Thursday, 8th July 2021
Rev Daniel Xi AN Poon
Section One V1-20: John
Luke knew exactly where John came from. He didn’t serve in the temple with his father and the other Levites, but was preaching in the wilderness. Jesus also started in the wilderness when He was tempted by the devil and served by the angels. Before Jesus, John already went to the wilderness, it was not easy to do God’s Will against the world’s values, but God’s Word came to him and strengthened him.
John called people to repent, because even though we are Abraham’s descendants and we received God’s eternal promise, we will still receive judgement. It was not an easy message to preach, and it was different to what they were taught at the time. 400 years the Jewish people lived in drought, they didn’t hear from God and their prayers were unanswered.
Our lives are twisted and filled with worldly things. We don’t know our identity as children of God and we are seeking satisfaction from people’s recognition and encouragement. All of us fell short of God’s glory so we need to return to God and bear fruits. We don’t give the values of the world to people but the values of the kingdom of God. God wants us to preach His life, which is the fragrance of the Tree of Life.
We must return, humble, obey, deny ourselves and benefit others. Only when we return then we can become a fruitful vine, don’t be a consumer in the church, only receive the teaching we want to hear, don’t become a product of the world’s teaching.
John’s teaching is for us to be satisfied in God only, not seek things of the world or from people. God gave us the special identity as His children, and He has given us the ability to live in this world but not relying on the world.
Do we really know who sent us? John knew his identity, he was not afraid to talk to Herod about the truth and did not try to please him. We need to know who we are, even when our situation is difficult, can we still say what God wants us to say and do what God wants us to do?
Section Two V21-22: Jesus – God’s Beloved Son
Jesus knew He’s the Son of God, He knew His identity, at the same time He was willing to accept John’s teaching. Jesus was humble and obedient. His life shows the fragrance of the Tree of Life. Jesus submitted to John so John’s job given by God can be fulfilled.
Why did Jesus wait until He was 30 years old to come out? Because He was secure with His identity, He didn’t have to prove Himself to show this identity. As God’s beloved Son, He was humble and willing to wait as a carpenter for 30 years because it’s God’s best timing. Do we also know that we are God’s beloved children? If we do then we will not worry about how the world sees us, we will not seek to please people, but we can be humble and be faithful in our current position and wait for God’s perfect timing.
Section Three V23-38: Adam
All our roots go back to Adam, we are not only the descendants of Abraham but the descendants of Adam. We are all sinners and we sinned against God, only by the Grace of God we can live. God still sees us as His children despite that we are sinners.
We are, at the same time, children of God just like Adam. Why can we not live out the freedom of God? Because we do not see ourselves as children of God. Let us renew our eyes and see God’s identity for us as His children, let go of all the shame and return to God.
Prayer & Pursuit
Lord, we are Your beloved children, help us to see this precious identity in You, and we will no longer seek the things of the world to fulfil us. Lord, help us to be like Jesus, to wait upon the best timing, be humble under Your teaching and authority. Let us live the fragrance of the Tree of Life. Amen.
2021年7月8日 星期四
-潘锡安牧师-
路加福音 3
神的儿子
我们的身份对我们来说很重要，当我们知道自己的身份，就会知道自己当做的事。
一、约翰（v.1-20)
V1-3 作者路加对读者清楚讲明了约翰被兴起的时间、地点。约翰的父亲撒迦利亚本是在耶路撒冷服事的祭司，但约翰没有跟父亲留在那里，而是来到旷野，在那里经历神。撒迦利亚在圣殿中有天使跟他说话，而约翰选择离开从人而来的传统、荣耀，到旷野等候神。旷野的生活是不容易的，我们愿意在那里等候神吗？当约翰在旷野领受神的话之后，就来到约旦河传道。
V4-14 当时的犹太人并不需要洗礼，是外邦人要进入以色列人的信仰时才需要洗礼，洗净一切被犹太人看为肮脏的东西。约翰没有去外邦人那里宣讲悔改的洗礼，而是对犹太人传道。很多时候我们以为自己是基督徒就论断未信主的人，但我们是否为自己的罪悔改？
来到约翰这里的人有很多，包括兵丁、税吏。400年间这些犹太人没有神的话语，生命非常枯干，祷告神却没有回应。他们都知道他们得罪神，知道自己需要悔改，但他们是否预备好了呢？约翰说他们是“毒蛇的种类”- 不要以为有“亚伯拉罕为我们的祖宗”，神看重的是悔改的生命。约翰的责任是让犹太人知道他们就算有神选民的身份也是需要悔改。我们的生命其实是“弯弯曲曲。。。高高低低”的，不知道自己是神儿女的身份，反而从人群那里去找自己的满足和命定。耶稣基督的到来是帮助我们不再罪中打转，经历“神的救恩”（v.6)。约翰所说的“果子”（v.8)就是生命树的果子 – 谦卑顺服、舍己利他。比如我们若有两件衣服的，“就分给那没有的”（v.11)。我们家里充满衣服等物资，但我们都有用到吗？我们是否只是从这些东西上得到满足？我们有看到别人的需要吗？我们能够分给别人的生命是什么呢？是这个世界上的好处，还是神国的命定、生命树的气息？
V12-13 税吏的责任本来就是从人那里收取银钱上交给政府。我们带领门徒，是否只是将他们带到我们这里？还是为他们祷告，寻问神对我们所带领门徒的命定，而不是让他们做我们自己想他们做的事？若我们没有将人带到神的面前，他们就只会成为教会的消费者，经不起教导。
V14 兵丁是有位份的，若“自己有钱粮就当知足”。神给我们每一个人都有位份，他也会给我们每个人“钱粮”，我们不要奢望从人身上得到我们想要的东西，只要单单从神给我们的一切得到满足。我们若不知道自己的位份，我们就像一个孤儿一样只想从别人那里拿东西。
V15-20 约翰以一个仆人的身份服事在人前。他让人知道自己生命的问题，不要以为自己信主了就不用悔改。约翰知道他背后的主是大有能力的，所以他不畏惧人，不买人的账。他看自己是神的仆人、使者，看背后的神-他的主人是最大的，他就没有惧怕。今天我们不敢传福音，因为我们看到的只是自己的问题，但我们要看到自己仆人的身份，知道差我们来的是谁。约翰知道这一点，所以勇敢跟希律王讲出他生命的问题，哪怕因此下监牢也在所不惜。我们是否害怕我们讲的真理会得罪人？约翰不害怕犹太人的礼数、税吏或兵丁，甚至希律王，因为他知道差他来的是创造天地的万王之王、万主之主。
二、耶稣-神的爱子（v.21-23a)
耶稣知道自己的身份，他不害怕也不介意跟随教导。他是无罪的，仍然愿意谦卑听从教导，我们是否能如此谦卑呢？耶稣活出了生命树的气息，谦卑成就神给约翰的工作，舍己利他让约翰的事工大有能力。当我们听到权柄的交代时，我们是否愿意谦卑顺服，全力以赴，使神借着权柄交代的事能够成就，也帮助弟兄姐妹一同经历神的大能？还是做破坏的工作？当耶稣谦卑的时候，就有“声音从天上来说：‘你是我的爱子，我喜悦你。’”。我们是否知道我们是神所喜悦的爱子？当我们不知道自己的身份，我们就会一直觉得缺乏。唯有来到神面前祈求，他的活水江河才会让我们永不枯干。
V23a 耶稣是神的爱子，愿意谦卑顺服神。他本可以在12岁的时候就可以出来传道，但他愿意等到30岁才出来。由此可以证明，他是有安全感的，不需要到处去表明自己的能力。这是因为他知道自己是神爱子的身份，所以可以跟着自己地上的父亲留在家中做木匠直到30岁。民数记4:3说明，祭司是三十岁时才正式进入会幕行使祭司的工作。耶稣因此愿意遵守摩西律法，等到三十岁才进入传道的命定，不害怕之前一个普通木匠的身份。我们心里有很多不满足和自怜自艾，因为我们不知道自己是神爱子的身份，在神的国度里，我们其实没有缺乏，是丰盛有余的。
三、亚当（v.23b-38)
以色列人看重自己是亚伯拉罕后裔的身份，结果看到骄傲。在这里，路加继续往上追溯，直到亚当 – 让人看到其实我们都是罪人的后裔。我们是否有看重并活出我们从神而来的恩典？虽然我们是罪人亚当的后裔，神仍然称亚当是“神的儿子”（v.38)。
V34 “亚伯拉罕是他拉的儿子”，他的名字不再是“亚伯兰”。无论我们过去如何跌倒，神看我们都是他的儿子。让我们重新看见、活出神给我们儿女的身份，能够放下一切的羞愧，放下想要去寻找满足的渴慕，悔改转向神。
*追求祷告：
求圣灵帮助我们拿去一切的欺骗、内在誓言、和里面情欲的渴求，让我们看到自己在神国度里宝贵的神儿女的身份。谢谢主给我们这个永恒的属天身份，让我们不再需要去寻求属世的满足。求神帮助我们愿意像主耶稣一样耐心等候神的时刻，谦卑顺服在地上的权柄之下，领受教导，活出生命树的气息，结出生命树的果子！奉耶稣基督的名祷告，阿们！