DATE: 2009/4/26
SCRIPTURE READING: John 21:1-19
SERMON: The Dawn of another Day
講道題目: 新的一日又天明
After Jesus died on the cross, Peter lost hope in everything. He resumed to his former occupation which was fishing again. Peter and his fisherman friends vowed to follow Jesus. Now they were back to square one before they saw the appearance of the risen Lord. Here was a boatload of men on the Sea of Galilee. They were cold. They were hungry, for they had been out all night fishing. They were unhappy because “that night they caught nothing” (v. 3). But just at daybreak they saw a figure moving about on the shore. Presently a familiar voice called out and they recognized the voice, (see vv.4-7.) Jesus presence there and his personal interest in those men put another look upon the entire situation. The presence of the Divine Spirit in this troubled, bewildered, disappointed world of ours put new meaning into it.
I. His first word to those men was one of friendly interest: “Children, have you any meat?” (v. 5)—have you caught anything? (1) He knew the hunger, the weariness, the unhappiness in that boat. The people who think that the Lord of life does not concern himself with these bodily necessities of ours had better read their Bibles again. (2) How much it means that there is God, not far from any one of us, who knows and cares! How much it means to have God standing by not with scorn for our weakness but with words of friendly interest on his lips! “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6.) The Lord of life stood there on the shore; he is always there. The eyes of Divine Love looked out upon the troubled sea of human life to show what daylight might bring. “The dawn of another day”—how many people are anxiously looking for it!
II. The Lord who stood there met the needs of these discouraged men. “Cast the net on the right side of the boat” (v. 6). He knew where to fish and how to fish. When they drew the net to land, there was a fire kindled by his hands, with fish broiling and bread toasting on the coals. “Jesus said unto them, Come and dine” (v. 12). (1) That divine readiness to help us with our physical problems reaches a long way. But his ministry did not stop there. Man does not live by bread and fish alone. The Master knew that heart and soul have their needs. When he had fed those men, he said, “Simon...do you love me?”(v. 15). He would restore a satisfying relationship between himself and that fickle, impulsive man who had fallen down. The man’s whole future would turn upon his attitude at that point. (2) “Do you love?” There is no other joy like love in this world, and without it there would be no joy in the world to come. It would not be worthwhile to live if we did not love people. “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.” (I John 4:16.) (3) When those seven men had declared anew their loyalty to Christ, it was the dawn of a new day. When those men had eaten the bread and fish which he gave them and had assured him of their love, they faced the future with their heads up. They felt that hence-forth their lives would be “hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). He had met their deeper needs.
III. He gave those men something definite to do. (1) Jesus knew full well the futility of any generous impulse which does not speedily find expression in wholesome action. Impression precedes expression, but the good impulse functions properly only where it is uttered in some form of useful effort. “If you know these things, happy are you if you do them” (John 13:17)—and only then. If you love me, do something about it. Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep. Tend my flock. (2) The men who had fished all night without catching anything were sent out to become “fishers of men.” They were to use the skill and patience they had acquired in that familiar occupation for higher ends. (3) Jesus sent them out to teach the nations what he had taught them, to make disciples of the nations as he had made disciples of them, and to baptize the nations into a richer sense of the divine helpfulness and into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Here was work cut out for them and laid ready to their hands. He promised them his guidance and cooperation: “Lo, I am with you always,” in that high task, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20).
IV. Conclusion. Here in that scene by the lake we find the three basic interests of human life. (1) Something to eat: food, books, pictures, music, friends, the great outdoors, which feed and satisfies, strengthen and enrich the inner life. (2) Something to do: tasks worthy of our best powers, where we work out our salvation, knowing that God is working in us to accomplish his good pleasure. (3) Someone to love: worthy recipients of the best our hearts can offer, answering back in terms of affection. (4) “Now abide these three”: something to put into one’s life—faith; someway of expressing one’s life—hope; and someone to cherish within the heart—love.
Amen.
Synopsis
After Jesus died on the cross, Peter lost hope in everything. He and his fisherman friends resumed to their former occupation. Then Jesus appeared to them.
I. His first word to those men was one of friendly interest: “Children, have you any meat?” (1) He knew the hunger. (2) It means that there is God, not far from any one of us, who knows and cares!
II. The Lord met the needs of these discouraged men. “Cast the net on the right side of the boat” (1) When he had fed those men, he said, “Simon...do you love me?” (2) “Do you love?” “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.” (3) When those seven men had declared anew their loyalty to Christ, it was the dawn of a new day.
III. He gave those men something definite to do. (1) Jesus said, “Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep. Tend my flock.” (2) The men who had fished all night without catching anything were sent out to become “fishers of men.” (3) Jesus sent them out to teach the nations what he had taught them.
IV. Conclusion. Here in that scene by the lake we find the three basic interests of human life. (1) Something to eat.(2) Something to do.(3) Someone to love.
Amen
讲道大纲
耶稣被钉之後，彼得对一切都失了信心。他和他的同伴们再次出海打鱼。那时耶稣显现在他们面前。
甲． 耶稣第一句话就是亲切的问候： "小子！你们有吃的没有？" （1）他知道他们肚子饿。（2）神是关怀我们的。他离我们不远。祂知道也关心。
乙． 主满足这群失望丧志之人的需要。“你们把网撒在船的右边，就必得着” （1）让他们吃饱之後，耶稣问西门彼得：你爱我吗？（2）“神爱我们的心，我们也知道，也信.” (3) 当这七个人宣告他们肯向耶稣效忠时，新的一天已见黎明。
丙． 他派给他们工作。（1）耶稣说：你喂养我的小羊；你牧养我的群羊。。。（2）这班整夜劳苦一无所获的渔夫再一次成为得人的渔夫。（3）耶稣差派他们去传福音给万民听。
丁． 结论。主在提比哩亚海边的显现，把人生最需要的三大问题都给解决了：（1）人需要食物。（2）人需要工作。（3）人需要爱和被爱。
阿门
Pastoral Prayer:
O God your mercy is over all, we beseech you for our brothers and sisters in every place, and most especially for those who are in any way distressed.
Visit the sick with your comfort and healing power. Come to the bereaved with your peace, and increase in them the faith that love is stronger than death. Hasten with your protection to those who are sorely tempted; make them strong to resist and conquer. Draw near to all who are lonely, all who are anxious, all who are cast down and discouraged, and to those who suffer in the suffering of those they love, that they may be strengthened with all power for all endurance and patience.
Look in your might upon those who have no helper. Defend the poor, and save the children of the needy. Make haste for the relief of those who know the pains of hunger and those who are persecuted and those who are discriminated against, exploited, and oppressed. Show your compassion to every victim of injustice, and to those who inflict loss and pain upon others show the demands of your righteousness and the inexorable working of your holy laws.
Reveal unto us, we beseech you, those things in ourselves which are adding to the sum of human misery. Help us to repent of these our sins, and give us grace to consecrate ourselves to your service, that we may be used by you to help one another and to set forward the blessed kingdom.
We thank you for the family of Huo Yan and Mu Ai. You give them a beautiful and healthy baby girl last week. The arrival of their daughter Kathleen（可磬）born on April 16 at Ottawa hospital has brought joy, hope and happiness to all who love them. May this child grow up full of grace and gain favor from God and men.
We pray for the in-law’s family of brother Tom Doon, (譚耀棟)，whose daughter in law’s grand mom passed away at the age of 101 years old. We ask for peace and comfort to the bereaved family who are experiencing grief and loss.
We pray for the joint Mandarin devotional meeting which is concluding this evening. Bless the speaker Rev. Felix Liu as he delivers the message that the glory of the Lord will be revealed. May we see more and more people come forward to make commitment to Christ. And may the healing and teaching ministry he involves receive heavenly benediction from you.
Now teach us to pray as you once taught your disciples how to pray… Amen.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Spiritual Thought for the Week 2009/4/19
DATE: 2009/4/19
本周默想分享
受难节过了，复活节来了。受难节那天耶稣的祷告还言犹在耳："然而不要照我的意思，只要照你的意思。"（太26：39）复活节的今天，主旨得成，原来已经实现了。
我们走属灵道路的时候，常遇见一个难处，就是自己的意思与神的意思不同而发生干扰。当神的旨意是叫我们遭遇损失和痛苦的时候，就不容易顺服或者别有自己的欲望和喜好，而不是神的旨意所许可的，这就发生了矛盾和冲突。如果不肯放下自己的意思去遵行神的旨意，在属灵的路上就无法前进，甚至跌倒後退了。
许多信徒就是在这里发生了问题，如果神的旨意与自己的意思相合，就愿意遵行。否则就要坚持自己的意思，不肯照神的旨意行。并且要求神成就自己的意思，否则对神感到不满和不服，这实在是可怕的光景。如果神真的让我们成就了自己的意思，後果岂不是很危险。
我们应当相信，神的旨意比我们自己的意思好，比我们的目的高，对我们最有益，且有永恒的价值。自己的意思是目光短浅，只顾眼前的利益。而且神常不让我们自己的意思成就，因为那样心中必没有平安，喜乐，信心和盼望，将来的损失更不必说了。主耶稣在最艰难困苦的时候，仍然求父说，不要照他的意思，只要照父的意思。
凡愿意放下自己的意思，只求神的旨意成就，这是神最喜悦的。神绝不会将对我们无益的旨意强加在我们身上，乃是预先计划决定的，为我们拣选最好的，最高的，最美的事。我们要安息在神的旨意中，并要欢喜迎接那按神旨意临到我们身上的事。
Spiritual Thought for the Week
Good Friday has gone. Easter has arrived. While Jesus words of prayer still resonate in our ears, “Yet not as I will, but as you will”, the realization that God’s will be done is already a fact before our eyes in this Easter season.
In the spiritual journey, we often come across such difficult times when our will is different from God’s will. When God’s will makes our days miserable we tend to move away from his cause and go our own ways. While we insist on our likes and desires, God’s will become a hindrance. If we let this conflict continue without giving up any of our interests, our spiritual journey can not proceed.
Many believers find themselves stuck in this problem. They go along with God’s will only when it makes them happy. If it doesn’t they go against His will. They want God to comply with their thoughts. Otherwise they feel discontent towards God. This is a dangerous undertaking. Say if God does everything according to our likes, wouldn’t the consequence be disastrous?
We need to believe that God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. God’s way is wiser than our ways. His plans have everlasting value. Our eye sight is narrow-minded. We often look at the temporal while God looks at the eternal. God doesn’t let our will be done because God knows we won’t get peace, joy, faith and hope if we get only what we want. While we lose life in the eternity, what good do we get even if we gain the whole world? That’s why we see Jesus Christ in his time of greatest sorrow still says the words, “Yet not as I will but as you will.”
Whoever puts down his own will for the fulfillment of God’s will will be most pleasing in God’s sight. God will not impose harmful things on our life. Everything to Him is planned. He wants the best for us. So let us rest in His will. Let us accept and enjoy whatever things in life He has prepared for us.
--End—
本周默想分享
受难节过了，复活节来了。受难节那天耶稣的祷告还言犹在耳："然而不要照我的意思，只要照你的意思。"（太26：39）复活节的今天，主旨得成，原来已经实现了。
我们走属灵道路的时候，常遇见一个难处，就是自己的意思与神的意思不同而发生干扰。当神的旨意是叫我们遭遇损失和痛苦的时候，就不容易顺服或者别有自己的欲望和喜好，而不是神的旨意所许可的，这就发生了矛盾和冲突。如果不肯放下自己的意思去遵行神的旨意，在属灵的路上就无法前进，甚至跌倒後退了。
许多信徒就是在这里发生了问题，如果神的旨意与自己的意思相合，就愿意遵行。否则就要坚持自己的意思，不肯照神的旨意行。并且要求神成就自己的意思，否则对神感到不满和不服，这实在是可怕的光景。如果神真的让我们成就了自己的意思，後果岂不是很危险。
我们应当相信，神的旨意比我们自己的意思好，比我们的目的高，对我们最有益，且有永恒的价值。自己的意思是目光短浅，只顾眼前的利益。而且神常不让我们自己的意思成就，因为那样心中必没有平安，喜乐，信心和盼望，将来的损失更不必说了。主耶稣在最艰难困苦的时候，仍然求父说，不要照他的意思，只要照父的意思。
凡愿意放下自己的意思，只求神的旨意成就，这是神最喜悦的。神绝不会将对我们无益的旨意强加在我们身上，乃是预先计划决定的，为我们拣选最好的，最高的，最美的事。我们要安息在神的旨意中，并要欢喜迎接那按神旨意临到我们身上的事。
Spiritual Thought for the Week
Good Friday has gone. Easter has arrived. While Jesus words of prayer still resonate in our ears, “Yet not as I will, but as you will”, the realization that God’s will be done is already a fact before our eyes in this Easter season.
In the spiritual journey, we often come across such difficult times when our will is different from God’s will. When God’s will makes our days miserable we tend to move away from his cause and go our own ways. While we insist on our likes and desires, God’s will become a hindrance. If we let this conflict continue without giving up any of our interests, our spiritual journey can not proceed.
Many believers find themselves stuck in this problem. They go along with God’s will only when it makes them happy. If it doesn’t they go against His will. They want God to comply with their thoughts. Otherwise they feel discontent towards God. This is a dangerous undertaking. Say if God does everything according to our likes, wouldn’t the consequence be disastrous?
We need to believe that God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. God’s way is wiser than our ways. His plans have everlasting value. Our eye sight is narrow-minded. We often look at the temporal while God looks at the eternal. God doesn’t let our will be done because God knows we won’t get peace, joy, faith and hope if we get only what we want. While we lose life in the eternity, what good do we get even if we gain the whole world? That’s why we see Jesus Christ in his time of greatest sorrow still says the words, “Yet not as I will but as you will.”
Whoever puts down his own will for the fulfillment of God’s will will be most pleasing in God’s sight. God will not impose harmful things on our life. Everything to Him is planned. He wants the best for us. So let us rest in His will. Let us accept and enjoy whatever things in life He has prepared for us.
--End—
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Sermon Date: 2009/4/12
DATE: 2009/4/12
SCRIPTURE READING: John 20:11-18
SERMON: Tears turn to joy
講道題目: 眼泪变成喜乐
The angels and Jesus asked Mary Magdalene on Easter morning, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She explained that she was weeping because she could not find the body of Jesus. These were tears of sorrow. But when Jesus revealed himself to her, her tears turned to tears of joy as she exclaimed, “Rabboni,” meaning “Teacher.” Her day began with tears but ended with smiles. Easter makes us shed tears of joy. As in the case of Mary, tears of sorrow are transformed into tears of joy.
I. As Mary was asked on the first Easter, “Woman, why are you weeping?” so we are asked on this Easter Sunday why are we weeping. We might say these are tears of joy.
(1) These tears of joy result from the victory Christ won over death. We cannot appreciate this victory until we realize the horror and finality of death.
(2) Death is man’s worst enemy. Death takes away the meaning of life. If death is the ultimate, life is absurd. Then, we can say with Paul, “Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”
(3) It took God to gain the victory over death. God caught death on the Cross in the person of Christ. There was a cosmic battle between life and death. When Jesus died, the strife was over and the battle was won. The paradox of the situation was that God used Jesus’ death to defeat death. When Jesus came out of the tomb under the power of God, death instead of swallowing up everything as in the past was now itself swallowed up by the grace of God. Never was there a victory like this.
(4) Easter, therefore, is a day for the blowing of trumpets, the singing of alleluias, the crashing of cymbals, and the beating of victory drums.
(5) This victory has personal implications. It means that a Christian funeral has a note of triumph about it. Of course, the body is dead, but because of the resurrection we know the soul, spirit, or mind of the departed is alive with Christ. There is no need to feel sorry for the deceased. He is more alive than we are.
II. On this Easter day, why are we weeping tears of joy? The Christian answer is, “Because of the assurance of the truth the resurrection brings.”
(1) The resurrection assures us that Jesus is the Christ, Lord and Saviour. If there had been no resurrection, Jesus would have been just a man. Indeed, he would have been considered a martyr to a good cause, but that is all. Now we know for sure that Jesus was more than an ordinary man. True, he was all man, but he was a God-man. On Easter you are sure that this Jesus of the Cross was the very Son of God whose death was a vicarious sacrifice for the sin of the world. Because of the resurrection, we know he shares in the Godhead and is worthy of our worship, devotion, and our very lives.
(2) Easter assures us that good will ultimately overcomes all opposition. Sometimes we wonder whether good is as strong as evil. Easter assures us that life will outlast death. Truth is greater than lies. Love is stronger than hatred. The righteous will finally succeed, and the wicked will come to nothing.
III. Why are we filled with joy?
(1) The resurrection comforts us with the knowledge that we have a living Christ here and now. This was the good news for Mary Magdalene. She came to the tomb which she expected to be filled with a dead body. The empty tomb meant to her only that Jesus’ body was stolen. Then Jesus came to her and called her by name. At once she saw him alive and she rejoiced.
(2) We too can rejoice that Jesus is alive, for it means that we have a living Christ who knows our very name. You are that important, that valuable. It shows his interest and concern in you and what happens to you.
(3) We have a living Christ right now to forgive us. We need forgiveness daily. Without this forgiveness, we get farther and farther apart from Christ. Life gets tied up, and our minds and hearts get into knots of tension. Christ daily comes to us upon our invitation and forgives us and by this forgiveness brings us life and freedom to live as a person.
(4) This living Christ who came to life again on Easter comforts us by his presence. He comes to us and asks our help. Christ asks us this Easter Sunday to be his witnesses. He wants us to go to all the world and tell the good news that death has been conquered, that truth is eternal, that he is really alive. Amen.
Synopsis
Easter makes us shed tears of joy. As in the case of Mary, tears of sorrow are transformed into tears of joy.
I. As Mary was asked on the first Easter, “Woman, why are you weeping?” so we are asked on this Easter Sunday why are we weeping.
(1) These tears of joy result from the victory Christ won over death.
(2) Death is man’s worst enemy.
(3) It took God to gain the victory over death.
(4) Easter, therefore, is a day for beating of victory drums.
(5) This victory has personal implications.
II. We are weeping tears of joy because of the assurance of the truth the resurrection brings.
(1) The resurrection assures us that Jesus is the Christ, Lord and Saviour.
(2) Easter assures us that good will ultimately overcomes all opposition.
III. Why are we filled with joy?
(1) The resurrection comforts us with the knowledge that we have a living Christ here and now.
(2) We have a living Christ who knows our very name.
(3) We have a living Christ right now to forgive us.
(4) He wants us to go to the entire world and tell the good news that death has been conquered, that truth is eternal, that he is really alive.
讲道大纲
复活节叫我们流出喜乐的眼泪。正如马利亚伤心的眼泪变成喜乐的眼泪一样。
甲． 马利亚被问：妇人你为甚麽哭？今天我们也要被问：你为甚麽哭？
（1） 我们流喜乐的眼泪因为基督胜过死亡。
（2） 死亡是人的大敌。
（3） 只有神能打败它。
（4） 复活节就是击鼓庆祝胜利的日子。
（5） 这胜利对个人尤其意义深长。
乙． 我们喜极而泣因为复活真实的确据。
（1） 复活肯定耶稣是基督，是主，是我们的救主。
（2） 复活肯定好人最後必能克胜所有反对的势力。
丙． 我们为甚麽充满喜乐？
（1） 复活安慰我们，叫我们知道活着的基督时刻与我们同在。
（2） 活着的基督记得我的名字。
（3） 活着的基督今天饶恕我的罪。
（4） 祂要我们到世界宣扬好消息，死亡已被征服，真理是永远可靠的，祂是真正活着的主。
Pastoral Prayer:
Almighty Father, for the beauty of the earth, for the joy of living, and for all the good things which are ours, we give you hearty thanks and praise. We are glad for the springtime when all the out-of-doors is awakening to begin anew the process of growth. We rejoice in the blooming flowers, the budding trees, the singing birds, and the thousand voices that proclaim the fact that spring is in the air. But even more do we rejoice in the fact that above and beyond this manifestation of life at our feet there is within us a life that is eternal and everlasting. Father, be gracious unto us and quicken this divine life so that we may be raised up in the image and likeness of the Man of Galilee, the One who was not defeated by death but came forth from the open tomb to live forever with you.
Merciful Father, separate us from all false delusions and remove from us all vain desires so that the life of the Son of God may have full sway within our hearts. Kindle anew within us the joy of your salvation. Grant unto us the joy of finding the stone rolled away from the tomb of our dead selves. May the discarded garments of all our vain desires be left behind as mute evidence that we have been released from all that hampers and restrains.
O Lord God, grant that this life of faith may become a growing power, able to surmount all barriers, re-creating itself in the hearts of men and women of every race and every creed. In the providence of God, may all the difficulties that delay the coming of your day be removed, so that your spirit may exercise its full power over death and destruction. May the voice that was once stilled be heard again in amplified form, and may the message of salvation, declared on Calvary’s mountain, find prophets to declare it. So, may the kingdoms of this world become indeed the Kingdom of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
We pray for our parishioners well being. We pray for May Wong’s recovery from her flu last Sunday and that her coarse voice be resumed to normal. We pray for Bruce Newman’s safe travel as he is vacationing in Florida now. We thank you Lord for Wudi’s mother who’s heart valve repairs itself naturally and does not need a heart surgery. We thank you for our life together with Xu Dunqi and Zheng Xiangfei who have spent several months worshipping with us during their stay in Ottawa last year. Next week they are flying to Vancouver to stay with their other children and grand children. We ask for your continue blessings for their future. We pray for Mu Ai’s smooth delivery this week as she is expecting her baby to be born in a few days. We thank you for the baptism of Huo Yan and David Li this morning. May their new life in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior find abundance and fulfillment in your Kingdom.
Now teach us to pray as you once taught your disciples how to pray… Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING: John 20:11-18
SERMON: Tears turn to joy
講道題目: 眼泪变成喜乐
The angels and Jesus asked Mary Magdalene on Easter morning, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She explained that she was weeping because she could not find the body of Jesus. These were tears of sorrow. But when Jesus revealed himself to her, her tears turned to tears of joy as she exclaimed, “Rabboni,” meaning “Teacher.” Her day began with tears but ended with smiles. Easter makes us shed tears of joy. As in the case of Mary, tears of sorrow are transformed into tears of joy.
I. As Mary was asked on the first Easter, “Woman, why are you weeping?” so we are asked on this Easter Sunday why are we weeping. We might say these are tears of joy.
(1) These tears of joy result from the victory Christ won over death. We cannot appreciate this victory until we realize the horror and finality of death.
(2) Death is man’s worst enemy. Death takes away the meaning of life. If death is the ultimate, life is absurd. Then, we can say with Paul, “Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”
(3) It took God to gain the victory over death. God caught death on the Cross in the person of Christ. There was a cosmic battle between life and death. When Jesus died, the strife was over and the battle was won. The paradox of the situation was that God used Jesus’ death to defeat death. When Jesus came out of the tomb under the power of God, death instead of swallowing up everything as in the past was now itself swallowed up by the grace of God. Never was there a victory like this.
(4) Easter, therefore, is a day for the blowing of trumpets, the singing of alleluias, the crashing of cymbals, and the beating of victory drums.
(5) This victory has personal implications. It means that a Christian funeral has a note of triumph about it. Of course, the body is dead, but because of the resurrection we know the soul, spirit, or mind of the departed is alive with Christ. There is no need to feel sorry for the deceased. He is more alive than we are.
II. On this Easter day, why are we weeping tears of joy? The Christian answer is, “Because of the assurance of the truth the resurrection brings.”
(1) The resurrection assures us that Jesus is the Christ, Lord and Saviour. If there had been no resurrection, Jesus would have been just a man. Indeed, he would have been considered a martyr to a good cause, but that is all. Now we know for sure that Jesus was more than an ordinary man. True, he was all man, but he was a God-man. On Easter you are sure that this Jesus of the Cross was the very Son of God whose death was a vicarious sacrifice for the sin of the world. Because of the resurrection, we know he shares in the Godhead and is worthy of our worship, devotion, and our very lives.
(2) Easter assures us that good will ultimately overcomes all opposition. Sometimes we wonder whether good is as strong as evil. Easter assures us that life will outlast death. Truth is greater than lies. Love is stronger than hatred. The righteous will finally succeed, and the wicked will come to nothing.
III. Why are we filled with joy?
(1) The resurrection comforts us with the knowledge that we have a living Christ here and now. This was the good news for Mary Magdalene. She came to the tomb which she expected to be filled with a dead body. The empty tomb meant to her only that Jesus’ body was stolen. Then Jesus came to her and called her by name. At once she saw him alive and she rejoiced.
(2) We too can rejoice that Jesus is alive, for it means that we have a living Christ who knows our very name. You are that important, that valuable. It shows his interest and concern in you and what happens to you.
(3) We have a living Christ right now to forgive us. We need forgiveness daily. Without this forgiveness, we get farther and farther apart from Christ. Life gets tied up, and our minds and hearts get into knots of tension. Christ daily comes to us upon our invitation and forgives us and by this forgiveness brings us life and freedom to live as a person.
(4) This living Christ who came to life again on Easter comforts us by his presence. He comes to us and asks our help. Christ asks us this Easter Sunday to be his witnesses. He wants us to go to all the world and tell the good news that death has been conquered, that truth is eternal, that he is really alive. Amen.
Synopsis
Easter makes us shed tears of joy. As in the case of Mary, tears of sorrow are transformed into tears of joy.
I. As Mary was asked on the first Easter, “Woman, why are you weeping?” so we are asked on this Easter Sunday why are we weeping.
(1) These tears of joy result from the victory Christ won over death.
(2) Death is man’s worst enemy.
(3) It took God to gain the victory over death.
(4) Easter, therefore, is a day for beating of victory drums.
(5) This victory has personal implications.
II. We are weeping tears of joy because of the assurance of the truth the resurrection brings.
(1) The resurrection assures us that Jesus is the Christ, Lord and Saviour.
(2) Easter assures us that good will ultimately overcomes all opposition.
III. Why are we filled with joy?
(1) The resurrection comforts us with the knowledge that we have a living Christ here and now.
(2) We have a living Christ who knows our very name.
(3) We have a living Christ right now to forgive us.
(4) He wants us to go to the entire world and tell the good news that death has been conquered, that truth is eternal, that he is really alive.
讲道大纲
复活节叫我们流出喜乐的眼泪。正如马利亚伤心的眼泪变成喜乐的眼泪一样。
甲． 马利亚被问：妇人你为甚麽哭？今天我们也要被问：你为甚麽哭？
（1） 我们流喜乐的眼泪因为基督胜过死亡。
（2） 死亡是人的大敌。
（3） 只有神能打败它。
（4） 复活节就是击鼓庆祝胜利的日子。
（5） 这胜利对个人尤其意义深长。
乙． 我们喜极而泣因为复活真实的确据。
（1） 复活肯定耶稣是基督，是主，是我们的救主。
（2） 复活肯定好人最後必能克胜所有反对的势力。
丙． 我们为甚麽充满喜乐？
（1） 复活安慰我们，叫我们知道活着的基督时刻与我们同在。
（2） 活着的基督记得我的名字。
（3） 活着的基督今天饶恕我的罪。
（4） 祂要我们到世界宣扬好消息，死亡已被征服，真理是永远可靠的，祂是真正活着的主。
Pastoral Prayer:
Almighty Father, for the beauty of the earth, for the joy of living, and for all the good things which are ours, we give you hearty thanks and praise. We are glad for the springtime when all the out-of-doors is awakening to begin anew the process of growth. We rejoice in the blooming flowers, the budding trees, the singing birds, and the thousand voices that proclaim the fact that spring is in the air. But even more do we rejoice in the fact that above and beyond this manifestation of life at our feet there is within us a life that is eternal and everlasting. Father, be gracious unto us and quicken this divine life so that we may be raised up in the image and likeness of the Man of Galilee, the One who was not defeated by death but came forth from the open tomb to live forever with you.
Merciful Father, separate us from all false delusions and remove from us all vain desires so that the life of the Son of God may have full sway within our hearts. Kindle anew within us the joy of your salvation. Grant unto us the joy of finding the stone rolled away from the tomb of our dead selves. May the discarded garments of all our vain desires be left behind as mute evidence that we have been released from all that hampers and restrains.
O Lord God, grant that this life of faith may become a growing power, able to surmount all barriers, re-creating itself in the hearts of men and women of every race and every creed. In the providence of God, may all the difficulties that delay the coming of your day be removed, so that your spirit may exercise its full power over death and destruction. May the voice that was once stilled be heard again in amplified form, and may the message of salvation, declared on Calvary’s mountain, find prophets to declare it. So, may the kingdoms of this world become indeed the Kingdom of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
We pray for our parishioners well being. We pray for May Wong’s recovery from her flu last Sunday and that her coarse voice be resumed to normal. We pray for Bruce Newman’s safe travel as he is vacationing in Florida now. We thank you Lord for Wudi’s mother who’s heart valve repairs itself naturally and does not need a heart surgery. We thank you for our life together with Xu Dunqi and Zheng Xiangfei who have spent several months worshipping with us during their stay in Ottawa last year. Next week they are flying to Vancouver to stay with their other children and grand children. We ask for your continue blessings for their future. We pray for Mu Ai’s smooth delivery this week as she is expecting her baby to be born in a few days. We thank you for the baptism of Huo Yan and David Li this morning. May their new life in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior find abundance and fulfillment in your Kingdom.
Now teach us to pray as you once taught your disciples how to pray… Amen.
Sermon Date: 2009/4/10
DATE: 2009/4/10
Good Friday Evening Service
SERMON: Meaning of the Cross
講道題目: 十字架的意義
For a long time in Christian history there was a quest to define the meaning of the Cross.
I. So there arose the traditional theories of the atonement.
(1) There was the ransom theory (suggested by early church fathers like Irenaeus, Origen, Augustine, and others), which held that the death of Jesus was a payment to Satan to obtain the release of mankind from hell, where man was sentenced for the sin of Adam.
(2) In the eleven century Anselm, in his satisfaction theory, the first systematic theological statement of the atonement, interpreted that Christ’s death met God’s requirements of punishment of man for his sins.
(3) There was also the moral influence theory (suggested by Abelard), which said that Christ’s death moves man to moral transformation, thus making him acceptable to God.
(4) A more modern view of the Cross is that Christ’s suffering reveals the suffering God experiences because of the sins of the world.
(5) Preceding all of these ideas is Paul’s declaration, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (II Cor. 5:19). Paul stressed not how or why but what God had worked through Christ, acknowledging the overwhelming place of the Cross in the work of Christ: “”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.” (Gal. 6:14)
II. We should always be seeking to find the meaning of the Cross, and we should appreciate and apply the rich insights about the Cross which our fathers in the faith have passed on to us. But the need now is not so much for the defining of the meaning of the Cross as it is for the understanding and accepting the meaning of the Cross.
(1) The Cross means that Jesus is greater than all the powers that oppose him. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (I Cor.1:18)
(2) The Cross made it forever clear that we are precious to Christ. God so loves us that he gave his only begotten son to us. (John 3:16)
(3) The Cross tells us the principle of sacrifice. The role of suffering is the means by which Christ manifests his dedication to save us. Thus He furthered the Kingdom of God in the world.
Amen
Synopsis
For a long time in Christian history there was a quest to define the meaning of the Cross.
I. So there arose the traditional theories of the atonement.
(1) There was the ransom theory
(2) There was the satisfaction theory
(3) There was the moral influence theory
(4) There was the suffering God theory
(5) Paul’s declaration, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” precedes all the theories.
II. But the need now is not so much for the defining of the meaning of the Cross as it is for the understanding and accepting the meaning of the Cross.
(1) The Cross means that Jesus is greater than all the powers that oppose him
(2) The Cross made it forever clear that we are precious to Christ.
(3) By his sacrifice Jesus furthered the Kingdom of God in the world.
讲道大纲
自基督教历史开始以来，人不断的寻求十字架的定义。
甲． 於是开始了古典的赎罪论
（1） 付赎金的理论
（2） 满足神要求的理论
（3） 道德感动人的理论
（4） 上帝受苦的理论
（5） 保罗说：神在基督里，使世界与祂复和。
乙． 今天我们应少谈十字架的定义，而多谈明白和接受十字架的意思。
（1） 十字架表示耶稣胜过一切对抗祂的权力。
（2） 十字架清楚的告诉我们，在神的眼中，我们非常宝贵。
（3） 藉着基督的牺牲，把天国带到人间。
Pastoral Prayer:
Let us pray, brothers and sisters, for the holy church of God throughout the world that God may guide it and gather it together so that we may worship God in peace and tranquility.
Almighty and eternal God, you have shown your glory to all nations in Jesus Christ. Guide the work of the church. Help it to persevere in faith, to proclaim your name, and to offer salvation to people everywhere.
Let us pray for our pastors and other lay ministers, for all servants of the church, and for all the people of God.
Almighty and eternal God, your Spirit guides the church and makes it holy. Strengthen and uphold our pastors and our leaders; keep them in health and safety for the good of the church, and help each of us to do faithfully the work to which you have called us.
Let us pray for those preparing for baptism, that God may make them responsive to God’s love and give them new life in Jesus Christ.
Almighty and eternal God, you continually bless the church with new members. Increase the faith and understanding of those preparing for baptism. Give them a new birth as your children. Keep them in the faith and communion of your holy church.
Let us pray for those who do not believe in Christ, that the light of the Holy Spirit may show them the way of salvation.
Almighty and eternal God, enable those who do not acknowledge Christ to receive the truth of the gospel. Help us, your people, to grow in love for one another, to grasp more fully the mystery of your Godhead, and so to become more perfect witness of your love in the sight of all people.
Let us pray for those who do not believe in God, that they may find the God who is the author and goal of our existence.
Almighty and eternal God, you created humanity so that all might long to know you and have peace in you. Grant that, in spite of the hurtful things that stand in their way, all may recognize in the lives of Christians the tokens of your love and mercy and gladly acknowledge you as the one true God of us all.
Let us pray that the almighty and merciful God may heal the sick, comfort the dying, give safety to travelers, free those unjustly deprived of liberty, and rid the world of falsehood, hunger, and disease.
Almighty and eternal God, you give strength to the weary and new courage to those who have lost heart. Hear the prayers of all who call on you in any trouble that they may have the joy of receiving your help in their need. We ask this through Christ our Savior. Amen.
Good Friday Evening Service
SERMON: Meaning of the Cross
講道題目: 十字架的意義
For a long time in Christian history there was a quest to define the meaning of the Cross.
I. So there arose the traditional theories of the atonement.
(1) There was the ransom theory (suggested by early church fathers like Irenaeus, Origen, Augustine, and others), which held that the death of Jesus was a payment to Satan to obtain the release of mankind from hell, where man was sentenced for the sin of Adam.
(2) In the eleven century Anselm, in his satisfaction theory, the first systematic theological statement of the atonement, interpreted that Christ’s death met God’s requirements of punishment of man for his sins.
(3) There was also the moral influence theory (suggested by Abelard), which said that Christ’s death moves man to moral transformation, thus making him acceptable to God.
(4) A more modern view of the Cross is that Christ’s suffering reveals the suffering God experiences because of the sins of the world.
(5) Preceding all of these ideas is Paul’s declaration, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (II Cor. 5:19). Paul stressed not how or why but what God had worked through Christ, acknowledging the overwhelming place of the Cross in the work of Christ: “”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.” (Gal. 6:14)
II. We should always be seeking to find the meaning of the Cross, and we should appreciate and apply the rich insights about the Cross which our fathers in the faith have passed on to us. But the need now is not so much for the defining of the meaning of the Cross as it is for the understanding and accepting the meaning of the Cross.
(1) The Cross means that Jesus is greater than all the powers that oppose him. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (I Cor.1:18)
(2) The Cross made it forever clear that we are precious to Christ. God so loves us that he gave his only begotten son to us. (John 3:16)
(3) The Cross tells us the principle of sacrifice. The role of suffering is the means by which Christ manifests his dedication to save us. Thus He furthered the Kingdom of God in the world.
Amen
Synopsis
For a long time in Christian history there was a quest to define the meaning of the Cross.
I. So there arose the traditional theories of the atonement.
(1) There was the ransom theory
(2) There was the satisfaction theory
(3) There was the moral influence theory
(4) There was the suffering God theory
(5) Paul’s declaration, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” precedes all the theories.
II. But the need now is not so much for the defining of the meaning of the Cross as it is for the understanding and accepting the meaning of the Cross.
(1) The Cross means that Jesus is greater than all the powers that oppose him
(2) The Cross made it forever clear that we are precious to Christ.
(3) By his sacrifice Jesus furthered the Kingdom of God in the world.
讲道大纲
自基督教历史开始以来，人不断的寻求十字架的定义。
甲． 於是开始了古典的赎罪论
（1） 付赎金的理论
（2） 满足神要求的理论
（3） 道德感动人的理论
（4） 上帝受苦的理论
（5） 保罗说：神在基督里，使世界与祂复和。
乙． 今天我们应少谈十字架的定义，而多谈明白和接受十字架的意思。
（1） 十字架表示耶稣胜过一切对抗祂的权力。
（2） 十字架清楚的告诉我们，在神的眼中，我们非常宝贵。
（3） 藉着基督的牺牲，把天国带到人间。
Pastoral Prayer:
Let us pray, brothers and sisters, for the holy church of God throughout the world that God may guide it and gather it together so that we may worship God in peace and tranquility.
Almighty and eternal God, you have shown your glory to all nations in Jesus Christ. Guide the work of the church. Help it to persevere in faith, to proclaim your name, and to offer salvation to people everywhere.
Let us pray for our pastors and other lay ministers, for all servants of the church, and for all the people of God.
Almighty and eternal God, your Spirit guides the church and makes it holy. Strengthen and uphold our pastors and our leaders; keep them in health and safety for the good of the church, and help each of us to do faithfully the work to which you have called us.
Let us pray for those preparing for baptism, that God may make them responsive to God’s love and give them new life in Jesus Christ.
Almighty and eternal God, you continually bless the church with new members. Increase the faith and understanding of those preparing for baptism. Give them a new birth as your children. Keep them in the faith and communion of your holy church.
Let us pray for those who do not believe in Christ, that the light of the Holy Spirit may show them the way of salvation.
Almighty and eternal God, enable those who do not acknowledge Christ to receive the truth of the gospel. Help us, your people, to grow in love for one another, to grasp more fully the mystery of your Godhead, and so to become more perfect witness of your love in the sight of all people.
Let us pray for those who do not believe in God, that they may find the God who is the author and goal of our existence.
Almighty and eternal God, you created humanity so that all might long to know you and have peace in you. Grant that, in spite of the hurtful things that stand in their way, all may recognize in the lives of Christians the tokens of your love and mercy and gladly acknowledge you as the one true God of us all.
Let us pray that the almighty and merciful God may heal the sick, comfort the dying, give safety to travelers, free those unjustly deprived of liberty, and rid the world of falsehood, hunger, and disease.
Almighty and eternal God, you give strength to the weary and new courage to those who have lost heart. Hear the prayers of all who call on you in any trouble that they may have the joy of receiving your help in their need. We ask this through Christ our Savior. Amen.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Sermon Date: 2009/4/5
DATE: 2009/4/5
SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 19:28-40
SERMON: Walk with God and cry out for Christ
講道題目: 與神同行向主歡呼
Apart from Easter, no day is more joyous than Palm Sunday. Yet we hear other noises sounded in this event of Christ’s life. Luke tells us that when Jesus entered the city, some of the Pharisees urged him to keep his disciples quiet. Then Christ answered in the words of the text which seem strange even to this day. “Jesus said, I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”(Luke 19:40)
The words reveal that underneath all of the outward commotion, Jesus saw something else. He knew that time was running out. There were decisions which had to be faced and made. Is there really anything in the Christian faith that is as urgent as Jesus expressed it?
I. There is urgency in the fact that your life is always changing one way or the other. Every day character is in the process of becoming better or worse. There is urgency about the direction in which it is going. How urgent it is that we look to those things that make for an expanding, unfolding life as against the things that close it and keep life from its fullness.
II. There is urgency in our personal relationships. They do not stand still either. If we are really acclaiming Christ in our hearts today, it could well lead us to re-evaluate the way in which we have given ourselves or neglected ourselves in the basic relationships of life.
III. There is urgency to acknowledge our walk with God. Today is Palm Sunday. It marks the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. People were waving palm branches to welcome him. Christians should do the same today even though the unbelief world tried to stop us from doing so. Those who walk with God can not help it but to cry out their salvation from Jesus Christ. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin.”(I John 1:7) Thank God that since we are saved we have fellowship with God. Before, we merely had fellowship with people. People could be selfish, hypocritical and unintelligent. They hurt us more then they comfort us. But having fellowship with God gives us the assurance of love and heavenly benedictions. Many Christians lose sight of this blessing. We are too occupied with relationships in worldly things. Even though we spend time with God, it becomes nominal and superficial. We only ask what we want in our prayers and don’t bother to wait for an answer. We don’t worship in spirit and in truth. Thus we never experience the joy, peace, grace and blessedness. To have real fellowship with God takes certain pre-requisites. If we can not speak from heart to heart with God, there must be some obstacles which have to be cleared out of the way. Light and darkness; holiness and filth; honesty and deceit etc. are contradictory terms. If we still walk in darkness, filth and deceit we can not walk with God. Only when we walk in true light and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit we can walk with God. If our life, deeds, thoughts and words were not in accordance with God’s word in the Bible, we are walking in darkness. Especially when we know we have sinned and we don’t want to confess our sin, God’s fellowship can not prevail, not to mention fellowship with other Christians. No wonder when the world stops us from crying out for Christ we become silent.
IV. The need to shout for joy for Christ has hope in it. Why was it so urgent that Christ should be proclaimed? It was because in him God was bringing a new life, a new way of living, a new world for the sons of men. The alternative to Christ’s way becomes unthinkable, so God confronted us with the decision in the clearest way possible in One who came and said, “Follow me.”Surely it must have been the very grace of God that made it possible for all of us to understand the answer to the urgent decisions with which we are confronted. To see the hope that is in Christ means that we cannot keep silent, for even the stones would cry out.
Amen
Synopsis
The Pharisees urged Jesus to keep his disciples quiet. Then Christ answered in the words of the text which seem strange even to this day. “Jesus said, I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”(Luke 19:40)
I. There is urgency in the fact that your life is always changing one way or the other.
II. There is urgency in our personal relationships.
III. There is urgency to acknowledge our walk with God.
IV. The need to shout for joy for Christ has hope in it.
To see the hope that is in Christ means that we cannot keep silent, for even the stones would cry out.
讲道大纲
耶稣荣耀的进耶路撒冷，人们夹道欢迎。法利赛人对耶稣说："夫子，责备你的门徒吧！" 耶稣说："我告诉你们，若是他们闭口不说，这些石头必要呼叫起来。"（路19：40）
甲． 有一种催逼告诉我们生命每一刻都在改变中。
乙． 有一种催逼叫我们正视人的关系。
丙． 有一种催逼要我们立志与神同行。
丁． 向基督欢呼包含了一个盼望。
当我们看见基督给我们希望时，我们不能闭口，否则石头也要呼叫起来了。
SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 19:28-40
SERMON: Walk with God and cry out for Christ
講道題目: 與神同行向主歡呼
Apart from Easter, no day is more joyous than Palm Sunday. Yet we hear other noises sounded in this event of Christ’s life. Luke tells us that when Jesus entered the city, some of the Pharisees urged him to keep his disciples quiet. Then Christ answered in the words of the text which seem strange even to this day. “Jesus said, I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”(Luke 19:40)
The words reveal that underneath all of the outward commotion, Jesus saw something else. He knew that time was running out. There were decisions which had to be faced and made. Is there really anything in the Christian faith that is as urgent as Jesus expressed it?
I. There is urgency in the fact that your life is always changing one way or the other. Every day character is in the process of becoming better or worse. There is urgency about the direction in which it is going. How urgent it is that we look to those things that make for an expanding, unfolding life as against the things that close it and keep life from its fullness.
II. There is urgency in our personal relationships. They do not stand still either. If we are really acclaiming Christ in our hearts today, it could well lead us to re-evaluate the way in which we have given ourselves or neglected ourselves in the basic relationships of life.
III. There is urgency to acknowledge our walk with God. Today is Palm Sunday. It marks the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. People were waving palm branches to welcome him. Christians should do the same today even though the unbelief world tried to stop us from doing so. Those who walk with God can not help it but to cry out their salvation from Jesus Christ. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin.”(I John 1:7) Thank God that since we are saved we have fellowship with God. Before, we merely had fellowship with people. People could be selfish, hypocritical and unintelligent. They hurt us more then they comfort us. But having fellowship with God gives us the assurance of love and heavenly benedictions. Many Christians lose sight of this blessing. We are too occupied with relationships in worldly things. Even though we spend time with God, it becomes nominal and superficial. We only ask what we want in our prayers and don’t bother to wait for an answer. We don’t worship in spirit and in truth. Thus we never experience the joy, peace, grace and blessedness. To have real fellowship with God takes certain pre-requisites. If we can not speak from heart to heart with God, there must be some obstacles which have to be cleared out of the way. Light and darkness; holiness and filth; honesty and deceit etc. are contradictory terms. If we still walk in darkness, filth and deceit we can not walk with God. Only when we walk in true light and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit we can walk with God. If our life, deeds, thoughts and words were not in accordance with God’s word in the Bible, we are walking in darkness. Especially when we know we have sinned and we don’t want to confess our sin, God’s fellowship can not prevail, not to mention fellowship with other Christians. No wonder when the world stops us from crying out for Christ we become silent.
IV. The need to shout for joy for Christ has hope in it. Why was it so urgent that Christ should be proclaimed? It was because in him God was bringing a new life, a new way of living, a new world for the sons of men. The alternative to Christ’s way becomes unthinkable, so God confronted us with the decision in the clearest way possible in One who came and said, “Follow me.”Surely it must have been the very grace of God that made it possible for all of us to understand the answer to the urgent decisions with which we are confronted. To see the hope that is in Christ means that we cannot keep silent, for even the stones would cry out.
Amen
Synopsis
The Pharisees urged Jesus to keep his disciples quiet. Then Christ answered in the words of the text which seem strange even to this day. “Jesus said, I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”(Luke 19:40)
I. There is urgency in the fact that your life is always changing one way or the other.
II. There is urgency in our personal relationships.
III. There is urgency to acknowledge our walk with God.
IV. The need to shout for joy for Christ has hope in it.
To see the hope that is in Christ means that we cannot keep silent, for even the stones would cry out.
讲道大纲
耶稣荣耀的进耶路撒冷，人们夹道欢迎。法利赛人对耶稣说："夫子，责备你的门徒吧！" 耶稣说："我告诉你们，若是他们闭口不说，这些石头必要呼叫起来。"（路19：40）
甲． 有一种催逼告诉我们生命每一刻都在改变中。
乙． 有一种催逼叫我们正视人的关系。
丙． 有一种催逼要我们立志与神同行。
丁． 向基督欢呼包含了一个盼望。
当我们看见基督给我们希望时，我们不能闭口，否则石头也要呼叫起来了。
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