A megachurch pastor used the parable of the leaven to encourage Christians to watch out for their families, environment, society, and nation, and to become people who are used by God to bring about changes.
In a recent sermon, Pastor Tong Liu of River of Life Christian Church in Silicon Valley, the United States said, "When the leaven enters the dough, it can make the whole dough rise. No matter what life circumstances you and I are in today, God can still bring change, and God wants to bring changes through you and me."
"One thing you must know as a Christian is that the environment is not our lord, our God is the Lord of the environment. Christians are those who can change the environment. The analogy of God putting us on the earth like leaven inside the dough, is that we are in the world and bring influence with the witness of our lives," Liu added.
Pastor Liu said, "If the leaven is to function, it can't just stay with the leaven all day long, it has to mix up with the dough, or even blend into the dough, before it can make an impact and bring changes. Likewise, Christians cannot just stay in church all day long and read the Bible, pray, and share; that is a monastic belief. We must actually go out among the people in order to influence the environment and bring about changes."
Once, the Lord Jesus took Peter, John and James to the mountain, and the glorious presence of God was manifested, and Moses and Elijah appeared to the people. Peter was so excited to see such a sight that he asked the Lord Jesus to stay with him on the mountain.
"Although the experience on the mountain was good, and the gathering of the saints was good, the gathering on the mountain was for the purpose of going down to the ministry. The church does not exist only for glory, but also for the purpose of ministering to the world. This is why Jesus said that you are the light of the world. It is because the world is dark and full of sin that the church is responsible for illuminating the dark world."
He also pointed out the problems of the church today, "The problem with many churches is that we shine, but instead of shining to the world, we put the light under the bucket. We shine by illuminating ourselves... There is a deep horizontal gulf between the church and society. The church is big and there are many people, but the community is insensitive to the church's presence. This is because we only emphasize the experience on the mountain, but ignore the mission on the mountain.
"My point is not to tell you to suffer intentionally, but to truly experience the compassion and love of the Lord Jesus and to follow the example of Christ's incarnation to serve our families, to serve those around us, and to serve the community before we look to bring about change."
In Elijah's day, Israel was suffering from a three-year drought and there was famine everywhere. Then God called Elijah to Mount Carmel to pray. Elijah bent to the ground and laid his face down between his knees.
"It was a productive posture, it was a productive prayer." Liu said, "He prayed seven times, and God delivered heavy rain to lift the drought. God calls us to pray today as well, whether it's for your family, community, country or the environment... The darker the times, the more often God's acts of restoration will come. Throughout church history, if faith had been in comfort for a long time, it would have been on the road to death; but instead, it was in the midst of difficult times that faith came alive again. Therefore, do not lament over the present circumstances. You must see that this is the time to rise up for the Lord and to work with Him. It is in the dark circumstances that our Lord calls us to work with Him."
"Not only do you have to get up and pray, but pray consistently. When Elijah was praying, he was probably thinking in his heart that the rain would come down as soon as he prayed. But that wasn't the case. The first time he prayed and it didn't rain, he continued to pray; the second and third time... but Elijah did continue to pray until the seventh time when he saw the cloud float over as big as his hand. He just knew that God's time had finally come and that a great rain was about to fall."
"God is going to use you to change the world." Pastor Liu Tong said, "Me? How is that possible? We often think this way. Many people are often governed by an inferiority complex in their lives; some people feel they are not capable, talented enough, from a bad background, not learned enough, etc. Inferiority complexes often make us timid and unable to accomplish God's use with courage. What matters is not whether we can or cannot, good or bad, but what God has actually asked us to do."
When Paul was on the road to Damascus, and he was struck down by the Lord with a great light, he asked, "Who are you, Lord?" When he was sure that Jesus was his Lord, he immediately asked, "What shall I do then?" When he obediently followed, he became a vessel to influence the generations.
"In the same way, if you do confess that Jesus is the Lord of your life, you will seek God on what to do. You don't have to worry at all about your lack of resources or talents, for God will prepare all the resources for you when He wants to do something. You just need to be bold and obedient to God's leadership by faith."
He concluded, "There is a reason why we are put in our circumstances today. Many times we look at the environment and think it's full of all kinds of problems. Every problem can be an opportunity for God to get involved and bring answers. And whether you and I are willing to be a conduit for God to bring answers, remember that God has faith in you, God has chosen you, God has been with you, and God has given you the Holy Spirit. If you get up and keep praying for your circumstances and boldly submit to God's leadership, you will certainly be able to bring about changes in your circumstances."
- Translated by Wylie Sun
矽谷生命河灵粮堂的刘彤牧师，在最近一次的证道中，借着面酵的比喻鼓励弟兄姐妹为自己的家庭、环境、社会和国家守望，成为被神使用带来改变的人。
刘牧师提到：“当面酵进入到面团里的时候，就能够使整个全团都发起来。今天无论你我处在怎样的生活环境中，神仍然能够带来改变，而且神要借着你我带来改变。作为基督徒一定要知道一件事情，那就是环境不是我们的主，我们的神才是环境的主宰。在基督徒里面，我们是可以为我们的环境带来改变。”“神把我们放在地上如同面酵一样，能够放在面团里面，就是要我们进入世界，用我们生命的见证带来影响力。”刘彤牧师说：“面酵如果要发挥它的功能，它不能只是一天到晚和面酵待在一起，它必须要进入面团里面，甚至是融入面团，它才能发挥影响力带来改变。同样，基督徒也不能一天到晚只是待在教会里面读经、祷告、分享而已，那是一种修道院似的概念和信仰。我们必须实际的走到人群当中，我们才能影响环境带来改变。”有一次主耶稣带着彼得、约翰和雅各到山上，神荣耀的同在彰显出来，摩西和以利亚都向人显现。彼得看见这样的景象非常的兴奋，就让主耶稣和他呆在山上。“山上的经验虽然很好，众圣徒聚集的经验虽然很好，但是山上的聚集是为了山下的服事的。教会不光是为了荣耀而存在，也是为了服事世界而存在。这也是为什么主耶稣说你们是世上的光。正是因为世界是黑暗的、充满罪恶，教会对黑暗的世界是有责任的。”同时，刘彤牧师也指出当今教会存在的问题：“很多教会的问题是我们发光的，但是不是向世界发光，而是把光放在斗底下。我们发光是照亮自己。……教会和社会之间有很深的横沟。教会很大，人也很多，但是社区却无感教会的存在。这是因为我们只强调山上的经验，却忽略山上的使命。”“我的意思不是叫你故意受苦，而是要我们真正体会主耶稣的怜悯和爱，效法基督道成肉身的榜样去服事我们的家庭、去服事我们周围的人，去服事这个社区，我们才看带来改变。”以利亚那个时代，以色列正遭受3年的干旱，到处是饥荒。神就呼召以利亚到迦密山祷告。以利亚屈身在地，将脸伏在两膝之中。“这是一个生产的姿势，这是生产的祷告。”刘彤牧师介绍说：“他祷告7次，神就降下大雨解除了干旱。今天神也呼召我们祷告，无论是你的家庭、社区、国家还是环境。……越是充满黑暗的时代，越是神复兴的作为要降临的时代。整个教会历史中，信仰若是长期在安逸中，就会走向死亡的道路；但反而是充满艰难的时刻当中信仰才重新活泼起来。所以，不要为现今的环境哀叹。你要看见这正是为主兴起，与主同工的时刻。越是在黑暗环境里，越是在艰难环境里，越是主呼召我们的时刻。”“不但要起来祷告，而且要持续的祷告。”刘牧师说：“当以利亚得到的时候，他心里可能在想：一祷告雨就会降下来。但是事实并不是如此，第一次祷告什么都没有，他就继续祷告；第二次、第三次……但是以利亚确实持续祷告下去，直到第七次他才看到云像手掌那么大飘过来。他就是知道神的时候终于来到，大雨即将要降临。”“神要是用你来改变世界。”刘彤牧师说：“我？怎么可能？我们常常这样想。很多人在生活中常常被自卑感辖制，有人觉得自己能力不足、才干不够、出身不好、学识不够等等。自卑感常常让我们胆怯，不能勇敢完成神的使用。重要的不是我们能与不能、好与不好，重要的是神到底让我们做什么。”当保罗在往大马色的路上，他被主用大光照耀扑倒在地的时候，他问：主啊你是谁。当他确定耶稣是他的主的时候，他立刻问那我当做什么？当他顺从跟随的时候，他就成为影响世代的器皿。“同样，如果你确实的承认耶稣就是你生命的主宰的话，你也要寻求神当作什么。你一点都不用担心你的资源不足、才干不够，当神要做事情的时候祂必定为你预备一切的资源。你只需要凭着信心勇敢顺从神的带领。”最后，刘牧师分享到：“今天把我们放在环境里是有原因的。很多时候，我们看环境觉得充满各样的问题。但是我告诉你一个问题都是可以让神介入带来答案的机会。而你我是否愿意成为神带来答案的管道，要记得神对你是有信心的，神已经拣选了你，神已经与你同在，神已经赐下圣灵给你。只要你起来持续为你的环境祷告，勇敢的顺从神的带领，就必然能够为你的环境带来改变。”
刘彤牧师：基督徒要成为守望者，成为被神使用带来改变的人
A megachurch pastor used the parable of the leaven to encourage Christians to watch out for their families, environment, society, and nation, and to become people who are used by God to bring about changes.
In a recent sermon, Pastor Tong Liu of River of Life Christian Church in Silicon Valley, the United States said, "When the leaven enters the dough, it can make the whole dough rise. No matter what life circumstances you and I are in today, God can still bring change, and God wants to bring changes through you and me."
"One thing you must know as a Christian is that the environment is not our lord, our God is the Lord of the environment. Christians are those who can change the environment. The analogy of God putting us on the earth like leaven inside the dough, is that we are in the world and bring influence with the witness of our lives," Liu added.
Pastor Liu said, "If the leaven is to function, it can't just stay with the leaven all day long, it has to mix up with the dough, or even blend into the dough, before it can make an impact and bring changes. Likewise, Christians cannot just stay in church all day long and read the Bible, pray, and share; that is a monastic belief. We must actually go out among the people in order to influence the environment and bring about changes."
Once, the Lord Jesus took Peter, John and James to the mountain, and the glorious presence of God was manifested, and Moses and Elijah appeared to the people. Peter was so excited to see such a sight that he asked the Lord Jesus to stay with him on the mountain.
"Although the experience on the mountain was good, and the gathering of the saints was good, the gathering on the mountain was for the purpose of going down to the ministry. The church does not exist only for glory, but also for the purpose of ministering to the world. This is why Jesus said that you are the light of the world. It is because the world is dark and full of sin that the church is responsible for illuminating the dark world."
He also pointed out the problems of the church today, "The problem with many churches is that we shine, but instead of shining to the world, we put the light under the bucket. We shine by illuminating ourselves... There is a deep horizontal gulf between the church and society. The church is big and there are many people, but the community is insensitive to the church's presence. This is because we only emphasize the experience on the mountain, but ignore the mission on the mountain.
"My point is not to tell you to suffer intentionally, but to truly experience the compassion and love of the Lord Jesus and to follow the example of Christ's incarnation to serve our families, to serve those around us, and to serve the community before we look to bring about change."
In Elijah's day, Israel was suffering from a three-year drought and there was famine everywhere. Then God called Elijah to Mount Carmel to pray. Elijah bent to the ground and laid his face down between his knees.
"It was a productive posture, it was a productive prayer." Liu said, "He prayed seven times, and God delivered heavy rain to lift the drought. God calls us to pray today as well, whether it's for your family, community, country or the environment... The darker the times, the more often God's acts of restoration will come. Throughout church history, if faith had been in comfort for a long time, it would have been on the road to death; but instead, it was in the midst of difficult times that faith came alive again. Therefore, do not lament over the present circumstances. You must see that this is the time to rise up for the Lord and to work with Him. It is in the dark circumstances that our Lord calls us to work with Him."
"Not only do you have to get up and pray, but pray consistently. When Elijah was praying, he was probably thinking in his heart that the rain would come down as soon as he prayed. But that wasn't the case. The first time he prayed and it didn't rain, he continued to pray; the second and third time... but Elijah did continue to pray until the seventh time when he saw the cloud float over as big as his hand. He just knew that God's time had finally come and that a great rain was about to fall."
"God is going to use you to change the world." Pastor Liu Tong said, "Me? How is that possible? We often think this way. Many people are often governed by an inferiority complex in their lives; some people feel they are not capable, talented enough, from a bad background, not learned enough, etc. Inferiority complexes often make us timid and unable to accomplish God's use with courage. What matters is not whether we can or cannot, good or bad, but what God has actually asked us to do."
When Paul was on the road to Damascus, and he was struck down by the Lord with a great light, he asked, "Who are you, Lord?" When he was sure that Jesus was his Lord, he immediately asked, "What shall I do then?" When he obediently followed, he became a vessel to influence the generations.
"In the same way, if you do confess that Jesus is the Lord of your life, you will seek God on what to do. You don't have to worry at all about your lack of resources or talents, for God will prepare all the resources for you when He wants to do something. You just need to be bold and obedient to God's leadership by faith."
He concluded, "There is a reason why we are put in our circumstances today. Many times we look at the environment and think it's full of all kinds of problems. Every problem can be an opportunity for God to get involved and bring answers. And whether you and I are willing to be a conduit for God to bring answers, remember that God has faith in you, God has chosen you, God has been with you, and God has given you the Holy Spirit. If you get up and keep praying for your circumstances and boldly submit to God's leadership, you will certainly be able to bring about changes in your circumstances."
- Translated by Wylie Sun
Pastor: Christians are Used by God to Bring About Changes
