s have fellowship. Let’s be together. Let’s live together. Let’s pray in My name. Let’s praise in My name. Let’s evangelize in My name. Are you suffering? Then pray in My name. Yes. It’s okay to be bold. It’s okay to be bold. Yes. Come to Me. Come to Me. I will accept you." The people of the world may call you a traitor, or they may say, "How can you come to Me?" But our Lord says, "No. Come to Me. I have opened the door for you." Of course, this big door may not be felt because of my sins and shortcomings, but God has opened it. Come through that door and enter into deep fellowship with God. That’s why He gave us baptism. That’s why He opened the door. Yes. May we all experience that love of God, hear God’s voice, and enter into deep fellowship with Him. I bless you in the name of the Lord.
>> Amen. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, perhaps this is a chaotic world. Perhaps this world loves to argue. Ah, they teach us that we must repent and be baptized in this way, making it chaotic and preventing us from entering into deep fellowship with You. But thank You, Heavenly Father, for sending John the Baptist and stabilizing everything through him, and for telling us that You have opened this door for us. No one can close this door. You can come in freely, and because You have opened this door for us, You say, "Come in; let’s have fellowship. If you are in pain, let’s pray. If you are in sin, are you bold? Then come and let’s pray." Yes. Have you not lived as a child? No. I love you. I rejoice because of you. I am proud of you. I have given you authority, so let’s have fellowship and walk the path of victory together, as You call us with that love and grace.
Of course, God, we are nothing, but You love us. Thank You, thank You. I pray in Jesus’ name. >> Amen. Amen.