The Power of Faith and Testimony

Recording:

1 Today's topic: Rebuilding David's fallen tent!

2 Today's scripture: Acts 15:16-18
16 After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, 17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name,’ says the Lord, who does these things’ 18 things known from long ago.

3 Prayer – Prayer for a glorious church!
Lord Jesus, we long for you to restore the glory you manifested in the days of the apostles in our midst!

Pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen!

4 Introduction: David's tent foreshadows the method of believing in the Lord at a cost!
In the past, every time I would say, come, let’s review the content of the previous Sunday. From this Sunday onwards, I will no longer say that. Because everyone says, Pastor, you’ve only told half of it, and you’re still reviewing. You will never hear the word review again. Storytellers all say this: If you want to know what happens next, please listen to the next episode. We will continue from the topic of last Sunday, “The Lord God has given us rest and peace from all our enemies around us.”

When I say, “The Lord God has given us rest and peace from all our enemies around us,” some people doubt what I say. They criticize me with their own wrong ideas, saying that you are superstitious, you are an idealist. As for idealism and materialism, I don’t know, but I know that since I believed in the Lord, all those who have followed me and believed in the Lord properly, have lived a peaceful, stable, and comfortable life like me. I know that believing in the Lord is my way! God is the living God! Those who live a comfortable life, like the two sisters who testified last Sunday, you can’t help them with those materialistic and idealistic theories! But because of my God, they have all experienced miraculous reversals. If you don’t believe it, go and listen to their testimonies. They are all on the internet. People are strange, they just like to hold on to those useless truths, and they are deceived by those things, and they still think they are justified. As a result, when death comes, they still don’t know that they have lived in lies all their lives.

More than a week ago, the doctor said that my mother had heart failure, and my sister was also frightened. She told me online that this time it was more serious than before. Very dangerous. But I prayed for her with faith, and God told me that she would not die this time, and God was training her to be a person who prays for a long time. As a result, it was faster than taking medicine, and she was completely healed! In the later examination report, the doctor could not find anything wrong. She was discharged from the hospital in a few days. Looking at my mother in the video, an 80-year-old woman with white hair, kneeling there, raising her hands, and praying loudly, like a young person! I tell you, when I saw this situation, my eyes were wet, how grateful, do you know? I said in my heart, my God, I thank you! Without God, facing so many helpless situations, how sad it would be! My God, you are everything to me, I am willing to give my life to you! Lord, please use me to rebuild David’s fallen tent! Through rebuilding David’s fallen tent, I don’t know how many helpless people can be helped!

The Path of Faith That Costs

I am not lying, I am telling the truth. There are many people who can testify for me. They are all people who prayed with me for my mother. Don't give me a lot of examples, so and so Christians, how they died of cancer, heart failure, etc. But for me, my God, that is a God of great power, great majesty, great power, and great honor! He is the God who rose from the dead, and nothing is impossible for Him. If you have a terminal illness, a fatal illness, anyway, you will die, then come and try to believe in the Lord with me! If you can know the God of eternal life because of your terminal illness and experience His healing power, wouldn't you be blessed in disguise? Don't be silly, don't be stubborn, I don't think you are smarter than me. In the days when I didn't know God, I suffered a lot, but that hard life made me know God! Since then, I have begun to gain treasures! It doesn't matter whether you decide to believe or not, you can come and see the miracles and wonders that God has done through us! Maybe you will get the grace that I have received!

When I say this, if you are listening to the online recording, or you are listening to my sermon below, I encourage you, don't say: This is impossible!. Even if you say in your heart, how is this possible. You still don't say it. Saying such things is unscientific. The facts are there, how can you say that this is impossible! You should say, great, I hope this happens to me. I hope this happens to my family.

How can it happen to you? Believe in the Lord in the right way! There is a big difference in believing in the Lord. Are there some believers who have no ability? Yes, not only are there, but there are many! But this does not affect me in the slightest.

Recently, a Chinese farmer built a space shuttle on the roof of his house. But that thing can't fly into space, it's just a model. That is a model that is about the same size as the real thing. If someone says, look, the space shuttle built by this farmer can't fly, in fact, there is no space shuttle in this world that can fly. Would you think that the person who said this is stupid? The model made by Chinese farmers can't fly, it doesn't represent anything. Haven't Americans, Russians, and Chinese all successfully launched rockets into space? Believing in the Lord is the same, you have to believe it right, if you believe it right, you will see the power! What does it matter if there are those who believe without any power! I still believe what is written in the Bible, and then I begin to experience these miracles and wonders written in the Bible! So where is the key? It lies in paying the price. If you pay the price of a model, what you get is a model. It has the appearance of a space shuttle, but not the substance of a space shuttle! But if you pay the price of a real space shuttle, what you get is a space shuttle that can fly into space!

At the end of the sermon last Sunday, I asked everyone to say to each other: You must be a Christian who pays the price. Many people don't understand. Isn't coming to church to get benefits? How did it become paying the price? Yes, it is to get benefits, but if you don't pay the price, you won't get anything. Those who pay the price will get a very generous return! That is to get double. Because our God is the living God, a God of abundant love and mercy! His richness is beyond our comprehension. If you have never experienced the grace of God, simply put, you have never paid the price. If we follow King David and believe in the Lord at a cost, we will surely receive double, that is what we know! This is what we have witnessed. I am not talking nonsense here, if I am talking nonsense, I can fool those online, but I can't fool those sitting below. Aren't you all people who have experienced the grace of God? Otherwise, who would waste time here with me?

The Path of Faith That Pays the Price and the Path to Blessing

If you study, be a student, if you don't pay the price, you can't be a good student, if you work, if you don't pay the price, you can't do a good job. If you are a Christian, if you don't pay the price, you can't be a blessed Christian. Therefore, God said in the Pentateuch, when you come to see the Lord God, you must not come empty-handed. That is a concrete manifestation of honoring God. That is a concrete manifestation of faith. Christians who do not pay the price will not get anything. Believing at a cost is true believing. Believing without paying the price is false. This is the problem facing the church in this generation. Once the pastors of the church lead the brothers and sisters to start on the road of not paying the price, the church will not only not solve any problems, but will also become an extra burden. Originally, we believed in the Lord to live a rich life, but what we see is disaster. David is not like this. Last Sunday, we told the story of David. God gave David peace and tranquility from all his enemies around him. Living a comfortable life. In fact, our experience is also like this. Our life is also like this. I really don't want to live a life full of disturbances all day long. David did it through complete trust in God! He has become an example for us to follow today.

The same is true of the Israelites, the same is true of the king of Israel, King Saul fought hard and died on the battlefield! And King David lived in the palace, lived a peaceful life, and was not disturbed by the enemies around him. What a stark contrast! What happened? How did David do it? Ah, David has a heart that pays the price for worshiping God! That is the key. Why is David willing to pay the price? Because David believes that God is everything to him! What David has in his heart is that God is everything to me, of course I must put down everything else and put God in the first place in my life! All those who follow David see such grace. Someone asks, how do you know? Of course I know, I have experienced it myself, how can I not know!

Everyone must agree with me that on the matter of believing in the Lord at a cost, is there a bit of David in me? I think so. So God gives me a comfortable life! Just like David!

There are many ways to believe in the Lord. There is the way of believing like King Saul, and there is also the way of believing like David. There is the way of serving like old Eli, and there is also the way of serving like Samuel. The method is the external manifestation, the key is the heart! If you believe in your heart that this is the way, you will go this way that pays the price! If you don't believe that it is the way, you will go your own way. In the end, you will find that your own way is a dead end, and following the way of David, following the way of Samuel, following the way of the Lord Jesus, and following the way of the Apostle Paul is the way to life. This is the key to our reading of the Bible.

The Christians I meet don't pray much. There are many nominal ones. Not to mention anything else, you can tell just by praying about one thing. Many Christians don't pray. And even if they do, it's only a few minutes of prayer. As a result, the result is like King Saul. Like Saul being possessed by a demon, some Christians are possessed by demons, some live in extreme pain, and cannot see the grace of God. Don't talk about cancer, even a simple cold, prayer has never been healed. Wasn't this the one who came to visit us a few Sundays ago, who was possessed by a demon. When we prayed, the demon began to manifest, howling like a wolf. Don't be surprised. Nominal Christians can't stop demons!

David's Humility and the Way of Faith

This King David knew the way God works. He also knew that God is everything to him and the nation of Israel he manages! So David paid all the price he could pay! He welcomed the ark into the city of Jerusalem, and offered sacrifices every six steps! Not only that, but also like a child, he danced before the ark of the Lord God. Complete humility, not thinking that he is the king of Israel, and he has to put on airs in front of people, but completely let go of himself! Of course, David usually puts on airs in front of people, that is the style of a king. Very kingly style. But in front of the ark of God, David put down everything! Even his own face, honor, and airs, he threw aside and danced like a child! That is the price! We believe in the Lord, and we believe in this way! Even if someone laughs at us, we don't care! Because it is God who makes us honorable. We cannot put on airs in front of God!

When the ark of God was welcomed into the city of David, Jerusalem, David arranged all kinds of services according to God's revelation. Those who offered sacrifices, those who sang hymns of worship, those who guarded the door, those who did rough work, all kinds of arrangements were in place. That was very serious. What was the result? God gave David a peaceful life, and God made the surrounding enemies dare not disturb David's kingdom of Israel! Not only that, but people around also came to pay tribute to David! This is the secret! I think, many people cannot see the stark contrast between living a peaceful life, being disturbed by the enemies around them, and David worshiping the Lord with all his heart, all his soul, and all his strength! Don't you believe it, when our brothers and sisters do as they are told, they will all see such results. Aren't our brothers and sisters all living a comfortable life? Aren't they all living an honorable life? The key is to pay the price! The faith that pays the price is the true faith! Paying the price is true gaining!

5 David's tent fell because people were unwilling to pay the price of believing in the Lord!
As a result, the good times did not last long. Not long after, David left the world and returned to his ancestors. Solomon also left the world. In the days that followed, David's tent fell. The very complete service system established by David all disappeared one by one. Because people find it troublesome. From then on, the Israelites began to live in pain. The Israelites originally thought that they could save this complicated worship and use the saved time to earn money, play, and enjoy personal pleasures, but what followed was not a happy day, but a day of national subjugation. Israel was subjugated, and Judah was also subjugated. There was a prophet Amos who received a revelation that God would raise up people to rebuild David's fallen tent. Restore the worship centered on God, but also restore the peace of the four borders that David received from God, the comfortable days without the disturbance of enemies!

The biggest deception of us humans is the businessman's mindset. This model believes that only with money can you be happy. In fact, it is not. Money, good environment, status, reputation, etc., these external conditions will not bring us happiness. But people are chasing after this way of thinking. Trying to chase. When I reached this age, I came into contact with more things, and I also reached the age of knowing my destiny. I saw some 80-year-olds, people who have few years to live, people who are buried to their necks, and they are still trapped in this way of thinking. I am very strange. If you are young, you can understand. At this age, there are not many years to live, and they still think that money is very important. As a result, they are not happy at all.

The Call and Challenge to Rebuild the Tabernacle of David

The collapse of the Tabernacle of David was due to nothing other than the mindset of merchants. Everyone must be careful. This mindset can easily creep in. Because this way of thinking is too straightforward. Upon hearing it, you know it makes sense. I have encountered many pastors who often say that building a church requires money. There are even some more interesting people who say, I will buy a building in the future to use as a church. Buy a property and open it up for church small group meetings.

When the merchant mindset becomes popular, the Tabernacle of David mindset runs into trouble. The Tabernacle of David mindset says, I must worship God. Without worshiping God, there is nothing. This is what the Lord Jesus said, you cannot worship the true God and Mammon (money) at the same time.

Today I want to give you my observation. Knowing that this merchant model is not our path to success.

I have found that rich people are not happy. People with power are also not happy. Not far from Sydney, Australia, in the South Pacific, there is a country on an isolated island called the Republic of Vanuatu. This country has a population of only 190,000, and 85% are illiterate. The national income is less than three thousand U.S. dollars, making it a very poor country. However, the British New Economics Foundation (NEF) published a happiness index in 2006, ranking Vanuatu as the country where citizens feel the happiest among 178 countries, ranking first in the happiness index. This is a strange thing. Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, the United States, France, Australia, these wealthy countries, they have good environments, we thought their happiness index would be high, but it is not so. The poorest and most hardships-ridden Vanuatu ranks first in the happiness index.

6 Serve our generation by repairing the fallen Tabernacle of David!
Brothers and sisters, open your eyes and see how sad this generation is! Everywhere is disaster, everywhere is sadness, everywhere is helpless problems. Where is the solution to the problem? The solution to the problem lies in rebuilding the fallen Tabernacle of David!

The Tabernacle of David is the key to the revival of the nation of Israel! That tabernacle brought about a strong nation of Israel. Those who have experienced it know how glorious, honorable, and powerful it was! The Tabernacle of David, with its constant worship, sacrifices, and strict management, not only brought about the revival of the nation of Israel, but also enabled every Israelite to personally experience God's wonderful grace, and everyone was prosperous! In God's plan, God wants us to live abundantly, live gloriously, live beautifully, and live healthily! Through the Tabernacle of David, God caused these good things to descend upon Israel. But unfortunately, this Tabernacle of David collapsed. I must say that God's will is to repair the fallen Tabernacle of David and restore God's glory on earth, so that we can once again live in His grace and blessings! God is constantly looking for vessels that can be used, looking for people who are after His heart. Two thousand years ago, in the era of the Acts of the Apostles, God found a group of vessels that could be used to rebuild the fallen Tabernacle of David, establish a glorious church, and manifest God's glory! People of that era witnessed God's glory in the church. They quoted a passage from the Old Testament to describe the glory of the church at that time as the church where God repaired the fallen Tabernacle of David!

7 The church in the Book of Acts, restoring the way of believing in the Lord at a cost, is rebuilding the fallen Tabernacle of David!
The statement of rebuilding the fallen Tabernacle of David is the revelation that the prophet Amos received. It is recorded in Amos 9:11.

We know that some people use Isaiah 61:1 as the name of the church, called 611 Bread of Life Church. The message conveyed is the revelation of Isaiah 61:1. Fortunately, we did not use the number 911. Otherwise, people would think we were terrorists.

The Key to the Revival of the Book of Acts and the Tabernacle of David

The Tabernacle of David is the key to bringing personal revival, church revival, and the revival of the Kingdom of God! The passage quoted in Acts 15 is from Amos 9:11. This is the only time this passage is quoted in the New Testament! The revelation that Martin Luther received was through Romans. Justification by faith. The revivals after 1900 are almost all related to the Book of Acts. The Holy Spirit movement is due to Acts chapters 1 and 2. The church began to restore the teaching of being filled with the Holy Spirit, and the power of God began to be restored. In the past two years, we have begun to restore repentance, belief in Jesus, water baptism, and then being filled with the Holy Spirit, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, through the revelation of Acts chapter 8. So today, let's look at the revelation of Amos 9:11 in Acts 15, rebuilding the fallen Tabernacle of David. I believe that although the Book of Acts is not a rigorous theological treatise, we can draw a conclusion here that the apostles of the Acts era boldly quoted this passage, the background of which is that what they saw was the fact that the fallen Tabernacle of David was being rebuilt in the era of the Acts of the Apostles.

In fact, the New Testament we read today, especially Paul's letters, were basically written in the era of the Acts of the Apostles. The church today should not return to the era of John Wesley, nor should it return to the era of Calvin, let alone the era of Martin Luther. If we want to build a church, we should build it like the church in the era of the Acts of the Apostles!

If we observe carefully, the church in the era of the Acts of the Apostles carried a strong Tabernacle of David color. We can list the following:

• The speed at which believers experience God's grace is amazing. For example, the church in Thessalonica, Paul was only there for a few weeks, and the church was established. The Holy Spirit worked greatly there.

• The church automatically and spontaneously has gatherings every day, and is filled with people praying every day.

• Miracles and wonders were manifested in large numbers. The dead were resurrected, the sick were healed, lives were transformed, the sick were healed, demons were cast out, and God's wonderful presence and grace were experienced.

• Worshipping the Lord has become people's greatest desire.

• Every disciple is willing to pay the price and voluntarily dedicate themselves.

• The management system is also forming and improving.

• The requirements for spiritual standards are very high.

• The disciples constantly pursue victory and pursue sanctification.

• Thousands of people believed in the Lord and poured into the church.

I believe that the church in the era of the Acts of the Apostles was after God's heart. It was the church built by the Holy Spirit Himself! Because of this, we have reason to believe that the Book of Acts is the key to unlocking the rebuilding of the fallen Tabernacle of David. There are still many treasures in the Book of Acts waiting for us to dig!

Through the work that God is doing in our midst, we are beginning to see that God's will in our midst is to rebuild the fallen Tabernacle of David!

8 Rebuild the fallen Tabernacle of David according to the revelation of the Book of Acts!
God's revelation includes the revelation of words. There is also the revelation of God's actions. Looking back on what God has done in our midst in the past few years, it is more exciting year by year. The presence of the Holy Spirit is stronger year by year. The intensity and density of miracles and wonders are constantly expanding! As I was preparing this sermon, I began to realize that God wants to rebuild the fallen Tabernacle of David in our midst! God's strong presence is to be like the church in the era of the Acts of the Apostles!

The Generational Call to Rebuild the Tabernacle of David

In 2012, when we went to Taipei Lingliang Church to visit a small group, we met a university professor who was a very lovely Christian. He told me and my wife that you should pay attention to the work that God is doing in your midst (my wife hasn't started writing yet) and record these things. God is going to do new things in your midst. I didn't quite understand it at the time! Thinking about it now, what God is doing in our midst is indeed very fresh.

Today, look at our brothers and sisters, how real God's promises are! Before our church was transformed, we each spent our time on our own affairs. As a result, we lived out many problems. Not only did the brothers and sisters have many problems, but even I myself as a pastor had many problems. But today, groups of people come to pray in the church every day. Everyone has become a Christian who pays the price to worship the Lord. The problems disappear one by one, and everyone lives a comfortable life! The sick have been healed. The speed of healing and deliverance is getting faster and faster, and the power and glory of God are manifested more and more, which is simply unbelievable! I was thinking, it turns out that the effect brought about by the tabernacle built by David is so amazing! It's a pity that not many people know it! Isn't this clearly written in the Bible? Why do so few people believe it? Our generation today is the generation in which God wants to repair the fallen Tabernacle of David, the generation in which God wants to gain glory in the church!

9 Conclusion – Serve our generation by rebuilding the fallen Tabernacle of David!
David's key is David's Tabernacle, which is the way to believe in the Lord at a cost. Revelation 3:7-13. That is the situation of the Church of Philadelphia. We want to become such a church! Amen

Rev 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. Rev 3:8 'I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Rev 3:9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Rev 3:10 Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. Rev 3:11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. Rev 3:12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. Rev 3:13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

Such belief will directly affect the way we live our lives. Although believing in the Lord is not for this purpose, if we truly worship our God well, we will experience God's wonderful grace in our days on earth! As Deuteronomy says:

The Promise of Obedience and Blessing

Deu 28:1 And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. Deu 28:2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. Deu 28:3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Deu 28:4 Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Deu 28:5 Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Deu 28:6 Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. Deu 28:7 The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.

Deu 28:8 The LORD will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. Deu 28:9 The LORD will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. Deu 28:10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. Deu 28:11 And the LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. Deu 28:12 The LORD will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. Deu 28:13 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.