Passage

Romans 5:8
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."



[Introduction]


Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Let us give all thanks and glory to God the Father who has blessed us to have this 2018 District, Sub-district, and Cell Leaders' devotional service. I also give thanks to all the devotees who have prepared for this service with all your heart.

Those of you who are devoting yourselves today are at the frontline of the spiritual battlefield. Your passionate faithfulness, the extent to which you receive God's power when you counsel and preach, and the magnitude of your earnestness in delivering the Lord's love will affect the revival of your cells, sub-districts, and districts, thereby affecting the revival of the whole church.

For you who have such important duties, the Lord is giving you a message with the title, 'Heart of Love.' Today's reading passage Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Do you lead your lives being touched by the deep love of God at each moment every day? When we were destined to receive the punishment of eternal death due to our sins, God sent His only begotten Son to save us. If we realize this love deep in our hearts, our lives are bound to be changed.

First, we'd want to live by God's will in return for His love. We'd try to cast away sins and change ourselves to become holy children of God. We'd long for eternal kingdom of heaven. Another important change taking place in those who realize God's love is that they will deliver this love to other people as well. Especially, if you have the duty of winning the souls, you'd cultivate this love as well as realize it deep in your heart.

In so doing, you'd be able to edify the souls with grace and give life to them when you counsel and preach to them. Through this message, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will cultivate true love in your heart and expand the kingdom of God to the fullest extent.



[Main]

Dear brothers and sisters, and other members,

The heart of love that we have to cultivate, first of all, is to consider others better than ourselves.

Philippians 2:3 says, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves." Matthew 18:10 says, "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven."

I've never looked down on even a very little child. I've never considered myself better than anybody just because I'm a pastor, I show powerful works, or I communicate with God more clearly. Even when new and young pastors were delivering messages, I attended the worship service in spirit and truth. I've never ignored opinions of even little ones. I interacted with all people with the attitude to learn something from them.

How is it with you? Do you treat your co-workers and souls entrusted to you better than yourselves and serve them? If you look down on others and insist on your opinion just because you have higher level of faith, higher position, or more enthusiasm, or because you've been a leader for a longer period of time, or you preach and counsel more than others, then, it is not love.

Love does not brag and is not arrogant. It does not look down on others or act unbecomingly. Even if others have 10 negative points, if they have at least one good point, you acknowledge them and praise them for the good point. You don't look down on them considering their negative points. If they do just one thing better than you, you should try to learn from them and encourage them so you can all march on together.

When you act in that way, the believers will love you from their heart and find rest in your district, sub-district, and cell leaders. Then, wherever you are, there will be great revival.

Dear devotees and other members,

The heart of love that we have to cultivate, secondly, is compassion.

In Luke chapter 10, there is a parable of the Good Samaritan, which you know very well. A certain man was mugged, severely beaten and was left half-dead. A priest and a Pharisee just passed him without helping him. They were giving sacrifices to God and keeping the Law, but they didn't have compassion to help the one who was in trouble.

But one of the Samaritans who were despised by the Jews had the compassion on the neighbor who was in need. He put him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. This is the kind of love that the Lord wants of us.

If we have love, we will have mercy on those who are weak and in hardship. We will naturally help those who are in difficulties. You wouldn't just say, "You say it's hard? Just deal with it. I've been through even more difficult things." But you will understand and empathize with them according to their faith.

Jesus came to this earth in human flesh, and Hebrews 4:15 says that He sympathized with our weaknesses. He understands our positions and situations and has mercy on and empathizes with us. For this reason He healed those who were blind, dead, or crippled, with sympathy and love. When the only son of a widow died, He empathized with the widow and revived her son.

Sometimes He had to worry about the food of those who were following Him. Mark 8:3 says, "If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance." The reason why He manifested many signs and wonders is His compassion on the souls.

Also, with the gifts that people presented to Him, He let them be used for helping the poor. The Bible puts a great emphasis on charitable works. At the Early Church, charitable work was one of the most important parts of the ministry. Galatians 2:10 says, "They only asked us to remember the poor?the very thing I also was eager to do." Peter, James, and John asked Paul to remember the poor, and Paul also was eager to help the poor.

The Early Church appointed 7 deacons to administer the charitable works. They didn't just love with words and tongue. They actually took care of orphans, widows, and the neglected in deeds and truth.

There are many among our church members who help those who are in need. They share not only when they are well-off but even when they're not. When they visit a home where a senior citizen lives alone, they bring a side dish also. If they do not have thick clothes in cold winter, they provide them with something warm. They save their living expenditure as much as possible to get some snacks for the cell group meeting, or they give some of that money to another family that has little kids for their snacks. For those who can't move around freely, they clean their houses or repair broken things for them.

I truly appreciate all those who are taking care of other souls with all your heart. When you continually practice your love in this way, those souls who are in difficulties will be encouraged to stand back up, and even the souls with hardened hearts will open their mind.

Proverbs 19:17 says, "One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed." When we are gracious to poor souls, it is like God assumes a personal indebtedness to us and He will repay us for it. What great hope there is for us in these words! Storing up acts of goodness with compassion is the way to revival, as well as the way to receiving the desires of your hearts and changing yourself more quickly.

Dear devotees and other members,
The heart of love that we have to cultivate, thirdly, is to give up everything.

Jesus led a very busy life when He was ministering on this earth. He had to finish everything He came to do within a short period of 3 years, and how anxious He must have been! He preached the gospel saving minutes and seconds, going around Judea, Galilee and other areas. When a crowd surrounded Him, He didn't have enough time to eat or sleep while teaching them the word and healing the sick.

He spent 3 years spending all His energy, but He didn't consider He had finished everything. He gave Himself until the last moment. He gave His life on the cross, and He poured out all His water and blood.

Even today He is not resting. He is interceding for the souls and preparing our dwelling places without even eating. It is the heart of love of the Lord to give again and again.

And He wants us to cultivate this heart as well. If we really love somebody, we can sacrifice ourselves. We can give time, money, fame, honor, and everything. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 says, "Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us." As said, we'll be able to give even our lives.

I've also been ministering with this kind of attitude. Through countless fasting and prayer, I received the spiritual messages and power of God to testify of the living God. However, I do not say I've done everything I could just because I spread the gospel and manifested numerous signs and wonders. I've been taking all responsibilities as the senior pastor and your shepherd.

If there was any problem in the church, I couldn't just leave it thinking the person in charge will take care of it. I fasted or gave peace offerings to God with all my best so that God wouldn't be disgraced. And I tried to demolish the wall of sin with my tearful prayers.

When the believers committed sins and couldn't be saved, I didn't say, "I've taught them the truth enough, and they still committed sins. I can't help them." I clung to God saying, "Father, they're my flock, I am responsible. I should have loved them more and taught them better. It's all my fault, and so please let them live."

You've been spending those days with me, and many of you say you know my love for you. Also, you say you really feel that it was for your sake that I've been fulfilling measure of justice for the last 7 years. I hope you wouldn't just feel this love but give this love and also be willing to give up everything for one another.

When you care for the souls, there aren't just obedient and good people. Some of them promise they'd attend the next Sunday service but break their promises all the time. Some others complain, sulk, or resent others without a reason, just as goats would hit anything in a herd of sheep with their horns. Still others receive works of darkness and fall into a pool of fleshly thoughts, so they keep on saying negative things no matter how much they hear the truth.

Although you advise and teach them with tears, some souls cannot cut off the world and indulge themselves in sins. And for these souls, you've been showing love while repenting, weeping, fasting, and praying on their behalf. However, I hope you will not say you've done a lot and you've done enough, but keep on loving and serving them. I ask you to bear with them and believe that they will change. Do not lose hope that they too will come forth as precious fruits of the shepherd.

If you love them and give them everything, all your deeds will be rewarded in great glory. You will not only have the fruit of revival but also enjoy eternal glory in the kingdom of heaven.



[Conclusion]

Dear devotees and other members, when we did not know the Father, He first loved us and gave us salvation and the heavenly kingdom. When we dedicate ourselves to work for Him with our thanks to Him, He does not just receive those services. He lets us prosper in all things and be in good health even as our souls prosper. He pays us back pressed down, shaken together, and running over, and 30, 60, or 100 times more.

Also, in heaven, numerous souls whom you counseled and taught will visit you and have parties, so how big are your house and land going to be? You'll be able to hear the souls say the following to you every day.

"Cell leader, thank you for preaching the gospel to me. Even when I lacked faith and disobeyed repeatedly, you helped me until I changed. I was able to come here thanks to you." "District leader, you planted faith in me and prayed for me in every trial I had, and thanks to you I came to New Jerusalem. Thank you, I love you."

Hearing such remarks filled with love, you will be moved and happy, and God the Father will also be truly joyous and glad hearing such things. With this hope, may you expand the kingdom of God by saving numerous souls and later dwell in great glory, I pray this in the name of the Lord!