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50 Years Anniversary Missionary Seminar (Closing Message)

Terrible Times and the Scripture

2 Timothy Ch. 3

Key verse 3:16,17 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

I give thanks and glory to God who called us out of darkness, appointed us as a royal priesthood in our generation and used us greatly for campus discipleship ministry and world mission through self-supporting lay missionaries for the last 50 years. I thank and praise God who helps us to look back on the spirit and ministry of God among us for the last 50 years and gives us clear spiritual direction and vision for the future. I earnestly pray that we may hold firmly to the spiritual direction and vision that is given to us by the Holy Spirit and carry out our mission faithfully as a kingdom of priests until we can send out 100,000 missionaries to 233 countries in the whole world including 140 unreached countries.

The title of today's message is "Terrible times and the Scripture". The book of 2 Timothy is the letter that Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy who was in charge of the church in Ephesus when Paul was in the prison right before being martyred. At that time there were conflicts and arguments insider the church because of the teachings of false teachers. Moreover, worldly corruption began to sweep into the church. The foundation of the truth began to be swayed and some people began to lose their faith (2Tim 2:18). Paul prayed and wrote this letter for Timothy who served Ephesus church in this terrible time.

1. Have nothing to do with them (1-9)

Look at verse 1. "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days." Paul tells Timothy to mark this; ‘there will be terrible times in the last days’. Apostle Paul looks ahead into the future and reminds Timothy of the danger that churches are submerged in. When spiritual leaders are negligent or ignorant of the present and future dangers that churches are falling into, churches will be in great danger. What times will come in the last days according to Apostle Paul's warning? "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power…” Terrible times stem from loving ourselves. Lovers of themselves cannot love God and their neighbors. Fights and arguments inside churches and communities start from loving ourselves. Terrible symptoms will be followed and go toward …“lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power” Loving pleasure rather than God means indulging in forbidden pleasure. Indulging in pleasure without control darkens people’s souls, ruins their moral and spiritual consciences and brings destruction. Their hearts become corrupt and are against the truth. They don’t like the good. Even though they are alive, they are actually dead. When it comes to the last days, there will be more people like them and they will make their generation terrible. But these kinds of people are not only in the world. The verse “having a form of godliness but denying its power” says that these kinds of people are also inside the church. The fact that they have a form of godliness means they look like men of faith and spiritual leaders outwardly. But the fact that they deny the power of godliness means that they have no spiritual power and inward strength to follow and obey the truth and faith that they confess with their mouth.

Paul strongly urges Timothy to ”have nothing to do with them”. It means not to emulate them or to have no relation with them. Some of them gain control over weak-willed women who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires and teach them in their own way. But the women are never able to acknowledge the truth even though they learn always. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth; they are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. They are not the ones who serve God with sincere faith, but those who live hypocritical and superficial lives before people. Their folly will be clear to everyone. Paul clearly warns Timothy to turn away from them.

II. Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of (10-17)

Paul lists the examples that Timothy should imitate and follow since he was living in the godless world full of false teachers. Look at verse 10-11. “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings-what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.”Paul preached only the gospel while the false teachers testified falsely against Jesus. Paul lived a godly life as he preached. His life purpose was to glorify God. He had faith that Jesus’ death for our sins and his resurrection. He loved the weak with patience and was willing to be persecuted and suffered for his name’s sake. Especially he was persecuted almost to death in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. However God rescued him from all of them. Based on what he experienced Paul demonstrated a truth very clearly. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Those who live themselves and love pleasure having only a form of godliness don’t receive persecutions. However those who want to live a godly life in Christ should be ready to receive persecutions. What if we only have a form of godliness without sufferings and persecutions for God’s sake as a hypocrite? Look at verse 13 “While evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” If we live like a hypocrite, we will not be able to flee from hypocrisy and corruption. We will go from bad to worse..

What should Timothy do?  Look at verse 14 “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it.”Timothy was convinced of what he learned from Paul and led the church and sheep standing firmly on the truth. But the trend of the world had changed a lot. The world was full of sins so much that the sins attacked God’s churches. Those who were infected with the sins were losing the power of godliness even though they had a form of godliness. Some of them wandered away from the truth.(2Timoty 2:18) The churches began to follow the trend of the world. People loved physical pleasures and sought new things away from the truth. It got more difficult to lead God’s churches and ministry. Timothy didn’t know how to deal with the new situations and how to serve the new generation who were different from those in the past. Should he join the popular trend of the world or stick with what he learned and was convinced of? Should he understand the new generation and circumstances looking for the new ways to serve it? He must have been troubled.

What did Paul say to Timothy? “continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of”  Paul told him to continue in what he had learned and have become convinced of. Look at verse 14b  “because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures” What Paul learned and became convinced of is not human thoughts or ideas. It was the truth. “Continue what you have learned and have become convinced of,” This is the word and spiritual direction that God gave to Timothy who was in trouble with serving the new generation.

I believe that this is also what God says to us. We are living in the world which changes rapidly. The circumstances where we live are totally different from those in 1960’s when UBF was founded and in 1970’s , 80’s when the campus ministry flourished. We encounter difficulties and limits in serving the new generation who follow the popular trend of life infected with sins and go down the main stream of sins. For this reason we began to doubt if we should look for alternatives and changes different from what we had in the past. If there are better ways and alternatives to serve this generation, we should try to find them. From 1990’s we have made every efforts to find better ways and alternatives to serve the rapidly changing generation. New programs were sought out. Some chapters tried to implement the spiritual movement giving up raising disciples through one-to-one bible study because it was so difficult. Other chapters tried to live a religious life without the burdens of sharing daily bread and writing a testimony. There were also some chapters that tried to attract attention of the young through singspiration rather than to focus on profound bible studying or testimony training. However, they failed without bearing good fruits. We have not found other ways or alternatives better than one-to-one bible study, daily bread, writing testimony, a life giving spirit with five loaves and two fishes, pioneering spirit, community spirit, self-supporting spirit that we have had from the beginning of UBF history.

We learned and became convinced of the fact that the spirit and ministry that worked among us for the past 50 years was not a typical UBF spirit or ideas, but it was from the eternal truth of God’s words. Therefore we should continue in the truth that we learned and stand firmly on it. We should repent of becoming weak in the spirit and ministry. And we should stand firm on the truth all the more. 

When we continue to stand firm on the truth of the Bible without being swayed in this changing generation, what great hope and blessing will be given to us through the Bible?

First, the holy Scriptures are able to make you wise for salvation.

Look at verse 15 “and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Wisdom for salvation! All people want to be wise for salvation. Where can we find such a good, great and eternal blessing as salvation? Even though a person gains the whole world, he would be the poorest and the most pitiful if he is not saved from his sins. Although we are lacking in the possessions in the world, we, our missionaries and shepherds, are the happiest and most blessed because we are saved through faith in Christ Jesus. Where can we get the wisdom leading us to salvation? Did we get it from a lot of books or human knowledge? Or from romantic love or marriage? Or from money and success? We couldn’t get the wisdom for salvation that could save our souls from poverty, fatalism, a sense of inferiority, meaninglessness and emptiness of life. But when we studied the Bible and believed the word of the Bible with humble mind, we got the wisdom for salvation. I thank and praise God who has done great work of salvation among us only through the Holy Scriptures for the last 50 years.

Second, the Scriptures educate man of God so that they can be fully mature.

Look at verses 16, 17. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” All Scripture is God-breathed. 2Peter 1:21 says, “men spoke prophecy from God as they carried along by the Holy Spirit”. How great is the word ‘God-breathed’! Because all Scripture is God-breathed, it is good for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

There are so many educational institutions and teachers and books in this world. But what is truly useful for teaching us? “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (16)” Teaching without heart-moving spirit of God but only head knowledge makes our mind complicated and our heads big. That kind of teaching is not good for changing our inner hearts and lives nor for making us mature. It can be harmful for our souls rather than useful. The problem that we confront is that there is a flood of knowledge so that our heads become bigger and bigger until they are about to burst but our hearts become smaller and smaller and our love and passion for God becomes cold. But because all Scriptures are God-breathed, His breath opens our narrow minds, fills our hearts with love and passion for God and enables us to love our brothers and neighbors.

All Scripture makes the inner heart and character of a man of God mature and enables him to do every good work. In English, it says, the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. It means that it changes one person completely into the one who is fully prepared to do every good work. What a great encouraging word it is to us! There might be many missionaries and shepherds among us who had the teaching only from the Bible and who will have the teaching only from the Bible due to their situation and environment. But when we truly love the Scriptures and devote ourselves to being educated by the Scriptures, we will be mature and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Third, the Scriptures bring the breath of God that moves hearts.

Look at verses 16 and 17. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The Scripture moves hearts with the Spirit of God because it is God-breathed. When God moves one person’s heart, an ordinary person begins to become fully equipped and great. When God works by moving people’s hearts, people who could not do even one good thing well begin to be thoroughly equipped for every great and good work. When God worked by moving the hearts of our missionaries, they left their home, family, good jobs and future security on this earth and went to Africa, CIS, middle east, India, China, South America, Australia, Europe and North America. And they have been dedicating themselves to serving campus discipleship and world mission sacrificially so far while supporting themselves. When God worked by moving people’s hearts, so many native sheep repented and were raised up as shepherds and Bible teachers. When God moved their hearts, great work began. They went to another country as self-supporting missionaries and serve campus discipleship ministry and world mission.

The Scripture brings the breath of God because it is written by the breath of God. People’s hearts become hardened because of sins and because they love themselves and pleasures more than God. We cannot serve them in this generation by depending our strength, wisdom and power. But when God works by moving their hearts, their hearts will be melted and changed and they will be raised up as a holy nation and a royal priesthood.

When I look back on the U.B.F. history for the last 50 years, the amazing and great work of pioneering all the campuses in Korea and sending out self-supporting missionaries over 87 countries has been done only by God who moved people’s hearts. Could we send even one person to Africa, CIS and India as a missionary? Could we enable missionary Peter Kim and Sarah Kim to decide not to leave Kiev but to stay there as martyrs when the fear of Chernobyl’s radioactivity spread through all of Europe? This happened only when God moved their hearts. When God works, a great work happens beyond human imagination. We confront many obstacles and difficulties in our ministries in this terrible time. Sometimes a sense of despair and frustration creeps into our hearts. But when we look back on the U.B.F. history for the last 50 years, we learn that the great and amazing work of God was done not because the spiritual environment and condition was good or by depending on our strength or power. It was done only when the Almighty God, the sovereign Lord who has all power and authority in heaven and on earth worked by moving sinners’ heart through the word of God.

When Late Dr. Samuel Lee started pioneering Seoul National University, he studied the Bible and meditated on the word of God and wrote Daily Bread wholeheartedly every morning till noon for 6 years. Then God anointed him with the Holy Spirit that enabled to bring the fire of God and the breath of God to SNU students. Then, messages and announcements of Dr. Samuel Lee moved SNU students` hearts. Great work of God was on fire. Young students in SNU, moved by God, dedicated their time, money and youth to God. They regarded being called to be shepherds and missionaries as the greatest honor. They became full time shepherds by leaving everything behind and were willing to establish a missionary family with anyone and at anytime and began to go to the whole world as missionaries. God did truly great and unsearchable works beyond our human idea and reason by moving their hearts.

The hope of this generation is not in the better spiritual environment on the campus. It is not found when each one of us has many kinds of knowledge and information. The hope of this generation is found when each one of us become moved by God and become men of God who can bring the breath of God. When each one of us is full of the breath of God and becomes the man of God who can bring the breath of God, God will use us greatly wherever we are in our country, in our campus and in our pioneering ministry. God will use us as great pioneers, great disciple-makers and great men of God who can send out great missionaries.

Then how can we be filled with the breath of God and become the men who can bring the breath of God? We need to go back to the Bible which is God-breathed. We have to love the Bible wholeheartedly. We need to give our whole heart to study the Bible and meditate on the word of God. We need to do our best to be professionals in the Bible. The word of God says, “ But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” (Psalms 1:2,3) When we delight the law of the LORD and meditate on it day and night, we will not be withered like a tree planted by streams of water even in the terrible time of last days. Rather we will bear much fruit in season. I earnestly pray that we may give our whole heart to love the word of God so that we can be filled with the breath of God all the time and become men of God who can breaths his Spirit to move hearts. May we be able to serve the great and heart-moving work of God in our own mission fields. May God move young campus students’ hearts so that they can go out bringing the gospel to the 140 countries that are not yet evangelized. I pray that God may send out 100,000 missionaries to 233 countries by the year 2041 because of the heart-moving work of God. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16,17)”