Pastor D has served in an urban church in eastern China for 21 years. When the church started with only five members, she played other pastors' sermons on CDs for them as she had no idea how to deliver sermons.
In her serving journey, the words “God is pleading with the willing heart, for the gift is accepted based on what one has, not one does not have” continually comfort her. That is also the message she tries to give her congregation in her recent sermon.
Reflecting on the parable of the bags of gold and the parable of the ten minas, pastor D noted that we received the same gift and different gifts.
In the first parable, each servant was entrusted with a different amount—five, two, and one bag of gold—based on their abilities. Pastor D explained that everyone has unique gifts, and it’s unnecessary to envy others' paths.
The servant with two bags isn’t accountable for a gain of five bags, and the one with five bags won’t be praised if he only gains two. What matters, she highlighted, is that each person does their best with what they have, as the master values faithfulness, not the amount of gold earned.
Prior to the parable of minas recorded the stories of blind Bartimaeus and the tax collector Zacchaeus, both of whom received Jesus' salvation and answered His call, which resonate with the message of the parable--every servant was entrusted one mina, and we all received the same salvation from Jesus, regardless our background.
In both parables, those who earned more were praised by the master, while those who buried the gift were condemned.
"Each of us has received an investment from the kingdom of heaven," pastor D said. "We received the same salvation and the different gifts. The standard of the kingdom of heaven is based on how we respond to the opportunities God has entrusted to us."
These opportunities could be our lives, talents, work, wealth, or chances to share the gospel. "Whether big or small of the opportunities, the essence is how we use these opportunities to fulfill God’s will," she continued.
Pastor D shared a vision, illustrating the difference between heaven’s and human’s standards. In the vision, God asked a prophet who pleased Him more: a preacher delivering a sermon or a homeless man trying to refrain from kicking away a cat rubbing against him. God’s answer was the homeless man.
The two individuals came from different backgrounds. The preacher was raised in a devoted family, received a good education, and experienced abundant love. In contrast, the homeless man endured hardship since childhood and received little love.
The preacher gave out a part of what he received, while the homeless man used all he had to resist his anger. So God gave the latter one more ability to love. Ultimately, he ended his life for the sake of the gospel and is sitting in the king’s seat now.
Pastor D encouraged her congregations that, regardless of their abilities, each person could serve as a vessel for God. She shared examples of a Christian man who repaired the church’s network equipment, saving tens of thousands, and a Christian woman working as a janitor who prayed for a boy in urgent need of surgery and recovered safely.
Those who do modest, unnoticed work and are faithful in their quiet dedication will receive the Lord’s praise, pastor D commented.
She concluded by urging believers to pray for pastors and leaders, as they are entrusted with more souls and bear greater responsibilities.
"The earth is a preview of heaven, and our life here is a glimpse of eternal life. How will you live your life? According to what you have."
- Edited by Karen Luo, translated by Poppy Chan
D牧师是华东一城市教会的牧者。教会刚开始时只有五个人，她也不会讲道，只能播放牧者送给她的碟片学习。如今，已经是她服事的第21年，她一直记得一句话：“因为人若有愿作的心，必蒙悦纳，乃是照他所有的，并不是照他所无的。”这句话一直是她的安慰。
在“按才受托”的比喻中，主人按照仆人的才干分给他们银子：五千、二千、一千。D牧师指出，每个人拥有的不一样，因此不必羡慕他人的故事。领二千银子的人无需为五千的账单负责，而领五千银子的人如果只活出了两千，也不会得到赞扬。重要的是，每个人根据自己拥有的去尽力，不论银子多寡，主人都会称赞忠心的人。
此外，耶稣还通过讲述瞎子巴底买和税吏撒该的故事，说明他们都得到了耶稣的救恩，并且回应了主的呼召。D牧师说，耶稣为每个人提供的救恩是一样的，无论背景如何。
“我们每个人都接受了天国的投资，虽然拥有的礼物各不相同，但天国的标准是：你如何回应神给予的机会。”她进一步解释道，“这些机会可能是生命、才干、工作、财富，也可能是传福音的机会。无论大小，关键在于我们如何利用这些机会去活出神的旨意。”
接着，D牧师分享了一个关于上帝眼光的异象，揭示了天国的标准与人间的不同。在异象中，神问先知，谁更蒙祂喜悦：一位服事的传道人，还是一位流浪汉，后者忍住怒气不踢开身边蹭来蹭去的猫。上帝回答说是那位流浪汉。
原来这两个人的背景截然不同：传道人出生在信仰家庭，接受过良好教育，得到了充足的爱，但他只用其中的一部分。而流浪汉从小受尽苦难，得不到多少爱，却把所有的爱都用出来了，最终为福音献出了生命。神看重的不是外在的表现，而是每个人如何回应神的爱。
“天国眼光的标准是看你如何使用你所拥有的，而不是你做了多少显赫的事情。”D牧师强调道。即使一些人看似做的事情不显眼，但他们忠心耕耘、默默奉献，终将得到主的称赞。
D牧师鼓励大家，无论资质如何，都可以成为神的器皿。她举例说，一位弟兄修好了教会的网络设备，为教会节省了几万块；一位保洁姐妹为一名急需手术的小男孩祷告，最终孩子平安无事。这些看似普通的行动，实际上都是神眼中的宝贵服事。
她最后呼吁大家，为牧者和领袖祷告，因为他们被托付了更多的灵魂，需要交出更多的责任。
“地上是天上的预演，人间生活是永恒生命的预演。你如何使用？照着你我所有的。”
华东一城市教会牧者：自认“资质平平”的你 该如何为主献上？
Pastor D has served in an urban church in eastern China for 21 years. When the church started with only five members, she played other pastors' sermons on CDs for them as she had no idea how to deliver sermons.
In her serving journey, the words “God is pleading with the willing heart, for the gift is accepted based on what one has, not one does not have” continually comfort her. That is also the message she tries to give her congregation in her recent sermon.
Reflecting on the parable of the bags of gold and the parable of the ten minas, pastor D noted that we received the same gift and different gifts.
In the first parable, each servant was entrusted with a different amount—five, two, and one bag of gold—based on their abilities. Pastor D explained that everyone has unique gifts, and it’s unnecessary to envy others' paths.
The servant with two bags isn’t accountable for a gain of five bags, and the one with five bags won’t be praised if he only gains two. What matters, she highlighted, is that each person does their best with what they have, as the master values faithfulness, not the amount of gold earned.
Prior to the parable of minas recorded the stories of blind Bartimaeus and the tax collector Zacchaeus, both of whom received Jesus' salvation and answered His call, which resonate with the message of the parable--every servant was entrusted one mina, and we all received the same salvation from Jesus, regardless our background.
In both parables, those who earned more were praised by the master, while those who buried the gift were condemned.
"Each of us has received an investment from the kingdom of heaven," pastor D said. "We received the same salvation and the different gifts. The standard of the kingdom of heaven is based on how we respond to the opportunities God has entrusted to us."
These opportunities could be our lives, talents, work, wealth, or chances to share the gospel. "Whether big or small of the opportunities, the essence is how we use these opportunities to fulfill God’s will," she continued.
Pastor D shared a vision, illustrating the difference between heaven’s and human’s standards. In the vision, God asked a prophet who pleased Him more: a preacher delivering a sermon or a homeless man trying to refrain from kicking away a cat rubbing against him. God’s answer was the homeless man.
The two individuals came from different backgrounds. The preacher was raised in a devoted family, received a good education, and experienced abundant love. In contrast, the homeless man endured hardship since childhood and received little love.
The preacher gave out a part of what he received, while the homeless man used all he had to resist his anger. So God gave the latter one more ability to love. Ultimately, he ended his life for the sake of the gospel and is sitting in the king’s seat now.
Pastor D encouraged her congregations that, regardless of their abilities, each person could serve as a vessel for God. She shared examples of a Christian man who repaired the church’s network equipment, saving tens of thousands, and a Christian woman working as a janitor who prayed for a boy in urgent need of surgery and recovered safely.
Those who do modest, unnoticed work and are faithful in their quiet dedication will receive the Lord’s praise, pastor D commented.
She concluded by urging believers to pray for pastors and leaders, as they are entrusted with more souls and bear greater responsibilities.
"The earth is a preview of heaven, and our life here is a glimpse of eternal life. How will you live your life? According to what you have."
- Edited by Karen Luo, translated by Poppy Chan
Use Your Gifts Well and Faithfully, Pastor Encourages
