“A Compromise: ‘The Church Must Change’「教會必須改變」其實是一種妥協“(2 Timothy 提摩太後書 4:3-4)
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather round them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
因為時候快要到了,人必容不下純正的道理,反而耳朵發癢,隨著自己的私慾,增添許多教師,而且轉離不聽真理,反倒趨向無稽之談。
Behind many contemporary evangelistic strategies that claim the message being the same but the method changing only is the misinformed notion that as times change the church must change with them! Methods were believed be adapted by people’s demands such as ten-minute sermons, truth in capsule form, pictures and stories, etc. Appealing to common interests and chatter about current events so as to establish a common ground where the sinner can feel at home is false. Smoothing out the road for men and taking away the guilt and the embarrassment is evil and dangerous to the souls of men! That mentality which makes Sodom for Jerusalem and Hollywood for the Holy City is too gravely astray!
許多聲稱信息無變、只轉換方式的當代福音策略的背後,就是那「時代在改變,教會也必須跟著改變」的誤傳觀念!人就相信方式要以人們的要求調整,要甚麽給甚麽,例如十分鐘講道、膠囊裝真理、電影及故事等等。若針對一般人感興趣的事,或喋喋不休地講論時事,想藉此建立共通之處,使罪人能感到自在,這都是錯誤的。凡為人碾平道路,以減除他的罪惡感與困窘感,這對人的心靈更是危險有害!那種把所多瑪誤以為是耶路撒冷,把好萊塢誤認為是聖城的心態,簡直是迷路得很!
Prayer: God of Truth and Life, mankind by natural instinct does not want your revelation. People would rather hear what they want to hear. Left to ourselves, we would rather do it our way. Thank you that you change our heart in wonderful ways, giving us a desire for your word. Help us not to reject your truth believing in anything but to be faithful to your word. Amen.
禱告:真理和生命之神啊!人類按自然天性就不要你的啓示;人們寜願要聆聽自己想要聽的。由得我們自決的話,我們寜願按己意而行。感謝你,你用奇妙的方式改變我們的心,賜給我們對你真道的渴求。求你幫助我們,不要拒絶你的真理而甚麽都信,卻要對你的真道忠誠。阿們。