Sunday, April 21, 2019

“The Resurrection of Jesus Christ”

Matthew 28:1-15 (Recitation: Matthew 28:1-8, 11-15)

1. Historical facts

* 30AD Passover Festival

Friday was Christ’s death on the cross

Saturday was the Sabbath

Sunday was Christ’s resurrection (empty tomb)

2. The mystery of the empty tomb

3. The meaning of Jesus Christ’s resurrection

* (1) To prove that Christ was the true God

(2) The dramatic change of the disciples

(3) To prove that the forgiveness of our sins and resurrection after death is for certain

* 1 Corinthians 15:20 = “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. What reasons can you think of why the tomb was empty? What do you think?

2. What does Jesus Christ’s resurrection bring about in your life?

MCC20190421.mp3

Sunday, April 14, 2019

“Express Love for Betrayal”

Luke 22:47-62

1. Judas’ kiss

* Matthew 26:49-50 “Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him. Jesus replied, ‘Do what you came for, friend.’ Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.” (NIV)

* John 18:10 “Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)” (NIV)

* Mabel Francis, missionary (1880-1975)

2. Peter’s denial

* Luke 22:62 “wept bitterly” = (1) Tears of despair at oneself, (2) Tears of knowing Jesus’ deep love

* The faith of Pastor Che Namusun during the Korean upheaval (1950)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. How did Jesus show love to Judas and Peter who betrayed him?

2. Based on this, what kind of person do you think Jesus is?

MCC English 20190414.mp3

Sunday, April 7, 2019

“Praying in the Garden of Gethsemane”

Luke 22:39-46

1. Jesus’ prayer

* Dag Hammarskjöld (former U.N. Secretary General, Swedish)

“In order for your life to be abundant, you must pay the price of solitude.”

* Luke 22:46 “get up” = monitor, watch

2. Jesus’ pain

* Luke 22:44 “sweat was like drops of blood” = Sweat mixed with blood dropped

* Matthew 26:38 “…My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” (NIV)

* Ephesians 6:18 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions...” (NIV)

3. Jesus’ obedience

Luke 3:22 “…You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (NIV)

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV)

4. Our Garden of Gethsemane

* Hebrews 5:7 “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” (NIV)

* Saint Patrick (Scottish missionary)

“God’s strength upholds me,

God’s wisdom guides me,

God’s eye protects me,

God’s word speaks to me,

God’s hand protects me and saves me from calamity.

God’s shield is before me,

God’s hosts are by my side.

Christ walks with me, before and behind me,

Christ lives in me, looking from above and below me.

When in my house, He becomes my fortress,

When travelling on ground, He is in the horse carriage,

When travelling over sea, He is in the ship.

Therefore, what do I have to fear?”

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. What do you think was the most painful thing for Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane?

2. What is your “Gethsemane” experience?

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Sunday, March 31, 2019

“I Have Prayed For You”

Luke 22:31-38

1. Intercessory prayer for Peter

* Luke 22:32 “But I” = Very strong expression

* Luke 22:33 “go with you" = “together with” (direct translation)

* Luke 22:34 “deny” = renounce, disclaim

* Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God?” (NIV)

* 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” (NIV)

* Acts 14:21-22 “They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said.” (NIV)

* Hebrews 12:2 “…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (NIV)

2. Preparation for a spiritual battle

* Luke 22:35-38 is a teaching about two different “times”

* Matthew 26:52 “‘Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.’” (NIV)

* 1 Peter 5:8-10 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. There are two aspects to “faith.” What do you think they are?

2. What do you think Jesus meant by “buy a sword”?

MCC20190331.mp3

Sunday, March 24, 2019

“The Servant Leadership Teaching”

Luke 22:21-30

1. A curse for those who betray

* Mark 14:21 “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him…” (NIV)

* John 13:18 “...But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: 'He who shared my bread has turned against me.'" (NIV)

* Ezekiel 33:14-15 “And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right— if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die.” (NIV)

2. The stance of those who rule

* “Servant leadership”

The leadership style proposed by Dr. Robert Greenleaf (USA)

*The difference between “ruler leaders” and “servant leaders”

* The leadership of Toyohisa Matsue, manager of a concentration camp in WWI

3. The promise of future reward for disciples

* John 6:66-69 “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. ‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.’” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. Who do you think is responsible for Judas’ betrayal? What do you think Judas should have done?

2. What is “servant leadership”?

3. Why is it important to faithfully serve the Lord?

MCC English 20190325.mp3

Sunday, March 17, 2019

“The New Covenant in Jesus’ Blood”

Luke 22:7-20

1. Preparation of the Passover meal

* The “Festival of Unleavened Bread” and the “Passover Festival” are festivals commemorating freedom from Egypt. According to Jewish history, on the 14th day of the Nisan month when the sunset the Passover Festival lamb was sacrificed, and from the 15th to the 21st was the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

2. Meaning of the Passover meal

* “Commemoration of the past”

(a) Roast lamb, (b) Unleavened bread (matztzah), (c) Kolbasa (vegetables), (d) Haroset (mixed walnuts and apples), (e) Malol (bitter leaves)

* “Assurance of the present”

Luke 22:19 “This is my body” = Meaning my body

Matthew 26:28 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (NIV)

1 Corinthians 11:27-30 “So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.” (NIV)

* “Hope for the future”

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. What is the origin of the “Passover Festival”?

2. What is the relationship between the Passover Festival meal and communion?

3. What is the meaning of communion?

4. What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 11:27-30?

MCC Enlgish 20190317.mp3

Sunday, March 10, 2019

“Betrayed Jesus”

Luke 22:1-6

1. Judah, betrayer of Jesus

* Matthew 26:5 “’But not during the festival,’ they said, ‘or there may be a riot among the people.’” (NIV)

* Matthew 26:1-2 “When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ‘As you know, the Passover is two days away - and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.’” (NIV)

* Luke 22:3 “…Judas, called Iscariot….” = “Is” means “people” and “cariot” means large town

* Luke 9:1-2 “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” (NIV)

* Luke 8:15 “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” (NIV)

* Revelation 3:11 “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” (NIV)

* Revelation 2:10 “…Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” (NIV)

2. The crowd, betrayers of Jesus

* Luke 19:47 “…But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.” (NIV)

* Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (NIV)

* 1 Corinthians 2:14 “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. Did Judas not have responsibility when Satan entered him?

2. Why did the crowd change its attitude toward Jesus?

MCC Enlgish 20190310.mp3

Sunday, February 24, 2019

“All That is About to Happen”

Luke 21:25-38

1. The second coming of Jesus and the end times

* Isaiah 13:9-10 “See, the day of the LORD is coming —a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger— to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.” (NIV)

* Hebrews 12:26-27 “At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.” (NIV)

* Acts 1:9 “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.” (NIV)

* Zechariah 14:4 “On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.” (NIV)

2. How to be prepared for the second coming of Jesus

(1) Trust the never-changing Word of God

Matthew 24:36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son but only the Father.” (NIV)

(2) Keep your eyes open and pray

2 Peter 3:3-4, 10 “Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’… But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. What kind of people are those who define the day of Jesus second coming?

2. Where will Jesus Christ return to? What will it be like then?

3. Talk about how those awaiting the second coming of Jesus can be prepared.

MCC20190224.mp3

Sunday, February 17, 2019

“God’s Judgment for Jerusalem”

Luke 21:20-24

* Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (NIV)

1. Signs of the destruction of Jerusalem

* The “times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24) has continued from 586BC at the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple and Babylonian captivity all the way up until today.

* The people who returned from Babylon in 516BC rebuilt the temple

* Thereafter Jerusalem was placed under the rule of Persia, Greece, and Rome

* 66AD – 73AD 1st Jewish War (70 years Jerusalem destruction)

2. Warning to the people of Israel

* Luke 21:21 “Flee to the mountains”

From 66AD – 68AD around one hundred thousand Jewish Christians evacuated to Pella, in the Galilean region. However, the 1.1 million people left in Jerusalem starved to death and 97,000 people were taken captive by Rome.

3. Prophesy of after the destruction of Jerusalem

* Luke 21:24 “trampled on by the Gentiles”

In 638 Jerusalem was occupied by Muslims, and the location that once had the temple today still has the Islamic “Dome of the Rock” in place

* Hebrews 9:27 “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” (NIV)

* Amos 4:12 “… prepare to meet your God.” (NIV)

* John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. Confirm Jesus’ prophesy content and its coming to pass.

2. What can you learn from the history of the human race based on that fact that the “prophesy has come to pass”?

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Sunday, February 10, 2019

“Stand Firm, And You Will Win Life”

Luke 21:10-19

* “Tisha B’Av” (9th day of Av): Temple destruction commemoration date

1. Things that occurred before the destruction of the temple

* Earthquakes:

(1) Matthew 27:51-52 “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.” (NIV)

(2) Matthew 28:2 “There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.” (NIV)

(3) Acts 16:25-26 “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.” (NIV)

* Famine:

(1) Acts 11:28 “One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)” (NIV)

* Fearful events and great signs from heaven

(1) Flavius Josephus’s “The Jewish War”

2. The hardships the disciples had to face

* The testimony of evangelist John in the Chinese underground church

3. God’s promise of protection

* The faith of Leah Sharibu

(A Christian girl abducted by Boko Haram in Dapchi, Nigeria)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. What did Jesus prophesy would happen before the destruction of the Jerusalem temple?

2. What kind of path is the path the follows Jesus?

3. Please make intercessory prayer for the release of Leah Sharibu.

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