新視域的力量
遺忘那重要的分享

經文
瑪拉基書三13-18
13耶和華說:你們用話頂撞我,你們還說:我們用甚麼話頂撞了你呢?
14你們說:事奉神是徒然的,遵守神所吩咐的,在萬軍之耶和華面前苦苦齋戒,有甚麼益處呢?
15如今我們稱狂傲的人為有福,並且行惡的人得建立;他們雖然試探神,卻得脫離災難。
16那時,敬畏耶和華的彼此談論,耶和華側耳而聽,且有記念冊在他面前,記錄那敬畏耶和華、思念他名的人。
17萬軍之耶和華說:在我所定的日子,他們必屬我,特特歸我。我必憐恤他們,如同人憐恤服事自己的兒子。
18那時你們必歸回,將善人和惡人,事奉神的和不事奉神的,分別出來。
信息分享
雖然詩篇七十三篇讓我們看到詩人受到疑惑困擾,但他仍然以得勝的語調開始這首詩歌:「神實在恩待以色列那些清心的人。」一般的講員總是把結論留到講道結束時才說出來,但在這裡,詩人卻以結論來開始!有些人可能覺得詩人以結論來開始顯得有點奇怪,但這在詩篇是相當常見的。原因是:詩人那麼確信神是良善的,所以他決定要從那兒開始他的詩歌。他好像在告訴我們說:「我要告訴你我是如何由疑惑邁向信靠的,但此刻我所希望你明白的是:神是良善的。」
有些解經家相信在聖殿的敬拜過程中,有公開見證和崇拜的時間,就好像古老的循道會聚會一樣,個別的弟兄姊妹向其他信徒作見證,講述神怎樣與他們相交。這其實是建立教會的屬靈生命其中一個最有力的方法,但可惜今天似乎很少教會會這樣做。
如果這首詩歌是詩人在崇拜時的見證,我們可以想像,當詩人講述他怎樣從受疑惑困擾,到對神的良善重新充滿信心時,會給聽眾帶來多大的激勵。在基督徒的生命中,如果能夠彼此分享那些幫助他們戰勝信心危機的屬靈原則,還有甚麼比這些分享更加能夠激勵人心?如果我們忽略這個原則,我們的靈性亦會處於險境。
「神是良善的」
進深研究
約三25-36,五39,十五26;徒二十24
1 你上次公開見證神的良善是在甚麼時候?
2 下次會是甚麼時候?
祈禱
天父,求您讓我們清楚看到,分享您在我們生命中所成就的大事,不單啟發和激勵我們,並且能夠堅固基督的身體。每當我們遺忘了這重要的事情時,求您幫助我們懂得如何去讓它恢復。奉耶穌的名求,阿們。
The Power of a New Perspective
A lost emphasis

Bible reading:
Malachi 3:13-18
13 "You have spoken arrogantly against me," says the Lord. "Yet you ask, 'What have we said against you?'
14 "You have said, 'It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?
15 But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.'"
16 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.
17 "On the day when I act," says the Lord Almighty, "they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him.
18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.
Message
Although in Psalm 73 the psalmist is beset by doubt, he begins, nevertheless, on a triumphant note: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart." Preachers usually leave their conclusion until the end of their sermon - but here the psalmist begins with it! It might seem strange to some that the psalmist should begin with a conclusion, but this is often seen in the book of Psalms. And the reason is this: the psalmist is so convinced of the fact that God is good that he decides to start right there. It is as if he is saying: "I want to tell you how I moved from doubt to faith, but the thing I want you to get right away is this: God is good."
Some commentators believe that in the Temple services there was a time of open testimony and worship, similar to that which featured in the old Methodist class meetings, when individuals gave testimonies to their fellow believers of God's dealings with them. This is one of the most powerful ways of building the spiritual life of the Church, but regrettably it does not seem to be widely practised today.
If this psalm was part of the psalmist's testimony during an open time of worship, one can imagine the impact it would have made upon the hearers as he related how he emerged from crippling doubt to renewed confidence in the goodness of God. I know of nothing more motivating in the Christian life than for believers to identify and share the spiritual principles which have enabled them to overcome attacks on their faith. When we ignore this principle we do so at our peril.
"God is good"
Prayer
O Father, show us clearly how sharing with each other what You are doing in our lives not only inspires and motivates us, but greatly strengthens the Body. Help us restore this lost emphasis wherever it is missing. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
John 3:25-36; 5:39; 15:26
Acts 20:24
1. When was the last time you publicly testified to the goodness of God?
2. When will be the next time?
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