Friday, 2nd December 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
What is more important than God? So often we put other things first before God, our family, our work, our finance, our health, even our ministry and our church… what is really our priority? If there is anything we put before God, then we are not putting God first. Jesus told a parable, when a king invited people to come to his house for a meal, they were all busy and refused to come, so they went out on the street to invite people outside. Furthermore, when the people on the street did not treat the king’s invitation seriously, they were rejected to enter. God is sending us an invitation, He is passing life to us, but what is our attitude? How do we respond?
We have come a long way to come to the Promised Land, we have arrived and then what? What do we see in the Promised Land? Do we see all these things stopping us to come to God? We must be always prepared to come to God, do not let the environment or the surroundings become our stumbling blocks to come to God. God created us in the way so we can put Him first, come to Him, receive His blessings, and enjoy His presence, but the world lures us into a ‘doing’ mode that made us see the world more than we see God.
God wants us to be the salt and light of this world, and when we put God first, all the blessing will be with us. We are the people following God, and this is the path of faith, not according to our own agenda but according to God’s timing, let God be first, let God decide our future path, and let God take over in our lives.
Section One V1-6 Let Jehovah be the King
V1 ‘The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad!’ God rules and reigns in our lives, we must let God be the King, not our job, not our spouse, not our children, not ourselves, we must not let anyone else be on the throne but only God.
V2 ‘Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.’ God is our righteousness, when we are with God, then righteousness will be with us, and we no longer need to fight for ourselves or to justify ourselves, because God is the only just One.
V3-4 ‘A fire goes before Him and burns up His enemies round about. His lightnings light the world; the earth sees and trembles.’ Do we believe that God can deal with our enemies? He is greater than anything and anyone in this world, we must focus on God, then nothing will stand in our way.
Section Two V7-9 Only Worship Him
V8 ‘Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice because of Your judgments, O Lord.’ We thought if we put God first, then we won’t be able to carry on with out plans and the works in our hands. But this is the opposite, we must let go of whatever we hold onto in our hands, do not let ourselves be our own god, but let God be God.
9 ‘For You, Lord, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.’ Do pray for the sake of praying, coming to God is not about seeking for an answer for us to move on, but about connecting with God, then we will realise that everything we are afraid of is no longer important. When God becomes our King, then we will let God walk before us, let God guide us, and let Him make the decisions of our lives. This is a blessing we must experience as the people called by God, He wants us to receive every blessing and He wants our lives to be filled with wonderful testimonies.
Section Three V10-12 Only Rely on God
V10 ‘You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.’ What is evil? The world is evil, it’s not about right or wrong, black or white, but it’s this world against the Kingdom of Heaven. We must dislike everything belongs to the world and focus on everything belongs to the Heaven. Ask God what He wants us to do every single moment, God has already taught us everything we need to live. Everything that does not belong to God belongs to this world.
V11-12 ‘Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.’ When we put God first and only rely on God, He will save us out of slavery, He will set us free, and He will bless us. We will no longer be lacking, and we will no longer live in guilt, when we follow God, He will protect us, He will bless us, and He will be with us. God is calling us today, He is calling us Jeshurun, those who came out from the wilderness, those who responded to His calling, those whom He is taking to the Promised Land… we must not wait until the things in our hands are all done then we follow God.
We must let go now and let God take over. He wants us to let go of all the burdens, then He will give us the eternal joy. Not only for us, but for our children, our grandchildren, and our future generations.
诗篇 97 – 以神为首
2022年12月2日 星期五
潘锡安牧师
在应许之地我们以什么为我们的根基呢？无论在什么状况，我们都要以神为首。我们可能会看前方有一万件事情需要我们先处理才能专心来亲近神，看我们的家庭、儿女、职场、甚至事工比神都大，然而神要的是“先神后人再大地”。耶稣曾经做过一个比喻，一个国王邀请众人来赴宴，大家却都有比吃这个饭更“重要”的事情做而拒绝，或者穿着随便。当神召聚我们的时候，哪怕只是吃一顿饭、泡一杯茶、聊一聊天，都是能让我们生命被影响、被成全的重要时刻，正如神在凉风习习的时候在伊甸园寻找亚当夏娃一样。耶稣带领门徒也是到处行走，与民众包括罪人一起吃饭，他可以利用任何时刻来教导他的门徒。我们是否也珍惜与我们权柄相处的时刻？
我们可能会觉得跟神在一起很“飘渺”，即使跟神在一起时也是人在心不在。我们有一颗渴慕的心吗？我们跟从神日子久了，那单纯的心反而变硬了，看事情比看关系更大。我们跨越如此多的困难才来到应许之地，我们看到的是什么呢？是否都是事工、问题等等那些阻挡我们亲近神、亲近权柄的事情？我们里面的心很硬，手头上有很多要处理的事情，常常说“我还没有预备好”，其实根源是我们没有以神为首，倚靠的都是环境而不是神。让我们不要陷在doing的模式里，而是活出单纯。我们与神、与权柄的互动不是事工导向的，而是在一个关系中我们被祝福，并且有从上而来的水流进入我们生命。
以神为首就是要放下“人”和“大地”，因为没有神，我们就一无所有。我们不要将应许之地变为使我们为奴为仆的埃及地。神要祝福我们，当我们先神后人再大地的时候，我们的生活就蒙祝福、经历神迹，因为当我们以神为首的时候，耶和华就在我们生命中作王。
一、v.1-6 让耶和华作王
V1 我们不是让工作、家庭、前方的问题、或者我们心情作王，而是让耶和华作王。所有在地上发生的问题都不再重要，而是能快乐、欢喜。过去的以色列人敬拜神是全身俯伏、完全贴在地上，降服与神。我们其实是尘土，所有手头上我们看为重要的事情在神面前已经不重要了，因为耶和华作王。
V2 公平公义不是靠我们去追到的，是神宝座的根基，只有他才能施行公平和公义。
V3-6 让神作王是不容易的事，然而当我们真的愿意放下自己的事，让神作王的时候，我们就真的“看见他的荣耀”。我们不能做到的事，神都能成就。
二、v.7-9 当单单的敬拜祂
我们要单单敬拜神，因为“耶和华至高,，超乎全地”。我们可能有内在誓言，会觉得如果以神为首我们就会出现问题。当我们没有办法放下手上要处理的事情时，我们就将自己看为神了。不要将事情看得大过神，而是先亲近神。亲近神并不只是一个祷告或找寻一个解决事情的方法，而是安静自己、与神连接，看到那些自己担忧的事情不再重要。神不是阿拉丁神灯，是他带领着我们向前走。我们愿意经历永生的福乐、愿意让自己的生命成为见证吗？
三、v.10-12 当单单倚靠神
V10 “罪恶”非关对错，而是“世界”。当我们爱耶和华的时候，我们就不要去喜欢这个世界的东西。属世界的东西很多、所有在神话语教导之外的都是属世界的。当我们先神后人再大地的时候，神就保护我们的性命、搭救我们“脱离恶人的手”。先神后人再大地不是让我们活在内疚里或者不负责任，而是经历神的保护和拯救。
V11-12 “义人”就是“耶书仑”。40年旷野后剩下的年轻一代蒙召的百姓就是“耶书仑”。我们是否觉得自己搞不清状况、是否总想要处理好手头上、工作和家庭中的问题？我们要单单“靠耶和华欢喜”。我们以神为首，神就让我们欢喜快乐，我们的子孙万代也会因为我们的选择而得到永生的福乐！