洗禮勉勵 4/15/18: 李牧師
Baptism Exhortation 4/15/18: Pastor Lee
今天我看見在座即將要受洗的弟兄姐妹們很感恩，因為我終於可以正式地稱你們為我主里的弟兄我的姐妹了。我們稱神為我們的阿爸父，所以我們在主里都是一家人。你們是否還記得去年十一月的受洗主日？無人受洗。而今天，我們卻有九位弟兄姐妹受洗。為什麼？我捫心自問。是教會或者我自己在上次太懶惰了呢？還是這次我們更努力為主作工了呢？是不是上次我們不夠忠心呢？還是說因為這次受洗人數增多，我們就顯得忠心了呢？我不這麼認為。我認為這是神的時機。有人撒種、有人澆灌，只有神讓其成長。撒種澆灌的都算不得什麼，只在那叫它生長的神。（林前3:6-7）求神幫助我們，讓我們不要讓世界上那種以成績為導向的工作方式進入到我們的教會。生命的奇跡需要時間、過程、耐心以及堅持。而最重要的是神的恩典—恩典永溢！
在今天之前，我有幸提前讀了你們的見證。我很感動。因為我看到我們恩典的神如何一步一步帶領你們直到今天。作為基督徒，我們不相信好運。你不是運氣好，而是受到神的祝福。你蒙福，是在上帝創世以先在基督里就揀選了你 。（弗1:4）神不願有一人沉淪，乃願人人都悔改。（彼得后書3章9節）你們每一個人都被神所創造、救贖、愛護，就像阿爸父眼中的瞳仁一樣。這就是為什麼祂唯一的愛子耶穌為你們降生到世上。
受洗不是你們信仰旅途的終點。不是說一句：“Yeah！我到了!” 就結束了。相反，這只是一個開始，值得你們一生去追求的激動之旅。最近執委會弟兄姐妹正在讀陶恕牧師（A.W. Tozer）寫的一本書《渴慕神》（“The Pursuit of God”），我想從中引用一句話來教大家如何追求神：
我們嘗了你，噢，生命的靈糧，因此渴慕飽餐你。我們喝了你，那活水泉源，心靈渴想從你得飽足。
在你靈命的成長中，務求更深、更高、更寬。不斷前行，你永遠都不會耗盡神的愛、恩典與真理。去讀神的話語，接受它、順服它、經歷它、活出它！你或許有好幾本聖經，或許有不同版本的聖經，但請記得：聖經不只是要充實我們的頭腦，更是要改變我們的生命。
十字架是神救贖的象征。它也代表了神今天對我們的幫助。十字架有著縱向和橫向兩方面的意義:
（一）縱向的這根：代表了通過耶穌和聖靈我們與神的關係。你們在耶穌的受難與復活中接受了耶穌的愛。祂讓聖靈住在我們心中。祂被稱作真理的靈 –祂將會教導我們、領我們進入真理。去越來越多的經歷耶穌，在神的恩典與真理中成長得更像耶穌。“律法本是藉著摩西傳的；恩典和真理都是由耶穌基督來的。”（約翰1章17節）
（二）橫向的這根：十字架代表了教會里我們之間的關係。弟兄姐妹是你在恩典與真理中神賜下的幫助。我們會愛你們、教導你們、甚至在主里糾正你們。從你們耶穌基督的大哥哥大姐姐們那裡學習。謙卑地接受他們對你們的幫助。如果你們像我這樣有十個弟兄姐妹，你們就會理解，就算有時他們會指使你做這做那，他們依然愛你們。
使徒保羅在寫給哥林多教會的信中這樣說：“你們該效法我，像我效法基督一樣。”（林前11章1節）我相信我們應該運用這個原則。因此，效仿我、效仿弟兄、效仿姐妹、效仿我們所有的人，當我們都效仿耶穌时！你或許會問：“怎麼知道在我們生命中的哪一個領域應該去學習弟兄姐妹們效仿耶穌呢?” 禱告，聖靈會在你屬靈道路上引領你。
但是，不要只是效仿好的例子。也請你們成為被人可以效仿的好榜樣，甚至成為年長弟兄姐妹的榜樣。“不可叫人小看你年輕，總要在言語、行為、愛心、信心、清潔上，都作信徒的榜樣。”（提前4章12節）
成為基督的信徒、門徒和追隨者。這就是“真正基督徒”的意義。讓祂為你們感到驕傲！讓我們、讓整個教會都像耶穌那樣長大成熟！
基督是頭，我們是他的肢體。我們在主里是一家人。歡迎加入基督的身體。我親愛的弟兄姐妹們！歡迎！
Dear brothers and sisters who are getting baptized today,
I am so happy to be able to formally call you my brother and my sister in Christ! Because now we call God our heavenly Father, and that makes us a family of God.
Last Baptism Sunday in November, we had 0, and today we have 9. Why? I asked myself. Was the church (or I) lazy last time? Or did we work harder this time? Were we less faithful last time? More faithful this time just because the number shows up? I don’t think so. I believe it is God’s timing. Some planted the seed, some watered it, "but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." (1 Cor. 3:6-7) God forbid that we let the worldly, result-oriented approach creep into the church. The miracle of life requires time, process, patience, perseverance, and above all, God’s grace—unceasing grace!
Prior to today, I had the privilege of reading your testimonies and was touched by how our gracious Lord guided you step by step till today. As Christians, we don’t believe in luck. You are not lucky—you are blessed, blessed by God’s electing grace in Jesus Christ even before the foundation of the world. God doesn’t want anyONE to perish, but everyONE to come to salvation. (2 Pet. 3:9) Each one of you is created, redeemed, and loved by our Father like the apple of His eyes. That’s why His only begotten Son, Jesus, came for you…
Baptism is not the end of your faith journey, like, "I arrived!" No, it is only a beginning—an exciting journey that is worth a whole life of pursuit. I can’t describe it better than a quote from a book that our Council members are currently reading together called "The Pursuit of God" by A.W. Tozer:
We taste Thee, O Thou Living Bread, And Long to feast upon Thee still: We drink of Thee, the Fountainhead And thirst our souls from Thee to fill. - St. Bernard
In your spiritual growth, go deeper, go higher, go wider, keep going—you can NEVER exhaust the love, the grace, and the truth of God. Read and receive the Word, obey, experience, and live it out! The Bible is not intended to merely inform our heads, but to transform our lives.
A cross is a symbol of God’s salvation, and it also represents His help to us today. There is both a vertical and a horizontal aspect to it:
I. Vertically, it represents God’s relationship to us through Christ by the Holy Spirit. You received Christ’s love in His crucifixion and resurrection, and He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us. He is called the Spirit of Truth—He will teach and lead us into the truth. Experience Him more and more to grow in grace and truth like Jesus. “For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)
II. Horizontally, the cross represents the relationships among us in the church. Brothers and sisters in the church are God's help in your growth in grace and truth. We will love you, we will teach you, we may even correct you in the Lord. Learn from your big brothers and big sisters in Christ. Humbly receive their ministry to you. If you have 10 siblings like me, you will understand that even though it sometimes seems like they are bossing you around, they love you.
In the Apostle Paul’s writing to Corinthian church, he said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Cor. 11:1) I believe we ought to apply this principle as well. So imitate me, imitate him, imitate her, imitate all of us, but only as we imitate Christ! How do you know in which areas of your life you ought to imitate Christ? Pray and the Spirit will give you discernment along the way. But do not only imitate good examples—BE a good example for others to imitate also. “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” (1 Tim. 4:12)
Be a believer of Christ, a disciple of Christ, a follower of Christ. That’s what a “true Christian” means! Make Him proud.
Let us, the whole church, grow in maturity like Jesus ! Christ is the head, we are members of His Body, we are ONE in the Lord! Welcome to the Body of Christ, my dear brothers and sisters! Welcome!
