从天上赐下的复兴
五旬节──唯一的典范
经文
使徒行传四23-37
23二人既被释放，就到会友那里去，把祭司长和长老所说的话都告诉他们。
24他们听见了，就同心合意的高声向神说：主阿！你是造天、地、海，和其中万物的，
25你曾借着圣灵，托你仆人我们祖宗大卫的口，说：外邦为甚么争闹？万民为甚么谋算虚妄的事？
26世上的君王一齐起来，臣宰也聚集，要敌挡主，并主的受膏者（或作：基督）。
27希律和本丢彼拉多，外邦人和以色列民，果然在这城里聚集，要攻打你所膏的圣仆（仆：或作子）耶稣，
28成就你手和你意旨所预定必有的事。
29他们恐吓我们，现在求主鉴察，一面叫你仆人大放胆量讲你的道，一面伸出你的手来医治疾病，并且使神
迹奇事因着你圣仆（仆：或作子）耶稣的名行出来。
30a31祷告完了，聚会的地方震动，他们就都被圣灵充满，放胆讲论神的道。
32那许多信的人都是一心一意的，没有一人说他的东西有一样是自己的，都是大家公用。
33使徒大有能力，见证主耶稣复活；众人也都蒙大恩。
34内中也没有一个缺乏的，因为人人将田产房屋都卖了，把所卖的价银拿来，放在使徒脚前，
35照各人所需用的，分给各人。
36有一个利未人，生在居比路，名叫约瑟，使徒称他为巴拿巴（巴拿巴翻出来就是劝慰子）。
37他有田地，也卖了，把价银拿来，放在使徒脚前。
信息分享
我们在之前几天曾谈到必须正确地认识圣灵的工作和本质,，也提到在神曾在五旬节降下圣灵，今天我们要继
续来思想关于五旬节──神给教会的复兴模式，不单在旧约的复兴里看到。我们必须掌握这个要点，因为很多基督徒祈求复兴的时候，都将视线集中在旧约所发生的事情上，尽管当中有其趣味性以及启发性，但并不应该成为我们祈求的典范。
我们曾说过，复兴的模范样式是在五旬节。由于在旧约时代神没有完全赐下圣灵，所以若以此作典范是错误的；同样的，在主受辱的日子，圣灵亦不可能被赐下。只有在基督得胜的日子，在祂回到永恒的宝座以后，圣灵才被赐下，而这才是正确典范。故此，我们为复兴的祷告、对复兴的期望，都必须以五旬节为基础，因为在五旬节有世人所看到的圣灵最伟大的彰显。
也许有人会告诉你说五旬节只是一次性的事件，请不要相信这样的说法，不要以为神不希望重复这种复兴的经历。正如我说过，在整个教会的历史中，每一次复兴都包含了五旬节的一个或多个的元素，有一些的主要特点是认罪，另一些是充满喜乐，还有一些是透过超自然力量带来奇迹。倘若神认为这个世界或某些地区需要再一次复兴的话，那么这一次的复兴将会具有五旬节的所有元素。我不知道你有些甚么想法，但这是我自己衷心渴望看到的事情。
「五旬节是神给教会的复兴典范」
进深研究
徒十九1-41；结三十六27；徒十44-46
1. 当圣灵降在那十二个人身上时，给他们的生活带来了甚么改变？
2. 这些改变如何影响了整个群体？
祈祷
天父，求您让我把对另一个五旬节的渴望，转化成与您更深入和亲密的同行，借着祷告、默想圣经的教导，以及更多与别人分享您的伟大和能力。奉耶稣基督的名祈求，阿们。
Heaven-Sent Revival
Pentecost - the only pattern
Bible reading:
Acts 4:23-37
23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.
24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.
25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: "'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.[a]'[b]
27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.
28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.
29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all
34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales
35 and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means "son of encouragement"),
37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.
Message
We continue exploring the thought that Pentecost, and not the Old Testament revivals, is God's norm for the Church. It is imperative that we grasp this, because when they are praying for revival many Christians set their sights on happenings in the Old Testament. But while these contain interesting and helpful insights, they ought not to become our pattern.
As we have seen, the pattern for revival is Pentecost. The Spirit could not have been fully given in the Old Testament dispensation as this would have set a wrong pattern, and for the same reason He could not have been given in the day of our Lord's humiliation. The Spirit could only be given in the time of Christ's triumph - after He had returned to the eternal throne - for that alone was the right pattern. That is why our prayers for revival and our expectation of it must be based on Pentecost - the greatest manifestation of the Holy Spirit the world has ever known.
Do not be swayed by those who tell you that Pentecost was a one-off experience which God does not want to repeat. As I have said, throughout the history of the Church every revival that has taken place has contained one or more of the ingredients of Pentecost. In some the dominant feature has been conviction of sin, in others, abounding joy, and in others, amazing miracles brought about through supernatural power. If God sees fit to send another revival to the world, or parts of the world, perhaps the next one will contain all the ingredients of Pentecost. I don't know about you, but this is something I find myself longing for with all my heart.
"Pentecost is God's norm for the Church"
Prayer
O Father, let my longing for another Pentecost be translated into a deeper and closer walk with You - by prayer, meditation on the Scriptures and sharing with others the concept of Your greatness and power. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Acts 19:1-41
Ezekiel 36:27
Acts 10:44-46
1. When the Holy Spirit fell on the 12 men, what were some results in their lives?
2. How did this affect the community?
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