迎接挑戰 為神國打美好的仗                              

                                         王永信牧師傳講/黃惠蘭筆錄

        迎接挑戰，神使用北美路加傳道會，傳道會的同工給教會帶來新的氣象、新的異象，今天所談的這些，同工所分享的是普通聽不到的，也是教會所應該聽到的。華人教會包括我自己本人受傳統的影響很厲害，合乎時代性需要的題目，例如同性結婚，或像這次研討會所討論的事，講台上我們不常聽到。結果，一般弟兄姐妹、年青人對倫理不清楚，以致於在老師、同學面前立不住腳、同流而去。我們的下一代、下兩代已經受到很大的挑戰，華人教會在這方面要甦醒起來，教會不是關起門來談屬靈、聖經的事，主耶穌要我們把光散發出去。教會裡有許多敏感問題閉口不提，免得被誤會，說太先進，或根本缺乏這種知識與負擔，傳道人不敢講因為我們的知識程度不過。洛杉磯也盼望能夠有這種聚會，這異象正一步一步的擴大。

        教會從十九世紀以來受新派神學的影響，注重社會福音這是橫面。福音派講垂直，相信主，不錯我們注重、加強毫無問題，這是對的，但是我們不能不講人的需要、社會的需要。

        創世記開始神給我們兩方面的使命：福音使命，垂直，人相信神，就是通過耶穌基督相信神。另一個文化使命，橫面。當初神造亞當時，神把天空的飛鳥、海裡的魚類、地上的牲畜，和全地都交給他們管理，第二章十五節，提到神要他們修理看所伊甸園，就是說，不單只是相信神，也有平面的責任，修理周圍的環境，負責管理一切受造之物。所以，把這兩方面加起來，就是教會全部的使命，而最後主耶穌把這兩個歸在一起那就是，愛神與愛人。

        北美路加傳道會的事奉，提醒華人教會在文化使命上的疏忽。對我而言，今天這個會，給我兩方面感覺，也是兩方面的提醒：

第一、屬靈爭戰的重要性：這是我們每天所面對的，但是我們常常扮演鴕鳥的角色，看見問題、危險不去處理、面對，把頭放進砂土裡，以為眼睛看不見就不存在了，這是今天教會可憐的現象，我們失去明恥教戰的勇氣。在屬靈爭戰裏我們不能逃避，就算逃過今天逃不過明天，逃過這一代逃不過下一代，教會今天要面對世界一切的挑戰。

第二、是護教學的一部分，護教學講到信心、信仰，對神的了解、三位一體的了解，我們的責任的了解。護教學裡也談到今天所談的問題、社會的問題、尖銳的問題，弟兄姐妹如何去講，如何保護自己的信仰與立場，我們的信仰是對的，我們的立場也要是對的。

        新舊約作者，除路加是外邦人都是猶太人，他寫路加福音中特別注重幾點，也是我們所要了解的。

一、信仰What to believe 我們信甚麼，路加有他的獨特點，路加是個知識份子，是個醫生、科學家有語言的恩賜，希臘文之美、流利、通順表達是整本新約之冠，包括保羅的書信，就語言來說，路加寫作之美。神藉著他使四福音更完整。

二、路加提到很多方面關於倫理，How to live，我們怎樣生活，對神、對人、對公共的責任有一個交待。

        盼望神恩待路加傳道會，現在只是一個開端，前面還盼望眾教會對北美路加傳道會，首先為他們禱告，其次要鼓勵這個運動，在聖經中神所使用的人都被鼓勵當剛強壯膽，好像摩西鼓勵約書亞過約旦河進迦南，保羅鼓勵提摩太要作大丈夫，他也要哥林多教會在真道上站穩。現在這個運動從灣區開始，希望這不單是一個機構，而是一個運動，能夠廣傳出去，若是這樣華人教會一方面鼓勵他們使他們有力量，力量有很多種，肌肉的力量，肉體的力量不等於是其他力量，參孫的道德力量就差。意志的力量，或心志的力量，哥林多前書15:58「你們務要堅固不可搖動，常常竭力多作主工」，這是心志的力量，才不會被風吹動飄來飄去。有人有肉體的力量沒有心志的力量、道德的力量、信仰的力量，所以保羅提醒哥林多教會務要堅固。

        第三，華人教會對北美路加傳道會的工作，個人方面要全力投入，這個運動遲早需要有全時間的人來做，往前、往更遠更廣來看，靠擠出來的時間是不夠的，求神感動有幾位被神呼召全時間出來推動這個運動的人，這是値得的。當然無論是推動那樣的運動，不但需要人的投入，也需要物質、金錢的支持，若是教會能夠支持路加傳道會，將他們的這個運動放入教會宣教事工與預算，對華人教會前面方向、道路有很大的幫助。求主恩待，很高興，洛杉磯已經盼望我們去，今天只是第一步。

        這幾年我一直在講雙職基督徒，是每個重生得救的基督徒，一方面幫助主的工作，在個人崗位上。在雙職基督徒中，神特別呼召少數的人全時間事奉祂，這兩方面的人合在一起，神的工作就蒙福。有一本小書，“君王與祭司”，祭司是代表全時間傳道人，君王是代表教會的弟兄姐妹、領袖。古今中外屬靈原則相同，君王與祭司要手拉起手來，全心全力的合作，這樣神的工作就可以完成。

 

作者：王永信牧師，十一歲在北京參加宋尚節博士佈道會信主，十五歲就被呼召全時間出來作傳道人。負責大使命中心，最近幾年舉辦推動傳統婚姻，兩年前2005年開始推動禱告運動，美國回歸真神。

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Embracing the challenge, fighting the good fight for the kingdom of God

                        Message shared by Rev Wang/ Translate by Lillian Lai             

Embracing the challenge, this is a new message and vision God has brought to the co-workers at LCMM.  This is a message that is often not preached, however, essential and should be shared in the churches. 

 

The Chinese churches has a strong traditional influence, and due to this reason, many controversial topics such as the same sex marriage, and other issues discussed in our seminar today are often not brought up at the pulpit.  As a result, many believers, young adults are confused on these controversial issues, which render them vulnerable before their teachers and peers.  This dangerous phenomenon – the lack of preparation for the controversial topics, has transcended beyond the current generation to the following generation and the ones to come.  This is a wake-up call for the Chinese churches, that we can no longer shut our doors and discuss only the “spiritual” things or the Bible, instead, Jesus challenges us to “let the light shine through”.  Many pastors/church leaders are afraid to discuss these controversial topics, many of them don’t want to be mistaken as offensive, or maybe there is a lack of knowledge or burden.  Hence, this is the purpose of the seminar today, to share and broaden this vision to the Los Angeles area.

 

Since the 19th century, under the new school of theology, societal care is regarded as a horizontal outreach arm of the church.  In the Evangelical school of theology, the emphasis is on the vertical reach that is on knowing and believing in God, which is crucial in our belief, however, we can not ignore the needs of the people as well as the society as a whole.

 

In the book of Genesis, God has given us 2 commandments, the commandment of the gospel – vertical reach, for people to believe in God through Jesus Christ, and the other commandment of our cultural surrounding  - horizontal reach.  When God created Adam, he had him in charge over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.  In verse Genesis 2:15, God also “placed him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it .”  Which means that one does not simply believe in God, but there is a call of duty for all of us to take care of our immediate surrounding, to care and tend our environment and to be responsible for the all the living creations.  Adding these two together, one can see the commandments for the churches as manifested ultimately by Jesus Christ, that is to love God and to love people. 

One of the ministry of LCMM is to remind the Chinese churches about the important commandment of societal care.  In this seminar today, I am prompted to share with you two important reminders:

  1. The importance of the spiritual battle: This is the challenge we face everyday.  Often times, we rather bury our heads in the sand and pretend that we see no evil and hear no evil – this is a sad phenomenon in many of our churches, we have forgotten the valuable lessons of learning from our past failures.  We can not seek an escape route in fighting a spiritual battle, even if we were to escape today, there will still be tomorrow and the next generation to come.  Now is the time for the churches to standup and embrace the challenges of our society. 
  2. The Apologetics: Apologetics focuses on the faith, belief, the understanding of God the trinity and the understanding of our responsibility as Christians.  Apologetics also touches upon the topics we discussed in the seminar today - the problem in our society, controversial topics, and how to prepare the believers in defending our faith in the midst of relativism that permeates our society today.

 

All the authors of the New and Old testaments are Jewish except Luke, who is a Gentile.  He has placed several emphases in the gospel which we should take note of:

 

  1. What to believe: Luke is a physician, a person with great depth of knowledge and a scientist with the exceptional gift of linguistics especially in Greek.  His smooth writing in the Greek language tops any other writings in the gospels.  God uses his beautiful writings to further aid in the completeness of the other gospels.

 

  1. How to live: Luke talked about many ethical issues, how to live our lives in a responsible manner to God, to others, and to our society.  

My prayer is that God will bless LCMM, as we are in the beginning stage of promoting the movement of societal care, we sincerely need the prayer support of the local churches as well as the support to broaden our outreach ministry.  In the Bible, God’s servants are often instructed to “be strong and courageous”, this is seen as Moses cheered on Joshua when he was about to cross the Jordan River and entering the land of Canaan, as Paul encourages Timothy to be a mature man in Christ, and as Paul encourages the Corinthian churches to stand firm in the truth.  This is the vision which started from the Taiwan region, and we pray that it’s not a mere organizational slogan, but it’s a movement that will spread through all the Chinese churches and to empower them.  This empowerment will be beyond the mere physical strength and will be a strong determination from the heart of every churches as it is written in 1 Cor 15:58 “therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord.”  Having the strong determination from the heart is what prevents us from wavering in the storms, since many people have physical will power, but are weak in spiritual and belief, hence, Paul reminds the Corinthian church to stand firm.

 

  1. LCMM needs support from the Chinese churches and it not only calls for individual part-time commitment, but also full-time commitment from the believers.  As we broaden our vision to the works ahead, putting aside our spare time might not be enough, and we pray that God will move people to commit to this movement as a full-time ministry, for this is a worthy cause.  In addition to the commitment of man power, we also pray for the financial and material support from the Chinese churches, and that many of them will be moved to place LCMM as one of their missions outreach budget.  For this is a positive step forward for the churches.

 

In the past few years, I have preached about the dual-profession roles of a Christian, which is a call for all the believers, for they serve God at church as well as at their own work place.  God calls few people to full-time ministry, and pairing with the “dual-profession” believers, God’s ministry is greatly blessed.  There is a book call “the King and the Priest” – the priest symbolizes full-time ministry worker, the king symbolizes the believers in the church, lay-leaders.  This same truth applies to all of us, that the kings and the priests shall join their hands, hearts, and mind to accomplish God’s work.

 

Author: Pastor Wang, came to Christ at age 11 after the crusade of Pastor Song.  At age 15 he was called to be a full-time minister.  He is in charge of the Great commission center, a proponent of the traditional marriage.  In 2005, he started the movement of praying for the U.S. to turn toward God.