Turn to Face God – Pastor Jade Yi

 Psalm 4; Acts 3:12-18.

Christ is risen, Indeed! Let us say: Hallelujah!

基督確實復活了！ 讓我們說：哈利路亞！

Introduction

In John 12:24, Jesus symbolizes himself as the grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies. “Since it dies,” Jesus says, “it brings forth much fruit.” It is the best and the most adequate parable of God’s triumph over human’s tragedy. For the rest of the Easter Season to the Day of Pentecost, we will journey with the Holy Spirit to see how the seed of Jesus Christ blossoms in the book of Acts and in our lives together.

在約翰福音 12:24 中，耶穌把自子比喻成一粒麥子。 耶穌說：『就是因為這個麥子落在地裡死了。才能結出許多麥粒來。』這是一個上帝戰勝人類悲劇，最好也最適合不過的寓言。 在復活節接下來的六周，一直到五旬節，我們將與聖靈同行，看看耶穌基督的麥子是如何在使徒行傳中和我們的生活裡，結出許多麥粒來。

Our Story

I had a neighbor, also a good friend of mine, who enjoyed gardening. From her, I learned not so much about planting but more of her excitement and passion for planting, caring for them, and seeing them bloom. I could see how much she loved everything she offered to or invested in, the plants and flowers inside her house, in the backyard and the front yard, and even those planted by the side of her house. Some of them were annual plants, some of them were perennial plants.

我有一個鄰居，也是我的好朋友，她喜歡園藝。 從她那裡，我學到的並不是很多關於種植的知識，而是更多地了解了，她對種植、照顧它們和看到它們開花的興奮和熱情。 我看得出來，她是多麼熱愛她所付出的一切，房子裡的植物和花卉，後院和前院，甚至是那些種在房子旁邊的植物。 有些是只有一年生命的植物，有些是多年生命的植物。

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 tells us that there is a season to everything and a time for every purpose under heaven including life and death. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there is a plant that blooms all the time? Seeing a plant bloom certainly brings joy to those who plant and care for them, or those who simply need to see something delightful to brighten their day, because it reminds them of the power of living.

傳道書 3:1-11 告訴我們，天下萬物都有定期，凡事都有定時，包括生與死。 如果有一種植物可以一直開花，那不是很棒嗎？ 看到植物開花肯定會，給那些種植和照顧它們的人帶來喜樂，或者是有些人，只要看到漂亮的花草，就使他們一整天，都愉快，因為花草提醒了他們，生命的力量。

We are blessed to see many different kinds of flowers blooming throughout the year, especially flowers that have special meanings. For instance, lilies that we display on Easter Sunday symbolize purity, hope, innocence, and the virtue of Jesus Christ. And its trumpet-shaped blooms recall the horns that announce the resurrection of Christ on Easter.

我們很慶幸，一年四季裡，都能看到許多不同種類的花朵盛開，尤其是具有特殊意義的花朵。 例如，我們在復活節主日擺飾的百合花，它們象徵著潔淨、盼望、純真和耶穌基督的美德。 它的喇叭形花朵，讓人想起在復活節時，宣布基督復活的號角。

God’s Story

But should we only announce it during the season of Easter? How often should we announce the good news? Even if there aren’t lilies around us like today, we know that we should keep doing it. As a matter of fact, the resurrection of Christ is the main message that the apostles, like Peter, focus on throughout the book of Acts.

基督復活的好消息，只在復活節期間宣布嗎？ 應該多久一次，來宣布基督復活的好消息呢？ 就如今天主日，我們沒有百合花，但我們清楚，我們要不斷的宣布，基督復活的好消息。 事實上，基督的復活，是使徒們，包括彼得，在整個使徒行傳中，一次再而三的，宣布的重要信息。

Why do we need to keep announcing and preaching on the good news of Jesus’ Resurrection? It’s like any announcement at school, at work, or even at church. For instance, during announcements, most of us at some point have the experience of zoning out or being in the state of obscurity, ambiguity, gradual decline or acceptance of whatever we hear.

為什麼我們需要不斷的宣講耶穌復活的好消息呢？ 這就像是在學校、工作場所，甚至教會的任何公告一樣。 我們大多數人，在聽宣布事項的時候，有時，我們有意無意地走神，或處於模糊不清、模稜兩可的狀態、有時，會逐漸的拒絕或逐漸的接受我們所聽到的一切。

We need to keep in mind that Peter is preaching to people who are mostly Jews. They know not only about Jesus’ crucifixion but also hear about his resurrection. Not only that, they all have the seed of faith planted in their hearts in their upbringing as Jews. What they have been waiting for is the season of blooming where they can finally see and experience God’s salvation in their lifetime.

我們要知道，此時，彼得是向大多數的猶太人傳道。 他們不但知道，耶穌被釘死在十字架上的事情，也聽過祂復活的事情。 不僅如此，他們身為猶太人，在成長的過程中，信仰的種子都已經種在他們的生命裡，等待著綻放的季節。 他們等待的，就是在有生之年，能看見、而且能經歷到神的救恩。

To Jews, what matters the most is what has been prophesied by their ancestors is truly fulfilled in this person, Jesus, namely, his birth, death, and resurrection. And Peter’s job is to help them to connect dots. That’s why Peter points out that the God who raises Jesus is the same God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

對猶太人來說，最重要的是，他們祖先所預言的一切，是在耶穌這個人身上，得到了真正的應許，也即是祂的出生、死亡和復活。 彼得所要做的，就是幫助他們，把預言和當時發生的事情，整個連貫起來。 這就是為什麼，彼得指出，使耶穌基督復活的神，是他們祖先的同一位神，即亞伯拉罕、以撒和雅各的神。

In order to experience the season of blooming in their lives, namely, God’s salvation, first, they need to believe. What don’t they believe exactly at the time? The prophecy about the coming Messiah, or the person called Jesus who is Messiah, or Peter’s credibility?

為了經歷生命中綻放的季節，也就是神的救恩，首先，他們需要相信。 當時，他們到底是不相信什麼呢？ 是關於即將到來的彌賽亞的預言呢，或是稱彌賽亞的這位耶穌，死而復活的人呢，還是彼得這個人的可信度呢？

The point is that their disbelieving in this good news sets them apart from God. In order to prove one’s believing, one needs to turn to face God, which is, to repent so that their sin can be wiped out. The forgiveness will be granted.

關鍵是，因為他們對這個好消息的不相信，使他們與神隔絕。 為了證明自己的相信，他們需要轉向面對神，也就是悔改，這樣他們的罪就可以被抹去。 而獲得寬恕。

Challenge

Our challenge is that not everyone takes the sin seriously enough or understands the meaning of sin. The word ‘sin’ in biblical Hebrew means ‘miss the mark.’ It is an archery term used to describe how an archer is aiming for the target but “misses the mark” when releasing the arrow. The mark is where we need to go, to turn and face God.

我們面臨的挑戰是，並不是每個人，都認真地對待「罪」這件事，或理解「罪」的真正含義。 「罪」一詞，在聖經希伯來語中的意思是「未擊中目標」。這是一個射箭術語，用於描述弓箭手如何瞄準目標，但在射箭時，卻「未擊中目標」。 目標就是我們需要去的地方，也就是面對神的方向。

Missing the mark makes us a sinner because we are not living the way God expects us to be. And disbelieving that we have missed the mark takes us away from God. That’s why we say that sin has the power to separate ourselves from God. 「未擊中目標」使我們成為罪人，因為我們沒有按照神期望我們的方式來生活。當我們不願承認自己「未擊中目標」，也就是認罪，我們就會遠離上帝。 這就是為什麼，我們說，罪有能力，使我們與神隔絕。

Psalm 4 warns us that when things don’t go the way we planned or hoped to see, do not sin, don’t miss the mark, even if we experience trembling, agitation, and anger. Instead, the Psalmist asks us to speak to our heart in silence.

詩篇第 4 篇警誡我們，當事情沒有按照我們的計劃或希望看到的方式發展時，不要犯罪，不要偏離目標，即使我們經歷顫抖、焦躁和憤怒。 相反的，詩篇作者要我們，默默地對自己的心說話。

Only in silence, we are capable of opening ourselves wide and asking God’s face to shine upon us. Standing before God, there is no secret but only honesty through which we can see our own flaws, our own brokenness, our own weakness. This is what St. Paul described in Romans 7:15-25. He says that the sin within him keeps sabotaging his best intentions. Whenever he decides to do good, sin is there to trip him up.

只有在安靜中，我們才能敞開心扉，求神的臉光照著我們。 站在神面前，沒有秘密，只有誠實，透過誠實，我們可以看到自己的缺點、自己的破碎、自己的軟弱。這就是在羅馬書 7:15-25 聖保羅所描述的。他說住在他裡面的罪不斷破壞他的心意。 每當他決定行善時，罪就會絆倒他。

When sin, missing the mark, is there to trip us up, we cause our own separation from God and sometimes even the separation among God’s people. Then, what we experience is the absence of God in our lives. And is God really absent?

當「未擊中目標」時，也就是「罪」絆倒我們的時後，我們就使自己，與神隔絕，有時甚至導致神子民之間的隔閡。那時所經歷到的，就像似我們的生命中沒有神。 而神，真的不在我們當中嗎？

Good News

I invite you to take a look at the painting by James Tissot, titled as “What Our Lord Saw from the Cross.”

我邀請您們看，詹姆斯·蒂索的畫作，題為“從十字架上，我們的主所看到的”。

What do you see, the people under the cross? Some don’t care much about what’s happening. Some are devastated like Mary and a couple of Jesus’ disciples. Some are celebrating his tragedy such as religious leaders. Some are simply waiting to see what’s next and decide what to do. Some are there because they have no choice as soldiers.

在十字架下，你看到了什麼，是些甚麼人呢？ 有些人不太關心當時發生的事情。 有些人像瑪利亞和耶穌的幾個門徒，感到悲痛欲絕。 有些人正在慶祝耶穌的悲劇，例如宗教領袖們。 有些人只是等著看，接下來會發生什麼是，再決定要怎麼做。 有些人在那裡是因為他們作為士兵別無選擇。

God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, and if there are any who seek God as the Psalmist says in 53. In our lives, we are like the people under the cross, acting foolishly from time to time, seeking God when we remember that we are the people of God.

詩篇53篇作者所說，神從天上俯視全人類，看是不是有明白的人，看是不是有尋求神的人。在我們的生活中，我們就像十字架下的這些人一樣，時不時地表現出愚蠢。當我們想起自己是神的兒女時，才會尋求神。

The good news is that the blossoming seed of Jesus Christ has died and through his resurrection brought eternal life for all who believe.

好消息是，耶穌基督開花的種子，已經死了，並為所有相信的人，藉著祂的復活，帶來了永生。

No one should be separated from God, who is love, who is Agape. Out of agape, may we repent daily from missing the mark. Let’s face God, to see and listen to God’s calling, to experience God’s holy presence in our midst.

在這世上，沒有人應該與神分離，神就是愛，神是Agape。 衷心地，願我們每天都為「未擊中目標」而悔改。 讓我們面對神，看見並聆聽神的呼召，經歷聖潔的神與我們的同在。

This is the message we are called to share, the good news of God’s triumph over our tragedy.

這就是我們被呼召要分享的好消息，那就是上帝戰勝了我們的悲劇。

How often should we proclaim the Good news? As often as we can with passion and excitement. By doing so, there will be more to come to believe. Where there is believing, there are blooms. That’s the power of living.

我們該多久宣講一次好消息呢？ 我們盡可能地，要充滿興奮和熱情來宣講。 如此做，就會有更多的人相信。 哪裡有相信，哪裡就有開花結果。 這就是生命的力量。

Amen. 阿們。。