神的異象
正確地研究人類
經文
約翰福音十七1-19
1耶穌說了這話，就舉目望天，說：父阿，時候到了，願你榮耀你的兒子，使兒子也榮耀你；
2正如你曾賜給他權柄管理凡有血氣的，叫他將永生賜給你所賜給他的人。
3認識你獨一的真神，並且認識你所差來的耶穌基督，這就是永生。
4我在地上已經榮耀你，你所託付我的事，我已成全了。
5父阿，現在求你使我同你享榮耀，就是未有世界以先，我同你所有的榮耀。
6你從世上賜給我的人，我已將你的名顯明與他們。他們本是你的，你將他們賜給我，他們也遵守了你的道。
7如今他們知道，凡你所賜給我的，都是從你那裡來的；
8因為你所賜給我的道，我已經賜給他們，他們也領受了，又確實知道，我是從你出來的，並且信你差了我來。
9我為他們祈求，不為世人祈求，卻為你所賜給我的人祈求，因他們本是你的。
10凡是我的，都是你的；你的也是我的，並且我因他們得了榮耀。
11從今以後，我不在世上，他們卻在世上；我往你那裡去。聖父阿，求你因你所賜給我的名保守他們，叫他們合而為一像我們一樣。
12我與他們同在的時候，因你所賜給我的名保守了他們，我也護衛了他們；其中除了那滅亡之子，沒有一個滅亡的，好叫經上的話得應驗。
13現在我往你那裡去，我還在世上說這話，是叫他們心裡充滿我的喜樂。
14我已將你的道賜給他們。世界又恨他們；因為他們不屬世界，正如我不屬世界一樣。
15我不求你叫他們離開世界，只求你保守他們脫離那惡者（或作：脫離罪惡）。
16他們不屬世界，正如我不屬世界一樣。
17求你用真理使他們成聖；你的道就是真理。18你怎樣差我到世上，我也照樣差他們到世上。
19我為他們的緣故，自己分別為聖，叫他們也因真理成聖。
信息分享
我們昨天結束的時候提到一個觀念，那就是過去許多明白敬畏神的生活是怎麼一回事的人，以神「高高」在上這個觀念作為生活的基礎。最後我們亦提出了一個問題：為甚麼在當今的教會我們很少遇到這樣的人？我認為答案是：雖然今天教會有很多好事發生，但教會對神的本性和品格缺乏足夠的教導和強調。
偉大的佈道家司布真（C.H. Spurgeon）這樣說：「有人說要研究人類的整體，先要從研究人著手」。我不反對這說法，不過我相信同樣的事實是，若要研究神的揀選，便要先研究神。當今的教會一般來說所注重的是「怎樣得到良好的自我形像」或「怎樣更有效地禱告」等問題，多於注目於認識神。這些問題並非不重要，但正如巴刻（Jim Packer）在《認識神》（Knowing God）這本書中說：「認識神對我們的生活十分重要。那些不認識神的人認為世界已經變成為一個陌生、瘋狂和痛苦的地方，世上的生活令人感到失望和不悅。」
當然，要認識神我們需要花上時間。我建議你現在就下決心在未來幾個月裡好好致力認識神。首先要花時間在禱告和默想中與神同行，然後更深入地研究神的話來加深自己對祂的理解。
「認識神，十分重要」
進深研究
弗一1-17；腓三1-11
1. 保羅怎樣為以弗所教會的人禱告？
2. 保羅對自己有甚麼希望？
祈禱
天父，我明白若要更認識您便要付出更多時間──與您交談，研究您的話。求您引導我，讓我在未來幾個月裡能夠大大加深對您的認識。奉主耶穌的名祈求。阿們。
The Vision of God
"The proper study of mankind..."
Bible reading:
John 17:1-19
1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.
2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.
5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6 "I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.
7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.
8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.
10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.
11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.
12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.
14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth.
18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Message
We ended yesterday with the thought that, in days past, men and women who knew what it was to walk in the fear of the Lord had, as a basis for their lives, the concept of God as "high and exalted". We finished with the question: Why is it that in the modern-day Church we do not meet many of this ilk? The answer I think is that, notwithstanding all the good things happening in the Church today, there is not enough teaching and emphasis on the nature and character of God.
The great preacher C.H. Spurgeon made this statement: "It has been said that the proper study of mankind is man. I will not oppose the idea, but I believe it is equally true that the proper study of God's elect is God." The contemporary Church, generally speaking, focuses more on issues like "how to gain a good self-image", or "how to be more effective in prayer" than it does on how to know God. Not that these other issues are unimportant, but, as Jim Packer says in his book Knowing God. "Knowing God is crucially important for the living of our lives. The world becomes a strange, mad, painful place, and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant business, for those who do not know about God."
Of course, it takes time to know God. Determine right now that in the coming months you will commit yourself to knowing God in a deeper way, first by spending more time with Him in prayer and meditation, and second by increasing your understanding of Him through more thorough study of His Word.
"Knowing God is crucially important"
Prayer
Father, I see that knowing You better involves increased time - time to talk to You and time to study Your Word. Guide me so that I can make the coming months yield great gains in my knowledge of You. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
Further study
Ephesians 1:1-17
Philippians 3:1-11
1. What did Paul pray for the Ephesians?
2. What did Paul desire for himself?
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