Pulpit Message Introduction for Nov. 25

Pulpit Message Introduction
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:24-25
We are all concerned about how to find life. Sometimes we thought we will find it by preserving it and maintaining it. But this is not what Jesus says. Jesus tells us if we want to save life, we will lose it. If we lose it for him we will find it.
A candle has to be burned before it gives out light. Salt has to be dissolved before it sends out its saltiness. Similarly a person has to lose himself/herself before he/she finds life.
The following is an excerpt from the sermon Martin Luther King, Jr. preached at Ebenezer Baptist Church on February 4, 1968, two months before he was assassinated, and which was played at his funeral.
“Every now and then I guess we all think realistically about that day when we will be victimized with what is life’s final common denominator—that something we call death. We all think about it. And every now and then I think about my own death, and I think about my own funeral. And I don’t think of it in a morbid sense. Every now and then I ask myself, “What is it that I would want said?” And I leave the word to you this morning.
If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. Every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize, that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards, that’s not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school.
I’d like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King tried to give his life serving others. I’d like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try, in my life, clothe those who were naked. I want you to say on that day that I did try, in my life, to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace, I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won’t have any money to leave behind. I won’t have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. I just want to leave a committed life behind.
And that’s all I want to say…if I can help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song, if I can show somebody he’s traveling wrong, then my living will not be in vain.
If I can do my duty as a Christian ought, if I can bring salvation to a world over wrought, if I can spread the message as the Master taught, then my living will not be in vain.”
講壇信息介紹
於是，耶穌對門徒說：“若有人要跟從我，就當捨己，背起他的十字架來跟從我。因為凡要救自己生命的，必喪掉生命；凡為我喪掉生命的，必得著生命。”馬太16：24-25
我們都想得著生命。我們以為保存生命，維持生命就能得著生命。但這不是耶穌所說的。耶穌告訴我們如果我們想救自己生命，我們就會喪掉生命；如果我們為主喪掉生命，我們才會得著生命。
正如蠟燭要燃燒自己才能發出亮光；鹽要消失自己才能發出鹹味；人要盡用生命才能找著生命。
以下是一篇馬丁路德金博士講章的摘錄，是他於1968年2月4日在Ebenezer浸信會崇拜的講道，之後兩個月他被刺身亡，在喪禮中這講章重播出來：
“久不久我們都會現實地想到每人都難逃一死之那天的光景。久不久我也想到我自己的死和我自己的喪禮。我毫無忌諱的想：“那一天我喜歡人講些甚麼呢？”今天早上讓我把這些話告訴你們吧。
倘若那天你在場的話，我不想喪禮太長。如果你要找人述說生平的話，請叫他們不要講得太多。久不久我會想我喜歡他們講些什麼呢。告訴他們不要說我是諾貝爾和平獎的得主，那是不重要的。告訴他們不要說我得過三四百樣其他的獎項，那是不重要的。告訴他們不用提我在那間學校讀過書。
我希望有人在那一天說馬丁路德金曾用他的生命去服侍別人。我希望有人在那一天說馬丁路德金曾嘗試去愛人。我想你那一天說我嘗試在戰爭的問題上做對的事情。我想你那一天說我的確有嘗試給饑餓的人吃。我想你那一天說我的確曾在我的生命中嘗試給赤身露體的人穿。我想你那一天說我的確曾在我的生命中嘗試看在監裏的人。我想你會說我曾嘗試去愛和服侍人類。是的如果你要說我是個鼓樂隊隊長，請你說我是個鼓吹公道的鼓樂隊隊長。請你講我是個鼓吹和平的鼓樂隊隊長，我是個鼓吹正義的鼓樂隊隊長。至於其他淺薄的事，也無關重要了。我不會有錢留下。我沒有生活上豪華講究的東西留下。我只想留下一條盡忠職守的生命而已。
這就是我所要說的。。。如果我可以在生命過程中幫助別人，如果我可以用說話或歌聲鼓勵別人，如果我能在人走錯路時引領他返回正途，那我就是不枉此生了。
如果我能做基督徒應該做的事，如果我能把救恩帶給一個走錯路的世界，如果我能把主耶穌教我的道理傳開，那我就是不枉此生了。”