10月27日 宣教之方

所以你们要去，使万民作我的门徒。（太二十八19）

耶稣基督不是说：“去拯救灵魂。”（灵魂的得救，是神超然的工作。）他乃是说：“去，使万民作我的门徒。”除非你自己先作门徒，否则无法叫人作门徒。昔日门徒第一次奉差遣出去，因为污鬼也服了他们，欢乐而回。耶稣就说：“不要因工作成功而欢欣；快乐最大的秘诀，是与我保持正确的关系。”宣教士最要紧的是对神的呼召效忠，知道他唯一的目标是使人作主的门徒。有时对灵魂的热切，不是由神而来，而是出于想人家跟从自己的观点。

宣教士的挑战，并不是人难以得救；不是退后的人难以回转；也不是人的冷漠、毫不动心；而是他与主耶稣基督的关系。“你们信我能作这事吗？”我们的主不断问这个问题，每遇一事，主都会这样问。我们唯一的大挑战是－－我认识我的复活主吗？我认识他内居的灵的大能吗？我是否因着对主耶稣话语的完全信靠，以致在神眼中成为智慧的，而在世界看来却是愚拙？还是我抛弃了那超然的地位，也就是神对宣教士唯一的呼召－－对主耶稣基督无限的信赖？我若用其他任何方法，就脱离了主所定下的方法了，主说：“天上地下所有的权柄都赐给我了，所以你们要去……”

祈祷◆噢，主啊，吸引我靠近你；愿我以你自己为荣，因为你将我这样的一个罪人，变成你有用的仆人。

October 27 The Method Of Missions

“Go ye therefore, and teach (disciple) all nations.” Matthew 28:19

Jesus Christ did not say – Go and save souls (the salvation of souls is the supernatural work of God), but – “Go and teach,” i.e., disciple, “all nations,” and you cannot make disciples unless you are a disciple yourself. When the disciples came back from their first mission they were filled with joy because the devils were subject to them, and Jesus said – Don't rejoice in successful service; the great secret of joy is that you are rightly related to Me. The great essential of the missionary is that he remains true to the call of God, and realizes that his one purpose is to disciple men and women to Jesus. There is a passion for souls that does not spring from God, but from the desire to make converts to our point of view.

The challenge to the missionary does not come on the line that people are difficult to get saved, that backsliders are difficult to reclaim, that there is a wadge of callous indifference; but along the line of his own personal relationship to Jesus Christ. “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” Our Lord puts that question steadily, it faces us in every individual case we meet. The one great challenge is – Do I know my Risen Lord? Do I know the power of His indwelling Spirit? Am I wise enough in God's sight, and foolish enough according to the world, to bank on what Jesus Christ has said, or am I abandoning the great supernatural position, which is the only call for a missionary, viz., boundless confidence in Christ Jesus? If I take up any other method I depart altogether from the methods laid down by Our Lord – “All power is given unto Me . . , therefore go ye.”