馨香的祭物
作为一个牧师，我要承认，很多时候我并没有把我每一周的薪酬支票，教会给我提供的房子，以及别人有时带来的苹果派看作奉献给神的馨香之物。显然，我应该这么做。保罗就是这么做的。过去几天，我们看到保罗谈论了在缺乏的时候要知足，以及在富足时候要感恩。
很显然，腓立比教会丰富地供应了他们的建堂牧师。保罗深深感激以巴弗提从腓立比带来的馈赠。他不仅享受这些礼物，还看这些礼物是腓立比教会真正活在基督的荣耀里的证明。他相信神喜悦他们慷慨的奉献，并且会丰富的祝福祂在腓立比的百姓。
今天在教会里，舍己的奉献是一个敏感话题。有时候牧者还会被指控贪婪。对许多牧师来说，在“好管家主日”讲道是个挑战，令人神经紧张。也许没有容易的方式让人可以积极的看待这个话题，但可以肯定的是，意识到所有慷慨的奉献都是给神的馨香之祭，这是向正确方向迈出的一步。
给予是一个特权。就如我们藉着救主白白的领受救恩和新的生命，我们不也应该白白的给予吗？
亲爱的天父，能够给予是有福的；求祢帮助我们喜乐地给予，白白地给予，是为着祢的荣耀，而不是我们的。奉耶稣的名祷告，祂把全部给了我们！阿们！
腓立比书 4:17-19
17 我并不求什么馈送，所求的就是你们的果子渐渐增多，归在你们的帐上。
18 但我样样都有，并且有余。我已经充足，因我从以巴弗提受了你们的馈送，当做极美的香气，为神所收纳所喜悦的祭物。
19 我的神必照他荣耀的丰富，在基督耶稣里使你们一切所需用的都充足。
Fragrant Offerings
"I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God." — Philippians 4:18
As a pastor, I admit that I did not often view my weekly paycheck, or the home that the church provided me, or the apple pie someone brought over now and then as a fragrant offering to God. Obviously I should have! Paul did. In the past few days we have seen Paul talking both about contentment in times of want and about gratitude in times of plenty.
Clearly the Philippians had provided nicely for their founding pastor. Paul deeply appreciated the gifts that Epaphroditus had brought from Philippi. He not only enjoyed the gifts but also saw them as proof that the Philippians were really living for Christ’s glory above all. He knew God smiled on their generous sacrifices and would more than amply bless his people in Philippi.
Today the topic of sacrificial giving can be a touchy subject in the church. Ministers are sometimes accused of being greedy. And preaching on Stewardship Sunday can be a nerve-wracking challenge for many pastors. There may not be easy ways to deal with this more positively, but certainly a step in the right direction would be to recognize that all generous giving is a fragrant offering to God.
It is a privilege to give! Just as we have freely received salvation and new life through the Savior, shall we not freely give?
If we are blessed to give, dear Father, help us to do so joyfully, freely, and to your honor and glory, not our own. In Christ, who gave his all for us. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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