Pulpit Message Introduction for Jan.6

Pulpit Message Introduction for Epiphany Sunday
Epiphany is the season to celebrate the good news of Christ’s birth being spread to the ends of the earth. Jesus’ birth is part of God’s plan. God comes and works among us to bring about His glory. God in Jesus does many wonders and signs. The miracle in Cana turning water into wine is the first of His miraculous signs. Jesus cares about people’s feelings both in their times of sadness as well as in their times of happiness. The guests in the wedding need wine. So Jesus provides them with good wine. Jesus can change ordinary water into extraordinary wine. To make the ordinary into the extraordinary is the nature of Jesus’ work. When we see people with needs, do we just ignore them by making excuses that it is not our custom to do such uncomfortable things? Or do we try the hard way and respond to the request? Sometimes traditions and customs restrain us from doing things we want to do. But Jesus addresses people’s need and take it as His first priority, even preceding customs and traditions. Epiphany is the time to preach the good news of Jesus’ work. Jesus can do works of extraordinary goodness despite constraints from traditions and human limitations. Can we?
講壇信息介紹
顯現節是慶祝耶穌降生的好消息已向全世界的人傳揚開了。耶穌的降生乃上帝工作的一部分，上帝要親臨人間工作以彰顯祂的榮耀。上帝在耶穌基督裏做了許多神蹟奇事，迦拿婚筵以水變酒，是耶穌所行的頭一件神蹟。耶穌重視人在憂傷時也在快樂時的需要，這需求重要過人的制度與習慣。婚筵的賓客需要酒，耶穌便為他們提供好酒。耶穌把普通的水變成不普通的醇酒。把普通的變成不普通的，是耶穌施行神蹟的方式。當我們遇到需要幫助的人，我們是否總喜歡以沒有時間或不習慣為藉口，拒絕施以援手呢？即使我們定意回應，卻發現沒有足夠的能力，因為我們被傳統所牽制而無所作為。我們是否尊重傳統過於人的需要呢？顯現節是一個傳揚與見證的節期，我們所傳揚，所見證的，乃是主耶穌—祂能夠在任何境況中有所作為，因為祂決心跨越人的限度，而不是只顧退縮於人關心的範籌與限制。