Message delivered by Pastor Tanchi Chen (陳彼得) at New York Summer Conference Reflection – 6/30/2011

 

Disclaimer: This is my personal note and not meant to be exhaustive and totally accurate. I will use my personal “aged” memory and notes to recall what I remembered.

Pastor Chen was a dynamic speaker and the session was spoken in English, even though sometimes Pastor Chen would blend in a few Mandarin words. The translator, brother 鄭, did an excellent job in switching back and forth in between Mandarin and English.

o      To start his message, pastor Chen asked about what is the “Great Commission” and what is the most important verb in the Great Commission – it is the word “make”. He emphasized that there is a lot of believers in today’s church but few disciples. How to make disciples and how to recognize true spirituality are questions that needs to be answered. He outlined his message as a four parts series when it comes to the mark of true spirituality:

1. Love
2. Humility
3. Edifying tongue
4. Character, self leadership

o      To illustrate what is NOT a true spirituality, pastor Chen gave 5 myths about spirituality (屬靈的錯謬).

• The myth of achievement (成就)

o      Using apostle Paul as an illustration – we need to press on toward the goal

o      Analogy: Riding a bike. We will fall if we stop!

o      Bible verses:

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

12這不是說，我已經得著了，已經完全了‧我乃是竭力追求，或者可以得著基督耶穌所以得著我的‧﹝所以得著我的或作所要我得的﹞弟兄們，我不是以為自己已經得著了‧我只有一件事，就是忘記背後努力面前的，向著標竿直跑，要得神在基督耶穌裡從上面召我來得的獎賞‧

o      The myth of knowledge (知識)

o      A person with knowledge does not equal to a person with true spirituality

o      Oftentimes, this would raise pride to a person.

o      Bible verses:

Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. (1 Corinthians 8:1) 論到祭偶像之物，我們曉得我們都有知識‧但知識是叫人自高自大，惟有愛心能造就人‧

o      The myth of activities (活動聚會)

• Attending a lot of church activities, gathering does not necessarily indicate that he / she is spiritual.

o      The myth of feelings (感覺)

• Wrong concept: I don’t feel God is close to me, then I must not be spiritual
• Spirituality is transcending beyond feeling.
• God is near us, anytime.
• Bible verses:

God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. (Acts 17:27) 要叫他們尋求 神，或者可以揣摩而得，其實他離我們各人不遠‧

o      The myth of prosperity (富足)

• Wrong concept: Prosperity is equal to spirituality
• One would think that God gave him / her a lot blessings is due to his / her spirituality
• Reality check – look at the Church in Laodicea

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. (Revelation 3:17) 你說，我是富足，已經發了財，一樣都不缺‧卻不知道你是那困苦，可憐，貧窮，瞎眼，赤身的

o      Then, what is the mark of true spirituality — The first subtopic: Love

§       If you have a chance to ask God only one question, what will be your question?

• How much I love you?

§       The greatest Commandant?  (Mark 12:30-31)

• Love your God, love your neighbor. 你要盡心，盡性，盡意，盡力，愛主你的 神‧其次，就是說，要愛人如己‧再沒有比這兩條誡命更大的了‧
• We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.  And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4:19-21) 我們愛，因為 神先愛我們‧人若說，我愛 神，卻恨他的弟兄，就是說謊話的‧不愛他所看見的弟兄，就不能愛沒有看見的 神‧﹝有古卷作怎能愛沒有看見的 神呢﹞‧愛 神的，也當愛弟兄，這是我們從 神所受的命令‧

§       What is the problem with us?

• Focus too much on “How much I love God instead of how much God loves me”.

§       What is the key attribute of love?

• We won’t take advantage of someone if we love him / her
• Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:10) 愛是不加害與人的，所以愛就完全了律法‧

§       The great example of Love

• Love is patient, love is kind….  (1 Corinthians 13:1-8)
• What is patient? In Greek word, makrothumeo, means “Long Suffering”

§       How to be not burnt out?

• Focus on “Love God”

§       How to love others?

• We have to realize that:

o      Love is a commitment

§       Spirituality (Love) is transcending beyond feeling

o      Love toward imperfect, impure person

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) 我賜給你們一條新命令，乃是叫你們彼此相愛‧我怎樣愛你們，你們也要怎樣相愛‧你們若有彼此相愛的心，眾人因此就認出你們是我的門徒了‧

o      Love will be tested

§       True love is to seek highest good of others

§       True love needs to pay a price