At 00:00 on January 1, 2024, OAPC began the new year by offering the first moment of 2024 to God through new year service. Saints dedicated 2023 with deep gratitude for the Lord’s love and grace through the announcement of top 10 news and vision presentations and prayer meetings by representatives of missions, education, business, and media, and 2024 will be a year of fruit remaining the love of God.
As the first prayer of the new year, Pastor Mark Shin, President of OA Korea prayed that we would die and live again every day in the grace of the precious blood, and that let us be filled with the Holy Spirit and run toward the promise and mission given by the Lord.
For the sermon, Pastor Shin preached on the text [John 15:1-14] with the title, “Remain in my love.” Pastor Shin began his sermon by wishing for a year of living in the love of the Lord. He said, “The Lord loves each one of us in an extremely special way. God asks us all to abide in His love, without any discrimination.”
Pastor Shin said, “It is not that we should accomplish any great work, but the most important thing is to remain in the love of the Lord and love one another. Let us know how God treats us. Even in our weaknesses, God cannot imagine a world without us. He loves us so much and is always calling and seeking us.”
He continued, “How can we bear much fruit? All we have to do is remain in the Lord. If we lose God, we lose time and passion. God wants us to take the best path. The best path is not something special, but simply in the love of the Lord. It’s about remaining in Him and seeking Him. If you just remain in the Lord, everything you ask for will come true,”
He added, “How can He who did not spare even His own Son spare anything for us? Let us not compare ourselves and know that we are all recipients of the most precious life of Jesus. Everything we are guided by is God leading us to the best path. Rather than worrying about what I should do, let’s become those who truly abide in the love of the Lord.”
Lastly, Pastor Shin said, “God will lift us up and lead us to an amazing place of victory where the nations return to the Lord. At that time, let’s remember His grace. The more important is to know about God deeply, than to know about God’s mighty power to accomplish things. As we move toward a time of great revival, I hope that we will always remain in the love of the Lord and have a blessed year that bears abundant fruit.”
The saints praised ‘The Love of God’ and offered a service of thanks to God. After the service, there was a scripture drawing and the first prayer vigil of the new year.