A balanced Christian life involves Christ in the center of our lives, reading the Word, prayer, fellowship and evangelism. Having all these in our lives will cause us to be fruitful and fulfilled in our walk with God.
When God saves a person, He places the person in the body of Christ. The body of Christ comprises many parts. Just as any part of the body cannot function fully on its own, the local church brings many Christians together so that a believer can grow, be secure and find his identity and service to the Lord there. One cannot just have a casual relationship with the church where he/she belongs. It must be his base, a place where he can work, rest, rejoice and cry.
Ephesians 1:20-23 (NKJV) which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God the Father and He is the Head of the Church, which is His body. We have now become representatives of God on this earth and different parts make up a body, we have different functions and different giftings.
Ephesians 4:11-16 (NKJV) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
It is important to note that not all believers are in the fivefold ministry (ie. apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers). But God wants every believer to be strong in the supernatural without necessarily being employed in the full-time or fivefold ministry. All believers are already in full-time ministry without realizing it because he or she has a social network of neighbours, friends, work colleagues and relatives which is often greater than that of the preacher. Therefore, it would be sad if the believers only live passively through meetings hoping that the preacher will do all the work. We are joined to Christ who is our Head and if so, we have the power, authority and responsibility to reach out to them as Christ would do if He were here on earth.
God has chosen you to be His ambassador in the community and the nations. You have an important part to play in the body of Christ.
Jesus said in Matthew 28:19 (NKJV), “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” Therefore, Go!
Sermon Series: Jesus Said
耶稣说,“你们要去!”
一个平衡的基督徒生活包括基督在我们生活的中心, 读经, 祷告, 团契和传福音。 在我们生活拥有这一切,会使让我们在与神同行中结出丰硕的果实并得着满足。
当神拯救一个人时, 神就将他放在基督的肢体里面。 基督肢体有很多部分组成。 正如身体的任何肢体不能独自完全运作一样, 地方教会将许多基督徒聚集在一起, 使信徒能够成长, 有安全感, 并在那里找到他的身份认同和对主的服侍。 一个人与她/他所属的教会不是一个随意的关系。教会必须是他的基地,一个他可以工作, 歇息, 喜乐和哭泣的地方。
以弗所书1:20-23就是照他在基督身上所运行的大能大力,使他从死里复活,叫他在天上坐在自己的右边, 21远超过一切执政的、掌权的、有能的、主治的,和一切有名的;不但是今世的,连来世的也都超过了。 22又将万有服在他的脚下,使他为教会作万有之首。 23教会是他的身体,是那充满万有者所充满的。
主耶稣现在坐在父神的右手边, 祂是教会的头, 教会就是祂的肢体。 我们现在已经成为神在地上的代表, 不同的部分组成一个肢体, 我们有不同的作用和不同的恩赐。
以弗所书4:11-16 他所赐的,有使徒,有先知,有传福音的,有牧师和教师, 12为要成全圣徒,各尽其职,建立基督的身体, 13直等到我们众人在真道上同归于一,认识 神的儿子,得以长大成人,满有基督长成的身量, 14使我们不再作小孩子,中了人的诡计和欺骗的法术,被一切异教之风摇动,飘来飘去,就随从各样的异端; 15惟用爱心说诚实话,凡事长进,连于元首基督, 16全身都靠他联络得合式,百节各按各职,照着各体的功用彼此相助,便叫身体渐渐增长,在爱中建立自己。
必须指出, 并非所有信徒都在五重职事的服侍中(即使徒、先知、传福音的、牧师和教师)。 但神希望每个信徒, 无论是否是全职或在五重职事的服侍中, 都能在超自然能力中变得强大。 我们可能尚未意识到, 但所有信徒事实上都已经在全职事工中服侍, 因为他或她的社交网络有邻居、朋友、同事和亲戚的社交网络,这个网络往往比传道人的社交网络要大。 因此, 假设信徒们只是被动地聚会, 寄希望于传道者能做所有的工作, 那将会是可悲的。 基督是我们的头, 我们在基督里联结, 这样,我们有能力, 权柄和责任去触及未得救的人们。 就如同, 假设基督此时此刻在地上, 祂必定做的那样。
神拣选了你作为祂在社区和列国的大使。 你在基督肢体里起着一个很重要的角色。
主耶稣在马太福音28:19里说, “所以,你们要去,使万民作我的门徒…” 所以,你们去吧!
讲章系列:耶稣说