Wednesday, 31st August 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-4 To Step Out by Relying on God
The Book of Isaiah is very special for our church, it talks about our vision and God’s plan for our church. We must first step out for God, but not by our own strength but by relying on God. When God was talking to the Israelites, He knew they could not rebuild the Temple by themselves. We also must rely on God, not the ways or methods of the world. It’s so easy for us to seek the ways of people, the ways we are used to, therefore we need the Spirit of God.
V1-2 ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.’ The Holy Spirit comes for us to examine ourselves. This process might not feel comfortable while we are examining ourselves, but God wants to anoint us, so we can live in His anointing, and restore our being. Sins separate us from God and we have lost our anointing. When God restore it to our lives then we can preach, teach, heal, and proclaim liberty.
V3 ‘To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.’ When God anoint us, we will have power. God has crowned us and we can honour others, we can bring the same crown of the Kingdom royalty to others. This is more than anything we receive from this world. We must seek the joy of saving souls, not the joy of this world. God wants us to be the Tree of Life, and lead others to also become the Tree of Life.
V4 ‘And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.’ When we become the Tree of Life, then we can rebuild the wasteland, the things in life that have been forgotten and abandoned, the dreams that are lost and the identities that are hidden. God wants us to step out and receive this mission of God.
Section Two V5-9 God will Repay
V5-6 ‘Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the foreigner shall be your ploughmen and your vinedressers. But you shall be named the priests of the Lord, they shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory, you shall boast.’ We thought we would lose a lot of things by following God and serving God, but this is the opposite. We will receive more than we can ever imagine.
V7-8 ‘Instead of your shame you shall have double honour, and instead of confusion, they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land, they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be theirs. For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery [c]for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, and will make with them an everlasting covenant.’ God will repay everything we have lost if we are willing to follow Him.
V9 ‘Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed.’ God has brought us this far, so the world can see His glory on us. We can raise up, do not look down on ourselves, do not see the problems, but see His blessings for us and our future generations. Do we know that this land belongs to us? Can we take ownership and pray for this land God has brought us to live in?
Section Three V10-11 Rejoice in God
V10 ‘I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.’ We can rejoice in God, not by the materials of the world, but simply by relying on God. Do not be lost in the world, do not indulge in past success, but see our God as the joy of our lives. When the people of Israel went back to Jerusalem, they saw the wasteland and they lost heart. They wanted to go back to the land of slavery. We also must not lose our hearts in what we see ahead of us, do not go back to the land of slavery, our lives must carry the salvation of God.
V11 ‘For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.’ Trust in God, He will bless us, He can and He will, but we must choose to walk in His way and live the life being called.
以赛亚书 61 – 蒙召的人生
2022年8月31日 星期三
潘锡安牧师
以赛亚书第61章对我们教会来说是很特别的一章经文，在这里我们有从神而来的异象。我们每一个都是蒙神呼召的人，人生都有很大的意义。
一、v.1-4 靠主跨出去
V1-3 我们跨出去是靠着主，而不是靠自己或方法。当那些在巴比伦经历亡国被掳的人愿意回归耶路撒冷建造圣殿的时候，神的灵就与他们同在。他们没有办法靠自己重建圣殿，唯有靠神的灵。我们如今一起建造神的教会，没有办法靠自己或世界的方法。虽然有些方法可能会很有果效，但我们是否看方法胜过倚靠神？当神的灵在我们身上的时候，我们是不一样的。圣灵来是让我们为罪为义为审判自己责备自己，我们似乎因常常被提升而感觉不舒服，却不知道这是因为“耶和华用膏膏我”- 神给我们的恩膏不仅是有舒服美好有能力的感觉，更是让我们活出圣洁的生命，使我们不会被罪阻挡神的膏抹。神的膏抹让我们能够“传好信息给谦卑的人，…医好伤心的人，报告被掳的得释放、被囚的出监牢，报告耶和华的恩年和我们神报仇的日子，安慰一切悲哀的人”。不仅如此，神的膏抹使我们带有能力，不单是能说方言、赶鬼，更能“赐华冠于锡安悲哀的人代替灰尘”。我们是能够让人得尊荣、华冠的 – 华冠代表属神的君尊王族的生命。很多人把所追逐的目标放在这个千疮百孔的世界里，这些属世的成功都会过去，我们是否以拯救人的灵魂为喜乐，以属神儿女的身份为喜乐和满足？魔鬼知道我们的软弱，会用很多属世的满足将我们的焦点拿走，但神在这里提醒我们，神用膏膏我们是让我们能帮助属世的人得着荣耀的身份，不再活在悲哀的人生。我们是否看重神给我们的身份？当我们去帮助那些人的时候，他们就被“称为公义树” – 也就是生命树。
V4 当被掳、被囚的人成为生命树的时候，他们就能“修造已久的荒场，建立先前凄凉之处，重修历代荒凉之城”。不要以为我们传完福音、人们信主后任务就结束了，更重要的是要让他们能修造、重建。我们过去或许从上一代人或因着自己的蒙蔽而有破碎，但神不要我们的生命变成被放弃的“荒场”，神要帮助我们，不单是得到华冠、喜乐油、赞美衣，我们还要帮助人修造荒场，在生命树的气息下建立过去荒废的地方，将神的殿修建起来。这也正是主耶稣在马太福音28章吩咐给我们的大使命 – 我们要将福音传给万民、门训列国，让这些在世界生活、迷失、蒙蔽的人能够恢复属神的身份，在生命树下活出神给他们的命定。我们成为蒙召的人，要知道自己的身份和命定。神要我们跨出去，领受属天的使命。
二、v.5-9 主必报应
V5-6 当我们回应神的时候，我们可能以为跟从神会失去很多，但神给我们说，我们会看见他的祝福.
V7-9 我们跟从神，其实心里会有很多害怕，担心失去自由，但神说他是报应的神。神让我们漂洋过海来到新西兰这片土地，是为了让我们无法在此地站立吗？神让我们来到这里，我们不要小看自己，不要看自己是劳苦重担的，因为神不仅要祝福我们，还要祝福我们的下一代。我们看自己是寄居的、是少数人，不觉得这片土地属于我们，但我们是否看到，第一个发现这个国家的是创造这地的神。我们是否为自己“留后路”，看到若在这里站不住脚就离开？要看到这里是属于我们的，求神帮助我们和我们的后代进入主永恒的祝福。
三、v.10-11 靠主快乐
V10 我们是靠什么快乐？是物质、或者属世的成功？很多时候我们被世界上的教导误导，但圣经的教导是“因耶和华大大欢喜”。我们很容易会被情欲影响心情，但神提醒我们这些回归的人不要迷失在物质的享乐中。在回归耶路撒冷的人中，他们看到荒凉，就很容易失去喜乐，想起以前在巴比伦为奴为仆时的好处。神提醒我们不要靠这个世界的物质，而要“靠神快乐”。蒙召的人生如何不跌倒？我们很容易跌倒、放弃，因为我们生命中没有披戴拯救、公义。我们每天“穿军装”，是帮助我们完全谦卑，“以拯救为衣……以公义为袍”。
V11 让我们的生命真的以神为乐、相信神愿意祝福我们。我们蒙召的人要走在神的命定，活出不一样的生命。