从天上赐下的复兴
历史的兴衰
经文
耶利米书二4-13
4雅各家、以色列家的各族啊，你们当听耶和华的话。
5耶和华如此说：你们的列祖见我有甚么不义，竟远离我，随从虚无的神，自己成为虚妄的呢？
6他们也不说：那领我们从埃及地上来，引导我们经过旷野，沙漠有深坑之地，和干旱死荫、无人经过、无人居住之地的耶和华在哪里呢？
7我领你们进入肥美之地，使你们得吃其中的果子和美物；但你们进入的时候就玷污我的地，使我的产业成为可憎的。
8祭司都不说，耶和华在哪里呢﹖传讲律法的都不认识我。官长违背我；先知藉巴力说预言，随从无益的神。
9耶和华说：我因此必与你们争辩，也必与你们的子孙争辩。
10你们且过到基提海岛去察看，打发人往基达去留心查考，看曾有这样的事没有。
11岂有一国换了他的神吗﹖其实这不是神！但我的百姓将他们的荣耀换了那无益的神。
12诸天哪，要因此惊奇，极其恐慌，甚为凄凉！这是耶和华说的。
13因为我的百姓作了两件恶事，就是离弃我这活水的泉源，为自己凿出池子，是破裂不能存水的池子。
信息分享
我们要继续来思考昨天所谈到的主题，就是经历属灵的倒退（因而需要复兴）的其中一个主因，是来自我们在天性上顽固地倾向于依靠自己。历史学家常常谈论「历史的兴衰」，而对神的子民来说，从依靠神转为依靠自己的时候就会经历灵性上巨大的倒退，这种灵性兴衰在历史上是相当常见的。
我挑选今天的经文，是因为它也许比圣经里面的其他任何一段经文都更强调了人对自己的依靠。大家请留意神对犹大百姓的指控：「但我的子民将他们的荣耀，换了那无益的神」（11节），这个指控带出了一个事实，是犹大的百姓对神的忠心，竟不及外邦人对外邦神的忠心。这个事实令神极其震怒，以致祂呼唤诸天为此作见证（12节）；接着，神指控百姓离弃了祂所供给的活水泉源、而转向不能存水的池子（13节）。
你看到犹大的人民发生了甚么事情吗？起初，他们绝对倚靠神，只敬拜祂，只喝祂的活水，可惜过了不久，他们心里便有了一种欲望，想要掌控自己的属灵生命，要以自己认为合适的方式而行。每当神的子民这样做的时候，无论他们的属灵生命看似何等的光明和喜乐，他们都非常需要灵性上真正的复兴。
「神为祂的子民供应活水」
进深研究
徒十九1-41；弗一15-16；启二1-5
1. 以弗所教会需要甚么？
2. 它被要求作甚么？
祈祷
神啊！我们好像从前的犹大，开始的时候倚靠您，后来却转为依恋一些有形的东西，这一定令您很伤心。亲爱的天父，求您赦免我们。奉耶稣的名祈求，阿们。
Heaven-Sent Revival
"The swings of history"
Bible reading:
Jeremiah 2:4-13
4 Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob, all you clans of Israel.
5 This is what the Lord says: "What fault did your ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.
6 They did not ask, 'Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and utter darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?'
7 I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable.
8 The priests did not ask, 'Where is the Lord?' Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols.
9 "Therefore I bring charges against you again," declares the Lord. "And I will bring charges against your children's children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and look, send to Kedar[a] and observe closely; see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, you heavens, and shudder with great horror," declares the Lord.
13 "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
Message
We continue meditating on the thought we touched upon yesterday, that one of the major reasons why we experience a spiritual lapse (and thus need to be revived) is our natural and stubborn commitment to independence. Historians talk about "the swings of history", and as far as the people of God are concerned, no swing is more evident in their history than the swing from dependence to independence.
The reason I have chosen the chapter that is before us today is because it highlights, perhaps better than any other passage in the entire Bible, this matter of independence. Note the charge which God brings against the people of Judah: "But My people have changed their Glory for what does not profit" (v.11, NKJ). This indictment bears down on the fact that the inhabitants of Judah were not as loyal to the Almighty as the pagans were to their own gods - a fact so astonishing to God that He calls on the heavens to bear witness to it (v.12). Next, He indicts them for failing to drink from the fountain of living water which He provides for His people and for turning instead to cisterns that can hold no water (v.13).
Can you see what had happened to the people of Judah? They had started off in absolute dependence on God - worshipping only Him and drinking from His fresh wells - but after a while they had felt within them the urge to take control of their spiritual lives and manage them as they thought fit. And whenever God's people do this, no matter how bright and seemingly happy their religious life may be, they are desperately in need of revival.
"God provides living water for His people"
Prayer
O God, how it must grieve You that we Your Church, like Judah of old, start off depending on You, but then hanker to put our reliance on things that are more tangible. Forgive us, dear Father. Forgive me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Acts 19:1-41
Ephesians 1:15-16
Revelation 2:1-5
1. What did the Ephesian church need?
2. What was it required to do?
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