The Heart Of The Church 教會的心

教會成功的因素是什麼？是主日崇拜人數爆滿？是有幾百萬元的預算？還是現代化的建築？

我們都知道，這些事物並非判斷教會成功的準則。無論教會人數多寡，數字並非上帝衡量成功的標準，他看的是教會的心。

在馬其頓的首都帖撒羅尼迦，使徒保羅建立了一個很重要的教會。他寫信給那裏的教會，提到自己對他們的期盼：「願主叫你們彼此相愛的心，並愛眾人的心，都能增長、充足……在我們父上帝面前心裏堅固，成為聖潔，無可責備」（帖撒羅尼迦前書3 章12-13節）。使徒保羅藉這些話告訴我們，教會成功的兩個關鍵特質乃是彼此相愛和聖潔。

會眾、教會建築物及預算有大有小，衡量成功的真正標準，卻是基督徒愛上帝且彼此相愛，並努力過聖潔的生活。先知彌迦的話向我們提出了挑戰：「只要你行公義，好憐憫，存謙卑的心，與你的上帝同行。」(What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?)（彌迦書6章8節）

靈命日糧 - 2007年8月19日

The word church are defined differently with different emphasis. Some examples are: "one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship", "a place for public worship", "word is used in two senses: the visible and the invisible church. The visible church consists of all the people that claim to be Christians and go to church. The invisible church is the actual body of Christians; those who are truly saved", and so on. They are attempting to describe a aspect of the church from their own perspectives. In the book Micah of the Bible, we can glance another perspective of church from a question - a place to learn about God, a God that demands people to be just, loving, and humble with God. Remember that "A small church with a big vision has greater impact than a big church with a small vision." ( 有大異象的小教會比只有小異象的大教會，更具影響力) God bless.