title="English
The Time Has Come
Mark 1:14:20
Do you remember any of the old television shows in which there were multiple parts to a single episode. The follow-up programs would always begin, “In last week’s episode…” Then, an announcer would give us a summary of what had happened so that those who had not watched last week – or those who are forgetful – could understand what’s going on this week.
With that in mind, I’ll begin my sermon this way: In last week’s message, we began to think about how to live the “good life”, i.e., the life God has created us to live. I contended that there are three essential elements to finding the abundant life the Bible speaks of– according to the Gospel of Mark:
#1: The Biblical Worldview: God is working out a plan in this world.
#2: Our Issue: The most important matter in our lives is finding our place in God’s plan.
#3: The Claim: Jesus is the key to finding our place in God’s plan.
And, in last week’s sermon, I pointed out that there are some practical questions that arise each time I preach about this topic, questions summed up quite well in an email message my son Brandon sent me:
How does Jesus introduce people to their places in God's plan? That always seems to be the missing piece for folks like me. The most difficult issue for a 20-something like myself is how in the world we are introduced to that plan.
I’ll tell you right now: This is not an easy question to answer. The entire Bible speaks to it in a variety of ways. However, it does so not so much by giving us a checklist saying, “This is how you do it: 1,2,3...”. Instead, it teaches us how people learn to walk with God by telling us their stories. So, I think this week’s text is a good place to begin to talk about the “how” question. Why do I say this? -- Because this is the week we see Jesus first introducing specific people to their places in God’s plan. In the passage, Jesus first makes a general to everyone to respond to God (1:14-15) and then he shows how four people respond (1:16-20). I’m going to walk us through the text by asking the questions that jump out at me when I read it:
Question #1: What is Jesus’ general call to everyone (1:14-15)? Repent and Believe
What we have in vv. 14-15 is Jesus stepping out a time of isolation and temptation in the wilderness ready to announce his mission in life. It may hit 21st C Westerners as being strange that he doesn’t do it in megacities like Rome or even in Jerusalem but in a rather obscure and often disrespected location called Galilee. This is a bit like a candidate announcing he’s running for president of the USA at a bowling alley in Bluefield, WV -- without any media present. For me, it’s immediately clear that Jesus is going to do things in ways different from the way we usually do them in the world.
What Jesus announces is powerful. Jesus announces that good news from God is beginning. This “good news from God”, as I said a few weeks ago, is announced in the same way a king would have declared a great victory. Jesus is declaring that, into this world in which many other things seem like kings (many other things seem to be in control), the kingdom of God is breaking in. And, this kingdom of God is tied in directly to Jesus – to his life, death, and resurrection. When Jesus’ work on earth is completed, good news will begin to destroy the strongholds in this world that keep God’s goodness, love and justice from reigning.
“The time is at hand!” Jesus declares. Jesus is saying that his coming marks the definitive moment in history. It’s a “kairos-moment” – which means the long-awaited and critical moment God had been planning throughout history. And all people are called not to adopt some new philosophy but to repent and believe. This is Jesus’ own call to decision so I think we should look at his words carefully:
- Repent – a word that means to “turn from” the way we have been living, i.e., to change the course of our lives completely. “Repent” means to turn from a self-centered or world-centered way of thinking and living.
- Believe – a word that speaks of “turning to” a new way of living. For us, the term “believe” is often just something that we have in our minds but it doesn’t necessarily change the way we live. But, in the Bible, how we live shows what we truly believe. “Believe” means we begin to live a life of seeking Jesus and trusting him and his way. As Paul put it, “I no longer live for myself but for him!” This believing is a process – a new way of life -- because the language Jesus used was for process, i.e., “I will make you to become…” That’s what he said. It’s daily repenting of our self or world-directed way of life and trusting him – living Jesus’ way in obedience to him and his teaching.
So, Jesus calls all people to make a decision – an intentional choice no longer to live for self and the world but to believe the gospel and then daily to live by following him. So now: What does that look like in terms of the way we live? Let’s see how it started in the lives of four people:
Question #2: Who is this person who calls and expects people to follow (1:16-20)?
The One who redirects and transforms lives.
Zack Johnson may have put this question more clearly when he asked: “Why? Why did these men follow Jesus? Had they ever met him before? Did he mesmerize them?” And, there is evidence in John’s Gospel that they had previously had some contact with Jesus. But, when we read these verses in Mark, we find the Bible calling us simply to be overwhelmed by the person of Jesus. It seems, on one side, that there must have been some acknowledgement in the hearts of these four men that, as good as their lives were with their family and careers, something was missing. So, when Jesus called, they knew deep down inside that he was the one who was missing. They had to follow him.
Last Tuesday, Pastor Carol Kenyon pointed out that our response to a call like this is always dependent on the way we view the one who is calling. The issue is of authority and respect for the authority. If a judge who will determine our fate in a legal issue calls, those who are wise will obey. Carol said that if we sense the authority of God in a call, we’ll respond immediately. (It was funny in our meeting, that as soon as she said that, my assistant Tiffany came in and called me to my next meeting. I obeyed immediately, of course.)
One of the most important things in this text is that Jesus is the one doing the seeking and calling. In Jesus’ world, students sought out their teachers or rabbis. But consistent with all conversion stories in the Bible, Jesus does the seeking. And, it’s always that way when we come to God. God seeks for us.
C.S. Lewis writes about this in his book, Surprised by Joy:“Amiable agnostics will talk cheerfully about ‘man’s search for God.’ To me, as I then was, they might as well have talked about the mouse’s search for the cat."
When God drew Lewis’ heart to himself, he became conscious of his own sinfulness. "For the first time I examined myself with a seriously practical purpose. And there I found what appalled me: a zoo of lusts, a bedlam of ambitions, a nursery of fears, a harem of fondled hatreds. My name is legion."
Lewis knew he had to “repent”. So, Lewis repented and believed: It was on Sept. 22, 1931 that he said yes to Jesus. It happened on a ride to the Whipsnade Zoo with his brother, Warren. Lewis tells about it in his book: "I know very well when, but hardly how, the final step was taken. I was driven to Whipsnade one sunny morning. When we set out I did not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and when we reached the zoo I did. Yet I had not exactly spent the journey in thought. Nor in great emotion.... It was more like when a man, after long sleep, still lying in bed, becomes aware that he is now awake."
My own experience with God has often been similar to Lewis’. There have been times in which I’ve been just doing what I usually do – and God has broken into my life. I’m not saying I hear audible voices speaking to me – but I do have a deep sense that God is calling me to do something. When that happens, we need to learn to take the first step of faith in his direction. How did that play out with these four men?
Question #3: What does Jesus call these people to do (1:16-20)?
They were called by Jesus to become disciples being made sent to make disciples.
We see Jesus calling two sets of brothers, the Jonas brothers (not the boy band but Simon Peter and Andrew) and the Zebedee brothers (James and John). And his call to find their places in God’s plan included: stepping away from their possessions, their careers, and their families. These are good things – but Jesus had to be given priority over all of them. And notice these things too:
- These four men sometimes returned to their possessions, careers, and families -- when they were not on the journey with Jesus. (We see that later in our studies in Mark.)
- Jesus did not call all people he met to leave these things when they followed him. Indeed, some were sent right back into their homes, careers and families to declare God’s glory.
- And, people often used their possessions and backgrounds as a part of fulfilling Jesus’ call at other points in their lives. What’s clear is that Jesus had to be the Lord over every area of their lives.
So, with that in mind, I’d like to offer a couple of principles for your prayerful consideration:
#1: All Jesus followers are to give Jesus priority over everything in this world -- including career, possessions and family. Practically, for these four men, this meant that they had to leave anything and anyone behind that might otherwise keep them from obeying Jesus’ call. And they had to do it for as long as it would take to obey the task to which he was calling them.
#2: Jesus’s call is a personal call. Therefore, the ways he calls are specific to us – and the tasks to which he calls us differ. He does not call us to do exactly the same roles in life. Some aspects of Jesus’ call upon us are always the same, e.g., to learn from him, to follow him, and to live according to his morals. Otherwise, Jesus deals with us personally just as a wise parent deals with each child according to its specific personality.
#3: The call of Jesus is rarely to some huge self-glorifying task – Some people hear a message like this and have a quick emotional reaction. They go home and declare something like, “God has called me to launch a huge hip-hop ministry among retired people in the trailer home parks of Florida!” I say this as a warning. History is filled with people who misread a passage like this one and say, “I’m going to leave my family and do something big!” And they end up only doing damage. Our response to Jesus’ call is to be, “I will now live for Jesus and not for myself…” I tell you: In my personal walk with Jesus, that following often involves many smaller decisions in which I go his way rather than my own. It’s when we learn to be faithful in small things that we often discover the big things.
#4: The call of Jesus always brings you into Jesus-centered community (i.e., the church). It did for these four men and it always has and will. In Jesus-centered community we learn about Jesus, his ways and his mission. We receive support, prayer, encouragement – and sometimes correction. As you sense God calling you (or not calling you) bring others into your concerns, listen to their counsel and pray with them.
#5: The call of Jesus always is a call to serve. The call is to be “fishers of men.” You don’t just abandon something but you do so with a goal – to be involved in God’s mission. “Fishers of people”: The sea was a place of turmoil and uncontrollable forces for the Mediterranean people. In this context, I believe Jesus is saying, “I will give you a life and as I transform your life, I will use you to call others out of places of fear and judgment and into eternal life with God.” Often – very often – God will eventually use our training, experiences, and passions to fulfill his work in and through us. But those are not the main issues. We do not say, “Jesus, here are my gifts and passions. How should I use them?” We say, “Here am I. I am yours. Where will you have me go? What will you have me do?” All disciples are called to be disciples who make disciples. Even as Jesus is transforming our lives, he uses us to lead others to him.
So, I contend that we are all called by Jesus to become his disciples being made sent to make disciples.
Question #4: How do we know what to do when we seek to find our place in God’s plan?
The call of Jesus is always to follow him – always in community – always to serve.
Jesus’ call is always to follow him wherever he leads. So, 1) ask if you are truly open to anything – I mean anything -- he may call you to do. When you find yourself saying, “I’ll do it if…” Then whatever is in that “if” may be something you have put into God’s place.
Then, 2) be faithful in small things. Central to that is becoming a part of a community of people with whom you worship weekly and, among the larger church family, find a smaller group with whom you pray and seek God together. Become the best student of the Word possible. And always serve. Serve at church. And, when you leave church, look to be a blessing to each one God brings across your path. View yourself as being sent to serve. Every appointment is a divine appointment and an opportunity to demonstrate the truth, the goodness and the love of Jesus to those God brings across your path. He will take you through unanticipated experiences and into unexpected places. When we learn to follow him, we find life.
Jesus calls us in ways as personal as the call upon these four men. He says, “I have made you and I have a vision for your glory. I will heal your own brokenness and self-centeredness. And, while I do that, I will send you to bring my healing to others. Follow me – and you will see.
To His glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor
Chinese
這也終將得以糾正:時間到了
《馬可福音》1:14-20
也許你會記得,有些老的電視節目中,每一集裏會有幾個部分組成,而節目開頭經常是這樣:"在上周的節目中......"接著就會有畫外音給我們總結一下上周發生的事件,以便那些上周沒看節目的或忘記了的能明白這周將要發生的事情。
考慮到這一點,我將以這種方式來開始今天的講章:在上一周的信息裏,我們開始考慮怎樣過美好的生活,也就是神造我們在地上要過的生活。根據《馬可福音》,我認為通過三個基本要點可以找到聖經中所說的豐盛的生命。
- 聖經的世界觀:神在這個世界正執行一個計劃。
- 我們的問題:我們生命中最重要的事情是找到我們在神計劃中的位置。
- 主張:只有耶穌可以把我們引到神計劃中的位置上。
在上周的講章中,我指出每當我講到這個話題,就有一些實際的問題冒出來, 在我兒子Brandon 給我的email中,對這些問題做了很好的總結:耶穌怎樣引領人們到神計劃中的位置?那看上去就像我想知道一些被漏掉的傳說的片段——"這是神的計劃嗎?"當事情發生時,我們想說:嗯,既然它發生了,我猜這一定是神的計劃。"這就好像我們覺得在聖經中所看到的可能意味著更革命性的使命感。最難的問題是,如何向我這樣的年輕人宣布這個計劃?
我現在告訴你們,這個問題很難回答。整本聖經以不同的方式說到這一點。然而,它並沒有直接給我們列出一個清單:"你要如何做:1,2,3......"聖經是通過講述故事來教導我們當如何學習與神同行。因此,我認為這周的經文對討論"如何"的問題,是個好的機會。我為什麽這樣說呢?因為這周我們會看到,耶穌當初如何帶領具體的人到神計劃中的位置上。在經文中,耶穌首先告訴我們所有人該如何回應神(1:14-15),接著,祂告訴我們四個人是如何回應的(1:16-20)。我將通過問問題的方式讓我們明白這段經文,而這些問題是在我讀經的時候跳出來的。
問題1:耶穌對每個人的基本呼召是什麽?(1:14-15)悔改和相信
我們在14-15節中看到,耶穌走出去使自己有一個獨處的時間,並在曠野受試探,預備宣告祂生命中的使命。這也許會讓21世紀的西方人有點吃驚,為什麽耶穌沒有在大城市,像羅馬或是耶路撒冷來開始祂的工作,而是在加利利——一個默默無聞的並且經常不受重視的地方。這就好像一個候選人,在West Virginia的Bluefield的保齡球場宣布他準備競選美國總統——沒有任何媒體在場。對我而言,顯然耶穌做事的方式與我們通常做事的方式不同。
耶穌的宣告是有力量的。耶穌宣告從神而來的福音是個開始。這"從神而來的福音",就像我幾周前所講的,是與一個國王宣布一場偉大勝利的方式相同。耶穌宣布,神的國進入這個看似一切都在正常運行的世界之中。神的國與耶穌直接相關——與祂的生命、死亡和復活相關。當耶穌在地上的工作完成後,福音便開始摧毀這世界上阻礙神的善、愛和公義的堡壘。
耶穌宣布:"時間近了!"耶穌是在說祂的到來標誌著歷史的最後時刻,這是神的重要時刻——這意味著神在歷史中一直在計劃著的、長久期待的決定性時刻。所有人並非被召要接受某種新的哲學,而是悔改和相信。這是耶穌自己的呼召,所以我們應該仔細看看祂自己的話:
- 悔改——它意味著從我們已經習慣的生活方式中"轉離"。也就是,徹底改變我們的生活進程。"悔改"意味著從自我為中心或世界為中心的思維和生活方式中轉離。
- 相信——它意味著"轉向"新的生活方式。對我們而言,"相信"這個詞,常常表示只是在我們頭腦中的某些東西,並不需要我們改變自己的生活方式。但是,在聖經中,我們如何生活,就表明我們真的相信什麽。"相信",意味著我們開始活出一種尋求耶穌和信任耶穌及其道路的生活。正如保羅所說:"我不再為自己而活,而是為祂而活。"這"信"是個過程—一種新的生命方式——因為耶穌使用的語言表明一個過程。例如,"我將使你成為。。。"他就是這麽說的。就是對自我及屬世的每日悔改——變成信他的生活——活在耶穌的道路中,順服祂及祂的教導。
因此,耶穌呼召所有人都做一個抉擇——一個有意識的選擇:不活在自我或屬世中,而要相信福音,每天跟隨祂而活。現在:關於我們的生活方式看上去像什麽呢?讓我們看看生命在四個人的生活中怎樣開始的:
問題2:誰是那個呼召並期望人們追隨的人?(1:16-20)那個使我們的生命有目的、並改變我們生命的人。
Zack Johnson的發問會使這個問題更明了:"為什麽?為什麽這些人要追隨耶穌?這些人以前遇到過他嗎?是他們被催眠了嗎?約翰福音中有記載顯示他們此前曾接觸過耶穌。但是,當我們讀《馬可福音》時發現,聖經呼召僅僅要求我們被那個叫耶穌的人征服。看來這四人心中對耶穌都有所了解,他們知道自己家庭與生活中缺失了什麽。所以當耶穌呼召時,他們內心深處明白耶穌就是他們生命中缺失的那部分。他們必須追隨耶穌。
上周二,Carol Kenyon牧師指出,響應這樣一個呼召取決於人們對呼召者的看見,關鍵是看其權柄和對這一權柄的認同。如果在法庭案件中,將要決定自己命運的法官有呼召,聰明人一定會選擇服從。Carol認為,如果人們能夠了解呼召中神的權柄,一定會立即回應。 (可笑的是,在我們的會議中,我的助手Tiffany一進來告訴我要去下一個會議,我就當然立即服從了。)
經文告訴我們其中一件至關重要的事情——耶穌既是尋找者也是呼召者。在耶穌時代,人們尋求老師或拉比。聖經中貫穿的所有有關轉變的故事的,都是耶穌在尋找。我們所有的人都以這個模式歸向神:神在尋找我們。
C. S. Lewis在他的書《惊喜》中寫到:那些和藹可親的不可知論者談論"人們尋找上帝"的喜悅。對我而言,他們好像在談論"老鼠尋找貓"。
當神使Lewis的心轉向祂時,他開始認識到自己的罪。"我第一次認真地查驗自己。結果使我震驚:充滿情欲的動物園,充滿妄想的瘋人院,充滿恐懼的保育室,充滿仇恨的後宮。我的名字叫'群'"
Lewis知道自己必須悔改。所以Lewis悔改了、信了:那是1931年9月22日,他向耶穌說Yes。這發生在他與兄弟Warren前往Whipsnade動物園的路上。Lewis在書中這樣寫道:我非常清楚這一切發生的時間,但是卻難以說清過程。一個陽光明媚的早晨,我開車前往Whipsnade。當我們出發時我還沒有信耶穌是神的兒子,而當我到達動物園時就信了。我並沒有一路都在思想或經歷情感上的巨變。這更像一個人睡了一個長覺後,依然躺在床上,卻意識到自己醒了。
《使徒行傳》第9章中,使徒保羅的轉變經歷與Lewis的見證何其相似。一天,保羅為一件逼迫基督徒的案子從耶路撒冷前往大馬士革,那時他還不認識主。作為一個拉比,他無疑對神的信仰有熱心。但耶穌進入他的生命時,叫他悔改並信祂。當保羅開始行程時還不是耶穌的追隨者,當他到達大馬士革時卻已經是了。(使徒行傳9:1-20)
而我的經歷也一樣。曾幾何時,當我與以往一樣在做一些事的時候,神進入了我的生命。我並沒有聽見什麽聲音向我說話——但我的確深深地感受到神的呼召,要我去做什麽。當這發生時,我們需要學習向祂的方向邁出第一步。聖經中的四個人是如何做的?
問題3:耶穌呼召這些人來做些什麽?(1:16-20)?他們被呼召,成為了耶穌的使徒,並且被差遣去成就更多的使徒。
我們看到耶穌呼召兩對弟兄,西門彼得和西門的兄弟安得烈,西庇太的兒子雅各和雅各的兄弟約翰。耶穌呼召這兩對弟兄,找到神為他們安排的位置,來成就神為他們所安排的計劃,這包括舍棄他們所擁有的一切產業、他們的事業和他們的家庭。雖然事業和家庭都是好的,但是必須要把耶穌放在所有一切的首位。我們也要註意下面這些:
- 當這四個人在沒有和耶穌一起時,他們有時會回到他們的產業、事業和家庭中去。(我們可以在後面的學習中看到)
- 耶穌並沒有要求所有跟隨祂的人舍去一切。事實上,有一些人被馬上派遣回了他們的故鄉、事業和家庭,去宣告神的榮耀。很明顯,大部分跟隨耶穌的人並沒有被要求放棄所有的一切。
- 並且,耶穌的追隨者們往往會在生命的旅程中,使用他們所擁有的和他們的背景來完成神對他們的呼召和使命。但是,耶穌必須成為他們生命每個層面中的王。
除了以上所提及的之外,我在這裏給你們提供幾個值得考慮的原則:
- 每一個跟隨耶穌的人都要把耶穌放在一切的首位,這包括事業、財產和家庭。事實上,對於這四個人耶穌的使徒來說,這意味著他們要舍棄一切阻擋他們跟隨耶穌的人和事,並且一直持續到他們完成所被呼召的使命。
- 耶穌的呼召是針對個人的呼召。因此,祂所呼召的方式是單單針對個人,每個人的使命也因此不同。祂沒有叫每個人在生命中都做相同的角色。耶穌呼召中的有一些層面是相同的,那就是向祂學習,跟隨祂,按照祂的道德準則去生活。除此之外,耶穌對待我們就像一個有智慧的家長,根據孩子的不同個性來對待每個孩子。
- 耶穌很少會呼召我們做一些巨大的"榮耀自我"的任務——有一些人聽到耶穌呼召的信息時,可能感情上會產生強烈反應。他們回到家後會馬上宣告說:"神對我的呼召是讓我到佛羅裏達去給住在拖車公園裏的退休人士們創辦一個街舞的事工!"我說這些是給你們一個警告。歷史上很多人錯誤地理解了呼召的含義而說:"我要離開家去做一些大事。"到後來他們只是給別人帶來了傷害。我們對耶穌呼召的反應應該是,"我會為耶穌而活,而不是為我自己而活。。。"我可以告訴你們:在我個人與耶穌同行的經歷中,通常涉及一些小決定,從中可以看出我是走耶穌的道路,還是走我自己的道路。當學會在小事上信靠時,我們常會發現大道理。
- 耶穌的呼召通常會把你帶到以耶穌為中心的社區(如教會)。在《馬可福音》中,被耶穌呼召的四個人就是這樣做的。在以耶穌為中心的社區裏,我們學習耶穌,並了解祂的道和祂的使命。我們可以在教會中得到支持、代禱和鼓勵, 並且得到一些對我們有益的糾正。當你感覺到耶穌在呼召你(或不是在呼召你)去對任何人或事有負擔的時候,你可以把你的考慮帶到教會社區裏,聽聽別人的想法和建議,並和他們為這事一起禱告。
- 耶穌的呼召通常是呼召你的事奉。呼召你成為"得人的漁夫。"你需要為一個目標而舍棄,而不是盲目地舍棄,那就是在教會中參與神的事工。得人的漁夫:大海對於地中海一帶的人來說是一個充滿混亂和危險和地帶。 在那個背景下,我相信耶穌是在說,我會給你一個新生命,並且來轉變你的一生,我會使用你來幫助別人,把他們從恐懼和審判中帶出來,進入一個和神在一起的永生。通常,神會使用你的背景、經歷和激情,並通過你來完成神的事工。但是那些並不是主要問題。 我們並不是說,"耶穌, 這是我的天賦和激情。 你要怎樣用它們?"我們要說,"我在這裏,我為你所用。你要我去哪裏?你需要我做些什麽?"每一個耶穌的使徒都被呼召去發展和成就更多的使徒。在耶穌轉變我們生活的同時,祂使用我們來帶領更多的人到祂的面前。
所以,我力求,我們都響應耶穌的呼召,成為祂的使徒並培養更多的使徒。
問題4:我們怎樣知道要怎麽做來找到神為我們安排的位置?耶穌的呼召就是要我們跟隨祂,在社區的環境裏服侍。
耶穌的呼召就是要我們跟隨祂的帶領, 1)問問你自己,是不是真正地可以放手做任何祂可能會叫你做的事情。當你發現你自己說,"我可以在這些情況下做。。。"那麽,你可能把你所考慮那些情況放在了神的位置。2)在小事上忠實。忠實的中心是成為神家中的一分子,和教會的朋友們一起做每周崇拜,在教會的大家庭裏找到能在一起學習聖經和禱告的小組。花時間去學習神的話語。在神的道裏,盡可能成為這道的好學生。總是在服事。在教會服事。而且,當你離開教堂,成為神放在你生命中每個人的祝福。把自己當做神派來服事的。對那些神放在你人生道路上的人,每一次相遇都是神所安排,是一次可以彰顯基督的真理、善良和愛的機會。祂會帶你通過預計以外的地方而到意想不到的地方。當我們學習跟隨祂,我們就會找到生命。
耶穌以個人的方式來呼召我們,就和祂呼召這四個人的方式一樣。祂說,"我創造了你,我有一個為你的榮耀的願景。我必醫治你的破碎和以自我為中心。而且,當我這樣做的時候,我會派你來把我的醫治帶給別人。跟隨我,你就會看到。
祂的荣耀,
格雷格Waybright博士
主任牧師
Greg Waybright • Copyright 2012, Lake Avenue Church