Slideshow image

About three weeks ago, my wife and son were rear-ended in our car. No one was hurt. Our car, however, was damaged. The passenger-side rear light was broken, the rear fender was scratched, and the side of the car was dented in several places. We took the car to a certified body repair shop.

Last week, the repairs were completed. All I could say was “Wow”. The passenger side of the car gleamed: the scratches were gone, the dents were filled, and the car had a new fender and new doors. New!

“New” is a wonderful word. It brings a sense of excitement, relief, freshness, wonder, and hope. How many times have we been excited to receive something new? Listen to some of the times the word “new” is used in the New Testament.

At the Last Supper, Jesus took the cup that symbolized God’s grace and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:20). At this Supper, he gave his disciples a new command: “Love one another.” (John 13:34).

When the disciples were imprisoned in Acts 5, an angel frees them and, in verse 20, says, “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people all about this new life.” So amazed were the philosophers in Athens when they heard Paul’s teaching about Jesus, in Acts 17:19 they asked, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting.”

The Gospel announces something new, and people, tired of their old ways, weary of their sin, marred by the dents and scratches of this broken world, are looking for this new hope. And we, believers, are living examples of the new that Jesus brings. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

So, what shall we say and do?

We shall praise God. 1 Peter 1:3 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

We shall turn away from sin. Romans 6:4 says, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

We shall live in unity, regardless of our backgrounds. Ephesians 2:15 says, “His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace.”

We shall live day-by-day seeking the transforming power of the Spirit. Colossians 3:10 says we have “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

We shall glow with hope because, as 2 Peter 3:13 says, “in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”

My car was repaired. It’s like new. But much more wonderfully, our lives as believers have been repaired. Jesus has given us a new start, new birth, new relationships, and new life. Hallelujah.

視頻大意翻譯 (video Chinese translation):

大家早。

大約三周前，凱薩琳和達科塔在我們的車內時，被一輛車子從車尾被撞上了。沒有人受傷，但，我們的車壞了。乘客邊尾燈壞了，後擋泥板被刮傷，乘客邊車身多處凹陷。撞我們車的司機承認他的錯，保險就批准了維修。

我們把車開到一家經過認證的車身維修廠。上周我們的車已經可以取回了。當我看到它時—嗯，“哇!”。汽車乘客邊閃閃發光。所有的劃痕和凹痕都消失了。這輛車有個新的擋泥板和兩個新的門。全新的!

“新”這是個美妙的詞，不是嗎？它喚起了一種興奮、解脫、新鮮、驚奇和希望的感覺。有多少次我們對收到新事物感到興奮呢？好吧，聽聽新約中使用“新”這個詞的一些時候。

在最後的晚餐上，耶穌拿起象徵神恩典的杯說：“這杯是用我的血所立的新約，是為你捨的。“（路加福音22：20）。在那晚餐上，他給門徒一個新的命令：“彼此相愛。“（約翰福音13：34）

使徒行傳5章中當門徒被囚禁時，天使釋放了他們，並在第20節說：“你們去站在殿裏、把這生命的道、都講給百姓聽。”雅典的哲學家們聽到保羅關於耶穌的教導時非常驚訝，在使徒行傳17：19中，他們問道：“你所講的這新道、我們也可以知道麼?”

你看，福音宣告了一些新的東西，人們厭倦了他們的舊方式，厭倦了他們的罪和被這個破碎世界的凹痕和劃痕所破壞，他們正在尋找這個新的希望。而我們是耶穌所帶來新事物的活生生的例子。哥林多後書5：17說：“若有人在基督裏、他就是新造的人．舊事已過、都變成新的了!”

那麼我們應該說什麼，做什麼呢? 我們要讚美神。彼得前書1：3說：“願頌讚歸與我們主耶穌基督的父　神、他曾照自己的大憐憫、藉耶穌基督從死裏復活、重生了我們、叫我們有活潑的盼望”，我們將遠離罪惡。羅馬書6：4說：「所以我們藉着洗禮歸入死、和他一同埋葬．原是叫我們一舉一動有新生的樣式、像基督藉着父的榮耀、從死裏復活一樣。”

無論我們的背景如何，我們都將合一地生活。以弗所書2：15說：“為要將兩下、藉着自己造成一個新人、如此便成就了和睦。”我們將日復一日地生活，尋求聖靈的改變能力。歌羅西書3：10說我們已經 “穿上了新人．這新人在知識上漸漸更新、正如造他主的形像。” 我們將充滿希望，因為正如彼得後書3：13所說，“但我們照他的應許、盼望新天新地、有義居在其中。”

我的車修好了。就像新的一樣。但更奇妙的是，我的生活得到了修復。耶穌給了我一個新的開始，新的出生，新的關係，新的生命。哈利路亞。

讓我們禱告。

Grace and peace

Pastor Callum