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Not to be served but to serve

“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”. Mark 10:45.

Jesus Christ is the unprecedented and greatest leader in history. At this time I pray that we all may deeply think about the greatness of Jesus, and learn about how he became the greatest in history. The reason he became the greatest is that I would say one word “He was a serving leader. He deserved to be honored and served by because he is the God himself who has all authority in heaven and on earth but the glorious God gave up all his glory and came down from heaven to serve sinners like us. How did he serve the people?

First, He died on the Cross to save sinners

On the Cross, Jesus willingly took the punishment we deserved for our sin though we are unworthy sinners like the paralytics, tax collectors, and Samaritan woman. He shed his precious blood on the Cross for us having great compassion on us who were like the fatalistic, sorrowful and weak as like the man with shriveled hand. He also gave his life even for the religious leaders, who handed him to be killed over to Pilate, Pontius Pilate, the Roman soldiers who were nailing him on the cross, and for the ignorant peoples. In order to save all sinners Jesus gave his life as a ransom for them. Here we learn from Jesus about the only way to save people is to deny and kill ourselves in Jesus. Unless we all kill our pride, selfishness, one’s will, the sap of youth and emotion and the sinful nature in our hearts we cannot be used by God.

Second, He helped his disciples to learn about serving servant-ship

Based on this passage we see his disciples wanted to be highly honored by sitting at a high-ranking post to exercise their power on people. Knowing their heart desire to become great, Jesus taught them about serving interiority and the true way to be great that to deny themselves, being humble and sacrificially serving others as servants. Once he also encouraged them to love one another as he has shown his true love for them (Jn13:34). He prayed for them to become one in God’s love just as God and Jesus are one (John17:21). In this he helped his disciples to be humble serving servants in love having pioneering and missionary spirit- letting them to go out preaching to the end of the earth, and making disciples of all nations as witnesses of risen Christ.

This Jesus came down from heaven to die on the Cross to give his life to me though I don’t deserve it. He grew me internality as a serving servant through the helping of many servants of God.

*My childhood

At this time I recall and want to share with you about God’s amazing grace upon my life. I was born in a poor family at a rural area at Young-am surrounded by mountains in Chunam province in Korea. When I was young, attending at school I had been dressed in shabby clothes which were left over by my old brothers or other people. In my middle school second year my father passed away that my family became more in need. In order to get out of the poor life I decided to study hard by studying on my own. Finally I passed the qualification exam for college entrance.

• Meeting Christ in college years

After entering college many questions about my life were arising in my mind. “Who will be my life guardian without having my father?” “To whom shall I live for?” One day I was invited to UBF Gwangju center by my two classmates. My first Bible study on Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created heavens and earth” with Dr. Samuel H Lee. Through the word I realized and believed that God is the creator of my life and he is my guardian and he will provide my school tuitions and taking care of my future too. Through Romans 5:8 “ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I repented all my sin and accepted that Jesus Christ’s love that died for my sin in my place. He has set me free from my sin of fatalistic thinking, my selfishness, and my lust. He changed my face with full smile in love of Jesus in the campus and letting me to make a clear decision to live for Christ and the gospel.

• Victorious new life in Christ

God richly blessed my fishing and one to one ministry and finally brought up 40 students to my fellowship by the help of the Holy Spirit. When I obeyed to the word “Seek his kingdom and righteousness” God provided me full scholarship for four years and letting me got graduation with honors. After the graduation God provided me a teaching job at a high school as I had dreamed since I was young. In my class I began to teach the students with short word of God and then, later it increased its interesting among the students and established a High School Bible Fellowship.

• Calling from God as an intern

Sometime after this, in order to be a professor shepherd I quit the high school job and went on to a graduate school. But when I finished just one year of the master course, late Dr. Samuel Lee gave me a direction to go and serve Jongro3 UBF and to pioneer SNU medical school and Univ of Sungkyunkwan as an intern shepherd (at that time M. Maria Ahn was serving as staff shepherd). Among SNU med students few had been studying for 2-3 years with me and then left. From U of Sungkyunkwan Sh. Donghoon Noh and Moonhyun Yoon, are the precious remnants in our ministry.

• Designated as a full time staff member

Meanwhile I was wonder whether “should I go back to school (to be a Pro-Shepherd) or should I be a full time shepherd?” and  so I went to inquire about it with Dr. John Jun, he gave me a clear direction to be a full time based on Genesis 12:2. Right away I did drop out of school applications and my wife Shepherdess, Esther Lee moved up to Seoul along with my daughter. From that time on I concentrated on feeding sheep with all my heart and I could reach up to 25-30 one to one sheep a week. One day, after three years of my serving Jongro3 UBF as an intern, when M. Maria Ahn was sent to Mexico as a missionary I was also sent to Sungdong UBF as a full time staff.

• Sungdong UBF pioneering work

At that time there only were 5 SWS attendees at Sungdong UBF ministry. But God empowered me with living active word of God as I would go up to the campus in inviting students. Sh. Kyoungreul Kim was a deep-dyed socialist and an anti-government movement leader at the campus in 1980th. But the living word of God transformed him through one to one with me as a missionary to Russia serving Russian students through one to one. God blessed my raising disciple ministry with increasing the number of the growing disciples 15 or 20 in our ministry every year. The growing disciples also were participating in the one to one ministry and the number of our SWS attendees was increased up to 150.

• Sending pioneers and missionaries

Among our leaders God raised the full time-pioneers such as Sh. Hunil Jung to Nowon UBF and Sh. Caleb Choi to Daejeon UBF. And more among our leaders, God have sent 40 missionaries to around the world. Through the work of God that he has done among my ministry I could personally learn about Jesus our Lord, his humility, denying himself, serving and sacrificing and laid down his life for his sheep. Most of all I could learn that the word of God is living and active to give life to any kind of sinners raising them to be disciples and missionaries.  

• God’s mighty work in Korea UBF

Until now I have shared with you all were about the grace of God came upon my ministry. The grace, not only it has come upon my ministry but also has come upon all UBF ministry too. God preciously has used Korea UBF staffs and all lay-shepherds increasing the number of SWS attendees up to 3500 in Korea, and 1748 UBF missionaries, actively serving the Lord throughout the world in 95 nations. Behind this great work of God there were UBF ancestors’ devotion and service to God’s ministry. We will never forget of our ancestors late. Dr. Samuel Lee and, M. Sarah Barry their sacrifice and devotion to God with pioneering spirit and world mission vision, and Dr. John Jun, Dr. Samuel H Lee, Sh. David Kim as well. I also express my thanks and honor with my heart to all UBF board members, lay-shepherds, student leaders and all our coworkers for their sacrifice and service to God.

• Reality of Korea campus mission environments

Regarding our campus ministry as you know well it is very hard situation. It is not easy to get any sheep from the campus. At the campus our coworkers have been rejected by most of students for they are pursuing the pleasure & materialism seeking culture, and our leaders were rebuked by school’ staffs for preaching, and even some students go on demonstrations to reject evangelism at the campus. Even raising discipleship is also too difficult for us to make disciples of news sheep. Years ago it took just a year for one sheep to grow as a Bible teacher after starting of their Bible study but currently it takes for about 5-6 years to grow as Bible teacher in feeding sheep.

• God is working on the campus through our staffs

In these hard situations our staff shepherds are eagerly serving campus ministry. Sh. Abraham Cho has begun his pioneering work at Soonchun UBF in his age50th with youth spirit, going up to the campus inviting students every day. He is currently feeding 6 students through one to one. Sh. James Lee (Choongchung) goes up to the campus fishing alone. When he actively invited students in feeding sheep brother Myoung-kyun has grown up as a good coworker in his ministry. But soon after he got a bad news from him that he had to leave for his military service duty. But he has a never give up spirit and keeping going on the campus fishing. Sh. Abraham Park’s(Gachun) has been going through hardships because his wife  receives anticancer treatment but in this difficult situation with helping his wife  he also invites campus students to one to one Bible study. Then God have brought his old sheep back to his ministry as a good coworker who had no desire to serve God before.

Sh. Seongwon Kim(Wonchun) also actively serving campus ministry though he had to go through many hardships in raising his children. In the difficulties he raised brother Kyounghoon Kim as a good coworker in feeding sheep after many years of his devotional shepherding him with a great compassion and unfailing love of Jesus during the brother was in bed because he was severely wounded after an accident. Sh. Kyounghoon Kim’s parents also come to join in the ministry after that.   

• The way of victory for campus ministry

We all know well about the campus situation is not good. In fact there are so many obstacles before us to feeding sheep. In this how can we overcome the situations and make a new history in God’s ministry?  First, it is to earnestly pray to God. Prayer is the source of our strength. I do also coming near to God, the source of my strength through prayer early in the morning every day.

Second, Word of God gives us new strength. Sometimes we are so discouraged when we heard about bad news that our loved sheep, who we have poured our hearts on them, went away from us. There was a word “A mother with a large brood never has a peaceful day”. Psalmist said “Where does my help come from?” “My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm121:1-2), “I love you, Lord, my strength”(Psalm18:1). Surely God is our strength.

Through the Psalmist we could clearly learn about the way for us to be strengthened is meditating on the word of God and deep Bible study. Then the word will surely restore our souls and the rivers of living water will overflow within us that lead us to victorious life in God. That is the reason we should invest most our time and whole heart on the deep Bible study.

Third, significance of communication and co-working

When we share about my suffering and difficulties with other coworkers our feeling will be getting better than before. Through the conversation we can make loving relationship with one another and become one in heart together. When we become one in the Lord we can also be strong enough to overcome the world. In this we can actively serve Korea and world campus mission work with God’s wisdom and power making history for his name’s sake.

• King David’s secret of victory in times of trouble

King David had these 3 things as he served God’s kingdom work. How could he overcome all the trials and being enabled to establish God’s kingdom? First; He was a prayer warrior. Whenever he faced the brink of dying and urgent crisis he cried out to God inquiring God’s wisdom and direction to overcome that situation. He called on God early in the morning - He said “I will awaken the dawn” (Psalm108:2)

Second; He was strengthened through meditating on God’s word day and night. He confessed that “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”(Psalm119:105). Then the living word of God filled him with victorious faith to overcome the entire crisis and enabled him to establish the United Kingdom of Israel.

Third, communication and co-working

David and Jonathan both were in a death or life situation because King Saul was trying to kill David, and Jonathan had to kill David according to his father King Soul’s direction because of King Saul’ envy for David. At that situation they had a heart to heart talk and both encouraging each other and could overcome the difficulties and became good coworkers.

• Most difficult thing is to make communication with others

Concentrating on Prayer and deep Bible study are personal acts and it is possible to make it if anyone personally decides to do it. But most difficult thing is to make communication with others. In order to make it, first we must be humble denying ourselves, not being selfish or petty minded, but being greathearted and God centered mind.

When we make good communication with others in Jesus’s serving interiority we can build up and learn each other making good co-working in serving campus ministry.

• Examples of communication

There are some people among us who are raising disciples with having a brilliant idea. It can also be sharing with other chapters in order to apply its idea on their campus ministry. When we put together each one’s good idea in loving communication we can get more wisdom and direction to overcome difficulties in serving Korea and world campus mission.

As for me I was a lack of conversation, communication and co working with others. But I will try to make it. I pray that God may help me to deny myself and humbly learn about Jesus’ humility and his serving leadership so that I will make good communication with all our co-workers in serving God’s ministry. I believe that God will mightily use all 75 Korea UBF staff shepherds with wisdom and gifts of God in serving Korea and world mission work in loving conversation and communication.

• UBF laymen shepherds, the treasures in our ministry

Our UBF laymen shepherds are our good co-workers such as treasures in our ministry. I thank God for their loving sacrifice, devotion and serving in campus ministry. They can be good friends and helpers to students who are preparing job at the campus. Sh. Sungpil Sohn is a CEO of a venture company. Though he has a health issue and been in over his head at work, in this spring he went up to the campus and got two precious sheep who have desire to learn Jesus. They have been faithful to Bible study and one of them decided to attend our summer Bible conference. But the other was not because he couldn’t get break from his part time job. Then Sh. Sungpil enabled him to come to join summer conference by providing him new part time job at his work. Likewise our laymen shepherds can be practical helper to new students in love of Jesus.

I believe that God will do great things raising disciples among each chapter in Korea if our laymen shepherds can make a staff centered co-working with one in heart in despite of the entire difficult situation.

• Prayer topics

My prayer topics are as follow: First, I may learn about Jesus’ humility and his serving leadership so that I can serve our staff shepherds in loving conversation and co-working.

Second, to study with staff shepherds about new generation and the way to bring them to Jesus raising them as disciples in this difficult situation of campus ministry, and to share it with all other co-workers.

Third, for raising second generations as future missionaries through encouraging them to visit mission fields.

Fourth, to find out about the worthwhile work for silver missionaries.

Fifth, to co-work well with P. Abraham Kim (UBF general director) and to do intercessory prayer for missionaries throughout the world, and reasonable and proper supporting for them.   

• Conclusion

I wish each one of us all may learn deeply about Jesus and his servant-ship, who did not come to be served but to serve. As followers of the humble Jesus Christ we all may serve others having a humble- broad mind, communicating and co-working together with one in heart, wisdom and power in serving Korea and world campus pioneering work.

Moses Lee