二○二一年五月十五日／十六日
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續談「持定使命 進新領域」
周曉暉牧師
我們當儆醒，因為一不留神，教會就變成不再「為基督而存在」，只懂為了確保自身的生存或壯大名聲而存在。
上世紀初，宣道會先賢陶恕牧師就直斥當代的教會「呆若木雞、心安理得地一直發楞下去，甚至自視為奉行上帝的旨意，只懂守著前人留下的功業。」 1 教會作為基督的身體，自然就是為了基督而存在。因著基督降世的踐行——為了世界，而走進世界；與世界和解，並救贖世界——今天的教會也都是「為了世界而存在（exists for the world）」。故此，這世界未得聞基督福音的角落，需要教會進到其中。
大家都知道，教會必須既是「入世」（in the world），又是「出世的」（not of the world）；既分別開來，卻又非隔絕。一提到入世，有人會以主基督「道成肉身」來形容進到世界的服事形態。的確，教會倘若以此為典範，就不能靜態地打開教會的大門等世人進來。反而，今天的教會應該要走進網絡，讓信徒走出門外，務求在這歷史時空中，用盡各樣的知識和智慧，把福音帶給患得患失的社群。
教會本質上是一個宣教群體（missionary congregation），這群體領受了主所託付的使命。換言之，教會所有的踐行，都離不開其使命。但今天的福音派，有著令人懊惱的現象，或許就是游離了所領受的使命而不知。
陶恕也批評當時走在時代尖端的教會，他說：「（這些教會）雖追上時髦，卻流露不出半點永恆、聖潔、屬靈等氣質。上面並沒聖靈的印記啊。」 2 先賢留下的字句，至今仍對我們說話。走進世界時，若過分偏重社群的需要，處處遷就未信者的心情，雖說能與社群接軌，卻無法「分別開來」繼續作一個有力的宣教群體。同時，教會只求和諧、或極力融入主流文化，就有可能犧牲或淡化了真理的宣講。
來看看主耶穌。祂來到地上，生為猶太人，祂雖與當代的人「同氣」，明白當時大多數人的呼聲，但祂卻不就必然和他們「同聲」。反而，我們看到祂一再挑戰該社群的主流價值觀和求存之道，也從不偏離走上十架的使命。
今天，北宣家要儆醒地持定使命，不容自己有怠惰或放軟手腳的心態。同時我們要互相守望，在進新領域之時緊靠聖靈，不致反被今天的思潮或文化所同化。
1 陶恕（A. W. Tozer）:《轉戰時刻》（This World: Playground or Battleground?），葉瑞蓮譯（香港：宣道，2019），頁 42。
2 同上。
Pastor's Sharing "Steadfast Mission in New Horizons" Continued
Rev Arnold Chow
We need to be watchful. Otherwise, the church will be existing just for the sake of existence and reputation and no longer "existing for Christ."
At the beginning of the last century, Christian and Missionary Alliance mentor A W Tozer has rebuked the church in his time: "A few churches accept fossilization as the will of God and settle down to the work of preserving their past – as if it needed preserving." 3 Naturally, the church as the body of Christ exists for Christ. As Christ came to save the world, Christians go into the world to reconcile people to God. So the church today also exist for the world, which needs Christians to bring the gospel to the unreached.
We all know that the church must be in the world but not of the world. The church is set apart from and yet not separated from the world. The church’s being in the world can be likened to Christ’s incarnation to carry out His ministry. Indeed, if the church takes this as an example, it will not passively wait for people to come in through church doors. It will go online and send believers into the world to bring the gospel to the lost using all the knowledge and wisdom available to the church.
The church, by nature, is a missionary congregation. It is entrusted with the mission by the Lord. And the mission will be the goal of everything the church does. It is possible that the problem confronting the evangelical church today has stemmed from the church unknowingly departing from this goal.
Dr Tozer also criticized some of the churches of his day for standing at the forefront of the times, saying that they seek to appear modern but 'after a fashion they are, but the creatures of their creative skill are … lacking in the qualities of eternity – holiness and spiritual dignity. The hallmark of the Holy Spirit is not there.' 4 These words still speak to us today. When we go into the world and stress too much on the needs of the community, giving way to unbelievers' sentiments, we will be on the same page with them but cannot be set apart as an efficient missionary congregation. When the church only stresses harmony or only mingles with mainstream culture, it may sacrifice and dilute teachings of the truth.
Let's look at our Lord Jesus. He came to earth, was born Jewish. He was on the same page with His contemporary counterparts and knew what they wanted, but He not necessarily voiced their demands. On the contrary, He time and again challenged the mainstream values and survival means without ever departing from His redemptive mission.
Today, the NPAC Family needs to be watchful and steadfast in our mission. We need to make sure that we are not lazy nor lax. We need to watch out for one another. We need to fully depend on the Holy Spirit when pressing ahead into new horizons. This way, we will not get assimilated into popular thoughts and culture.
3 Tozer, A.W., This World: Playground or Battleground?
4 Ditto.
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