His Faithfulness Endures Forever 祂的信實直到永遠
Brother Robert Sy 林建國弟兄
October 4 was a beautiful autumn morning. The temperature was around 13–14°C, with clear skies and only a few clouds. It was an ordinary autumn day, yet it became a very special day for our church family—the culmination of our 40th Anniversary celebration.
Forty years is a long journey. But more than that, these forty years have been a testimony to God’s grace and faithfulness. Yet we know that God’s faithfulness is not limited to these forty years. Forty years is only a milestone—a marker along the journey. His faithfulness is infinite, unchanging, and endures forever.
By about 9:30 in the morning, the church parking lot was already full, and cars were lined up along the street behind the church. As I looked at the many cars arriving, my heart was filled with thanksgiving.
Even more touching was seeing the joy on the faces of everyone who walked through the doors of the church that morning. There were many familiar faces, but there were also many people we had not seen for years—even brothers and sisters whom we had not seen for several decades. What a precious moment it was to see one another again!
Some had changed greatly over the years. Hair had turned gray, appearances had changed, and everyone had experienced different seasons of life. Yet when we stood together again, the bond we share in Christ remained unchanged.
At that moment, I was reminded again that the church is not merely a building. The church is a family—a people who have received God’s grace and have been brought together as one family in Christ.
That day, it seemed as though we could see the glory of God filling the gathering. The love that comes from God filled our hearts. Brothers and sisters greeted one another, cared for one another, and shared their joy with one another. Those who had not seen each other for many years were reconnecting once again.
It reminded me that the true significance of our 40th Anniversary is not simply how many years we have existed or how many ministries we have accomplished. It is that throughout these forty years, God has been with us. He has never left us.
Forty years cannot be measured simply by time.
Forty years is a testimony of God’s grace.
Forty years is a testimony of God’s faithfulness.
Forty years is a record of God’s leading.
And forty years is also the story of countless brothers and sisters whose lives have been touched, strengthened, and transformed by Him.
His grace continues to flow like living water, and even today, it has never ceased.
Our Thanksgiving Worship Service made this day even more meaningful.
The children sang “We Praise Your Name.” Their joyful and innocent voices reminded us that the faith we have received is also being passed on to the next generation.
The adult choir sang “You Alone Are God,” turning our hearts once again toward God Himself. After forty years, the One who deserves our worship is not ourselves, nor our accomplishments, nor our church programs.
He alone is God.
The sermon was entitled “Run the Race Set Before Us,” based on Hebrews 12:1–6.
Life is like a race. For our church, forty years is not the finish line; it is another milestone along the journey. God has brought us through the past forty years, and He is calling us to continue running the race before us.
One message from the sermon especially touched my heart:
Thanksgiving is not only something we celebrate when good things happen. Thanksgiving is a declaration of faith—that whatever happens, God is still good.
That thought spoke deeply to me.
We do not wait until we feel joyful before we give thanks. Rather, as we give thanks, we discover joy in the Lord.
True thanksgiving is not based on the fact that everything in life is going well. It is the faith to say, in both good times and difficult times:
“Lord, I still trust You.”
To run the race well, we need to remember three things:
First, discipline is necessary for our growth.
God’s discipline is not rejection; it is an expression of His love. He does not discipline us to make us fall, but to help us grow and become mature. Throughout these forty years, our church has certainly experienced challenges, difficulties, and seasons that required change. Yet God has used every experience to shape us and make us stronger and more mature.
Second, thanksgiving is necessary for our joy.
True joy is not built on our circumstances; it is built on God. When we count our blessings and remember God’s faithfulness, we begin to see how much He has already given us.
Third, fix our eyes on Jesus.
Hebrews 12:2 says:
“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”
This must also be the most important direction for our church as we continue into the future.
Not looking to human ability.
Not looking to circumstances.
Not looking only at what we have accomplished in the past.
But—
fixing our eyes on Jesus.
Approximately 250 people gathered for the Thanksgiving Worship Service. Seeing so many brothers and sisters together filled my heart with gratitude.
After the service, at around 11:30 a.m., everyone went together to a restaurant for lunch.
This lunch was much more than simply a meal.
It was a time for the church family to gather together.
We ate, talked, laughed, and shared fellowship. There were door prizes, Bible book guessing games, and many other joyful activities. People from different generations and different backgrounds had opportunities to meet, talk, and get to know one another better.
This is one of the beautiful things about being a church family.
When it was finally time to leave, many people were reluctant to say goodbye. It felt as though everyone wanted to stay a little longer, talk a little more, and enjoy a little more fellowship.
Perhaps that is one of the most beautiful expressions of thanksgiving.
We were not only celebrating an event. We were treasuring the relationships God has given us—the opportunity to love one another, walk together, and belong to one another as a church family.
As we look back over these forty years, we can truly say:
“If the Lord had not helped us, we would not be where we are today.”
Therefore, we are not celebrating how far we have come because of our own strength. We are giving testimony to how far God has brought us.
Forty years have passed, and God remains faithful.
Forty years have passed, and God still loves us.
Forty years have passed, and God is still with us.
Forty years have passed, and God is still calling us forward.
Therefore, our question should not only be:
“What have we done in the past?”
We should also ask:
“Lord, what do You want us to do now?”
May our church not simply remember the past forty years, but offer ourselves afresh to God and step into the next chapter He has prepared for us.
May each one of us love the Lord more deeply, serve Him more faithfully, love one another more sincerely, and be willing to share the Gospel with the next generation.
May we continue to be a blessing to our community.
May we truly love our Lord with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength.
Throughout this 40th Anniversary celebration, one verse from Psalm 95:7 has remained deeply in my heart:
“For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. Today, if only you would hear His voice.”
These words carry such deep meaning for this anniversary celebration.
For forty years, we have witnessed God’s faithfulness. But today, it is as though God is reminding us again:
“You are My people.”
We did not come together by accident.
We are His flock.
We are the people under His care.
We are the people He loves.
We are His church.
Therefore, the most important thing about our 40th Anniversary is not simply looking back and counting God’s blessings. It is also listening again today for His voice.
Lord, continue to lead us.
We do not know exactly what lies ahead.
We do not know what the next forty years will look like.
But we know this:
Our God knows.
The God who has faithfully led us through these forty years will continue to lead us into the future.
May our church never forget the source of our blessings.
May we never forget who has brought us this far.
May we never take the glory for ourselves, but give all glory, honor, and praise to God.
Forty years is a beautiful testimony.
But may the next forty years become an even greater testimony of His grace and faithfulness.
May we continue to run the race set before us.
May we continue to fix our eyes on Jesus.
May we continue to love one another.
May we continue to serve faithfully.
May we continue to be a witness for the Gospel in our community.
And when one day we finish the race God has set before us and stand in His presence, may we be able to say with joy:
“Lord, everything we have experienced, everything we have accomplished, and every step we have taken has been by Your grace.”
October 4 will remain a precious day in the history of our church.
Not simply because we held a wonderful 40th Anniversary celebration,
but because on this day we once again witnessed that:
God’s faithfulness has never changed.
His grace has never ceased.
His love never fails.
Therefore, we place these forty years back into His hands.
To God be all the glory!
To God be all the praise!
To God be all our thanksgiving!
Yesterday, today, and forever, He is our faithful God.
To God Alone Be The Glory.
十月四日，清晨的天氣晴朗，氣溫約在攝氏 13 至 14 度之間，天空晴朗而帶著少許雲彩。這是一個平凡的秋日早晨，卻也是我們教會四十周年慶典的高峰。
四十年，一段漫長的歲月；四十年，也是神恩典與信實一路同行的見證。然而，我們深深知道，神的信實並不只限於這四十年。四十年只是一個記號、一個里程碑；神的信實是無限的，是永不改變的，並且存到永永遠遠。
大約早上九點半，停車場已經停滿了車，甚至連教會後面的街道也排滿了車輛。看著一輛又一輛的車子來到，看著弟兄姊妹從四面八方回到教會，我的心裡充滿了感恩。
更令人感動的是，今天走進教會的每一個人，臉上似乎都帶著喜樂。當中有我們熟悉的弟兄姊妹，也有許多多年沒有見面的朋友，甚至有一些是幾十年沒有再見面的弟兄姊妹。當大家再次相遇、彼此問候、握手、擁抱，那一份喜樂實在不是言語所能完全表達的。
有些人也許已經改變了許多，頭髮白了，容貌不同了，人生也經歷了許多事情；但是當我們再次站在一起的時候，那份在基督裡的連結卻仍然沒有改變。
那一刻，我更加深深體會到：教會不只是一座建築物，教會乃是一群蒙恩的人，在基督裡成為一個屬靈的大家庭。
今天，我們彷彿看見神的榮耀充滿全場。從神而來的愛，也充滿在每一個人的心中。弟兄姊妹彼此問候、彼此關心、彼此祝福；那些多年沒有見面的，也重新連結起來。
這讓我想到，四十周年真正寶貴的地方，並不是我們用了多少時間建立了一間教會，也不是我們完成了多少事工，而是在這四十年中，神一直與我們同在，祂從來沒有離開我們。
四十年不是單單用時間可以衡量的。
四十年，是神恩典的累積；
四十年，是神信實的見證；
四十年，是神帶領的足跡；
四十年，也是無數弟兄姊妹生命被祂觸摸、建立、改變的故事。
而祂的恩典，如同活水一樣，直到今天仍然沒有停止。
今天的感恩崇拜，更讓我們感受到神奇妙的帶領。
兒童獻唱 “We Praise Your Name”，孩子們純真的歌聲提醒我們：我們這一代所領受的信仰，也正在傳承給下一代。
成人詩班獻唱 “You Alone Are God”，再次把我們的目光帶回神自己——四十年來，真正配得我們敬拜的，不是人，不是教會的成就，而是唯有祂是神。
牧師今天的信息是：「跑好當跑的路」，經文是希伯來書 12:1-6。
人生就像一場賽跑。四十年對教會而言，並不是終點，而是一個新的里程碑。神帶領我們走過過去四十年的路，也呼召我們繼續向前奔跑。
信息中特別提醒我們，感恩並不只是當好事情發生時才慶祝。感恩乃是一個信心的宣告：無論發生什麼事情，我們仍然相信神是美善的。
這句話對我今天的心特別有提醒。
我們不是等到有喜樂了，才來感恩；而是因為感恩，我們就在主裡得著喜樂。
真正的感恩，不是因為人生每一件事情都順利，而是在順境或逆境中，我們仍然可以說：
「主啊，我相信祢。」
要跑好當跑的路，我們需要記得三件事：
第一，管教是我們成長所必需的。
神的管教不是拒絕，而是愛；不是要我們跌倒，而是要我們成熟。四十年來，教會也一定經歷過不同的挑戰、困難和需要調整的地方，但神使用這些經歷塑造我們，使我們更加成熟。
第二，感恩是我們喜樂所必需的。
真正的喜樂不是建立在環境之上，而是建立在神之上。當我們數算神的恩典，我們就會發現，原來神已經給了我們那麼多。
第三，定睛仰望耶穌。
希伯來書 12:2 說：
「仰望為我們信心創始成終的耶穌。」
這也是教會未來繼續奔跑最重要的方向。
不是仰望人的能力，
不是仰望環境，
不是仰望過去的成就，
而是——定睛仰望耶穌。
今天大約有二百五十人參加感恩崇拜。看到這麼多弟兄姊妹聚集在一起，我心裡非常感恩。
崇拜結束後，大約十一點半，全體一起前往餐廳享用午餐。
這頓午餐對我們而言，絕不只是一頓飯。
這是一個教會大家庭團聚的時刻。
我們一起吃飯、聊天、歡笑，有抽獎，也有聖經書卷猜謎活動。大家彼此分享、彼此認識，也讓不同年齡、不同背景、不同世代的弟兄姊妹有更多交流的機會。
這正是教會大家庭最美的一面。
時間到了，大家卻都依依不捨地離開。那種「還想再多談一會兒、再多留一會兒」的感覺，其實也是一種最真實的感恩。
因為我們知道，我們珍惜的不只是今天的活動，而是珍惜神賜給我們彼此相愛、彼此同行的關係。
當我們回頭看這四十年，我們可以說：
「若不是耶和華幫助我們，我們不可能走到今天。」
所以，今天我們不是在誇耀自己走了多遠，而是在見證神帶領我們走了多遠。
四十年過去了，神仍然信實。
四十年過去了，神仍然愛我們。
四十年過去了，神仍然與我們同在。
四十年過去了，神仍然在呼召我們繼續向前。
因此，我們所要思想的，不只是：
「我們過去做了什麼？」
更要問：
「主啊，祢今天還要我們做什麼？」
願我們的教會，不只是紀念過去的四十年，更是把自己重新獻給神，走進祂為我們預備的下一個階段。
願我們每一個人都能更深地愛主，更忠心地服事，更彼此相愛，更願意把福音傳給下一代，也繼續成為這個社區的祝福。
願我們真的能夠做到：
盡心、盡性、盡意、盡力愛我們的主。
今天整個四十周年慶典，我心裡一直浮現詩篇 95:7：
「因為祂是我們的神；我們是祂草場的羊，是祂手下的民。惟願你們今天聽祂的話。」
這節經文對今天的慶典有非常深的意義。
四十年來，我們一直在見證神的信實；而今天，神也好像再次向我們說：
「你們是我的民。」
我們不是偶然走在一起的。
我們是祂所牧養的羊，
是祂手中的民，
是祂所愛的教會。
所以，四十周年最重要的，不只是回頭數算神過去的恩典，更是今天再次聽見祂的聲音。
主啊，求祢繼續帶領我們。
前面的道路，也許我們不知道；
下一個四十年會怎樣，我們也不知道。
但我們知道——
我們的神知道。
祂曾經帶領我們走過四十年，祂也必繼續帶領我們走前面的道路。
願我們的教會永遠不忘記恩典的源頭；
願我們永遠不忘記是誰帶領我們走到今天；
願我們不把榮耀歸給人，而把一切榮耀、尊貴、頌讚都歸給神。
四十年，是一個美好的見證；
但願下一個四十年，我們仍然可以說：
「主啊，祢是信實的。」
願我們繼續奔跑，跑好當跑的路；
願我們繼續仰望耶穌；
願我們繼續彼此相愛；
願我們繼續忠心服事；
願我們繼續在這個社區成為福音的見證；
直到有一天，我們完成在世上的路程，站在主面前，可以歡喜地說：
「主啊，我們所走過的一切，都是祢的恩典。」
十月四日的這一天，將成為我們教會歷史中一個非常寶貴的日子。
不是因為我們舉辦了一場盛大的慶典，
而是因為在這一天，我們再次一起見證：
神的信實從未改變，祂的恩典從未停止，祂的愛永不止息。
所以，我們要把四十年的一切，重新獻在祂面前。
願一切榮耀歸給神！
願一切頌讚歸給神！
願一切感謝歸給神！
昨日、今日，直到永永遠遠，祂都是我們信實的神。
但愿一切的榮耀都归给獨一真神。
To love God and to love people by proclaiming and demonstrating the gospel
© 2026 CECC 40 years
