My Problems Become My Answer and Mission (2 Timothy 4:1-8)
2 Tim. 4 is the last message Paul gave to Timothy, and usually, whenever someone is giving a last message to someone, they leave behind their request. In 2 Tim. 3, Paul says the end times will be full of suffering, and therefore, 2 Tim. 4 are the instructions in light of this. If you don’t know the works that will happen in the future, you cannot receive today’s message as a mission. We need to know what’s going to happen to have a mission; we need to know the field and know what will happen afterwards.
Just like we said in the healing evangelism message, when all the problems and scars of your family become the springboard for blessings, it will become a mission to save other people and the devil will be bound. Until that point, the devil won’t leave you alone. You may seem to have healing but that’s not true; you just liked hearing those words that you wanted to hear.
Only when the scars and many things happen in me turn into a springboard to save many people as my mission, then I will change. There are things that happen in your family, and all the things you’ve experienced in society, the things you see and hear, become reasons to save. It doesn’t matter what people say. There are shootings, but it doesn’t matter. Only when these things are related to my life, they become my mission to save others, and then God will work. Until that takes place, the problems will come into me. Only when my family problems turn into my springboard and a mission to save other people like myself will that mission be a blessing to me.
No matter what you do, the devil already knows and will not leave you alone. It doesn’t matter how much you like these messages, you like what you like. “It comforts my heart”? That doesn’t solve anything. If you want your heart to be comforted, just look for a good man or woman, or watch a really good movie. But things like that cannot solve the problems in your family and society. You may be able to judge or criticize, but what will you do about it?
During the age of Noah, if Noah didn’t see the societal problems as his problem, he wouldn’t have made the Ark. “This is the problem of the age? That’s irrelevant to me,” however, the problem of that age was that people did what they saw fit, and Noah saw that field. Noah saw everyone in his age was choosing what was to their benefit, what they liked, what their ears wanted to hear, and it doesn’t matter how much you know and analyze it—if you don’t do something about it, your kids will be affected.
The problems of society will become your problems and your children’s problems, so we hold onto the covenant and change that. People move according to what they want and like, but God desires the Ark. We can talk about the problems of the age, but it will come to you because you have no strategy. It doesn’t matter how much the kids talk about receiving scars from their family if they’re seized by Satan. The church is a gathering of people so there’s a cluster of problems, usually hidden. People don’t reveal their inner problems because of their outer appearance, but when they face a circumstance that forces them to reveal their problem, what happens?
What are you going to do about it? Are you going to change the problem and save people with it? That must become your mission, otherwise you’ll just judge and criticize legalistically; you judge them internally. I must at least save the church, I must at least pray for this person. That’s what God desires. It doesn’t matter what else you guys say; it is irrelevant to God, that was in the age of Noah, knowing the problem of the age, and completely changing that.
Paul said to Timothy, “In the future, you will have the age of suffering.” So what if we listen so much to God’s Word? That’s irrelevant to me, but what must I do about that? In 2 Tim. 4:1, it says, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in the view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge;” relay this word. It doesn’t matter how much you talk about the problems of society and America, it will be of no use. You can point out the problems, but what are you going to do about it? Preach the Word. When this comes to me as my mission, God will use me.
2 Tim. 4:2, “Be prepared in season and out of season,” whether it is the time to relay this gospel or not, always be prepared to do so, and have great patience in everything because there will be many things that require your patience, there will be all sorts of people who say nonsense. Politicians will say, “Do this or that” about our societal problems. All those words may be correct, but they are wrong, therefore, preach the Word and give the answer. Correct, rebuke, and encourage. In other words, teach God’s Word. They’re not able to understand it well, but wait for them and teach them.
Who is the blessed person in God’s eyes? The one who is blessed know the problems of the future and prepare for it. 2 Tim. 4:3, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine,” they will not receive God’s Word. “Instead, to suit their own desires, they will listen to a great number of teachers to hear what their itching ears want to hear,” so they will meet people for their own greed. For us, the teachers we meet in the world are prepared for the gospel, not for our own greed. They receive a lot of teaching but are unable to hear about the gospel and the problem and the answer of the age.
2 Tim. 4:4, “They will turn their ears away from the Truth.” Why does the gospel not seem charismatic to us? We’re interested in myths and futile things. People say the gospel is boring and we need a lot of other things, those are just the words of people who don’t have the answer. It doesn’t matter how many hundreds of times you read the Bible. It doesn’t matter how young you were when you heard this; without an answer, it’s all myths.
Timothy heard this very young from his grandmother, but only when he met Paul did he receive the correct gospel. Simply put, he wasn’t hearing the Word of God that God desired, he heard the word of God that was not the answer to the problems of his family and the age. So of course he did not have a mission because he did not have the answer, and you have no idea how many church members are like this. Then, these individuals live a religious life thinking they are doing enough, and as evidence that they don’t have the answer, they’re seized by the problems and background of their family. Even as they go to church, they relay their spiritual problems. God allowed these problems for them to change them into a springboard for our answers and blessings, but we don’t have the answers so we can’t do that.
Can kids not hear God’s Word? That’s not true. The answer of God is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. Why would they not be able to hear when this is the answer to their problem? They may hear but are unable to understand it, but one day, when the Holy Spirit of God works upon them, they will understand. This isn’t about studying or levels. Even a grandma who doesn’t know how to read will one day understand the gospel, so you must not limit the work of the Holy Spirit.
You need to pray for them, you need to give them the opportunity to hear God’s Word. God is the One Who works. But the problem is, is this the answer to this child, this person? If it is not that person, it is not necessary because if I don’t have the answer, I cannot give them the answer. That was the Word Timothy listened to when he grew up. This was from Paul and that’s how Timothy received his mission. We can tell you to have a mission but it doesn’t go into you.
The Israelites who had exodused from Egypt had a mission to go back to Egypt and live the life they used to, why? Because instead of the things of Egypt becoming a springboard of blessings, they wanted to go back to their past. However, for the people who held onto the things of Egypt, they went into Canaan. Look at the people, the ones who have the springboard of the past as a mission from God, the way they speak is different because they’ve overcome that. “Nothing is a problem for us, of course we will conquer Canaan,” all the other Israelites heard God’s Word just the same, but their past wasn’t a springboard for them so they just wanted to go back to Egypt and make a living, just the things to eat, and they criticized Moses. That’s all they did.
Only when they were able to go into the land of Canaan as their springboard to save people as they experienced in Egypt was when Moses gave thanks. They were able to be thankful for what they experienced in Egypt because otherwise, they wouldn’t know about what to expect in Canaan. Those are people who live a joyous life, conquering Canaan. It would be great if there are many people like this, but there are very few. Then those many other people have no mission so they are bound to say many other words, “This is a problem, that is a problem,” if it’s an answer to me, then it can be an answer to anybody, but if it’s not an answer to me, then I feel it is not an answer to others, either, then it doesn’t matter what I do; it is futile. This is how important it is.
2 Tim. 4:5, “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship,” when you take on the mission to proclaim only the gospel, then hardships follow. This is a hardship you receive for the gospel, if you relay the gospel, you don’t receive things that make you say, “This is great,” the gospel is great to you, but when you dedicate to relaying this gospel, hardships follow. It’s rightful, even Jesus Christ suffered, but it is a suffering of blessing and glory. Don’t avoid it but think with thanksgiving, isn’t that right? Even the world believes that. Even the people in the world, the ones who raise up companies say, “This is hardship and we will raise a company to do this,” they do work in the world like this, so of course, it’s like the work of God. People may criticize you or treat you unfairly but get over that. People cannot be perfect. If it is by our mistake, we should change that, we need to fix and change ourselves, that’s a person’s life. However, if you receive irrelevant hardships, be thankful as you are doing God’s work well.
“Do the work of an evangelist, discharge the duties of your ministry.” When you look at our church, if parts are not set right, there’s always three types of people. For example, when I look at the choir, one church officer holds to the covenant. I thought it would be great to teach the kids but they held onto this choir, so it seems like the church officer is nothing, right? If it was just the conductor, it would be difficult for them, but because there is the conductor, church officer, and remnants, it is now settled.
Look at the new believers class, there is a messenger, and there’s Assistant Pastor Kim who plays the role of a pastor in her 70s, and the remnant is translating. The system is set. For example, if there was only the messenger and church officer rule, and Assistant Pastor Kim wasn’t there, the messenger would struggle. The role of the church officer is to pray for them and do everything else, and the messenger just gives the message. Because the remnant is doing the translation and other things, it’s set.
Senior deaconess Jo has a message and the remnants are there, so the three roles are set, it becomes settled. Same for elementary, when the system is like that, it’s settled, but one place this is not taking place. Youth ministry, then it is going to be hard. That is where the church officer must step in so the young adult ministers will have an easier time. In other words, the young adults are just lay people, they are not evangelists, they are working diligently Monday through Friday and also run their ministries, so they may not say anything, but inside, there is a lot of conflict. But if there was a church officer attached to them, it would be easier.
I told Senior Deaconess Choi to go in as the church officer as the youth evangelism school because no one else is aligned with youth and the English ministry like that. It’s time for Esther to have a baby, there’s not much she can do, but if the church officer had been attached to them sooner, it would have been easier, and it was so hard for them to do it by themselves, so I asked Senior Deaconess Choi to join them. Church officers, hear this and look for things to do in the church then the children will be settled.
Young adult evangelism school doesn’t have a church officer either. But at least it’s better because the young adults play the role of the church officer, but it’s better if they have a church officer there. It must be a setting of the minister, church officer, and remnant. The church officer must go into a certain department or area with the remnants in other aspects of the church. This team has a role to play together, and that’s what it means to do the work of the evangelist.
We don’t do the work alone, the pastor doesn’t do the work alone. In the beginning, I would do things like move the chalkboard myself, and nobody learned it, but the young adults learned and came and started moving it. Before that point, Senior Deaconess Jo was used to serving the church but nobody else knew what to do. It’s hard to do things by yourself.
The messenger must give the message, and the church officer and the remnants must be attached for the blessings to be set. When that isn’t taking place, it’s a one-man show. So, right now is not the time for church officers to be sitting, blank-minded. Receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and that’s how we save the remnants. It seems like it’s not much but saving the kids is saving the remnants, so pray for church officers like that.
When she has a baby, she can’t give a message, so that’s the time schedule of the church, and we must be guided properly. None of you can give the message as you don’t speak English, and we could raise a translator but I don’t think anyone can. So in reality, they lead their time schedule and receive their answers. The way people see things is different, they say this or that is a problem, but do you have the answer to change that into blessings? Change it for it to be a blessing and an answer.
I realized, “We need to include a church officer in the youth evangelism school,” and the church officer can do so much starting from rides to setting the environment for the kids. I realized that’s the time schedule we’ve come to. Outside the church in your field, do your ministry, but most of the time, you’re going to take the answers you receive in the church and stand as a witness, then evangelism becomes very easy. If I don’t have this, I have nothing to give, then God will not attach anyone to me.
There’s nothing more scientific than evangelism. Without an answer, I would just talk about other things. So, all of these problems, as we hold onto them as a springboard for answers, it’s all a blessing. Look at the successful people in the world, do they fail or not have an opportunity to fail? Look at all the senior deaconesses. Have they never been discouraged or had times they wanted to die? They’ve all gone through that. That’s our lives in the world. All of the things in our life are like that, and if we change them into an opportunity to receive the gospel, what a great blessing? We must change this well, we must have renewal. If we aren’t able to do that, we will die in our problems.
Problems keep coming, irrelevant problems come into my life. I heard a fascinating situation, there was a couple who got married and the husband collapsed. We don’t know when that would happen, then what about the wife and kids? What are they supposed to do now? We don’t know what’s going to happen, so what are you going to do? It doesn’t matter what answers you received in the past; what will you do in this situation? Such problems will continue happening in our lives. But if we’re not able to change these problems into a springboard for blessings and answers, we will fall into despair. It’s something we could never predict, but we must change that into a blessing.
If anything, that turned into a good situation to change the kids with the gospel. Then everybody around her also acknowledged, ‘This is better for the gospel,” move on from the husband and it was difficult but it turned into a platform for blessings. If you’re not receiving God’s help and guidance, you cannot handle your own life. What would you do if someone in your family collapsed one day? You can’t predict that. If you give birth to an autistic child, we experienced that as well, the doctor said our child would be born handicapped, so is there law that says this won’t happen to my family? Are pastors able to discover this? You must receive an answer from God.
It’s okay. This is God’s will for us to do the disabled ministry so we even gave her the name of a disabled person, Fanny Crosby. We didn’t have any prenatal surgery because this was God’s will and plan. You won’t be able to handle it without God. You are bound to think humanistic thoughts, “What would happen to my life if my kid is like that?” it’s not something that happens as we do something bad, but these things continuously happen in life.
But if you don’t have faith to change this into a springboard for blessings and answers in the gospel, you’re bound to collapse, and you have so much life to live in society, and you’re bound to face so much suffering and hardship. But do not be shaken, take on the role as an evangelist, or what I talked about for church officers.
In 2 Tim. 4:6, Paul approaches his time of death. Just like Moses, he could tell he was nearing the end of his ministry. Because God was no longer giving him a mission, then it was time for him to leave this earth. If God gives you a mission and you reject it, your life will be miserable. God will shake you until you realize this.
2 Tim. 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith,” not the fight for one’s own benefit, but for the gospel. “I have finished the race and kept the faith,” the faith in the gospel and the God-given mission.
2 Tim. 4:8, “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness,” which the Lord, the righteous Judge will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also all those who have longed for his appearing,” so Paul ran this race and Timothy receives the relay. But if you plant useless things instead like, “You have to succeed,” then you cannot survive the disasters of America. America is already the land of success, but it’s not able to block the disasters. You’ve seen that, that’s enough, then you need to receive that answer to change it into a blessing, and honestly, this is for you and your family; otherwise, you’ll be taken in by it.
I gave you two examples in Sedona and El Salvador; one was suicide, the other, murder by a 16-year-old boy. The El Salvador suicidal man was married to a pastor who did everything for her church. The 16-year-old boy’s father was a street evangelist, meaning they were a good family, then why did he shoot a man to death? Is this a fairy tale? You think your kids are okay? You don’t know the devil. What about those families? What about the husband of the pastor in El Salvador, why would he commit suicide? Are these stories of other people? This is your story.
They weren’t able to overcome the spiritual background of their family. It doesn’t matter if you go to church for a long time or if you’re a pastor; it doesn’t matter how great your father was. Satan takes spiritual problems and pushes you into disasters. That’s why only when you take on the mission of seeing the problems of America and this age as your family problems then you will receive the CVDIP naturally, and this person can testify of themselves no matter whom they meet.
Someone who doesn’t have this will only keep talking about the theory, but the devil knows the theory—you can’t escape from your own problems, then the person before you cannot escape from their problems as you are not a witness. That’s what it means for you to overcome the problems as springboards for your mission; otherwise, the devil will not flee. It doesn’t matter how much you think you’ve received healing; you can only receive true healing in heaven.
Know that God has allowed this and find His plan, then it becomes your mission to
Let us hold onto the word today and ask God what is my mission…. I talked earlier about the 3-part team. That is one. In the field. The problems of the family, may God raise up to be your springboard for problems and answers as the mission to save. That’s what God desires.
Let us sing Hymn 360
When I hear this hymn I think about Assistant Pastor Kim’s mother who sung this a lot before she passed away. Looking towards the end she was looking toward the hope of Kingdom of Heaven. IN the past I used to just sing this hymn but as I experienced this church, this one incident was imprinted in me. Today, just like Paul let us run the race for the crown of Christ’s righteousness. There’s no need for us to…for the people who will go to Egypt, tell them to go. I will go to Canaan. There’s no need for you to go to Egypt with them. Whether they go or not, you must go to Canaan. Only Noah and his family had victory. If the path I’m going on is correct, then God will work. Entrust that to God. Shall we pray for our families?
It doesn’t matter how much you pray for your future generations, it will never be too much. It doesn’t matter how much we teach them, they cannot survive without the power and grace of God. It’s the same as today’s message, the messenger, church officer and remnant, we pray for them together. Let’s pray for the remnants who are in the church and out of state.