DR.  SUNG'S SERMONS ON HOPE

AND THE HOLY GHOST

 

1. THE LIFE OF HOPE.  Dr. Sung, Guilan Church, Nanking, May 17, 1937. (A young man prayed, "Bind Satan" --- a stone came in the window.) This was after the New Birth, Holiness, the Life of Faith, Abundant Life, Love, now Hope.  Acts 6 and 7. Read each verse together aloud; sing: (Tune of "Glory to His Name ") "Fix your Eyes on Jesus; Don't look at Men, nor your Present Mood; Run the Holy Road." #96.

Acts 6:6, 7, Widows needed help.  All business needs Holy Ghost filled men.  So they prayed and laid hands on seven chosen men.  "Fix your eyes on....”

6:8, The Word of the Lord increased.  Stephen, full of grace, “faith and power,” witnessed; “great wonders and miracles” resulted; on one hand they worked; on the other hand, they won sou1s, like Moody.  Sing #196: “Purify self, cast out carnality; fully obey the Lord God; become holy.” Many people think they are too busy with business, school, and home; say: “Wait till my son grows up, till I get rich, and I'll be zealous.” (All repeated it.) Sing: “Purify self, cast out carnality, fully obey.” #196.

6:9,10, Do you have oppositions?  Are you discouraged?  Should you quit?        What did Stephen  do? When your Gospel team goes out into the country, and they make fun of you, will you quit? And go home?  Stephen looked to Jesus.  Sing: "Fix your eyes on Jesus; don't look at men." #96.

6:11-15, They stirred up the people, caught him, tried him.  Satan can accuse, but the Holy Spirit is your Advocate.  When difficulty comes, look to Jesus. (No doubt many of Dr. Sung's converts remembered this when persecuted later.) "They saw his face as it had been the face of an angel." Glory!  Why?  Because Stephen looked to Jesus.  When Jesus was accused, what did He do?  "He answered not a word." Whatever our difficulty, look to Jesus!  A missionary was about to be killed; he looked to Jesus.  The bandit soldiers feared to kill him, and released him. (But many missionaries did die, some with radiant faces.  W.E.S.) "Fix your eyes on Jesus."

7:51-53, Stephen rebuked them, "Kill him!" From then on, true Christians have been persecuted.  Every Christian should carry his cross.  Under Japanese occupation, Korean schools were required to worship the Sun flag.  The Presbyterians refused, so their schools were closed.

DR. SUNG'S TAIWAN EXPERIENCE: “I had a dream; I stood at Heaven's gate as many Christians entered, each bearing a cross, each with blood on his face; they had been cursed and beaten.  I awoke, and the Holy Spirit said, ‘Every Christian will be persecuted.’” Sing: “Fix your eyes on Jesus.”

Dr' Sung told about his feelings in the mental hospital sleeping between crazy men: “Lord, I want to die.” Jesus said, “I was nailed to the Cross for you.”

Acts 7:54-56, “They were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.” “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost ... saw Jesus.” Sing:          “Fix your eyes on Jesus; don't look at men, nor your present mood.” Dr. Sung told of Mr. Chang in interior China: they said. “Worship the idol or we’ll kill you.”  They cut off one hand, then the other, then his head.  Jesus says, “They can kill the body, but not the soul.”  So let Satan kill your body, but not your soul.  Sing: “Fix your eyes on Jesus.” #96.

7:57,58,  Stones hit his head.  “Sing:  “Heaven is my home.”  #141.

7:59,60  Although fainting, Stephen still looked to Jesus: “Forgive them.”  In the American Civil War, a drummer boy was shot, and his arm had to be amputated.  At that time there was no anaesthetic, so the Jewish doctor wanted him to drink some liquor to deaden the pain, but the boy refused --- he had promised his mother.  Yet he didn’t cry.  The doctor was surprised.  The boy said, “Jesus is with me.”  Later, the boy prayed for the doctor, and he was converted.  Sing: “Fix your eyes on Jesus; don’t look at men.”

2.     “HAVE YE RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST?”  Dr. John Sung, Nanking, May 17, 1937.  Sing “In daylight we work hard; all labour is empty; one generation goes, another comes; the earth remains.”  #169.  Also: “Fix your Eyes on Jesus.”

Acts   19:1,2, Paul came to Ephesus and asked, “Have ye received the Holy Ghost?”  Was he courteous?  No, he was very direct.  Many reply: “Almost.”  That is not enough. They not only hadn’t received; they didn’t know, like many today.

Acts  19:3,  John’s baptism was not enough, like a Tsingtao pastor friend.

19:4,  They had repented for disobeying the law of God, but repentance can’t purify the heart; Christ alone can do that.  Sung drew a heart on the blackboard, writing on it: “Law, Sin, Ten Commandments.”  Erase Law and Sin: “What can Wash away my Sin?  Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.” #56.

19:5-7,  They were baptized in the Name of Jesus:  their hearts were filled with grace, with the Holy Spirit.  Sung wrote “Holy Spirit” in the heart.

19:8,  Paul spoke boldly --- three months.  Sing each time: “What can Wash?”

19:9,  “Divers were hardened” and spoke evil, so Paul separated.  Why doesn’t the Church advance?  They don’t believe in the Resurrection, Second Coming, Revelation.  Three Steps:  1. Little Group;  2. Synagogue;  3. Big meeting.

19:11,12,  God wrought special miracles; sick were healed, devils cast out.  Even handkerchiefs had power.  Handkerchiefs mean tears; aprons mean service.