感谢神的怜悯
统计数据显示，北美教会的出席人数，尤其是年轻人的人数，正在下降。我们很难了解这个趋势，但有些教会则尝试在崇拜中加添一点 “酷” 的成份作为回应——很酷的音乐、很酷的牧者、很酷的崇拜地方、很酷的咖啡吧。
不过，较深入的研究则显示，年青人其实不是要在教会里寻求“酷” 的东西，他们反而希望找到可靠的领导人，及一个值得他们投注生命的目标。
保罗宣称，有一样东西是值得我们放下一切来寻求的，就是神的怜悯。然而，神的怜悯并不是我们可以作出任何牺牲取得的，而是神在基督里白白赐给我们的。保罗解释说，当我们在生命中寻求和看到神的怜悯时，我们便会以感谢来回应。
海德堡要理问答的作者说：“基督已经用祂的血救赎了我们，祂更以祂的灵更新我们，使我们满有祂的形像，好让我们用整个生命来感谢神所赐的福。” (要理问答第86条)
你不是单靠自己的努力过感恩的生活的，基督正在你里面动工，祂要打开你的眼睛，让你看见神的怜悯，又提醒你要把生命投注在那个有永恒价值的目标上。今天，你应该怎样做才能成为活祭呢？
主啊，求帮助我们懂得感激祢的怜悯，并把我们的生命当作活祭献给祢。奉耶稣的名祈求，阿们。
罗马书 12:1-3
1所以，弟兄们，我以神的慈悲劝你们，将身体献上，当作活祭，是圣洁的，是神所喜悦的；你们如此事奉乃是理所当然的。
2不要效法这个世界，只要心意更新而变化，叫你们察验何为神的善良、纯全、可喜悦的旨意。
3我凭着所赐我的恩对你们各人说：不要看自己过于所当看的；要照着神所分给各人信心的大小，看得合乎中道。
Sacrificial Thanks
"I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." — Romans 12:1
Statistics show that in North America church attendance is shrinking, especially among young people. It’s hard to know what to make of this trend, but some churches have tried to respond by adding a “cool” factor to their worship—cool music, cool pastor, cool worship space, cool coffee bar.
Further studies have shown, though, that “cool” is not what young people are actually looking for in a church. Instead, they are seeking authenticity in their leaders and a cause worth staking their lives on.
Paul proclaims that there is something worth sacrificing everything for: it’s called God’s mercy. And yet God’s mercy cannot be bought through any sacrifice we make. It’s God’s gift to us, offered freely in Christ. And Paul explains that when we look and see God’s mercy in our lives, our response will be gratitude.
The authors of the Heidelberg Catechism wrote, “Christ, having redeemed us by his blood, is also restoring us by his Spirit into his image, so that with our whole lives we may show that we are thankful to God for his benefits” (Q&A 86).
Living gratefully isn’t your work alone. Christ is at work in you, opening your eyes to God’s mercy and prompting you to stake your life on a cause with eternal benefits. How will you be a living sacrifice today?
Lord, help me to be ever grateful for your mercy and to offer my life as a sacrifice to you. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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