In an era of rapid change, pastors and evangelists need to improve themselves to attract believers through effective sermons. When believers experience God, they become thirsty to receive more grace, forming a positive cycle.
Xiaolu, a young female church worker in East China, believed that the thirst for truth or a desire to learn should become a daily state.
Establishing its cultures, the church she serves advocates for believers’ infinite desire for God’s words. Xiaolu believed that Christians should be very interested in God Himself, His things, and His presence and be eager to know everything about Him.
In fact, many churches urge believers to be thirsty for God, but excessive demands might instead foster a rebellious attitude among some believers, making them more resistant to God.
Pastor Fang of this church stated that thirsting for God comes from experiencing God. "Because when I experience God deeply, I find that God's presence and interaction are so wonderful that I’m attracted by them."
This female pastor said that many of the things she did were done to experience God. For example, she enjoys preaching, for it can not only pastor believers but also let her experience God more.
The church where Pastor Fang serveslaunched a major discussion on why many Christians are not longing to come to church. The conclusion was that pastors and workers had an undeniable responsibility.
Fang said that when a child lacks appetite, parents shouldn't just demand that they eat but also take them to the hospital for a check-up. Similarly, pastors and workers should not blame believers for their lack of faith or merely insist that they pursue God, but rather identify the causes and address the issue.
The church needs to create a culture to help people break negative cycles. In real life, negative situations are very common, while positive ones are few and far between.
A pastor believed that a person's spiritual life, like the annual rings of a tree, varied from each other. He declared that tree growth rings consisted of many irregular circles and ellipses, which were related to the climate, sunlight, rain, and even natural disasters each year. The pastor said that, similarly, the spiritual life was unable to be regular and perfect and that Christians should accept bad situations. He encouraged them not to be trapped by the circumstances, as few people can get out of bad situations by themselves.
Many churches emphasize that believers come to worship, pray, worship, and communicate to let them encounter God rather than comply with church regulations. "This encounter and collision with the Holy Spirit brought me back to life, and then I entered into a positive cycle," a Christian lady shared her experience in this way.
Fang once mentioned in a sermon that Paul hoped Timothy would become an example to all in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. She said many Christians thought it was impossible to be an example in everything.
"Through preaching the sermon, I figured it out," Pastor Fang said. "The role model acts like a pathfinder, who clears away the weeds, thickets, and other obstacles ahead, which makes it easier for others to move forward. An example opens the way for the people behind him."
"I often like to say that pastors should show the right path for people, especially for young people," Pastor Fang said. "If Christians live their best lives, there will be a way for those behind them."
- Translated by Abigail Wu
在一个万物飞速变化的时代当中，牧师、传道人需要改进，让自己所讲的道能够吸引信徒。而信徒经历上帝后，变得渴慕，得到更多恩典，进入正向循环中。
华东某地一名年轻教会同工认为，渴慕或者说想要学习的心应该要成为一种日常的状态。
小鹿姊妹服事的教会的文化之一就是“无限渴慕”。她认为信徒要对上帝本身、上帝的事、上帝的同在非常感兴趣，渴望认识关于上帝的所有一切。
其实有很多教会都在倡导信徒要渴慕，但是过度的要求反而可能会助长一些信徒的逆反心理，让信徒对上帝更加排斥。 (===summary)
该教会的方牧师认为渴慕上帝常常是从经历上帝开始的。“因为当我经历了上帝以后很深地发现，上帝的同在还有我跟上帝的互动非常美好，以至于非常吸引我。”
方牧师说，她的很多事情其实都是为了更多地经历上帝而做的。比如说讲道，不仅是为了牧养信徒，在经历到了上帝之后，就越发喜欢讲道。
方牧师所在的教会也曾经发起过一个大讨论，主题就是为什么现在很多基督徒都不渴慕。他们说牧者、同工也有不可推卸的责任。就像孩子没有胃口好好吃饭，父母不能只是催促他吃饭，而是带他去医院检查。牧者、同工不应指责信徒并只是强求他们渴慕神，而是找出原因并解决。
教会要建立教会文化，把人们从一个负面的循环当中带出来，进入到一个正向的循环当中。现实生活当中，我们往往会发现——负面的情况很常见，而正向的情况却少之又少。
有牧者认为，一个人的属灵的生命就像是树的年轮一样，常常都不是很均衡的，是由很多不规则的圆形、椭圆形构成的，这与每一年的气候、阳光、雨水甚至自然灾害有关系。我们的属灵生命也是一样的，没法做到规律和完美。我们必须得允许自己身上临到很多不好的情况。但是也要思想如何把自己从很多负面的情况当中出来，但是有时候一个人确实出不来。
很多教会呼吁和强调让信徒来教会做礼拜，祷告、敬拜、分享交通，不是为了遵守律法的规条，而是为了在这里让他们经历上帝。“这一次圣灵跟我的相遇和碰撞当中把我救活了，然后我又进入到正向循环当中”，一名姊妹如此分享自己的经历。
方牧师曾经在一篇讲道中讲到保罗希望提摩太在言语、行为、爱心、信心、清洁方面成为众人的榜样。方说很多基督徒认为凡事都让他们作榜样，是一件非常不可能的事情。
“但是在讲道中把我自己讲通了”，方牧师说，“‘榜样’实际上是一个开路者。这些先锋们把前面挡路的杂草、树丛还有其他障碍物给移开，然后向前行进；使得后面的人比较容易地往前走。给人们出路，这个就是榜样。”
“我常常喜欢讲，现在的信仰一定要给人出路，特别是要给年轻人出路。”方牧师说： “你尽力做好你自己作为一个基督徒的这一生，后面的人他们就会有路子。”
特稿| 今日教会应让信徒经历神以吸引他们
In an era of rapid change, pastors and evangelists need to improve themselves to attract believers through effective sermons. When believers experience God, they become thirsty to receive more grace, forming a positive cycle.
Xiaolu, a young female church worker in East China, believed that the thirst for truth or a desire to learn should become a daily state.
Establishing its cultures, the church she serves advocates for believers’ infinite desire for God’s words. Xiaolu believed that Christians should be very interested in God Himself, His things, and His presence and be eager to know everything about Him.
In fact, many churches urge believers to be thirsty for God, but excessive demands might instead foster a rebellious attitude among some believers, making them more resistant to God.
Pastor Fang of this church stated that thirsting for God comes from experiencing God. "Because when I experience God deeply, I find that God's presence and interaction are so wonderful that I’m attracted by them."
This female pastor said that many of the things she did were done to experience God. For example, she enjoys preaching, for it can not only pastor believers but also let her experience God more.
The church where Pastor Fang serveslaunched a major discussion on why many Christians are not longing to come to church. The conclusion was that pastors and workers had an undeniable responsibility.
Fang said that when a child lacks appetite, parents shouldn't just demand that they eat but also take them to the hospital for a check-up. Similarly, pastors and workers should not blame believers for their lack of faith or merely insist that they pursue God, but rather identify the causes and address the issue.
The church needs to create a culture to help people break negative cycles. In real life, negative situations are very common, while positive ones are few and far between.
A pastor believed that a person's spiritual life, like the annual rings of a tree, varied from each other. He declared that tree growth rings consisted of many irregular circles and ellipses, which were related to the climate, sunlight, rain, and even natural disasters each year. The pastor said that, similarly, the spiritual life was unable to be regular and perfect and that Christians should accept bad situations. He encouraged them not to be trapped by the circumstances, as few people can get out of bad situations by themselves.
Many churches emphasize that believers come to worship, pray, worship, and communicate to let them encounter God rather than comply with church regulations. "This encounter and collision with the Holy Spirit brought me back to life, and then I entered into a positive cycle," a Christian lady shared her experience in this way.
Fang once mentioned in a sermon that Paul hoped Timothy would become an example to all in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. She said many Christians thought it was impossible to be an example in everything.
"Through preaching the sermon, I figured it out," Pastor Fang said. "The role model acts like a pathfinder, who clears away the weeds, thickets, and other obstacles ahead, which makes it easier for others to move forward. An example opens the way for the people behind him."
"I often like to say that pastors should show the right path for people, especially for young people," Pastor Fang said. "If Christians live their best lives, there will be a way for those behind them."
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Feature: Church Should Make Believers Encounter God
