Thursday, December 15, 2011

有一子為我們而生,賽 7:14; 9:6-7a; 耶 23:5-6; 彌 5:2; 迦 9:9; 14:12:10; 14:4

有一子為我們而生
以賽亞書七章十四節;九章六至七節;耶利米書廿三章五至六節;彌迦書五章二節;撒迦利亞書九章九節;十四章十二節;十二章十節;十四章四節


林永健牧師
福遍中國教會
2011.12.25
聖誕主日信息


引言

1. 今天是聖誕主日,聖誕節剛好的在主日的機會並不多,下一次聖誕在主日將會是二零一六年,再下一次是十一年之後的二零二二年,二零五零年的時候,我將會是九十四歲了,很明顯我能慶祝聖誕在主日的機會不會太多,在歷史的洪流中,我們的一生如夜間的一更,歲月不留人,時間飛逝,一代過去,一代又來,但神人摩西說:「從亙古到永遠,你是神。」(詩九十 2),神掌管人類的歷史,每一件事情的發生都不是隨便,都有神奇妙的安排。
 

2. 今天是聖誕節,是紀念主耶穌誕生的日子,神降世為人,這是刻劃時代的事情,改變人類歷史的事情。今天也是主日,是紀念主耶穌受死與復活的日子,耶穌的死是人類歷史的高潮,開啟了通天之路,使人與神和好。耶穌的誕生是為了受死,馬糟是指向十字架,伯利恆是通向各各他山,所以今天我們記念馬糟出生的聖嬰,同時也記念十字架上的救主,真是一個非常特別的一日!


3. 今天我們要回顧舊約先知有關彌賽亞的預言,試圖了解聖誕與十字架在人類歷史上的重要性,我們要研讀其中四位的先知:以賽亞、耶利米、彌迦、撒迦利亞。


一、以賽亞--神仍然工作的兆頭

1. 先知的背景

以賽亞是主前七百年南國猶大的先知 ,以賽亞書包含了猶大四個的王,共六十多年的歷史,全書六十六章,內容豐富,是大先知書中最重要的作品,針對當時社會的問題,包括政治上、宗教上、道德上、社會上的腐敗與罪惡,在宣告審判的同時,以賽亞帶出了彌賽亞的預言。

2. 以賽亞書七章十四節說:神要給我們一個「兆頭」,告訴我們神仍然工作,雖然社會愈來愈腐敗,他仍然關心我們。「兆頭」是記號的意思,聖經中的「兆頭」都是超自然,神蹟性的事件,是神介入人類的世界,要表明他的心意。

人很容易忘記神的存在,「神在那裡?」「神是否關心我?」「神是否仍工作?」以賽亞的時代如此,今天也是如此,所以神要給我們一個記號,他是愛我們的。

這個記號就是「童女懷孕生子」!

3. 「童女」原文是有指定冠詞,指特別一個的童女,「童女」在舊約聖經出現七次,四次是指童貞女(Virgin),童貞女沒有可能生子,這是一個神蹟,七百年之後,在伯利恒,神蹟出現,童貞女馬利亞,從來未有與任何男人親近過,卻從聖靈感孕,生下兒子,名叫耶穌。這是神超自然地介入人類的歷史,這是神愛人的記號。

4. 童女生的是「子」--男孩子,那卧在馬糟裡,用布包著的男孩,就是先知以賽亞所預言的「兆頭」。

5. 這男孩的名字叫「以馬內利」,是神與人同在的意思。馬太福音一章廿一節記載第一個聖誕,天使加百列向約瑟顯現,「大衛的子孫約瑟,不要怕!只管娶過你的妻子馬利亞來,因他所懷的孕是從聖靈來的。他將要生一個兒子,你要給他起名叫耶穌,因他要將自己的百姓從罪惡裡救出來。」作者馬太更補充一句:這一切的事成就是要應驗主藉先知以賽亞所說的話,說:「必有童女懷孕生子;人要稱他的名為以馬內利。」指應驗的正是以賽亞書第七章的「兆頭」預言。


6. 「神與人同在」不單只是指神住在人間,與人同在,更是指耶穌神的兒子成為人:「神人」(God-Man),三位一 體中的聖子,道成肉身,成為人子,二千年前,神人耶穌行走在我們中間,把神一切的豐盛顯給我們看,這是極大的奧祕,聖誕的神蹟早在以賽亞的時代已經預言告訴我們。

7. 這「兆頭」已經發生,以賽亞第七章告訴我們這已經為事實的「兆頭」,第九章更預言將要發生的事。這為我們而生的嬰孩,不是平凡的嬰孩,「政權必擔在他的肩頭上」,指的是這嬰孩的王權,正如今天美國的軍人一樣,肩頭上的記號代表他的軍階,有「橫」(Bars)是隊長,有「花」(Leaves)的是少校,有「鷹」(Eagles)的是上校,只有將軍肩頭上是有「星」(Stars),同樣,這裡指的是這嬰孩的軍階,政權在他的肩上,他擁有至高的權威。



8. 他有四個的名號,指明他身分:

1) 奇妙的策士:全智的謀士,明白我們的需要。

2) 全能的神:全能的,在他沒有難成的事。

3) 永在的父:與聖父同宗同源,三位一體的真神,當你看見了子,你就看見了父,他配受敬拜與尊崇。

4) 和平的君:他帶來人類的和平,人與神和好,人與人和好。

我們熟識的聖誕詩歌,「齊來崇拜」內容正把這救主的榮耀道出:

齊來,忠信聖徒,大家喜樂盈盈,
齊來,一齊來,大家上伯利恆;
來朝見聖嬰,天使君王降生。

我眾虔誠恭賀,救主今日降生,
榮耀,眾榮耀,全歸於主聖名;
大哉父真道,在肉身中顯明。

齊來崇拜我救主,齊來崇拜我救主。
齊來崇拜我救主,耶穌基督。
 

韓德爾的神曲「彌賽亞」把這段經文譜成音樂,成為經典之作。

 




二、耶利米--耶和華我們的義

1. 先知的背景

耶利米在以賽亞先知之後一百年作猶大的先知,當時剩下只有南國猶大,北國以色列已經亡於亞述,而南國的罪惡每況愈下,耶利米奉神的命宣告即要來臨的審判,猶大的罪已經被定罪,但上至王室,下至平民老百姓,沒有人願意相信先知的話,反而去投靠埃及的保護,毫無悔意。

2. 在這時候,耶利米預言神將要從大衛之後裔興起一個公義的苗,他必成為我們的義。


3. 在人類罪惡滔天的歷史中,我們沒有義可言的情形之下,基督將公義重現人間,他要成為我們的義,我們只需要去接受,他的義就成為我們的義,「他的名必稱為耶和華我們的義」。

基督的義是我們堅固的磐石:





三、彌迦--神不看輕最小的

1. 先知的背景

 彌迦是十二小先知書之一,很多人不認識這一位先知,「彌迦」是巴勒斯坦很普遍的名字,不單只是以色列,與以賽亞同期作先知,彌迦書只有七章,但沒有記載彌迦的任何資料,他的父親是誰也不知道,只知道他是摩利沙人,而摩利沙是一個非常小的地方,若不是因為他留下彌迦書,根本沒有人會知道他。

今天我也有同感,一代過去,一代又來,已過的世代,無人紀念,人的渺小,猶如蒼海一宿。

但彌迦書有一預言,今天每一年聖誕節都會誦讀,彌迦書五二節。

2. 「伯利恒啊,你在猶大諸城中為小,將來必有一位從你那裡出來,在以色列中為我作掌權的。」當年每一位等候彌賽亞來臨的猶太人,都知道這一段的預言,彌賽亞是從伯利恆而來,東方的博士來問希律王彌賽亞生在那裡?文士告訴希律王,根據彌迦的預言,彌賽亞生在小小的伯利恆。
 


3. 小小的伯利恆,神並不輕看,彌賽亞要從它而出,從太初就有、永恒的主,卻關心我,不論你覺的自己是那麼微小,神仍然愛你。




四、撒迦利亞--第二次的降臨

1. 先知的背景

撒迦利亞是被擄時期的先知,他生在被擄的子民中,在耶利米作先知一百年之後作先知,在基督降生之前五百年。

2. 撒迦利亞預言彌賽亞兩次進入耶路撒冷:

3. 九9:「彌賽亞騎著驢的駒子,進入耶路撒冷,耶路撒冷的民應歡呼!」第一次進入耶路撒冷的時候,彌賽亞騎著驢的駒子,謙卑的來到他自己的地方,全城的人為他歡呼,這預言在棕樹節耶穌進入耶路撒冷的時候,已經應驗了;但幾天之後,猶太人卻將他殺了!

4. 先知撒迦利亞預言彌賽亞第二次進入耶路撒冷的時候,所有的人必仰望他,包括那扎傷他的人,他第二次的降臨,必如得勝的萬王之王。(撒迦利亞十二 10)


5. 彌賽亞再臨的時候,他必站在耶路撒冷東面的橄欖山上,山必裂開,一半向北移,一半向南移,他將審判列國萬民,(撒迦利亞十四 4)


6. 歷史不是一個自轉不息的圓,而是有開始,也有結尾的一條線,現正朝著終點向前邁進,創世記第一章第一節:「起初神創造天地。」結束的時候,必有「新天新地;因為先前的天地已經過去了。」(啟廿一 1)。二千年前,基督安靜地降生在馬槽,必有一天,他要駕著雲彩,與眾天使天軍,第二次降臨,1)他必接我們去他為我們預備好了的地方;2)我們必與他面對面相遇;3)那時,他要擦乾我們一切的眼淚,不再有死亡,不再有痛苦,不再有疾病。神要永遠與人同住。


結論

1. 你與我不是宇宙中偶然的產品,在基督裡,我們成為神的子女,與基督一同作王,在神的國中同為後嗣,你的生命不在乎吃喝玩樂、睡覺打球,你的人生有永恆的義意與目的,耶穌的誕生預備他第二次的降臨,他是我們的公義,他是我們的平安,他為你而生,他的降臨,第一次是那麼的卑微,但第二次降臨卻不是這樣,他再來的時候要審判列國。這是我們的王!

2. 人生並不長久,很快就要結束,我們距離見主面的日子不會很遠,零三年的時候,我遇上一極嚴重的車禍,車子翻了三轉,就在那一剎那間,我只有一個念頭:「我要見耶穌了!」有幸車毁人卻無損,我意會到人生的短暫,隨時都會結束,永恆離我們不遠,你準備好見耶穌嗎?他第一次的降臨,我們都知道,他第二次的降臨,你準備好了嗎?


回應詩歌




寫這篇講章的過程與一些的考量:
林永健

1. 這是我在十二月第三篇聖誕的信息,我想改變一下方向,從回顧第一個聖誕,改變為前瞻性,這是一篇教導性的信息,比較頭腦化,從舊約先知書去看耶穌的誕生,從他第一次的降臨為開始,以他第二次的降臨為結束。

2. 應用不是那麼集中,有一點散彈的感覺。




My Journey to Bethlehem, Luke 2:8-20

My Journey to Bethlehem
Luke 2:8-20


Pastor Brian
Fort Bend Community Church
December 24, 2011
Christmas Eve Service


Introduction
1.       Welcome to Bethlehem! Tonight we are going to take a journey back to the manger. I invite you to come along wherever you are and just as you are.
2.       Imagine that this is the manger of the first Christmas when Jesus was born. Most of us have never raise animals in our life. A manger is a feed box for the animals to eat from.
3.       The manger was most likely in a shepherd cave, not in a barn or a wooden structure.
4.       The time was August or September, when it was still warm for the shepherds in the field at night. December would be too cold. I am pretty sure that Jesus was not born on December 25.

The Journey of Joseph and Mary
1.       First, it was the journey of Joseph and Mary to the Manger. They took a 80-mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem because of the census order by the Emperor.
2.       God used the census decree to bring them back to this little town of Bethlehem to give birth to the Messiah, as foretold by the prophet Micah.
3.       “The hope and dreams of all the years are met in Bethlehem tonight.”
4.       The new born child lay in the manger is God’s favor toward all of us and for all mankind.
5.       The Bible says, “For God so love the world that He gave us His only begotten Son.” (John 3:6) The baby who lay in the manger is God’s love for all to see.
6.       By coming to the manger, you too can find the favor of God. You are loved by God’s everlasting love through the birth of this child.

The Quiet Arrival of God
1.       The second journey to Bethlehem was the quiet arrival of God. That night God quietly entered into human form to be with us.
2.       This was the journey God has planned before the foundation of the world. And at the manger He arrived quietly in human form.
3.       He is God incarnated, 100% God and 100% man.
4.       He came to die for us and saved us from sins and God’s wrath.
5.       He came to make God known to us. “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son of God has made Him known.” (John 1:!8)

The Third Journey: the Journey of the Shepherds
1.       The third journey was the journey of the Shepherds. On the first Christmas night, they were the first visitors to the manger.
2.       They were the first, not by no means, the last. You too invited to be here.
3.       You too are prompted to make the journey to the manger from wherever you are and just as you are.
4.       You are the important character in the Christmas story. The story is written for you. It has an invitation for all of us to enter into the story. It has a RSVP that awaits your response.
5.       In your hand, you should have a green response sheet and a pen. I encourage you to write your own story as you make your journey to the manger. I will give you a little more suggestions later on.

Reader Theater
Let us read about the Journey of the Shepherds from Luke 2:8-20.
  • Narrator: Brian (English); William (Chinese)
  • Angels: Ladies (English first; then Chinese) in yellow
  • Shepherds: Gentlemen (English first; then Chinese) in blue. Sorry, gentlemen, you have only one line.







Who were the Shepherds? 
Look at this picture of the manger scene. What do you see? Mary and the baby are the only ones highlighted. They are the focal point. And I want you to focus on this picture tonight, imagining that you are part of the picture. How would you place yourself in the picture?



1.       This journey of the shepherds was a round trip of only a couple of miles. They shepherds traveled from the fields into Bethlehem, then they returned to fields, rejoicing and praising God. But what a night that was!
2.       Who were these shepherds?
3.       These shepherds were the lowest people in the socio-economic order of that day.
4.       Unless you have absolutely nothing better to do and you have no other choice, then you become a shepherd in those days.
5.       They worked long hours, day and night. Many did not have homes. They stayed with the sheep for days and months.
6.       They were a despised class with a bad reputation. Shepherds were often known as thieves stealing from people as they moved around.
7.       They were not allowed to give testimony in a Jewish court of law. Their work made it impossible for them to observe the Jewish ceremonial laws and temple rituals, so they were considered religiously unclean and unacceptable.

Today’s Shepherds
8.       These shepherds are like today’s 300 millions of migrant workers in China. Moving around to where the jobs are, don’t have a permanent home, poor, and lowly in their socio-economic status.
9.       These shepherds are like the working class with very little education.
10.    It is pretty amazing to think this heavenly invasion came to such social outcasts!
11.    The fact that God delivered the first gospel message to shepherds instead of a king tells us the good news is for all people, not just the wealthy or the educated.

God Welcomes You to the Manger
1.       You may feel like you were nobody just like the shepherd. I am just a teenager. Or I don’t have a job. You may think that God does not know nor care about you. But you are wrong. God cares for you and the first group of people He invited to the manger was people like the shepherds.
2.       God welcomes you to the manger. Listen to the invitation God said to these shepherds 2000 years ago, because He is saying the same things to us today.
3.       There are three things you need to hear from the invitation from the angels:

I. You don’t have to be afraid.
1.       The first thing the angel said to the shepherds was, “Do not be afraid.”
2.       Encountering an angel in the middle of the night tends to frighten people out of their wits. However, there are fearful people today who haven’t seen an angel; instead, they are looking at an uncertain future.
3.       Fear is one of the biggest problems we face.
  • We are afraid that we don’t have enough.
  • We are afraid that when we get old, nobody is going to take care of us.
  • We are afraid that we will never find a mate.
  • We are afraid that God does not like us.
  • We are afraid of the future.
  • We are afraid even of ourselves.
  • We are even afraid of God.

Illustration:
1.       Did you know 30 years ago, the most popular dog in the United States was the poodle? At that time, there were less than 1,000 Rottweilers (guard dogs). By 1994, the number of registered poodles had fallen by more than half, but Rottweilers had multiplied a hundredfold to more than 100,000; so now there are more Rottweilers than poodles. What does that tell you about how afraid people are today?
2.       God has invaded human history. He has arrived. Some of us have this fear of God. We are so comfortable about this physical and material world which you can control and we are so fearful of anything about God.
3.       God has shown up in Bethlehem and He is saying to you, “You don’t need to be afraid. I love you.”
4.       “Don’t be afraid. Whatever happens to you, I am not going to leave you or forsake you.” Some of you need to hear His voice of assurance right now.


II. The Good News is for You.
1.       Next, God said through the angel, “Today a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”
2.       God didn’t say, “Today a Savior has been born to Mary…” He said, “A Savior born to you and for you.”
3.       He is the Savior of the world. He saves us from our sins.
4.       Second, the angel called Jesus, “Christ,” which means “Messiah.” It is a Jewish word. He identified Jesus as the long-awaited King of the Jews.
5.       Third, he also called Him “Lord” which means “Master.” This is his title.
6.       From the very first day of His human birth, Jesus was called Savior, Messiah and Lord. God invaded this planet in the fragile form a little baby. He had to become like us so we could relate to Him. This is the Good News of Christmas



III. You are invited to the Manger.
1.       The third point in the angel’s message is an invitation to come into God’s presence.
2.       The angel invited the shepherds to travel into Bethlehem to investigate and confirm this message. He said they would recognize this Savior/Messiah/King in an unusual way. He would be lying in a manger.
3.       You too are invited to the manger.

The Shepherds Made the Journey
1.       After the angels left, the shepherds said, “Let’s go into Bethlehem to see this thing the Lord has told us about” (v. 15).
2.       They heard God’s invitation, and by their own choice they accepted His invitation and traveled into the town to find the baby.
3.       They hurried into town asking everyone they met if they had heard of a baby being born and placed in a manger.
4.       Finally they arrived at the correct location and saw Mary, Joseph and little baby Jesus.
5.       The baby was wrapped tightly in strips of cloth and resting in a manger. The angel was right: The Savior, the Messiah, the Lord had arrived!
6.       They not only heard the announcement; they came into His presence and met Him.

Holding the Perfect Lamb
1.       I wonder what happed after they told Mary and Joseph the story of the angels.
2.       The Bible doesn’t say, but perhaps Mary did what many new mothers say to me when I visit them in the hospital. “Would you like to hold him?” Can’t you see one of those shepherds tenderly taking the baby into his arms?
3.       There is some evidence that the sheep the shepherds attended were being raised to use in the sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem 5 miles away.
4.       There, an unblemished lamb was slain every morning and evening as an offering to the Lord.
5.       These shepherds who daily handled the spotless lambs that would be used for the temple sacrifice were holding the spotless lamb of God.
6.       Now the angel was about to inform the shepherds that the Lamb of God who would take away their sins by the shedding of His own blood had just been born.

RSVP
1.       I don’t know if Mary invited them to hold baby Jesus, but I do know God is inviting you to receive Him into your heart.
2.       Like the shepherds, you have heard the good news, and now God simply invites you to come to Jesus and enter His presence and receive His forgiveness. It is time for you to RSVP.
3.       Have you ever gotten an invitation to attend a special occasion and seen RSVP on the card? You probably know it means “Please respond.” If means a reply is expected, and to ignore the invitation is an insult.
4.       God has addressed a special invitation to you; it has your name on it. He invites you to come into His presence and receive the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. He has added RSVP to your invitation. Have you insulted God by not responding?
5.       Come and take the journey yourself and you won’t be the same.

The Changes
1.       So these shepherds traveled into the little town and met the baby Jesus. They were so excited—verse 17 says, “They spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.”
2.       That means they became the very first evangelists for Jesus. I believe each of those men was changed after they had visited the manger.
3.       They couldn’t keep quiet about what had happened to them since they met Jesus. They were joyfully skipping along, sharing the good news with everyone they encountered.
4.       Verse 18 says,” and all who heard it were amazed.” Once you meet Jesus, you can’t stay the same. The birth of this little baby made all the difference in the world.
5.       The contrast of before and after:
  • Before they were small and insignificant; now they were the eyewitness of the climax of history.
  • Before they were afraid; now they were joyful and couldn’t stop talking.
  • Before they were the outcast; now they were the servants of the King.
  • Before they had no hope; now they had the hope for all generations.



Illustration
The Luck of Roaring Camp is a short story first published in 1868.
1.       It is about a small struggling mining town located in the foothills of the California Mountains at the time of the gold rush. Roaring Camp was supposed to be, according to the story, the meanest, toughest mining town in the entire West.
2.       More murders, more thefts—it was a terrible place inhabited entirely by men and one woman who tried to serve them all. Her name was Cherokee Sal. She died while giving birth.
3.       Well, the men took the baby and put him in a box. They named the boy, Thomas Luck. He is the first newborn the camp has seen for ages. With the birth of “Luck” comes a new sense of hope.
4.       When they looked at the baby, they decided that it didn’t look right. So they sent one of the men 80 miles to buy a rosewood cradle.
5.       He brought it back, and they put the rags and the baby in the rosewood cradle. The rags didn’t look right. So they sent another of their members to Sacramento, and he came back with some beautiful silk and lace blankets. They put the baby, wrapped with those blankets, in the rosewood cradle.
6.       It looked fine until someone happened to notice the floor was filthy. So these hardened, tough men go down on their hands and knees; and with their hardened hands they scrubbed the floor until it was very clean.
7.       Of course, what that did was make the walls, ceiling and curtain-less windows look absolutely terrible. So they washed the walls and ceiling, and they put curtains on the windows.
8.       They had to give up a lot of their fighting because they baby slept a lot; and babies can’t sleep during a brawl. So the whole temperature of Roaring Camp seemed to go down.
9.       They used to take him out and set him by the entrance to the mine in his rosewood cradle so they could see him when they came up.
10.    Then somebody noticed what a dirty place that was, so they planted flowers and made a very nice garden there. It looked quite beautiful.
11.    They would bring him shiny little stones and things they find in the mine, but when they put their hands down next to his, their hands looked so dirty. Pretty soon the general store was all sold out of soap, shaving gear, cologne and those kinds of things.
12.    Before long, the men were a totally different bunch of guys—the baby changed everything.

Has Jesus changed your life?
1.       Have you ever met Jesus? He will change your life, too.
2.       One of the ways you can tell is that you will be telling everyone you meet that your life is different. When was the last time you acted as one of those shepherds and informed everyone you know that you met Jesus and things are different in your life?
3.       “What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart… Floods of joy over my soul like the sea billows roll, since Jesus came into my heart.”
4.       It should be more than words to a song; it should be our daily testimony:
5.       Perhaps you can write down the answer on your response card on question #1: How does the Christmas story affect your life?

How would you identify yourself in the Christmas story?
1.       Or you can answer the second question. How would you identify yourself in the Christmas narrative? Write your story as part of the Christmas story as you make your journey to meet Jesus.
2.       I recently read a story of a missionary team that had been invited to Russia to teach Christianity. It was Christmastime, and as they taught the story of Christ’s birth at an orphanage, everyone listened in amazement. None of the kids or the staff had heard it before.
3.       One of the missionaries wrote: “We gave the children some materials and instructed them to create the manger scene they had just heard about.
4.       All went well until I got to ne table where little Misha sat; he looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy’s manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger.
5.       I called for a translator to ask why. Looking at his completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story accurately, until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib his own ending to the story.
6.       He said, “When Mary laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay.
7.       I told him I have no mama and no papa, so I don’t have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him.
8.       So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and told me I could stay with Him forever.”
9.       Putting his hand over his face, Misha’s head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. For the first time in his life, he had found someone who never would abandon or abuse him, someone who would stay with him forever.”


Conclusion
1.       My friends, God had delivered a good news invitation to you today. He says, “Come to Me all you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Your name is engraved on the invitation. He says, “I love you, and I want you to live with me forever.” He has added RSVP to the invitation. Now, what is your response?
2.       Would you come for the journey?
3.       May be you are like the inn manager! So busy with all the customers and you have no place for the Savior! You have turned him away.
4.       May be you feel like you are the shepherd who was left behind to watch over the sheep! You did not make the journey. But you feel like you don’t have a choice. You have a job to do!
5.       What would happen to you if you are in the story? Would you like to be one of the shepherds to greet the new born Child? Make up your own story. Put your own situation in the story. Be creative and be reflective. Spend the next 5 minutes to write. You can answer Question 1 or Question 2, or both.
6.       When you are done, make a journey to the manager in the middle. Put your story into the manager. If you want us to read it and get back to you, write down your name and contact information. We love to talk to you about your journey.

Let us pray before you starting writing.

Response card
1.       What do you want to change when you see the baby Jesus in the manger?
2.       Write your story in the Christmas story. What would you like to add yourself into the manger scene?




The Process of Preparing This Sermon and the Feedback
By Pastor Brian

1.

The Day God Became a Baby, Luke 2:1-7

The Day God Became a Baby
Luke 2:1-7


Pastor Brian
Fort Bend Community Church
December 18, 2011
Joint Service


福遍中國教會- 2011年12月18日【林永健牧師- 神成為嬰孩的那日】 from Fort Bend Community Church on Vimeo.


Introduction


1. The 6-year-old kids in their Sunday school class were re-enacting the story of the birth of Jesus. The teacher wanted them to stage it themselves based on their own made-up script, so it was certainly interesting. They had three Marys, two Josephs, six shepherds, two wise guys and one boy who played the cow. Another boy decided he would be the doctor who would deliver the baby. This boy must have Chinese parents, who indoctrinate their son to grow up to be a medical doctor. The teacher consented, so the little doctor went back behind the manger, picked up the doll and carefully wrapped in a blanket. Then with a big smile on his face, he turned to the Marys and Josephs and said, “Congratulations, it is a boy! No, no… it is a God.”

That little boy had a better grasp of the incarnation than many people much older. The birth of Jesus was an amazing experience of God taking on human form.

2. Last Saturday, Mr. Kai-Yi, our children’s minister, has announced to us during the children’s musical that he and his wife, Lisa, are going to have a baby girl. Congrats.

Just imagine at the delivery room come April, the doctor carefully delivers the first born baby out of the mother’s womb. And when the baby comes out, the doctor holds up one of the legs of the baby, and says to Kai-Yi and Lisa, “Congratulation, it is a girl! No, no… it is a God.” That would be the most shocking, most unimaginable, most unthinkable thing in the world.

Imagine that this was exactly Mary’s experience.

What does that mean that God has become a baby? The theologians have a big word for it, “the incarnation.” But the simple fact is that on the first Christmas day, God became a baby.

Today we are going to unpack a little the meaning of incarnation. We will look at it from Mary’s, the mother’s perspective. How did she understand this shocking, unimaginable and unthinkable thing happened to her?

3. In Luke, chapter 2, verse 19 says, “But Mary treasured up all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”


Mary experienced so many miracles that night that she had to store them in her heart as precious treasures.

The word pondered is a Greek word that means “to keep thinking about it; to constantly rethink and evaluate even the tiniest details” of an experience. The imperfect tense indicates that this continued for a long time. She guarded these things in every detail in her heart since they were so unbelievable, so unimaginable. She kept thinking about these things. What were her conclusions? Let us walk the journey with her.

4. Luke 2, the first twenty verses, is the Christmas story. It describes the night when God became a baby. When we look at what took place that night, there were actually three miraculous journeys. Each of these three journeys came to a conclusion that night, and they all arrived at the same place in Bethlehem.

Galatians 4:4-5 said, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, Mary,… so that we might receive adoption as sons.”


That night was the fullness of time. Just like a woman carrying a baby to full time, now it is the time. That night was the turning point of the human history. God had sent forth his Son. Nothing like this happened before and it will never happen again.

 

I. The journey to Bethlehem

 
1. The first journey that came to a conclusion that night was the difficult journey Mary and Joseph made from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It was a difficult trek of more than 80 miles. It is like a round-trip from here to the airport. For a pregnant woman, it probably takes 3-4 days walking. Luke 2:1. (Read). Luke set this event in a literal historical and political context. The birth of Jesus is firmly rooted in history. It is not a once-upon-a-time story. There was a real Jesus just as there was a Caesars Augustus.


2. Can you imagine the fear and anxiety Joseph and Mary experienced when they heard that because of this census they had no choice but to travel to Bethlehem? They knew Mary was going to give birth any day, and it would be a long and difficult trip; but they had no choice. After all, Emperor Augustus was in control. He was the king. But the heart of the king was in the hand of God. God was behind this decree. This massive registration plan was simply God’s way to get Mary in the correct place for Jesus to be born.2.

3. Scripture prophesied 700 years earlier the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2 (Read) That last phrase literally reads, “whose beginning is from the days of eternity.”


 4. Caesar Augustus, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, was the first Caesar to be called Augustus. His real name was Octavanius. The Roman Senate voted to give him that title, Augustus, which means “the holy one or the revered one,” It was a title reserved for gods. They wanted to make the Roman emperor like God.

So here was this Augustus making his political decree, thinking he was a god; but he was simply a pawn in the hand of the true God. Man proposes, but God disposes. Augustus was a man who wanted to become a god, and what we see in this text is God who is becoming a man—what a contrast!

5. So Joseph and Mary finally arrived in Bethlehem, only to find every hotel had a “No Vacancy” sign out front. Actually, Bethlehem was such a tiny town that when it says there was no room in the inn, I think that it means there was only one motel and it was full. So Jesus was born and laid in a manger, which is a feed box for cows and sheep. He was born in a place where cow and sheep laid.

Most miniature Nativity scenes employ a wooden shack as the barn, but we are fairly certain it wasn’t a wooden barn. In biblical times, especially in the region around Bethlehem, farmers and shepherds didn’t have enough wood to build wooden buildings. Instead they used the natural shallow caves that dotted the sides of the limestone hills.

If you ever get the chance to visit Bethlehem, you can go down into the church of the nativity, and there is a shallow cave. That is the traditional site of the birth of Jesus. Of course, this huge church has been built over it and it becomes a shrine. But if you travel back 2000 years, Mary gave birth to Jesus in one of these limestone caves.

6. One of the things Mary pondered in her heart that night was the trip to Bethlehem and the tough experience of having her first born in less-than-ideal circumstances.

If her child is the Son of the Most High and will be the King (Luke 1:32) as told by the angel, how come her son is born in such lowly circumstances. I am sure that this is one of those questions Mary thinks about all the time. If I come to Bethlehem to give birth and thus fulfilled the prophecy in Micah, why the Messiah is born in a manger? Why did the Lord most high be born in a cave?

One of the best verses about the incarnation is 2 Corinthians 8:9, “Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so you through His poverty might become rich.”

The reason Jesus was born in such a poor humble circumstance was for our sake.He did this because He loves us.

7. Yes. If you want to sum up the Christmas story with one word, it is the word, favor or grace. Mary had found favor with God. We have found favor with God. God likes you. No, God more than likes you, He loves you. He became like one of us in order to be with us.

This favor of God is unmerited. Mary did not do anything to gain the favor of God. We did not do anything to merit the favor of God. God’s grace is for all humankind. He loves the world and He gave His own begotten Son to us. Christmas is about the favor of God.

Do you know that you are loved by God and God has come all the way from the beginning of eternity to find you? Some of us don’t know that. We struggle to find love all our life. Look no further. That night God arrived to show His love to you.

Like this woman’s journey to find love…

Illustration: The story of a medical doctor in China who found God’s love and favor in Christmas. (海外校園,Number 110, pp.2-3, 《又是聖誕》。趙曄)

This is the journey of the heart.

8. Some of you are going through hard time and you have doubt. Does God really love me? If He loves me, He would give me a job. If He loves me, He would give me a husband. If He loves me, He would do this and that.

Look at the manger! God loves you so much that He gave His own Son to you. You don’t need to doubt. He knows your needs. You have found favor with God.
(Pause)
There was a second journey that concluded at the same place that evening.



II. The Quiet Arrival of God



1. The Bible teaches that when Jesus comes again, there will be the shout of the archangel and the trumpet of God will sound—very different from His first coming. In the silence of a starlit night, Mary gave birth to a little baby, and His infant cry was the first time the voice of God was heard speaking through human lips.

2. The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was 80 miles. How far was God’s journey? It was a journey in which the Eternal Son of God laid aside His glory and traveled down through time and space to take upon Himself our likeness. He started this journey before the foundation of the world, before time even began. He kept on walking toward us. Finally on Christmas Day, God arrived quietly.

3. There is a Disney’s movie called Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. It is about a couple of dogs, Chance and Shadow, and a cat Sassy that travel across the land to be reunited with their owners. That is incredible! I remember when they finally found their master at the end of their incredible journey, I literally jumped for joy. I stood up and clapped.

Still, the real incredible journey was when God traveled to Earth and became a baby.

4. Less than a mile from Bethlehem, sitting on the top of the tallest hill, was the massive palace Herod the Great had built for himself. Called the Herodium, it had 200 polished marble steps leading to a series of towers and arches. It contained a swimming pool twice as large as an Olympic pool. It would have been clearly in sight that night, blazing away with its torches and candles.



Why wasn’t the King of the Jews born there? Did God know what He was doing? Was it a mistake for the Messiah to be born to such humble surroundings? Shouldn’t there have been a palace instead of a cave? In Hong Kong, one of the richest people who was in gold business, literally had a toilet made in pure gold. Shouldn’t there have been a solid gold cradle instead of a manger for the King of the universe? Shouldn’t there have been the finest physicians present instead of just Mary and Joseph? Did God know what He was doing? Absolutely.

5. Ray Stedman writes: “Now you would think that if God so rules the world as to use an empire-wide census to bring Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, He surely could have seen to it that a room was available in the inn. Yes, He could have. Jesus could have been born into a wealthy family. He could have turned stone into bread in the wilderness. He could have called 10,000 angels to His aid in Gethsemane. He could have come down from the cross and saved Himself.

6. The question is not what God could do but what He willed to do. God’s will was that though Christ was rich, yet for your sake He became poor. The ‘No Vacancy’ signs in Bethlehem were for your sake. For your sake He became poor. God rules all things—even motel capacities—for the sake of His children. The Calvary road begins with a ‘No Vacancy’ sign in Bethlehem and ends with the spitting and scoffing and the cross in Jerusalem.”

So quietly without fanfare or trumpets, God slipped into this world as a little baby.

7. Charles Wesley wrote 6000 hymns. One of his best is: “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” Listen again to the teaching in the last verse: “Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace, hail the Son of Righteousness, Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings, mild He lays His glory by,” (that’s the incarnation) “born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth. Hark the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn king.”

8. I am sure these were things Mary pondered in her heart. “Is that true? The baby in my arms is indeed God?”

Here is one of my favorite Christmas songs describing the mystery of the incarnation from the eyes of the Mary. Mary Did You Know?



 

Notice the contradictory terms:

Baby, a tiny little baby, who is also the ruler of the nation, the creator of the universe, and the savior of the world!

The tiny little hands are the hands that heal the blinds and calm the storms.

The little feet are the ones that walk in heavenly places with the angels.

The sleeping child that she is holding is the great I am!

What would Mary think? How would she feel? She is both the mother who protects the child and also the worshipper who worships her child as God. She gave birth to the child but the child gave the eternal life to her.

Her heart must be filled so sorrow when she saw his son suffered and die. Her heart was broken and rejoiced at the same time. It is broken because her son died of a painful death. She rejoiced because the path to God is now open. Her sins are forgiven. And she became rich in Christ.

In Mary’s conflicting mind, there lies the great mystery of the incarnation. How could God the almighty become a man like us?

8. God is saying to us, “I become like you so that you can know me.”

Today a Savior has been born to You. This is God’s way of letting us know He wants to enter a personal relationship with us. Jesus is God who invaded this planet in the fragile form of a little baby. He had to become like us so we could relate to him.

John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” If God wanted to relate to birds, He would have become a bird. If God has wanted to communicate to cows, He would have become a cow. If he wanted to communicate to dogs, He would have become a dog. God wanted to relate to you and to me, so He became like us—a human being.

9. It is like the little girl who was afraid of the dark and called out, “Daddy, come in here and be with me.” Her father said, “Just hug your teddy bear.” The little girl said, “No, Daddy, I want something with skin on it.” Jesus is God with skin on, so you can know Him as much as He knows you.

He put on human flesh so He could die for us. This is at the heart of Christian truth. I read of a Hindu man who could not contemplate a God who would so humble himself. Then one day as he came across an anthill, he tried to get close enough to study it; but every time he bent low, his shadow caused all the ants to scurry away. He recognized the only way in which he could ever come to know that colony of ants would be if he could somehow become an ant himself—and that was the moment in which his conversion to Christ began.

10. A.W. Tozer writes, “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer or a football star. Our greatest need was for forgiveness, God sent us a savior.”

One of the most beautiful names of Jesus is Emmanuel, which means God with us. That is the truth of the incarnation. God has come to be with us in the person of Jesus.


Conclusion

Go home and read Luke 2 again and ponder the story of Christmas. Find God in your heart. He is already there. Get to know him personally. Worship him. Rejoice in Him. Walk with Him. He longs to have a deep and abiding relationship with you.

There was the third journey concluded that night. That is the journey of the shepherds. We will leave the rest of the story and lessons to Dec. 24, next Saturday, the Christmas Eve’s service. Remember to reserve your time to attend and listen to the Day God became a baby, part II, through the journey of the shepherds.



Response Song








The Process of Preparing This Sermon
By Pastor Brian


1. I used a sermon of the same title by David Dykes on PreachingToday to prepare this sermon. David is the senior pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas. Every year preaching the Christmas story, I need some helps and some fresh ideas. These are what I take from David's sermon:
  • the title of the sermon;
  • the idea of 3 journey that were concluded on the night when Jesus was born;
  • the story of the 6 years old child in the introduction; and
  • a couple of quotes
But I also find David's sermon to be lack of focus. He started with the 3 journeys and concluded with the message of the angels to the shepherds. And he included a lot of different ideas. Secondly, I find his sermon's applications very weak.

I re-write the sermon and make it two sermons: 1) Luke 2:1-7 focusing on the incarnation; 2) Luke 2:8-20 on the shepherds focusing on the sharing the good news.

2. Incarnation is always a difficult concept to explain. I take the angle from Mary's perspective: she is the mom and also Jesus' follower. In her, we have the incarnation in personal experience. The song, Mary Did You Know, helps to put Mary's experience in music. They lyric is self-evidenced and well-written. The YouTube video from the Passion of the Christ is also very moving also.

3. The sermon is a little long with side-by-side translation.


Monday, December 12, 2011

誰是法利賽人?路 11:42-52

誰是法利賽人?
路加福音十一章四十二至五十二節


林永健牧師
福遍中國教會
2011.12.11

福遍中國教會- 2011年12月11日【林永健牧師- 誰是法利賽人?】 from Fort Bend Community Church on Vimeo.



引言

1. 誰是法利賽人?法利賽人是誰?

2. 我是從小在教會長大的,對法利賽人的印象並不好,甚至有極大的反感,福音書上描寫他們是耶穌第一號的敵人,耶穌三番四次的責備他們,包括今天我們所讀的經文,說他們是「不顯露的墳墓」,直接指著他們的鼻子說,「你們有禍了!」

3. 我們知道耶穌是死在羅馬人彼拉多的手下,但我們也清楚知道法利賽人、文士與祭司才是真正幕後的殺手,聖經多次說他們一早就決定要殺害耶穌,所以我們都不喜歡法利賽人,英文的字典(Webster's or Oxford)把法利賽人(Pharisees)與「偽君子」(hypocrites)當作同義詞,意思很明顯,法利賽人代表了「假冒為善」的人,我們的青少年人與父母衝突的時候,他們最常用的字,去駡我們做父母的是「偽君子」(hypocrites),說一套,做卻是另外一套!

4. 你有沒有被駡過是法利賽人? 在主日學或小組中說,不要惱怒爭競,回家後就大發脾氣!最愛說「彼此饒恕」(特別是需要別人饒恕的時候),可是我卻不能饒恕別人!這就是「假冒為善」,裡外不一至的表現。


5. 看一看這演法利賽人的俄國演員,這是「拿撒勒耶穌」電影中演法利賽人的造型,看看他兩個眼睛深下去,給人一個城府很深的感覺,兩條眉高高向上,一副高不可高攀驕傲的樣子,嘴與鬍子向下彎,好像看不起所有的人一般,我們對法利賽人的印象就是這樣嗎?!

究竟法利賽人是誰?我們是否法利賽人?我們從法利賽人需要學習什麼的功課?


6. 第一、法利賽人是猶太教中一個宗教團體或宗派(sect),在耶穌出生一百五十年前開始,法利賽人(הַפְּרוּשִׁים)是「分別出來的」意思(to separate oneself),他們以「與眾不同」為特色。


第二、他們與眾不同的地方在那裡?法利賽人嚴守猶太人的律法,不單只摩西寫下來在「五經」(Torah)的律法,還有歷代傳下來加在摩西律法上的教條與傳統,「五經」是從神而來的律法,而「教條」卻是人為的,這兩樣的分別非常之大。例如:摩西的律法有潔淨的禮儀,而法利賽人的教條則包括吃飯要洗手,而洗手的方法必需是先讓水從手尖流到手心,再從右手的手背到左手的手背,最後水從手心經手尖流走,若不以此方法洗手,就是不潔淨,違反律法。摩西的律法是神所賜下的,法利賽人的教條卻是人加上去的,並不一定有神的權威。




耶穌得罪法利賽人是因為沒有守法利賽人的教條,並不是不守摩西的律法。例如:摩西的律法說,當守安息日,不可作工。但法利賽人的教條卻加上安息日的教條,不可醫病,甚至在田中拿麥子充飢也不成。

第三、法利賽人對守律法與教條的熱心是近乎瘋狂的,熱心(passionate)做運動的人,怎樣忙,怎樣累,一個禮拜也要運動兩、三次;瘋狂的球迷,可以臉上塗上球隊的顏色,三、四個小時站在冰天雪地的球場上,大聲喊叫,為球隊打氣。法利賽人也是這樣,額頭上戴上經文的小盒子,衣袖上掛上一條一條的經文,每天生活在六百多條的教條規範下,讀經禱告,上聖殿,獻上各種的祭,你不能不配服他們的熱心,願意付上代價。

第四、在信仰(doctrine)上,大致上是純正的,他們相信死人復活,相信有永生,耶穌對他們的教義沒有問題,他們在主後七十年耶路撒冷被毁之 後,是唯一存留猶太人的宗派,成為日後猶太教的主流,其他的宗派如撒都該党都消失了,法利賽人主義就是今日猶太教的主幹,今天你看見基要派的猶太教徒,身穿黑色的衣服,長長黑色的鬍子,頭 上戴著小帽子,禮拜六走路上會堂,根源是從法利賽人而來。

這麼熱心而又虔誠的信徒,有那一個牧師不喜歡的呢?法利賽人在耶穌的時候只有六千人,他們不是執政的官員,執政掌權的大都是撒都該党的人,但法利賽人卻深受平民老百姓的尊敬,影響力比任何一個宗派都大。

最熱心跟隨神的人,最受眾民喜愛的人,最肯為宗教付上代價的人,為什麼最後會變成與神為敵的人呢?嚴守律法的人,結果卻引人進入死亡?每日生活在聖殿之中,參加所有聚會的人,卻是離神最遠的人,為什麼?

7. 法利賽人的問題顯明人類最基本的問題,我們每一個人多少都有點法利賽人的問題,他們的問題根據路加福音第十一章最少包括以下三點:

一、靠己通天的自負
二、批評控制的自義
三、裡外不符的假義


這是耶穌指責法利賽人六個「有禍了」的原因。


一、靠己通天的自負

1. 摩西的律法奉獻是神子民的權利,而法利賽人卻把這權利量化,規定把菜園各種的香料、菜蔬也要獻上十分之一,這本是沒有什麼不對的地方,若心態正確,這也是當行的,但法利賽人卻以守律法與教條,為通天之路,靠自己的努力而得神特別的喜愛,比別人都做得好,法利賽人認為神也應該謝謝他們的努力與熱心,像耶穌說法利賽人的禱告一樣,愛站在十字路口,高舉雙手,頭向著天說,「神啊,我感謝你,我不像別人勒索、不義、姦淫,也不像這個稅吏。我一個禮拜禁食兩次,凡我所得的都捐上十分之一。」(路十八 11-12)語氣是一種靠己通天的自負。



2. 第四十三節,耶穌責備法利賽人的自負,靠自己的好行為而自以配得會堂裡的首位,最靠近神的位置,靠己直通神的心,要求人的尊敬,喜愛人在街市上公眾的地方問他們的安,認為自己很了不起,正如浪子比喻中的大兒子一樣,憑一直為父親做事,而要求父親的欣賞,認為自己比小兒子更好。


3. 今天的法利賽人是誰?是每一個靠自己的努力去得神的喜悅的人,靠好行為去登天的人,然後拍拍自己的肩膀,說:「做得好!做得好!請鼓掌!」這不是驕傲而已,而是一種靠自己通天的自負,我稱為法利賽人的自負,「我比你好!比你懂!我比你更屬靈!我與神有特殊的關係,是你永遠不可能有的。」

我發現愈讀聖經的人愈容易有這種自負的危機, 我常有這個問題,需要人的尊敬,因為我懂聖經,我認為我有通天之路,別人要聽我的話!

4. 耶穌說:這種人「有禍了!」因為他們忘記最重要的是神的公義與憐憫,通天之路不是人為的,是從天降下的,是神的公義與憐憫的結果。沒有人能靠自己能親近神,兒子的名分是神所賜的,是重生的結果,不是賺回來的,好行為是兒子應有的表現,不是成為兒子的原因。



二、批評控制的自義

1. 更可怕的事不單只是自以為是,更糟糕的事是法利賽人更以自己的義去控制人、批評人。第四十六節,耶穌說法利賽人把難擔的擔子放在人身上。「擔子」正如船上沉重的貨物一樣,把各種的宗教累贅加神美好的律法上,使人沒法遵守,甚至使人遠離神。

這些的教條,其實是一種控制人的方法,目的不是要幫助人遵守神的律法,而是要高台自己,自以為義,把別人踏在自己的腳下。「自己一 個指頭卻不肯動」意思是沒有作任何的努力去幫助人去守律法,反而指手劃腳地以批評態度蔑視做不到的人。 


2. 誰是法利賽人?喜歡把外表的行為當作屬靈的指標、以教條來控制別人的行為的人,就是法利賽人!自義的人喜歡標榜一些「指標性的外表行為」(Sign Deeds),我們喜歡讀書好的孩子,但他們心中想什麼卻不知道,我們也不太注意,讀書好就是好孩子!會賺錢的人就是能人,令人側目,就是高上有影響力的人!這種看法找女婿或者有用,但與神來往卻不能這樣看!屬靈的生命是內在,是從裡而外的,不是從外表的行為產生的。

誰是法利賽人?第一、是那些靠自己以為可以通天而自以為是的人!第二、是那些以外在的行為來代替內在生命的人,以教條來控制別人,自義的人!

我們讀聖經愈多的人,愈容易看見別人夠不上的地方,愈容易自義,像常在父家服侍父親的大兒子,憑外表的行為來判斷誰應得父親的歡心,批判弟弟不夠格的行為,沒有像父親一樣看到弟弟內心願意悔改的心,耶穌說:「你們的義若不勝過法利賽人的義,絕不能進天國!」正是這個意思。

3. 應用:我們不像神能看透人的內心,所以我們更應該更多以恩典彼此相待,少批評,多欣賞,少以自己的標準去強迫別人跟從,不在神的吩咐上,加上自己的要求,注意內心的態度,不要單單看重外在的行為。

或者我們在教會中,不會這樣的對待弟兄姊妹,但回家之後,對配偶與兒女,卻很容易有法利賽人的表現,特別是在教養兒女上,常自以為義,以自己的標準來代替或外加在神的律法之上,這樣的例子很多。

要容許孩子犯錯,他們才能成長,當他們做得不合你的標準的時候,問一問自己,這是你的標準還是神的標準?假若我的孩子讀書不好,我認為不能接受,問一問自己,神的標準是什麼?他看重的是什麼?若我們只要求行為上的表現,以自己的標準來要求別人,那我們與法利賽人沒有什麼分別。

4. 耶穌對法利賽人的評語是非常之不客氣的,第四十四節,耶穌責備他們為不顯露的墳墓(unmarked grave),讓走過的人都變為不潔淨而不自知,是害人的人。



5. 第五十二節更說,法利賽人把知識的鑰匙偷走了,自己不進去,正要進去的人卻被法利賽人阻擋,也不能進去。最熱心的人、對信仰非常認真的人,甚至願意付上極大代價的人,如法利賽人一樣,卻最終與神為敵,導人走進死亡。



這對我們熱心的信徒是一個很大的提醒,我們是否如法利賽人一樣,變成了別人親近神,明白真理的最大難阻?我們是否把重擔加在別人的身上,而自己不以為意地害了別人?今天教會有很多的教條,是否神的要求?還是人的要求?這些的教條,往往成為外人進入教會的難阻,這是我們值得反醒的地方。


三、裡外不一致的假善

1. 第三點法利賽人問題是我們每一個人的問題,裡外不一致!外面是一套,裡面又是另一套;講的是一回事,做的又是另一回事。

2. 法利賽人殺了先知,因為他們不喜歡先知所說的,但又要修造先知墳墓,以表示他們的敬虔。



3. 我們每一個多多少少都有一些假善,表面的工夫,做給人看,要得人的稱讚,不是真心從裡面出來的真善。這是法利賽人的義!我們的青少年,他們的眼睛是雪亮的,心是直的,沒有假冒的,所以他們很容易看出我們言行不一至,要求他們做我們做不到的,難怪青少年人充滿了憤怒,當他們離家之後,很容易不願再回到教會去,因為他們經歷的,親眼看見的,是裡外不一致的假善!

例子:青少年的憤怒與父母的假善。

4. 誰是法利賽人?多多少少是我!是你!


結論

1. 耶穌愛法利賽人,他去法利賽人的家中吃飯,不斷的希望他們悔改,愛他們如同浪子的比喻中的父親愛大兒子一樣,希望他能悔改,明白父親的心,同樣耶穌愛法利賽人,希望他們悔改,從自負變為謙卑、從自義變為神的義、從假善變為真善。

2. 路加福音十一章「六個的禍」,耶穌的語氣不是聲討他們罪,而是為他們悲哀,向他們招手,邀請他們悔改,神的恩典是豐厚而充沛的,他在等候你回家。

3. 在這聖誕普天同慶的日子,我們正忙碌地買禮物,參加聖誕派對與教會的聚會,這些有多少只是外表的?我們慶祝救主的誕生,有多少是發自內心?由裡而外?讓我們謙卑自己,回應神的呼召,真心的悔改,悔改的人就不是法利賽人了!

4. 你可以從你的家開始改變,改變你自以為是的態度,改變你自義的心態,對配偶,對兒女,多一些的謙卑,少一些的批評,多一些的自省,少一些的控制,多一些認罪,少一些自誇,多一些恩典,少一些教條主義。你願意嗎?




回應詩歌





寫這篇講章的過程與一些的考量:
林永健

1. 法利賽人是我想了很久的一個題目,他們是福音書中主要的「壞人」,「基督生平」怎能沒有了他們?但我一直在猶疑,應該怎樣去講這一篇的道?我們多少都有一點法利賽人在我們裡面,問題是我應該用什麼的語氣去應用這一篇道?我可以直接用耶穌的語氣,責備聽眾,不要做法利賽人,舉不同的例子,說明我們裡外不一致的地方,但這是不是我的會眾需要而又能接受的?太過消極的講章,很多時候效果並不理想。我也可以先應用在我自己的身上,承認自己就是法利賽人,舉一些自己裡外不一致的地方,希望能引起會眾的共鳴,回去反醒應用,這是很可行的方法。我最後選擇了另一種的語氣,從家庭入手,從夫婦相處,教養孩子的角度去反醒我們自以為是、自負、自義、裡外不一致的問題,最後以神的愛為結束,神愛法利賽人,等待我們悔改,這是經過很長的時間禱告後的感動,講章就是這寫成了。

2. 講章環繞著一個問題來發展:「誰是法利賽人?」從引言第一句開始,到每一要點的應用,都以這問題來貫通。

3. 因為時間關係,我需要縮短講道的時間,我只有三十分鐘,所以我只講了第一點、應用;第二點,應用;第三點就跳過去,直接到結論,我發現這並沒有太大的影響,講章還是可以連接的,以後有机會再把第三點與會眾分享。

4. 在講道的中間,有一位長輩昏倒了,他因為有高血壓,那天沒有吃藥,加上禮堂有一些悶,空氣不太流通,有醫生立刻把他帶出去,坐在附近的人都受到影響,有好幾分鐘的時間,我在講台上什麼都看見了,但會堂裡大部分的會眾都不知道是什麼一回事,所以我並沒有停下來,我繼續講下去,好像沒有事發生一樣,結果崇拜順利完成,真的是感謝神,老先生送到醫院,第二天也平安出院了。

5. 要明白路加福音十一章耶穌對法利賽人的責備,法利賽人的背景非常重要,他們對律法的狂熱,對守律法的嚴謹、得民眾的喜愛,與耶穌的話成一強烈的對比,任何一本聖經字典或聖經百科全書都可以查到法利賽人的背景。