The Passion of the Gospel for a Multicultural World

at 2024-07-19 11:23:34.0 / 435 Hits

  My wife and I attended a pastors' conference in Melbourne from July 9th to 11th. 
It was our first visit to Melborne City, so we were excited and looking forward to it. I don't think I need to say much more, especially since it's where we live with our first son.

  There were many stories and testimonies from the conference, but I will try to capture in a short post one that was particularly memorable and impactful. This is the evangelism story of Hosanna Church in Melbourne, where the gospel's passion for multiethnicity has borne precious fruit.

  The case presentation (Symposium) on the evening of the second day stimulated my wife and I's passion for evangelism. Pastor Kim Jong-wook, the pastor of the conference host church, sparked the flame of evangelism.

  We continue to pray for spiritual proclamation through street singing every Thursday. He has a holy burden not only to sing but also to evangelize. Pastor Kim pastored in New Zealand until 2000. He moved to Sydney after realizing his pastoral limitations. After a year's halftime in Sydney, he resumed pastoring in Malvern, and through evangelism, the fire of the gospel blossomed in his current church.

  He showed the fruits in his testimony. The church is a beautiful blend of 20 different ethnicities (50% Korean). The special differences were evident at every meal when people of different heights, shapes, and skin colors were served with smiles on their faces. It was truly impressive and we prayed that we would be like that in our future ministry.

  When he spoke of the urgency and persistence of the gospel, there was a piercing of the soul and a sparking of the will. There is a message that goes especially through the ears and imprints itself on the heart. Growth and revival through evangelism is a focus on spreading the gospel of the kingdom of God. An important spirit and spirituality for this is to “do” whatever the task, circumstance, or condition.

  If you know you must evangelize, you cannot make excuses. You have to do it no matter how and when. I decided in my heart that I would not allow circumstances, conditions, or circumstances to be an excuse. I believe that because the Lord has done it and commanded us to do it, we should and can do it.