In a retreat held in a Jiangsu church, Rev. Chen Dehong, president of Yancheng CC&TSPM, preached two sermons on how Christians could return to the foundation and beginning of their faith.
In a sermon he gave at the Xuande Church in Zhenjiang on October 17, Rev. Chen shared how believers can return to the beginning of their faith.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the number of attendees in many churches decreased. At the same time, some cults became more and more rampant, so churches and believers should think how to return to their original faith.
1.Bethel
“Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.” (Genesis 28:18-19) After Jacob deceived Esau and received his father's blessing, he fled in fear and escaped from his brother. In the wilderness, he fell asleep and met God in his dream where he was given the promise that all people on earth would be blessed through him and his offspring. He called the place Bethel. Rev. Chen encouraged the church to go back to Bethel, as it is the home of the living God and where we can engage Him.
2. Bethlehem
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)
Bethlehem could also be called the "house of bread", "granary" or "house of supply", because Jesus was born in Bethlehem and he was the bread of life. Coming from Bethlehem, he fed all nations. In the biblical story of Naomi, she left her family in Bethlehem and journeyed to Moab because of the famine in the land. However, this did not solve her problem because her husband and son both died. Naomi, who had no one to rely on or no one to give her hope, had to go back with her daughter-in–law to her hometown of Bethlehem. There God gave her a full life again. So which location serves as a place of spiritual sustenance for believers? It is with the Bible in our hands and prayers in our hearts that we can find fulfillment in our spiritual lives.
3. Bethany
“Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.” (John 11:1)
Bethany was called the "House of Figs," because the place comforted and satisfied Jesus. In John11:5 it states that Jesus loved Martha, his spiritual sister, and her brother Lazarus. Jesus was pleased and satisfied because they trusted, loved and understood him. Today, believers must return to God's guidance and do what can please and satisfy Him. Followers of Jesus should deny themselves and take up the cross, and be willing to pay the price of following the Lord.
As Christians on their faith journey, it is easy to gradually forget the foundations of faith and the beginning when they pursued the truth. The teachings in the Bible, such as the redemption and grace of the Lord’s cross, love and salvation, were not just learned in the first stage, but need to be meditated on and carried out throughout our life of faith. We should always look back to strengthen the foundations of our faith, and then we will be able to go higher and farther in our journey of faith.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
位于镇江市的宣德基督教堂举行了两场培灵聚会，主题是回到信仰的根基和起初的样子。
2020年10月17日，盐城市基督教协会会长陈德宏牧师分享讲道第二场讲道的主题为“回到起初”。
一场疫情各地教会聚会的人数都有不同程度的减少，于此同时，一些异端邪教在这段时间中愈发猖獗，所以教会和信徒们应当思考，我们要回归到起初的样子。
一、教会应回到伯特利
雅各清早起来，把所枕的石头立作柱子，浇油在上面。他就给那地方起名叫伯特利（就是神殿的意思）；但那地方起先名叫路斯。(创28:18-19 )
创世纪中的雅各因为嫉妒哥哥便骗取了哥哥的名分和父亲的祝福，他得到了自己想要的之后心中却没有得到平安，以致惶恐的逃跑而去。在荒野中，雅各在一处地方睡着了，梦里遇见了神，而这一次的异梦也成了雅各最大的得着，而那块雅各梦见神的地方便是伯特利。教会应该回到伯特利，就是指教会应是能够见到神的地方，是神的家，永生神的教会。信徒们应该回到神的家、神的殿并来到神的面前。
二、伯利恒
伯利恒的以法他啊，你在犹大诸城中为小，将来必有一位从你那里出来，在以色列中为我作掌权的；他的根源从亘古，从太初就有。(弥5:2)
伯利恒又可称为“面包之家”、“粮仓”和“供应之家”，因为耶稣从伯利恒来，他是生命的粮。耶稣从伯利恒来，为要使万民得饱足。圣经中拿俄米的故事中，因为伯利恒饥荒，拿俄米一家为逃荒离开伯利恒，结果非但没有解决吃饭的问题，拿俄米的丈夫和儿子也相继死去。依靠与希望全无的拿俄米只好回反家乡，在伯利恒神又叫她得了饱足，所以伯利恒可叫人充足。那么信徒们的粮仓是哪里呢？就是手中的圣经和口中的祷告，只有回到这个里面，我们的灵命才会得饱足。
三、伯大尼
有一个患病的人，名叫拉撒路，住在伯大尼，就是马利亚和她姐姐马大的村庄。(约11:1 )
伯大尼被称作是“无花果之家”因为这地令耶稣心得安慰、满足。约翰福音十一章中写道，耶稣素来爱马大和他的妹子并拉撒路。便是因为他们信靠主、爱主、理解主，令耶稣得喜悦与满足。今天信徒们也要回归神的指引，所作所行蒙神喜悦与满足，舍己背起十字架，为主付上代价。
信仰的道路上，人们在不断的寻求中很容易渐渐的淡忘了信仰根基和起初，圣经中的话语教导，主十字架的代赎与恩典，爱与拯救等等这些最基本的，并不只是信仰起初的一个阶段而应贯彻信仰生命始终，常常默想，常常回顾才能坚固信仰的地基，才可能在信仰的路上走得更高更远。
江苏镇江宣德堂举行培灵聚会 盐城市基督教协会会长陈德宏牧师受邀分享
In a retreat held in a Jiangsu church, Rev. Chen Dehong, president of Yancheng CC&TSPM, preached two sermons on how Christians could return to the foundation and beginning of their faith.
In a sermon he gave at the Xuande Church in Zhenjiang on October 17, Rev. Chen shared how believers can return to the beginning of their faith.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the number of attendees in many churches decreased. At the same time, some cults became more and more rampant, so churches and believers should think how to return to their original faith.
1.Bethel
“Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.” (Genesis 28:18-19) After Jacob deceived Esau and received his father's blessing, he fled in fear and escaped from his brother. In the wilderness, he fell asleep and met God in his dream where he was given the promise that all people on earth would be blessed through him and his offspring. He called the place Bethel. Rev. Chen encouraged the church to go back to Bethel, as it is the home of the living God and where we can engage Him.
2. Bethlehem
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)
Bethlehem could also be called the "house of bread", "granary" or "house of supply", because Jesus was born in Bethlehem and he was the bread of life. Coming from Bethlehem, he fed all nations. In the biblical story of Naomi, she left her family in Bethlehem and journeyed to Moab because of the famine in the land. However, this did not solve her problem because her husband and son both died. Naomi, who had no one to rely on or no one to give her hope, had to go back with her daughter-in–law to her hometown of Bethlehem. There God gave her a full life again. So which location serves as a place of spiritual sustenance for believers? It is with the Bible in our hands and prayers in our hearts that we can find fulfillment in our spiritual lives.
3. Bethany
“Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.” (John 11:1)
Bethany was called the "House of Figs," because the place comforted and satisfied Jesus. In John11:5 it states that Jesus loved Martha, his spiritual sister, and her brother Lazarus. Jesus was pleased and satisfied because they trusted, loved and understood him. Today, believers must return to God's guidance and do what can please and satisfy Him. Followers of Jesus should deny themselves and take up the cross, and be willing to pay the price of following the Lord.
As Christians on their faith journey, it is easy to gradually forget the foundations of faith and the beginning when they pursued the truth. The teachings in the Bible, such as the redemption and grace of the Lord’s cross, love and salvation, were not just learned in the first stage, but need to be meditated on and carried out throughout our life of faith. We should always look back to strengthen the foundations of our faith, and then we will be able to go higher and farther in our journey of faith.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Jiangsu Pastor: Return to the Beginning
