害怕死去的麦子
得胜的态度
经文
约翰福音十四1-14
1你们心里不要忧愁；你们信神，也当信我。
2在我父的家里有许多住处；若是没有，我就早已告诉你们了。我去原是为你们预备地方去。
3我若去为你们预备了地方，就必再来接你们到我那里去，我在那里，叫你们也在那里。
4我往那里去，你们知道；那条路，你们也知道（有古卷作：我往那里去，你们知道那条路）。
5多马对他说：主阿，我们不知道你往那里去，怎么知道那条路呢？
6耶稣说我就是道路、真理、生命；若不借着我，没有人能到父那里去。
7你们若认识我，也就认识我的父。从今以后，你们认识他，并且已经看见他。
8腓力对他说：求主将父显给我们看，我们就知足了。
9耶稣对他说：腓力，我与你们同在这样长久，你还不认识我吗？人看见了我，就是看见了父；你怎么说将父显给我们看呢？
10我在父里面，父在我里面，你不信吗？我对你们所说的话，不是凭着自己说的，乃是住在我里面的父作他自己的事。
11你们当信我，我在父里面，父在我里面；即或不信，也当因我所作的事信我。
12我实实在在的告诉你们，我所作的事，信我的人也要作，并且要作比这更大的事，因为我往父那里去。
13你们奉我的名无论求甚么，我必成就，叫父因儿子得荣耀。
14你们若奉我的名求甚么，我必成就。
信息分享
经过这么多天的思想，哪怕是初信主的基督徒，也应该明白如果我们好像「害怕死去的麦子」一样，从苦难的深坑中退缩，我们仍是会感到孤单，不仅是孤单，也不能结出果子。有人说：「神在使用任何人之前，必先令他们经历苦难和痛苦。」这是多么强而有力的话。你有没有发现自己在读这些话时感到退缩？我就有这种感觉。事实上，在面对属灵考验的时候有退缩的表现并没有错，神会明白人的感受。
不过，问题不在退缩，而是在跟从。我们是否愿意向主敞开我们的心说：「请按您的旨意对待我」？如何能够做到这一点呢？唯一的方法是我们专心思想神的方法，神是不会容许我们经历任何事情、而不提供我们能够忍受的恩典；神会把考验化成见证，永恒地荣耀祂，令我们的品格更像祂。
要记得，耶稣在地上以旷野的经验来开始祂的事工，并以复活节的早晨来作结束。祂在今天的经文告诉门徒：「你们心里不要忧愁」，不是因为他们可以免受困难，而是因为他们要「信神」。相信神不会让你免受苦难，但却会通过苦难来拯救你──苦难可以成为救赎的工具。请谨记，你不流血便不能蒙受祝福，没有经历苦难便不能得到援助。
「神会将考验化为见证」
进深研究
太二十七27-49；路九22；林后一3-4
1. 请列出耶稣曾忍受的侮辱。
2. 这些侮辱你可以忍受多少？
祈祷
天父，我明白拒绝降服于您的计划、不愿意付出代价的话，就等于选择了死寂和死亡。今天我要选择生命，我要成为那颗不害怕、愿意死去的「麦子」。求您帮助我。奉耶稣的名祈求，阿们。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
The triumphant attitude
Bible reading:
John 14:1-14
1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me.
2 My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
4 You know the way to the place where I am going."
5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
7 If you really know me, you will know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.
12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Message
By now it should be fairly obvious to even the newest disciple of Christ that if, like a "corn of wheat afraid to die", we shrink back from being ploughed into the red furrows of suffering, we shall remain alone - alone, and unfruitful. Someone has said, "God never uses anyone unless He puts them through the test of suffering and pain." Strong words. Do you find yourself flinching as you read them? I do. Yet it is not wrong to flinch at the approach of a spiritual test. God knows how you feel.
The issue, however, is not about flinching; it is about following. Are we willing to open our hearts to the Lord and say: "Do to me as You will"? I suggest the only way we will be able to do that is when we have the thought clearly fixed in our minds that God will never allow us to go through anything without providing all the grace we need to bear it, and will turn the test into a testimony that will eternally glorify Him and make our characters more like His.
Jesus, remember, began His ministry here on earth with a wilderness experience, and ended it with an Easter morning. He told His disciples in the text before us today, "Let not your hearts be troubled", not because they were to be protected from troubles, but because they were to "trust in God". Faith in God will not save you from suffering, but it will save you through it - the suffering can be made into an instrument of redemption. Remember, you cannot bless without bleeding, and you cannot succour until you have suffered.
"God will turn the test into a testimony"
Prayer
O Father, I see that refusing to pay the ultimate price of surrendering to Your purposes is to choose deadness and death. Today I choose life. I am a "corn of wheat" not afraid, but willing to die. Help me, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Matthew 27:27-49
Luke 9:22
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
1. List the indignities Christ suffered.
2. How many can you identify with?
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