[사모하는교회 • 백승철 목사] 8주년 창립기념감사예배 | 디모데후서 4:5-8 | 신앙의 노선 #사모하는교회 #백승철목사 #주일설교 #주일설교말씀

If you were on the brink of death, to whom would you leave a letter? And what would you write in that letter? 2 Timothy is well known as Paul's final letter. Among them, 2 Timothy 4 is the very last letter. Who was it addressed to? It is a letter to Timothy personally. Paul was a figure who centered his ministry around missions. He established at least 14 churches in mission fields, and other scholars suggest that when including the unseen ones, he founded over 20 churches. That's impressive. It's remarkable. Establishing even one church is a significant achievement, but he accomplished an incredible amount, yet he did not leave an official record for the church. Who did he write to? Timothy. His son in faith, Timothy. Why did he do that? Upon reflection, it is because of the transmission of faith. Faith is not a discontinuity but a flow. When we look at the history of Christianity, there is something peculiar: God does not operate through the majority. This is a very unique aspect of Christian history. God operates through one person. Look at it this way. Is the one called according to God's will a multitude? No, it is one person. Is everyone saved when a multitude gathers? Does everyone in a church of ten thousand get saved? It is one person. Redemption is also connected to one person. Today, we are going to confirm the letter sent to one person. This is a registered letter from God to Baek Seung-cheol through Paul. It is a situation we must examine and recognize. It is not a letter that was just broadly scattered to the masses; it is a registered letter stamped to each of you, urging you to read it carefully. It is a message confirming what this content is.

Now, let’s read it again. Let’s read verse 5. Start. But you be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. It clearly states the line of faith. Be sober. Endure hardship. Do the work of an evangelist. What does this mean? Be a witness of the gospel. Preach the gospel. Fulfill your fourth duty. These four different lines of faith may seem distinct, but as you follow that line, they converge into one path. You are walking on one road. Yes. The line of faith consisting of sobriety, hardship, evangelism, and duty in 2 Timothy 4:5 is an incredibly attractive gospel when there is peace, when nothing happens to me, when there is no tribulation or hardship, when there are no waves and no storms. Through this gospel, I can reveal my righteousness. I can boast. The church can also puff up with pride. With this word, there is a church of light and truth. There was a very painful incident in Korea. Let’s train through hardship. It means we can train with this word. So, we go into a sauna over 100 degrees and see who can endure longer. This is training. Yes. They say to go to the entertainment district and preach the gospel. It’s training. Preach the gospel until you get hit. They actually do this. They train with communities by hitting with belts about 39 times. They also train by seeing who can stay the longest in a car trunk. They say, "Experience the taste of human waste." Does this fulfill the word? It does not erase arrogance. So, someone collapsed naturally. They were diagnosed with a severe disability. We rise to salvation through training. Because there are no worries about rewards, people interpret verse 5 in a completely wrong way, understanding it incorrectly, and using it for their own righteousness and pride, just like going on a missionary trip. They go, take pictures, and come back looking good, although there are indeed sincere people walking that path. This word leaves room for misinterpretation and misbehavior when nothing happens. However, when you understand the historical context until this sentence is completed, it is astonishing. Knowing the historical context, there may be people among many who leave the church. There may be those who deny this. There may be people who say they will not follow that line of faith and go in the opposite direction. There may also be those who do not believe in God. What was the historical background when Paul wrote this gospel? It was during the reign of Nero. What happened in 64 AD? There was a fire in Rome. It started in a commercial district. It turned the entire city of Rome into ruins. Public sentiment was grim. When strange events happen in a country, public sentiment becomes grim. Rumors spread everywhere. Some said that Nero set the fire to build his golden palace. Others said he set the fire to remodel the entire city of Rome. While watching the city burn, Nero enjoyed entertainment and sang songs. Nero had a keen interest in music. If he hadn't become an emperor, he might have become a singer. What did he do to cover this issue? He fabricated an arsonist incident. So, he pinned this on Christians, the believers in Jesus. Rome was a polytheistic society. Christianity had only recently entered. The view of Christianity was not favorable. These people gather and eat human flesh and drink blood. They viewed the communion service this way. Interestingly, when the fire broke out, it did not touch them. So, it was easy to manipulate. They set Christians up as arsonists and arrested them. They were captured and made to be food for dogs and lions, and many people were burned alive, as historical records indicate that many were executed in Rome at that time. It was a time when one could not openly declare their faith. This is the era being discussed. How does this word resonate in your hearts? But you be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. But is this not a conjunction? What kind of conjunction is it? It is a conjunction that indicates a historical point in time. Looking at 2 Timothy 4:1-4, what kind of point in time is it? It is an eschatological point in time. Even at the time Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, it was an eschatological perspective, and the future perspective that Jesus will return is also eschatological. When did the eschatological era begin? Since Adam and Eve fell, Christianity has been walking in the era of the end. There is nothing particularly special about it. Now, knowing this historical background, let’s read it again. You need to express your feelings. Let’s read verse 5 again. Start. But you be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Did you feel it in your heart? This word says, "Endure hardship while you are already suffering." What is the conclusion? It is telling you to die. It is a situation where you cannot preach the gospel. If you preach the gospel, you might be captured and executed. You might be crucified and die. How can you accept that you should do the work of an evangelist when you cannot do it? It is telling you to die. Fulfill your ministry. Complete the work that God has entrusted to you. Does that make sense? It is a situation where you should give up your ministry. It is telling you to die. How can you easily accept this as the gospel? How much of the Bible have we read? In such situations, what do we expect? We expect the gospel of prosperity. We should not have to die. So, why not just deny Jesus and then come back? Isn’t that saving my life? What does that faith mean? Do you believe or not? When faced with that issue, do you say, "I believe in the Lord," and get executed? What kind of foolish life is that? We expect comfort and the gospel from Paul, but that is not the case. No matter how you interpret it, 2 Timothy 4:5 simply says to die. It is telling you to die in any situation. How can you easily accept this? Yes. Knowing the historical background and situation, people are dying for their faith, and how can you easily accept that gospel? It is truly strange. Do you know the Kim Sun-il incident? It happened in 2004. Iraq, our country sent troops there. The terrorist group called Yoon Shin and Seongjeon captured Kim Sun-il. They intended to kill him, and the video is still circulating. Although it was a long time ago, at that time, Kim Sun-il was 34 years old. He studied in seminary. He felt called to be a missionary in Iraq and the Middle East, so he worked while studying and went there to preach the gospel. He was captured. In the last video, what does he say? "I want to live. I do not want to die." And then he was killed. When faced with death, we cannot blame Kim Sun-il. He wants to live. Yes. How can I let my life be taken like that? But the Bible says, nevertheless, the line of faith does not change. While I am preaching this sermon, I feel so sorry for you. I want to tell you to avoid suffering, but the Bible says, nevertheless, be sober. What does it mean to be sober? It means to look closely at this era. The word sober means to refrain from alcohol. It means do not speak incoherently like someone drunk, do not stagger, but boldly break through the center of this era. It is not easy. This gospel does not change. Yes. Endure hardship. It tells you to endure hardship while you are already suffering. Read 2 Timothy 4:2-3. What kind of gospel does Paul insist Timothy preach in that era? It is a gospel of rebuke. It is a powerful gospel. It is not a vague gospel. It is a clear and certain gospel. It is a gospel that is hard to hear for those who do not want to hear it. Fulfill your ministry. Complete it. That is what it means. Yes. Through the ministry I have entrusted to you, confirm that the gospel is the truth. That is the line of faith. It does not depend on the time. Therefore, we are reminded again that because of this unchangeable line of faith, God will not abandon the church. Because of this unchangeable line of faith, God will never give up on the church He has established on this earth. This is confirmed. Why? Because the church is called the body of Christ. The head of this church is also Christ. The members of the body of Christ are the saints. If God abandons the church, He is abandoning our redemption. How unfair would that be? Such a thing will not happen. Therefore, if possible, through the church, your ministry should be used by God. If possible, through the church, your line of faith should be confirmed and verified, and you should strive to be used before God on that path. That is our attitude of faith and the reason we walk the line of faith.

It is the 8th anniversary. I shared how much I suffered during middle school last week. One day, I had a dream where this place was packed. When I came to church, there was no room to enter our dining area. A bunch of young friends came and sat down, but they didn’t know Korean. I asked, "Why did you come?" They said they came to listen to the sermon. I thought, "Oh, really? I will assign a bilingual friend to translate for you." I went to the dining area, and it was packed with people there too. You know, it is very difficult for a church to grow numerically. Why is it not growing quickly in numbers? Yes. There is a religious organization called Heartford. They conducted a study on American churches. They checked how often members of American churches attend, and they found that 69% are composed of churches with attendance from 1 to 99 members. The same is likely true for Korea. So, about 30% includes churches with a thousand or ten thousand members. Therefore, the common phenomenon in churches is that they have between one and ninety-nine members. However, in large churches, even if people come and go, it does not show because the numbers are large. But in churches with one to ninety-nine members, if one or two people attend, it creates a noticeable gap. It is very difficult. God is making me worry too much, so He is telling me to achieve it even in a dream. That made me feel so good. But I wish I could have dreamed a little longer and preached in front of all those packed saints; that is what I regret. I remember our Samohaneun Church. I believe that if God established Samohaneun Church, He has a heart that will not abandon it for even a moment. Amen. I believe that. If that collapses, I cannot do ministry. A pastor cannot preach here. That is how much burden there is. Look closely at our Samohaneun Church. Our church has historical significance. Although the numbers are small, there was a missionary named Kim Bok-ne who served in a church that gathered over a thousand people. The pastor's wife, Kim Kyung-ja, who served alongside him, attends our church. That is a remarkable historical significance. Our Samohaneun Church has that historical significance. Is our Juyoung a pianist? You heard the piano performance today, right? I boldly say this: she is a world-class pianist. In this area, if you go to any event or institution, you will find Juyoung there playing the piano. Our church cannot handle that. Yes. A person of that caliber is serving in Samohaneun Church. It is historical. Such things do not happen easily. Our Chunbal, the elder, wrote in English, right? He first came to the prayer meeting on Wednesday at 7 PM. That week, he became a registered member of Samohaneun Church. I am so grateful. It is a wonderful thing that a prayer partner has emerged for the pastor. It is a special thing that a faithful saint is praying for the church. Our Elder Hwang, I have never met him. Our Jinhee, the elder's wife, has been acquainted with him for work, and for two years, we held church in our home. He was a deacon at that time. He attended once, and when we started the church under the name Samohaneun Church, he became the first member. Then he was ordained as an elder. There is a history of personal faith intertwined here. This Samohaneun Church is indeed true. The numbers may not be that many, but just imagine the work being done. Our church's sermons are broadcast on YouTube. There are 765 subscribers. The current cumulative views exceed 900,000. It will soon reach 1 million. That is remarkable. Our Epipho has been involved in arts and literature for 31 years. This year, we have produced 11 artists in visual arts, music, and literature. These artists are spreading the gospel and carrying out ministry in Israel, Korea, New York, Texas, and various places. It is a significant matter. When I think about it, God has led us to move here for almost three months now. We moved in just a week. God's guidance is connected to the mission of Chosarang, and I have to lecture at this senior university. The works of God are so mysterious and wondrous. It seems impossible, but when you see how God works expansively, He does not work through numbers. God raises one person and moves and creates history through that one person, so each individual being raised before God creates such precious history. That is what we are able to handle.

Now, I think about this. Just as Paul mentioned in verse 5, we must confirm that we have reached the final destination of that line of faith. As we follow that path, we need to check what has happened. What happens when we follow the line of faith? Paul says this: The time of my departure is at hand. Look at verse 7. Let’s read it together. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. This is Paul’s final summary of himself. Amen. At funerals, the eulogies are long, right? I have told the members of my church that they should create their lives into one sentence. I hope that sentence is recorded as their eulogy at their funeral. Paul did an incredible amount of work. Yet, he has summarized it so neatly in one sentence. I have fought the good fight. While living on this earth, I did not live frivolously; I lived like a soldier, and I have finished my race. I did not deviate from the line of faith. And finally, I have kept the faith. It is not a service without faith, a ministry without faith, or a service without faith; it is a ministry concluded with faith. This is the truth. Paul emphasizes this. Arriving at the destination of the line of faith means I have kept my faith well. Despite this powerful confession from Paul, look at verse 16. This is the last image of Paul’s life. He has recorded it this way: At my first defense, no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. This is the heart of Paul who has reached the final destination along the line of faith. No one is with Paul. Everyone has left. How lonely it must be! Imagine Paul alone in a prison cell. There is no one. What happens when you are with Paul? You might die with Paul. Because of the historical situation, everyone leaves because they might die with Paul. Looking at this scripture, no matter how well you package it, you cannot accept that Paul has reached the final destination of faith. Paul is not doing ministry, he does not have an apartment, he does not have a car, he has not made money, and he is looking at this phenomenon of being left alone. We do not end here; we say this. Therefore, we can confirm the reasons and causes for walking the line of faith. 2 Timothy 4:8. Let’s read it together. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. Now, human life does not end on this earth. I believe. Amen. After death, I believe that God has prepared the crown of righteousness for me. The crown of righteousness. God considers all of Paul’s ministry as righteous. Because God considers the journey of Paul’s life as righteous, He confirms salvation. Because of this, we reach a conclusion that feels like we are flowing from this earth; as we walk the line of faith, we have hope because of this word. We move because of this word. Our life on this earth does not end here. If this fact does not exist, then we have no reason to walk the line of faith. Look at verse 17. It says this. When everyone left Paul, this is what Paul testifies. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me. Everyone left, but God stood with Paul and strengthened him so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed. In other words, this is grace. Without grace, we cannot walk that path. My daughter is here, and her friend has not even gotten married. She is so bright. I have seen it. This friend quit her job and left for the mission field. This is possible. When this friend left, she wrote down prayer requests and stuck them on the refrigerator. Every time I pass by the refrigerator and open it, I pray briefly for that friend. Among those prayer requests, there is one that says, "for the grace to depend on God in all that I do." What does that mean? Yes. She is asking for prayer for the grace to fully rely on God. I have never seen a friend who has presented prayer requests like this. The word grace breaks me down. When I am in the field of ministry, I ask for prayer to rely on God. I hear many such requests. "Pray that I do not get tired and can handle this work well." I hear many of those requests, but to ask for the grace to rely on God fully, so that grace does not fade, this is grace. Walking the line of faith does not happen by my own will. That is why she left her job and went to the mission field. That is grace. It is through grace that we handle it. In that region, how many things will happen that we cannot handle? How many times will we fall while walking the line of faith? Yet, the strength to rise again is not from my will, thoughts, judgments, or my own strength; it comes from the grace given by God. That is why we can be sober. That is why we walk the line of faith, enduring hardship, because of the grace that the Lord stands by me and strengthens me. There is grace to preach the gospel when I cannot preach the gospel. Amen. There is grace to fulfill my duty when I cannot fulfill my duty, and that is the journey that ultimately reaches the destination of the line of faith. Today, let us once again resolve. May your journey and the ministry and service of Samohaneun Church be filled with the grace of God as we pass through this era of the line of faith. Amen. Amen. Amen.