欢迎与我们不同的⼈
證道開始時間41:10
Welcoming of Difference
欢迎与我们不同的⼈
• To start off with today I have some questions to bring up. Be warned they are dangerous.
• ⾸先，我想提⼏个问题。注意这些问题很危险。
Explosive Questions (Include table below on slide)
Which ones get you fired up?
这其中的哪些会让你兴奋？
We all have our social “bounday markers”
我们都有我们的社会“界标”
Every generation, in every country, in every city, in every town, in every community there are these sets of questions that form a sort of boundary around who’s “in” and who’s “out”
在每⼀代，每个国家，每个城市，每个城镇，每个社区都有这⼀系列的问题形成⼀种界限围绕谁可以在“⾥⾯”谁在“外⾯”
Some trivial, some have huge consequences: Royalist or Revolutionary? Slavery or Prohibition? Communist or Capitalist? Vaccine Mandate or no vaccine-mandate?
这些问题有些微不⾜道，有些有重⼤的影响：君主主义者还是⾰命者？奴⾪制还是禁⽌令？共产主义者还是资本主义者？⽀持打疫苗还是不打疫苗？
We want to know who is “in” because that’s where we all want to be, being “in” a community offers security and identity.
我们想知道谁在“⾥⾯”，因为这是我们都想要的，在⼀个群体“⾥⾯”提供了安全感和身份认同。
The clearer you are that you are “in” gives you a stronger sense security.
你越清楚你是在“⾥⾯”的，你就会有更强的安全感。
這是⼀张我五歲時候的照⽚
Might look innocent but tells nothing of what I was capable of
可能看起来很天真⽆邪，但看不出我能做什么,但是我有一位同學
Freddie ! Freddie didn’t fit in ! Small school nowhere to hide ! Freddie sat by himself ! “Freddie alert”
Freddie—Freddie⽆法融⼊—很⼩的学校⾥⽆处藏身—Freddie独⾃坐着—Freddie警戒
We didn’t mean to be bullies but we were. We didn’t mean to make his life miserable but we did. Protecting the boundary markers of our group meant protected us but kept Freddie out.
我们不想成为恃强凌弱者，但我们确实是。我们并不想让他⽣活得很痛苦，但我们还是这样做了。保护我们群体的届标意味着保护我们，但把Freddie挡在外⾯。
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch // Acts 8:26-40
腓利和埃塞俄⽐亚太监//使徒⾏传8:26-40
Lesser known story 400,000 results on google as opposed to 31.7 million for Good Samaritan
这是个不太为⼈所知的故事⾕歌上有40万的搜索结果⽽好⼼的撒玛利亚⼈的故事有3170万
Context: Jesus ascended, church growing, Philip preaching to masses in Samaria with incredible success 背景：耶稣升天，教会成⻓，腓利在撒玛利亚传道，取得了不可思议的成就
Angel tells Philip to go south to the road from Jerusalem to Gaza
天使告诉腓利往南⾛，往那从耶路撒冷下迦萨的路上去
Commentary: Imagine being Philip, wondering what was so important
评论:想象⼀下作为腓利，不知道有什么如此重要的事情
Philip meets Eunuch, an important official, treasurer to Queen and Spirit nudges him to approach
腓利遇到太监，⼀个重要的官员，他管理⼥王的国库，圣灵⿎励他接近这个太监
Eunuch reading messianic prophecy in Isaiah and asks Philip to explain it
太监读以赛亚书中的弥赛亚预⾔，请腓利解释
Philip tells him the gospel, Eunuch believes and is baptised
腓利向他传讲福⾳，太监信了并受洗了
Spirit moves Philip on. End of Story
圣灵激励腓利继续前进。故事结束
This is one of the most bizarre stories. Why did God do this? Why did Luke tell it?
这是最离奇的故事之⼀。上帝为什么要这样做?路加为什么要讲这个故事?
To understand this story we have to understand the Eunuch and his experience of the world
要理解这个故事，我们必须了解太监和他的经历
• Greco-Roman world, masculinity was superior, at worst slave at best between a man and a woman ! either way you didn’t “fit in” ! you might have influence but no respect
在希腊罗⻢的世界⾥，男性是优越的，最坏的情况下是奴⾪，最好的情况是介于⼥⼈和男⼈之间的奴⾪，不管怎样你都⽆法“融⼊”，你可能有影响⼒，但受不到尊重
How do you categorise the Eunuch?
你怎么给太监分类?
1) A Jew, who happened to live with the Ethiopians?1)⼀个碰巧和埃塞俄⽐亚⼈住在⼀起的犹太⼈?
2) A proselyte? (convert to Judaism)2)⼀个改变信仰的⼈?(皈依犹太教)
3) A God-fearing Gentile?3)⼀个敬畏神的外邦⼈?
• If Gentile ! What about Acts 10?
• 如果是外邦⼈的话—看看使徒⾏传第10章怎么说的？
• If proselyte or Jew? Deuteronomy 23:1
• 如果是⼀个改变信仰的⼈或是犹太⼈的话？看看申命记 23:1
The Courts of Herod’s Temple
希律的圣殿
1) Court of Priests (Priests only)祭司的圣殿（只有祭司可以进去）
2) Court of Israel (Jewish Men only)以⾊列圣殿（只有犹太⼈可以进去）
3) Court of Women (Jewish Women only)妇⼥的圣殿（只有犹太妇⼥可以进去）
4) Court of Gentiles (everyone else)外邦⼈的圣殿（所有其余的⼈可以进去）
• The Eunuch had no place where he fit in
• 太监⽆处容身
• He’s neither high status, nor low status, neither Jew nor Gentile, neither in nor out. Not hated by
anyone, but never really included. He has everything, except a family or community to share it with,
or even a God who he could genuinely worship.
• 他的地位既不⾼也不低，既不是犹太⼈也不是外邦⼈，既不在⾥⾯也不在外。没有受到任何⼈讨厌，
但从未真正被接纳。他拥有⼀切，除了可以与之分享的家庭或群体，甚⾄是⼀个他可以真诚崇拜的上帝。
• Why would God allow this situation?
• 为什么上帝会允许这种情况发⽣？
Main Point 1:God Fiercely Protects His Holy Presence
要点1:上帝极⼒保护他神圣的同在
Deuteronomy 23:2-3 2 No one born of a forbidden marriage nor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, not even in the tenth generation. No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, not even in the tenth generation.
“私⽣⼦不可⼊耶和华的会；甚⾄到第⼗代，也不可⼊耶和华的会。“亚扪⼈或摩押⼈不可⼊耶和华
的会；甚⾄到第⼗代，也永不可⼊耶和华的会。 (申命记23:2-3 )
• They all have connection the foreign nations with evil practices (forbidden marriages were those
with people from these nations) e.g child sacrifice, genital mutilation etc.
• 他们都与外国的邪恶⾏为有联系(禁⽌与这些国家的⼈结婚)，例如⼉童祭祀，⽣殖器切割等。
• Including such people in the assembly of the Lord risked the holiness of His People. This is exactly
what ended up happening.
• 让这样的⼈加⼊耶和华的会众，是在拿祂⼦⺠的圣洁冒险。这正是最终发⽣的事情。
• God was protecting the boundaries of his community because if they were compromised, holiness
would be meaningless
• 神在保护属他的群体的界限，因为如果界限被破坏，圣洁就失去了意义
• Holy of holies was God’s unadulterated presence. Rigorous cleansing required or immediate death
• ⾄圣所是上帝完全的同在。或受严格的净化或⽴即死去
• The consequence is that people like this Eunuch were kept out
• 结果像这个太监这样的⼈被拒之⻔外
• They were outside of God’s community but not outside His love
• 他们在属上帝的群体之外，却不在他的爱之外
• Ironically, just before the passage he was reading:
• 讽刺的是，这就在他读这篇经⽂之前:
Isaiah 53:3-5
Let no foreigner who is bound to the LORD say,
“The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.”
And let no eunuch complain,
“I am only a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the LORD says:
“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant—
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls
a memorial and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that will endure forever.
他被藐视，被⼈厌弃；多受痛苦，常经忧患。他被藐视，好像被⼈掩⾯不看的⼀样，我们也不尊重
他。他诚然担当我们的忧患，背负我们的痛苦；我们却以为他受责罚，是被上帝击打苦待。他为我
们的过犯受害，为我们的罪孽被压伤。因他受的惩罚，我们得平安；因他受的鞭伤，我们得医治。
(以赛亚书53:3-5)
God is fiercely protectoive of His holiness, (everything that is good, noble etc.) but...
上帝极⼒保护他的圣洁(⼀切美好、⾼贵的事物等)，但是……
God Passionately Pursues the Outcast
上帝热切地追逐被排斥在外的⼈
• God cares about the margins but up until this point the promise was just a promise
• 上帝关⼼边界，但在此之前，应许只是⼀个应许
• Philip’s good news was that this promise was being fulfilled in Jesus and his church
• 腓利的福⾳就是这个应许是在耶稣和他的教会中实现
Mark 15:38
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
殿的幔⼦从上到下裂为两半。 (⻢可福⾳15:38)
Jesus death destroyed the barrier between God’s holy presence and His people ! every sin atoned for, every sinner made right before God, should they choose to accept Jesus into their life.
耶稣的死摧毁了上帝神圣的同在和他的⼦⺠之间的障碍——每⼀个被赎的罪，每⼀个在上帝⾯前被判有罪的⼈，他们应该选择接受耶稣进⼊他们的⽣活。
• God’s Holy Presence was no longer confined but was moving outwards no longer confined but any time, any place, any person
上帝神圣的同在不再被限制，⽽是不再被限制地向外扩展，在任何时间，任何地点，任何⼈
Temple Curtain ! Pentecost (followers) ! Jerusalem ! Samaria (hated)
圣殿帷幕—圣灵降临节（跟随者）—耶路撒冷—撒玛利亚（被憎恨的）
God’s Spirit was smashing down boundaries
上帝的圣灵在打破界限
This man who was lead to slaughter was the catalyst, put your faith in him and God would pour His Spirit in you.
这个被引到杀戮之地的⼈就是催化剂，把你的信⼼放在他身上，神就会把他的圣灵浇灌在你⾥⾯。
MORE God was creating a community, a new people, that you can be part of. You will have a place to belong. THIS is the Eunuch’s Good News.
上帝正在创造⼀个群体，⼀个新的⺠族，你可以成为其中的⼀部分。你会有⼀个属于你的地⽅。这就是對這位太监的福⾳。
Why interrupt? Because God Passionately Pursues the Outcast
为什么介入?因为上帝热切地追逐被排斥在外的⼈
What about God’s community?
那属上帝的群体呢？
God’s Community Pursues the Outcast with His Holy Presence
属上帝的群体⽤祂神圣的同在追逐被排斥在外的⼈
But we try to pu tthe curtain back up, that you need to go through your cleansing process before you are welcome and “fit in”
但是我们试图把幔⼦拉起来，在你被欢迎和“融⼊”之前，你需要经历你的净化过程。
Intentional : We become the protectors of God’s holiness and holy people. This comes from a good place, an Old Testament approach.
有意中:我们成为神的神圣和圣洁的⼈的保护者。这来⾃⼀个很好的地⽅，是⼀个旧约的⽅式。
Unintentional: We gravitate and click with people like us, so we all appear the same. But this sends a message to people who are different that they’re not welcome
⽆意中:我们被像我们⼀样的⼈所吸引，所以我们看起来都⼀样。但这向与众不同的⼈传递了⼀个信息:他们不受欢迎
Back to Freddie: I was eventually convicted and chose to sit with Freddie, risking the ridicule of my friends. I had to cross the boundaries of my group, I had to step out.
回到Freddie的故事:我最终被定罪，冒着被朋友们嘲笑的⻛险，选择和Freddie坐在⼀起。我必须跨越我的群体的界限，我必须⾛出去。
People who are different to us will never come to church, especially if they’ve been hurt or heard stories of people being hurt
• 与我们不同的⼈永远不会来教会，特别是如果他们在教会受到伤害或听说了别⼈被伤害的故事时
• God’s Community Pursues the Outcast with His Holy Presence
• 属上帝的群体⽤祂神圣的同在追逐被排斥在外的⼈
How are you doing that? How could you do that? How could we do that as a church? Because God has torn down the boundaries. He doesn’t wait for people to walk in, he pursues the outcast. No one is too far gone, no one is too out of the way, no one is too insignificant. Everyone matters to God. Let us be a church that pursues people with His holy presence.
你怎么做到那样?你该怎样做?作为⼀个教堂，我们怎样做呢?因为上帝打破了界限。他不会等着别⼈⾛进来，他会追逐被排斥在外的⼈。没有⼈⾛得太远，没有⼈离开太远，没有⼈太微不⾜道。每个⼈对上帝都很重要。让我们成为⼀个教会，⽤祂圣洁的同在追逐⼈
