Noblesse oblige! This means that if you have wealth, power and reputation, you should have greater responsibility for the community. Bereans have greater responsibility than other Christians.This is because we know God’s will(which others do not know), have a grasp of the spiritual world (which others do not realize), and use authority and power (which others have never tasted). God did not give us this grace because we are lovelier than the rest of the world. Rather, since we have nothing to lose, He expects us to devote everything to fulfill the Lord’s will.

There are roles which Bereans should fulfill responsibly. They can be summarized into three main concepts. The first is the priest, the second is the farmer, and the third is the mother. To neatly summarize their roles: ‘the priest’ is a just mediator who is impartial and not swayed by emotions; ‘the farmer’ is a strategist who makes and carries out plans to gain fruit; ‘the mother’ is a nurturer who does not put herself first and only devotes and serves her children.

The Bereans knew God’s will before others. Therefore, we must fulfill the role as priests to be a blessing to all people. We must recognize the value of the Berea Movement and the Bereans’ mission, and have a large scale, historical, and leadership perspective instead of a local, emotional and passive one.We should not be blinded by what we see and hear. We should keep our contemporaries (whom we have not seen) in our hearts, along with future generations who have not been born.Many people do not seek Berea because they still have not encountered God’s will. But we should be certain that if they have only a little taste- many souls will devote themselves to this word.We should provide this word to all nations, and not restrict it because of human affairs and interests. After giving everyone equal opportunities to receive spiritual food, we must find those who actively accept the word and respond sensitively.

A farmer who wants to get fruit clearly knows what he must do in spring and before summer passes,and puts this into practice. To become those who bear God’s calling, Bereans must carry out strategies for each stage, starting with basic assignments. You cannot harvest fruit when it is not ripe, though you are desperate. We should furthermore avoid expecting to reap fruit without the effort to sow and grow seeds. We cannot make disciples by one-time events or occasional teachings. If you can make disciples using personal friendships or practical benefits – why did the Holy Spirit come? Farming is honest. You gain fruit according to how much you labor.

The reason a mother has leadership in the house is because of her devoted service. Bereans must secure leadership through devoted service. If we try to show superiority because we have knowledge that others do not, it will leave only disputes and betrayals. Even an illiterate mother can raise her child to get a PhD. Bereans do not need to supply money, manpower or organizational skills to all people. The locals themselves can prepare these things. We should focus on changing people’s spirits by continually supplying the word. There is no need to take sides when there is conflict between locals. A mother does not love her children because they are right. All children should be raised healthy by their mothers – whether they are right or wrong.

A large vessel can hold a lot, and a small vessel can only hold a little. To bless the people of the world, we must prepare ‘vessels’ to hold them. The Bereans’ vessels must be large and strong enough to embrace the world.

Pastor Ki-Taek Lee
The Director of Sungrak Mission Center