Thursday, 25th February 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One: V1-12 What is Faith?
V1 faith is in something we hope for but not yet happened. The meaning of substance here consists the meanings of ‘stand’ and ‘under’, it’s a firm foundation, just like building a house on the rock. The things we hope for should be built upon our faith. So how can we have this faith? How can we believe without seeing the evidence? We need to have faith in the things we hope for, the things God promises us through the Holy Bible.
V2-3 we can see from the testimonies of the lives of the people, who once lived, to find faith. We have faith in the things unseen, just like the wind, we cannot see wind, but we see the tree branches being blown, we see the influence of the wind. From the stories and characters in the Bible, we learn from their faith, even though they no longer lived, their lives still tell us stories. This is faith, the influence of faith sustains even after they died.
V4-7 by faith, people can receive blessings. Enoch walked with God when he was on the earth, because of his lifestyle and his testimony, we can see his faith, which influences the generation. Without faith we cannot please God, this faith brings us closer to God. Having the true faith is not saying that when we have faith then we can do a lot of things I want to do, but to do the things God wants us to do! Do we have the faith to carry out the things our church and our authority instruct us to do? Even though we have a busy schedule, or even though the things seem impossible, will we still do it?
When we fast and pray, do we really seek God and to come before Him, receive the mercy and grace? Why do we need to come before God? To receive His strength, to have this faith that He rewards those diligently seek Him. His reward is not something we want, such as a job or a car, but to be able to complete the mission impossible by receiving the strength from Him.
Noah did not see his own future, but he saw the future of mankind and was willing to obey; Moses saw the Heavenly sanctuary and remembered every detail to build it. They revere God because they know their mission impossible cannot be done by their own strength. Where does our strength base on? Our strength or God’s strength. Do we believe that ‘we can’ or ‘God can’?
Noah built the ark for 100 years, the world laughed at him, but he had faith in God. There may be some things we have been praying for and God has already revealed to us, but we are still waiting, and when we still don’t receive it, we try to act out in our own way. We thought that if we don’t do it, then how will God do it for us? We forgot what happened with Joshua and his army, when Joshua was standing outside the City of Jericho, he saw the Commander of the Lord, who told Joshua that God will fight for them. In the same way, by faith, Noah’s family was saved, and the world was condemned and destroyed.
V8-12 by faith, Abraham was called and went out to receive the land as inheritance. But at the time he did not know where he was going. Abraham was willing to go out even when he didn’t know the way, he left the place, where it was full of idol worshipping. Abraham did not know where he was going but by faith, he was the visitor of the land. He lived in the tent with his family all his life, it means that we need to set our eyes on the Kingdom of God, not on the earth. The things of the earth are just like shadows, which don’t last forever.
Abraham was wise, he put his hope in the Heaven and lived all his life in the tent. He knew the promise he was waiting for is eternal and is built by God Himself in Heaven. Not only he believed it himself, but he also brought this promise to his next generations, Isaac, Jacob, and his descendants. Can we bring our promises from God to our next generations? God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as leaders, can we bring our faith to the next generation and their next generation? May God help us to live out this influential testimony for others to see.
We need to stop focusing on what is right in front of us, we should learn from Abraham, who was willing move around his tent for God, to walk with God.
Section Two: V13-31 Examples of Faith
These heroes of faith died without receiving what God promised them, but they happily welcomed the promise to come. Is our joy being built upon what we have already received? Do we live in the material world, that we must hold physically what God promises us? Or can we simply have the joy for God’s promises in our lives? No one knows the length of our lives, but is our life a good testimony for others?
V23-25 When Moses was born, he was a baby and he did not know God, then he grew up in the palace of Pharaoh’s daughter but not willing to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Why would Moses know such things? He must have heard it from his mother. When we heard teaching from our authority, do we believe it is from God? Faith is not only about listening to God but also listening to our authority.
Our faith should be according to the law of the Kingdom of God, to believe the authority God has set up for us is to help us to reach His promises. By faith, Moses led the Israelites through the Red Sea, his faith was built upon the Word of God, and the faith of the Israelites was built upon Moses’ words. Is this really that simple? By listening to Moses’ instructions, the Israelites walked on the dry land, they didn’t know if the walls of the sea will collapse and they must be scared. The Israelites had faith in God and were able to cross the Red Sea. Whereas the Pharaoh’s army had the faith in themselves, which led to destruction.
Anyone can have faith, but faith of the world brings death and faith of the Kingdom brings life.
Section Three: V32-40 Victory by Faith
Samson did not trust in God but his own strength, but at the end he knew his life was short and he chose to kill the enemies of Israelites. Out of our weakness we will be made strong. Don’t sit in one place and tell ourselves that we are failures. God uses us not because we are strong but because we are weak. When we rely on God and fight for God in our weaknesses, then God can change the weas into strong, make us become valiant in battle. God has already prepared for us the better promise.
Are we willing to trust in God’s promises? In the Bible, God said he will give us land as our inheritance, He will set us apart from this world, and He will make the weak strong and valiant in battle. We must come out from the selfish desires and thinking about ourselves, and focus more on the Kingdom of God, by faith we will surely receive.
Pursuit & Respond
Dear Lord Jesus, reveal Your Will in our lives, we bring before You our unbelief, we long to receive this faith of the Kingdom and receive victory. We want to trust You more and rely on You more. We want to turn from our evil ways and follow You. You have given us spiritual authorities, please give us this faith to follow without doubt!
We admit that we are weak, when we want to live out Your promises and Your perfect will for us, we grew weak. Lord, help us to believe in Your promises. Bless us, Lord, by faith we can receive this assurance from You. Give us strength, this morning we can be made righteous by faith, and can align with our church. By faith, we can receive the blessings and promises from You. Through this time of fasting and praying, by faith, we want to live out the testimonies to glorify You, let our hearts desire more of the unseen promises from Your Kingdom. Amen!
2021年2月25日 星期四
-潘锡安牧师-
希伯来书 11
神国的信心
希伯来书1-10章阐述了信心的重要。如何能活出在地如在天的生活？一定要有属天的信心。
一、何为信 (v.1-12)
1，本章一开始就告诉我们什么是“信”-“就是所望之事的实底，是未见之事的确据”。“所望之事”是盼望的、未发生的事，“实底” – 英文讲“substance” – 就是基础，是建在对耶稣基督的信心里；“确据”- 原文是说证据。所以信心不是相信自己的愿望，而是我们对神借着圣经所应许的东西的盼望。我们要用信心去领受神所应许给我们的一切话语。
2-3，“证据”，就是见证，我们可以从历代伟人的生命见证看到信心。我们所信的虽然看不见，但却确实存在，就好像我们看不见风，但由于看得见摆动的树枝，我们就可知道风的存在。
4-5，我们可以看到神如何借着这些人的见证让我们效法他们的信心。这些人虽然已经不在了，但他们的信心仍然带来影响力。人因为信得到神的祝福 – 比如以诺（v5)，他借着在世上的信心的生活影响了那个时代，在活着的时候就蒙神喜悦，以致被神接走。
6，“人非有信就不能得神的喜悦”，我们是否有圣经上所说的信心？我们的信心要放在圣经上所说的事，是要凭信心去做神借着教会、我们的权柄交给我们的任务。我们禁食祷告，是要让自己更有信心、来到神的面前，蒙恩惠、得怜恤。“赏赐”- 我们求的赏赐不是世上的个人的好处，而是从神而来的力量去完成看起来不能够完成的事。要相信，神会负责任，他会给我们力量和资源去完成他吩咐我们做的事。
7，挪亚没有见到自己的未来，去因看到当时人类的未来而选择顺服神、预备方舟，正如摩西按照神所指示他的细节来建造圣所。神让我们看见，就是要身体力行的去做出来。挪亚知道那又大又难的事不是靠自己做出来的，所以只能倚靠神。同理，我们的信心是要建立在神的国度，而不是自己的能力。挪亚在世上造方舟历经百年，遭人嘲笑，但都没有放弃。我们在这里等待神的应许时，是否因为应许迟迟不来而等得不耐烦了，想要自己出手？我们是否属于我们的元帅耶和华，让他为我们争战得胜？
8-12，亚伯拉罕当时因着信，“往将来要得为业的地方去”，虽然还不知道那个地方在哪里。但是因为是耶和华神呼召他做的事，他就愿意离开原本那个充满偶像崇拜的地方。他一生都在帐篷里生活，我们也当学习他，将眼目放在天上，因为地上的事都是天上美事的“影儿”，不会永存。亚伯拉罕的盼望都在天上，虽一生在帐篷里生活，但是他不计较，因为他等候的是在天上神所为他造的有根有基的城，并且还将自己对这个应许的信心传给儿孙以撒、雅各。我们作为带领者，是否能将我们的信仰也带给我们下一代的下一代？让我们能活出对神应许的见证！亚伯拉罕的妻子撒拉“虽然过了生育的岁数”，还是因着信怀孕，并且子孙繁多昌盛。我们看的是什么？是我们现在不能做的，还是神所应许的？亚伯拉罕愿意为神移动帐篷，我们能否如此与神同行？
二、信心的例子（v.13-31)
13-16，他们没有自己作王，而是等候神所应许的，虽然还未得到，仍然欢欢喜喜的去欢迎应许的来临。我们的欢喜是建立在手上得到的物质吗？还是因为有了神的应许在还未得到时就“欢喜迎接”？其实我们每一个人在这里都是客旅，生命的长短不重要，重要的是我们是否做好的见证给后面的人看。
23-26, 亚伯拉罕有信心，是因为听到神对他说话。但也有其他例子 – 例如，v23-24, 摩西当时还没有看到神，但因为他母亲的教导他就愿意去相信。我们是否愿意相信神借着我们的权柄跟我们说的话？信心不仅是听圣经的话，也去听权柄的话，相信神给我们设立在地上的权柄是让我们能更加得到他的应许。
27-29，摩西带领以色列出埃及是建立在对神话语的信心，而以色列人的信是建立在他们的权柄摩西对他们吩咐的话语之上，过红海的时候就不因周围大水的声音而退缩。可是法老的信心只是建立在自己的身上，所以埃及的军兵最后都被红海吞灭了。世人的信心引向死亡，在神国度里的信心带来永恒的生命。
三、因信得胜 （v.32-40)
在32节提出的这些伟人因着信“行了公义”- 就是从世界分别为圣，于是“得了应许”，包括参孙，虽然一生为自己而活，但最后也愿意牺牲自己杀死敌人。他们选择天国的应许，所以“软弱变为刚强，争战显出勇敢”。我们是否只是坐在这里抱怨自己软弱，以此为借口拒绝跟从神？神使用我们不是因为我们很厉害，要相信唯有靠神我们才能刚强，在我们不行的时候还要顺服神，去“争战”才能“勇敢”。有这份信心我们才能得到“美好的证据”，得到神所为我们预备的“更美的事”。
我们是否相信神的应许？神说要给我们得地为业，要我们分别为圣，会让我们软弱的变刚强，我们相信吗？我们愿意摆上自己，一生为神而活吗？我们凭信心必能领受神的应许！
*追求：
父我们欢迎你，我们要更多呼求你，求你圣灵光照我们，让我们领受从神国的信心，就是所望之事的实底，是未见之事的确据。让我们看自己是否相信神，相信权柄，相信你给我们的教会的异象，是得地为业，分别为圣的。我们把自己一切的迷茫带到神面前，让我们有根有基，靠着信心得胜。让我们挖掘自己内心，更多信靠神，也信我们的权柄，相信神是赏赐我们的。
主我们承认是软弱的，好像很多时候无力活出我们的命定。求你让我们勇敢，在我们不行的时候，我们是因信靠你能变为刚强，在不能相信权柄的时候，始终相信你的应许，信神也信人。宣告我们是属于神的，是能够分别为圣的。
祝福我们的弟兄姐妹，我们凭信得着应许的确据，求主加添我们力量，让我们因信称义，因信与教会对齐，因信能同蒙应许，得到神的祝福。求主加添我们力量，让我们在禁食期间活出你的美好，让我们的心更加去想往你那看不见的应许。奉耶稣基督的名祷告！阿们！