Sunday, 12th December 2021
Pastor Yu-Lin Lin (Guest Speaker)
Acts 20:35 ‘I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Giving and being generous are never human nature; human nature is to receive and to take. When Paul wrote this letter to the churches, he was a tent-maker and a preacher. He was giving a good example by supporting himself and supporting the churches. Paul reminded them to work hard in sharing the Good News, and supporting the poor. It is evident especially during the pandemic, do we only worry about ourselves, what we like or what we don’t like; or are we willing to support the Government’s decision to protect everyone?
WHY DO WE NEED TO BE GENEROUS?
1. God is a generous God
Genesis 1:28-29 ‘Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.’ God created the world then He created human beings. He created the air, vegetables, rain, sun… and He did not ask us to pay for anything. God is a generous God and we can learn from Him.
John 3:16 ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’
Romans 8:32 ‘He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?’
Our Senior Pastor and Shimu in Bread of Life Christian Church in South Auckland are also very generous people. They have set up good examples for us. Furthermore, our Mother Church also had a vision to build up Gospel Centres in poor areas. If we love our church, we also must support our Pastors and live out the vision and DNA of our Mother Church.
2. Generosity makes us abundant in all things
2 Corinthians 9:10-12 ‘Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God,’
The church of Corinth was a wealthy church, but they were also being scolded a lot by Paul for not being generous. When we have more, then we can give more. When Korean was not wealthy, they still sent out missionaries to the world, then God blessed them and let them prosper until today. God is happy to bless us, so we can have a good living environment, and we can bless more people. God is righteous, He does not like to see the the poor and the wealthy have a big gap.
When we see what we have and not what we don’t have then we can be more generous.
Ruth met Boaz who is a generous person. He allowed the poor to pick the leftover wheat in his field. God blessed Boaz
Elijah ask the widow to make him food in the famine then God blessed the widow.
HOW TO EXERCISE GENEROSITY?
1. Renew our mind
Romans 12:2 ‘And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.’
2. Observe tithing
Malachi 3:10 ‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.’
3. Take an initiative to give
Luke 6:38 ‘Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.’
Sun. 2021.12.12 主日信息记录
信息 – 成为慷慨的人
林育伶 牧師 分享：
感恩神，五谷灵粮福音中心的林育伶牧师从台北来到奥克兰，在我们主任牧师锡安牧师和Kathy师母家受到款待，也看到牧师师母为传福音、建造教会的慷慨付出。神感动林牧师在12月这个世人庆祝圣诞的季节分享这一篇讲道。
使徒行传 20:3 – “我凡事给你们做榜样，叫你们知道应当这样劳苦扶助软弱的人，又当纪念主耶稣的话说：‘施比受更为有福。’”
人的本性不是慷慨给予，而是是喜欢拥有越多就越好，即便是美国首富也是如此想。传道人从教会领取薪水是应当的，但使徒保罗用织帐篷供给自己的需要，甚至供给其他弟兄姐妹的需要。这就好像我们南奥克兰的灵粮堂的主任牧师师母没有拿教会的薪水，却从自己办的幼儿园收入来不仅供给自家的需要，也供应教会的需要。保罗让我们效法他这样愿意去传福音，“扶助软弱的人”。在如今这个疫情肆虐的情况，教会就更可以发挥这样的功能，“又当纪念主耶稣的话说：‘施比受更为有福。’”。
一、为什么要慷慨？
1. 神是慷慨的神创世纪 1:28 – 神创造世界万物后将一切美好的都赐给他所造的人，神却没有跟我们收钱。
约翰福音3:16; 罗马书8：32 – 神将他的独生爱子耶稣基督赐给我们，让他为我们的罪牺牲在十字架上。
神很慷慨，也非常了解到我们的需要。我们是按着神的形象造的，所以我们的生命要反映出神慷慨给予的性情。
例子：
- 锡安牧师师母慷慨奉献自己的家使教会得以在疫情管制期间可以安全聚会；也热情接待到来的牧者并花时间关怀有需要的弟兄姐妹。
- 育伶牧师能请假3个月，本教会并没有其他传道人，是因为本教会的弟兄姐妹愿意慷慨献上金钱时间来建造教会。
2. 慷慨使人凡事富足
哥林多后书 9:10-12 – 哥林多教会非常富有，人才济济，但很混乱。保罗用爱子心切的心督促哥林多教会要慷慨，并用贫穷的马其顿教会仍然做奉献的例子鼓励他们。
韩国之前虽然贫穷，但教会仍能大量差派宣教士，上帝就大大赐福给这个国家。
上帝加添给我们种地的种子，乐意赐福给我们，不是让我们自己享用而已，而是要有撒种的能力，让我们也能祝福别人，能结出仁义的果子。我们要为国家的公平和稳定祷告，因为贫富差距不是神的心意，他是公平公义的神。神教我们“凡事富足”，是让我们可以多多的施舍，让有需要的人可以因着我们慷慨的给与能归荣耀于神。慷慨不在于我们有没有钱，而在于知足感恩的心。当我们看到自己是拥有的而不是没有的，就能成为一个慷慨的人。
圣经中因着慷慨给予而经历丰盛的例子：
- 亚伯拉罕与侄子罗得分地，亚伯拉罕让罗得先选，罗得就先挑走了自以为好的那一份，剩下的留给亚伯拉罕。然后，从后续发生的事可看出，亚伯拉罕所得的福分更大，因为他对神有信心，相信神是赐福的神，就不跟别人比较。
- 路得记里的大地主波阿斯很慷慨施舍给穷人，也不计较娶寡妇路得让自己的第一个孩子归为死去兄弟的产业，最后波阿斯竟然成为大卫王的祖先，进入耶稣的家谱！
- 在饥荒的时候，寡妇用家里仅剩的一点面和油慷慨供应先知以利亚，之后家里的都不短缺。
所以，我们的眼光不要短浅，要有永恒的看见。现在吃一点亏，但慷慨之后的祝福会超乎想象。我们慷慨要有智慧，但不要吝啬。当我们慷慨的时候，我们就会知足、感恩、快乐，形成良性循环。当我们滋润别人的时候，别人也会滋润我们。
二、如何操练慷慨？
1. 更新我们的心思意念
罗马书 12：2
世界告诉我们要积地上的财宝才能有安全感。但我们的安全感从来不是这个世界可以给的。圣经说，有人靠车有人靠马，但我们靠的是耶和华。我们永远不知道明天会发生什么，但要知道我们现在所投资的是否能带到永恒里。豪宅豪车或许能让我们在世上快乐，然而将来到耶稣面前我们是否能交账？神是公平公义的，我们要按着神的法则积攒财宝在天上，将来在天上才能住到真正永恒的“豪宅”。我们在地上按着神的心意成为好管家，神才会将更大的事情交给我们，因为未来在永恒的国度我们要与神一同作王掌权。我们的眼光要不一样，因为神的国度是很宽广的。这个世界会变动，但神的国永不震动。
2. 遵行十一奉献
玛拉基书 3:10
- 操练我们的信心：要相信在十一奉献之后，我们所有的的十分之九是够我们用的；
- 相信神在我们生活每一个层面有主导权。
十一奉献是慷慨的起点。圣经只有这里说可以“试试”神，看看神所赐的福是不是可以多到“无处可容”。神的赐福不只是金钱，也包括很多其他方式，比如夫妻关系，后代，人身安全，健康，前方的道路等。当我们慷慨、对神有信心，我们的孩子也会成为慷慨、神有信心的人。
例子：五谷灵粮福音中心以为弟兄在疫情中即使经济大受打击，仍然持守十一奉献，结果生意反而越做越好，本人也开始每天读经祷告。
基督徒没有办法经历神，是因为太会算计了，一定要自己先够安全才给出去。但真实的信心是在我们不足的时候还相信神，慷慨给与，才经历神的丰盛。
3. 主动给予
我们要主动给予关怀、时间，用自己的恩赐才干来事奉神事奉人。圣经记载，耶稣有一次与门徒离开犹太地要经过撒马利亚去加利利，当时的犹太人非常瞧不起撒马利亚人，不跟他们说话，但耶稣主动跟出来井边打水的撒玛利亚妇人谈话，使她生命被医治，这妇人就回撒玛利亚城传福音，使城里的人因信耶稣得救。
圣诞节最棒的礼物就是将耶稣的福音传给他人。可以主动关怀其他人，比如跟人聊天、送好吃的给他们，看到有需要的人，可以在金钱，食物，陪伴等方式上帮助他们，也要将福音传给他们。有时候一句鼓励的话就会让人经历神恩典的盼望，别人也会因为看到我们的慷慨给予而生命变得不一样。
路加福音 6:38 “你们要给人，就必有给你们的，并且用十足的升斗，连摇带按、上尖下流地倒在你们怀里。因为你们用什么量器量给人，也必用什么量器量给你们。”
教会要兴起，仇敌撒旦就会先攻击我们的牧师师母，所以我们要为我们的牧师师母一家多多的祝福祷告！
锡安牧师分享：
“给予”是一个祝福，是神给我们的恩典。我们不能够给予，是因为我们对神对人不够爱不够信任。当我们对神对人有爱有信任的时候，我们就能够给予。当在2021年底领受如此宝贵的信息后，我们要大胆的去爱、去信任，相信神的应许和话语的真实，去爱神爱人，成为蒙福的人。