——張國晟 牧師（1/13/2013）
講道經文：以弗信書四章一節Sermon Text: Ephesians 4:1
讀經：提摩太前書六章九至十二節Scripture: 1Timothy 6:9-12
幾個星期前，我們再次慶祝了另一個元旦。一大早，人們還頭昏腦脹，睡眼惺忪，茫然透過百葉窗，看見陽光照耀，迎來了2013年的早晨。年復一年，元旦年年如一。上了年紀的人才會感歎，歲月催人老。
我們常常做新年決志，希望新年實行新計劃。但沒有幾個人能持之以恆，達成目標。人人都有新年新希望，都希望有一個成功的開始，都希望新的一年會帶來好運。事實上，新希望與新決心之間區別甚遠。新一年的決心是要去達成一個目標，但心願僅僅是個夢罷了。
我們每個人都有夢想，有些夢想可能永遠無法成真，有些卻讓我們猜測不到結果。你是否也曾試圖追夢呢？我有。我好多次從夢中醒來，嘗試再入夢鄉，想知道那好夢如何收場，但從未能如願。如果夢中你在擁吻你的心上人，你必不想從好夢中醒來吧？一但醒了，就無法再重回同一個夢境。生命也是如此，充滿了夢想及破碎的希望。不論如何，我們總是在新年許願。希望一年比一年過得更好。
不過，每個人對成功的定義會因價值觀不同而異。
你對成功的見解如何？ success：s-u-c-c-e-s-s
1.
Self-made man 白手起家的億萬富翁；2 ultimate fame—名譽；3 center stage in everything眾人的焦點；4 cultured有文化；5 educated受過高等教育；6 super star socialite超級明星社交名媛；7 supreme power in politics有政治權力？
社會對成功的定義是以「自我」為中心。一個人做事通常是以自我作出發點。現實生活中，自私自利是天經地義的。在目前這個世界上，有動機和野心去達成目的是沒有錯的，但單為追求自我成功的結果，往往是空虛的。
我們不應該在追求世俗的成功過程中，忽略其他生命中更重要的事情。當一個人沉迷於任何追求，就算是有益的東西，都很可能被所追求的事物所奴役，尤其是金錢，名譽和權力。保羅對年輕的提摩太說：「但那些想要發財的人，就陷在迷惑、落在網羅和許多無知有害的私慾裡、叫人沉在敗壞和㓕亡中。貪財是萬惡之根。有人貪戀錢財、就被引誘離了真道、用許多愁苦把自己刺透了。」（提摩太前書6:9-10）保羅告誡那些自己想致富的人，而不是那些靠自己努力，並通過上帝祝福而富有的人。有錢人往往也追求那些需要大量金錢交換的東西。為了致富，人很容易地陷入魔鬼的誘惑和陷阱。貪財的人與貪財之人同行。通過各種手段賺錢。 “貪財是萬惡之根”。易得的財富縱容肉體的情慾，你常聽到的那些性醜聞主角，不都是些有錢有權之人嗎？
魔鬼用世俗的輝煌和榮耀誘惑耶穌：“你若俯伏拜我、我就把這一切都賜給你。”（太4:9）但耶穌拒絕了，他說：“當拜主你的神，單要事奉他。” 魔鬼要你崇拜錢財，不要落入他的圈套，因為聖經清楚地說：“你們不能又事奉神，又事奉瑪門。”（太6:24）
亞伯拉罕是一個非常富有的人，但他的心不貪錢，他也沒有試圖賺更多的錢。他的一生是尋求遵行上帝的旨意。大衛王是一個有名氣和實力的人，但他謙卑在神的面前，把一切信心建立於上帝。我們先前已經提到過富裕，名聲，權力，文化，教育是世俗對於成功的定義。就其本身而言，這些東西不是壞的，也是許多人定位為成功的象徵。但我們一但將這些美好的事物當神去事奉時，就不好了。
這正是保羅的意思，這些誘惑使信心軟弱的人落入陷阱。即便是成功者，也當傾聽保羅的建議：“你要囑咐那些今世富足的人，不要自高，也不要倚靠無定的錢財；只要倚靠那厚賜百物給我們享受的上帝。” (提摩太前書6:17）以適當的角度去看待世俗的成功，不要傲慢。一切向神獻上感恩。不要被無止境的慾望沖昏了頭。放下那些世俗的追求，單單仰望上帝。
做為一個基督徒，我們應該在新的一年該設立什麼樣的目標呢？我們應該志存高遠，設定崇高的目標，但要非常小心“成功”的定義！一個基督徒的成功取決於把上帝放在第一位。
成功的應該是這樣拼寫的：
S.主權的神，大'S'是第一位的
u. 小u，你
C. 不再做主宰
C. 不再是中心
E. EL大的El'神
誰統治S.救主
S. 至尊主在你的生活
聰明的人如所羅門箴言中寫道： 你要專心仰賴耶和華， 不可倚靠自己的聰明， 在你一切所行的事上都要認定他， 他必指引你的路。 (箴言 3:5, 6)
保羅如此定義成功：“我們若活著、是為主而活．若死了、是為主而死．所以我們或活或死、總是主的人。”（羅14:8）做一個神喜悅的人就是成功的基督徒。所以弟兄們、我以神的慈悲勸你們、將身體獻上、當作活祭、是聖潔的、是神所喜悅的．你們如此事奉、乃是理所當然的。不要效法這個世界．只要心意更新而變化、叫你們察驗何為神的善良、純全可喜悅的旨意。 （羅12:1-2）
吉姆•埃利奧特，一個在南美州的傳教士，曾經說過：“為要得著永恆的東西而放棄今生不可留存的事物、 這人決不是儍瓜。”後來，他犧牲自己被食人族吃掉。他不是傻瓜，保羅也不是，因為他們知道：從此以後、有公義的冠冕為我存留、就是按著公義審判的主到了那日要賜給我的．不但賜給我、也賜給凡愛慕他顯現的人。 （提摩太後書4:8）不要效法世俗的狹窄“成功”定義; 更新自己，依照由上天給予的異象，遵守神的指意，討神喜悅。
English Version: Sermon
1/13/13
Sermon
Title: How do
Christians measure success?
講道題目：基督徒怎樣衡量成功
Sermon
Text: Ephesians 4:1
講道經文：以弗信書四章一節
Scripture: 1Timothy
6:9-12
讀經：提摩太前書六章九至十二節
A
couple of weeks ago, we celebrated another New Year Day. Many woke up from a
New Year eve's party, eyes still groggy, the head was still hurting, dazed to
see the sunlight shining through the blinds, the dawning of 2013. Year after
year, New Year Day seemed so routine one would only mourn the passing of the years when one reaches the monumental age of 40, 60 or 70.
Many
of us make new year resolutions on New Year Day,
but only a few can keep them more than a couple of months. But we all have New Year wishes because the beginning of a
year is a good starting point for any venture. We wish we will be more successful in 2013； we wish New Year will bring us good luck. There is actually a difference between ‘New Year resolution’ and ‘New
Year wish’. Resolution is a determination to
achieve something; a wish could very well be a dream.
We
all have dreams, some of them unfulfilled and some of them lead us to wonder
how they would ever end. Have you ever tried to pursue a dream? I mean literally! I did! Many times when I woke up in the
middle of the night with an unfinished dream, I wanted to fall back to sleep to
see how the dream unfolded but couldn't.
If in your dream you are holing or kissing a loved one, won't you want
it to last a little longer? But after you are awoken
you cannot go back to it. Life is full of
unfulfilled wishes and broken dreams. Nonetheless, we always make new
wishes in the new year；hoping we would be more successful
than the years past.
However,
'success' means different thing to different
people. It all depends on the value system one
has. How do you spell success?
The
world spells success this way:
S.
self-made man；$$billionaire ( emphasis is on ‘Self’ not inherited I made it!)
U
ultimate fame (After that, one
would go after fame; philanthropist recognition)
C
center stage in everything (Want
to get on the lime light of the world stage)
C
cultured (Classy)
E
educated (well respected learned man)
S
super-star socialite ( high society )
S
supreme power in politics (hunger
for power to
control)
There
is one thing that stands out in the way ‘success’ is spelled by the world; the
word is spelled in capital letters led by the all important ‘Self’. Everything that one wants to achieve is
for ‘Self’. There is nothing wrong to have the drive
and ambition to achieve the best in this present
world; but there is a risk of having feelings of emptiness
if success is won with selfish motivations. More
importantly one should not be oblivious
of other more important things in life while pursuing worldly successes. When
one indulges in any pursuit, even in the things that are good, one could easily
be enslaved by the very thing he pursues after. It is especially true with
money, fame and power. Paul had some very good advice for young Timothy, “people who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and
into many foolish and harmful desires
that plunge into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
Some people eager for money have wandered from the
faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1Timothy 6:9-10) Paul warned against
those who ‘wanted’ to get rich; not those who
work hard and are blessed by God with wealth. Those who want to be rich also
have desires for things that only lots of money can buy. In order to gather wealth one can
easily fall into
temptations and traps set by the devil. He may be in the company of
people greedy for money; making quick money by all means. The love of money is
the ‘root’ of all evil. Instant wealth also feeds the lust of the flesh. Sex scandals are often heard of those who have money, power
and fame. Jesus was
tempted by the devil ultimately with the worldly splendor and glory, “All this I will give you if you
will bow down and worship me.” (Matthews 4:9) But Jesus rejected him by saying, “Worship the Lord your God and serve
him only.” The devil wants you to worship
mammon, but do not fall into his trap because the Bible clearly says, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24)
Abraham
was a very wealthy man, but his heart was not greedy for money and he did not
spend all his time in trying to make more money. His
whole life was seeking to do God's will. King David was a man with great fame and power, but was humble before God and trusted in the Lord
for all things. We have mentioned wealthy, fame, power, culture, education as
measures of worldly successes. By itself none of these things is bad. Many of us do pursue them as symbols of
success. But good things can become bad when we make
them gods to worship. That is exactly what Paul meant these things can
present as temptation and traps for people of weak faith. Even when one is
successful in achieving all these worldly pursuits Paul had this advice, "Command
those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope
in wealth which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God who richly provides us with
everything for our enjoyment.＂（1Timothy 6:17) Treat worldly success with proper
perspective; do not be arrogant. Thank God for what you have and what God allows you to
achieve. Do not be intoxicated with the desire to have more; that
would be an endless pursuit. Trust in God instead of in those worldly things
that do not endure forever.
What kind of goals a Christian should have in a new year? We should aim high and set noble
goals, but be very careful how we spell the word success! The success of a
Christian depends on putting God first.
Success
should be spelled this way:
S.
Sovereign God, with a big 'S' comes first
u
small you
c.
cease to Be in charge
c.
cease to be the center
E.
El; Big 'El'—God
S.
Savior who reigns
S.
Supreme Lord in your life
A
wise man like Solomon wrote in the Proverbs, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on
your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your
paths straight (or direct thy paths, KJV).” (Proverbs 3:5-6) This is how
Paul would spell success also, "For none of us lives
to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we
live to the Lord； and if we die, we die to the Lord.
So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.＂（Romans 14:8)
A Christian would consider to have a successful life if God is pleased. Paul
said, "Therefore I urge you, brothers, in
view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as
living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of
worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing
and perfect will." (Romans 12：1-2）
Jim Elliot,
a missionary to South America, once said, “He is no fool who gives up what he
cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.＂He
later died a martyr's death among the cannibals. He was no fool;
neither was Paul, because they knew that there is in store for them the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, will award to them on that day. （2 Timothy 4：8）Do not be
conformed to the narrow definition of worldly success; be transformed to a
heavenly vision of success in pleasing God and doing his will.
The Lord’s Supper
1Corinthians
12:27-13:1
The
church of Jesus Christ is not an institution; it is a living body with many
members.
The
church is endowed with many gifts; each member has a specific God given gift.
(vs
31) But eagerly desire the greater
gifts (28); the same Gk. word used in 14:2; 14:39,
meaning ‘hold
them in high regard’ not asking God for these gifts. Asking God for new gifts is
lacking faith in God’s
judgment. Speaking in
tongue is good because it is a God given gift; but cannot be viewed as the most
important gift to measure spirituality. LOVE is
important in exercising any of God’s gift.
