Noted Korean pastor, Daniel Dong-Won Lee, encouraged chapel attendees at Midwestern Seminary to love the lost and to maintain a focus on international missions during his sermon on Nov. 12.
During his week-long stay in Kansas City, Lee—who is pastor emeritus of Global Mission Church in Bundang, South Korea—also taught a doctoral seminar and was honored by President Jason Allen as a Spurgeon Fellow.
While preaching in the chapel that bears his name, Lee taught from Luke 15, explaining that this was the passage God used to call him into ministry.
Of the Scripture from Luke, Lee related that verses 25-32—the familiar story of the “Prodigal Son”—express the truths that believers are to love the lost and are commanded by God to reach the lost with the message of the gospel.
“Isn’t the reason why God orders the church community to be his witness is to find the lost?” Lee asked. “There are so many things for the church to do, but the most important command is still to share the gospel. I pray that churches in the U.S.A. will never forget the priority of this command.”
In loving the lost and proclaiming the gospel, Lee exhorted the attendees to look to the ends of the earth in carrying out these commands.
“I challenge you today, all of you dear students and seminarians, do not focus only on America,” Lee said. “Lift your eyes to see the entire global village, the village that God loves so much. See that the field is white for harvest. Who will respond like Isaiah did? ‘Here I am, Lord. Send me.’”
In addition to Lee preaching in chapel, the service’s worship time was highlighted by traditional Korean cultural music. Ok Hee Chun, a master of Gugak, which is a Korean traditional music style, sang songs and demonstrated Korean traditional rhythm on the janggu and buk, which are ceremonial drums.
To view Lee’s message in full, visit https://www.mbts.edu/2019/11/chapel-with-dr-daniel-lee/.
Lee, who has served as distinguished professor of Korean Studies at Midwestern Seminary for nine years, also taught a Korean doctoral seminar on Christian Leadership during his stay in Kansas City.
Of his time on campus, Lee said he is grateful for the opportunity to serve Korean students in the classroom. He added that the partnership existing between Midwestern Seminary and Global Mission Church is of significant Kingdom value.
“Seminary is a place to learn God’s Word, and church is a place to practice God’s Word,” Lee said. “These two places must cooperate together for the Kingdom of God. In this sense, the solid relationship between Midwestern Seminary and Global Mission Church shows an exemplary model of this process for the Kingdom of God.”
Lee added that Midwestern Seminary has been valuable to Korean and other international students because it offers courses where students can learn in their native language which, in turn, greatly assists with their ministry calling.
“The Great Commission is Jesus Christ’s commandment that is to be spread to all the nations and tribes,” Lee said. “As Jesus is the Word of God itself, the gospel of Jesus should be spread out through the human tongues. In this sense, it is missiological and incarnational that the language programs at Midwestern are designed to teach in their mother tongues.”
Additionally, during a luncheon held in Lee’s honor on Nov. 14, Allen inducted Lee as a Spurgeon Fellow.
Conferring the honor of Spurgeon Fellow upon Lee, Allen further recognized him “for his ongoing leadership in equipping church leaders, for his commitment to the expository preaching of God’s Word, and for his service to the broader evangelical community.”
Allen also expressed his gratefulness for the partnership Midwestern Seminary has developed with Global Mission Church over the past decade.
“This relationship has been fruitful for the cause of the gospel in that thousands of students from across Korea have studied at Midwestern Seminary in their heart language and, thus, have been sent as pastors and ministry leaders back to Korea and around the world,” Allen said.
“Dr. Lee has been instrumental throughout this relationship—providing insight, leadership, and commendation of Midwestern Seminary’s degree programs toward those considering theological education. We are also grateful to him for his warm and generous hospitality when leaders from our institution visit Korea, and we look forward to holding the first For the Church Worldwide Conference at Global Mission Church on April 20, 2020.”
To learn more about the Asian Studies Program at Midwestern Seminary, visit https://www.mbts.edu/degrees/asian-studies/.
