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我们的牧师说道在这个世代牧养教会时所负的重担。政治问题、社会动乱、新冠状病毒、会众的多重需要——这些事情以及更多其他的思虑，都使担子变得尤为沉重和甚至不堪重负。她以牧者的身份说话，然而，不仅是牧者和教会领袖们才看到我们正在与超过我们承受力的处境进行挣扎。

在一次讲道中，她告诉我们一句带来的巨大影响力的话，仅仅包含三个英文字。这句话被一位教会领袖用来作为电子邮件的结束语，在“签”名之前，他总是会先写“耶稣是主！”这句话。

就是如此言简意赅的一句话，我们的牧师却从中得到力量和激励。这是什么原因呢？

因为主耶稣是爱我们的主——祂甚至甘愿成为奴仆、放弃与神同等的荣耀。并且，祂为了我们——“就自己卑微，存心顺服，以至于死，且死在十字架上！”（参腓2：8）

此外还有耶稣从死里复活、升到天上和在那里掌权。祂是那位复活、至高、作王的基督——那位接受了天上地下所有的权柄和能力的主。

祂是我们已经复活、现在活着、升到天上、正在作王的主。“你若口里认耶稣为主，心里信神叫他从死里复活，就必得救。”（罗 10:9）

Our pastor talked about feeling the weight of ministering in our time. Political issues, social unrest, justice concerns, COVID-19, congregational needs—all these and more had become heavy to the point of being overwhelming. She spoke as a pastor, but it isn't only pastors and church leaders who know the struggle with matters that are too big for us, is it?

In a sermon, she told us about the powerful impact of a three-word sentence that a church leader used at the end of his emails. Before he "signed" his name, he would write, "Jesus is Lord!"

Our pastor experienced power and encouragement from this simple little sentence. Why?

Because Jesus the Lord is the one who loves us—so much that he willingly became a servant, surrendering the glory of equality with God. And more—"he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross" for our sake!

And even more—Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to rule in heaven. He is the risen, exalted, reigning Christ—the Lord to whom all authority and power in heaven and on earth have been given.

He is our risen, living, ­ascended, reigning Lord. And "if you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved". (Romans 10:9)