작성일 : 25-11-06 03:12
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2025년11월2일 주일말씀 English sermon "Jesus Christ, Head Of Church" Ephesians 1:18-23
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Sermon English Text AKFPC / November 2, 2025 Rev. Yongjin Park
“Jesus Christ, Head Of Church” (Ephesians 1:18-23)
May the grace and love of God be upon you who is listening to God’s voice today in this worship.
The first Korean church in Austin began with some Korean students at the University of Texas. They used to attend American churches when they wanted to go to church on Sundays. They gathered after worship service to fellowship and had a room for their won devotion time. Later they started a church as a congregation at certain places and immigrations joined more with them. That is the origin of Korean language worship in this area as other cities churches did.
Now over 4000 Korean churches in North America and many Korean churches are in various countries. This is called the Korean diaspora who scattered all around the world for faith. Korean people are blessed through faith to God. Church and mission and nation are all blessed through Word of God.
What is church? Church is people of God and Heart of God.
Let us read together Ephesians 1:18-19,
“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, And his incomparably great power for us who believe. The power is like the working of his mighty strength,”
That Eyes of heart be enlightened means that our spiritual eyes be opened. And that hope to have called means our calling and eternal life. And that great power for us means power of Holy Spirit. That might strength working means work of faith.
Apostles Paul has written this letter to church in Ephesus. He was in prison in Rome. When he visited Ephesus first there was a big idol temple in center of the city and people were worshipping the idol. When Paul delivered gospel of Jesus Christ many souls has returned to God after repentance. Paul loved them and wanted them to keep faith in hard situations. That is why he sent this letter to them.
Church forms when Word of God meet repented souls with work of Holy Spirit. Even though many people gather a place if there is no Word or repentance where will not be church.
So, church is tool of God to reign this world and people of God and passage of salvation.
And this is not our choice but God’s choice. This is sovereign of God. After recognizing his truth, we can confess that God chose us and redeemed us from judgement. This is why God calls us to be church.
Ecclesia, church means that God picked up us from world for this special purpose to salvation as his own children.
Ephesians 1:12 says,
“in order that we, we were the first to hope in Christ, might be fir the praise of his glory.”
How can we be praise of his glory? Through worship we can please God. When saints gather to worship and glory to God, light will defeat dark as sunlight shines and remove darkness. When light of God shines, all nature reveals as it is that God created.
So, God really loves churches and His children in it. There are calling from God, strength of blood of Jesus Christ, and work of Holy Spirit in church through Word, baptism, Holy Communion.
Through these all-holy things all souls can be forgiven and born again and received grace every day and firmed faith before God.
Through church we can taste the living God every day.
And the head of church is our Lord Jesus Christ. Without will of our Lord nothing can be worked in church.
Ephesians 2:19-20 say,
“consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members if God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”
According to research on mission work, when missionaries planted outreach on a mission field without planting church, after they left there might be nothing. But if they work their mission works with church. After they left, there might survive the church, and the gospel work steadfastly continues.
This is why many churches and congregations exist in China and Islam world, even then though long-term persecution of national power.
There needs church in any circumstance if there are souls whose image is God’s image as human being.
All human being needs worship and blessing from true God.
Church is holy temple and body of Christ. Through church our life and family and world can be saved from all sins and can be cleaned for holy.
So, thought and idea of world cannot be in church that God keep and love. Only thought and heart of God can be in church.
Ephesians 2:22 say,
“And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit.”
There are no perfect church but are becoming the church through Word and grace from God to be place God dwells.
The very 17 years ago, the first Sunday of November, some congregation suddenly visited my house asking me to have worship service. I believed that as sign of God, directing me to build a church for God. Since that day our church has never paused worship service and prayer until now. This is great hand of God and blessing on us.
We believe that God will use this congregation to redeem many souls until He comes.
Let us glory to God through being great and faithful children of God with worship and prayer. Let us work hard to please God that our true and faithful Lord!
We are all called for this work of God, saving this world.
Ephesians 5:27 say,
“and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”
God be with all of you, Amen.
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