Kimchi Doesn't Put Extra Hair On Your Chest And How To Share The Gospel

The East Wing of Victoria Community Church in 2005

About 8 years ago, when I was fresh out of seminary, I served as a pastor in Southern California.  The church that I served in rented the east wing of a large commercial building filled with other various businesses.  There was a mortgage company, a land development company and even a Muslim Mosque renting the other office spaces.  It was an interesting culture to say the least.    

One day the church was approached by a Pastor who was desperately trying to find a worship location for his flock.  Dr. Ezra Kang was hoping to share the east wing with our church in order to expand the Sheep Pen Church ministry to Korean people in the Los Angeles area.  We agreed and thus a facility partnership developed.

Apart from learning that Korean Kimchi would put extra hair on my chest, Rev. Kang also taught me his profound wisdom and strategy for evangelism.  While eating breakfast at a local Denny's Restaurant one morning, he shared with me in his passionate and broken English the following:

"Young Pastor, I promise God when I ordained that I do three things each day.  I read one book of Bible.  I pray one hour.  I tell one person about Jesus.  Do you know how I tell person about Jesus?"  I responded, "No, Ezra please tell me."  He responded with enthusiasm saying, "O.k. I tell you.  I go up to person and say, 'Do you know Jesus?' -- And they say, 'No.' -- And I say, 'O.k., sit down, I tell you about him.'"

I still smile when I think about Ezra and his approach to evangelism and ministry.  "Sit down, I tell you!"  I smile because it is so simple.  Part of me though wants to say, "You can't make evangelism that simple Ezra!"  However, in Ezra's wisdom, he knew that evangelism is just that simple; telling people about Jesus and what He accomplished and thus faith would come through the Word of God. (See Romans 10:17)  


Where ever you are at now Ezra, I tip my hat to you for your profound wisdom, simplicity and compassion towards me.  And yes, I do have more hair on my chest now, though I think it is due to older age and not Kimchi.


May God grant all of us the wisdom of the simple cross, that evangelism is simply telling people about Jesus; nothing more and nothing less. 


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