本周默想分享
以色列王国的分裂是始於罗波安和耶罗波安的对抗。罗波安在耶路撒冷的圣殿，神的面前，领导国家。耶罗波安却在伯特利和但铸造了两个金牛犊，对众民说，以色列人哪，你们上耶路撒冷去，实在是难。这就是领你们出埃及地的神。。。这事叫百姓陷在罪里。因为他们往但去，拜那牛犊。（王上12：20-33）
主耶稣来到世上的目的，不但是将人从罪恶救出来，也是将人带到神面前，完全归给神。祂钉十字架流血，复活，升天，就是为人开创一条到神那里去的路。神舍去祂的独生子，为了要得着我们，在他面前成为圣洁，毫无瑕疵。但今天有多少信徒是真的来到神面前，也把人带到神面前，完全归给神呢？
我们的教会只将人领到十字架那里，求恩，得救是不够的。我们还要将人领到神的宝座前，否则我们还没有完成使命。因为主的宝血是为我们亲近神，开了一条又新又活的路。我们的教会必须带领信徒追求良善，勿以恶报恶，勉励灰心的，扶助软弱的，常常喜乐，不住地祷告，凡事谢恩，与弟兄姊妹彼此和睦，活在神的面前，让神得到喜悦和荣耀。
正如保罗劝勉歌罗西教会的信徒说，“劝诫各人，教导各人，要把各人在基督里完完全全引到神面前。”（西1：28）
到神面前是人最需要的。神是宇宙的中心，万有的主宰，万福的泉源，找到了别的东西而没有找到神，那是太可惜了。谁能与神相比呢？祂是真神，也是永生。在祂那里有永远的福分，无穷的喜乐，今生既可以预尝，将来更要完全得着。
所以将人带到神的面前，是我们教会也是每一个教友，唯一追求的路径和目标。牛年已到，我们有甚麽新春大计吗？唯愿我们不要学耶罗波安，只把人带到喜欢拜金牛犊，不喜欢重返圣殿的罪恶里。要学罗波安归回耶路撒冷的圣殿，来到神的面前。
Spiritual Thought for the Week
The split of the kingdom of Israel began when Rehoboam combated with Jeroboam. Rehoboam led the country by presenting the Lord in the Jerusalem temple to the people. In the mean time Jeroboam made two golden calves. One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” And this thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there. (I Kings 12:28-30)
The purpose of Jesus Christ coming to this world is not only to deliver man out of the bondage of sin but also that He can present God to man and lead man back to God. He was crucified, bled, died, resurrected and ascended to heaven for the sole purpose that He can present us the love of God. God gave His only begotten Son to us for the sole purpose that we can come back to Him and worship Him. I wonder how many Christians really know their mission to present God to others so that others will present themselves to God.
Our church may bring people to the cross to seek blessings and get salvation. But this is not enough. We have to bring people to come before the throne of our gracious God Otherwise our job is only half way done. The blood of our Lord has opened up a new way of coming before God. Our task is to present the love of God to people so that people will respond to his love in a lively way. They will live in peace with each other. They will encourage the timid, help the weak, and be patient with everyone. They will make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. They will be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances. Because this is God’s will for them in Christ Jesus.
This is the task of the church. Paul defined our task in his letter to the Colossians, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.”(Colossians 1:28)
Bringing man to come before God is the best work we can do to man. Man needs God. God is the source of all goodness, happiness and blessings. Bringing man to come before another man will only bring idol worship which leads to nothing but vanity and disappointment.Let us follow the example of Rehoboam who led his people to return to Jerusalem and worship the Lord. Let us refrain from following the example of Jeroboam who led people into idol worship which brings nothing but vanity and futility.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sermon Date: 2009/1/25
Sermon 1/25/09
SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 14:13-19
SERMON: Do not let your goodness be damaged as evil.
讲道题目: 不可叫你的善被毀謗為惡
Paul said, “Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.” (Romans 14:16) What does this mean? Paul was explaining the eating rules to the brothers and sisters in Rome. What he meant was this. If you insist on the things you think is right without taking into consideration the principle of love, and do things your way, you will be seen by others as doing evil, and you are putting a stumbling block to make your brother fall. Paul was not suggesting that his Christian brothers and sisters lower their moral standards in order to win a cheap popularity. He understood thoroughly Jesus’ admonition in Luke 6:26. “Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” The point Paul is making is simply this: a Christian’s goodness may caricature his religion and do Christ great harm. When goodness is spoken of as evil, outsiders will be prone to say, “Well, if that’s what Christianity means, we don’t want to be involved in it.”
When is our goodness spoken of as evil?
I. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is proud of itself. That is, when righteousness becomes self-righteousness; when we think that all is well in our moral life; that we are splendid examples for others to emulate; and that if only everybody was as good as we are, we would be perfect in our community or church.
(1)It is always a peril in the moral life that each conquest over evil will make us more satisfied with ourselves. As humility, our greatest virtue, arises from our sense of sin and unworthiness, so self-righteousness, our greatest defect, comes from our sense of goodness. “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)
(2)When we pride ourselves on our goodness, it is very likely that we are confusing sin with vice—adultery, drunkenness, theft, and such obvious evils. But according to Jesus the worst sins are not of this type at all, but are sins of the spirit, such as envy, pride, selfishness, resentment, and hatred. It is easier to make a saint out of a libertine than a prig.
(3)Self-righteousness inevitably leads to censoriousness. It sits in judgment over others, as the Pharisees over the adulteress woman, forgetting that we are all sinners in the eyes of God and that only God can compute our comparative merits.
II. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is mainly negative.
(1)In Hebrew ethics much of the emphasis was altogether too predominantly “Thou shall not.” A man was good if he refrained from doing such and such a number of wrong things. The fact that he may not have had any positive virtue was largely overlooked. It was enough that was not a transgressor.
(2)To Jesus goodness was positive in character. He summed up the law and the prophets in two great commandments. “Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22: 37-39) In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite were no good because they did nothing. In the final judgment, said Jesus, those who will be cast into outer darkness will be those who have committed the sin of doing nothing positive.
III. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is strained. That is, when it is a sweaty, un-natural, great effort kind performance.
(1)There are people who set themselves up to the joyless task of achieving goodness by super human effort and salvation by works of righteousness. They do not understand that true moral growth, like physical stature, does not come by anxious thought and strain, but by an inward surrender and receptivity to the grace of God.
(2)Jesus’ goodness did not come out of lots of sweating. It came logically and easily from a great resource within his soul. He was good without trying to be good.
IV. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is served in a pint by pint measure. Then it becomes the mere performance of defined duty and not the expression of divine grace. There is something lacking in goodness that never rises above the obligations imposed upon us. It is a legalistic, rigid, and stingy thing.
(1)The Pharisees represented this kind of damaged morality. They were faithful to duty but never went beyond the call of duty. They were faithful to the letter of the law but did not understand that real goodness does not appear until the law has been transcended. Jesus said, “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
(2)Christian morality is an extravagant eclipse of the demands of law and reason and duty. It is never a calculated arithmetic. It is something which overflows and outruns reasonable expectations and legal contracts. Jesus asked his followers, “What do you do more than others?” Others will go the one mile demanded, but you should go two miles. Others will forgive a man once, thrice, or even seven times, but you should forgive him seventy times seven. Others will obey the call of duty, but you should take up your cross and follow me. The one who was excessive in his goodness and went beyond the call of duty.
(3)I think it is clear why Jesus seemed to prefer the company of sinners to that of the “saints” of his day. The “saints” were dutiful, calculating, and cautious. The sinners were not only indulgent in badness but had their moments when they were indulgent in goodness. People of characters like that are not only more interesting than narrow minded souls but they are actually more lovable. And there is more hope for such scamps than for the “saints”
Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For in Jesus Christ we have the challenge of divine goodness. In him we have the only valid motive for morality: we are to be good because God is good. In him we have the grace which can make us “more than conquerors” ((Romans 8:37) Apart from his mercy we can do nothing, and even our best achievements in virtue will be seen as soiled and ragged works of our human frailty.
Amen
Sermon Synopsis
Paul said, “Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.” What he meant was this. If you insist on the things you think is right without taking into consideration the principle of love, and do things your way, you will be seen by others as doing evil, and you are putting a stumbling block to make your brother fall.
I. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is proud of itself.
(1) As humility, our greatest virtue, arises from our sense of sin and unworthiness, so self-righteousness, our greatest defect, comes from our sense of goodness.
(2) When we pride ourselves on our goodness, it is very likely that we are confusing sin with vice
(3) Self-righteousness inevitably leads to censoriousness.
II. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is mainly negative.
(1) In Hebrew ethics much of the emphasis was altogether too predominantly “Thou shall not.”
(2) To Jesus goodness was positive in character.
III. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is strained.
(1) There are people who set themselves up to the joyless task of achieving goodness by super human effort and salvation by works of righteousness.
(2) Jesus’ goodness did not come out of lots of sweating.
IV. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is served in a pint by pint measure.
(1) The Pharisees were faithful to duty but never went beyond the call of duty.
(2) Christian morality is an extravagant eclipse of the demands of law and reason and duty.
(3) I think it is clear why Jesus seemed to prefer the company of sinners to that of the “saints” of his day.
In Christ we have the grace which can make us “more than conquerors” ((Romans 8:37) Apart from God’s mercy we can do nothing, and even our best achievements in virtue will be seen as soiled and ragged works of our human frailty
讲道大纲
保罗说，"不可叫你的善被人毁谤"。他的意思是这样解释的：你以为善的事，不理会爱心的原则，自以为是的去做，很容易被人视为恶，这样便会叫人跌倒。
I. 当人骄傲地行善时，善就被视为恶了。
（1） 谦卑是最好的品德，自义是最坏的性格。
（2） 当我们把自己的善看成好品格时，我们是把坏习惯与灵性的罪混为一谈。
（3） 自义的人常常查禁别人。
II. 当人只做消极的事时，善就被视为恶了。
（1） 在希伯来人的伦理观，他们要守甚麽是不可做的事情。
（2） 耶稣的善，是一个积极的品格。
III. 当人要满身大汗才行出善来时，善就被视为恶了。
（1） 许多人痛苦地勉强自己靠禁戒行为称义，谁不知好品德是靠释放和鼓励得来的。
（2） 耶稣的善不是强迫出来的行为。
IV. 当人要斤斤计较的行善时，善就被视为恶了。
（1） 法利赛人谨守岗位却从来不肯做超过岗位以外的事。
（2） 基督徒的善，是昂贵的，它令律法，学问，和岗位显得暗然失色。
（3） 这就是为甚麽耶稣喜欢与罪人同伍，而不喜欢与那些"圣人"同伍的原因。
在基督耶稣里，我们有恩典和怜悯，我们可以"得胜有馀"（罗8：37）地行善。因为离了神的怜悯，我们的善，就只能被毁谤成为恶罢了。
SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 14:13-19
SERMON: Do not let your goodness be damaged as evil.
讲道题目: 不可叫你的善被毀謗為惡
Paul said, “Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.” (Romans 14:16) What does this mean? Paul was explaining the eating rules to the brothers and sisters in Rome. What he meant was this. If you insist on the things you think is right without taking into consideration the principle of love, and do things your way, you will be seen by others as doing evil, and you are putting a stumbling block to make your brother fall. Paul was not suggesting that his Christian brothers and sisters lower their moral standards in order to win a cheap popularity. He understood thoroughly Jesus’ admonition in Luke 6:26. “Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” The point Paul is making is simply this: a Christian’s goodness may caricature his religion and do Christ great harm. When goodness is spoken of as evil, outsiders will be prone to say, “Well, if that’s what Christianity means, we don’t want to be involved in it.”
When is our goodness spoken of as evil?
I. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is proud of itself. That is, when righteousness becomes self-righteousness; when we think that all is well in our moral life; that we are splendid examples for others to emulate; and that if only everybody was as good as we are, we would be perfect in our community or church.
(1)It is always a peril in the moral life that each conquest over evil will make us more satisfied with ourselves. As humility, our greatest virtue, arises from our sense of sin and unworthiness, so self-righteousness, our greatest defect, comes from our sense of goodness. “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)
(2)When we pride ourselves on our goodness, it is very likely that we are confusing sin with vice—adultery, drunkenness, theft, and such obvious evils. But according to Jesus the worst sins are not of this type at all, but are sins of the spirit, such as envy, pride, selfishness, resentment, and hatred. It is easier to make a saint out of a libertine than a prig.
(3)Self-righteousness inevitably leads to censoriousness. It sits in judgment over others, as the Pharisees over the adulteress woman, forgetting that we are all sinners in the eyes of God and that only God can compute our comparative merits.
II. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is mainly negative.
(1)In Hebrew ethics much of the emphasis was altogether too predominantly “Thou shall not.” A man was good if he refrained from doing such and such a number of wrong things. The fact that he may not have had any positive virtue was largely overlooked. It was enough that was not a transgressor.
(2)To Jesus goodness was positive in character. He summed up the law and the prophets in two great commandments. “Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22: 37-39) In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite were no good because they did nothing. In the final judgment, said Jesus, those who will be cast into outer darkness will be those who have committed the sin of doing nothing positive.
III. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is strained. That is, when it is a sweaty, un-natural, great effort kind performance.
(1)There are people who set themselves up to the joyless task of achieving goodness by super human effort and salvation by works of righteousness. They do not understand that true moral growth, like physical stature, does not come by anxious thought and strain, but by an inward surrender and receptivity to the grace of God.
(2)Jesus’ goodness did not come out of lots of sweating. It came logically and easily from a great resource within his soul. He was good without trying to be good.
IV. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is served in a pint by pint measure. Then it becomes the mere performance of defined duty and not the expression of divine grace. There is something lacking in goodness that never rises above the obligations imposed upon us. It is a legalistic, rigid, and stingy thing.
(1)The Pharisees represented this kind of damaged morality. They were faithful to duty but never went beyond the call of duty. They were faithful to the letter of the law but did not understand that real goodness does not appear until the law has been transcended. Jesus said, “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
(2)Christian morality is an extravagant eclipse of the demands of law and reason and duty. It is never a calculated arithmetic. It is something which overflows and outruns reasonable expectations and legal contracts. Jesus asked his followers, “What do you do more than others?” Others will go the one mile demanded, but you should go two miles. Others will forgive a man once, thrice, or even seven times, but you should forgive him seventy times seven. Others will obey the call of duty, but you should take up your cross and follow me. The one who was excessive in his goodness and went beyond the call of duty.
(3)I think it is clear why Jesus seemed to prefer the company of sinners to that of the “saints” of his day. The “saints” were dutiful, calculating, and cautious. The sinners were not only indulgent in badness but had their moments when they were indulgent in goodness. People of characters like that are not only more interesting than narrow minded souls but they are actually more lovable. And there is more hope for such scamps than for the “saints”
Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For in Jesus Christ we have the challenge of divine goodness. In him we have the only valid motive for morality: we are to be good because God is good. In him we have the grace which can make us “more than conquerors” ((Romans 8:37) Apart from his mercy we can do nothing, and even our best achievements in virtue will be seen as soiled and ragged works of our human frailty.
Amen
Sermon Synopsis
Paul said, “Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.” What he meant was this. If you insist on the things you think is right without taking into consideration the principle of love, and do things your way, you will be seen by others as doing evil, and you are putting a stumbling block to make your brother fall.
I. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is proud of itself.
(1) As humility, our greatest virtue, arises from our sense of sin and unworthiness, so self-righteousness, our greatest defect, comes from our sense of goodness.
(2) When we pride ourselves on our goodness, it is very likely that we are confusing sin with vice
(3) Self-righteousness inevitably leads to censoriousness.
II. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is mainly negative.
(1) In Hebrew ethics much of the emphasis was altogether too predominantly “Thou shall not.”
(2) To Jesus goodness was positive in character.
III. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is strained.
(1) There are people who set themselves up to the joyless task of achieving goodness by super human effort and salvation by works of righteousness.
(2) Jesus’ goodness did not come out of lots of sweating.
IV. Goodness is spoken of as evil when it is served in a pint by pint measure.
(1) The Pharisees were faithful to duty but never went beyond the call of duty.
(2) Christian morality is an extravagant eclipse of the demands of law and reason and duty.
(3) I think it is clear why Jesus seemed to prefer the company of sinners to that of the “saints” of his day.
In Christ we have the grace which can make us “more than conquerors” ((Romans 8:37) Apart from God’s mercy we can do nothing, and even our best achievements in virtue will be seen as soiled and ragged works of our human frailty
讲道大纲
保罗说，"不可叫你的善被人毁谤"。他的意思是这样解释的：你以为善的事，不理会爱心的原则，自以为是的去做，很容易被人视为恶，这样便会叫人跌倒。
I. 当人骄傲地行善时，善就被视为恶了。
（1） 谦卑是最好的品德，自义是最坏的性格。
（2） 当我们把自己的善看成好品格时，我们是把坏习惯与灵性的罪混为一谈。
（3） 自义的人常常查禁别人。
II. 当人只做消极的事时，善就被视为恶了。
（1） 在希伯来人的伦理观，他们要守甚麽是不可做的事情。
（2） 耶稣的善，是一个积极的品格。
III. 当人要满身大汗才行出善来时，善就被视为恶了。
（1） 许多人痛苦地勉强自己靠禁戒行为称义，谁不知好品德是靠释放和鼓励得来的。
（2） 耶稣的善不是强迫出来的行为。
IV. 当人要斤斤计较的行善时，善就被视为恶了。
（1） 法利赛人谨守岗位却从来不肯做超过岗位以外的事。
（2） 基督徒的善，是昂贵的，它令律法，学问，和岗位显得暗然失色。
（3） 这就是为甚麽耶稣喜欢与罪人同伍，而不喜欢与那些"圣人"同伍的原因。
在基督耶稣里，我们有恩典和怜悯，我们可以"得胜有馀"（罗8：37）地行善。因为离了神的怜悯，我们的善，就只能被毁谤成为恶罢了。
Spiritual Thought for the Week 2009/1/25
本周默想分享
作为这间礼拜堂的牧者，我常常自我反省。 我问自己说：我有没有作过甚麽贡献使礼拜堂得着益处呢？神给我一句话，就是使徒行传3章6节"彼得说： "金银我都没有，只把我所有的给你。我奉拿撒勒人耶稣基督的名，叫你起来行走！""神告诉我不但是陈伟甡，就是最大的使徒彼得，他能给礼拜堂甚麽呢？金钱固然没有，他只不过是一个小民，甚至是破碎的瓦器而已。他所有值得爱慕的只有一件事，那就是基督的救恩，他能把耶稣基督给人，这是人最需要的，其他东西都不能解决人的问题，满足人的需要。
我们是因自己得着基督，才能将基督介绍给人。我们认识基督的大爱，才能领人到主那里。我们认识基督的能力，才能带领吸引人到主耶稣基督那里得着救恩。我们若对救主没有真正的信靠，人在我们身上看不见基督的同在，我们就不能给人甚麽帮助。
若将人带到自己的面前，结果必叫人失望。若将人带到基督面前，必定不会叫人失望。因为他是一切的泉源，能叫跛子行走，瞎子看见，死人复活，使无变有。今天耶稣基督虽然不在世上，但祂将祂的名赐给祂的门徒，这名是那超乎万名之上的名（腓2：9），是包括天上地下一切权柄的（太28：18），这名包括祂所成就的一切救赎，这名是父神所最喜爱尊重的，奉祂的名无论向父求甚麽，神都必成就（约14：13）。
是的，靠着主的名，我把我最好的给了礼拜堂。主应许说：“信的人必有神迹随着他们：就是奉我的名赶鬼。”（可16：17），让我们凭信心奉主的名，事情就必成就，我们原本一无所有，但主成了我们的万有，就足够了。
Spiritual Thought for the Week
As the minister of this church I always keep watch on my work here. I ask myself, “Have I given this church anything worthwhile during my service here?” God gives me a Bible verse in Acts 3:6 which says, “Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” God makes me realize that not even the greatest apostle Peter can give silver or gold to the church, not to mention Wilson Chan. Peter had no money, he was just an ordinary citizen, and a non glamorous earthen ware. But he possessed something very valuable. It was the salvation in Jesus Christ. He gave that to man. That was the thing man needed most. Other things can not solve man’s problem or meet man’s need. But this one can.
Only when we have found Jesus, we can introduce Him to others. Only when we know the love of Christ, we can lead others to Him. Only when we experience Jesus’ power, we can show people the way to Christ’s salvation. If we have not the saving power of Christ, people will not see the presence of Christ in us. Then we have nothing valuable to give them.
Bringing people to ourselves will eventually make people disappointed. Bringing people to Christ will never disappoint people. Jesus is the source of all power. He makes the lame walk, the blind see and the dead come back to life. He causes the ones who have nothing to be the ones who have everything. Today Jesus does not live on earth. But He gives His name to His disciples. This is the name which God exalted to the highest place and it is the name above all names. (Phil. 2:9) This is the name that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to” (Matt. 28:18). This name represents all the credits He has achieved while accomplishing the act of salvation. This is the name that the Father God most loves and honors. “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” (John 14:13)
Yes, In His name I have given my best to this church. The Lord promised, “And these miracles will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons…” (Mark 16:17) By faith and in His name, we work signs and wonders. He is able. We are nothing. But with the Lord we have everything. In His name we are everything. That is sufficient for me.
作为这间礼拜堂的牧者，我常常自我反省。 我问自己说：我有没有作过甚麽贡献使礼拜堂得着益处呢？神给我一句话，就是使徒行传3章6节"彼得说： "金银我都没有，只把我所有的给你。我奉拿撒勒人耶稣基督的名，叫你起来行走！""神告诉我不但是陈伟甡，就是最大的使徒彼得，他能给礼拜堂甚麽呢？金钱固然没有，他只不过是一个小民，甚至是破碎的瓦器而已。他所有值得爱慕的只有一件事，那就是基督的救恩，他能把耶稣基督给人，这是人最需要的，其他东西都不能解决人的问题，满足人的需要。
我们是因自己得着基督，才能将基督介绍给人。我们认识基督的大爱，才能领人到主那里。我们认识基督的能力，才能带领吸引人到主耶稣基督那里得着救恩。我们若对救主没有真正的信靠，人在我们身上看不见基督的同在，我们就不能给人甚麽帮助。
若将人带到自己的面前，结果必叫人失望。若将人带到基督面前，必定不会叫人失望。因为他是一切的泉源，能叫跛子行走，瞎子看见，死人复活，使无变有。今天耶稣基督虽然不在世上，但祂将祂的名赐给祂的门徒，这名是那超乎万名之上的名（腓2：9），是包括天上地下一切权柄的（太28：18），这名包括祂所成就的一切救赎，这名是父神所最喜爱尊重的，奉祂的名无论向父求甚麽，神都必成就（约14：13）。
是的，靠着主的名，我把我最好的给了礼拜堂。主应许说：“信的人必有神迹随着他们：就是奉我的名赶鬼。”（可16：17），让我们凭信心奉主的名，事情就必成就，我们原本一无所有，但主成了我们的万有，就足够了。
Spiritual Thought for the Week
As the minister of this church I always keep watch on my work here. I ask myself, “Have I given this church anything worthwhile during my service here?” God gives me a Bible verse in Acts 3:6 which says, “Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” God makes me realize that not even the greatest apostle Peter can give silver or gold to the church, not to mention Wilson Chan. Peter had no money, he was just an ordinary citizen, and a non glamorous earthen ware. But he possessed something very valuable. It was the salvation in Jesus Christ. He gave that to man. That was the thing man needed most. Other things can not solve man’s problem or meet man’s need. But this one can.
Only when we have found Jesus, we can introduce Him to others. Only when we know the love of Christ, we can lead others to Him. Only when we experience Jesus’ power, we can show people the way to Christ’s salvation. If we have not the saving power of Christ, people will not see the presence of Christ in us. Then we have nothing valuable to give them.
Bringing people to ourselves will eventually make people disappointed. Bringing people to Christ will never disappoint people. Jesus is the source of all power. He makes the lame walk, the blind see and the dead come back to life. He causes the ones who have nothing to be the ones who have everything. Today Jesus does not live on earth. But He gives His name to His disciples. This is the name which God exalted to the highest place and it is the name above all names. (Phil. 2:9) This is the name that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to” (Matt. 28:18). This name represents all the credits He has achieved while accomplishing the act of salvation. This is the name that the Father God most loves and honors. “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” (John 14:13)
Yes, In His name I have given my best to this church. The Lord promised, “And these miracles will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons…” (Mark 16:17) By faith and in His name, we work signs and wonders. He is able. We are nothing. But with the Lord we have everything. In His name we are everything. That is sufficient for me.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Sermon Date: 2009/1/18
Sermon 1/18/09
SCRIPTURE READING: I Corinthians 16: 5-13
SERMON: The Open Door
讲道题目: 開了的門
2009 marks the third year of my ministry in the Ottawa Chinese United Church. At the threshold of a new beginning I asked God, “Lord do you have need of me here or shall I move on?” The Lord showed me this Bible passage and I had no more questions to ask. When Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians, he was nearing the close of three years’ residence and ministry in Ephesus. In his heart was a desire to move on into Macedonia and then to visit Corinth. But while these other fields of service were beckoning him, he could not escape the sense of burden that God had given him for the city of Ephesus. To him an open door was God’s call to live, teach, and preach the Gospel.
I. A door of opportunity: “A great door for effective work has opened to me,” (v. 9).
Historians have described Ephesus as the “Vanity Fair” of Asia Minor. To anyone who did not have a vision for the lost and a burden for souls, Ephesus was a city to escape from, but to Paul Ephesus was a door of opportunity.
(1) The magnitude of the open door: “great” Paul believed in capturing the great cities as centers of evangelistic endeavor. Next to Rome, Ephesus was such a center. Geographically, it was the link between East and West. Commercially, it was known as “the treasure house of Asia.” Legislatively, it was an assize town, and here the Roman governor came to conduct the major trials and exercise justice. Recreationally, the Pan-Ionian games held here were attended by thousands of spectators and competitors. Religiously, the glory of Ephesus was the temple of Artemis, considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
(2) The ministry of the open door: “for effective work.” Acts 19 reveals the many activities in which Paul was engaged during his three years in Ephesus: (a) laboring as a preacher, evangelizing not only in the city but also in the whole area of Asia Minor, (b) laboring as a teacher, lecturing in the school of Tyrannus for a period of two years, (c) laboring as a pastor, shepherding the believers, so that the strongest church of the first century was located in Ephesus, and (d) laboring as a writer and writing what we know today as I Cor.
(3) The miracle of the open door: “has opened to me.” There was a time when Ephesus was closed to the apostle (Acts 16:6). For reasons not known to us, he was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in Asia. In the meantime, Paul had been prepared by a deepening work of grace and by heavy persecution for a task that now awaited him in Ephesus. So he recognized that the open door now before him was just a miracle of God.
II. A door of obligation: “Has opened to me.”
(1) An individual obligation. The tragedy with so many of us is that we never seem to realize our own personal involvement in the task of evangelism. Paul never expected anyone to shoulder his area of responsibility. Whenever Paul found himself, it was always the same. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” (Col. 4:2-3.) Each one of us is held responsible for the area of the world that we represent. The home, the school, or the office is an open door both of opportunity and obligation.
(2) An inescapable obligation: “to me.” When the risen Christ sets before us a door, he intends that we should use the opportunity. “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name…I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” (Rev. 3:8, 11.) Not to do so is to lose our crown of reward in the day to come. We are not only responsible to our Lord but also accountable. Paul also had a vision of the open door in heaven. One day he was going to stand before his Master and answer for every hour he had spent in Ephesus. “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Rom. 14:12.) How will you fare when you stand before the judgment seat of Christ?
III. A door of opposition: “and there are many who oppose me.” (v. 9).
If you have no opposition, you had better move on and find the places where you can get them. There is not much in Christian service if we do not know the power of opposition beating against us. To understand something of the opposition with which Paul was confronted, read Acts 19. There were at least three stubborn oppositions that Paul had to face at Ephesus. Each was arrayed in a religious mask, disguising under the satanic force of the opposition.
(1) The opposition of nominal religion. (Acts 19:1-2.) Certain disciples were followers of John the Baptist. They knew something of the baptism of repentance but nothing of the baptism of regeneration. Such nominal religion would have weakened the whole cause of Christ in Ephesus had not Paul dealt with it.
(2) The opposition of religious antagonism. (Acts 196-9.) When the message of the Gospel cuts across religion without regeneration or dead orthodoxy, there is always antagonism. Paul turned from the synagogue and rented his own lecture hall to preach and teach the Gospel.
(3) The opposition of religious professionalism. (Acts 19:23-35.) The worship of the goddess Artemis attracted tens of thousands of worshipers who invariably took home with them little model shrines as souvenirs. But it was the power of the Gospel that this trade of religious exploitation was being threatened. So Demetrius created a riot in which Paul could almost lost his life, but once again God vindicated the honor and message of his servant and a tremendous victory was won for Christ and the church in Ephesus.
Satan is not going to retreat so long as the door stands wide open, but like Paul we can say, “We are not ignorant of his devices”(II Cor. 2:11), and what is more, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds”(II Cor. 10:4).
Last Sunday after I preached the sermon, “A New Person in Christ” a parishioner asked me this question, “What living example if any has our pastor shown believers on how to live out the new life in Christ?” My answer to the question is this. In the past three years I have lived, taught and preached sincerely, genuinely and honestly the Gospel of Jesus Christ to you. If you still don’t see the example, may be this is the reason why the Lord wants me to continue to live, teach and preach the Gospel here for a while longer. Paul admonished his people with these words, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (I Cor. 15:58.)
Amen
Sermon Synopsis
Paul worked in Ephesus for three years. God opened a door for him to stay a little longer for the work of ministry there.
I. A door of opportunity.
(1) The magnitude of the open door was great.
(2) The ministry of the open door was effective.
(3) The miracle of the open door was real.
II. A door of obligation.
(1) An individual obligation.
(2) An inescapable obligation.
III. A door of opposition.
(1) The opposition of nominal religion.
(2) The opposition of religious antagonism.
(3) The opposition of religious professionalism.
Paul admonished his people with these words, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
讲道大纲
保罗在以弗所工作了三年。上帝才为他开一道门，叫他在那里传道服务再多一段时间。
I． 一道机会的门。
（1） 蕴藏无限契机的门
（2） 大有果效的门
（3） 上帝行神迹奇事的门
II． 一道义不容辞的门。
（1） 个人的责任
（2） 不可逃避的责任
III． 一道反对的门。
（1） 有名无实信徒的反对
（2） 有宗教势力之人的反对
（3） 迷信群众的反对
保罗决定再逗留在以弗所，做信徒的榜样。他说，"所以，我亲爱的弟兄们，你们务要坚固，不可摇动，常常竭力多作主工，因为知道你们的劳苦，在主里面不是徒然的。"
SCRIPTURE READING: I Corinthians 16: 5-13
SERMON: The Open Door
讲道题目: 開了的門
2009 marks the third year of my ministry in the Ottawa Chinese United Church. At the threshold of a new beginning I asked God, “Lord do you have need of me here or shall I move on?” The Lord showed me this Bible passage and I had no more questions to ask. When Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians, he was nearing the close of three years’ residence and ministry in Ephesus. In his heart was a desire to move on into Macedonia and then to visit Corinth. But while these other fields of service were beckoning him, he could not escape the sense of burden that God had given him for the city of Ephesus. To him an open door was God’s call to live, teach, and preach the Gospel.
I. A door of opportunity: “A great door for effective work has opened to me,” (v. 9).
Historians have described Ephesus as the “Vanity Fair” of Asia Minor. To anyone who did not have a vision for the lost and a burden for souls, Ephesus was a city to escape from, but to Paul Ephesus was a door of opportunity.
(1) The magnitude of the open door: “great” Paul believed in capturing the great cities as centers of evangelistic endeavor. Next to Rome, Ephesus was such a center. Geographically, it was the link between East and West. Commercially, it was known as “the treasure house of Asia.” Legislatively, it was an assize town, and here the Roman governor came to conduct the major trials and exercise justice. Recreationally, the Pan-Ionian games held here were attended by thousands of spectators and competitors. Religiously, the glory of Ephesus was the temple of Artemis, considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
(2) The ministry of the open door: “for effective work.” Acts 19 reveals the many activities in which Paul was engaged during his three years in Ephesus: (a) laboring as a preacher, evangelizing not only in the city but also in the whole area of Asia Minor, (b) laboring as a teacher, lecturing in the school of Tyrannus for a period of two years, (c) laboring as a pastor, shepherding the believers, so that the strongest church of the first century was located in Ephesus, and (d) laboring as a writer and writing what we know today as I Cor.
(3) The miracle of the open door: “has opened to me.” There was a time when Ephesus was closed to the apostle (Acts 16:6). For reasons not known to us, he was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in Asia. In the meantime, Paul had been prepared by a deepening work of grace and by heavy persecution for a task that now awaited him in Ephesus. So he recognized that the open door now before him was just a miracle of God.
II. A door of obligation: “Has opened to me.”
(1) An individual obligation. The tragedy with so many of us is that we never seem to realize our own personal involvement in the task of evangelism. Paul never expected anyone to shoulder his area of responsibility. Whenever Paul found himself, it was always the same. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” (Col. 4:2-3.) Each one of us is held responsible for the area of the world that we represent. The home, the school, or the office is an open door both of opportunity and obligation.
(2) An inescapable obligation: “to me.” When the risen Christ sets before us a door, he intends that we should use the opportunity. “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name…I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” (Rev. 3:8, 11.) Not to do so is to lose our crown of reward in the day to come. We are not only responsible to our Lord but also accountable. Paul also had a vision of the open door in heaven. One day he was going to stand before his Master and answer for every hour he had spent in Ephesus. “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Rom. 14:12.) How will you fare when you stand before the judgment seat of Christ?
III. A door of opposition: “and there are many who oppose me.” (v. 9).
If you have no opposition, you had better move on and find the places where you can get them. There is not much in Christian service if we do not know the power of opposition beating against us. To understand something of the opposition with which Paul was confronted, read Acts 19. There were at least three stubborn oppositions that Paul had to face at Ephesus. Each was arrayed in a religious mask, disguising under the satanic force of the opposition.
(1) The opposition of nominal religion. (Acts 19:1-2.) Certain disciples were followers of John the Baptist. They knew something of the baptism of repentance but nothing of the baptism of regeneration. Such nominal religion would have weakened the whole cause of Christ in Ephesus had not Paul dealt with it.
(2) The opposition of religious antagonism. (Acts 196-9.) When the message of the Gospel cuts across religion without regeneration or dead orthodoxy, there is always antagonism. Paul turned from the synagogue and rented his own lecture hall to preach and teach the Gospel.
(3) The opposition of religious professionalism. (Acts 19:23-35.) The worship of the goddess Artemis attracted tens of thousands of worshipers who invariably took home with them little model shrines as souvenirs. But it was the power of the Gospel that this trade of religious exploitation was being threatened. So Demetrius created a riot in which Paul could almost lost his life, but once again God vindicated the honor and message of his servant and a tremendous victory was won for Christ and the church in Ephesus.
Satan is not going to retreat so long as the door stands wide open, but like Paul we can say, “We are not ignorant of his devices”(II Cor. 2:11), and what is more, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds”(II Cor. 10:4).
Last Sunday after I preached the sermon, “A New Person in Christ” a parishioner asked me this question, “What living example if any has our pastor shown believers on how to live out the new life in Christ?” My answer to the question is this. In the past three years I have lived, taught and preached sincerely, genuinely and honestly the Gospel of Jesus Christ to you. If you still don’t see the example, may be this is the reason why the Lord wants me to continue to live, teach and preach the Gospel here for a while longer. Paul admonished his people with these words, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (I Cor. 15:58.)
Amen
Sermon Synopsis
Paul worked in Ephesus for three years. God opened a door for him to stay a little longer for the work of ministry there.
I. A door of opportunity.
(1) The magnitude of the open door was great.
(2) The ministry of the open door was effective.
(3) The miracle of the open door was real.
II. A door of obligation.
(1) An individual obligation.
(2) An inescapable obligation.
III. A door of opposition.
(1) The opposition of nominal religion.
(2) The opposition of religious antagonism.
(3) The opposition of religious professionalism.
Paul admonished his people with these words, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
讲道大纲
保罗在以弗所工作了三年。上帝才为他开一道门，叫他在那里传道服务再多一段时间。
I． 一道机会的门。
（1） 蕴藏无限契机的门
（2） 大有果效的门
（3） 上帝行神迹奇事的门
II． 一道义不容辞的门。
（1） 个人的责任
（2） 不可逃避的责任
III． 一道反对的门。
（1） 有名无实信徒的反对
（2） 有宗教势力之人的反对
（3） 迷信群众的反对
保罗决定再逗留在以弗所，做信徒的榜样。他说，"所以，我亲爱的弟兄们，你们务要坚固，不可摇动，常常竭力多作主工，因为知道你们的劳苦，在主里面不是徒然的。"
Sermon Date: 2009/1/11
Sermon 1/11/09
SCRIPTURE READING: II Corinthians 5:14-19.
SERMON: New Being In Christ.
讲道题目: 新造的人
We have entered into a new year. We all wish each other a happy new year. Is happy New Year that easy to achieve? Yes as Christians we are assured by God that we can achieve it. The question is: Do you really want to be a Christian? If you do I have good news for you. The Bible said, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new person. All old things have passed and everything is changed to new ones.”In other words, if you are a Christian, you are a new person. Your old days are gone. Everything you have will begin from scratch once again. But what are Christians who can be so assured by God? How can I become one so that I can enjoy the blessed assurance for the New Year? Before I talk about what a Christian is, I want to talk to you first of all, what a Christian is not.
1. A Christian is not any person who lives in a country founded by Christians. Canada is a country founded by people from Europe who professed themselves as Christians and not heathens. But being a Canadian does not make you a Christian.
2. A Christian is not any person who belongs or not belongs to a certain denomination. Our church belongs to a denomination called the United Church of Canada. But belonging or not belonging to the UCC has nothing to do with making you a better or worse Christian.
3. A Christian is not any person who accepts a certain creed or form of belief. It is perfectly true that Christianity, from one point of view, is a way of believing about God, about Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection of Christ, about sin and the forgiveness of sin, the Christ like life, and heaven and hell. Yet we all know how easy it is for many people to assent to all these articles of belief with their minds and repeat them with their lips, while their real character and their daily life show plainly that the spirit of Christ has never taken hold of them, never captured them.
4. A Christian is not any person who observes a certain worship format or rite. Our church performs worship services to Christians week after week on Sundays. Some are appreciative about the format while others are critical about it. Nevertheless our format does not make you a Christian. You may, like the dying thief on the cross, have none of this thing and still be a Christian. “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”(Romans 8:9)
5. A Christian is not any person who strives to live the good life. People can not make themselves Christians by efforts of their own, by building up a kind of reservoir of virtuous deeds, and then saying to God, “In view of all these good things I’ve done, don’t you think I deserve to be called a Christian?” “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”(Titus 3:5)
6. A Christian is not any person who says in his lips that he believes in Jesus. If your belief in him is just an attitude of mind or a disposition of reverence, it is never enough. The important questions are: What does your will say? Do you give yourself up to his will and his way? There are people to whom Christ must still speak the words found in Luke 6:46. “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
So much has been said about what a Christian is not. What is a Christian then? My definition of a Christian is this: A Christian is a person who, realizing that he is a sinner and therefore not right with God, trusts Jesus Christ as his Savior and, united to Christ by faith, devotes himself to a life of loving obedience to God.
How does a Christian realize he is a sinner?
1. We begin with something unpleasant, something ugly. We begin with a sense of need, a feeling of failure. It may be your keenest feeling will be that of guilt. It may be that it will be a sense of unrest and a longing for peace. It may be that it will be the desire for strength to break out of the shell of an old self into the clean, open space of a new self.
2. Whatever feeling is uppermost, one thing will be true: you will see and confess that it is you—not simply your past deeds—who are wrong. You have tried to live with your thoughts, desires, and decisions as the center of your life, when all the while it is God’s thoughts, desires, and will that should be the center.
3. Where do you and I begin to be Christians? At the point where we take sides with God in what he says about us! “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”(Romans 3:23.) “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availed anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.”(Gal.6:15.) C.S. Lewis once said, “If I’m a field that contains nothing but grass seed, I can’t produce wheat. Cutting the grass may keep it short, but I shall still produce grass and no wheat. If I want to produce wheat, the change must go deeper down than the surface. I must be ploughed up and re-sew.” Admitting that marks the beginning of being a Christian.
How does a Christian trust Christ as his Savior?
1. The word “Gospel” means “good news.” What is there about Jesus Christ and his Cross that make good news? Telling people that they ought to try to be good is not good news. Telling people to recite the statement of faith is not good news. You give them the good news only when you stop talking about what they are to do and begin to show them what God has already done in his great mercy to provide for their salvation. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”(Romans 3:24-26.)
2. God, in the death of Jesus Christ, has dealt with your sin and mind, judged it, condemned it, made atonement for it. He has borne the cost of salvation—the cost of forgiveness, the cost of cleansing, the cost of the new life he imparts—in himself. And he forever wears the scars of his sacrifice.
3. This being so, forgiveness of sins is yours if you will receive it. A new life is yours if you will take it. And faith is trusting Jesus Christ to do in you what he has already done for you.
Let us welcome the happy New Year with the blessedness of being a Christian. Confess that your need of Christ is like the need of a bankrupt businessman for new capital with which to pay off his old debts and start his business anew. Trust him as a child trusts a father into whose arms the little one jumps with laughing confidence. Begin to witness before others that you have made this choice of Christ and that henceforth and forever you belong to him. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.”(2 Corinthians 5:17.) Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING: II Corinthians 5:14-19.
SERMON: New Being In Christ.
讲道题目: 新造的人
We have entered into a new year. We all wish each other a happy new year. Is happy New Year that easy to achieve? Yes as Christians we are assured by God that we can achieve it. The question is: Do you really want to be a Christian? If you do I have good news for you. The Bible said, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new person. All old things have passed and everything is changed to new ones.”In other words, if you are a Christian, you are a new person. Your old days are gone. Everything you have will begin from scratch once again. But what are Christians who can be so assured by God? How can I become one so that I can enjoy the blessed assurance for the New Year? Before I talk about what a Christian is, I want to talk to you first of all, what a Christian is not.
1. A Christian is not any person who lives in a country founded by Christians. Canada is a country founded by people from Europe who professed themselves as Christians and not heathens. But being a Canadian does not make you a Christian.
2. A Christian is not any person who belongs or not belongs to a certain denomination. Our church belongs to a denomination called the United Church of Canada. But belonging or not belonging to the UCC has nothing to do with making you a better or worse Christian.
3. A Christian is not any person who accepts a certain creed or form of belief. It is perfectly true that Christianity, from one point of view, is a way of believing about God, about Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection of Christ, about sin and the forgiveness of sin, the Christ like life, and heaven and hell. Yet we all know how easy it is for many people to assent to all these articles of belief with their minds and repeat them with their lips, while their real character and their daily life show plainly that the spirit of Christ has never taken hold of them, never captured them.
4. A Christian is not any person who observes a certain worship format or rite. Our church performs worship services to Christians week after week on Sundays. Some are appreciative about the format while others are critical about it. Nevertheless our format does not make you a Christian. You may, like the dying thief on the cross, have none of this thing and still be a Christian. “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”(Romans 8:9)
5. A Christian is not any person who strives to live the good life. People can not make themselves Christians by efforts of their own, by building up a kind of reservoir of virtuous deeds, and then saying to God, “In view of all these good things I’ve done, don’t you think I deserve to be called a Christian?” “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”(Titus 3:5)
6. A Christian is not any person who says in his lips that he believes in Jesus. If your belief in him is just an attitude of mind or a disposition of reverence, it is never enough. The important questions are: What does your will say? Do you give yourself up to his will and his way? There are people to whom Christ must still speak the words found in Luke 6:46. “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
So much has been said about what a Christian is not. What is a Christian then? My definition of a Christian is this: A Christian is a person who, realizing that he is a sinner and therefore not right with God, trusts Jesus Christ as his Savior and, united to Christ by faith, devotes himself to a life of loving obedience to God.
How does a Christian realize he is a sinner?
1. We begin with something unpleasant, something ugly. We begin with a sense of need, a feeling of failure. It may be your keenest feeling will be that of guilt. It may be that it will be a sense of unrest and a longing for peace. It may be that it will be the desire for strength to break out of the shell of an old self into the clean, open space of a new self.
2. Whatever feeling is uppermost, one thing will be true: you will see and confess that it is you—not simply your past deeds—who are wrong. You have tried to live with your thoughts, desires, and decisions as the center of your life, when all the while it is God’s thoughts, desires, and will that should be the center.
3. Where do you and I begin to be Christians? At the point where we take sides with God in what he says about us! “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”(Romans 3:23.) “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availed anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.”(Gal.6:15.) C.S. Lewis once said, “If I’m a field that contains nothing but grass seed, I can’t produce wheat. Cutting the grass may keep it short, but I shall still produce grass and no wheat. If I want to produce wheat, the change must go deeper down than the surface. I must be ploughed up and re-sew.” Admitting that marks the beginning of being a Christian.
How does a Christian trust Christ as his Savior?
1. The word “Gospel” means “good news.” What is there about Jesus Christ and his Cross that make good news? Telling people that they ought to try to be good is not good news. Telling people to recite the statement of faith is not good news. You give them the good news only when you stop talking about what they are to do and begin to show them what God has already done in his great mercy to provide for their salvation. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”(Romans 3:24-26.)
2. God, in the death of Jesus Christ, has dealt with your sin and mind, judged it, condemned it, made atonement for it. He has borne the cost of salvation—the cost of forgiveness, the cost of cleansing, the cost of the new life he imparts—in himself. And he forever wears the scars of his sacrifice.
3. This being so, forgiveness of sins is yours if you will receive it. A new life is yours if you will take it. And faith is trusting Jesus Christ to do in you what he has already done for you.
Let us welcome the happy New Year with the blessedness of being a Christian. Confess that your need of Christ is like the need of a bankrupt businessman for new capital with which to pay off his old debts and start his business anew. Trust him as a child trusts a father into whose arms the little one jumps with laughing confidence. Begin to witness before others that you have made this choice of Christ and that henceforth and forever you belong to him. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.”(2 Corinthians 5:17.) Amen.
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