My dear beloved family of God at Willowdale Seventh-day Adventist Church,
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:2, NIV).
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:3–6).
During these past two years of serving among you, I have come to know the heart of a congregation that is truly like family. You have welcomed me and my family with kindness, encouraged me with your faith, and stood with me in ministry. Like Paul with the Philippians, I can say that I hold you in my heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me. I knew that someday I would have to say farewell to you, but I hoped that time would come as late as possible. Yet since God has His own plans for me and for the church, and as I obey His call to another ministry, I now share these parting sentiments with you in my final Pastor’s Corner as associate pastor.
As I close this chapter of ministry with you, I want to remind you of the heart of discipleship. The title for the believers or followers of Jesus in the New Testament is “disciples” (see Acts 6:1). Biblically, we are disciples of Jesus, and disciples are those who learn from and follow Him in a living relationship. Jesus mentioned two conditions for being His disciple. In this final message, I want to emphasize once again these two conditions of discipleship that I have shared with you before.
The first condition of discipleship is found in Jesus’ questions to Peter in John 21. The resurrected Jesus appeared to Peter, who had gone back to fishing, and asked him one question three times. The heart of His question was simple: “Do you love Me?” (John 21:15–17). “The question that Christ had put to Peter was significant. He mentioned only one condition of discipleship and service. ‘Lovest thou Me?’ He said. This is the essential qualification” (The Desire of Ages, 815.2). Peter’s answer to the question was simple yet sincere: “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.” I believe Peter’s love for Jesus was not yet perfect, but his focus was not on himself. His focus was on Jesus and his conviction of Jesus’ love for him. Even though Peter’s love was imperfect, he trusted that Jesus knew and accepted it.
Jesus still asks us the same question today: “Do you love Me?” Our focus should not be on ourselves but on Christ and His love for us. And like Peter, we are to answer, “Lord, You know that I love You.” I had the privilege of studying the Bible with young people and helping them decide to give their lives to Jesus through baptism. I noticed that while they readily believed in and accepted Jesus’ love for them, they often struggled to be confident in their own love for Him, and so hesitated to make a decision. I think this is not only their struggle—it is ours as well. To them and to you, I want to say: Do not focus on yourself. Look to Jesus. Think of His love for you. And confess your love for Him, just as Peter did. Jesus knows your heart. He knows your love for Him, even if it is not perfect. He will accept your heart, pour out His love upon you, and help you love Him more. Confess your love for Jesus now!
The second condition of discipleship is found in Jesus’ new commandment: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34–35). “To the disciples this commandment was new; for they had not loved one another as Christ had loved them.” Ellen G. White continues:
“The command to love one another had a new meaning in the light of His self-sacrifice. The whole work of grace is one continual service of love, of self-denying, self-sacrificing effort. During every hour of Christ’s sojourn upon the earth, the love of God was flowing from Him in irrepressible streams. All who are imbued with His Spirit will love as He loved. The very principle that actuated Christ will actuate them in all their dealing one with another” (The Desire of Ages, 677.2).
“This love is the evidence of their discipleship” (The Desire of Ages, 677.3).
In summary, the two conditions of discipleship are loving Jesus and loving one another with Christ’s love. We see His love most fully manifested on the cross. These are not different from the two greatest commandments: to love God and to love our neighbors. I can boldly say that I have witnessed both of these loves among the congregation of Willowdale. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, continue to love Jesus above all else, and continue to love one another with the unselfish love that only He can give. Let your love increase and overflow to those around you. Then everyone will know that you know Jesus, and through you, Jesus will be made known.
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Phil 1:9–11).
I thank you, Willowdale, for being my family in Christ. I will continue to carry you in my prayers, confident that the Lord who has led you this far will surely lead you onward until the day we see Him face to face.
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor 13:14).
With love in Christ,
Pastor Dae-Eun Kim