John 約翰福音 14:1-5

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me.vMy Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

你們心裏不要憂愁．你們信　神、也當信我。在我父的家裏、有許多住處．若是沒有、我就早已告訴你們了．我去原是為你們預備地方去。我若去為你們預備了地方、就必再來接你們到我那裏去．我在那裏、叫你們也在那裏。我往那裏去、你們知道．那條路、你們也知道。多馬對他說、主阿、我們不知道你往那裏去、怎麼知道那條路呢。

A) The Church’s Creation 教會的出現

Acts 使徒行傳 1:8

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

可是聖靈降臨在你們身上，你們就必領受能力，並且要在耶路撒冷、猶太全地、撒瑪利亞，直到地極，作我的見證人。

B) The Church’s Devotion 教會的委身

Acts 使徒行傳 2:42

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

他們恆心遵守使徒的教訓，彼此相通，擘餅，祈禱

C) The Church’s Expansion 教會的成長

Acts 使徒行傳 10:47

Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”

這些人既然領受了聖靈，跟我們一樣，誰能禁止他們受水的洗禮呢？

D) The Church’s Meeting 教會的聚集

Acts 使徒行傳 15:1-2

Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.

有幾個人從猶太下來，教導弟兄們說：“你們若不照摩西的規例受割禮，就不能得救。保羅和巴拿巴，與他們大大地爭執辯論起來。大家就派保羅、巴拿巴和他們中間的幾個人，為這個問題上耶路撒冷去見使徒和長老。

1. Created not Random. 受造不是隨機偶然的

2. Fallen not Hopeless  墮落卻不絕望

3. Rooted not Ethnocentric 歸屬並非仰賴民族

-Silent not Absent -  沈默並非缺席

4. Sought not “Lucky” 被呼召尋見不是偶然幸運

5. Community not Club  教會是社群 而非社團

6. Foreknown not Forsaken 上帝預見且從不離棄

Deuteronomy 申命記 6:20-25

“When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.’

「日後，你的兒子問你說：『耶和華－我們上帝吩咐你們的這些法度、律例、典章是甚麼意思呢？』 你就告訴你的兒子說：『我們在埃及作過法老的奴僕；耶和華用大能的手將我們從埃及領出來， 在我們眼前，將重大可怕的神蹟奇事施行在埃及地和法老並他全家的身上， 將我們從那裏領出來，要領我們進入他向我們列祖起誓應許之地，把這地賜給我們。耶和華又吩咐我們遵行這一切律例，要敬畏耶和華－我們的上帝，使我們常得好處，蒙他保全我們的生命，像今日一樣。 我們若照耶和華－我們上帝所吩咐的一切誡命謹守遵行，這就是我們的義了。」

Hebrews 希伯來書 11:13-16

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

這些人都是存着信心死的，並沒有得着所應許的；卻從遠處望見，且歡喜迎接，又承認自己在世上是客旅，是寄居的。說這樣話的人是表明自己要找一個家鄉。 他們若想念所離開的家鄉，還有可以回去的機會。他們卻羨慕一個更美的家鄉，就是在天上的。所以上帝被稱為他們的上帝，並不以為恥，因為他已經給他們預備了一座城。

1 Corinthians 1:17-18

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

基督差遣我，原不是為施洗，乃是為傳福音，並不用智慧的言語，免得基督的十字架落了空。因為十字架的道理，在那滅亡的人為愚拙；在我們得救的人，卻為上帝的大能。

Ephesians 以弗所書 4:1-6

保羅勸勉以弗所教會的基督徒們，成為基督徒即成為基督肢體的一部分，但在教會當中，仍要竭力追求合一，以謙卑、溫和、忍耐來彼此相愛。

Paul urged the Christians in the Ephesian church to be baptized as Christians and to become a part of the body of Christ, but in the church, they still must strive for unity and to love each other with humility, gentleness, and patience.

教會 THE CHURCH

我們相信教會是由上帝所救贖的家庭組成，是從不同語言的各族、各民、各方相信耶穌是好消息的個體。我們相信當我們順服大使命，教會是上帝透過門徒訓練過程，成為推進祂的國度的渠道（提前三15、弗一22、弗三10、太十六18）

We believe the church is the redeemed family of God made up of individuals from every tribe, tongue, and race who have placed their faith in the Good News of Jesus Christ. We believe the church is God’s means for kingdom advancement through the process of disciple-making as we obey the Great Commission. (1 Timothy 3:15, Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 3:10, Matthew 16:18）

Matthew 馬太福音 6:19-24

Revelation 21:1-5 啟示錄 21:1-5

To Save the Soul from Death