牧者心聲
生命之道策動創新承傳
鄧頌翹牧師
2022 年 11 月 5 日 / 6 日
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「⋯⋯這生命之道，我們聽見了，親眼看見了；是的，我們已經看見，而且親手摸過。這生命出現的時候，我們見到了；因此，我們向你們見證，並傳揚那原來與天父同在、而且已經向我們顯現了的永恆生命。我們把所看見、所聽見的也傳給你們，好使你們能跟我們共享團契；這團契就是我們跟天父和他的兒子耶穌基督所共有的。我們寫這些是要讓我們大家的喜樂滿溢。」（約壹一 1-4 節，現代中文譯本）
若說使徒約翰過了一個創新承傳的人生，他也確實是當之無愧。從年輕時在革尼撒勒湖邊被耶穌呼召，直到年老時寫下「本書記載耶穌基督的啟示」（啟一 1）的書卷，約翰因為認識了耶穌，他的人生也就闖進了新領域，他由專業漁夫轉變為傳基督福音的使徒。初時他是徒弟，從耶穌身上學習新視野、領受新命令；然後，他成了師傅，「把所看見、所聽見的也傳給你們」，他肩負了承傳的任務，把耶穌的教導傳遞給後來信主的人。
我們跟約翰雖來自不同的背景和時空，然而卻同樣有著創新承傳的信仰歷程。這令我想起小時候看卡通片——普通男孩幻像自己化身為警惡懲奸的超級英雄，鄰家女孩則夢想自己變身成美麗善良的魔法天使，大家都想像著一個跟原本的自己截然不同的創新身分。原來變身並不是那麼天馬行空，因為信主的人就好像是經歷過變身那樣，得到一個新生命，得到嶄新的力量效法基督過活。然後，我們也像約翰一樣，把這生命之道傳遞給其他人。我們身為信徒群體的成員，也肩負了承傳的任務，要使屬靈家裡的新生代，能夠共享我們跟天父和祂兒子耶穌基督所共有的團契。
身為北宣大家庭的一分子，你和我更有主基督為了使我們實踐創新承傳所預備的豐盛恩惠，北宣的七個屬靈傳統：
1. 謙卑者才可以蒙恩；
2. 和睦同心，彼此尊重；
3. 施比受更為有福；
4. 一切以神為中心；
5. 以真理教導為本；
6. 信心認獻；
7. 愛教會；
正是我們邁向創新的基礎。
屬靈的承傳驅動著北宣人無論此地彼岸、線上線下，都堅持敬拜上主。我們放膽向上主祈求，願祂賜給北宣靈巧和智慧去開拓佈道及牧養的機會，並且叫我們憑著主的愛，培育新生代的信徒，使我們在這世代中、家庭裡、工作上都活出基督的模樣。
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete." (1 John 1:1-4)
The Apostle John had indeed lived a life inheriting the legacy and bringing forth the new. From his youth when he was called by Jesus beside the Sea of Tiberias to his old age when he wrote "The revelation from Jesus Christ" in the Book of Revelation (1:1), John has entered new horizons ever since he came to know Jesus. He turned from a professional fisherman to an apostle spreading the gospel of Christ. He began as an apprentice, acquiring a new perspective and receiving a new mandate from Jesus. Then he became a teacher, proclaiming to people "what we have seen and heard." Shouldering the task of passing on the legacy, he passed on to believers after him Jesus's teachings.
Though we are of a different background, time and space than the Apostle John, we share the same journey of faith that inherits the legacy and brings forth the new. This reminds me of the cartoons I watched when I was young: Ordinary boys would imagine themselves becoming superheroes who punish the wicked and the evil, and typical girls would imagine themselves turning into beautiful and good magical angels. They all think of themselves transforming into a brand-new identity totally different from their original one. Now transformation is not that impossible after all. It really is what believers would experience. They receive a new life with new power to live like Christ. Then, just like the Apostle John, we pass on the Word of life to others. As members of the community of believers, we shoulder the responsibility of passing on the legacy so new generations in the spiritual family can share in the fellowship we have with the Father and the Son Jesus Christ.
As a member of the big NPAC family, you and I have the bountiful grace that Christ our Lord has prepared for us for our passing on of His legacy and bringing forth the new. This is because the seven spiritual legacies of NPAC are our foundation to do so: 1) God gives grace to the humble; 2) Work together in harmony, respecting each other; 3) It is more blessed to give than to receive; 4) God is the centre of everything; 5) Teaching the truth is our basis; 6) Offering by faith; and 7) Love our church. These legacies drive NPAC people, be they here or overseas, online or offline, to insist on worshiping the LORD. Let us pray courageously to the LORD that He may give NPAC shrewdness and wisdom to explore evangelism and pastoring opportunities, and with the love of the Lord, nurture new generations of believers so that we would live out the likeness of Christ at home and in the workplace in this generation.
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