牧者心聲
祈求復興 顯揚香氣
周曉暉牧師
2023 年 10 月 7 日 / 8 日
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不同地方有不同的氣味，醫院有消毒的氣味，圖書館有書本的氣味，游泳池有氯的氣味。你的家會有自家的氣味，教會也會有獨特而熟悉的氣味。
我們年題的下半句「顯揚香氣」，是出自哥林多後書二章14節：「感謝神！常帥領我們在基督裡誇勝，並藉著我們在各處顯揚那因認識基督而有的香氣。」
當我們真實地經歷福音的大能，主基督的福音就會在我們生命裡，如香氣般滿溢出來，是旁人都能感受得到的。
記得多年前，每年12月，教會康澤副堂二的門口，在玻璃門內，會擺放一棵真的聖誕樹。今天，因著人們對環境保護的理解增多，已很少教會這樣做了。
那時，每次從平台走進玻璃門，都會立刻聞到整個入口所飄逸著的聖誕樹天然木香。這種香味彷彿提醒人主耶穌降世福音的美好，也成為了一代人對於教會氣味的記憶，那是教會美好成長的年日。
今天，我們的生活，會飄逸出怎樣的氣味？
哥林多後書十三章5節上半節，新漢語譯本是這樣翻譯的：「你們要察驗自己是否在信仰中生活」。當我們不是基督的信仰中活著，相信我們是無法散發基督的香氣的。
當時，保羅為哥林多教會的道德、信仰和人事問題而憂心。他曾寫信，也親身前去幫助哥林多教會，希望他們的信仰能重回正軌，但是困難重重。後來，保羅從提多聽到哥林多教會的悔改，令他得著喜樂。
當然，北宣家並不是哥林多教會。感謝神帥領北宣家走過71個年頭，透過忠心愛教會的牧者、同工、領袖和弟兄姊妹在這個家中和睦同心，彼此尊重，叫北宣家逐步養成今天的氣質。
我們固然不像哥林多的信徒，但我們可以一起聆聽哥林多後書的信息，並與保羅有相同的禱告，在71週年之際為北宣祈求：「並且我們所求的，就是你們作完全人。」（林後十三9下）
「作完全人」的原文也有「復原」、「復興」的意思。這幾年外在世界的反常，把我們生命中的問題掩蓋起來。此刻，除了信仰生活復常外，實在需要主再一次復興我們。
這一季，就讓我們透過神的話語，察驗自己是否在基督信仰中生活。杜漸防微，讓我們的香氣不要變質，又在各處顯揚因認識基督而有的香氣，並單單高舉基督我主。
Different places often give out different scents. Hospitals have the smell of disinfectants. Libraries have the smell of books. Swimming pools have the smell of chlorine. Your home also has its distinct smell. The church, too, has its unique, yet familiar, scent.
The second half of our yearly theme this year is “Spread the Aroma.” It comes from 2 Corinthians 2:14: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. ”
When we have truly experienced the great power of the gospel, the gospel of Christ the Lord will be present in our lives like an outflow of aroma, which other people can feel.
I still remember that years ago, just inside the entrance to Side Hall 2 of the Main Church, the church used to put up a real Christmas tree behind the glass doors in December every year. Today, most churches do not do this anymore because of more understanding of environmental protection.
At that time, as soon as we entered through the glass doors from the podium, we would smell the natural scent of wood from the Christmas tree that filled the air. The fragrance seemed to remind us of the goodness of the gospel that Christ the Lord has come to earth. It also formed a sort of collective memory for believers of that generation about our church. Those were good days of the church’s growth.
Today, what kind of scent do our lives give out?
2 Corinthians 13:5a goes like this: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. ” I believe there is no way we can spread the aroma of Christ when we are not in the faith.
At that time, Paul was worried about the ethics, faith and personnel issues surrounding the Corinthian church. He wrote epistles and also travelled to the Corinthian church in person to help out the congregation, hoping that their faith would be restored to the right path. But difficulties abounded. Later, Paul heard from Titus that the Corinthian church had repented, which filled him with joy.
Of course, the NPAC family is not the Corinthian church. Thank God for leading the NPAC family through 71 years. Through pastors, staff, leaders and brothers and sisters who are faithful, who love the church, who have lived in this family in harmony with mutual respect, the NPAC family has gradually developed the temperament we know today.
We are certainly unlike the believers in Corinth. Still, we can heed the message in 2 Corinthians together and pray the same prayer that Paul prayed for NPAC on our 71st anniversary: “this we also pray for, that you be made complete” (2 Corinthians 13:9b, NASB). In the original language, “be made complete” also means “be restored” and “be revived.” The abnormality of the external world in the past few years has covered up the issues in our inner lives. Now, besides resuming normalcy for our faith life, we indeed need the Lord to revive us once again.
In this quarter, let us examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith through the word of God. Let us act before it gets too late so that our aroma will not turn bad. Let us spread the aroma of the knowledge of Christ everywhere. Let us lift up Christ our Lord alone.
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