[Australia] The Life-Giving Gospel spread in Sydney

From the 2nd to the 4th of June a Grand Bible Conference was held in the Novoto Hotel in Australia, with the guest speaker, Pastor Ock Soo Park. On the first day 65 new people attended; they saw the performance from Gracias Choir and heard the Word from the pastor.

Following the Bible Seminar took place in March this year, the regional churches’ ministers, congregation and 11 short-term missionaries prepared the Seminar in June with one heart to get ready for ‘the wedding feast’ in Sydney. In order to be sure that there is no case of not being able to come because of not knowing of it occurring, they spread the news of the Seminar over a wide area through television, radio and bus advertisement as well as through the daily witnessing.

The opening day’s morning service began with the Gracias Choir’s beautiful performance. Many of the audience who could not hide their excitement for Pastor Ock Soo Park and the Gracias Choir, who returned to Australia in six years, met them with lavish applause. Moreover, every song that was sung by the Gracias Choir brought out the ‘Encore’ of many people and melted their hearts.

In the Grand Seminar, Pastor Ock Soo Park using the theme of ‘The Man caught among Thieves’ (Luke Chapter 10 Verse 25-37), preached the word that humans can never escape from sin by themselves. He also explained the relationship of the Saviour and the saved through two examples (The Samaritan Woman, The Man caught among Thieves).

For example, a small boy following the monkey up the sail of the boat could only be saved when, although he begged his father to save him, he had to follow the order of his father and jump into the sea in order to live. Here the father’s measure was to the son not an action of being saved but merely a simple teaching. However the relationship between the true Saviour and the saved is like an owner who has caused pain to a monkey through the unbreakable chain which the monkey cannot break with its own strength. Just like when the chain is broken and the monkey is free from the pain, because we humans also cannot become free from sin through our own power we need to hand it all unto God.

The 1st Pastoral Forum At one in the afternoon the native regional pastors were invited, with Pastor Ock Soo Park, on the subject of the IYF to form the 1st Pastoral Forum. It was a venue where native pastors could share their hearts about the difficulties of their ministry but also a place to learn about ‘How to Solve the Fundamental Problem of Sin’, which lasted until three in the afternoon.

Firstly, there was an introduction of IYF and afterwards there was a special performance from Flutist, Hae-in Jung, and Soprano Soloists Jin-young Park with Hae-mi Choi which light up the venue.

Pastor Ock Soo Park said, before anything else, to the pastors that they should put down everything they know and to believe what God in the Bible is telling them as it is. Emphasising this he began to preach the gospel.

Moreover, explaining the concept of the eternal and limited worlds, it was proved through Hebrews Chapter 9 to Chapter 11 that the blood of Jesus spilt on the cross was not sprayed the altar on earth but the altar in Heaven which is eternal. The participating pastors reacted to the Word that said that they had no sin by shouting with one voice, “Amen!”

“But we are not those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul” [Hebrews Chapter 10 Verse 39] If in front of these Words the church has a united heart of faith, when taking a step for the gospel, you will be able to experience God’s subtle helping hand and the growth of the fruit of life. Also, it can be strongly felt that God is happy with this Seminar when we see the new souls rejoicing after they hear the gospel. We are full of hope that the new people will become connected to the church and continually see the work of life. Moreover we hope to see the spiritual life of the brothers and sisters to develop further.