Special Lecture

The Spirituality of Mission

by Paul Choi   01/18/2022  

Message


The Spirituality of Mission

John 1:14, Mark 10:45                                                                                                                                             Paul Choi, St. Louis UBF

  Last Sunday we celebrated the birth of Jesus through the Christmas worship service at Wash U. Indeed, Jesus is worthy of being worshipped, praised, honored by the Magi in the Bible, students on campus, children of our family, and all people in this world. The birth of Jesus has another meaning in the view of mission. God sent Jesus as the first missionary to this world. Jesus came to this world with mission. The purpose of his birth is well described in John 1:14 and Mark 10:45. Today we will study about the spirituality of mission in view of Jesus as a missionary. We learn what mission is, how Jesus lived as a missionary, and what kinds of attitude we should have as missionary. My message is based on the lecture by Dr. Myung Huk Kim, who delivered it for the pastor and missionary spirituality seminar which was held in Charlotte, NC in Nov. 3-7, 2014. What is mission?

First, mission is being sent out.  According to the Webster Dictionary, the word ‘mission’ is defined as “sending out or being sent out with authority to perform a special service.” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary Fourth Edition, Pg 922) Jesus prayed to God  for his disciples in John 17:18 , “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” Jesus told his disciples, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (Jn 21:20) Mission is sending out or being sent out. We were sent into this world. Our Korean missionaries were sent to America. We sent out Ben West as a missionary to other city. Some are waiting to be sent out.

  According to Dr. Kim, mission is leaving. Leaving implies giving up all our privileges and our comfort zone and moving into the mission field. Leaving requires sacrifice and obedience. Jesus left all glory in his kingdom and came to this world. He left everything in heaven in order to come to this world. Abraham left his country, his people, and his household and went to the land which God showed him. (Ge 12:1) Leaving is not just a physical translocation, but also spiritual transformation.  In order to carry out mission, we must deny our own dreams, plans, and will and respond to God’s calling. Those who insist on their own ideas, will, or plan cannot be used by God. Being sent out as missionary requires complete submission and dedication. When Jesus called his disciples, they left everything in order to follow him. Jesus said, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:62) William Borden was a son of a rich family in Chicago. He was converted by the message of R.A. Torrey in Moody Bible Church. After he graduated from Yale University, he decided to give his life as a missionary in China. Later, he died in Egypt during his missionary training. But he had left this message in his note before he died, “No reserve”, “No retreat”, “No regrets”.

  The word “mission” indicates ‘special purpose.’ No missionary is sent out without purpose.  Jesus was sent to this world with purpose. What is his purpose?  John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Here, the Word is ‘Logos (lo.ɣos)’. The word ‘logos’ comes from ‘lego’ in Greek, which means ‘I speak.’ Shortly speaking, logos means ‘truth with a message.’ Jesus came to this world with a message, the message of God’s judgment and the message of God’s salvation. He delivered the message of the kingdom of God. His first message was “The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mk 1:15) A missionary is a man who is sent out with a message, the message of God. Jesus was sent to this world with God’s message. Abraham was sent to the promised land with God’s message. Moses was sent to Pharaoh with God’s message. Jonah was the same to Nineveh. Paul traveled around the world with the message of salvation. In 1885 two American missionaries Horace Underwood and Henry Appenzeller came to Korea with God’s message. When we go out for fishing, we are to bring God’s message with us. Being sent out without God’s message is like going into a battle field without a weapon, or like fishing without a net.

Second, mission is becoming. Mission is not only being sent out, but also becoming. The Word became flesh. Jesus came to this world and became a human being like one of us. We call this, “Incarnation.” The word “incarnation” is derived from pretext in and caro (flesh), which means “to make into flesh” or “to be made flesh”. Jesus is the God Incarnate. Even though he is God himself, he appeared as a man. Romans 8:3 says, “…God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering…” Hebrews 2:14 says, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity…” When Jesus met a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, he was tired and thirsty because of long journey. Jesus shared our thirst. He saw thirst in her soul and wanted to give her living water welling up to eternal life. (Jn 4:13,14) Jesus had compassion on a widow who lost her one and only son. Out of the Messiah’s compassion, he raised him from the dead. (Lk 7:14)

  Mission is not just wearing ethnic clothes or changing hairstyles, it’s also becoming like the native. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:20-22, “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law….To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save them.”  St. Francis Assisi became a beggar in order to win over beggars. Hudson Taylor wore Chinese clothes and ate Chinese food in order to become like the Chinese. As missionaries and Bible teachers for college students, we need contextualization in order to understand them and serve them more effectively. We don’t have to dye our hair like them, but need to die to ourselves and accept them as our dear brothers and sisters and sons and daughters. Emptying oneself and being filled with Jesus is the first step in being a missionary.

Third, mission is dwelling together. In other words, mission is life together. Mission is not a short visit, but a permanent dwelling. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Since Jesus called his Twelve, he lived together with them. Even though he is the holy Son of God, he mingled with smelly sinners like fishermen, tax-collectors, prostitutes, and other sinners. Jesus said, “For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mt 9:10) Dr. Albert Schweitzer went to Lambarene Gabon, Africa in 1913 and lived there until he died in 1965. Missionary Sarah Barry went to Korea in 1957 and lived with Korean students until she came back to America in 1978. She left a comfortable and convenient missionary compound to live in a small studio in order to be with Korean students. She wore Korean traditional clothes and ate Kimchi and rice with Korean students. She spoke in Korean fluently. She had a life together with students in order to become friends with them. Dr. Theo Sundermeir, a prominent German theologian said that “Mission should be ‘Konvivenz’, which means ‘living together’ with a motto “help each other, learn from each other, and celebrate together.”

Fourth, mission is serving. Mission is living together and serving others. Jesus said in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” He also said in Luke 22:27, “…But I am among you as one who serves.” Even though he is in very nature God, Jesus did not consider equality with God something to be grasped; but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (Php 2:6,7) In his lifetime on this earth, Jesus served all kinds of sinners. He healed the sick and raised the dead. He fed five thousand with five loaves and two fish. He washed his disciples’ feet. Finally, he suffered and died for our sins on the cross.  A missionary is not a master who rules over the natives, but a servant who serves and gives even up his life for them. Dr. Horace Allen, the first American missionary in Korea, served many sick Korean people as a medical doctor. The next American missionaries were Underwood and Appenzeller, who built schools, hospitals, and churches in Korea. They gave up their lives in order to serve them. Not only the missionaries, but also their children lived as missionaries in Korea. Eventually, all of them were buried in Korea.

Fifth, mission is spending time with others. This seems to be similar with dwelling together. But spending time means establishing friendship. While spending time with his disciples, Jesus made friends with them. Jesus said to them, “You are my friend…” (Jn 15:14, Lk 12:4) Jesus made friends with fishermen, tax-collectors, and all kinds of sinners. So the religious leaders called Jesus, “Friend of sinners.” (Mt 11:19, Lk 7:34) Mission is not just delivering a message, but sharing Christ’s love through friendship.  In order to establish friendship with others, we need to spend time with them. Weekly Bible Study is necessary, but not enough. Daily prayer and fellowship are required to establish friendship. It is not easy for us to spend time with others. We sometimes need our own personal time and privacy. But God works in people’s hearts not only through preaching and teaching, but also by listening and hanging out with them.  Rev. Myung Kim is an old man, but he made many friends with young people around the world. One day, he visited Brazil and mingled with the young people, who were uncommitted and doubtful about faith. Rev. Kim listened to them patiently and even went bowling with them. According to his words, all the young men were very encouraged by his friendliness and humility, and they came back to church one by one. Thank God for Jesus, who came to be with us and be friends with us. What a friend we have in Jesus!

Sixth, mission is bringing reconciliation and peace. Jesus is the mediator between God and sinners. 1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”  A mediator is someone who works between two opposing sides in order to bring about a settlement. Jesus is the mediator between God and sinners. Sin separates us from God. Sin makes us objects of God’s wrath and judgment. The penalty of sin is death, and we have to pay that penalty. But Jesus paid it all in our place by his own blood. Jesus became our mediator. He became our defense attorney, who told the judge, “Your honor. My client is innocent of all charges against him.” Jesus paid the penalty of our sins with his own blood.  There is nothing but the blood of Jesus, which washes away all our sins. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

  When Jesus sent his disciples for mission trip, he said, “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house…” (Lk 10:5) Jesus brought peace between God and sinners. When he was born, the heavenly host appeared with angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” (Lk 2:14) In Romans 5:1 the Apostle Paul says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” A missionary is one who brings the message of peace and works for reconciliation. This world is troubled by sin - hatred, anger, anxiety, fear, lust, despair, and so on. There is no peace in a broken relationship with God. There are unceasing wars at home, in our community, in the country, and among nations. Peace does not come from military power or political negotiation, but from Jesus Christ who became a sacrifice and sin offering.

Seventh, mission is giving his life as sacrifice offering.  Dr. John Stott said that Mark 10:45 is the best description of the life of Jesus and the purpose of his coming to this world. Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” A missionary is not a short-term visitor but a permanent dweller. A missionary is one whose bones are buried in his mission field. This implies his glorious death on the mission field. Jesus came to this world as a missionary and died. He too was buried. On the third day, he was raised from the dead. A missionary is a follower of Christ Jesus. We live for Christ and die for Christ and are raised with Christ. A British missionary Robert Thomas was martyred by N. Korean soldiers in 1866 before he even set foot on Korean soil. He shed his blood for Korean people. At that time he was only 27 years old. He became a sacrificial offering for Koreans. There is a missionary cemetery in Seoul Korea named, “Yanghwa Jin”. Ben West, his brother Luke, and I visited there three years ago. My heart was moved when I saw the tombstone of a one-year old child, the daughter of an American missionary. I heard that three generations of the Underwood family are buried in Yanghwa Jin. UBF Missionary Hannah Shin in Czechoslovakia lost her husband 15 years ago. As an expression of her devotion for campus ministry and for Bible Czechoslovakia, she buried some of his remains underground, below the college they both visited every day. A missionary is someone who is ready to bury his or her bones in the mission field. Being a missionary is not like a luxurious name tag for a traveler’s suitcase, but like a glorious dog tag or ID tag for Christian soldiers. Amen!

  Today we thought about the meaning and the nature of mission in view of Jesus based on John 1:14 and Mark 10:45. Mission is being sent out with a message. Mission is becoming like the natives. Mission is living among them. Mission is becoming their friends. Mission is bringing peace and reconciliation. Lastly, mission is giving our lives as a living sacrifice. We learned how Jesus lived as a missionary on this earth. I pray that we all may live as missionaries like Jesus, with whom God was pleased. Missionaries are chosen people. Also, all Christians can be missionaries. Those who have Jesus and keep the message of God’s salvation within them can become missionaries. According to Genesis 1:28, after God created man in his own image, he gave them a mission. “Be fruitful and increase in number…” Jesus gave his disciples the same mission. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Amen! May God richly bless you when you live as men and women of mission. Amen!


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