On the first day of the gathering to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the birth of influential Chinese evangelist John Sung, Pastor Timothy Wang, the grandson of Sung, shared the theme of "Being Crucified With the Lord".
On October 27, Pastor Wang preached on Gal. 2:20, saying that there were three levels of Christian life growth and revival - "what we know", "what we do", and "what we are".
“There are many people who may have much Bible knowledge in their minds, read the Bible and spiritual books a lot, and listen to sermons from plenty of famous people. They are warriors who read and recite the Bible in the church, but none of these things can be equated with the change and renewal of your inner life,” said the pastor.
Rational and intellectual knowledge could not replace the change, growth, and renewal of our inner life. This was about what we know.
When John Sung, the “Wesley of China”, was 13 years old, he followed his father to preach in the countryside. Sometimes his father was very busy, so he would preach on behalf of his father. Called by people at that time a "little pastor", Sung did much ministry work since childhood. Many people would become enthusiastic about participating in various church ministries after believing in the Lord, especially during the time when they first came to the Lord. Their hearts were very hot and would participate in many ministries. This referred to what we do.
But our ministries were no substitute for renewal, growth, and revival of our inner life because God values who is in us and how much Christ's nature and stature are in us. This is about what we are.
The key to shaping the inner life was to experience the crucifixion with Christ so that Christ's life could truly reign in us, Pastor Wang stressed.
He stated, "Chinese people have a deep misunderstanding of death, believing that death means disappearance and that people then would no longer exist. The death in the Bible does not mean that we do not exist any longer, but that we are separated from the relationship. We died with the Lord, and our death announces that we are free from the bondage and enslavement of sin. Therefore, death with the Lord is necessary for our salvation. And then there is the birth of the Lord on the Cross, which is the resurrection of the Lord, which marks the establishment both of the kingdom of the Lord's reign and of a new system of life,"
"We have been crucified with the Lord, so that the death and resurrection of the Lord's cross may work in the life of each of us who believe, so that Christ may live and reign in us."
As for how to be crucified with the Lord, he said, "You need to rely on the Holy Spirit.” The work of the Holy Spirit was to make the objective reality of Jesus Christ's redemption on the cross a subjective experience for each of us who believe.
"The Holy Spirit transforms our hearts from stone to flesh and makes us willing to come to the Lord humbly. The Holy Spirit makes us know the truth and know Christ; By the light of the Holy Spirit, we may see our sins, confess, and repent; the Holy Spirit reborn us and now lives in our hearts, fills us, and helps us to be sanctified."
Pastor Wang cited the example of John Sung’s rebirth. When Sung studied chemistry in the United States, he was told by a pastor to study theology at the Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. During his study in the seminary, his belief system was completely disrupted by the atmosphere there, which emphasized reason, knowledge and science instead of the truth of the Lord's cross. It was said that students were also impacted by the theological thoughts including that “reason is supreme”, “men are saved by doing good” as well as the Social Gospel. He began to study Buddhism and Taoism and translated Chinese classical text Tao Te Ching into English.
It remained so until 1926 when the seminary invited a 15-year-old sister, a girl preacher who revived Sung in her revival meeting. On the night of Sung's repentance and rebirth, the Holy Spirit brought him under the cross, and revealed many sins in him, such as cheating in exams, being indifferent to relatives, and falsifying the working hours......
Later, Sung was taken to a mental hospital, where he spent 193 days. During that time, God once again broke his pride and made him a new person. When Sung was filled with the Holy Spirit, he was filled with the love for God and for souls. He resolved in front of God, "I resolve to preach in China even at the expense of my life, as long as my countrymen are saved, for which I am willing to die.”
Then he was filled with the power to preach the Gospel and expose people's sins through the Holy Spirit, so that people would repent and turn to God. He not only preached the word of repentance, but he practiced it in his daily life.
The second way was found in crucifying ourselves with the Lord through his word.
"We need to follow the Lord, be like him, be crucified with him, and take up our cross every day."
The third way out referred to that God would crucify us with the Lord through suffering and pain.
Sung often said, “There was a thorn in Paul's body, and the Lord also gave me a thorn (hemorrhoids) to keep me from being proud.”
In 1940, he wrote in a letter, “God made me experience the pain of the cross, and when I looked at the cross, I gained the strength to endure the pain even though it hurts so much. I am a servant of God, and when I am baptized by fire, I can only keep my mouth shut and humble in the dust.”
Pastor Wang concluded that “what we know” and “what we do” were no substitute for “what we are”. The shaping, growth, and renewal of the Christian's inner life depended on God, through crucifixion with the Lord.
- Translated by Stephen Huang
在大会纪念主仆宋尚节诞辰120周年大会的第一天，王天声牧师，宋尚节的外孙，分享了主题“与主同钉十字架”。
10月27日，证道的经文是【加2:20】，王牧师说基督徒生命成长与复兴有三个层面：所知层面、所做层面以及所是层面。
他分享说：“今天有很多人，可能在头脑里面有很多的圣经知识，看了很多的圣经和属灵的书籍，听了许多的名人讲道，是教会里的读经、背经勇士，但是这些都不能等同你内在生命的改变与更新。”
理性知识、头脑知识不能代替我们内在生命的改变、成长和复兴。这是所知层面。
宋尚节13岁的时候就跟着他父亲去乡间布道，有时候父亲很忙，他就替父亲来讲道，时人称他为“小牧师”，从小做了很多的事奉工作。很多人信主以后，也很热心参加教会的各样事工，尤其是初信主之时，我们的内心非常火热，参与很多的事工。这些是所做层面。
但是外在的服事不能代替内在生命的更新、成长与复兴。神看重我们里面是谁，看重我们里面有多少基督的性情与身量。这就是所是层面。
而内在生命塑造的关键，是要经历与基督同钉十字架，让基督的生命在我们里面真正作王掌权。
中国人对死有很深的误解，认为死就是消失了，不存在了。圣经中的死并不是说不存在了，这个死是表明我们脱离了关系，我们与主同死，这个死就是脱离罪对我们的辖制和奴役。所以与主同死是我们得蒙救赎之必须。然后就是主十字架上的生也就是主的复活，标志着主掌权作王的国度和新生命体系的建立。
我们与主同钉十字架，使主十字架的死与复活在我们每一个信主之人的生命里面发动，使基督在我们里面活，在我们里面作王。
关于如何与主同钉十字架，他说，需要靠着圣灵来与主同钉十字架。圣灵的工作乃是将主耶稣基督在十字架上所完成救赎的客观事实成为我们每一个信主之人的主观经历。
圣灵感化我们的心，让我们的石心变成肉心，使我们愿意谦卑的来到主的面前；他使我们明白真理、认识基督；靠着圣灵的光照，使我们看到我们自己的罪并且认罪悔改；圣灵重生了我们；圣灵内住在我们心中，充满我们，帮助我们成圣。
他分享宋尚节重生的见证：宋尚节在美国留学的时候，起初读的是化学，后来经一位牧师介绍来到了纽约协和神学院读神学。在神学院学习期间，神学院里面那种看重理性、知识、科学，而不看重主十字架真理的学风，以及理性至上、靠着行善、靠着行为得救、搞社会福音的神学思想的影响，使宋的信仰体系完全被打乱了，他开始研究起佛教和道教，把中国的《道德经》翻译成为英文。
就这样直到1926年，学校请来一名15岁的小姊妹，在这位15岁的女布道家阿特丽小姐的奋兴会上，宋得到了复兴。他宋尚节的悔改重生之夜，圣灵把他带到十字架下，圣灵照出来宋尚节身上许多的罪，考试作弊，没有亲情，虚报工时......
后来，宋尚节被带到了精神病院，在精神病院被关了193天。这期间，神再一次的破碎他的骄傲，使他成为新人。当宋被圣灵充满以后，他就充满了爱——爱神、爱人的灵魂。宋尚节在神面前立志：“我立志死也要在中国传道，只要我的同胞得救，就是死，我也甘心”。
当主仆宋尚节被圣灵充满以后，他传福音便充满了能力，藉着圣灵揭露人的罪，使人悔改归向神。他不仅口传悔改之道，而且他也把这悔改之道活化在他每天的生活当中。
第二个就是藉着主的话来与主同钉十字架。我们需要跟从主、效法主，与主同钉十字架，并且天天背起自己的十字架。
第三个就是神借着苦难和病痛来使我们与主同钉十字架。
宋尚节经常说：“在保罗身上有一根刺，主也加给我一根刺（痔疮），免得我骄傲。”1940年，他在一封书信中写道：“神让我经历十字架的痛苦，甚至是上期的痛苦，当我注目十字架时，我就取得了忍受痛苦的力量。我是神的仆人，当我经过火的洗礼时，我只能闭口，在尘土中谦卑。”
我们的“所知”和“所做”不能够代替我们的“所是”。基督徒内在生命的塑造、成长和复兴要倚靠神、藉着与主同钉十字架来完成。
纪念主仆宋尚节诞辰120周年纪念大会 宋尚节外孙王天声牧师分享“与主同钉十字架”
On the first day of the gathering to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the birth of influential Chinese evangelist John Sung, Pastor Timothy Wang, the grandson of Sung, shared the theme of "Being Crucified With the Lord".
On October 27, Pastor Wang preached on Gal. 2:20, saying that there were three levels of Christian life growth and revival - "what we know", "what we do", and "what we are".
“There are many people who may have much Bible knowledge in their minds, read the Bible and spiritual books a lot, and listen to sermons from plenty of famous people. They are warriors who read and recite the Bible in the church, but none of these things can be equated with the change and renewal of your inner life,” said the pastor.
Rational and intellectual knowledge could not replace the change, growth, and renewal of our inner life. This was about what we know.
When John Sung, the “Wesley of China”, was 13 years old, he followed his father to preach in the countryside. Sometimes his father was very busy, so he would preach on behalf of his father. Called by people at that time a "little pastor", Sung did much ministry work since childhood. Many people would become enthusiastic about participating in various church ministries after believing in the Lord, especially during the time when they first came to the Lord. Their hearts were very hot and would participate in many ministries. This referred to what we do.
But our ministries were no substitute for renewal, growth, and revival of our inner life because God values who is in us and how much Christ's nature and stature are in us. This is about what we are.
The key to shaping the inner life was to experience the crucifixion with Christ so that Christ's life could truly reign in us, Pastor Wang stressed.
He stated, "Chinese people have a deep misunderstanding of death, believing that death means disappearance and that people then would no longer exist. The death in the Bible does not mean that we do not exist any longer, but that we are separated from the relationship. We died with the Lord, and our death announces that we are free from the bondage and enslavement of sin. Therefore, death with the Lord is necessary for our salvation. And then there is the birth of the Lord on the Cross, which is the resurrection of the Lord, which marks the establishment both of the kingdom of the Lord's reign and of a new system of life,"
"We have been crucified with the Lord, so that the death and resurrection of the Lord's cross may work in the life of each of us who believe, so that Christ may live and reign in us."
As for how to be crucified with the Lord, he said, "You need to rely on the Holy Spirit.” The work of the Holy Spirit was to make the objective reality of Jesus Christ's redemption on the cross a subjective experience for each of us who believe.
"The Holy Spirit transforms our hearts from stone to flesh and makes us willing to come to the Lord humbly. The Holy Spirit makes us know the truth and know Christ; By the light of the Holy Spirit, we may see our sins, confess, and repent; the Holy Spirit reborn us and now lives in our hearts, fills us, and helps us to be sanctified."
Pastor Wang cited the example of John Sung’s rebirth. When Sung studied chemistry in the United States, he was told by a pastor to study theology at the Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. During his study in the seminary, his belief system was completely disrupted by the atmosphere there, which emphasized reason, knowledge and science instead of the truth of the Lord's cross. It was said that students were also impacted by the theological thoughts including that “reason is supreme”, “men are saved by doing good” as well as the Social Gospel. He began to study Buddhism and Taoism and translated Chinese classical text Tao Te Ching into English.
It remained so until 1926 when the seminary invited a 15-year-old sister, a girl preacher who revived Sung in her revival meeting. On the night of Sung's repentance and rebirth, the Holy Spirit brought him under the cross, and revealed many sins in him, such as cheating in exams, being indifferent to relatives, and falsifying the working hours......
Later, Sung was taken to a mental hospital, where he spent 193 days. During that time, God once again broke his pride and made him a new person. When Sung was filled with the Holy Spirit, he was filled with the love for God and for souls. He resolved in front of God, "I resolve to preach in China even at the expense of my life, as long as my countrymen are saved, for which I am willing to die.”
Then he was filled with the power to preach the Gospel and expose people's sins through the Holy Spirit, so that people would repent and turn to God. He not only preached the word of repentance, but he practiced it in his daily life.
The second way was found in crucifying ourselves with the Lord through his word.
"We need to follow the Lord, be like him, be crucified with him, and take up our cross every day."
The third way out referred to that God would crucify us with the Lord through suffering and pain.
Sung often said, “There was a thorn in Paul's body, and the Lord also gave me a thorn (hemorrhoids) to keep me from being proud.”
In 1940, he wrote in a letter, “God made me experience the pain of the cross, and when I looked at the cross, I gained the strength to endure the pain even though it hurts so much. I am a servant of God, and when I am baptized by fire, I can only keep my mouth shut and humble in the dust.”
Pastor Wang concluded that “what we know” and “what we do” were no substitute for “what we are”. The shaping, growth, and renewal of the Christian's inner life depended on God, through crucifixion with the Lord.
- Translated by Stephen Huang
John Sung's Grandson, Pastor Timothy Wang, Shares Message of “Being Crucified With the Lord”
