Filled by The Holy Spirit 圣灵的充满 (5)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Author: Ps Andrew Xu
This is the 5th installment of the series on being filled by the Holy Spirit. In my last pastoral sharing, I share about the re-creation work of God through the Holy Spirit. This re-creation is the work of God and disciple-making is the strategy to extend the power of the Holy Spirit into the lives of people who are still far from God.
In the Acts 1:8, there is a clear ability when one is filled with the Holy Spirit and receives power from the Holy Spirit, which is the power to testify and witness for God. “And you will be my witnesses”, the ability to be witnesses for God is through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit partners with us in His re-creation plan by witnessing for God. When we witness for God, we are participating in God’s re-creation.
Not only will we have the power to witness for God, but this witness is also an expanding witness. From Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. In today’s context, our context of witnessing for God is also expanding. From our family to friends, to neighbors, to our own nation, to the ends of the earth! This expansion of witnesses to the ends of the earth is what we commonly known as missions.
Dear brothers and sisters, we cannot witness God without the Holy Spirit’s’ power. For the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. We need to be filled by the Holy Spirit constantly so that we receive power from the Holy Spirit to participate in the re-creation mission of God.
One of the weakest areas of the church is evangelism. I must confess that it is also my personal spiritual weakness. Of all the spiritual disciplines, witnessing for God is not my “forte”. We often use this excuse for not witnessing for God. To “make up” for this, we serve God in other areas. But this should not be the way. Witnessing for God is the key thing that we as Christians must do to.
Is it because we think that we need to have the glib of tongue and be very clever with our words in order to witness for God? If so, we are simply trying to use our own knowledge and ability to witness for God. Let us put these down and recognize that it is not our own ability but the ability of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us.
“可是圣灵降临在你们身上，你们就必领受能力，并且要在 耶路撒冷、犹太全地、撒玛利亚，直到地极，作我的见证人。”
文/许燕杰传道
这是我对于圣灵充满的第5个牧者感言。上一次的牧者感言我分享了上帝透过圣灵的重造计划。这重造计划是神的作为，而这扩展这计划的方式是透过门训，将圣灵的大能带入那些还没有认识上帝之人的生命中。
使徒行传1章8节清楚地表明了所有被圣灵充满的人都会领受一种的能力，就是透过圣灵为主作见证的能力。“你们就必领受能力…作我的见证人”,这为主作见证的能力是来至圣灵的。圣灵在祂的重造计划中，透过为神作见证与我们配搭。当我们为神作见证的时候，我们就是在参与在神的重造计划。
我们不单有能力为主作见证，这见证也是一个不断往外扩张的见证。从耶路撒冷、犹太全地、撒玛利亚，直到地极。从今时的角度，就是从我们的家人、朋友、邻舍、国家，直到地极！这不断扩展的见证就是我们所熟悉的宣教。
亲爱的弟兄姐妹，我们如果没有被圣灵充满就没有能力为主作见证。因这福音是神的大能，叫一切信祂的必得救。我们需要时刻被圣灵充满以至我们能够得着能力为主作见证，参与在神重造的使命之中。
教会其中最弱的一环就是传福音。我必须承认，传福音也是我个人灵命操练的弱项。我们时常以这为借口而不传福音。我们因此在其他方面去事奉来“弥补”我们传福音的不足。这是不应该的。为主作见证是每一个基督徒责无旁贷的任务。
可能是我们觉得我们需要有很好的口才或是我们需要用很花俏的言语才能够为主作见证。如果是这样，我们很可能一直都在用自己的聪明和能力为主作见证。让我们将这些自我放下，认清传福音不是靠自己的能力，而是神的能力，透过圣灵在我们里面动工。