2008年5月7日 星期三
2008 Sermons
《豈可新布縫舊衣》
經文：可2:18-22; CCC; Rev. Paul Wang; 4/27/2008;
引言
什麼是新布？什麼是舊衣？為什麼新布不可縫舊衣？耶穌到底在講什麼？是在講禁食嗎？還是在講縫補衣裳？又或甚在講飲食天地？但不管怎樣，不能用新布縫舊衣，的確是耶穌在此很清楚地教訓。這也是我今天所要關心的題目：《豈可新布縫舊衣》。分三方面來講，先來看第一點：
新布的主人
可2:18 當下，約翰的門徒和法利賽人禁食，他們來問耶穌說：「約翰的門徒和法利賽人的門徒禁食，你的門徒倒不禁食，這是為甚麼呢？」
是呀，為什麼呢？如果是你，會怎麼辦呢？入鄉隨俗吧！人家約翰和法利賽人都禁食，你耶穌的門徒為什麼那麼不合群呢？你即使是要傳福音，難道不該搞好關係，以方便做事嗎？我們面對經文與我們所面對的現實世界，都是那麼錯綜複雜，不容易理出頭緒。
還是讓我們回到經文來看，中文聖經翻譯，用了「當下」，來轉折上下文。其實原文中就是一個連節接詞。表明兩段經文有非常密切的聯繫。我們知道上週講的主題是耶穌救罪人，或者是醫生治病人。當耶穌表明祂來是要來召罪人的時候，請問作為被召的罪人會怎樣？問問我們自己好了，當有人來說，你是罪人的時候，你會怎麼反應？我們的自我防衛系統很自然地就被啟動了。這就是這段經文的前提背景。
親愛的弟兄姊妹，這是否也是我們面對主時的背景呢？我們是否也正在啟動自己的自我防衛系統，不願意讓神來醫治你、拯救你？試問我們生命中這件舊衣還能縫耶穌為我們預備的這塊新布嗎？你對這塊新布有多少了解呢？你是否認識新布的主人呢？
請留意經文中的特別之處，反對耶穌的人不再單單是法利賽人，乃是約翰的門徒也在其中。這是什麼道理呢？
法利賽人怎樣，我們似乎心中早有定論。我們來看看約翰的門徒，他們的屬靈光景是怎樣的？我們來看可:1:14, 約翰下監以後，耶穌來到加利利，宣傳神的福音。就是說，他們過去一直牧養關心他們的老師不在他們身邊了。擺在約翰門徒面前的事實是，眼前的這位耶穌，居然有與自己老師不相同的地方。連禁食那麼重要的事情他們都不參與。難道還有什麼比禁食更重要的嗎？我們的以色列國，現在正在被羅馬帝國佔領；我們的人民也正在飽受羅寇的鐵蹄欺凌！不管你耶穌是誰，都應該為自己的民族、國家、人民來禁食禱告！
這裡有一個很重要的信息，就是別以為你是約翰的門徒就可以逃離法利賽人的酵。更加不要幻想自己是耶穌表哥的門徒就可以繞過新布的主人。我們每一個人所要面對的是獨一真神，並且除祂以外，別無拯救！我們看第二點：
舊衣的奴僕
耶穌並沒有反對禁食，乃是說現在不是時候。為什麼不是時候呢？因為禁食的關鍵重點有兩個：一是向神表達敬畏；二是求神的同在。耶穌的意思是，你們想透過禁食來求我的同在。但現在卻繞過我來求禁食的自義，那又何意義呢？
2:19-20 耶穌對他們說：「新郎和陪伴之人同在的時候，陪伴之人豈能禁食呢？新郎還同在，他們不能禁食，但日子將到，新郎要離開他們，那日他們就要禁食。
看見了嗎？耶穌劃出一條歷史分界線來，讓世人知道祂的道成肉身的同在。耶穌的目的是要人得見新布的主人而得自由，但約翰的門徒卻與法利賽人甘願當舊衣的奴僕。他們對禁食背後的主視若無睹，反倒對表現敬虔的禁食卻情有獨鐘。
親愛的弟兄姊妹，好不好讓神的話語來檢測我們的生命，看看我們有什麼是對準主的，還是對準自己的喜好？或者可能我們今天所做的，其實根本就是一種逃避。逃避誰呢？一是逃避主；二是逃避自己的良心。怎麼知道你是在逃避呢？用神的話語來對照：新郎和陪伴之人同在的時候，陪伴之人豈能禁食呢？
- 當你靈修禱告親近主時，是否很容易讓別的東西來干擾？
- 當你主日崇拜時是否難以投入敬拜？
- 當你聽講道時，是否總也難以專心？
- 當你上主日學時，是否好像沒有得著？
- 當有人請你參加教會禱告會時，是否總有類似禁食的事情在攔阻？
- 當你回到家裡的時候，是否覺得好像終於鬆了一口氣？
- 是否覺得教會生活與平常的生活是可以二分劃開來的？
以上七條是否說中了你的一條？又或者是幾條？知道嗎？我親愛的弟兄姊妹，這就是今天經文裏所說的「舊衣的奴僕」！
好，問找到了，怎麼辦？新郎還同在，他們不能禁食！就是說，耶穌永遠是我們的第一優先！優先到什麼地步呢？就是像禁食那麼高度敬虔的事情，也要在主面前讓位。話說到此，聖經說，有耳朵的就應當聽！
噯，這麼麻煩！可不可以不聽呢？可不可以耶穌是耶穌，我是我，就讓兩者各行其是、互不相干！行嗎？你耶穌讓我靈修親近神嗎？我就偏要去幹點家務。我心想：我這不是在效法你耶穌基督的謙卑服事嗎？親愛的弟兄姊妹，我們每個人都知道我們的內心深處有一種亞當犯罪之後的「眼睛就明亮了」的黑暗。我們對逃離神的「他施路」很明亮，最後卻被投入魚腹中的黑暗。然而，當約拿在魚腹的黑暗中重尋生命的第一優先時，他反倒重見天日。我們看第三點：
新舊的交替
說來容易，做時難！難在哪兒呢？難在我們對舊衣的不捨！我們看經文：「可2:21 沒有人把新布縫在舊衣服上，恐怕所補上的新布帶壞了舊衣服，破的就更大了；」本來我想今天找塊霉爛的舊衣，讓人上來作示範，看看會是怎樣的一幅圖畫。但找不到，不作也罷！道理很簡單，新布就是福音，舊衣就是領受福音的人。我們不能說，一方面要福音這塊新布，另一方面卻又不肯脫去舊衣。結果呢？本來耶穌基督所賜給我們的是新的生命，並且還要得的更豐盛。但因為我們是舊衣不脫，用新布來縫補舊衣，反倒使生命受到破損。
親愛的弟兄姊妹，講到這裡可能我們會比較容易明白為什麼我們信了耶穌的人，為什麼生命好像還是那幅破舊的圖畫呢？就是因為我們穿著舊衣補新布。這樣，破的就更大了！
有沒有想過，為什麼會信了耶穌，生命反倒破得更大呢？因為你不信耶穌，雖然最後的結局就是死亡，但卻可能是如青蛙在鍋裡慢慢地被煮死。世界的溫水是令人感到舒服的。但等舒服勁過了，青蛙的兩條腿就再也跳不起來了。
信耶穌不一樣，因為福音一來就要求人有一個「生死跳」！福音這塊新布是神為每一位神兒女量身訂做而預備的材料。我們要做的呢？就是脫去舊衣，穿戴耶穌基督的新布。不要自作聰明，硬是堅持要拿新布縫補舊衣。這是不可能的！福音的新舊是不能相合的，而只能替換！
可能講到這，約翰的門徒還是不明白。耶穌就再舉一個例子，我們看約:2:22，也沒有人把新酒裝在舊皮袋裏，恐怕酒把皮袋裂開，酒和皮袋就都壞了，惟把新酒裝在新皮袋裏。」
約翰的門徒不明白！你呢？你明白嗎？你是誰的門徒？是耶穌基督的門徒，對嗎？應該超過兩千年前約翰門徒的迷失！
結語
親愛的弟兄姊妹，你認識新布的主人嗎？你仍在做舊衣的奴僕嗎？你曉得福音的新舊是兩個完全不相容的生命嗎？今天的經文給你有怎樣的震撼呢？還是根本就已經沒有什麼感動了。
求主憐憫，求主幫助，讓聖靈的光可以照亮我們內心的黑暗，使我們明白新生命與舊生命無法相合的事實，看見舊衣上的污穢與霉爛，從而勇敢地脫去老我，穿上耶穌基督為我們所預備的福音新布。請問，你是否願意？
我們一同禱告……
Pasted from <file:///C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\PastorWang\Local%20Settings\Temporary%20Internet%20Files\Content.IE5\GLQRSPQN\2008427%25E6%2596%25B0%25E5%25B8%2583%25E8%25B1%2588%25E5%258F%25AF%25E8%25A3%259C%25E8%2588%258A%25E8%25A1%25A3%5b1%5d.doc>
2008年4月11日 星期五
2008年4月4日 星期五
BEGINNING AND GROWING A GREATCOMMISSION PRAYER MINISTRY
Events in North America have shown believers that it is time to pray. At least two things begin to happen as believers answer the divine call to prayer. First, God’s people begin to return to Him in revival. Second, the church begins to be reclaimed as a house of prayer for all the nations (see Mark 11:17).
A Great Commission Prayer Ministry will provide a way for churches to become houses of prayer with a passion for lost people everywhere.What is a Great Commission Prayer Ministry?
A Great Commission Prayer Ministry is a comprehensive prayer plan to assist congregations in their quest to be on mission with Christ through local, national, and international prayer.
The Great Commission will be acted upon and completed through the specific, fervent prayer of righteous men and women. Great Commission praying will help congregations develop and grow an overall plan of action in prayer. It will help churches to effectively pray for and share Jesus with every person in their sphere of influence.
Why a Great Commission Prayer Ministry?It is very easy for a single prayer event to become the major prayer emphasis for the entire church. As that happens, prayer simply becomes another “thing” the church does and takes its place among all the other” ministries” of the church. Prayer then becomes peripheral instead of foundational. This pattern is not biblical.
The biblical ideal is for prayer to be foundational to everything done in and through the church body (see Acts 1:14; 2:42; 4:31; 13:1-3)A Great Commission Prayer Ministry helps churches create acomprehensive church prayer plan that is:
• Bible based—A Great Commission Prayer Ministry is built on biblical prayer principles.
The current awakening in prayer has resulted in many unbiblical counterfeits. Many of these counterfeits are based on human opinion and personal experience. Each believer must be careful to participate and teach only biblical prayer and activities. Any believer can become an unintentional false prophet by teaching personal opinion and experience instead of biblical truth.
• Contextually sensitive—Every church field has diverse cultural, social, and spiritual needs.
The three strategic objectives of a Great Commission Prayer Ministry offer a basic structure for churches to build their prayer plan. They are universally adaptable to any ministry context because they are biblical. The more prayer options you offer to people, the more people you will have praying.
• Comprehensive in scope—A Great Commission Prayer Ministry allows a church to experience “total prayer saturation.”
It models balanced praying for believers, unbelievers, and personal needs. It also includes the personal, corporate, and kingdom components of prayer. Prayer begins to permeate the entire life and ministry of each believer, the church, and the community.
• Evangelistic in focus—A Great Commission Prayer Ministry focuses church members on prayer that relates to Christ’s redemptive work throughout the world. Our relationship with Christ overflows in compassionate, intentional witness. Prayer leaders should be known as evangelists just as evangelists should be known as prayer warriors. Believers learn to pray for and share Jesus with every unbeliever in their sphere of influence.What Is Empowering Kingdom Growth?
Empowering Kingdom Growth (EKG) is an initiative that inspires Southern Baptists to renew their passion for the Lord Jesus. It invites individuals to recognize the authority of His kingdom in their hearts, families, and churches, and to join God’s work through holy living, sacrificial service, and global witness.EKG is not a denominational program. Rather, it is an appeal to individuals and churches to engage in spiritual renewal and kingdom consciousness. Just as a medical EKG measures the health of the human heart, we hope EKG will help Southern Baptists measure the health of their spiritual hearts."But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you"(Matt. 6:33, KJV).
Empowering Kingdom Growth and A Great Commission Prayer MinistryIn Matthew 6:9-10, Jesus commands His followers to pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Prayer is central to His teaching on how the kingdom of God advances through the ages. Thus, this passage demonstrates that if congregations are to be instruments of the kingdom to a lost and dying world, prayer must be foundational to the body and all of its activity.
A Great Commission Prayer Ministry is a bible-based prayer strategy that assists churches as they seek to empower kingdom growth in their world.Creating a Great Commission Prayer Ministry in Your ChurchUse the three strategic components of the Great Commission Prayer Ministry to build a contextual prayer ministry in the church.
Then plan training events, prayer emphases, and conferences that will help you accomplish each of the three components. Analyze and adapt your current events to focus them on completing the three components, too. A 16-step implementation plan is included to provide practical suggestions how to proceed.A Three-Part PlanA Great Commission Prayer Ministry includes three strategic components. Use these three purpose statements to provide direction for each prayer event and activity. Refer to the list of various prayer approaches to use in completing each component.
1. Personal ComponentRenew a personal passion for Jesus through praying unceasingly (see Ps. 51:10; 1 Thess. 5:17). This portion of the prayer plan highlights the personal component to prayer. As believers begin to practice an unceasing prayer life, prayer assumes its primary and foundational place in the center of their lives. The following two components are much easier if you begin by helping individual’s to pray unceasingly.
2. Corporate ComponentReclaim the church as a house of prayer with a passion for lost people (see Mark 11:17; Luke 19:10). When individuals begin to pray unceasingly they will create a house of prayer. As prayer becomes foundational in a congregation, the focus of ministry turns toward that of the Father’s focus on the lost world.
3. Kingdom Component Respond to God’s call to unite believers in focused prayer for global evangelization and awakening (see 2 Chron. 7:14; John17:20-21). As individuals and churches become houses of prayer with a passion for lost people they begin to see the need to look toward the worldwide harvest.
Churches begin to consider ways to join other congregations in associational, state, national, and international prayer initiatives for evangelization and awakening (e.g., National Day of Prayer, See You at The Pole [SYATP], Campus Prayer Journey, IMB Day of Prayer and Fasting for World Evangelization, IMB focused prayer for Jews, Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists, Week of Prayer for International Missions, Week of Prayer for North American Missions).Prayer leaders that begin their strategy with the kingdom component often become frustrated because they involve the same mature believers over and over.
Beginning a prayer strategy with the personal component leads believers into praying unceasingly. The corporate component reclaims the church as the house of prayer. Then you have a diverse and growing number of people who are interested in the kingdom component.
A Suggested Great Commission Prayer Ministry PlanThe following is how a comprehensive Great Commission Prayer Ministry might look and be structured. Adapt it to your needs and congregational context.21. Personal ComponentRenew a personal passion for Jesus through praying unceasingly(see Ps. 51:10; 1 Thess. 5:17).
• Encourage ministry staff and church leadership to model a life of prayer.
• Keep testimonies concerning answered prayer before the congregation.
• Lead the corporate body in concerts of prayer and solemn assemblies.
• Encourage personal prayer growth while providing devotional and inspirational reading materials for the congregation.
• Challenge the congregation to increase time spent in personal and corporate prayer.
2. Corporate ComponentReclaim the church as a house of prayer with a passion for lostpeople (see Mark 11:17; Luke 19:10).
• Develop a church prayer room ministry that focuses on evangelistic prayer needs.• Challenge the congregation to make their homes lighthouses of prayer and outreach.
• Lead the church to be involved in regular prayer journey (walking) efforts.
• Participate in international prayer journey events.
• Participate in North American prayer journeys in Strategic Focus cities, associations, and yearly Crossover events in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention.
• Organize and participate in outreach prayer survey efforts.
• Begin a “prayer station” or “prayer booth” ministry in the inner-city, at yard sales, carnivals, craft shows, flea markets, and during county and state fairs.
• Begin a midweek service that focuses on prayer for unbelievers, believers, and evangelistic mission efforts
• Develop men’s, women’s, senior adults, youth, and children’s evangelistic prayer cell groups.• Encourage “cottage” prayer meetings before revivals and evangelism efforts.
3. Kingdom ComponentRespond to God’s call to unite believers in focused prayer for globalevangelization and awakening (see 2 Chron. 7:14; John 17:20-21).
• Encourage congregational participation in the National Day of Prayer focus.• Provide ways for youth to unite with other youth for the See You at The Pole prayer effort.
• Mobilize families to participate in a Campus Prayer Journey event (the night before SYATP).
• Participate in various Sunday worship prayer focuses, e.g., Prayer for the Persecuted Church, Prayer for World Evangelization Sunday, Day of Prayer for Revival and Spiritual Awakening, and soon.
• Lead churches to join Southern Baptist International mission prayer initiatives for specific people groups (presently there are four groups: Jews, Muslims, Hindu, and Buddhists).
• Sponsor interdenominational pastors’ prayer groups and concerts of prayer meetings.
• Encourage longer and more frequent times for corporate prayer that focuses on specific prayer needs.
• Participate in international prayer journeys.How to Get StartedUse the suggested 16 steps to help you create a Great Commission Prayer Ministry in your church. Visit www.namb.net/prayer, www.lifewaystores.com, www.imb.org/pray, and www.wmu.org to identify resources to assist in training and in implementation of your ministry. Remember—all of this begins with prayer for God’s activity to be revealed.
1. Select through prayer a church prayer ministry coordinator.
2. Select through prayer a prayer council (which includes the prayer coordinator) that will work together with church leadership to create a Great Commission prayer plan that is unique to your church. They will also provide evangelism and prayer training.
3. Ask the pastor to take the lead in promoting, teaching, modeling, and reminding the congregation of the importance of prayer.
4. Encourage individual prayer. Use this opportunity to identify and recruit intercessors through prayer revivals, prayer retreats, special prayer commitment services, and conferences.345. Launch new prayer groups at work places, through the Sunday school, in small groups, and Discipleship Training. Encourage prayer groups to meet before and during the worship services.
6. Provide a prayer room. Include resources to help people pray.
7. Refocus the Wednesday night prayer meeting into a time to pray for believers, unbelievers, and individual spiritual growth. Provide national and international prayer needs and opportunities through the International Mission Board (IMB) 1 800 395-PRAY, North American Mission Board (NAMB) 1 800 554-PRAY, and prayer lines. Subscribe to IMB’s “Wednesday Window on the World” (e-mail toprayeroffice@imb.org). Download requests from www.namb.net/prayerand www.imb.org/pray (see A House of Prayer).
8. Create prayer chains for affinity groups of people in your congregationand community. Affinity groups can be created by ethnic group, profession, or interest. Men, women, singles, youth, lawyers, construction workers, and so on can pray specifically and intentionally for others in their profession locally, nationally, and globally. Postal workers, police officers, and other service providers have found particular joy in praying for the homes on their routes.
9. Develop prayer lists of lost people and prospects in the community. Pray for the names in the telephone book.
10. Participate in the annual Week of Prayer for North American Missions and the annual Week of Prayer for International Missions(see www.imb.org/pray and www.namb.net/prayer).
11. Schedule a corporate prayer time during the worship service. Occasionally pray in groups, pray for missionaries, and make prayer a vital part of the worship service.
12. Create a Lighthouse of Prayer in every community or on every street.
13. Schedule prayer journeys for on-site prayer with as many groups as possible and as often as possible.
14. Plan a mission trip that includes a prayer journey.
15. Partner with associational, state, and other church prayer coordinators to calendar participation in community, associational, state, national, and international prayer initiatives for evangelization and awakening (such as the National Day of Prayer, Day of Prayer for Revival and Spiritual Awakening and International Day of Prayer and Fasting for World Evangelization and Awakening).
16. Adopt one of the lost people groups of the world. Pray for direct evangelistic involvement. Call the International Prayer Strategy office at 1 888 462-7729.
A Great Commission Prayer Ministry will provide a way for churches to become houses of prayer with a passion for lost people everywhere.What is a Great Commission Prayer Ministry?
A Great Commission Prayer Ministry is a comprehensive prayer plan to assist congregations in their quest to be on mission with Christ through local, national, and international prayer.
The Great Commission will be acted upon and completed through the specific, fervent prayer of righteous men and women. Great Commission praying will help congregations develop and grow an overall plan of action in prayer. It will help churches to effectively pray for and share Jesus with every person in their sphere of influence.
Why a Great Commission Prayer Ministry?It is very easy for a single prayer event to become the major prayer emphasis for the entire church. As that happens, prayer simply becomes another “thing” the church does and takes its place among all the other” ministries” of the church. Prayer then becomes peripheral instead of foundational. This pattern is not biblical.
The biblical ideal is for prayer to be foundational to everything done in and through the church body (see Acts 1:14; 2:42; 4:31; 13:1-3)A Great Commission Prayer Ministry helps churches create acomprehensive church prayer plan that is:
• Bible based—A Great Commission Prayer Ministry is built on biblical prayer principles.
The current awakening in prayer has resulted in many unbiblical counterfeits. Many of these counterfeits are based on human opinion and personal experience. Each believer must be careful to participate and teach only biblical prayer and activities. Any believer can become an unintentional false prophet by teaching personal opinion and experience instead of biblical truth.
• Contextually sensitive—Every church field has diverse cultural, social, and spiritual needs.
The three strategic objectives of a Great Commission Prayer Ministry offer a basic structure for churches to build their prayer plan. They are universally adaptable to any ministry context because they are biblical. The more prayer options you offer to people, the more people you will have praying.
• Comprehensive in scope—A Great Commission Prayer Ministry allows a church to experience “total prayer saturation.”
It models balanced praying for believers, unbelievers, and personal needs. It also includes the personal, corporate, and kingdom components of prayer. Prayer begins to permeate the entire life and ministry of each believer, the church, and the community.
• Evangelistic in focus—A Great Commission Prayer Ministry focuses church members on prayer that relates to Christ’s redemptive work throughout the world. Our relationship with Christ overflows in compassionate, intentional witness. Prayer leaders should be known as evangelists just as evangelists should be known as prayer warriors. Believers learn to pray for and share Jesus with every unbeliever in their sphere of influence.What Is Empowering Kingdom Growth?
Empowering Kingdom Growth (EKG) is an initiative that inspires Southern Baptists to renew their passion for the Lord Jesus. It invites individuals to recognize the authority of His kingdom in their hearts, families, and churches, and to join God’s work through holy living, sacrificial service, and global witness.EKG is not a denominational program. Rather, it is an appeal to individuals and churches to engage in spiritual renewal and kingdom consciousness. Just as a medical EKG measures the health of the human heart, we hope EKG will help Southern Baptists measure the health of their spiritual hearts."But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you"(Matt. 6:33, KJV).
Empowering Kingdom Growth and A Great Commission Prayer MinistryIn Matthew 6:9-10, Jesus commands His followers to pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Prayer is central to His teaching on how the kingdom of God advances through the ages. Thus, this passage demonstrates that if congregations are to be instruments of the kingdom to a lost and dying world, prayer must be foundational to the body and all of its activity.
A Great Commission Prayer Ministry is a bible-based prayer strategy that assists churches as they seek to empower kingdom growth in their world.Creating a Great Commission Prayer Ministry in Your ChurchUse the three strategic components of the Great Commission Prayer Ministry to build a contextual prayer ministry in the church.
Then plan training events, prayer emphases, and conferences that will help you accomplish each of the three components. Analyze and adapt your current events to focus them on completing the three components, too. A 16-step implementation plan is included to provide practical suggestions how to proceed.A Three-Part PlanA Great Commission Prayer Ministry includes three strategic components. Use these three purpose statements to provide direction for each prayer event and activity. Refer to the list of various prayer approaches to use in completing each component.
1. Personal ComponentRenew a personal passion for Jesus through praying unceasingly (see Ps. 51:10; 1 Thess. 5:17). This portion of the prayer plan highlights the personal component to prayer. As believers begin to practice an unceasing prayer life, prayer assumes its primary and foundational place in the center of their lives. The following two components are much easier if you begin by helping individual’s to pray unceasingly.
2. Corporate ComponentReclaim the church as a house of prayer with a passion for lost people (see Mark 11:17; Luke 19:10). When individuals begin to pray unceasingly they will create a house of prayer. As prayer becomes foundational in a congregation, the focus of ministry turns toward that of the Father’s focus on the lost world.
3. Kingdom Component Respond to God’s call to unite believers in focused prayer for global evangelization and awakening (see 2 Chron. 7:14; John17:20-21). As individuals and churches become houses of prayer with a passion for lost people they begin to see the need to look toward the worldwide harvest.
Churches begin to consider ways to join other congregations in associational, state, national, and international prayer initiatives for evangelization and awakening (e.g., National Day of Prayer, See You at The Pole [SYATP], Campus Prayer Journey, IMB Day of Prayer and Fasting for World Evangelization, IMB focused prayer for Jews, Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists, Week of Prayer for International Missions, Week of Prayer for North American Missions).Prayer leaders that begin their strategy with the kingdom component often become frustrated because they involve the same mature believers over and over.
Beginning a prayer strategy with the personal component leads believers into praying unceasingly. The corporate component reclaims the church as the house of prayer. Then you have a diverse and growing number of people who are interested in the kingdom component.
A Suggested Great Commission Prayer Ministry PlanThe following is how a comprehensive Great Commission Prayer Ministry might look and be structured. Adapt it to your needs and congregational context.21. Personal ComponentRenew a personal passion for Jesus through praying unceasingly(see Ps. 51:10; 1 Thess. 5:17).
• Encourage ministry staff and church leadership to model a life of prayer.
• Keep testimonies concerning answered prayer before the congregation.
• Lead the corporate body in concerts of prayer and solemn assemblies.
• Encourage personal prayer growth while providing devotional and inspirational reading materials for the congregation.
• Challenge the congregation to increase time spent in personal and corporate prayer.
2. Corporate ComponentReclaim the church as a house of prayer with a passion for lostpeople (see Mark 11:17; Luke 19:10).
• Develop a church prayer room ministry that focuses on evangelistic prayer needs.• Challenge the congregation to make their homes lighthouses of prayer and outreach.
• Lead the church to be involved in regular prayer journey (walking) efforts.
• Participate in international prayer journey events.
• Participate in North American prayer journeys in Strategic Focus cities, associations, and yearly Crossover events in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention.
• Organize and participate in outreach prayer survey efforts.
• Begin a “prayer station” or “prayer booth” ministry in the inner-city, at yard sales, carnivals, craft shows, flea markets, and during county and state fairs.
• Begin a midweek service that focuses on prayer for unbelievers, believers, and evangelistic mission efforts
• Develop men’s, women’s, senior adults, youth, and children’s evangelistic prayer cell groups.• Encourage “cottage” prayer meetings before revivals and evangelism efforts.
3. Kingdom ComponentRespond to God’s call to unite believers in focused prayer for globalevangelization and awakening (see 2 Chron. 7:14; John 17:20-21).
• Encourage congregational participation in the National Day of Prayer focus.• Provide ways for youth to unite with other youth for the See You at The Pole prayer effort.
• Mobilize families to participate in a Campus Prayer Journey event (the night before SYATP).
• Participate in various Sunday worship prayer focuses, e.g., Prayer for the Persecuted Church, Prayer for World Evangelization Sunday, Day of Prayer for Revival and Spiritual Awakening, and soon.
• Lead churches to join Southern Baptist International mission prayer initiatives for specific people groups (presently there are four groups: Jews, Muslims, Hindu, and Buddhists).
• Sponsor interdenominational pastors’ prayer groups and concerts of prayer meetings.
• Encourage longer and more frequent times for corporate prayer that focuses on specific prayer needs.
• Participate in international prayer journeys.How to Get StartedUse the suggested 16 steps to help you create a Great Commission Prayer Ministry in your church. Visit www.namb.net/prayer, www.lifewaystores.com, www.imb.org/pray, and www.wmu.org to identify resources to assist in training and in implementation of your ministry. Remember—all of this begins with prayer for God’s activity to be revealed.
1. Select through prayer a church prayer ministry coordinator.
2. Select through prayer a prayer council (which includes the prayer coordinator) that will work together with church leadership to create a Great Commission prayer plan that is unique to your church. They will also provide evangelism and prayer training.
3. Ask the pastor to take the lead in promoting, teaching, modeling, and reminding the congregation of the importance of prayer.
4. Encourage individual prayer. Use this opportunity to identify and recruit intercessors through prayer revivals, prayer retreats, special prayer commitment services, and conferences.345. Launch new prayer groups at work places, through the Sunday school, in small groups, and Discipleship Training. Encourage prayer groups to meet before and during the worship services.
6. Provide a prayer room. Include resources to help people pray.
7. Refocus the Wednesday night prayer meeting into a time to pray for believers, unbelievers, and individual spiritual growth. Provide national and international prayer needs and opportunities through the International Mission Board (IMB) 1 800 395-PRAY, North American Mission Board (NAMB) 1 800 554-PRAY, and prayer lines. Subscribe to IMB’s “Wednesday Window on the World” (e-mail toprayeroffice@imb.org). Download requests from www.namb.net/prayerand www.imb.org/pray (see A House of Prayer).
8. Create prayer chains for affinity groups of people in your congregationand community. Affinity groups can be created by ethnic group, profession, or interest. Men, women, singles, youth, lawyers, construction workers, and so on can pray specifically and intentionally for others in their profession locally, nationally, and globally. Postal workers, police officers, and other service providers have found particular joy in praying for the homes on their routes.
9. Develop prayer lists of lost people and prospects in the community. Pray for the names in the telephone book.
10. Participate in the annual Week of Prayer for North American Missions and the annual Week of Prayer for International Missions(see www.imb.org/pray and www.namb.net/prayer).
11. Schedule a corporate prayer time during the worship service. Occasionally pray in groups, pray for missionaries, and make prayer a vital part of the worship service.
12. Create a Lighthouse of Prayer in every community or on every street.
13. Schedule prayer journeys for on-site prayer with as many groups as possible and as often as possible.
14. Plan a mission trip that includes a prayer journey.
15. Partner with associational, state, and other church prayer coordinators to calendar participation in community, associational, state, national, and international prayer initiatives for evangelization and awakening (such as the National Day of Prayer, Day of Prayer for Revival and Spiritual Awakening and International Day of Prayer and Fasting for World Evangelization and Awakening).
16. Adopt one of the lost people groups of the world. Pray for direct evangelistic involvement. Call the International Prayer Strategy office at 1 888 462-7729.
SBC DAY OF PRAYER
for
REVIVAL AND SPIRITUAL AWAKENING
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)
Church Implementation Guide
Prayer Evangelism Unit
North American Mission Board , SBC
www.namb.net/prayer
REVIVAL AND SPIRITUAL AWAKENING
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)
Church Implementation Guide
Prayer Evangelism Unit
North American Mission Board , SBC
www.namb.net/prayer
SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER
http://www.namb.net/atf/cf/%7BCDA250E8-8866-4236-9A0C-C646DE153446%7D/sweet_hour.pdf
SPIRITUALPREPARATION GUIDEA
guide for personal prayer and awakening
SPIRITUALPREPARATION GUIDEA
guide for personal prayer and awakening
2008年3月26日 星期三
2008年3月22日 星期六
訂閱：
文章 (Atom)
