Shawn Wang’s Memorial Service

王翔弟兄追思礼拜

Shawn Wang’s Memorial Service

August 17, 2024

二零二四年八月十七日

奉耶稣基督的名，阿门！In the Name of Jesus, Amen!

当我听说王翔弟兄失踪了，家人找不到他时，我很担心，并为他祈祷，这完全出乎我的意料。当最终听到坏消息后，我很难过。这之后，我听到一些人说，由于他过世的方式，他可能不会得救，进天堂。然而，这并不是《圣经》的教导。

When I heard that Shawn was missing and the family couldn’t find him, I worried and prayed. It was unexpected. After I heard the eventual bad news, I was saddened. Then, I heard some people say that because of the situation surrounding his passing, he might not be saved. However, this is not what the Bible teaches us.

是的，当时我们找不到他，现在我们也非常想念他……但在基督耶稣里，他并没有失踪……事实上，他是我们教会的长期成员……他不仅是教会成员，也曾以华人堂执事会主席身份服侍教会，这证明了他的信心，他也活出了信心。他作家访，探望老人，照顾病人。他还担任了希望中文学校的校长，为许许多多华人社区的孩子和家长们服务。

Yes, he was missing and now we miss him so much… but never is he missing in Christ Jesus… In fact, he has been a LONG time member of our church… He demonstrated his faith and living it out by serving the church as a member and three-term chairman of the Chinese deacon committee. He visited the elderly and cared for the sick. He also served a lot of Chinese children and parents of the Chinese community in this area by being the principal of Hope Chinese school.

我们得救全凭上帝的恩典，通过对耶稣基督的信心，而不是依靠我们的行为，圣经说，“免得有人自夸”。王翔知道这一点，并相信他的救主。上帝在基督耶稣里饶恕了我们，祂的宝血洗净我们所有的罪，包括王翔在最后时刻的软弱……在上帝眼中，因我们的罪、不信和悖逆祂的缘故，我们都是罪人，包括你和我…………然而，上帝将祂的爱子、独生子耶稣基督差遣到世上，要叫一切信祂的，不至灭亡，反得永生，这就是上帝对我们的爱。事实上，今天的第二篇读经《罗马书》第 5 章中说：“因我们还软弱的时候，基督就按所定的日期为罪人死。为义人死，是少有的；为仁人死、或者有敢做的。惟有基督在我们还作罪人的时候为我们死，上帝的爱就在此向我们显明了。“。

We are saved ONLY by the grace of God through faith on account of Jesus Christ, not by our works. Shawn knew that and trusted in His savior. God forgives us in Christ Jesus and His blood washes away all our sins including Shawn’s weakness in his last hour… we are ALL sinners in the eyes of God including you and me… because of our sin, unbelief, and the rebellions against Him… Yet, God demonstrates His Love for us by sending His beloved Son, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to the world, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Actually, today’s second reading Romans 5 says, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

即使作为基督徒，我们仍然生活在这个堕落的世界中……你可能亲身经历过，或者当你打开电视或社交媒体，环顾四周，你就会知道罪和死亡的败坏及其影响…… 圣保罗在《罗马书》第八章中说 “我们知道一切受造之物一同叹息、劳苦，直到如今。不但如此，就是我们这有圣灵初结果子的，也是自己心里叹息，等候得著儿子的名分，乃是我们的身体得赎。”我相信，尽管王翔弟兄因病常会在心里叹息，但他对自己的身体在末日也必得赎满怀希望，因为这是我们在耶稣基督里共同分享的盼望。

Even as a Christian, we still live in this fallen world… you may personally experience it, or when you turn on the TV or scroll down social Media, and look around you, you know the corruption, the effect of sin and death… St. Paul says, in Romans 8. “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” I believe that even though Shawn groaned inwardly because of his illness, he had hope of the redemption of his body on the Last Day because this is the hope we share in Jesus Christ.

我们想念王翔，因为我们感觉到他与我们分离了。然而，尽管他身处绝境，无法自拔，但他并没有与上帝和祂的爱分离。事实上，正是因为我们无法自救的绝望处境，耶稣才道成肉身来到世上，祂不仅为我们的罪而死，也为我们的义而复活。祂从死里复活，战胜了罪和罪的败坏，带给我们新的生命，复活的生命，就是在基督耶稣里的永生。事实上，罗马书第 8 章最后一句话说：“谁能使我们与基督的爱隔绝呢？难道是患难吗？是困苦吗？是逼迫吗？是饥饿吗？是赤身露体吗？是危险吗？是刀剑吗？不，靠著爱我们的主，在这一切的事上已经得胜有余了。因为我们深信无论是死，是生，是天使，是掌权的，是有能的，是现在的事，是将来的事，是高处的，是低处的，是别的受造之物，都不能叫我们与神的爱隔绝；这爱是在我们的主基督耶稣里的。”

We miss Shawn because we feel that he is separated from us. However, he is Not separated from God and His Love despite the desperate condition in which he found himself. Actually, exactly because of the desperation of our situation that we cannot save ourselves, Jesus came to this world. He not only died for our sin, but also resurrected for our justification.. He rose from the dead to conquer sin and corruption to give us a new life, resurrected life, eternal life in Christ Jesus.. In fact, the final words of Rom. 8 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

凡事都有定期，天下万事都有定时。生有时，死有时；栽种有时，拔出所栽 种的也有时；杀戮有时，医治有时；拆毁有时，建造有时；哭有时，笑有时；哀恸有时，跳舞有时。现在是我们哀悼的时候，因为王翔与我们分离了，但也是我们庆祝的时候，庆祝他的生命。但最重要的是，我们要庆祝上帝为他和我们所有人所做的一切，感谢上帝在耶稣基督里的恩典。是的，当王翔失踪时，我们找不到他，我们也想念他。但是，我们现在知道在哪里可以找到他。任何在基督耶稣里的弟兄姐妹，都能在天家找到王翔兄弟，我们一定会在那里与他相见。

There is a time for everything: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Now it’s time for us to mourn because Shawn is separated from us.. but it’s also time to celebrate, celebrate his life. But most importantly we celebrate what God has done for him and for all of us. Yes we couldn’t find him when he was missing and we miss him now.. However, we know where we can find him. Whoever is in Christ Jesus will find brother Shawn in heaven and we will meet him there.

奉圣父、圣子、圣灵的名，阿门！In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen!