Sunday, 20th February 2022
Ps Robert Morris (Guest Speaker)
‘Honour your parents’ is the fifth commandment, it is a very important commandment in the eyes of God. In this fallen world, a lot of people have irresponsible parents and a lot of people were hurt by their parents. But why did God still put this as one of the Ten Commandments? God wants us to learn the principle of honour because there will be consequences if we don’t honour our parents.
Honour Produces Faith
Exodus 20:12 says, ‘Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.’ We can inherit God’s promised land for us if we learn to honour. The Israelites did not honour God and their authority, therefore they could not grow the faith and their unbelief stopped them from entering the promised land.
Mark 6:1-6 ‘Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honour except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marvelled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.’
Jesus was not honoured by people of His own hometown, and as a result, the people there could not receive blessings and healing. Familiarity breeds contempt, it’s more difficult to honour and respect the people we are closer with because we are too familiar with them. This is a generation of unbelief, but God teaches us to honour our parents and faith will grow.
Honour Produces Blessing
Ephesians 6:1-2 says, ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise.’ Children should learn to listen and honour their parents since they were little, so when they grow up they can also honour their parents. If children understand the principle of honouring, they will receive more freedom and be more mature in life. God’s promise is so complete and even if our parents make mistakes, God will still bless us because we honour our parents.
Honour Produces Destiny
Deuteronomy 5:16 says, ‘Honour your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.’ God’s promised land for us is the calling and destiny He has given to us in our lives. If we don’t honour our parents then we cannot receive blessings. But if we honour the parents according to God’s teaching, then we will be blessed and live a long life.
Ps Kathy Poon
Why do we have suffering on this land? Because people of the land did not honour their parents. We might not be brought up in a happy and healthy family, and we might find it hard to honour our parents. But if we are willing, because of our fear in God, to choose to honour our parents, then we will enter the principal of blessings of God. When we enter the kingdom of God, starting from ourselves, then we will benefit ourselves and others. The familiarity we have with our parents makes us not honour our parents. We even despise our parents without realising it. Today’s message reminds us to repent and return, honour our parents with all our hearts, then the promises in the Word of God will come to us and our future generations.
2022年2月20日 主日信息
尊荣的原则
- Robert Morris 牧师
“尊荣父母”是十诫中的第五诫，在神眼中看为极重要。在一个堕落的世界，有些人的父母很糟糕，为何神还把这条诫命放在十诫当中？神让人从小学习尊荣的原则，因为年纪越大，不尊荣权柄的后果越严重。尊荣会带来三种结果：
1. 尊荣带来信心 Honour produces faith
*出埃及记20:12 “当孝敬父母，使你的日子在耶和华你神所赐你的地上得以长久。” -“在耶和华你神所赐你的地上”就是神给我们的应许之地。绝大部分从埃及逃出来的以色列人没有办法进入神给他们的应许之地，因为他们不尊重神的话；不尊荣父母就是不尊重神。当以色列人不懂尊荣的时候，就无法生出信心，所以他们的“不信”使他们进不去应许之地（希伯来书3:9）
*尊荣能生信心，不尊荣带来不信。马可福音 6:1 – 6 讲到耶稣在自己的家乡“不被人尊敬”，他就“诧异他们不信”，所以这些论断耶稣的人因为不尊重耶稣而导致不信。反之，尊荣则能生出信心。英文有俗语说“熟悉生轻蔑 Familiarity breeds contempt”, 家人们因为太熟悉彼此，反而轻视对方。
*有一个百夫长曾经求耶稣仅用话语来医治他权柄之下的士兵，耶稣赞赏他的信心，因为这百夫长了解“权柄”。尊荣的原则就是去尊荣那有权柄的。
*我们是不信的世代，因为我们不尊重权柄，但神教导我们，尊荣父母，就会尊荣权柄，就会生出信心。
2. 尊荣带来祝福 Honour produces blessing
*以弗所书6:1 -2 “你们做儿女的，要在主里听从父母，这是理所当然的。‘要孝敬父母，使你得福，在世长寿。’这是第一条带应许的诫命。” 孩子要听从父母和尊荣父母 – 小时候在家就要听从父母，长大成大立业后就要尊荣父母。儿女若是懂得尊荣的原则，就获得更多自由，若是不成熟，就该继续顺从父母。神给我们尊荣父母的完整应许是“使你得福，在世长寿”。所以一个懂得在言行举止上尊敬父母的人，尽管父母也会犯错，这人是蒙福的。
*罗马书13:1-2 “在上有权柄的，人人当顺服他，因为没有权柄不是出于神的，凡掌权的都是神所命的。所以，抗拒掌权的就是抗拒神的命，抗拒的必自取刑罚。 ”我们尊荣父母，也要顺服别的权柄。经文中的“顺服”原意是完全顺从军队长官。路加福音 2:51-52讲到耶稣同他的父母“回到拿撒勒，并且顺从他们”，之后他的“智慧和身量，并神和人喜爱他的心，都一齐增长。”路加福音里的“顺从”与前面罗马书里的“顺服”在原文是同一个词。所以，连耶稣都顺从父母，我们难道不应该吗？
* 在旧约和新约里也有好几处经文提到不尊荣甚至咒骂父母（“抗拒掌权”）的人会受到严重的刑罚（如出埃及记20:15，箴言20:20，罗马书1:30，提摩太后书3:2）
* 箴言 30:11-17 讲述了一个不尊荣父母的世代，他们贪得无厌，只会跟人说“给我，给我”，好像蚂蝗吸血那样永不知足（V15），因为他们从小不懂得尊重：不懂得尊重人、不尊重父母、权柄。
3. 尊荣能成就命定 Honour produces destiny
*申命记5:16“当照耶和华你神所吩咐的孝敬父母，使你得福，并使你的日子在耶和华你神所赐你的地上得以长久。”- 神为我们预备了“应许之地”- 就是他在我们身上有呼召和命定，我们若不尊荣父母就不能得福，但我们若照神的吩咐尊荣父母，我们就能得福，并在神所赐给我们的的命定中得以长久。应许之地不是在天堂，而是在地上过得胜的基督徒生活，打败仇敌，得享神的赐福。
*马太福音15:1-8 尊荣不是嘴巴上说说，而是在行为和心态上。我们知道要尊荣父母，但如果他们不好呢？如何尊荣不值得尊荣的人？答案就是“选择”尊荣，用理智告诉自己他们也是”人”，他们可能不明白那些我们都知道的真理，没有我们的属灵经历。所以面对不完美的父母、权柄，我们依然要选择尊重他们，这是神的原则，使我们在神呼召我们的地上得福。若父母行为可耻，我们就选择饶恕他们，以免自招祸患。神让我们在一个负面的环境下长大，以致我们在这方面特别能帮助人。当我们愿意无论如何都顺服神的诫命时，就能结出美好的果实。