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It is the desire of all the children of God to preach well and bear good fruit if they have realized the will of God and want to put it into practice. Jesus also taught His disciples: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit” (Jn 15:8).
Some of the members, who are eager to bear fruit by any means possible, try to find a special method of preaching. However, we often see our new members, who have just received the truth, bear much fruit even though they are not good at preaching. Through this we come to realize that there is not a certain method of preaching. Now let’s take some time to confirm again that God grants us precious fruits of the gospel according to what kind of mindset we have when preaching the gospel, not according to what methods we use to preach.
Gospel fruits are borne when we preach with an earnest mind
The “Preaching Festival to Proclaim the Glory of Jerusalem Mother to the Whole World” was a great time when we confirmed again that preaching depends on our mindsets, not on our methods. We continuously receive the joyful news that the members throughout the world have been bearing fruit abundantly, and in most cases they have borne fruit by preaching the gospel with a special mindset, not with a special method.
We frequently hear that the members in the workplace have borne much fruit by preaching with an earnest mind even though it is not easy for them to preach the gospel because of their busy work schedules. A sister, who wanted to testify about Heavenly Mother by keeping in step with the prophecy, led many of her customers to Zion by preaching Heavenly Mother to them with just a single verse from the Bible. A brother led a soul to Zion by conveying the Church news through a monthly magazine featuring our Church, which he had put on a rack at the customer lounge in his workplace. A local Church led a foreign member just by showing him a single picture of our Church calendar; while looking at the members of the Church of God in his own country in the calendar, he happened to see one of his friends and opened his mind wide.
With human thought, it seems doubtful: ‘Can it really bring forth fruit to preach that way?’ Surprisingly enough, however, beautiful fruits of the gospel are already borne before we are aware of it. It is because preaching does not depend on the fluency of speech or eloquence or any special methods. Even if we are slow of speech or our methods of preaching are clumsy, if we have an earnest mind to save people’s souls, they come to feel the sincerity and earnestness of our hearts and become deeply moved.
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 1 Co 1:17
Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace. 2 Co 1:12
It is not really true that some can bear much fruit because they are fluent in speech and others can’t because they are slow of speech. It does not depend on our speech whether or not we are able to bear fruit. Those who put God’s word into practice are blessed (Jas 1:25).
Preaching is done through the power of God
As the gospel is rapidly spreading throughout the world, the members who want to participate in the fulfillment of prophecy are continuously going on a short-term mission trip during their vacation. Through their realizations, we can clearly understand that God sees the hearts of His children and blesses them greatly.
They all speak with one voice that a language or cultural difference, which they thought would be a big barrier to preaching overseas, was merely a small problem when they went abroad. They said that many people received the truth, even though they were not good at preaching in the local language. As the members tried to preach the Word to the local people by any and all means possible, they were moved by the earnestness of the members and many of them came to understand God’s word after studying it carefully. Ultimately preaching depends on our minds.
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 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 men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. 1 Co 2:1–5
The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that preaching is not done with worldly wisdom. The gospel is not something that we can preach with our own wisdom or ability. It is not the excellent preaching skill or method of each of us that enables us to bear fruit, but our earnest mind to lead even one more soul to heaven.
‘I cannot preach because I am lacking in many ways.’ We come to have this kind of thought if we do not fully depend on God who gives us fruit. It is not “myself” who bears fruit, but it is a gift from God. Apostle Paul also realized this and led many people to the truth by preaching the gospel according to the grace of God. As a result, he has been recognized as the best preacher even to this day.
So, when we preach the gospel, we should not depend on our words of wisdom but only follow the teachings of the Bible. We will be able to bear precious, good fruit if we preach with an earnest desire to convey the love of God and the good news to the poor souls who will not escape eternal punishment in hell because of their sins if we just leave them alone.
Even at this moment, many of our members in Zion throughout the world are bearing abundant fruit by preaching the gospel with a fervent mind to save the souls who have not heard the good news yet. Missionaries sent abroad, self-supporting overseas mission workers, foreign members who received the truth in Korea and led their family in their own country to Zion—all of them are fervently preaching the Word in their given circumstances, and many souls are being led to the truth.
Each of us has a fervor for the gospel, on which God pours out the oil of the Holy Spirit. As a result, the fire of the gospel work is now blazing up throughout the world. Just as a mother hen helps her young hatch and come out by pecking from the outside of the egg when she hears the chick pecking from the inside, so God helps and blesses us greatly when He sees our little obedience and fervor, regardless of the number of preachers or the method of preaching.
The way of love achieved through God’s sacrifice
If the salvation of mankind could be achieved with only a few words, it would not have been necessary for God to come to this earth to suffer and sacrifice Himself, even enduring the pain of the cross. The way of the cross which Jesus achieved was the sacrifice and love of Jesus who willingly laid down His life to save human beings who were destined to die because of their sins.
Heavenly Father and Mother, who came as the Saviors in the age of the Holy Spirit, also walked the thorny path and found one soul after another. Since Elohim taught us the truth of the new covenant with an earnest mind to give life to Their children, the gospel has achieved such remarkable growth as it is today.
We can obtain good results if we understand even a little bit of God’s heart and carry out the gospel work with the heart of Elohim—with the same kind of sacrifice and love as They have. Look at every aspect of the lives of the members who are now bearing abundant fruit. Some of them start each day by praying early in the morning with a resolution to follow the example of Elohim who have continued to pray for us from early in the morning every day. Others renew their commitment to the gospel each day, thinking, ‘Heavenly Father and Mother left Their glorious throne in heaven and came down to this earth, a strange and unfamiliar land to Them, and They have devoted Themselves fully to the gospel, even enduring scorn and ridicule from creatures made by Them. Now, how much effort and sacrifice am I making to save one soul?’
Many university students of Zion participated in the overseas mission during their vacation. As they preached the gospel abroad with a firm resolution to find our lost heavenly family members scattered throughout the world, they tasted the joy of bearing fruit; more than anything else, they were deeply touched when they came to realize how anxious Heavenly Father and Mother must have felt while finding Their children one after another. Since they preached the truth with an earnest heart like that of Father and Mother who were anxiously looking for Their children, every day they spent preaching the gospel was really precious and invaluable to them. They also realized that God granted them fruit because they all became one in mind, not because they were eloquent in speech or good at speaking a foreign language. As they realized that, they became more united with one another. The reason why they were able to bear much fruit and to renew their attitude towards the gospel during such a short period of time was because they had the mindset to follow the path of the gospel which God had walked.
The offspring of God
We are the children of God. God’s children, who were created in the image of God, do not live a life of faith with easiness while only taking care of their own spiritual safety. When they see the souls who neglect the good news of salvation, they cannot just sit back because they feel very anxious about them, as the prophet Jeremiah did. The reason why it is intolerable for them not to preach the gospel is because they resemble the nature of God.
Are there any parents who do not try to turn their children to the right path if they are going astray, knowing what will happen to their children if they just leave them alone? This is how Heavenly Father and Mother, our spiritual Parents, feel about us. We need to think about why God the Most High kept walking the thorny path silently, being oppressed and afflicted even to the point that His precious body was disfigured and marred.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. Isa 53:7–10
To save us, His children, God carried our sins in our stead and endured the humiliation and pain of the cross. The Bible says that when God makes His life a guilt offering through His sacrifice, He will see His offspring. Whom do “His offspring” refer to?
The reason why we call God “Father” and “Mother” is because we are Their offspring who have been born through Their sacrifice and received life from Them. Children surely resemble their parents in any respect. If we are truly the children of God, we should resemble the heart of God who loves mankind.
If God had just left our souls alone, who were running towards eternal destruction, how would we have been able to look forward to the eternal kingdom of heaven and to dream of the bright future? God sacrificed Himself for our sins and made us realize the spiritual principles by melting our stubborn hearts with love, even though we closed our minds and refused to listen to Him. As a result, we have been able to come to Zion to receive life. As children of God, we should also deliver the words of life coming from Elohim and Their holy love to the souls, who do not yet know answers to the fundamental questions of life, and should lead them into the arms of God.
God’s children who resemble God fully
As the children of Heavenly Father and Mother who resemble Them, we should follow the path, which They have walked, and do Their work. To save one soul, God started each day with prayer and preached every day, saying that was why He came to this lowly earth.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Mk 1:35–38
God wants us not only to take care of our own souls but also to save the souls around us, whom others do not care for, so that we will all return to the eternal kingdom of heaven together. Following this will of God faithfully, let us shine the light of God’s salvation more brightly on all the people of the world.
Even if there is no result of the gospel right away, we do not need to be disappointed. Since the Bible says, “At the proper time we will reap a harvest,” God will surely allow us to reap the abundant fruits of the gospel, sooner or later, if we diligently follow the path of suffering and sacrifice which Father and Mother have walked. Thinking about what kind of mind God has when carrying out the gospel work to save mankind, let us resemble Father and Mother fully in every way—Their nature, personality and behavior.
Although a child may not look like his or her parents at all, curiously enough, he or she unconsciously shows some habits which resemble those of his or her parents. It is the same spiritually; surely we resemble our Heavenly Father and Mother in certain respects. Let us try to resemble God more and more in every way—especially in sacrifice and suffering, so that we can display the glory of God and take the lead in saving souls.
I am sure that the remaining work of the gospel will quickly be accomplished by the grace of God if we carry it out with the belief that saving a soul is saving the world. Let us preach to souls around us first with our whole heart and soul, so that they can listen to the word of God. I do hope that all our brothers and sisters in Zion will bear much good fruit by preaching the gospel with a beautiful mindset enough to move God.