「住」的使命 The Mission of Dwelling
基督徒上班上学养儿育女，住在一个地方过著平凡的日子，不像传道人那样上台讲道，不像宣教士那样出去宣教，这样的生活能够领人归主吗？答案是肯定的。基督徒带领左邻右舍、亲人朋友信主的人数，远超布道家、传道人、宣教士领人归主的总和。大多数人信主不是因为牧师，不是因为宣教士，而是因为住在附近的基督徒。在他们的生活圈子里有基督徒接触了他们，他们才信主的。住，是传福音最主要的方法。住在人群中的基督徒，是引人归主最主要的媒介。
圣经强调「住」的重要性。神与人同住：「又当为我造圣所，使我可以住在他们中间。」（出25:8）耶稣与人同住：「道成了肉身，住在我们中间，充充满满的有恩典、有真理。」（约1:14）使徒与人同住：「就吩咐奉耶稣基督的名给他们施浸，他们又请彼得住了几天。」（徒10:48）保罗和巴拿巴在安提阿住了一年，人们开始称门徒为基督徒：「他们足有一年的工夫和教会一同聚集，教训了许多人。门徒称为基督徒，是从安提阿起首。」（徒11:26）有人问耶稣住在哪里？耶稣说：「你们来看！」他们就去看他在那里住，这一天便与他同住。（约1:39）
弟兄姊妹，我们不要小看「住」。住下来，才有「接触的机会」和「深度的认识」。门徒与耶稣同进同出，一起生活了三年多，每天听主说话，看主做事，对主的认识逐日加深。保罗在以弗所住了三年，当地的信徒大得造就。（徒20:31-35）如果没有住下来，只是和人擦肩而过，打个招呼，人家很难认识你的神。住下来了，生活与人有了接触，别人就有机会认识你的神。
「住」的本身就是使命，「与人同住」就是「使命执行中」。我们不是住在洛杉矶等待神的使命，而是住在洛杉矶执行神的使命。弟兄姊妹，不要轻看你的日常生活，神要在你的生活中彰显他的荣耀。有如以利亚，神差遣他去住在西顿，神也差遣你去住在目前的地方。神要借着你那看似平凡的生活，显出他的不平凡。
面和油 Bread and Oil
以利亚住在西顿的时候，「坛内的面不减少，瓶里的油不缺短」，人家因此而认识他的神。如果以利亚只是「住」，却没有「面和油」，人家不会认识他的神。同样的，如果我们只是住，却没有面和油，人家也不会认识我们的神。那么，甚么是「面和油」呢？
面和油是神所供应的粮食，在贫乏之地出现，如同旷野中的吗哪。耶稣曾经以吗哪为例，教导百姓甚么才是「天上来的真粮」。耶稣说：「我就是生命的粮，到我这里来的必定不饿，信我的永远不渴。」（约6:31-35）亲爱的弟兄姊妹，耶稣是生命的粮，我们的「面和油」就是主自己！
生命的粮不是宗教，而是耶稣。不是基督教，而是基督。基督徒是「与耶稣基督建立起生命关系的人」，不是与基督教建立起关系的人。一个宗教化的信仰没有生命，唯有基督才有生命。宗教是死的，神是活的，活的神与信他的人同在。以色列人有宗教，神却不与他们同在，只与以利亚同在。以色列连年大旱，遍地饥荒，以利亚却得到面和油的供应。基督徒也是一样。有耶稣的人得到生命之粮的供应，没有耶稣的人却要面对生命的饥荒，得不著供应。
我们以信心接受耶稣为主，生命与主相连。我们按照主的吩咐，学习遵守他的话语，主就与我们同在。（太28:20）主借着我们的日常生活，将他自己彰显出来。这并不是说，我们会像耶稣一样完美无缺。这是说，我们会和周围的人一样，有人性软弱的一面，但却得着供应，有力量胜过软弱。我们能够做出一些周围的人想做却做不到的事，令他们感到羡慕。不是我们很完美，令他们感到羡慕。而是我们明明和他们一样软弱，生活的环境也完全相同，可是我们却能够过得比他们好，令他们感到羡慕。
权能生活 Power Living
传福音不但是话语，也是生活。你过得比别人好，人家就想听你的话。你和大家一样，有谁要听你的话？大家都没有粮食吃，你却有面和油，人家就想认识你的神。你和别人一样没有粮食吃，有谁要认识你的神？我们以信心接受基督为主，主的话常在我们里面（约15:7），我们就能结果子，和别人不一样。主话语的内住，改变了我们旧有的观念。我们的旧观念是从世界来的，和世界很合拍，和主的教训却格格不入。我们信主之后，将新酒装在新皮袋里，将主的教训装在新生命里，（太9:17）使我们得以过权能生活。权能生活彰显出神的美好，使周围的人羡慕：
- 现代人很忙、很累、为许多事操心。他们羡慕安息，基督徒有安息。（太11:28）
- 现代人虚伪，勾心斗角，但却渴望真诚。他们以为人间没有真诚，没想到在基督徒中间找著了久违的真诚。
- 现代人追求成功，崇拜财富，却缺少自我的肯定。他们无视身边的小人物，没想到自己却被别人所无视。他们渴望得到肯定，基督徒有这个肯定。在神的家中，麻雀找著了房屋，燕子找著了抱雏之窝。（诗84:3）
- 现代人漂浮，缺少定见。他们认为一切都是相对的，只有不同的看法，没有绝对的真理。他们为自己的「知识」感到自负，时间久了却感到很累。他们羡慕安定，发现那些相信绝对真理的基督徒，有这份安定。（约14:6）
- 现代社会分化极深，族裔之间彼此排斥，团体之间筑起高墙，人与人分门别类，心中却渴望「和睦同居」。基督徒彼此接纳，和睦同居。（弗2:14; 罗15:7）
- 现代社会富者越富，贫者越贫，奖励强者，打击弱者。弱者变强之后，也去打击弱者，因为当初别人就是这样打击他。贫者变富之后，也去剥削贫者，因为当初别人也是这样剥削他。人心渴望不被剥削，不受歧视。在基督徒当中，他们找著了公义、慈爱、尊重。
平凡生活的力量：
- 神要我们与人同住，过权能生活，显出他的美好
- 耶稣是我们生命的粮，是我们力量的来源，使我们的生活吸引人
【Life is a Song】The Power of Ordinary Living
The Mission of Dwelling
Christians live their daily, normal lives going to work and raising up children, unlike ministers and missionaries who preach from the pulpit or go out on missions. Can such ordinary living bring others to know Christ? The answer is a resounding yes. In fact, the number of people who come to Christ because of their Christian neighbors and friends far exceed those who believe as a result of ministers and evangelists. The majority of believers came to know the Lord not through ministers and missionaries, but because of Christians who lived among them and befriended them. The Christian who lives among the people is the most effective channel of the gospel.
The Bible emphasizes the importance of “dwelling”. The Lord dwelt among men: “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8) Jesus dwelt among men: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) The apostles dwelt among men: “So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.” (Acts 10:48) Paul and Barnabas lived in Antioch for a year, and others started to call them Christians. “So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” (Acts 11:26) Someone asked Jesus where he was staying, and he replied “Come and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. (John 1:39)
Brothers and sisters, do not underestimate the power of “dwelling”. Living among the people gives us the opportunity to make friends and build deeper relationships. The disciples were with Jesus every day for three years. They listened to his teaching and saw him in action daily, and their relationship with him grew stronger by the day. Paul lived in Ephesus for three years, and the disciples were greatly built up in their faith as a result (Acts 20:31-35). Superficial greetings and shallow acquaintances do not give us the opportunity to share the gospel. If we don’t dwell among the people, it will be tough for them to know our God. If we live among them and build relationships with them, then they will have the opportunity to know our God.
“Dwelling” is in itself a mission. “Dwelling among the people” is the mission in action. We are not living in Los Angeles awaiting the mission from God, rather, we are living in Los Angeles carrying out our mission from God. Brothers and sisters, do not underestimate what God can do through your daily life. God wants to use your life to display His glory. Just like Elijah, whom God sent to live in Sidon, God has also sent you to live in the place where you currently reside. God wants to use your seemingly ordinary life to showcase His extraordinary ways.
Bread and Oil
When Elijah lived in Sidon, “the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry”, and others came to know his God because of this. If Elijah had merely lived there without “flour and oil”, others would not have known about his God. In the same way, if we just live here without “flour and oil”, others will not know our God. So what is this “flour and oil”?
The flour and oil were the Lord’s supply in a land of famine, just like the manna in the desert. Jesus once used manna as an example to teach about the “true bread from heaven”. He said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:31-35) Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus is the bread of life, and our “flour and oil” is the Lord Jesus Himself!
The bread of life is not religion, but Jesus. Not Christianity, but Christ. Christians are people who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, not an affiliation with the Christian religion. Having faith in a religion does not give life, only Jesus gives life. Religion is dead, but God is living, and the living God dwells among those who believe in Him. The Israelites held on to a religion, but God was not with them. God was only with Elijah. Israel went through years of drought and famine, yet Elijah was supplied with flour and oil. It is the same with Christians. Those who have Jesus receive their supply from the bread of life, but those without Jesus will face the famine of life.
By faith, we trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and our lives are connected to His. When we listen to the word of the Lord and obey His teachings, the Lord is with us (Matthew 28:20). The Lord reveals Himself through our daily lives. This is not to say that we will be perfect and without blemish like Jesus. We will be like those around us, weak in our human nature, but we will be supplied with strength to overcome our human weakness. Others may envy us because we will be able to accomplish some things that ordinary people cannot. They are envious not because we are any better than them. Rather, it is because we are clearly just as weak as them, living in the same circumstances as them, and yet we are able to live better.
Power Living
Evangelism is not just by words, but also by living. When you are living better than others, others will want to listen to you. If you are living in the same way as others, nobody will listen to you. When food is scarce in the whole land, yet you have flour and oil, others will want to know your God. If you are also starving and without food, who will want to know your God? When we trust in Christ as our Lord, His word remains in us (John 15:7), and we are able to bear much fruit, to be set apart from others. The word of God transforms our former ways of thinking. Our old ways of thinking were dictated by the world, and was in tune with the world, but contradictory to the Lord’s teachings. After we come to know Christ, we pour the new wine into new wineskins, and fill our new lives with the Lord’s teachings (Matthew 9:17), which enables us to live our new lives powerfully. Such power living displays the goodness of the Lord, and attracts the envy of those around us.
- People in today’s world are always busy, tired, and worried about many things. They desire rest. Christians have rest. (Matthew 11:28)
- People in today’s world are insincere and manipulative, yet they desire authenticity. They used to think that honesty and sincerity no longer existed, but among Christians, they finally found what they had long sought after.
- People in today’s world pursue success and worship wealth, but lack self-validation. They look down on those they think are lesser than them, but found that they are also looked down upon by others. They seek to be validated. Christians have found such validation. For in God’s house, even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself. (Psalm 84:3)
- People in today’s world drift along without firm convictions. To them, everything is relative and there is no absolute truth. They are proud of their “knowledge”, yet holding on to such “knowledge” causes them to tire as time passes. They desire stability and find that Christians who believe in absolute truth have such stability. (John 14:6)
- Today’s society is deeply divided. There is racial discrimination. There are barriers between people. There are dividing walls of hostility. People desire to live in harmony with one another. Christians accept one another, and live in peace with each other. (Ephesians 2:14; Romans 15:7)
- Today’s society has a deep rift between the rich and the poor. The rich become richer, and the poor become poorer. The strong are rewarded, while the weak are struck down. When the weak become strong, they in turn strike down the weak, because that was how they were treated when they were weak. When the poor become rich, they in turn exploit the poor, because that was how they were treated when they were poor. People desire not to be exploited and discriminated against. Among Christians, they find righteousness, kindness, and respect.
The power of ordinary living:
- God wants us to dwell among the people, to live an ordinary life powerfully, so as to display His goodness.
- Jesus is the bread of life, and our source of strength. He is what makes our lives attractive to others.
