"Let Us Work Together"
Message from New President

What a privilege it is that we can work together to enhance the Lord's work in the great territories of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division. We say that we have many challenges in our division territories. We know it is true in many respects. The NSD is one of the most challenging fields. We have challenges everywhere. But we don't have to be dismayed or discouraged, because more challenges mean more opportunities, more responsibilities, and more privileges.
 

We believe this is the Lord's work. He has begun the work, and surely He will finish it. For this very purpose Christ has established His church on earth. In Matthew 16, we read that Jesus established His church. Jesus said, "Peter, on this rock I will build my church." Later on Peter testified that Jesus Christ is the rock. (1 Cor 10:4) Jesus is the rock of ages. He is the eternal rock of salvation. And Jesus said, "On this rock I will build my church."

Christ has established His church on earth to accomplish the plan of salvation of men and women. The pen of inspiration wrote in Steps to Christ, p. 81, "The church of Christ is God's appointed agency for the salvation of men. Its mission is to carry the gospel to the world."

When we read the Bible closely, especially those chapters of the early church, we can see that the church was organized for three significant purposes.

1. For an effective proclamation of the gospel message. In Acts 1:8 Jesus said to His disciples, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, all Judea, and Samaria and even to the end of the earth." When the early church met together in Jerusalem after returning from Mount Olives, they prayed together for ten days, and on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in the form of flames like tongues. All of them were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and began to preach the gospel message to the people in Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria, and even to the end of the then known world. The purpose of the church of Christ was to preach the gospel message to every nation, tribe, tongue and people. Today we still carry on this responsibility.

2. For Christian fellowship among church members. We clearly see this in the early church. As members of God's great family, they had close, unselfish, and fraternal relationship among themselves. Acts 2:44 says that they had everything in common. "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2: 41-42). Through Christian fellowship they encouraged each other, understood each other better, and strengthened each other's faith. There was mutual love, joy, peace, dedication, and forgiving spirit among the church members. There was Christian fellowship in the early church. Today we still enjoy it in the church.

3. For the third service. The church of Christ was established for the purpose of service to God and to other fellow human beings. We clearly see this in the story of the early church. Acts 6 says that the church was busy doing service to the people. The church even elected seven men who were "full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" especially to coordinate the service to the people. The church served the people who were in need both physically and spiritually. It was an important work of the church. Today we still carry on this responsibility as the church of Christ.

The early church that practiced these responsibilities was the most ideal church found in the Scripture. The Bible says, "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47). The early church was very successful in doing the gospel ministry entrusted to them by their Lord Jesus Christ.

Then, what was the reason of the fast growth of the early church? Was it the power of the Holy Spirit? Of course, it was the power of the Holy Spirit that they had received on the day of Pentecost.

The power of the Holy Spirit made them effective in their gospel ministry. Then, how could they receive the power of the Holy Spirit? Interestingly enough, in the story of Pentecost and the activities of the early church written in Acts chapter 2, we can find a particular word repeated several times (Acts 2:1, 5, 44, 46). It is "together." In Greek Bible different words are used, but they all have more or less the same meaning, "together."

Here we see the cohesive and cooperative spirit among the disciples of Jesus who met together in the upper room. They were together in one place with spirit of unity. They prayed together. They encouraged each other. Then repented each other. They asked for forgiveness from each other. They were united together. They were willing and ready to launch the gospel work together.

When they were fully united with brotherly love, they could work together to meet the need of the people. They sold their possessions and generously distributed it to their fellow men that were in need. They loved their brothers in Christ as themselves. There was a spirit of togetherness among them.

In church service, they were united together. They came together and praised and worshiped God together in one accord. When they worshipped God together with the spirit of unity, I am sure that they experienced tremendous blessings from the Lord. Their faith was strengthened. They were ready to do the Lord's work together, and when there was the spirit of togetherness among them, the church grew leaps and bound day by day.

The unity among the church leaders as well as church members is a crucial element for the growth of the church. The idea of working together in one accord is absolutely important for the church; because where there is unity there is life, power, and cooperation. But where there is disunity among God's people, there is destruction, strife, and spiritual death.

What we urgently need in our church today is a sense of "togetherness." We must work together in one accord. Please remember that when the disciples were united all together, the power of the Holy Spirit was poured upon them on the day of Pentecost. We can do many more great things for the Lord when we are working together with united hearts. Let us work together for the accomplishment of the gospel commission that our Lord has entrusted to us.

9T, 196 - "It should be understood that perfect unity among the laborers is necessary to the successful accomplishment of the work of God... We are to demonstrate to the world that men of every nationality are one in Christ Jesus. Then let us remove every barrier and come into unity in the service of the Master."

9T, 188 - "Strive earnestly for unity. Pray for it, work for it. It will bring spiritual health, elevation of thought, nobility of character, heavenly-mindedness, enabling you to overcome selfishness and evil surmising, and to be more than conquers through Him that loved you and gave Himself for you. Crucify self; esteem others better than yourselves. Thus you will be brought into oneness with Christ."

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Jairyong Lee, President