And behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, and all tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb. And they cry out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. And they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, Amen. Blessings and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Hallelujah. Wow, momentarily I felt like I was in heaven. Goodness, wow. Especially those of us who speak English as a second language. Man, when we go to heaven, we don't have to worry about language problems, especially trying to speak in English, because everybody was speaking Korean there, right? Now, we've been celebrating our missions weekend, Friday night, Saturday, and this is the final celebration of our missions weekend. Yay! Our church has been supporting 37 missionaries serving all over the world, including our own nation. Out of those 37 missionaries, 21 came to celebrate our missions conference, missions weekend together. Our international partners, where are you? Would you all stand? We wanna give it up for you. Thank you. Thank you for your ministry. Thank you. Thank you. Recently, I read an online article entitled, Five Facts About the Logistics of War. And it goes, Russia's reported inability to refuel its vehicles while attempting to take over key Ukrainian cities highlights the crucial role that logistics plays in wartime. In fact, logistics often determines the course of a war. Experts say fuel, ammunition, food, and water, and medical supplies are all crucial needs on the front lines. Apart from God's grace, the reason why these international partners, our missionaries, can serve overseas is because somebody else is taking care of the logistics. who are doing that at our church, our international partners ministry team. Where are you? Would you all stand? We want to recognize you. Thank you so much. Thank you. The scripture passage for my message this morning comes from Matthew 28. 16 through 20. Do we have the word on the Bible? I mean, on the screen now. You don't have to take out your cell phone because we have the word right there. Well, I plead with you, would you leave your cell phone in your pocket, untouched, and just give me a very undivided attention for 35 minutes? So, we have the word. Shall we read it together all out loud? Ready? Go. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Now, we Christians often talk about this. What is the ultimate call or ultimate purpose of the church? Is it worship or is it mission? Is it worship or is it mission? Probably some of the politicians that are sitting here would say both. But you know, apart from politics, let me tell you straightforward the answer. It is worship. Why do I say that? Look at it from eternal perspective. When we go to heaven, we will worship God into eternity, right? If somehow you are bored of worshiping, God loves you so much, He may not take you up there so that you will be bored into eternity. In hell, there is no boredom, I think. But can you imagine in heaven there are missionaries and evangelists trying to win souls for Christ? It's only Christians that makes it up there. So in heaven, we will forever worship God. So the ultimate mission, the purpose of the church is worship. Then why do we evangelize? Why do we send missionaries? We evangelize where there is no worship. We send missionaries to the place where there is no worship. Look at the text, on the last day of Jesus on this earth. Now, after this meeting with his disciples, Jesus is going to ascend into heaven. The last encounter of his disciples with Christ, they are worshiping Jesus. To this worshiping community, Jesus clearly lays out his purpose for church. He says, there is a mission that all worshiping community must fulfill. It is not about teaching. It is not even about preaching. As important as worshiping God is, it is not even about worshiping. What is that amazing great mission? Today, in line with our Missions Weekend theme, I'm going to speak to you with the title, Enlight Grace Community Church to Fulfill the Great Commission. Number one, the command. 39 years ago, I left Korea to come to America to go to seminary. Man, it feels like only like three, four years ago. But 39 years have gone by. Before I left the church, I was serving in that church as a youth pastor, and my pastor gave me the privilege of preaching to the whole congregation on my last Sunday in Korea, and I picked the same passage that I'm preaching from, and I gave it a title, The Great Imperative Goal. And then I came to America, went to seminary, learned Greek, and to my embarrassment, I learned that in the original Greek text, go is not imperative. Whoa. You know, if you are ignorant, you are bold. So somehow I was embarrassed and I'm going, what in the world is imperative here? There is only one imperative here. Go in Greek grammar is not imperative. It is participle. It's a participle that carries the connotation of method, means, or timing. Therefore, the right, the proper translation of go should be as you go, in use of the method of going, or when you go. And there is only one imperative. That imperative is make disciples. Only one command, make disciples. I am an evangelist. My mission as an evangelist is not winning souls for Christ. That's not my mission. My mission as an evangelist is make disciples. I do not preach for converts. I preach for disciples. Our church has various functions and various ministries, but our call is only one. It is to make disciples. I do not care if you are involved in a medical mission or a humanitarian relief mission or a gospel preaching mission. It doesn't matter. Your primary goal is to make disciples of all nations. The command. Number two, strategy. Then does the Bible give us the strategy? Should we give up on everything that we do and become missionaries and go overseas? No, we don't have to do that. Then what is the strategy? Number one, as you go, Where do we go every day? If you're working at a factory, you're going to your work every day. So as you are working in your factory, if you're working at an office, as you are working in your office, if you are a student, then as you are studying at your school, homemakers, if you are working at your home, you are making disciples. Now, in other words, God has called every one of us as missionaries at the center of our life and work. I heard about a Korean couple that moved to America at age 59. You know what, anybody can come to America at any age, but if you come to America at age 59, it's not gonna be easy to learn English. So now this couple came because they all went to college. They can carry out pretty short conversation in English, but listening comprehension was so hard. I mean, it's just so hard to understand what American people were saying. And they were hired as custodians. And so they're working. There was job training and working there. And the supervisor says, well, come to work, quarter till 5 p.m. About 5, everybody is gone from their office. So you come to work and you change your clothes and put on your custodial uniform. uniform and while your husband is getting out all the cleaning equipments, the wife goes to the office and you empty the trash cans and if there are some people still working, you just gently touch them on their shoulders and they will look at you and you have a big smile and tell them, excuse me and they will know what you are wanting to do so they will let you pick up the trash can and you will just empty it So the woman is doing whatever she was told. Man, these office workers are just screaming and freaking out, and they're calling the custodial department and complaining. So the supervisor didn't know what to do. Supervisor came upstairs and saw the lady and, hey, what are you doing? What are you doing? I'm getting all kinds of complaints. What are you doing? And this lady says, I'm just doing what I was told. So the man says, would you come follow me? You see that man, go there, do what you did. So she goes there, she taps him on the shoulder. He looks at her and she's putting on a big smile and she leans over and she says, kiss me, kiss me. The supervisor said, you gotta say excuse me, not kiss me. Whether you say kiss me or excuse me, you are called to be missionaries at your work and your mission is to make disciples of your co-workers. Second strategy, make disciples by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. What does the Bible mean by that? Lexham Survey of Theology published in 2018 defines discipleship in this fashion. The task of training believers to become mature followers of Christ. The task of training believers to become mature followers of Christ. When I read that definition of discipleship, I honestly began to wonder if that theologian who wrote that definition article for that dictionary of theology has ever made disciples. Who do we baptize, believers or unbelievers? Believers, we believe baby Christians who confessed Christ. Who do we get believers? By winning souls to Christ. What do I mean? Discipleship without evangelism is like raising children without giving birth to them. How do you raise kids who are not born yet? The first step of discipleship is evangelism. If you always provide care for somebody else's children, you are called nannies, not parents. Discipleship means you are becoming spiritual parents. Have you ever been pregnant with unbelieving people in the womb of your heart? and you nourish, you provide nourishment into that womb to that children on your knees by prayer. Do you know how to approach people and make a meaningful relationship with that people with an intention to share the gospel in the most meaningful way? Do you even know the contents of the gospel that saved you? Do you know how to share the gospel with other people? If not, you need to come to our discipleship class and learn how to share the gospel with other people. The first step to discipleship is evangelism. When I was going to seminary, I traveled Europe, I backpacked Europe like any other young man for three weeks. A friend of mine who was going to college in Germany heard that I was coming. He sent me a letter. Make a long story short, he said, David, I heard you're coming to Europe for three weeks. When you come to Europe, don't go anywhere. Stay with us for three weeks. Otherwise, I'm gonna kill you. I mean, this guy is that kind of a guy I became friends with him when he was fresh released from his military service. He served in the Special Forces of Korea for four years. Should a war break out, his unit was going to be parachuted down In Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, his mission was to hide somewhere, survive somehow, while he is assassinating North Korean political leaders and military commanders. He had a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo. He had a fourth-degree black belt in Korean special forces martial arts. He had a second-degree black belt in judo, so on and so forth. This man was a professional killing machine with a foul mouth, while I was a youth pastor with a tamed tongue. Worse yet, three or four days before I was gonna arrive in Europe, he's gonna get married. Both of them students, they didn't have a whole lot of money, so they rented a very tiny studio apartment, and he's telling me, come to my place, stay with us for three weeks, otherwise I'm going to kill you. I wanted to say, no, thank you very much. Man, man, man. So when I flew to Europe, I spent the first night with them, and then I left my luggage there, my big suitcase, and I only got my backpack out with some necessary stuff, and I began to travel Europe. Throughout my three weeks of travel, my prayer was God help me to lead one person into the kingdom of God, just one soul. And I met so many young people in the streets and I shared the gospel with them. Boy, Europeans didn't care about the gospel. Here and there, I had some meaningful conversations with people. I felt like, oh, these guys are ready, but when it came to the commitment part, they said, I don't care. don't give me that stuff one day I met a woman on the train in Rome in that small room on that train in Rome it was only she and I who sat in that small room and then the train departed so the two of us had a very lighthearted conversation, and I said, what brought you here? She said, well, I had a week of vacation in London, had a great time, and I flew here to spend three days of time with my boyfriend, and then I'm going home in Milan. And I said, do you love him? Her face was elated, and she said, I dearly love him. So I said, I want to marry him. Her facial expression changed. And she said, I can't. I'm married. I have a daughter. What in the world is that? That was years ago in Europe. That is where the United States of America is now. People without Jesus Christ, even if they are married, their hearts are empty and void. Exactly 10 days ago, I met an Indian church planter. Our new adult pastor, Paul, called me and invited me to that meeting, and we had a nice meal with this man. Indian church planter, he said, I have planted 76 churches so far and he's been traveling in North America to train church planters. And I said, how long have you been traveling away from home? He said, four months. And I said, wow, is it okay with your family? Is it okay with your wife? And this is what he said, well David, our marriage was arranged So up until the first time I met her and dated, I didn't even know that that woman existed. Five minutes after I dated her, I asked her, would you marry me? I guarantee you if you marry me, you will have starvation, suffering, and persecution. Would you marry me? And he said, my wife paused for two seconds, and she said, yes, I marry you, and I will starve with you, I'll be persecuted with you, and I will suffer with you for the cause of the gospel. And he said, The reason why we have such a successful marriage is because we have no rights whatsoever. We laid all of our rights on the altar of God. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Commander. We just commit ourselves and submit ourselves to the call of God. So, I continued to dialoguing with this lady in the train. But her English was not good enough that she didn't quite understand what I was saying, so I was frustrated. I couldn't really win that soul to Christ. On the last day of my travel, I came back to my friend's home. His wife told me about one episode when she was dating this boy or this man. They were dating in the streets of München, Germany. Two thugs, two German bandits came behind them and marked him on the back with a dagger. And he said, give me your wallet. The moment he heard that sound, without thinking, he jumped up, he spin kicked around, both of them right on the jaw, and they're all just knocked out. And he picked up that knife, and he's threatening them, and he says, at count three, you get out of here, otherwise I'm going to kill you. So this man's favorite expression is this, I am going to kill you. Man of anger, man of foul mouth, I am going to kill you. I went to his home to spend the last night. His wife fixed a nice meal for me. We had a great conversation, great visit. We went to the park, walked there for a couple of hours. We came home, we talked again. Then it was about 11, 11.30 p.m. We kept talking. Something inside me says, why don't you share the gospel with this guy? But then something else says, oh, this guy has a rock-like heart. He's a hardship guy. He doesn't care about the gospel. Don't do that. But then another voice is rising up and says, well, you know he's not going to accept Christ, so what do you lose even if you try it? That makes sense. So I'm going, okay, yeah. So I said, hey Lee, you know what I'm doing. I'm a youth pastor and would you like to listen to what I'm doing? And he said, yeah. I've been always curious, you know, what do you do? Well, I preach the gospel to young people and you wanna listen to the story of the gospel? He said, yes. I said, God's plan, God created you, God infused in you dignity, creativity, purpose. All the beautiful things of God and God wants to bless you and use you to fulfill His plans. God's plan, but man's problem. But because of sin, you cannot fulfill the plan of God. You are separated from God. The Bible says we are sinners and we all died because of our sin and we are separated from God. God's plan, man's problem, but God's remedy. Probably you heard this Bible passage, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. God loves you so much that he sent Jesus to die on the cross in your place of sin so that you will come alive to God be reconciled with God and be a child of God and live a life that will fulfill God's plans for your life and my friend says What should I do then, David? What should I do? And I said, repent from your sin and accept Jesus into your heart as your Savior and Lord. And my friend says, how do I do that? And I said, well, pray with me. I'm going to lead you in prayer. You just repeat after me. We sat together. I held his hand. We closed our eyes. We bowed our heads. And I said, repeat after me. Dear Lord, I am a sinner. There is silence. And I said it one more time, dear Lord Jesus, I'm a sinner. There is odd silence. My heart is pounding knowing this guy's anger issue. How dare you? I had to open one of my eyes. to see his facial expression, but he had his head bowed. I couldn't see his face, but I knew his heart was boiling with anger. I mustered up all the courage, and I said it one more time, dear Jesus, I'm a sinner. And I hear him pray. Dear Jesus, I'm a sinner. I met a hard life. I need you. Come into my heart. That night, this young man gloriously accepted Jesus Christ into his heart. How do we make disciples? Number one, by engaging people at the center of our lives. How do we make disciples? Number two, by sharing the gospel, by winning them into the kingdom of God and by baptizing them. Number three, how do we make disciples? By teaching them to obey all that Christ has taught us to obey. The goal of Bible study is not to teach them about just a simple knowledge of the Bible. The goal of our Bible study or discipleship is not to give people theological insights or let alone teach the rules of Christian life or church life. The goal of our Bible study and discipleship study is to help people submit their lives to the Lordship of Christ so that they will live an obedient Christian life. How do we do that? How do we do that best? We cannot give what we do not have. If you want to make disciples, then you have to become a disciple first. So that new believers will model Christian life after your personality, your character, and your lifestyle. Leadership is highly visual. People do not say what you say. People do not do what you say. They do what they see. The Apostle Paul said to the Christians of Corinthian Church, he said, I urge you, brothers and sisters, be imitators of me, just as I am of Christ. Gypsy Smith, well-known British evangelist said, there are five gospels in this world, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the life of a Christian. The unbelieving people of the world are not interested in the first four gospels until they see the fifth gospel. The promise, the promise. Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. In his book, Life Verses, The Bible's Impact on Famous Lives, Frank Borum, very well-known Christian writer, wrote a story of David Livingstone in the context of this promise, Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. David Livingstone was born on March 19th, 1813 in Blantyre, Scotland. His parents were poor, but his parents were godly. David Livingstone grew up praying this prayer, even as a child. He always prayed, leave me not, forsake me not, for you promised in the Bible, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. when he became a young man he went to college he studied medicine and theology and now he became a doctor and he became a missionary he joined London Missionary Society and the Missionary Society sent him to Africa even as he was going to Africa with his family he prayed this prayer leave me not forsake me not for you promised in the Bible I am with you always, even to the end of the age. He faithfully served God in Africa and he loved African people, but alas, while they were serving in Africa, his little girl got contracted with a dreadful African disease. She suffered and she died. Livingstone and his wife, Mary, had to bury their loved one in Africa. Livingston had to send his family back to Scotland because his wife Mary was also sick and his kids had to receive formal education. Livingstone was left to Africa all by himself, fighting loneliness. He faithfully carried on the gospel as an evangelist, as a missionary, as a doctor, and as a trailblazer for the missionaries and all the traitors coming after him. On his first furlough, years later, he came back to his home in Scotland. His heart was broken again because three days before his arrival, his dad died. He cried, he cried like a baby at his dad's graveside. in recognition of his achievements in Africa. His alma mater, the University of Glasgow, invited him to their chapel service and conferred on him honorary Doctor of Law degree. But there are some rebellious students who did not agree with that. They were booing and they were bantering at him. But when Livingston arose to receive the award, all the students had to keep their mouth shut. They saw the marks of suffering that Livingston's body was carrying. This white man, having lived and exposed to the tropical sun of Africa for so long, his skin was almost scorched. He fell sick more than 30 times, serious sickness, so his body was carrying the mark of suffering. His left arm was barely dangling to his shoulder that was crushed by a lion. One of his eyes became blind because it was poked by a tree branch as he walked in a jungle to go share the gospel to the tribe living in the jungle. But when this man began to speak, all the students and faculty stopped talking and they closely listened to what he was saying. When he finished his speech, everybody rose up and gave him a thunderous ovation. He concluded his message with this remark, I will return to Africa without misgiving and with great gladness. Would you like me to tell you what supported me through all the years of exile among the people whose language I could not understand? whose attitude towards me was always uncertain and often hostile. It was this, no, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. On those words, I staked everything and they never failed. He went back to Africa. He's an old man now. He's fighting loneliness and faithfully serving God, but he needed a companion. So he wrote a letter to his wife, Mary. Honey, our kids are all grown up now. Could you come join me in Africa and serve God with me? His wife, Mary, was so glad to go back and they joined up once again to serve God together for life and for family, but alas, When Mary came back to Africa and began to live there, she also fell sick with malaria. Her condition worsened despite her husband's medical attention. Mary also died. Livingston had to bury his wife in Africa. He cried, he cried his heart out. as he was wiping the tears. An eyewitness overheard Livingston's prayer. He prayed, my Jesus, my King, my life, my all, I again consecrate my life to Thee. I shall place no value on anything I possess or in anything I may do except in relation to Thy kingdom and to Thy service. Through it all comes the word of God to my heart. Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Livingstone went to his own village. To his shock, he found out that all of his medication was stolen by somebody. He's an old man now. He fell himself with malaria. When his frail old body was wracked with pain, he screamed and he cried out, God, did you not promise to me when I was a young man, Lord, I am with you always, even to the end of the age? Where are you now? When he was crying out to God, he heard footsteps right at the door of his hut. Somebody opened the door. It was a white man. He knew that white man didn't belong here. He says, Dr. Livingstone, I presume. Livingstone says, yes, that's me. He says, my name is Henry Stanley. I'm a news reporter for New York Herald. My company sent me to Africa to write a feature story of your life and ministry. Before I left home, somebody sent me a suitcase full of medication and there was a letter, would you take this to Dr. Livingston in Africa? Before I hand it to you, would you promise me I am The staunchest atheist in the world at this time, don't you ever try to convert me. Livingston nodded his head and promised he would not do that. He took the medication case and he put penicillin injection into his own body, and he took some medications. A few days later, he was cured again, he became normal, and this man began to live with a living son, write stories about him. Four months later, Henley Stanley threw away his atheism and he knelt on the ground of Africa and accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and Lord. In his book about Livingston's life, he writes about his own conversion. He wrote, the power of that Christ life was so awesome, and I had to buckle in, and I could not hold out any longer. Henry Stanley became Livingston's successor as a missionary in Africa. Now, these old missionaries, Last chapter of life is being unfolded. Now he's an old man. He's a sick man. He could not even walk on his two feet anymore. So wherever he went to ministry, different ministry sites, his assistants carried him on a stretcher. One day as he was preaching somewhere, he was exhausted. He's asking his assistants, I'm so exhausted and sick. I cannot go on anymore. Would you take me back to my hut? They took him, they put him on the carriage, on the stretcher, took him back to his own hut, carefully laid him on bed. And they went outside, left Livingstone alone so that this man will rest. They were watching over Livingston outside, but they were also exhausted late at night. They went to bed, they went to their own huts to go to sleep, but they asked another person to pay attention to David Livingston. But alas, that man was also tired, he fell asleep. When he woke up early in the morning and looked at Livingston's bed, there was no man. He was shocked. He ran to the other two friends, brought them back to Livingston's bed, and they found Livingston kneeling right next to his bed on his knees, praying to God. They approached him. They touched him on the shoulder. Mr. Livingston, Mr. Livingston, Livingston's body was cold and stiff. He died exactly as he lived his life. in the presence of His mighty God while praying. I do not know how a person can live such a consistent life with integrity, but I know the Bible promised, Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Let me summarize my message The command, there's only one command, make disciples of all nations. The strategy, how do we do that? Number one, engage people at the center of your life and work. Number two, share the gospel with them, win them to Christ and baptize them. Number three, Teach them to observe everything that the Bible says. They will have to know that God is the sovereign God and they will have to submit their lives to God. What is the best way to teach them? You become the disciple first from whom they will learn discipleship. Promise of God, I will be with you always to the end of the Pray with me. Close your eyes. Nobody moves. This is the most important moment of these last three days of our missions weekend. God wants to redeem you. God wants to use you for his purpose. If you have ever heard about Christianity being believe in Jesus, be saved, and go to heaven, forget about that. That's not correct biblical analogy of what Christian life is all about. Let me give you the correct biblical analogy. Believe in Jesus, be saved, and live a life of fulfilling his mission. It is time for us to become serious about being Christ's servants. Grace Community Church, if we are a worshiping community, there is a mission that we must fulfill. Are you willing to commit your life to fulfilling that mission? I'm not asking you that you will have to volunteer to become a missionary. I don't know where you are spiritually, but would you be willing to go one step further and one inch deeper from where you are in terms of commitment? I'm going to ask our elders to come forward. and pray with these brothers who will make up their minds to commit themselves to grow one step farther and go one inch deeper in their commitments. I'm going to pray with you. After that prayer, we'll all stand and sing the last song. As we are singing that last song, those of you who feel like I should give my life to Christ one more time. Whatever your commitment is, God, I do not want to let it just pass. I want to wake up. I want to become serious about God's call. I need prayers from my elders. I need prayers from my prayer team people. All the prayer team people, would you go to that prayer site? Do not leave this place until you settle your commitment with God by coming forward and receiving prayer from our elders. Let me pray. Father God, we thank you for speaking to our hearts. Lord, here we are. We repent from the sin of neglecting your call. We repent from the sin of being casual Christians. We do not want to stay as status quo Christians anymore, Lord. We want to take the Great Commission seriously. Would you help us? Would you help us to become serious Christians? Wherever each person is, I pray, Lord, that would you help each and every one of us to commit his or her life to a life of deeper commitment, to a life of bigger surrender. Would you help us to give our lives to Christ today? In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.