Sunday, 6th February 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon (Senior Pastor)
We live in a ‘doing’ mode, we even pray with a ‘doing’ attitude. We must have a close relationship with our Father in Heaven, to have intimate interactions with Him, and to talk to Him from our hearts. At the beginning of this Chinese New Year, we will start our 40 days fasting and prayer, to learn how to pray and to really experience God in prayers.
Pastor Jason (Guest Speaker)
Whenever we face a problem, we must keep on moving forward. When we hold onto Jesus, when our lives are willing to be changed, no matter what problems we are facing, we will have a way out. Do not be afraid, God is our only salvation, the humble and poor will be satisfied, and our hearts will live forever. He has done it; God has already done it! Therefore, we should not worry, and we should not be afraid. The early churches had faced worse situations than us today, yet the Holy Spirit talked to them and encouraged them through the Book of Hebrews. In the same way, the Holy Spirit is talking to us today.
OVERCOME WEAKNESSES WITH SELECTION (v1-6)
Hebrews 5 says that Christ is our High Priest, and He surprises all high priests selected from people. V1 ‘For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.’ As a high priest, he has to offer sacrifice for their own sins first then they can offer sacrifice for the sins of people. They were called by name, just like Aaron, not by their own strength or ability but by God.
V2-4 ‘He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.’ At church, as persists, we must take lead to listen to God first, before we can help others to listen to God. We are all called as the priests and a holy nation. Therefore we must accept our own weaknesses and fully rely on God.
Christ is the Source of our Eternal Salvation
V5-6 ‘So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.” As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek”’ Christ is not only the High Priest of the world but also in Heaven. He is of a higher position, not like the High Priest of the world. God called Jesus by Name and said that “You are my Son”. The humility and obedience of Jesus also surpasses all the priests of the world.
OVERCOME HARDSHIPS WITH OBEDIENCE (v7-10)
V7-8 ‘who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.’ Because of what He suffered, He learnt obedience. He is the Son of God, He had the power, yet He listen to God completely, and this is how He became the source of the eternal salvation for all of us. In times of difficulty, if we can come boldly to the Throne of God, then we can receive salvation. Jesus Christ surpasses all high priests and surpass all the difficulties we are facing! This is our hope and our grace.
Be Quick to Listen and Mature
V9-11 ‘And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.’ Are we willing to hear? Can we listen quickly and diligently? Our minds are full of worries, what we need to do and how we need to do. But we forgot that God could give us directions. When we focus too much on the world and too little on God, then we will lose our salvation.
OBEY CHRIST TO BE MADE PERFECT (v12-14)
V12-14 ‘For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.’ What is in our lives? When we live in the Lord, we must constantly listen to the Word of God, training our mind to be filled with the teaching of God.
Through our spiritual authorities, God will confront us, train us to listen, so our lives can be gentle, and though times of hardship and days of difficulties, we will be better prepared to overcome. God’s Word can help us overcome the days of difficulties and will be the blessings of us and many others around us!
Ps Kathy Poon
We want to overcome difficulties by ourselves, but Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, ‘Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.’ And in Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, ‘Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.’ A lot of times we think that there is only one way, but when we focus too much on our own way, we will fail to see God’s Way, which is the way out. Romans 10:17 says, ‘So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ Can we let go of our personal agenda and seek God wholeheartedly?
2022年2月6日 星期日
在艰难中 紧紧捉住基督
- 希伯来书 5
#潘锡安牧师 分享：
我们很容易活在一个doing的模式，甚至连祷告都是非常宗教化的。我们要与我们的父神有一个亲密关系，我们跟他祷告，就像跟我们的父母对话那样，不会需要讲违心或客套的话，不要被宗教的灵捆绑。在农历新年的起初，神提醒我们要用祷告开启新的一年，所以接下来我们会有40天的禁食祷告，鼓励全教会同心合意一起祷告，让我们在禁食祷告中学习单单倚靠神，安静自己，更深的来经历神的伟大。
#段树仁牧师 分享：
遇到困难，我习惯了靠自己努力，没有倚靠恩典。但当我解决不了的时候，我就会从原本的高峰状态跌倒谷底。
耶稣是超越一切的大祭司，只要我们紧紧抓住耶稣，不只我们自己改变、蒙福，我们也能像祭司一样带领所有人 – 因为周围的人会因着我们生命的改变而被影响。当我们愿意被改变，无论面临多大艰难，生命都是有出路的。现在全球的疫情受Omicron影响，每天新增两百七十多万确诊，世界各地都传出天灾人祸的坏消息。但是，神说，不要怕。神是我们唯一的拯救。在希伯来书的著书时代，信徒面临很大的逼迫，于是有些信徒依附罗马政府、拜偶像、或回到原来的生活。圣灵对那些初代教会的信徒所说的话，对今天的我们仍然有效。
一、基督是超越一切的大祭司 （v.1-10)
在我们有需要的时候，神一定会帮助我们。基督是我们的大祭司，且超越人间一切的祭司。
- 人间的祭司要为自己为百姓献赎罪祭（v.1-4）
大祭司能体会人的软弱，神的恩典慈爱先临到他，他才能献祭。他要先为自己献祭赎罪，才能为百姓赎罪。我们被召，是因着神的恩典。我们作为软弱的人，要不断悔改。我们每一个人都是被神呼召出来的君尊的祭司，带领世界归向基督，所以要先来认罪，看到我们是软弱的。当我们不看自己是软弱的，就会以为自己很坚强，凡事喜欢靠自己，对人也很苛刻.
2. 基督是我们永远得救的根源（v.5-10）
基督的等次比人间的大祭司更高；他不是自取荣耀；神不仅呼召他成为大祭司，并且他是神的儿子，是“照麦基洗德的等次永远为祭司”。麦基洗德预表耶稣。人间的祭司是照着亚伦的等次被召，而基督是照着麦基洗德的等次被召，又是神的儿子，在他的身份(v.5-6) 和生命的顺服（v.7-8）上超越地上一切祭司。基督即是完全的神又是完全的人，当他大声哀哭祷告时，他用的不是神性，而是能够感受痛苦、“几乎要死”的人性。虽然希望这苦杯能够被挪去，他还是向父神说：“然而，不要照我的意思，只要照你的意思”。
基督因所受的苦难学会了“顺从”（V8）。“顺从”一词表示人从居下位的来听居上位的。耶稣有能力，本可以自己做决定，但愿意居下位而听，完全顺服、完全听神所讲的，“就为凡顺从他的人成了永远得救的根源”（V9）。耶稣愿意仰望造天地的主，又知道在艰难中，父神的预备比自己的计划更好，于是愿意居下而跟随。他的顺从为所有顺从他的人开出一条活的道路。所以不要怕，就算环境再艰难，只要我们愿意顺从，坦然来到神的施恩宝座前，就能蒙怜恤得恩惠。基督是我们永远得救的根源，是超越一切的祭司，也能超越一切我们所面对的困难。我们的主能完全体谅我们的软弱，因着他在十字架上的顺服，成就救恩，我们在艰难中也大有盼望，所以要紧紧抓住耶稣。
二、要快快听从，长大成人 （v.11-14）
当时的教会对上述圣灵所说的真理听不进去。若我们不快快听从，我们会失去救恩。基督是超越一切的大祭司 – 超越世上其他人和我们所面临的难题。“听不进去”，原文指听得很慢，甚至懒得去听。马太福音13章撒种的比喻里讲到几类“听不进去”的人，有些人听了福音，但是心里没有根，遇到困难就退缩；有些人听了道，但满脑子都是钱财的思虑，每天想的只是怎么过自己的生活，最后不能结出生命的果子。神是供应的神，但我们若活在恐惧里，只思想地上的事情，我们就听得很慢了。我们可能信主很多年了，本该能够做别人的师傅了，结果还要人教我们基础真理，遇到问题的时候，我们都是做错误的决定。当我们不在主里面，就不熟练仁义的道理，所以不能吃干粮。我们要不断练习去听，让权柄撞击自己的生命，使我们的生命越来越柔软。
在艰难中，要紧紧抓住耶稣，相信基督爱我，他会救我、也要相信权柄和家人都是爱我的，所以要快快的听。当我们愿意去听，就能抓住这个得救的根源。在艰难的日子，紧紧抓住基督，神会对我们说话，他的话不仅带领我们，也帮助我们成为更多人的祝福。
# Kathy 师母 回应：
很多时候我们想靠着自己来解决问题，但传道书4:9说，“两个人总比一个人好，因为二人劳碌同得美好的果效”，4:12又说，“有人攻胜孤身一人，若有二人便能抵挡他，三股合成的绳子不容易折断”。我们面对难题，以为只有自己的方式是唯一出路，结果却造成人际关系的紧张。罗马书12:17说，“可见信道是从听道来的，听道是从基督的话来的”。我们需要谦卑来听，不要被自己或周遭环境和人评价的声音充满，而要来到神的宝座前，听这位赐厚恩给我们的神对我们说的话。