The Mission: "God's Something Bigger"

Study Notes

The Mission: God’s “Something Bigger” - Sermon Notes

The Mission: God’s “Something Bigger”

Matthew 28:18-20; Colossians 1:19-20

     In several of my sermons in my 8 ½ years at Lake Avenue Church, I have used an illustration to help us envision what God is doing both in our lives and in our world.  I’ve talked to you about the Nine Mile Run Greenway Project in Pittsburg, PA.  The Nine Mile Run area is a stream valley once renowned for its magnificent beauty. But, for a half a century, Nine Mile Run was used as a dumping ground for industrial slag from Pittsburgh area steel mills.  By the mid-1990s, the stream there was no longer flowing and the site was contaminated.  (Show picture.)  At that time, three artists from Carnegie-Mellon University proposed a big mission with a big vision:  They proposed that the entire area, which had generally become viewed as wasteland, be re-developed into a sustainable environment of public green space. Their proposal, though it would be difficult to accomplish, was adopted both by the university and the city of Pittsburgh.

     In their proposal, there were several guiding principles:

1. Not re-starting but renewing -- They did not want to destroy what was there and start all over.  Instead, they wanted to reclaim the life and beauty that had been abused for so long and build on what was still there as their foundation. So, they went in and discovered immediately over 120 forms of plant life that had survived the slag.  The existing life was there starting point for development.
2. Not from a distance but personal engagement – They wanted all participants to make a commitment to being personally involved.  That meant they all knew they would have to enter into the smelly, ugly and filthy industrial waste area to do the work they were assigned to do.  And they knew they would have to continue to be involved in a hands-on way each step of the project.
3. Not cosmetic but transformational -- Their vision was all-encompassing of the area.  They had no interest in simply changing a few things or in short term external beautification.  They were after transformation.  Therefore, they knew the project would not be done overnight but would require a long process.  IOW:  Once they entered in, they would have to stick with it for the long haul.

     So, the three art professors put a project team from Carnegie-Mellon University together.  The team consisted of a broad range of professions: studio artists, scientists, historians, landscape architects, botanists, urban planners and engineers.  Over 20 years have gone by since they proposed the plan. There were countless snags and obstacles but the team had a clear vision and they saw it through to completion.  What they did has turned the slag of a wasteland into a place of wonder.  (Show picture here.)

     The Nine Mile Run Greenway Project is a parable for what God is doing both in our world as well as in our lives.  God himself is the artist who has a plan for our lives and for the world.  Jesus, God’s Son, entered personally into this world that had been created as beautiful.  But the ongoing “slag” of human sin that has been pouring into our world ever since Genesis 3 has marred the beauty of God’s creation.  But, like those artists in Pittsburgh, God has chosen not to destroy what has become polluted in his world but to take what is and re-make it into some thing that is new and beautiful again.  God has personally entered into our world and is ready to enter personally into our lives to do his work. 

     Here’s my point: God is involved in a big mission that he knows is a long process.  But he will complete it.  When God is done, your life and mine will be made beautiful.  The world God created will be even more beautiful again.  And, over the next few months here at LAC, we will be focusing on the remarkable truth that God has called us to be a part of the team to bring about his mission.  When we receive Jesus into our lives, we become a part of something bigger.

     Our mission as a church is to play whatever role God would have us play in his mission. As I walk through this with you today, I hope you will be able to make sense out of a lot of what we do here at LAC.  Here’s how we have stated our understanding of our role in God’s mission:  Following Jesus, we participate in God’s reconciling work by making disciples of all peoples and generations (Mt 28:18-20; Col 1:19-20).

     In the moments that we have together, I want to consider 1) how this sense of mission affects our church as a whole and 2) how I pray it will affect your life personally.

#1:  God’s Mission and Lake Avenue Church

    “We participate in God’s reconciling work…” 

     How do I help you grasp how this phrase guides us here at LAC?  I think the best way is to consider two beautiful biblical terms, i.e., justice and reconciliation.  The way the Bible uses them is not always how we use them in our world so let me walk you through them.

     Term 1: Justice = when everything is right.  In both the Old and New Testaments, in both Hebrew and Greek, the term justice speaks of everything being the way God has intends them to be.  The term “justice” is central to God’s character because everything God does, is and asks is “right”.  We may not always be able to see that at the time, but we trust God to do what is good and right specifically because he is just.  As we know, since sin entered our world in Genesis 3, nothing in this world has been completely just – except God.  Everything in our lives and in our world is affected to some extent by sin.  But, God’s mission is to make everything right.  Psalm 9:7ff – The Lord has established His throne for judgment, and He will judge the world in justice... The LORD also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble… 

     So, it’s absolutely clear to us all that, right now in our world, everything is not perfectly right.  Amen?  But, God’s mission is to reclaim the perfection and beauty of his creation – all evil punished, all suffering ended and even death abolished. Earlier in the service, I had us read Rev 21:1-5a & 22:1-5.  Both passages speak of what creation will be like when God completes his mission.  It will be a kingdom of “justice” because, when God is done with his mission, everything will be made right. 

     Do you believe it?  But now: How do we get from where we are to where God says we will be?

     Term 2: Reconciliation = the process that leads to justice.  Reconciliation is a rich term of restored relationship.  When I think of it, I think of it in these ways:

• Reconciliation is taking what is broken in God’s creation and bringing it together.
• Reconciliation is taking what is hostile in God’s creation and bringing about peace.

     The foundation of God’s reconciling work is the cross and resurrection of Jesus.  Colossians 1:19-20 – “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Christ Jesus, ^and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

     God promises to take all the messes in this world and to clean them up.  He promises to take all the brokenness in this world and to heal it.  He promises to take all the hostility in this world and to make peace.  Amazingly, God’s main ambassadors/agents of reconciliation work until he is done is people like us placed in community with churches like LAC.  2 Cor 5:18-20 – “God reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”

     It is in the light of this that we declare that our part of God’s mission is: “We participate in God’s reconciling work” – and we do so until God’s justice reigns.  Like the people in the Nine Mile Run Reclamation Project, we who belong to Jesus go into the slag of our world in the name of Jesus and in the power of God’s Spirit in order to call people to faith in God and to bring about his healing and peace.

     With that in mind, listen to me carefully: I am convinced that almost everything we do at LAC should be thought of as a participation in God’s reconciling work until all is made right:

• Evangelism is calling people to be reconciled to God -- and it happens only through faith in Jesus;
• Discipleship is having all that is broken inside us reconciled.  It’s about having all that is messed up, immature and sinful inside all of us (i.e., all our “slag”) being cleansed and healed. Discipleship is about our growth through the power of the Holy Spirit within the nurture of the local church. 
• Community Outreach is about engaging personally in God’s reconciling work in the neighborhood God has put us in.  It’s about us going out and discovering what is not yet right in this community in which God has situated us and then going out in the name of Christ to bring his love and hope.
• Global Outreach is that joy-filled recognition that, when we place our faith in Jesus, we become a part of God’s something bigger, i.e., that God is going to make all things right in all of his creation and we are his ambassadors of reconciliation “to the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8).”

     Bottom line, God has placed Lake Avenue Church in this world to participate in his reconciling work.  We are to do so until that reconciling work is fully accomplished and God’s kingdom of justice reigns.

     All this might help you things we do and the priorities we have here at LAC.  For example, this is why we have asked Jeff Liou to provide pastoral leadership to our outreach in evangelism.  Why? -- Because we know that the good news about Jesus doesn’t change but the way our world understands God’s message has changed enormously in recent decades.  For example: How do we communicate the message of the exclusive claim that no one comes to God the Father except through Jesus into our post-modern world?  This question is central to us as we fulfill our mission.  We know we need pastoral leadership to be able to do this well.

     Our understanding of mission is why we have set aside Mayra Nolan to provide pastoral leadership for our outreach into the needs and brokenness of our community.  We send her to meet with community ministry leaders, with political representatives, with educational organizations – into prisons – to speak, to listen, to learn and then to come back and oversee our work of reconciliation as we reach out into our own neighborhood.  So, if you come someday to see Mayra in her office, quite often she will be (and should be) “out” – that is, she is out doing the job God has entrusted to her as a part of LAC’s mission.

     This is why we recently sent Pastor Scott White to see what role might have us to play in what might be the greatest opportunity for reconciliation ministry in our world in my lifetime, i.e., bringing the gospel of Jesus and the love of Jesus to the 60+ million people in our world who have been displaced from their homes in the past year.  Did you know that they are mostly people who have been labeled “unreached” people, i.e., they are those who have before been very hard to get to with the love and good news of Jesus.

     Specifically, half of Syria’s population has on the move due to the ongoing Civil War there. Over 250,000 have been killed there – primarily civilians. The level of violence and the number of people moving has stunned everyone. The issue is complex but as followers of Jesus, we know our part of God’s mission in this world in which he has put us is to “participate in God’s reconciling work by making disciples of all peoples.”

     You probably do not know this:  Over the last year, Lake Avenue Church has been increasingly involved in this biggest refugee movement since World War II. We have partners assisting in Jordanian refugee camps. We have helped serve in outreaches to refugees in Lebanon. We have hosted meetings for the Church throughout SoCal to pray and discover together ways that the Church might respond. Recently, Pastor Scott returned from a week of interviewing workers in Germany in seeking ways to help link the churches of the U.S with the needs of churches and organizations on the ground in Europe -- seeking to offer a cup of cold water in the name of Jesus.

     Why do we do such things?  This is the mission that we have been given! For us, a Mission Statement is not simply a phrase that we put on a plaque and placed on a wall.  It is God’s call to action – God’s call to be involved in what he is doing in our world.

#2:  God’s Mission and You (Luke 2:52)

“We participate in God’s reconciling work by making disciples…”

     Here, I want to talk with you personally as your Sr. Pastor.  I want you to know that I pray for what God will do not only through your life but also in your life if you are an active part of LAC. 

     So, make note of this: The reconciling work that God is doing in our world is not just about all the messes and injustices and evils out in the world.  It’s also about God cleansing, healing and restoring us personally.  Listen to Col 1:21-22: “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.  But now God has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation…”  How does God do that?

     Do you remember those three principles that the Nine Mile Run Reclamation Project operated by?

1. Not re-starting but renewing – When God calls you to follow Jesus, he never destroys who you are but starts with you where you are and begins to heal and re-fashion you. God reclaims you and begins to restore the distinctive life and beauty that had been abused for so long by sin.  He is ready to forgive your past and to begin to build on the essence of who you are until you become complete – complete in Christ.   As a local church, I want you to know that we are committed to that happening in the life of everyone who comes here.
2. Not from a distance but personal engagement – God has made a commitment to being personally engaged in your life. Those project managers in Pittsburgh knew that transformation doesn’t happen from a distance. God knows that too! And God chose to enter into the smelly ugly and filthy waste areas of our lives caused by sin to do the work he wants to do in us.  And he places churches like ours in neighborhoods so that we can be hands-on with one another, encouraging one another in our walks with God.
3. Not cosmetic but transformational – God’s vision for what he wants to do in you is all-encompassing of your life.  He has little interest in simply changing a few things or in short term external beautification.  He’s after complete transformation.  And when you follow him, you can be sure that God is committed to you for the long haul – until he has finished what he started in you.

     All this kind of growth is what we mean by “making disciples” in our statement of mission.  We’ll be talking about this a lot over the next few months.  And I know that people new to the church have no real idea about what the word means.  And, sadly for many of us long-time churchgoers, when we think about discipleship, we think first about programs and checklists of things we should do.  But, even though discipleship might include some good programs and checklists, what discipleship is about is our growth in Christ.  It’s about God doing his renovating and beautifying work in you.  That’s why I showed you the Nine Mile run Reclamation Project.  Discipleship is about God restoring the beauty of his image in you.  “We participate in God’s reconciling work by making disciples…”

     We’ll be talking to you a lot about the “how” of God’s renewing work in your life.  We will call you to be more faithfully involved in what we call 1) worship, 2) community, and 3) service.  But, today I want to simply put the mission in front of you.

     And I want you to know that what I want you to do in your life is to grow.  Did you know that Jesus grew?  I’ve long been struck by Luke 2:52:  “Jesus grew in wisdom and physical strength, and in favor with God and with people (Luke 2:52).”

     There is a lot that is mysterious about that verse.  At it’s heart is that Jesus was both fully God and fully human.  As a human being, Jesus could not remain a baby in a manger -- or a 12 year old as he was in Luke 2:52.  He did not have to grow in having the effects of sin removed or in his moral strength.  But, look at Lk 2:52 again:  Jesus grew in his inner being – in “wisdom”.  That means that, somehow, he grew more and more in his understanding of who he was and how his Father would have him live.  You and I need that too.  Jesus grew in his physical being too. He was a steward of the physical body he had been given.  And you and I also need to learn to care for all the physical and material parts of our beings. That’s a part of our discipleship too. 

     As your Sr. Pastor, I long for you to grow in both those ways as Jesus grew.  I want you to grow in your inner being -- to know God and His Word.  I want you to grow in such ways that you become free from sins that you feel prone to. I want you to find the freedom from failure and from addiction. 

     And I want you to grow in your outward being too – being a good steward of each part of your life, making wise decisions and using what God gives you in ways that honor him.  Mostly, I want you to grow to love God with your whole heart and to grow to love all people.

      That’s what I long for you.  That’s my sense of our church’s mission in your life – that you will grow to become a fully committed Christ-like disciple who then finds joy in participating in God’s reconciling work through your witness to Jesus and through your life of loving service.  I want you to be a part of something bigger than yourself.  I’ll put it this way: 

Following Jesus, I pray you will participate in God’s reconciling work -- by becoming complete in Christ yourself and then by making disciples of all peoples and generations.

Chinese Translation

God's “Something Bigger” - Sermon Notes - Chinese Translation

在神眼中“更大的使命”

馬太28:18-20； 歌羅西1：19-20

我在湖邊教會八年半的講道中，曾數次提到一個比喻，來幫助我們展望神在我們的生命中和世界上的作為。這個比喻就是賓州匹茲堡的九英裏綠帶工程。九英裏綠帶工程是一條河道，曾以它的壯麗之美而聞名。然而曾經有半個世紀之久，九英裏是個垃圾場，用來堆積匹茲堡附近鋼鐵廠的工業廢渣。九十年代中葉，河道已經枯幹，場地受到汙染。（請看圖片） 那時候，有三位來自卡耐基－梅隆大學的藝術家，提出一個帶有遠見的宏大計劃，就是將公認的垃圾場重建成一個保持生態環境平衡的公共綠地。雖然工程艱巨，但是他們的提議得到大學和匹茲堡城市的采納。

    在他們的提議中，有幾個綱領：

1. 不是重頭開始，而是更新 --他們不要廢掉那已有的從頭開始。而是在原有的基礎上，將長久被濫用之地回收，重新賦予那地的生機和美麗。所以，他們進入那裏就立刻發現了超過120種的植物在廢墟中生存了下來。這些尚存的生命是發展的起點。

2. 不是遙控，而是親力親為 – 他們要求所有參與的人都親自委身其中。也就是說，他們都知道，自己要親自進入臭氣骯臟的工業廢地，去做分派給他們的工作。他們知道，這計劃的每一步都要親自動手。

3. 不是局部的外在改變，而是變革性的改變。 -- 他們的異象包括了整個地區。他們對簡單改造、或短期性的美化外觀不感興趣。他們追求的是變革性的改變。因此，他們知道這項工程不會在一夜之間完成，而是需要一個漫長的過程。也就是說，一旦進入，就要堅持打長久戰。

    所以，三位藝術教授在卡耐基－梅隆大學組成一個工程隊。這個團隊由各個領域的專業人員組成，包括了視覺藝術家、科學家、歷史學家、景觀建築學家、植物學家、城市規劃者以及工程師等。提出計劃之後的二十年過去了，他們經歷了無數的碰壁和障礙，但是團隊有一個清晰的異象，直到完工。他們將一個礦渣荒地變為了奇妙之地。（請看圖片）。

九英裏綠帶工程比喻神在這個世界以及我們生命中的作為。神是一個藝術家，祂在我們的生命中和世界上有一個計劃。神的兒子耶穌親自進入原本造為美麗的世界，然而創世紀第三章記載，因著人類罪的殘渣不斷傾倒在我們的世界中，從而破壞了神創造的美麗。就像匹茲堡的藝術家，神沒有選擇毀掉這個汙染的世界，而是化腐朽為神奇，使它美麗煥然一新。 神親自進入世界，親自進入我們的生命中開始祂的工作。

我的要點是：神介入了一個宏偉的意象，祂知道這是一個漫長的過程，然而祂會成就這項工作。當神作完祂的工之後，你和我的人生就會變得美好。神所創造的世界也就會更加美好。在接下來的幾個月中，我們要專註於神呼召我們參與的事工當中。當我們接受耶穌進入我們生命中的時候，我們就已經成為這個大使命的一部分了。

      作為教會，我們的任務是，做好神在祂的大使命中讓我們完成的角色。今天，當我與大家分享的時候，我希望你能對我們教會的許多事工都有所了解。以下就是我們對於自己在神的使命中角色的理解：我們要跟隨耶穌，並參與神與人和好的工作，在各族與各個世代中訓練門徒。（馬太28:18-20；歌1：19-20）。

      在我們一起服事之時，我想思考兩個問題：１）這樣的使命感如何影響我們整個教會；２）我如何為你禱告，使這個使命真正影響到你的生活。

第一：神的使命與湖邊教會

“我們參與神與人和好的工作．．．．．．＂

      我怎樣才能幫你理解到這個詞語在我們教會中所起的引導作用呢？我想，最好的辦法就是思考兩個美麗的聖經詞語，那就是公義與和好。聖經使用這兩個詞語的方式與世人不同，因此我想帶領大家一起思考一下其中的含義。

      第一個詞語：公義＝一切都正確。在舊約與新約中，在希伯來文與希臘文中，公義就是每一件事都是按照神所定規的方式而行。“公義”是神屬性的中心，因為神所做、所命令的所有事情，以及祂所有的屬性，都是“正確”的。我們可能無法時時看到這一點，但是我們相信，神所做的都是美善和正確的，因為祂是公義的神。創世紀第三章提到，罪進入了世界，這個世界沒用完全的公義，除了神之外。我們生活中和世上的一切，都在某種程度上受了罪的影響。然而，神的使命就是要使一切都回到正確。詩篇9:7-9說：“唯耶和華坐著為王，直到永遠。祂已經為審判設擺祂的寶座。祂要按公義審判世界，按正直判斷萬民。耶和華又要給受欺壓的人作高臺，在患難的時候做高臺。”

      因此很顯然，在我們的世界中，每件事都不是完全正確的，同意嗎？然而，神的使命是將祂的創造更新為完全與美好的 ---- 所有的邪惡都受到懲罰，所有的痛苦都將結束，甚至死亡也被廢除。我們剛剛讀了啟示錄21:1-5 和22:1-5。這兩段經文都談到，當神成就祂的使命之時，祂所創造的世界會是什麽樣子。那將是“公義”的國度，因為當神成就祂的使命時，一切都會是正確的。

      你相信嗎？然而現在，我們如何能從目前的現狀達到神所希望的狀況？

第二個詞語：和好 = 邁向公義的過程。和好是一個含義豐富的、描述恢復關系的詞語。當我想到它的時候，就會想到以下的意思：

•     和好就是將神創造之中破碎的部分重新聚合

•     和好就是為神創造之中互相敵對的部分重新帶來平安

神和好的工作的基礎，就是十字架和耶穌的復活。歌羅西書1:19-20說：“因為父喜歡叫一切的豐盛，在祂裏面居住。既然藉著祂在十字架上所流的血，成就了和平，便藉著祂叫萬有，無論是地上的，天上的，都與自己和好了。”

      神應許要清除世上一切的混亂。祂應許要醫治世上一切的破碎。祂應許要將世上一切的仇恨都化為和平。令人驚訝的是，這個和好工作的使者，就是我們這些被神放在教會之中的人。哥林多後書5:18-20說：“一切都是出於神，祂藉著基督使我們與祂和好，又將勸人與祂和好的職分賜給我們…..將這和好的道理托付了我們。所以我們作基督的使者，就好像神藉我們勸你們一般。”

      藉此，我們可以宣告，我們在大使命之中的職責是，“參與與神和好的工作”，直到神的公義掌權。正如參與九英裏項目的人們一樣，我們這些屬耶穌的人，奉耶穌的名，藉著聖靈的權柄進入世界，為要呼召人們相信神，將祂的醫治和平安帶給世人。

      理解了這些之後，請大家仔細聽：我相信，我們在教會中所做的幾乎每一件事，都應當被視為是在參與與神和好的工作，直到一切都合神心意為止：

•     宣教是呼召人們與神和好—只有藉著耶穌才能做到

•     做主的門徒，就是使我們內在所有的破碎之處都能和解，是使我們內在所有混

亂、不成熟和有罪性的一切（我們所有的渣滓）都蒙潔凈與醫治。做主的門徒，就是我們藉著聖靈的能力，在教會的帶領下不斷成長。

•     社區內的拓展事工，就是在社區之中親自從事與神和好的事工。我們應當去

尋找社區中尚不完全的事情，然後奉基督的名將祂的愛和盼望帶進社區。

•     全球性的拓展事工，就是充滿喜樂地認識到，當我們信靠耶穌的時候，我們就

成為神的大使命的一部分，比如神要將祂一切的創造都變為完全，而我們“直到地極（徒1:8）”都是祂與人和好的使者。

      最起碼，神使湖邊教會在世上參與祂與人和好的工作。我們應當如此做直到和好的工作完全成就、並且神公義的國度執掌王權為止。

      這一切都可能會對我們在教會所做的事工和所設定的優先次序有所幫助。比如，我們請劉傑夫做我們宣教拓展事工的教牧領袖，為什麽呢？因為我們知道，耶穌的好消息不會改變，然而在最近幾十年之中，世人理解神信息的方式卻有很大的改變。比如，在這個後現代的社會中，我們該如何向人們傳遞唯有藉著耶穌才能來到父跟前的信息？當我們履行使命的時候，這是一個很重要的問題。為要更好地完成這項工作，我們需要一位教牧領袖。

      因著對這個使命的理解，我們聘請梅渃·娜蘭成為我們社區的需求與破碎的拓展事工教牧領袖。我們差遣她與社區事工的領袖、政治代表見面，去教育機構、甚至監獄裏談話、傾聽、學習，然後回來監督我們在社區之中的工作。因此，如果你哪天看到梅渃沒有在她的辦公室裏 ---- 許多時候她可能會“出去”，那麽，她就是去做神托付給她的湖邊教會宣教的工作了。

      正因為如此，我們最近差派了斯考特·懷特牧師，看看在我們有生之年，在神與人和好的事工中，能以何樣的角色參與其中，比如，將耶穌的福音與耶穌的愛帶給去年被迫離開家園的六千多萬人。你知道嗎？他們大多數人都是“未得之人”，也就是那些很難聽到福音和被耶穌的愛觸摸到的人群。

      尤其在敘利亞，因著內戰，那裏一半的人口都必須遷移。超過二十五萬人被殺害，多半都是平民百姓。那裏的暴力活動和遷移的人數令人震驚。這個問題很復雜，然而作為耶穌的門徒，我們了解我們在神的大使命之中的工作，祂命令我們“參與與神和好的事工，使萬民成為主的門徒。

你可能還不知道，在過去的一年中，湖邊教會已經越來越多地參與自二戰以來最大的難民遷移工作。我們在約旦難民營有同工在幫忙那裏的事工。我們也幫助黎巴嫩難民的福音拓展工作。我們也主辦了整個南加州的禱告會，一起尋找教會對此作出回應的方式。最近，斯考特牧師從在德國為期一周的招募工人的行程中返回，他此行為要將美國各教會與歐洲教會及機構的需要相連接，為的是奉耶穌的名為他們提供一杯涼水。

為什麽我們要這樣做？這就是神給我們的宣教使命！對於我們來說，使命宣言不僅僅是我們裝裱起來掛在墻上的語句，更是神對我們行動的呼召，是祂在呼召我們去參與祂在世上的工作。

第二：神的使命與你（路2:52）

 “我們通過訓練門徒來參與與神和好的工作......”

在這裏，我想作為你的主任牧師告訴你，我為神的作為而禱告，假如你是積極參與湖邊教會的一分子，那麽求神不單藉著你的生命而作工，也在你的生命之中作工。

因此，請註意這一點：神在世上所做的與祂和好的工作，不只是從世界中逐出所有的汙穢、不義和邪惡，也是使我們每個人自身清潔、醫治和康復的工作。請看歌羅西書1：21-22：“你們從前與神隔絕，因著惡行，心裏與他為敵；但如今他藉著基督的肉身受死，叫你們與自己和好，都成了聖潔，沒有瑕疵，無可責備，把你們引到自己面前。”神是如何成就這些的呢？

你還記得那些在九英裏綠帶工程所經營三個綱領嗎？

1）不是重新開始，而是更新 - 當神呼召你跟隨耶穌時，他從未摧毀你，而是從你的現狀開始，醫治並更新你。神改變你，並開始恢復你那被罪侵害已久的生命，使它回歸為與眾不同的美麗生命。祂已經準備好原諒你的過去，並開始在原有的你之上來建立你，直到你成為完全人——在基督裏成為完全人。我想讓大家知道，作為一個地方教會，我們努力使每一個來到這裏的人都有這樣生命的改變。

2）不是遙控，而是親身參與 - 神應許說，祂要親自參與你的生活。匹茲堡的那些項目經理們都知道，轉變不是從遠處開始發生。當然神也知道！神選擇進入到被罪變得像垃圾一樣發臭、醜陋和骯臟的我們生命的深處，去做祂想要在我們裏面做的工作。而且祂把許多像我們這樣的教會安放在周圍的社區中，當我們與神同行時，就可以與其它教會一起行動，彼此鼓勵。

3）不是改觀，而是變革 - 神讓我們看到的異象是，祂想要全方位地改變你的生命。祂對簡單改造一些次要的東西，或短暫地美化外觀不感興趣。祂要做完全的改變。而當你跟隨祂時，你可以肯定地知道，神對你的委身是長期的 - 直到祂完成了祂在你生命中開始的工作。

我們在使命宣言中所說的“訓練門徒”就包括了這一切的改變。在未來幾個月裏，我們會在這個方面有很多的談論。令人難過的是，對我們很多長期來教會的人來說，當我們想到“做主門徒”的意義時，我們首先想到的是我們事工的項目和清單。盡管“做門徒”可能包括一些很好的項目和清單，然而更重要的是，神在你裏面做更新和美化的工作。也正因如此，我給大家講了九英裏綠帶工程。做主的門徒，就是神在你的身上恢復祂的榮美之形。“我們通過參加做門徒來加入與神和好的工作......”

我們會談到神“如何” 在你的生命中做更新的工作。我們將會呼籲你更加忠心地參與以下幾項活動：1）崇拜，2）社區，和3）事奉。但是，今天我想簡單地將使命擺在你的面前。

我想讓你知道，我希望你所做的事就是靈命的成長。你是否了解耶穌的成長？我一直被路加福音2:52所震撼：“耶穌的智慧和身量，並神和人喜愛他的心，都一齊增長。（路2:52）。”

    這段經文有著很多令人不解之處。它的核心意思是說，耶穌既是完全的神又是完全的人。作為一個人，耶穌不可能一直都是一個待在馬槽裏的嬰兒，或者一直都是路加福音2:52所記載的12歲。祂不需要在除去了罪的影響後或在他的道德力量中成長。請再看路加福音2:52：耶穌的內心在成長 ---- 祂在“智慧”中成長。這意味著，祂在理解自己的位份、以及父神要祂怎樣生活上不斷地成長。其實你和我也都需要這樣成長。耶穌也在祂的肉身中成長。祂是自己的肉身的管家。你和我也需要學習如何愛護我們生命中一切有形的物質部分。這也是我們的做門徒中的一部分。

作為你的主任牧師，我盼望你像耶穌一樣，在這兩個方面都得以成長。我希望你的內心得以成長，從而認識神、並且明白祂的話語。我希望在你的成長中，你能夠從罪的捆綁中得到自由。我希望你能在失敗和難以自拔的罪性中得到自由。

同時，我也希望你在外在行事為人中得以成長，做自己生命的每一個部分的好管家，凡事作出明智的決策，並使用神所賜給你的許多恩賜去榮耀祂的名。更主要的，我希望你在盡心地愛神中成長，以至於能去愛所有的人。

這就是我對你的期望。這是我所理解的你的生命與教會的使命：使你成長為一個完全委身的基督的門徒，藉著你對耶穌的見證和愛心事奉，在參與與神和好的事工中得到喜樂。我希望你能成為超越自身的事工的一部分。我願這樣禱告：

願你跟隨耶穌，使你的生命在基督裏成為完全，使萬民做主的門徒，並藉此來參與與神和好的事工。

榮耀歸給神，

Greg Waybright 博士

主任牧師