神的異象
持續敬拜的盛況
經文
啟示錄七1-17
1此後,我看見四位天使站在地的四角,執掌地上四方的風,叫風不吹在地上、海上,和樹上。
2我又看見另有一位天使,從日出之地上來,拿著永生神的印。他就向那得著權柄能傷害地和海的四位天使大聲喊著說:
3地與海並樹木,你們不可傷害,等我們印了我們神眾僕人的額。
4我聽見以色列人各支派中受印的數目有十四萬四千。
5猶大支派中受印的有一萬二千;流便支派中有一萬二千;迦得支派中有一萬二千;
6亞設支派中有一萬二千;拿弗他利支派中有一萬二千;瑪拿西支派中有一萬二千;
7西緬支派中有一萬二千;利未支派中有一萬二千;以薩迦支派中有一萬二千;
8西布倫支派中有一萬二千;約瑟支派中有一萬二千;便雅憫支派中受印的有一萬二千。
9此後,我觀看,見有許多的人,沒有人能數過來,是從各國、各族、各民、各方來的,站在寶座和羔羊面前,身穿白衣,手拿棕樹枝,
10大聲喊著說:願救恩歸與坐在寶座上我們的神,也歸與羔羊!
11眾天使都站在寶座和眾長老並四活物的周圍,在寶座前,面伏於地,敬拜神,
12說:阿們!頌讚、榮耀、智慧、感謝、尊貴、權柄、大力都歸與我們的神,直到永永遠遠。阿們!
13長老中有一位問我說:這些穿白衣的是誰?是從那裡來的?
14我對他說:我主,你知道。他向我說:這些人是從大患難中出來的,曾用羔羊的血把衣裳洗白淨了。
15所以,他們在神寶座前,晝夜在他殿中事奉他。坐寶座的要用帳幕覆庇他們。
16他們不再飢,不再渴;日頭和炎熱也必不傷害他們。
17因為寶座中的羔羊必牧養他們,領他們到生命水的泉源;神也必擦去他們一切的眼淚。
信息分享
讓我們來繼續昨天的主題。昨天我們討論敬拜的性質和重要性。我們必須小心,不要把敬拜和事奉混淆,別以為我們私自跪下的時候是敬拜,而在教會積極活動如教導、講道或給人提供實際幫助時,就是事奉。事實上,所有的事奉都是敬拜,所有的敬拜都是事奉。
我們不僅是從以賽亞看到寶座上的撒拉弗得到上述的觀點,今天的經文也是這樣清楚的指出。啟示錄將天堂描述為充滿敬拜的地方,但天堂也是聖徒「晝夜……事奉」的地方。我很喜歡一個關於一位年青主婦的故事。她信了基督後,明白她所做的一切都是敬拜,於是在廚房的洗碗糟放上一塊牌,上面寫著:「這裡每天進行三次神聖事奉。」後來她發覺自己的敬拜行動並不限於洗碗,而是包括其他一切,於是她便將那塊牌取下,因為它太局限了敬拜的範圍。
曾經有人問我的一位朋友:「你在哪裡敬拜神?」朋友回答說:「我在商店,在銀行,在我的汽車,在超級市場裡敬拜我的神。我的生命是持續敬拜的一種盛況。」那人聽明白我朋友的意思。敬拜不是我們在特別場合或在某個時間、某個階段所做的事;敬拜是我們晝與夜都進行的事情。
「一切事奉都是敬拜;一切敬拜都是事奉」
進深研究
羅十二1-8;約四24
1. 我們崇拜的屬靈行動應該是甚麼?
2. 我們應該怎樣崇拜神?
祈禱
天父,我原以為敬拜只是在某個時間或某個階段所做的事情,求您赦免我。求您幫助我在任何地方、在每一個情況底下都敬拜您。但願我的生命也能夠是持續敬拜的一種盛況。奉耶穌的名求,阿們。
The Vision of God
"A constant pageant of worship"
Bible reading:
Revelation 7:1-17
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.
2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:
3 "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."
4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. The Great Multitude in White Robes
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
10 And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
12 saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?"
14 I answered, "Sir, you know."
And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16 'Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,'[a] nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; 'he will lead them to springs of living water.'[b] 'And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'[c]"
Message
We pick up from where we left off yesterday when we considered the nature and importance of worship. We must be careful not to fall into the trap of differentiating between worship and service, and thinking to ourselves that when we kneel in private we are at worship and when active in the church - teaching, preaching, or being of some practical help - we are then engaged in service. All service is worship, and all worship is service.
This thought is brought out not only in the symbolism of the seraphs whom Isaiah saw above the throne but it is found also in the passage before us today. In the book of Revelation heaven is described as a place that is filled with worship, but it is also a place where the saints "serve...day and night". I love the story of the young housewife who, having been converted to Christ and realising that everything she did was an act of worship, put a sign over her kitchen sink which read: "Divine service conducted here three times a day." Later she saw that her acts of worship were not confined to washing the dishes but included everything. So she took down the sign because it was too limiting.
Someone asked a friend of mine once: "Where do you worship?" He replied "I worship in Woolworths, in the bank, in my car, in the supermarket...My life is a constant pageant of worship." The person got the message. Worship is not something we keep for special occasions or do at certain times and periods. We worship both day and night.
"All service is worship and all worship is service"
Prayer
Father, forgive me that I have been thinking of worship as something that goes on only at certain times or seasons. Help me to worship You everywhere and in everything. May my life too be a constant pageant of worship. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Romans 12:1-8
John 4:24
1. What is to be our spiritual act of worship?
2. How are we to worship God?
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