Pulpit Message Introduction for Mar. 2

Pulpit Message Introduction for fourth Sunday in Lent
Last Sunday we heard Jesus calling us to carry our cross daily and follow him. This call has a lot to do with our spiritual growing. Jesus wants us to carry our own cross. Our own cross demands our acceptance to accusation, condemnation, and abandonment from other people. Carrying our own cross means we willingly give up our right to defend ourselves even when others do such unreasonable things to us. But unfortunately due to our self righteousness, lack of love, mercy and forgiving, we often times force others to carry their cross instead of us carrying the cross ourselves. Carrying our own cross means we crucify our own sinful nature with its passions and desires all together. By the power of the Holy Spirit we put to death our old self. We condemn our old sinful nature. This is a lesson we have to learn everyday and practice for life.
Crucifying ourselves on the cross also involves a total change of our value, outlook, and relationship to the world. Paul said, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14) It is therefore of crucial importance that when brothers and sisters set off to preach the gospel, they do not mix up the value of the world with the value of the Kingdom. We should not use prosperity and success in this world to prove God’s faithfulness. God is our Father in heaven. We are His children. We are His inheritance. We are called to be set apart from the world. As such we crucify our own value, our self interests, and our world onto the cross.
Thus the cross gives us four meanings: 1. the cross reminds us of the horror of our sin, 2. the cross reminds us of the heart of God’s love, 3. the cross heals the broken relationship between us and God, and 4. the cross leads us home to God.
講壇信息介紹
上星期我們聽到耶穌對我們說“天天背起自己的十字架來跟從我”。這話與我們的靈命長進有密切的關係。主耶穌首先要求我們背起自己的十字架。十字架是公開的定罪，嚴懲和棄絕的意思。背自己的十字架是要自己肯公開的被人定罪，嚴懲和棄絕。不是叫別人公開的被人定罪，嚴懲和棄絕。可惜的是我們可能因自義，沒有愛心，憐憫的心和包容的心，把別人的罪公開的定了，並且把別人釘在十字架上。
背自己的十字架是把自己和自己的邪情私欲同釘在十字架上。是依靠聖靈治死老我；對付自己個人的罪性。這是我們既是終生也是天天要學習的功課。
把自己釘在十字架上，還包括我們對世界的價值觀，我們所追求的目標，並且與世界之關係的徹底改變。保羅說：因這十字架就我而論，世界已釘在十字架上。就世界而論，我已釘在十字架上。（加拉太書6：14）為此傳福音的弟兄姊妹，要分清楚甚麼是世界的福音和甚麼是天國的福音。千萬不要用世界的福去證明神的信實。因為神是天父，我們是天父兒女， 是天國的子民。我們是神從世界上呼召出來的，是捨己，把個人，世界都釘在十字架上的人。
十字架今天給我們四個意義：1.十字架告訴我們罪的可怕。2.十字架告訴我們神的慈愛。3.十字架恢復我們與神的關係。4.十字架帶我們回家。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Feb. 24

Pulpit Message Introduction for third Sunday in Lent
The time was close to the time when Jesus was crucified. The Scripture tells us that Jesus had just told the disciples that he was going to have to suffer and be put to death. Peter couldn’t stand that idea and told him, "This shall never happen to you" (Matthew 16:22b). Jesus told Peter that he was thinking the way people thought rather than the way God thought. Then Jesus told his disciples what the Christian life was all about. It is one of the recurring themes of Jesus’ teaching. He said these things over and over again. He said if we really wanted to be his disciples, this is what we would have to do: "If anyone wants to come with me, he must forget himself, carry his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). So today in our Scripture we have a challenge issued to us if we are really going to be with the Savior. Three things are required: 1. We must forget ourselves; 2. We must carry our cross; 3. We must follow Jesus.The cost of discipleship is high. Is there a cheaper way to discipleship? The answer is no. For whoever wants to save his own life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my own sake will find it’ " (Matthew 16:24-25).
講壇信息介紹
耶穌被釘十字架的時候越來越近了。聖經記載耶穌剛跟門徒講過祂必須上耶路撒冷去，受長老，祭司長，文士許多的苦，並且被殺，第三日復活。彼得就沉不住氣，他拉著耶穌說，“主啊，萬不可如此！這事必不臨到你身上。”耶穌告訴彼得他的想法是人的想法而不是神的想法。於是耶穌告訴門徒跟隨祂究竟是怎麼一回事。這是耶穌重覆又重覆的教訓，也是做主門徒的人，必須事先計算清楚的代價。祂說，“若有人要跟從我，就當捨己，背起他的十字架，來跟從我。”今天每個基督徒都要計算清楚這三個的代價：1.捨己，2.背十字架，3.跟隨主。
這三個代價都是很重的。究竟有沒有比較便宜的方法呢。答案是沒有，因為凡要救自己生命的，必喪掉生命；凡為基督喪掉生命的必得著生命。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Feb. 17

Pulpit Message Introduction for second Sunday in Lent
Nicodemus came to Jesus and said to him: “Rabbi, you must be a teacher who has come from God because no one could do the signs and wonders you do apart from the presence of God.” And Jesus responded to Nicodemus by saying to him: “You can’t see the Kingdom of God without being born again. You must be born from above.” This means that you can’t become a Christian by making a few minor adjustments to your life. It must be a complete turn around, a radical re-birth, a re-birth from above, which, of course means a new life from God.
There is a fascinating thing to notice here about Nicodemus. He knew his scriptures well. But for him, being religious meant knowing what to do and especially what not to do. The emphasis of his Bible study was on what people do. But Jesus changed all of that. He said that in order to see the Kingdom of God, the emphasis must shift to what God does. The new Testament makes it clear that this “new birth” is not our doing. We are “born from above”; it is God’s gift. We can’t earn it. We can only accept it in faith: So, “To Be Born From Above” means to come alive to the Bible by falling in love with Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

講壇信息介紹
尼哥底母來見耶穌，問他說：“拉比，我們知道你是由神那裏來作師傅的，因為你所行的神蹟，若沒有神同在，無人能行。”耶穌回答說：“我實實在在地告訴你：人若不重生，就不能見神的國。”意思是說，你不能只在生活上作一些調整，便說你已見到神的國了。見神的國要求人完全的回轉，徹底的再生，從上面來的再生，由神而來的新生命。
在尼哥底母身上我們看見一個奇怪的現象。他很熟聖經。但他仍然沒有見到神的國。他以為宗教就是一堆應該做和不應該做的規條。他只知道聖經要求人要做的事。卻不知道神為人作的事。耶穌完全改變他的觀念。祂說你如果要見上帝的國，你首先要看神所做的事。新約聖經很清楚告訴我們，重生不是靠人能做到甚麼，而是靠神為我們所完成的一切。我們是從上面再生的。這是神的恩典和禮物。是我們不能賺取回來的。我們只能靠著信心領受。從上而來的重生就是活讀聖經。叫我們把愛耶穌的愛活現在信仰的生命中。

Pulpit Message Introduction for Feb. 10

Pulpit Message Introduction for first Sunday in Lent
Our 40 days of inner testing in the season of Lent are like Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness. After Jesus committed himself to the mission God intended, and expressed his commitment through baptism, the gospel of Mark says the Spirit “drove him out into the wilderness.” (Mark 1:12)
It’s really not so different for us. The Spirit drives us into wilderness, too, where we contemplate God’s call and reflect on our responses to events and emotions which test us. We’ve seen the holy in Jesus’ ministry; we’ve chosen to take up the cross and become Christ’s disciples. Now as Lent moves us from the mountain to the valley; we start to feel the implications of that decision. What are we being asked to learn? Where is this journey going to lead? What will we have to give up? Whom are we invited to become? The Lenten season is a time of focused contemplation and reflection in light of our faith.

講壇信息介紹
四十天的大齋節，是要我們在這個節令中，能在內心裏澈底的反省自己。我們心靈的試探與耶穌在曠野四十天的試探有異曲同工之效。耶穌受洗之后，委身作神的事工，祂便被聖靈催到曠野去 。我們的靈性旅途，又何嘗不是要經歷同樣的過程？。聖靈把我們催到曠野，叫我們認真思想神對我們的呼召，究竟是怎樣一回事。我們在情感上和遭遇上，都要面對很多的試探。我們曾見過耶穌神聖的顯現，我們曾決志要背起十字架來跟從主，我們願意做基督的門徒。現在是時間我們從山峰回到山谷了。我們要好好地思想，這決定要求我們所付出的代價。我們要學習甚麼是背起十字架：我們要知道，跟隨基督這條路將引領我們到甚麼地方？我們要放棄的是甚麼東西？我們被邀請變成主的門徒，究竟怎樣是主的門徒？大齋節就是信心的曠野，它叫人在此反省與默想。