A Church with One Spirit; 同一心志的教會

同一心志的教會

腓立比人書（Philippians 1:21-30)

李加恩牧師

咱教會今天是暑期結束後頭一個禮拜，對這禮拜開始教會將像一部機器開始動起來，全體信徒將像搭乘一部開動的火車，從九月五號今天開動到明年六月廿六日進站休息共四十三個主日，在這個教堂中作伙敬拜上帝，共同領受上帝的恩典。希望到明年大家要下車休息時，上帝給你的恩典是滿滿到有剩。

一進入九月教會就開始無閒，今天主日學校長將告訴我們《如何將腓立比書的真理應用在家庭和學校中》，李牧師很期待所有家長及老師能一起參加。下週有聖餐，全體會友包括小朋友將一起守聖餐，與主相及坐桌；並有盧牧師將主持主日學老師的差派儀式，讓立志要跟隨主的門徒到普天下傳福音，結果子累累。再下個禮拜咱教會有個退休會，有請趙牧師來傳講上帝的信息。他的主題是<挑戰>基督徒如何挑戰自己的信仰？挑戰自己傳福音的熱忱？挑戰自己生活的規律？挑戰自己工作職場的表現？趙牧師曾在田納西的Memphis浸信會牧會九年，一生立志引領二百人信主；他離開後我曾到Memphis教會培靈，對美中地區信徒的熱心留下深刻的印象。九月底婦女團契的聚會也將恢復查考羅馬書十二章，看來九月裡咱大家將大大的在聖靈的引導下，一一接受祂的充滿。你會感覺不知不覺中聖靈的果子：仁愛、喜樂、和平、忍耐、恩慈、良善、信實、溫柔和節制 已結滿在您身上了，感謝主！哈利路亞！

今早上咱用腓立比書 1:5 保羅對腓立比教會說「因為恁對頭一日到今，相及有份佇福音」用這句《同心興旺福音》來做咱教會這季的目標。

腓立比教會是保羅第二次旅行中設立的教會，這是聖神特別指示保羅去設立的教會，「佇特羅亞夜間有異象出現互保羅有一個馬其頓人站著求他說請你過到馬其頓來幫助我們」(Act 16:9) 腓立比城是亞歷山大帝為紀念他的老父腓立比大帝所起照的城，所以命名這個城叫腓立比。腓立比書一般相信是保羅最後的一封信，因他在信中提到「我若著用自己的血做奠祭，抹在恁的信心所獻的祭物，我麻歡喜，麻要及恁作伙歡喜。」(2:17) 保羅好像有預感這是他最後一次公開寫給教會的信，雖然是這樣，這封被稱為「喜樂的批信」卻是在羅馬的監獄寫的。主後六十二年，羅馬皇帝尼祿在羅馬城叫人放火，然後將罪名掛在基督徒身上；很不幸的，初代教會兩個最重要的人物彼得和保羅，都在這場逼迫中殉道。你想想看若是要你在獄中寫一封絕命書，你會怎麼寫？你會用什麼心情來寫呢？所以底下四個禮拜，我們要一個禮拜一章來共同體會這封獄中的批信，保羅是如何在獄中體會基督的疼？如何呈現1.)因認耶穌為至寶而將萬事做糞埽(pùn-sò) (3:8) ？ 2.)明明自己是被人囚禁還要勸人著時常與主結連來歡喜(4:4) 。 到底保羅的秘訣在那裡？咱波士頓教會的信徒若得到這個秘訣，將會是你一生的最大的祝福。因為不管是苦難或是世界上最大的誘惑，都難不倒你，都不能斷絕你與主之間的疼。

腓立比教會有幾個特色咱可學習, 咱今天只講第一個特點：

1. 同一個心志的教會 (1:27)

「就是恁攏用同一個心志站穩(khiā-chāi) ，同心相及為著福音的信仰打拚。」(1:27)

腓立比教會是用同一個心志站穩(khiā-chāi) ，同心相及為著福音的信仰打拚的教會。我在想，保羅今天若還活在世上一定也會讚美咱波士頓教會，因為從起初到現在咱攏用同一個心志站穩 (khiā-chāi) ，同心相及為著福音的信仰在打拚。

波士頓教會是台灣移民者的教會，基本上是一群留學生所建立的教會。這點也跟腓立比教會很相像，腓立比教會也是一群基督徒不分猶太人、希臘人、羅馬人在異鄉所共同建立的教會。這樣的教會有什麼特點？就是沒有包袱。很多人留在國內不會信主是因為包袱很多，特別是漢人的家庭有很強烈的倫理觀念，一層一層地把一個人包裹在裡面；但是在異鄉這些漢人的倫理道德觀已拚不過美洲大陸的基督教倫理。我們教會有很多第一代的基督徒：宋長老、李長老都是在波士頓教會成為信徒，因為謙卑跟隨主成為眾人的模範，受選為長老與牧師執事共同管理這個教會。這就是保羅所說「從起初到現在恁攏用同一個心志站穩(khiā-chāi) ，同心相及為著福音的信仰打拚。」我稱它是同一個心志的教會。

2. 什麼是同一個心志？

保羅為何稱腓立比教會是和他同一個心志？用What、How、When來回答這個問題：

a.What佇什麼事上腓立比教會與保羅同一個心志?

就是佇福音的事工上腓立比教會與保羅同一個心志。真多社團辦起事來未能合一，咱卻能合一，為什麼呢?因為咱佇同一個聖神感動下，為著宣揚福音，聖神一定將同一個感動、同一個心志賞賜互咱。互咱為著同一個目標，大家心神和合，心志專一，為所插的標竿奔跑。這樣才能像馬拉松賽跑一樣，大家或慢或快，都能抵達終點站，得到主的報賞。

b.How用什麼方法來表達咱波士頓教會是一體?

就是咱各人行代誌，著合佇基督的福音(1:27a)

c.When佇什麼時候才與主同工?

就是恁佇何時段任何時間

「互我豈採來見到恁或是離開恁，會聽見恁的代誌。」(1:27b)

3. 如何體現同一個心志？

咱的教會佇暑假中舉行全教會敬拜，對小孩到大人全教會一體，佇同一時間、同一個建築物，全體作伙敬拜上帝，我稱它是全教會敬拜 ─ 體現同一個心志。

全教會敬拜嘛也能講是全人敬拜, 它的特色是對講壇教會的生活到家庭的生活 、學校的生活都佇操練上帝的話。 假設你是一個學生佇波士頓教會出入作禮拜，安尼你的教會生活就是在做禮拜這段時間與信徒互動，相及作伙操練上帝的話。你的這個教會生活當然不只是在教堂而已，週間各團契在信徒家庭中的聚會宣讀上帝的話亦稱是教會生活的一部分。當你在主日或週間禮拜中你從上帝領受祂的話語後，拿來在家庭、學校中活出來，按尼就叫做全教會的全人敬拜。這也是在體現保羅對腓立比教會所說的同一個心志的教會。

你或許會說我已經出業無再佇學校讀冊，按尼這個全教會全人敬拜又是什麼意思？真簡單你就是將學校生活改做自己的社會職業生活，讓上帝的話在你的職業社會生活、家庭生活和教會的生活成一致。以前或許我們將教會生活、學校生活、家庭生活切割成三塊，現在我們將它共同結合在上帝的話語互咱全人活在上帝的話語中。

願這樣一個同一心志的教會，能為你帶來信心與勇氣與波士頓教會眾信徒在一起奔跑天路！阿門。

A Church with One Spirit

Translated by Elder Howard Chang

Bible verses: Philippians: 1:21-30

This is the first Sunday service after the long summer recess. From this week on, our church is going to mobilize like a locomotive. We are going onto a journey like train ride with 43 stops between now and the end of June. During these 43 Sundays, we will worship our Lord and receive God’s blessings together. I hope when we reach our final stop next June, you will enjoy the bountiful blessings that are overflowing.

We are heading right into a busy schedule. Today, our children Sunday school principal will share with us how to apply teachings from the book of Philippians to our daily life, at home and in school. I hope all the parents and teachers will participate. Next week, we will have Holy Communion. The whole congregation and children will partake in the ceremony and share the table with our Lord. Pastor Lu will commission the Sunday school teachers and encourage them to spread the seeds and bear fruits as Jesus’ disciples.

A week later, we will have our annual retreat. This year, we have invited Rev. Chou to deliver God’s message. He has chosen the theme of “Challenge”. How do Christians challenge our faith? How do we challenge our eagerness in spreading the Gospel? How do we challenge our own discipline? How do we challenge our behavior in our professional life? Rev. Chou used to serve in a Baptist church in Memphis, Tennessee for 9 years. He set a goal to convert 200 people to Christians. I once visited Memphis, although Rev. Chou had left there, I was very impressed with their enthusiasm.

By the end of September, our Woman’s fellowship will resume studying Romans chapter 11. With all these events in September, under the guide of Holy Spirits, I am sure everyone will receive it and the fruits of Holy Spirits, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, will be upon you. Thanks be to God, Hallelujah!

During the summer, our church held Sunday services for all generations. From young to old, all of us came together to worship our Lord in the same building at the same time. I would call it the intergeneration worship services.

Intergeneration worship service can also become integrated worship. This type of service can unify our church life, family life, school life and profession life together to contend as one man for the faith of the gospel. For example, if you are a student, your church life is the times you spend in the church interacting with other disciples and practicing God’s teaching together. Certainly, the gatherings for fellowship group to study God’s word are also part of the church life as well. When you can apply God’s teaching to your family and school life, then you have unified your whole being into the integrated worshiping.

You may wonder how if I have already done with schooling and is working now, then how would the integrated worshiping apply to me? It is easy, just applied God’s teaching to your professional and social life. In the past, we might have separated our church life, family life and school or professional life into 3 distinct entities, but now I am hoping that we can all working towards unified our whole beings by integrating God’s teaching into our life.

This morning, I would like to use Philippians 1:5, “because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” to set the goal for this season by making our church unified and prosperous in Gospel.

The church in Philippi was set up by Apostle Paul during his second missionary journey while he was specifically instructed by the Holy Spirit. “During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” (Acts: 16:9) Philippi was named by Alexander the Great to commemorate his father, King Phillip II.

It is generally believed that the book of Philippians is the last epistle written by Apostle Paul. In chapter 2:17, he mentioned “my life is being poured out as a part of the sacrifice, and service for your faith. Yet I am filled with joy, and share that joy with all of you.” It appeared the Paul had sensed that this was going to be the last time he would write letters to a church. Although this epistle has been called joyful epistle, it was written when Paul was in prison. In 62 AD, Emperor Nero set a fire that burned down the city of Rome, but he put the blame on the Christians. The 2 most important disciples in the early church, Peter and Paul, both sacrificed their life during the persecution. Can you imagine if you know you are going to die, and this is going to be your last letter, what will you write? What kind of mood will you have? We will use the next 4 Sundays to study and learn how Paul experienced God’s love while he was in prison, one chapter at a time. How was he able to hold on to the belief that knowing Jesus is the most precious treasure, and for His sake, I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (3:8)? How could he “rejoice in the Lord always (4:4) while he was being incarcerated? What is his secret? If we can learn the secret, it will be the greatest blessing in our life. We will never be defeated by any misery or great temptations, and nothing can intercept the love our Lord has given us.

The followings are the characteristics of the Philippians’ church that we can learn from (but we will only talk about the first one today):

1: A church that is united in one spirit (1:27): “You are standing firm in united spirit, striving side by side and contending with a single mind for the faith of the Gospel”

I have no doubt that Apostle Paul will be praising this Boston Taiwanese Church, if he is still alive. The reason I say that is because this church has been standing firm in united spirit, striving side by side and contending with a single mind for the faith of the gospel. Our church is a church established by a group of students from Taiwan to serve immigrants from Taiwan, which is very similar to the church in Philippi. In that church, a group of Christians built the church in the foreign land and welcoming all people, Jews, Greeks, and Romans alike.

What is the characteristic of this kind of church? It does not carry baggage. Many people in Taiwan still can not fully believe in Jesus Christ because they have carried a great deal of baggage from the existing societal values. This is particular true for Han people who have such a strong ethnic value system that wrap around a person with multiple layers and prevent the person from receiving outside teachings. When they immigrated to this country, these value systems were no longer as strong and they were more able to receive the Christianity and its value system. Our church has many first generation Christians, Elders Song and Lee are outstanding examples. They were baptized in this church, humbly serving our Lord, follow God’s teaching. They were elected by the congregation to be the elders of the church, governing this church along with the pastor and deacons. This is what Paul had emphasized “standing firm in united spirit, striving side by side and contending with a single mind for the faith of the Gospel”

What is the united spirit? Why Paul would commend Philippians’ church sharing united spirit with him? I will use what, how and when to answer this question.

What kind of things Philippians’ church shared with Paul? They shared the same spirit in contending as one for the faith of the gospel. There are many different groups they are struggling to have one united front, but our church is able to achieve it. This is because we all moved by the Holy Spirit to spread the gospel. Holy Spirit has united us with one heart, one goal, our mind, one heart and one spirit to press on toward the goal. This is like the marathon, as you press forward, no matter running fast or slow, you will reach the goal to receive the reward from our Lord.

How to show that our church is united? “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ” (1:27a)

When do we work along side with our Lord? Anytime and all the time. “Whether I come to see you or whether I stay away, I will hear all about your doings”