On Unity vs. CRT at Infusion Church

Challenging

Of course I agree that CRT and Marxism are Satanic inventions. I believe there is tremendous spiritual warfare going on behind it.

Testimony as a Chinese: great-great-grandparents burnt alive for being rich

father rejected to join the Air Force

Testimony as academic: identity politics is good business. Fly to conference to present papers on class and racial oppression while they care little about their own graduate students who even have difficulties covering their travel expenses. But they can dine in a fine French restaurant, opening a bottle of wine, and have everything reimbursed by their public universities. It’s good business. (last time: freedom of speech in American academia)

it’s like Megan Markle, Harry and Oprah, millionares and a billionare talking about oppression

Michelle Obama talking about insecurity for her kids while they didn’t have to touch door handles for years

but the major testimony I want to bear to you is as a Christian

because it is my major responsibility and calling to share with you the Word of God

so I want to encourage you by challenging all of you.

the world can only make the Church less popular (the orthodox Christianity was never popular)

but only we are capable of making the church less Christian.

unity of the Church = centrality of the Cross

将福音传到地极是我主复活后颁布的使命，

真教会的标志是

不知道别的，只传耶稣基督并他钉十字架。

凯撒允许，我们要传；

凯撒不允许，我们也要传。

可见这跟自由还是压迫没有关系，

我们传福音，不是因为政府允许，而是因为耶稣吩咐。

如果在上掌权者支持同婚、堕胎或是共产主义者，我们就不传福音了，

说明我们真正的主人不是耶稣，

而是政党、政府、政治。

未有帝国屹立千年，

两千年的教会却没有一天不传十字架的真理，

被罚、被捕、被杀、被钉十字架、被点天灯烧死也无法阻止，

只要教会的身份不变，教会的使命不变。

换句话说，忘记了这个使命，模糊了这个福音的，就不再是教会。

the real Crisis: we make the Church less Christian

they make us less popular : Okay, they will hate us if we are truly connected to him like grapes to the vine

but only we can make the Church less Christian

not only CRT, but also prosperity Gospel, partisan politics

所以教会真正的敌人是“别的福音”（Gal 1:6  I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—），

是假的福音，是似是而非的福音，

是“把基督的福音更改了”（Gal 1:7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.）

是要往基督所完全成就的事上再加添点什么。

不要以为加添总是好意，

对基督工作的加添是对基督的藐视，

意思是上帝儿子的宝血还不够贵重，还不足以买赎我们，

所以福音还要加上善工，

加上自由意志，

加上自己的义，

加上社会福音，

加上街头运动，

加上政治影响力，

加上保守大法官和共和党总统，

或是中国社会的民主自由……

自由本身不是负面的，是神的怜悯与赏赐。

但历史一再显明，

教会往往生于忧患，死于安乐，

不是因为自由有错、逼迫光荣，

而是因为人的罪性。

当外部威胁暂时消失了，宗教自由有了一定保证，地上的这个家待得太舒服，

本该是天路客，

如今“此间乐，不思蜀”。

这样的信徒与教会很好识别，

他们开始压抑圣经的部分教导，

只讲耶稣是真葡萄树，却不讲世界必要恨你（Jn 15 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.）。

耶稣说我的国不属这世界 (Jn 18:36 My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”)

生活在自由世界的基督徒却迷恋在人间争取虚假的胜利。

我们“高举”圣经，大声告诉世界，

我们的信息是反同婚、反堕胎，

并且要取得政治上的胜利。

这与穆斯林使用可兰经的方式并没有本质区别。

建立这种身份是容易的，

就像一个十几岁的孩子选择自己支持的足球俱乐部，

毕竟战胜”他者“是比治死自己的罪更加可见且轻松的运动。

于是我们在今天的北美教会里看见大量球迷型基督徒，

为压哨绝杀大呼过瘾、为一球险胜欣喜若狂，

为52:48的胜利欢呼雀跃；

然而耶稣的心肠却是1:99，

并为寻回迷失的那一只不计代价。

可惜今天“基督教阵营”在政治面前的亢奋，

潜台词都是：我们还不准备付上代价。

于是我们用力相信一个“美国属于基督教”的神话，

Do we believe American as Christendom or the Church as the real Kingdom of God?

而忽略了上帝儿子道成肉身、受辱被杀的历史。

所以不要抱怨为什么传福音越来越难，

为什么那么多人对朋友圈里的基督徒充满反感。

因为吸引人归向他、至死不渝的那位牧人不撇下一只，

而我们的眼睛却看不见52对面的那48。

因为真福音是”惟有基督在我们还作罪人的时候为我们死，神的爱就在此向我们显明了“，

我们却去掉福音，

只拿律法的镜子去照白宫、国会、硅谷中人的罪，要“看看哪个符合圣经”。

求神怜悯我们，求圣灵光照我们，愿福音挽回我们。不以十字架的道理为愚拙，去跟从名牧、教授们所谓”政治神学“的深奥”智慧“。

我不以福音为耻；这福音本是神的大能，要救一切相信的。「Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.」

因为十字架的道理，对走向灭亡的人来说是愚笨的，但对我们这些得救的人，却是上帝的大能。（1 Cor 18 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.

22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.）

耶稣：收刀入鞘吧 Mt 26:52 Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

If our victory as Church depends on

whether we hold fast to our microphone

whether we make our voice heard

whether we are resourceful and influential enough to win the political battles

whether we are numerous enough to get a conservative president or supreme judge into office,

it really proves the power of the microphone, of the ballot, of the sword.

But not the power of the Gospel, of the Cross,

God’s wisdom, but foolishness to man.

“共和党是良心的唯一选项， 川普是基督教的守护天使， 反堕胎法官决定社会未来， 反同是保守教派的指示剂， 政治是神学正确的试金石， 美国是基督在地上的王国， 红色州郡是基督徒的方舟， 拜登上台美利坚国将不国， 大选是输不得的末世决战， ……” 如果这是我们每日在社区中的宣告， 如果这是牧者在讲台上传讲的福音， 如果这是保守福音派的根本性定义， 无意冒犯，恕我直言—— 你根本上是一个自由派。

因为上帝的儿子可以受羞辱、逼迫

但你不可以；

因为你盼望你的王手捧圣经然后黄袍加身，

却无视十字架上那位衣衫褴褛的救主，

及他同负十架的呼召；

因为你惟愿11月就看见公平如大水滚滚，公义如江河滔滔，

却不愿存挪亚的信心，等待洪水之日的审判与救赎；

因为你的信条使你分化、记恨、咒骂你的弟兄，

见证却无法在投票日过后成为医治的膏油，得着与你颜色不同的邻舍。

Application: bear the cross, witness and convert by suffering

Carson: the cross not only establishes what we are to preach, but how we are to preach. It prescribes what Christian leaders must be… it tells us how to serve and draws us onward in discipleship until we understand what it means to be world Christians

all agendas want to crucify their opposers/enemies: Pharisees, Jews, Pilate

Russel Moore: let us crucify our ....

Do we love Christ and our neighbors so much that we’d rather crucify our political distinctives?

get prepared — Piper: religious freedom gone

How do we convince a pluralistic society that the one true God exists, and loves them? It starts with exhibiting that love to each other and being a community that doesn’t fit the narrative of society. We bless when cursed, pray for those who persecute us, love when reviled. Why? Because the God we cursed and reviled didn’t abandon us, but blessed, prayed for, and loved us. — Adriel Sanchez

Christ loved us when we were still sinners, enemies of the Cross

Christ won our souls by loving enemies

("Christians are often quick to view people of different political opinion as their enemies. In some cases, they may indeed be enemies, yet love for enemy is a chief attribute of Christ's disciples (Matt. 5:43-48). It is deeply unbecoming when Christians who enjoy levels of prosperity, freedom, and peace that are the envy of the world. It is easy to be angry about losing one's country- as if any country ever belonged to Christians. It is easy to demonize political opponents- as if Christians themselves are not sinners saved entirely by grace. It is easy to become bitter- as if "the lines" had not "fallen for [them] in pleasant places," as if they did not have "a beautiful inheritance" (Ps 16:6) Christians have become heirs of a kingdom that cannot be shaking, and thus they say, "My heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices" (Ps 16:9). Those who are heirs of new creation are truly the most blessed of people, and while they wait for their Lord's return they have opportunity to love and bless all of their neighbors, even those who do not respond in kind, and to do so with a joyful spirit." - David VanDrunen)

must not stand on your rights

for men’s and women’s salvation

how we can do that?

Jn 16: 33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world”

Encouragement to the little flock:

1. Fear not

Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

kingdom ≠ America

Mt 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate.

For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

2. Show mercy and love on your enemies

So, have mercy on your persecutors, on those who are lost, who have been lied to by Marxism, CRT, atheism, ...

C. S. Lewis: hell is the greatest monument to human freedom

“There are only two kinds of people – those who say ‘Thy will be done’ to God or those to whom God in the end says, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in Hell choose it. Without that self-choice it wouldn’t be Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it.”