日期： 08/05/2007

經文：使徒行傳 11 ： 19-30

題目：恩典之河

主旨：當耶穌基督的福音進入我們的生命時 , 我們須要以順服來回應 衪

引言：

最近我對黃河產生了很大的興趣。黃河被稱作中國的母親河，是華夏文明的搖籃。由于歷史上黃河多次泛濫成災，人們稱其為 “ 中國的憂患 ” 。 她全長 3 ， 395 英里，

每年有十六億頓的泥沙注入渤海。

由于黃河的水含沙量很高，所以在某些河段，河床已經高于海平面。

她發源于青海高原的一片小沼澤地，然后匯聚百川，

成為舉世聞名的大河。

看到黃河，不禁令我想起基督教的信仰。在兩千年前祗有耶穌和他的十二門徒。在耶穌復活以后，大約有一百二十名信徒跟隨他。聖靈降臨在他們身上以后，有好幾千的基督徒加入教會。 從此以后，基督教的發展，就如一條巨大的恩典之河，洶涌澎湃地流向四面八方。 無論她流到哪里，在所到之處產生分叉和支流。讓我們就用中國來舉例：

二百年前，馬理森于 1807 年抵達中國，當時中華大地上幾乎沒有基督徒存在。可是一百年以后，基督徒的數量達到四十四萬；于 1949 年達到七十萬。到了 2006 年，基督徒的總數已經大約在一千七百萬 ( 官方統計 ) 到八千萬 ( 非官方統計 ) 之間。我們坐在這里聽道，也是因為這條恩典之河觸摸了我們的生命。

黃河深深地影響著沿岸的人民和土地，為他們帶去了糧食，卻也時常有災難相伴隨。 那么，當這條恩典之河流來到我們之處時，又會發生什么呢？當恩典之河 - 耶穌基督的福音 - 流經我們生命的時候，我們要如何作呢？

今天早上，我們繼續學習《使徒行傳》，所要了解的真理是：當耶穌基督的福音進入我們的生命時，我們需要以順服來回應他。

I. 我們要確認耶穌在生命中的主權

《使徒行傳》 1 ： 8“ 可是聖靈降臨在你們身上，你們就必領受能力，並且要在耶路撒冷、猶太全地、撒瑪利亞，直到地極，作我的見證人。 ” 在以前的學習中，我們知道門徒從耶路撒冷出發前往猶太各地，然后到撒瑪利亞宣講福音好消息。

在經文第 11 章 20 節 , 有些門徒來到安提阿。 “ 其中有些塞浦路斯人和古利奈人，來到安提阿，也對希臘人傳講主耶穌。 ”

安提阿是羅馬帝國第三大城市，是一座繁華的商業都市。它的東面與波斯接壤，南面是巴勒斯坦和埃及，西面則是小亞細亞。在 20 節，我們看到他們傳講的內容：主耶穌。跟在其他地方一樣，他們宣講耶穌是神的兒子，他就是神；因此，耶穌是宇宙之王，我們的生命之主。

當耶穌是我的主 , 我就會去祂要我去的地方 . 我要讓他來決定我要如何用我的生命 . 我要讓祂的話語來告訴我要如何的愛神各愛人 . 我會問他要如何使用祂所賜我的錢財 . 當耶穌是我的主 , 我要讓祂來完全的控制我的生命 . 有時 , 這並不是容易 , 或會將我們帶上一條很少人走的路 . 但我可告訴你 : 讓耶穌來掌管我的生命 , 一定勝過我自己在掌管 .

今日許多教會正是缺乏這樣的信息。不少牧師熱衷于講解如何管理金錢，幸福婚姻的六大原則，七個減壓的方式，如何培養積極的生活態度等等。 有時我們的確是需要這些方面的教導，但是在這些信息里，耶穌基督在哪里呢？還有不少人是這樣傳道的：因為耶穌基督可以給我們健康，財富和地位，所以我們要成為他的門徒，我們的生命中需要像耶穌一樣的大魔法師。

不 , 我們不應該指揮耶穌為我們做這做那；相反，我們是要去愛祂和服事祂 , 作祂要我們做的事 . 我們要讓這恩典之河 , 把我們帶到祂的目的地 .

II. 我們要積極向廣大的禾場傳福音

早期的基督徒四處宣講主耶穌。他們向誰傳道呢？

《使徒行傳》 11 ： 19“ 那些因司提反事件遭受苦難而四散的門徒，一直走到腓尼基、塞浦路斯、安提阿；他們不對別人傳講，只對猶太人傳講。 ” 有些人只對猶太人傳道。但是在 20 節， “ 但其中有些塞浦路斯人和古利奈人，來到安提阿，也對希臘人傳講主耶穌。 ” 也有一些人向外邦人傳道，對希臘人傳講主耶穌。我們看到：福音具有包容性。在安提阿的教會既有猶太人也有非猶太人。之后，其他教會，特別是羅馬的基督教會也有類似的現象。這對我們有什么意義呢？

有時候，教會需要針對某一個年齡或某些工作階層的人士傳道。比如，在 Dallas, Austin, Atlanta, NYCity, Ca 等地都有專以 30 歲上下的人士為主的教會。在北京 , 上海 , 溫州等城市都有專向從農村來的民工傳福音的教會 . 在香港和台灣也有專向勞工階層的人傳福音 . 他們的講道方式和內容跟我們所熟悉的東西很不一樣。但也有教會試圖打破不同民族之間的隔閡與障礙，致力于建立多民族的教會，可能是亞裔教會，成員包括華人，日本人，韓國人，越南人等等；也可能是專為非裔人士，歐洲人士或者西班牙裔人士建立的教會。隨著我們這個國家越來越世界化，已經不太可能再有完全單元化的教會了。

雖然在這教會 , 我們絕大多數人是華裔，但是我們當中依然存在多元性。 在會眾里，有些人出生在美國，有些人來自中國的不同省份，來自香港，臺灣，東亞，南美以及世界其他地區。我們每個人都有各自不同的文化，教育和家庭背景。 我時常在想：在這樣一個教會里做牧師，不用踏出國門，就已經在作超文化的事工了。 即便如此，我們依然要經常提醒自己，要向跟自己不同的人傳福音。我們很高興一些非華裔的朋友在這里跟我們一起敬拜。你們的存在提醒我們不能僅僅專注于一個小團體，我們的使命是跨越人種和文化的。

III. 我們要積極回應祂的信息

在這一章里，我們也看到人們是如何回應福音的。

首先，在 21 節 “ 主的手與他們同在，信而歸主的人就多起來。 ” 許多人信了主，歸向了耶穌。當我們知道耶穌是誰以后，就會跟隨他了。信耶穌的人把他做為生命之主，遠離以前生命中的偶像，專心委身跟隨耶穌。

其次，他們受到鼓勵。 22 節 “ 這事傳到耶路撒冷教會的耳中，他們就派巴拿巴到安提阿去。 ” 在耶路撒冷的使徒們獲悉安提阿教會的事以后，他們就派巴拿巴前去。他們并沒有想當然的認為既然信主的人這么多，那么安提阿教會一定是好的，就可以任其發展了。使徒們不愿被數字所蒙蔽，數量大未必就是好事。周五的報紙上有一篇報道：在洛杉磯有一個大約 400 人的教會，規模已經不小了。這座教會為什么上了報紙？因為他們的傳道人在主餐中使用大麻。僅僅因為人數多，并不一定就是好事。在耶路撒冷的使徒派遣巴拿巴前去安提阿，確認他們的信仰和教義是否正確。

我們知道巴拿巴前去安提阿后積極鼓勵了當地的信徒。巴拿巴擅長鼓勵信徒。鼓勵的意思是在人處在困難和黑暗的境遇中時與他們同行。鼓勵意味著即使風雨來臨，也不放棄他們。要鼓勵他人首先自己要具有愛心和熱情。

我們都需要別人來鼓勵。在一個不友善的環境里，很難做好一個基督徒。生活本身是充滿壓力和困難的。人生不如意事十之八九。有的單身父母獨自承擔照顧孩子的重任；有人在婚姻關系中倍感孤獨和苦悶；我們對生活和工作感到迷茫，渴望一條出路。我們多么希望人生路上有人結伴同行，而不是整天受人說教。我們需要被人理解和接受。

Howard Hendricks 說：鼓勵他人并不是要讓對方對你印象深刻，而是要敢于向 你 提出難題。我們不僅需要受人鼓勵，也要主動地鼓勵周圍的人。 鼓勵可以體現在話語或文字中，也可以通過同在。 有一個關于教會長老訪問一名新寡婦的故事，他在她家里坐了很久，卻沒有說什么話。后來，那位寡婦在與人分享時說：生命中最受鼓勵的時刻就是那位長老探訪她的時候。他沒說什么話，只是花了四個小時在她家里。有人能鼓勵你嗎？你又能否鼓勵身邊的新基督徒呢？

第三，教導。巴拿巴在安提阿鼓勵新信徒。 25-26 節 “ 後來他到大數去找掃羅，找到了，就帶他來安提阿。足足有一年，他們一同在教會聚集，教導了許多人。 ” 他去找掃羅，帶他來安提阿。保羅在那里待了一年。他做了什么呢？足足教導了一年。他教導他們舊約的真理，教導他們如何與神維持相愛的關系。 當我們初信主的時候，需要鼓勵和支持，但是，學習神的話語也同樣重要。

當我們學習神的話語時，就知道如何愛神和愛人。 當我們學習并遵循他的話語時，就變得越來越像主耶穌。

幾年前，我的哥哥在中國興起 圣 經教導的事工。他的異象是：到 2011 年，中國 2862 個區縣中將有一半至少擁有一個以上積極教導 圣 經的教會。 不僅是中國的教會需要教導和學習神的話語，在香港，臺灣和美國的華人教會同樣需要教導和學習 圣 經。在很多教會，主日學的出席率非常低，團契和小組查經已經取代了主日學。但是，在團契和小組里，大家不再專注學習 圣 經，而是注重個人的分享。我們每個人都要好好問一問自己：我在參加主日學或者其他查經小組的時候，是否有認真地學習神的話語？當我們在團契或者小組聚會的時候，我們有沒有認真地準備還是僅僅大家圍坐在一起隨心所欲地發表個人觀點？帶領查經的弟兄姐妹們，我們該怎么做？

彼此鼓勵固然重要，學習和遵守神的話語也同樣不可懈怠。

當安提阿的信徒受到鼓勵和教導以后，結果如何呢？當他們遵循了神的真道以后有什么果效呢？ 26 節 “…… 門徒稱為基督徒，是從安提阿開始的。 ” 基督徒的意思就是跟隨耶穌基督的人。早期的信徒在以前都是被稱作門徒。現在，他們被改稱基督的跟隨者 - 基督徒。我們是否注意到這個改變呢？當信徒聽從并遵守神的話語，他們的生命就會發生改變。其他人也會注意到這些改變，他們的言行舉止都不可同日而語了。當人們看到他們的行為時，就好像看到了耶穌基督，所以人們稱他們基督徒。基督徒的稱呼一直延續至今。

我們要學習神的話語。當我們學習 圣 經的時候，同時也要遵守所學的真理。只要遵守神的真理，生命就會越來越像耶穌基督。我們不需要去告訴別人自己的身份，而是通過自己的言行，通過彼此相愛，活出基督的樣式，這樣別人就會認出我們是耶穌的跟隨者 - 基督徒。

IV. 我們的信心可見於甘之如飴的施贈

27 節 “ 那時，有幾位先知從耶路撒冷下到安提阿。 ” 信徒們如何回應？ 29 節 “ 於是門徒決定按著各人的力量捐款，好送給住在猶太的弟兄。 ” 我們看到：當信徒們獲悉將有先知從耶路撒冷下到安提阿的時候，他們慷慨地為其捐款。他們按著各人的力量奉獻金錢。富裕的人多捐一些，不富裕的人則少捐一些。重要的是他們都依據自己的力量奉獻了金錢。他們完全有理由不這么做。他們自己都需要錢。但是，他們卻還是按著各人的力量捐款。

一個人對基督的信仰體現在他如何看待個人物質財富上。信仰和慷慨是相連的。耶穌曾經讓那富有的年輕人舍棄一切財富跟隨他。從《雅各書》里我們也學到：信仰和幫助窮人是緊緊相連的，不可分割。

世上有許多慈善家。不是所有慷慨解囊的人士都是基督徒，但是基督徒必須對有需要的人提供幫助。不僅作為個人需要慷慨相助，作為基督徒的團體，包括我們這個教會也需要毫不吝嗇地幫助有需要的人。我們要把目光投向教會的 墻 外，看看在這座城市里有誰需要我們的幫助，我們能怎樣幫助他們。我們要把目光投向美國的國門之外，看看在非洲那些飽受艾滋病折磨的婦女和兒童。作為教會，我們能為世上的窮人做些什么？我們時常為上帝對我們豐富的供應感恩和歡喜。 我深深的確信，我們領受的越多，我們就對四周的人有越多的責任。

我們很高興看到孩子們募集了 1099 美元幫助烏干達的兒童購買鞋子。 我們也很高興看到大人們慷慨捐助學習用品幫助 JFK 小學的孩子們。基督徒的信仰在慷慨幫助有需要的人時得到反映。

結論：

在中國的歷史上，黃河是母親河 , 也是一條 “ 憂患的河 ”. 它將祝福與災害帶給了這國家 . 每幾年就有一次洪水泛濫 , 每一百年就一次的改道 , 帶來了許多的破壞 . 但這恩典之河卻不一樣 . 當弋它進入我們的生命時 , 就將神的愛 , 恩典與純正也帶進來了 .

在神的帶領下，這條恩典之河來到並且觸摸了我們的生命 . 這愛與恩典激勵我們接受耶穌為生命的主 , 它將安慰與鼓勵帶給我們 , 並使我們研讀並順服祂的話 . 當我們生命因順服祂話語而被改變時 , 使我們越來越象祂 , 並將愛與關懷彰顯在生命中。

安提阿的信徒沒有自稱是基督徒。他們周圍的人在看到了他們的行為和生命的改變之后，把他們稱作基督徒。 親愛的弟兄姐妹們，我的禱告和期望是大家在回家以后，在和聚會結束與他人分享的時候，在回到學校和公司以后，讓我們的朋友，同事和家人看到我們對上帝和對人的愛。這樣，我們不用告訴別人自己是基督徒，他們就會認出我們是基督徒 - 耶穌的跟隨者。

Date:   08/05/2007

Text:   Acts 11:19-30

Title:   River of Grace

Theme: When the Gospel of Jesus Christ arrives in our lives, we are compelled to respond in obedience.

Introduction:

Lately I find myself very much intrigued by the Yellow River in China. This river is also called the Mother River of China, the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. Because of its devastating flooding, it’s known as “China’s Sorrow” Its total length is about 3,395 miles. Every year it discharges 1.6 billion tons of silt into the Bohai Sea. Due to the large amount of silt it carries, in some portion of this river, it is actually above sea level. I am also intrigued at the origin of this river. It started out as little puddles in a marsh land. From this humble beginning, it become the mighty river we know today.

  In the course of exploring this river, I think of the Christian faith. 2K years ago there was Jesus and his 12 disciples. After his resurrection, there were about 120 faithful followers. When the Holy Spirit came upon them, thousands of new believers were added to the church. From there, it became a mighty river, a river of grace, flowing in all directions. Wherever it went, it will branch out further in that land. Take China as an example. When Robert Morrison went to China in 1807, 200 years ago, there was no known Christian there. One hundred years later, there were 440K Christians. In 1949, there were 700K Christians. But as of 2006, the total is between 17 million (government estimate) to 80 million (private estimate). We are here because we, too, have been touched by this river of grace.

  Both people and the land along the Yellow River are greatly affected by it. It can brings either crops or great devastation. What happens when this river of grace comes to us? What are we to expect when this river of grace, when this gospel comes into our lives?

  This morning, as we continue our study of the book of Acts, we want to discover the truth that as the gospel of Jesus Christ reaches us, our proper response is obedience. Let’s take a closer look at the nature of this obedience.

I.   We are to recognize Jesus' Lordship in life.

  In Acts 1:8, “ 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.” In our previous studies we learned how the disciples went from Jerusalem to other parts of Judea, then to Samaria. In vs.20 some of them came to Antioch. “But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.”

Antioch is the 3 rd largest city in the Roman Empire. It was a busy commercial city. To its east, it reached the Persia, Palestine and Egypt to its south and Asia Minor to the west. In vs.20 we are also told about the content of what they preached: “Lord Jesus”. Like in other cities, they preached that Jesus is the son of God, he is God, therefore he is the lord of the universe and lord in our lives. The message of this good news is that Jesus is the lord of our lives.

To have Jesus as my Lord means I want to follow him to where he wants me to go. I will do what he wants me to do with my life. I want to let his words show me how to love God and men. I will ask him how to use the material resources he has given me. To have Jesus as my Lord, I will let him take full control of my life. This at times may not be easy for us. It could lead us to a road that is less travelled. But one thing I can tell you: to have Jesus Christ take control of my life is always much better and makes more sense than for me to control my life.

  This message of Jesus'' lordship is very much lacking in today’s churches. Our pulpits are full of messages on how to manage money, 6 principles of a happy marriage, 7 ways to handle stress, how to cultivate a positive attitude in all aspects of life. Sometimes we do need to hear these messages, but where is our Lord Jesus in these messages? Or we preach that because Jesus can give us wealth, health and prosperity, therefore we need to come and believe in him. He is the magic genie we need in life.

  No, we don’t ask or demand him to come and serve us, give us what we want. Instead we are to love and serve him, do what he wants us to do. We are to let this river of grace take us to where he wants to take us to.

II.    We are to engage in inclusive evangelism .

  The early disciples preached that Jesus is lord. Whom did they preach to? In vs.19, “ Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.” Some of them preached to the Jews only. But in vs.20, “But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.” There are those who also preached to the non-Jews, to the Greeks. What we see here is an inclusive outreach. As a result, at Antioch, the church was composed of both the Jews and non-Jews. Later on, we see the same pattern in other churches, especially the church in Rome. What does it mean to us?

  There are times, a church may need to focus on a particular age or ethnic group. For example, there are churches in Dallas, Austin, Atlanta, NY city and CA focusing on those 30 and under. I also think of churches in Beijing, Shanghai and Wenzhou ministering specifically to the migrant workers from the villages. Their message and style will be quite different from what we are familiar with.

There are also churches that want to break the various ethnic barriers. We want to build multi-ethnic churches, or Asian churches. A church that includes Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Vietnamese and others. Or a church where the African Americans, Caucasians and Hispanics come together to worship.

  Even though the majority of us are of Chinese decent, yet we are just as diverse as can be. In this congregation, we have Chinese grown up in this country, from different provinces in China, from HK, Taiwan, SE Asia, S. America and other parts of the world. We have all come with our unique cultural, education and family background. Sometimes I feel that being a pastor in a church like this is like doing cross cultural ministry without leaving the country. Having said this, it is also good to remind us that we also need to do our best to see how we can reach out to those who are different from us. We’re so glad for our non-Chinese friends worshipping here with us. Like I said before, your presence is a constant reminder that our mission is much wider than just one or two ethnic group.

III.   We are to take active steps to respond to the Gospel message.

  In this chapter, we also learn how people responded to this gospel message, this river of grace.

First, in vs.21, “ And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.” Many believed and turned to the Lord. When they knew who Jesus was, they turned to him. They acknowledge him as the lord in their lives. They turned away from their former way of life, and submitted themselves to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Secondly, they were encouraged. Vs.22, “The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.” When the Jerusalem church, where the apostles heard about what had happened in Antioch, they sent Barnabas to go and check it out. They did not say that since so many had come to know God, then it must be good and we should just leave them alone. No, the apostles were not impressed by the numbers. Numbers does not make it right. In Friday newspaper, it was reported that a church in LA had 400 members. It is a good size church. Why did they make the news? Their minister taught them to use Marijuana as a sacrament. Just because so many people are doing it, does not make it right. The apostles in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch, making sure that their belief and doctrine were correct.

  We learned that Barnabas went and encouraged them. Barnabas is known as the encourager. To encourage means to stand beside someone, to walk with someone during the dark hours in life. To encourage means to urge you to hang in them, not to give up when the storms are raging. An encourager is a caring and compassionate person.

  Each one of us need others to encourage us. It is difficult to be a Christian in an unfriendly work place or family. Life is stressful and hard. Things don’t usually go the way we want. Some are trying to survive in this society. We have single parents carrying the sole responsibility of supporting and raising children. There are those who are lonely and full of resentment over a broken marriage or relationship. We’re confused about life and work, desperately seeking for new direction. We need someone who can come and walk beside us and not to be preached at. We want someone who understands and accepts us as we are.

  Howard Hendricks said, “An encourager is not impressed by you, but is courageous to ask you hard questions.” Not only do we need to be encouraged, but we also need to encourage those around us. Sometimes our encouragement can be in the form of words, other times by our presence. There is this story about a church elder visiting a newly widowed woman. He was in her house for several hours and said little. Later when the widow shared with friends about the most encouraging moment during her difficult time. She found it most helpful and comforting when the elder came to visit her. He did not speak a word. He was just there for about 4 hours. Do you have someone who can encourage you? Are you an encourager to someone, especially to the new believers around you?

  Thirdly, there was teaching. Barnabas encouraged the new believers there. And there is more. Vs.25-26, “So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people.. ” He went and looked for Saul and brought him to Antioch. Paul stayed there for one year. What did he do? He taught them for one year. He taught them God's word as revealed in the OT. He taught of how God wanted his people to live to maintain a loving relationship with Him. Yes, we need lots of encouragement and support when we first come to know Christ. Yet, equally important is to study God's word.

  When we study God's word, we learn how to love God and our neighbors. When we study and obey his words, we become more and more like Jesus Christ.

  Several years ago, my brother initiated the Bible Teaching Ministry in China. Its his desire to see that by 2011, half of the Chinese 2,862 counties, will have at least one or more churches that will actively teach the Bible.

Not only do churches in China need to teach and learn God's word, Chinese churches in HK, Taiwan and US also need to teach and study God's word. Adult SS attendance is low in most churches. Bible study in Fellowships and small groups have taken the place of SS. However, in many of the Bible studies, it’s no longer study but sharing of individual’s opinions on the Bible. We all need to ask ourselves the following hard questions: Am I seriously studying God's word by attending SS, or other Bible study groups? When we study God's word in our fellowship or small groups, are we serious in preparation or just a time for people to air out their opinions on certain passages? For Bible study leaders, do we know the proper way to lead a study?

  Yes, encouragement is very important, so is the study and obedience of the Word.

  What happened when the new believers at Antioch were being cared for and taught God's word? what happened when they were obedient to God's word? In vs.26b, “And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” Christian means those who follow Christ. The early believers up to this point had been called the followers of the way, the disciples. And now for the first time they were called followers of Christ, or little Christ. Do we see what was happening there? When the believers listened and obeyed God's word, their lives were transformed. Others noticed that change too. People around them noticed that they talked and lived differently. When others saw their life-style, they were like Jesus Christ, so they called them Christians. And this name stayed with the followers of Jesus Christ to this day.

  The challenge before us is to be students of God's word. When we study the Word, we are also obedient to what we have learned. As we obey God's word, we become more and more like Jesus Christ. We don’t tell others we are Christians, but rather when others see how we live, how we love each other, they will call us Christians: Christ followers.

IV.   We are to manifest our faith in generous giving.

  In vs.27 we learned that the church at Antioch was told that there would be a famine in Palestine. So what was their response? Vs.29, “ So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.” We noticed that when the new believers were told about the coming famine, they responded generously. They gave according to what they had. The ones with more money gave more, and the ones with less money gave less. The important thing is that they responded to the need by giving their monetary resources. They had plenty of reasons not to give. It was a far away land. They didn’t know much about financial giving. They needed money for themselves. Instead, we are simply told that each gave according to what they had.

  Do we see what is happening here? A person’s faith in Jesus Christ is confirmed, manifested by how one uses his material resources. Faith and generosity go hand in hand. In the rich young man’s story, Jesus told him to sell all he had and then come and follow him. In the story of Zacheaus’ conversion, he returned money to those he had extorted from. We learn from the book of James that faith and helping the poor go hand in hand, they can’t be separated.

  Yes, there are many philanthropists in the world. Not all generous people are Christians, but Christians must be generous to those in genuine need. Not just individual believers are to be generous in helping the poor, the Christian communities, including this one, are to be generous as well. We are to look beyond the 4 walls of this church. We are to look at the poor and needy ones in this city and ask what can we do to help. We are to look beyond this country and recognize the poverty and need in some African nations where women and children bear the blunt of the AIDS epidemic. As a church we need to ask what small part we can do to eliminate poverty in other parts of the world. We often thank God for the many material resources he has entrusted to this church. I am deeply convicted that the more we have, the greater is our responsibility toward the needy ones in this and other countries.

  We are glad to see our children raise $1099 to help buy shoes for the Uganda children. We are glad to see our adults give generously to help purchase school supplies for needy children attending the JFK Elementary school. You see, the one clear demonstration of our faith in Jesus is seen in our helping those in need.

Conclusion:

  The Yellow River is both the Mother River, and at the same time the River of Sorrow. It nurtures and also brings devastation to a nation. Every few years there would be some great flooding along its bank. It is said that every 100 years, it would change its course bringing great destruction. But this river of grace is different. When it comes into our lives, it will usher in God's love, holiness and integrity.

  In God's providence, this River of Grace has come and touched each one of us here. This love and grace will compel us to turn to him and receive him as our Lord. It will bring comfort and encouragement to us and enable us to study and obey His words. As our lives are transformed through obedience to Him, it will also be manifested in our care and love for those around us.

The believers in Antioch did not call themselves Christians. When people around them saw their changed lives, they called them followers of Christ, or little Christ. Dear brothers and sisters, it is my prayer and desire that when we go home this afternoon, when we socialize with others after the service, when we go to school or work tomorrow, our friends, colleagues and family members will see our love for God and for man. So that, without our telling them we are Christians, they will call us Christians, followers of Christ.