從天上賜下的復興
復興的定義
經文
使徒行傳三11-26
11那人正在稱為所羅門的廊下，拉著彼得、約翰；眾百姓一齊跑到他們那裡，很覺希奇。
12彼得看見，就對百姓說：以色列人哪，為甚麼把這事當作希奇呢﹖為甚麼定睛看我們，以為我們憑自己的能力和虔誠使這人行走呢？
13亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的神，就是我們列祖的神，已經榮耀了他的僕人（或作：兒子）耶穌；你們卻把他交付彼拉多。彼拉多定意要釋放他，你們竟在彼拉多面前棄絕了他。
14你們棄絕了那聖潔公義者，反求著釋放一個兇手給你們。
15你們殺了那生命的主，神卻叫他從死裡復活了；我們都是為這事作見證。
16我們因信他的名，他的名便叫你們所看見所認識的這人健壯了；正是他所賜的信心，叫這人在你們眾人面前全然好了。
17弟兄們，我曉得你們作這事是出於不知，你們的官長也是如此。
18但神曾藉眾先知的口，預言基督將要受害，就這樣應驗了。
19所以，你們當悔改歸正，使你們的罪得以塗抹，這樣，那安舒的日子就必從主面前來到；
20主也必差遣所預定給你們的基督耶穌降臨。
21天必留他，等到萬物復興的時候，就是神從創世以來、藉著聖先知的口所說的。
22摩西曾說：主神要從你們弟兄中間給你們興起一位先知像我，凡他向你們所說的，你們都要聽從。
23凡不聽從那先知的，必要從民中全然滅絕。
24從撒母耳以來的眾先知，凡說預言的，也都說到這些日子。
25你們是先知的子孫，也承受神與你們祖宗所立的約，就是對亞伯拉罕說：地上萬族都要因你的後裔得福。
26神既興起他的僕人，（或作：兒子），就先差他到你們這裡來，賜福給你們，叫你們各人回轉，離開罪惡。
信息分享
從昨天開始，我們開始思想一個新的主題──從天上賜下的復興。今天我們要先討論一個重要的問題：復興是甚麼？可惜這個詞並沒有一個清晰的定義，因此每個使用它的人都個別地定義它的意思。還記得我第一次到訪美國時（差不多40年前），有一位牧者問我能否在他教會幾個星期後的「復興」中講道。我記得自己當時感到很震驚，因為他竟然有信心具體地預測復興的日期；後來有一位朋友告訴我，在美國那個地區，「復興」這個詞所指的只是一連串特別的聚會。
在我們未來的討論中，我將會使用這詞的經典意思，就是形容神的能力突然可畏地臨到祂的百姓。英國著名牧師潘頓（D.M. Panton）描述真正的屬靈復興是「神聖的生命闖進一個如同行屍走肉的生命中。」伊文思（Christmas Evans）是著名的威爾斯傳道人，神數次使用他振興威爾斯這個國家。他說：「復興是神向那即將熄滅的餘燼彎下腰，向它吹氣，直到它猛烈地燃燒起來。」簡單的說，復興是「甦醒和生活」。
我認為復興的最佳定義，沒有比愛爾蘭作家和詩人奧愛文（J. Edwin Orr）所提出的更好了，他在《英國第二次福音甦醒》（The Second Evangelical Awakening in Britain）這本書中寫道：「我們經歷『主同在的更新時刻』時，復興便發生。」無論我們怎樣看復興，它都是生命最好的時刻，是生命完滿、豐盛、湧流著神的恩典和能力的時刻。
「復興是甦醒和生活」
進深研究
申十一1-17；耶三1-25；珥二23-27
1. 後者（春天）的雨象徵甚麼？
2. 為甚麼神留著後者的雨？
祈禱
天父，復興這事令人感到真實和永恆。求您喚醒我和教會，對「主同在的更新時刻」帶著更深的渴慕。奉耶穌的名祈求，阿們。
Heaven-Sent Revival
Defining revival
Bible reading:
Acts 3:11-26
11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade.
12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.
14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
17 "Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.
18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer.
19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.
21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
22 For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.
23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.'[a]
24 "Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days.
25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'[b]
26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."
Message
Today we ask: What is revival? Unfortunately the word has no sharp edges and thus everyone who uses the word has to define what they mean by it. The first time I visited the United States (now nearly forty years ago), I was asked by a minister if I would preach at the "revival" his church would be having in a few weeks' time. I remember being overwhelmed by what I thought was his faith in predicting the exact date of a revival, until I was informed by a friend that in that part of America the term "revival" simply referred to a series of special meetings.
In these studies I am using the word in its classic sense to denote the sudden awesome flood of God's power upon a community of His people. D.M. Panton describes true spiritual revival as "an inrush of divine life into a body threatening to become a corpse". Christmas Evans, a famous Welsh preacher whom God used to stir the nation of Wales on several occasions, had this to say: "Revival is God bending down to the dying embers of a fire just about to go out and breathing into it until it bursts into flame." Quite simply, revival means "to wake up and live".
I know of no better definition of revival than that given by J. Edwin Orr who, in his book The Second Evangelical Awakening in Britain, wrote: "Revival takes place when we experience 'times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord'." Whichever way we look at it, revival is life at its best, life in all its fulness, life abundant, life overflowing with the grace and power of God.
"Revival means 'to wake up and live' "
Prayer
O Father, this matter of revival has the feel of the real and the eternal upon it. Awaken within me a deep desire for a "time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord" - personal as well as corporate. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Deuteronomy 11:1-17
Jeremiah 3:1-25
Joel 2:23-27
1. What does the latter (spring) rain symbolise?
2. Why did God withhold the latter rain?
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