| Acts 1:4-5 |
使徒行传1:4-5 |
| 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” |
4 耶稣和他们一同吃饭的时候，吩咐他们不要离开耶路撒冷，说：“你们要等候父的应许，就是你们听我讲过的， 5 约翰是用水施洗，但再过几天，你们要受圣灵的洗。” |
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| Intro |
引言 |
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| I am very aware that this sermon comes right before Thanksgiving. Some of you will be hosting family and friends, some of you will travel, and some of you will have virtual interaction over Zoom. |
我很清楚，这篇讲道是在感恩节之前。有的人要接待亲朋好友，有的人要去旅游，有的人要通过Zoom进行虚拟互动。 |
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| If you are like most people, these interactions can be hard. And the complexities of Covid-19 and the polarization of the election make them even harder. I know that there are some people who are barely on speaking terms. There will undoubtedly be some hard conversations, awkward moments, and complicated issues to navigate. It is natural to have a sense of dread when you think about entering into these times. But, as a Christian, there should also be a sense of expectation that sees these times as an opportunity to speak Christ. |
如果你像大多数人一样，这些互动可能很难。而新冠疫情的复杂性和选举的两极分化使其更加困难。我知道，有些人几乎没有说话的机会。无疑会有一些艰难的对话、尴尬的时刻和复杂的问题需要处理。想到进入这样的时代，自然会有一种恐惧感。但是，作为一个基督徒，也应该有一种期待，把这些时间看作是传讲基督的机会。 |
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| We should pray for one another as the family of God. This family of God will have opportunity to interact with our physical family. Paul commanded us to think this way in Colossians 4:3-6. |
我们应该像神的家人一样，彼此代祷。这个神的家庭将有机会与我们的肉身家庭互动。保罗在歌罗西书4:3-6中命令我们这样思考。 |
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| 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. |
3 也要为我们祷告，求 神为我们开传道的门，宣讲基督的奥祕（我就是为了这个缘故被捆锁），4 使我照着我所应当说的，把这奥祕显明出来。 |
| 5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. |
5 你们要把握时机，用智慧与外人来往。6 你们的话要常常温和，好像是用盐调和的，使你们知道应当怎样回答各人。 |
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| These words from Paul definitely fit well with the message of Acts. When the early church saw darkness, they did not shrink back in fear; they saw a chance for the light to shine and for the darkness to get pushed back. |
保罗的这番话绝对符合使徒行传的信息。当早期教会看到黑暗时，他们并没有畏惧退缩，他们看到的是光亮的机会，黑暗被推倒的机会。 |
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| The major question before us is “how?” How can I move forward in obedience and speak of Christ with confidence instead of cynical dread? The answer is the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. |
摆在我们面前的主要问题是“怎么做？”我怎样才能在顺服中前进，用信心而不是厌世的恐惧来谈论基督？答案是圣灵的能力同在。 |
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| Text |
经文 |
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| 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” |
4 耶稣和他们一同吃饭的时候，吩咐他们不要离开耶路撒冷，说：“你们要等候父的应许，就是你们听我讲过的， 5 约翰是用水施洗，但再过几天，你们要受圣灵的洗。” |
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| In this passage, the gift of the Spirit comes to us with an echo effect as the same reality is stated in three different ways. The Giving of the Spirit is: (1) the Promise of the Father, (2) the Teaching of Jesus, and (3) the Witness of John the Baptist. |
在这段经文中，圣灵的赐予以回应的效果来到我们面前，因为同一个现实有三种不同的说法。圣灵的赐予是 (1)天父的应许， (2)耶稣的教导，以及 (3)施洗约翰的见证。 |
| 1. The Promise of the Father (v. 4) |
1. 天父的应许（第4节） |
| 2. The Teaching of Jesus (v. 4) |
2. 耶稣的教导（第4节） |
| 3. The Testimony of John (v. 5) |
3. 约翰的见证（第5节） |
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| 1. The Promise of the Father (v. 4a) |
1. 天父的应许（第4节） |
| 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, |
4 耶稣和他们一同吃饭的时候，吩咐他们不要离开耶路撒冷，说：“你们要等候父的应许， |
| This text begins with a specific event. “While staying with them.” The word could mean “staying” with them, but I think other commentators and translations are probably right in translating this word, “while eating with them.” So there was a moment when he ate with them, told them to stay in the city, and urged them to wait for the promise of the Father. |
这段经文是从一个具体事件开始的。“当和他们在一起的时候。”这个词的意思可能是“和他们在一起”，但我认为其他注释者和翻译者把这个词翻译成“和他们一同吃饭的时候”可能是对的。所以有一刻，衪和他们一起吃饭，叫他们留在城里，并劝他们等待父的应许。 |
| This is the identical scene at the end of Luke’s Gospel. It takes us back to what we covered in the last sermon when Jesus was appearing to them and proving he was alive. He asked them to see his hands and feet and touch him because a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have! What did he do next? |
这正是路加福音结尾处一模一样的场景。这使我们回到上一次讲道中所讲到的，耶稣向他们显现，证明自己活着。祂要他们看祂的手脚，摸祂的手脚，因为灵体没有骨肉，像你们看我有骨肉一样。然后祂做什么？ |
| 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them. |
41 他们欢喜到不敢相信，并且很惊奇。耶稣说：“你们这里有甚么吃的没有？”42 他们就给了他一片烧鱼。43 他接过来，在他们面前吃了。 |
| While he ate with them, what did he do next? |
当祂和他们一起吃饭的时候，祂接下来做了什么？ |
| 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:45-49). |
45 于是他开他们的心窍，使他们明白圣经；46 又说：“经上这样记着：基督必须受害，第三天从死人中复活。47 人要奉他的名，传讲悔改与赦罪的道，从耶路撒冷起，直传到万国。48 你们就是这些事的见证。49 我要使我父的应许临到你们身上，你们当在城里等候，直到得着从上面来的能力。”（路加福音24:45-49） |
| The sending of the Spirit will mean being empowered by the Spirit for the work of being a witness and proclaiming repentance for the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus to all the nations. |
圣灵的差遣意味着被圣灵赋予力量，做见证的工作，奉耶稣的名向万民宣讲罪得赦免的悔改。 |
| Furthermore, Jesus taught that the giving of the Spirit would happen in Jerusalem. The fact that this proclamation work to the nations would begin in Jerusalem is something laid out clearly in the Old Testament. Yes, you may have guessed that Isaiah would have something to say about this. |
此外，耶稣教导说，圣灵的赐予会在耶路撒冷发生。这个向万民宣讲的工作要从耶路撒冷开始，这是旧约圣经中明确规定的事情。是的，你可能已经猜到了，以赛亚对此有话要说。 |
| The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. |
亚摩斯的儿子以赛亚得到默示，有关犹大和耶路撒冷： |
| 2 It shall come to pass in the latter days |
2 在末后的日子， |
| that the mountain of the house of the Lord |
耶和华殿的山， |
| shall be established as the highest of the mountains, |
必被坚立，超乎众山， |
| and shall be lifted up above the hills; |
必被高举，过于万岭； |
| and all the nations shall flow to it, |
万国都要流归这山。 |
| 3 and many peoples shall come, and say: |
3 必有多国的人前来，说： |
| “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, |
“来吧！ 我们上耶和华的山， |
| to the house of the God of Jacob, |
登雅各 神的殿； |
| that he may teach us his ways |
他必把他的道指教我们， |
| and that we may walk in his paths.” |
我们也必遵行他的路。” |
| For out of Zion shall go forth the law, |
因为训诲必出于锡安， |
| and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. |
耶和华的话必来自耶路撒冷。 |
| The fact that the pouring out of the Spirit is the promise of the Father means that God the Father gave this promise in the Old Testament. But where? We could look at the new covenant promises of Ezekiel or Zechariah, but one prophecy to especially note is once again what Isaiah has to say. A restored people in Jerusalem are going to be the teachers of the word of the LORD (Isaiah 2). How will that happen? Isaiah definitely has something to say about that (Isa. 44:1-3). |
圣灵的浇灌是天父的应许，这意味着父神在旧约中给出了这个应许。但是在哪里呢？我们可以看看以西结书或撒迦利亚书中的新约应许，但有一个预言要特别注意，那就是以赛亚书再一次说的。在耶路撒冷得复兴的百姓要成为耶和华话语的教师（以赛亚书2章）。这将怎么发生？以赛亚绝对有话要说（赛44:1-3）。 |
| “But now hear, O Jacob my servant, |
“但现在，我的仆人雅各， |
| Israel whom I have chosen! |
我所拣选的以色列啊！你要听。 |
| 2 Thus says the Lord who made you, |
2 那创造你， |
| who formed you from the womb and will help you: |
从母胎里就塑造了你，又要帮助你的耶和华这样说： |
| Fear not, O Jacob my servant, |
我的仆人雅各啊！ |
| Jeshurun whom I have chosen. |
我所拣选的耶书仑啊！ 你不要惧怕。 |
| 3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, |
3 因为我要把水浇灌干渴之处， |
| and streams on the dry ground; |
把河水浇灌干旱之地； |
| I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, |
我必把我的灵浇灌你的后裔， |
| and my blessing on your descendants. |
把我的福降给你的子孙。 |
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| The Father himself has promised these things and Jesus had to open their minds to understand these promises from the Scriptures. Jesus appeals not just to the Old Testament, but also to his own teaching. |
天父已经亲自应许了这些事情，耶稣必须打开他们的心灵，从圣经中理解这些应许。耶稣不仅回应旧约，也回应祂自己的教导。 |
| 2. The Teaching of Jesus (v. 4b) |
2. 耶稣的教导（第4节） |
| which, he said, “you heard from me; |
祂说：“就是你们听我讲过的。” |
| One interesting feature of this text is how explicitly Trinitarian it is. Jesus says that the pouring out of the Spirit is the promise of the Father, but it is also the teaching of the Son. He reminds his disciples that they have heard this from him as well. |
这个文本有一个有趣的特点，就是它多么明确地体现了三位一体。耶稣说，圣灵的浇灌是父的应许，同时也是子的教导。祂提醒祂的门徒，他们也是从祂那里听到的。 |
| Jesus taught on the giving of the Spirit multiple times in his ministry. One of the most concentrated times of teaching came right before his death as he was preparing his disciples for the fact that he would not be with them any longer (John 14-16). |
耶稣在祂的传道中多次教导关于圣灵的赐予。最集中的一次教导是在祂死之前，因为祂正在为祂的门徒预备祂不再与他们同在的事实（约翰福音14-16章）。 |
| He tells them that he will not leave them as orphans. He will ask the Father and the Father will send the Spirit of truth to be with them forever (John 14:16-18). He told them that they needed the Helper in order to bear witness about Jesus. The Spirit will bear witness about Jesus and they will as well because they have been with him from the beginning (John 15:26-27). |
祂告诉他们，祂不会让他们成为孤儿。祂要向天父求，天父就会差遣真理的灵与他们永远同在（约翰福音14:16-18）。祂告诉他们，他们需要帮助者，以便为耶稣作见证。圣灵要为耶稣作见证，他们也要作见证，因为他们从起初就与耶稣同在（约翰福音15:26-27）。 |
| In fact, the Spirit is essential for their witness because he would guide them into all truth. The Spirit would not speak on His own authority, but would take what the Son has said and declare it to them. The Spirit is given not to reveal himself but to glorify Jesus by taking the things of Jesus and declaring them (John 16:13-15). |
事实上，圣灵对他们的见证是必不可少的，因为祂会引导他们进入一切真理。圣灵不会凭着自己的权柄说话，而是要把子所说的话，向他们宣告。圣灵的赐予不是为了显明祂自己，而是为了荣耀耶稣，把耶稣的事拿出来宣告（约翰福音16:13-15）。 |
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| The Spirit was Jesus’ answer to their sorrow for the fact that he was going away. Sorrow has filled your heart, but “I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:7-8). |
圣灵是耶稣对他们因祂要离开而感到悲伤的回答。你们心里充满了忧愁，但“我要把实情告诉你们，我去是对你们有益的。如果我不去，保惠师就不会到你们这里来；我若去了，就会差他到你们这里来。8 他来了，就要在罪、在义、在审判各方面指证世人的罪。”（约翰福音16:7-8） |
| This is a high level summary of some of what they would have heard from Jesus. I wonder if we can challenge ourselves to get a little more specific here. If all we had were the end of Luke’s Gospel and the first part of Acts, would we be able to identify what Jesus taught them about the pouring out of the Spirit as the promise of the Father? |
这是对他们从耶稣那里听到的一些内容的高度概括。不知道我们能不能在这里挑战一下自己，再了解得更具体一点。如果我们只有路加福音的结尾和使徒行传的前面一部分，我们是否能够辨认出耶稣教导他们的关于圣灵浇灌的内容是父的应许？ |
| Surely there were many texts that Jesus would be showing them, but the main text we do not want to miss is Joel 2. Remember that Jesus taught the disciples about these things and the most natural place to go would be Peter’s Pentecost sermon. He clearly learned these things from Jesus and he learned to go to Joel 2 from Jesus. |
当然，耶稣要给他们看的经文有很多，但我们不想错过的主要经文是约珥书2章。回想耶稣教导门徒的这些事情，最自然的地方就是彼得的五旬节讲道。他显然是从耶稣那里学到这些东西的，他也是从耶稣那里学到去引用约珥书2章的。 |
| 28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, |
28 “以后， |
| that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; |
我要把我的灵浇灌所有的人。 |
| your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, |
你们的儿女要说预言， |
| your old men shall dream dreams, |
你们的老年人要作异梦， |
| and your young men shall see visions. |
你们的少年人要见异象。 |
| 29 Even on the male and female servants |
29 在那些日子， |
| in those days I will pour out my Spirit (Joel 2:28-29). |
我也要把我的灵浇灌仆人和婢女。（约珥书2:28-29） |
| The prophecy of Joel builds to verse 32 where the pouring out of the Spirit in the last days will bring to pass the time when people should “call on the name of the Lord” and they “shall be saved” (v. 32). |
约珥书的预言为32节作铺垫，末世圣灵的浇灌将使人“求告耶和华的名”的时候，他们“必得救”（32节）。 |
| So we have covered a lot of ground in one verse (the Old Testament prophets, the end of Luke and the beginning of Acts), but Jesus wants to take us one more place: the beginning of Luke and the witness of John the Baptist. |
所以，我们在一节经文中已经讲了很多地方（旧约先知、路加福音的结尾和使徒行传的开头），但耶稣要再带我们去一个地方：路加福音的开头和施洗约翰的见证。 |
| 3. The Testimony of John the Baptist (v. 5) |
3. 约翰的见证（第5节） |
| 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” |
5 约翰是用水施洗，但再过几天，你们要受圣灵的洗。” |
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| Luke now takes us all the way back to the message we have heard from John the Baptist in Luke 3:16. |
路加现在带我们一路回到我们在路加福音3:16从施洗约翰那里听到的信息。 |
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| 15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. |
15 那时众人正在期待，人人心里都在猜想会不会约翰就是基督。16 约翰对众人说：“我用水给你们施洗，但那能力比我更大的要来，我就是给他解鞋带都没有资格。他要用圣灵与火给你们施洗。 |
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| John was zealous to answer the question as to whether he was the Messiah or not. He makes it crystal clear that he is not. One dominant characteristic of John’s ministry is his use of water. He could immerse them in water, but Jesus is so much mightier that he can immerse with the Holy Spirit. |
约翰热心地要回答他是否是弥赛亚的问题。他说得非常清楚，他不是。约翰事工的一个主要特点是他对水的使用。他可以把他们浸泡在水里，但耶稣更大能，祂可以用圣灵浸泡。 |
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| When Jesus adds the phrase “not many days from now,” we are able to see that Jesus regards Pentecost as the fulfillment of this promise. |
当耶稣加上“再过几天”这句话时，我们能够看出，耶稣把五旬节看作是这个应许的实现。 |
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| The main point of this text is that command to wait. Wait for the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit. |
这段经文的主要内容是，命令等待。等待应许的圣灵浇灌。 |
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| Application: Come to Grips with the Command to Wait |
应用 :掌握等待的命令 |
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| 1. Essential: We Must Wait for the Spirit because His Work Is Essential |
1. 必要：我们必须等待圣灵，因为祂的工作是必不可少的。 |
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| Last week we saw the main point of the whole book of Acts. “What King Jesus continued to do and teach by his Spirit through his apostles.” |
上周我们看到了整卷使徒行传的要点。“耶稣王通过祂的使徒，用祂的灵继续祂所做的和所教的。” |
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| The emphasis thus far has clearly been upon what King Jesus is doing and teaching. Now we see in his teaching that he points to the Spirit. What he continued to do and teach by his Spirit through his apostles. |
到目前为止，重点显然是强调耶稣王在做什么，教什么。现在我们在祂的教导中看到，祂指向圣灵。祂借着祂的灵，通过祂的使徒继续做什么和教什么。 |
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| We hear a lot about essential workers during the lockdown crisis. Who needs to keep working as an essential worker because we rely upon them so much? We learn in Acts that the Holy Spirit is the Essential Worker. Yes, the witness of the church is indispensable, but without the work of the Spirit, salvation is impossible. “All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down.” |
在疫情封城危机中，我们听到了很多关于必不可少工作者的消息。哪些人需要继续做必要的工作者，因为我们非常依赖他们？我们在使徒行传中得知，圣灵是必不可少的工作者。是的，教会的见证是不可缺少的，但如果没有圣灵的工作，救恩是不可能的。“仅凭肉体皆徒然，除非圣灵亲降临。” |
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| Pause for a moment and take inventory of all that the disciples had at this point in the narrative. They had been with Jesus in person. They have seen his miracles and heard his teaching. They already had practice in ministry as Jesus had sent them out to heal and to preach. They had witnessed his death and resurrection! He appeared to them many times to prove he was alive. Furthermore, he had opened their minds to understand the Scriptures after his resurrection so that they could see Him in all the Law, Prophets, and Writings. He taught them all about the kingdom of God. And thus it is all the more striking that they are told to wait for something else: the power of the Spirit. |
暂停片刻，清点一下故事讲到这个时候，门徒们都拥有了一些什么。他们曾亲自与耶稣在一起。他们见过祂的神迹，听过祂的教导。他们在事奉上已经有了实践，因为耶稣已经派他们出去医治和传道。他们见证了祂的死亡和复活!祂多次出现在他们面前，证明自己还活着。此外，祂已经打开了他们的心智，在祂复活后理解圣经，使他们能够在旧约圣经所有的律法、先知和文集中看到祂。祂把神的国度全部教给他们。因此，更引人注目的是，他们被告知要等待别的东西：圣灵的能力。 |
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| Martyn Lloyd-Jones captures why waiting is so important. |
钟马田抓住了为什么等待如此重要。 |
| You would have thought these men therefore were now in a perfect position to go out to preach; but according to our Lord’s teaching they were not. They seem to have all the necessary knowledge, but that knowledge is not sufficient, something further is needed, is indeed essential. The knowledge indeed is vital for you cannot be witnesses without it, but to be effective witnesses you need the power and the unction and the demonstration of the Spirit in addition. Now if this was necessary for these men, how much more is it necessary for all others who try to preach these things?1 |
你本以为这些人因此现在完全可以出去传道了；但根据我们主的教导，他们还不行。他们似乎拥有所有必要的知识，但这些知识是不够的，还需要进一步的东西，确实是必不可少的。知识的确是至关重要的，因为没有知识，你们就不能作见证，但要作有效的见证，你们还需要圣灵的能力、恩膏和确证。现在，如果这对这些人来说是必要的，那么对所有其他试图宣扬这些东西的人来说又是多么必要呢？ |
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| Hopefully, you are letting that point have its due weight. We need the Spirit. We need to seek the Spirit’s power. What do we do? We are post-Pentecost today. Jesus already sent the Spirit. How do we access the presence and power of the Spirit today? |
希望你能让这一点有其应有的分量。我们需要圣灵。我们需要寻求圣灵的大能。我们该怎么办？我们今天是后五旬节时代。耶稣已经派遣了圣灵来。今天我们如何进入圣灵的同在和能力？ |
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| 2. Indirect: We Pursue the Spirit’s Power Indirectly |
2. 间接：我们间接地追求圣灵的力量。 |
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| We have to understand the nature of the Spirit and the way the Spirit works. The Spirit has been called the shy member of the Trinity because the Spirit seems to hide Himself and not put the focus on himself, but on the Son. This is exactly what Jesus said the Spirit would do. |
我们必须了解圣灵的本质和圣灵的工作方式。圣灵被称为三位一体中害羞的一位，因为圣灵似乎隐藏了自己，没有把焦点放在自己身上，而是放在圣子身上。这正是耶稣说圣灵所要做的。 |
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| 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you (John 16:14-15). |
14 他要荣耀我，因为他要把从我那里所领受的告诉你们。15 父所有的一切，都是我的；所以我说，他要把从我那里所领受的告诉你们。（约翰福音16:14-15） |
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| How do we know if we have received the Spirit or whether or not the Spirit is at work among us? Here is the question: Is the Son real to us? Is he exalted among us? That is the work of the Spirit! He is always pointing us to the Son. I am so thankful for the teaching I have received from the Bible and the Puritans and Lloyd-Jones and John Piper. They all agree on this point. Listen to John Piper share about how to pursue the Spirit’s power. |
我们怎么知道我们是否已经接受了圣灵，或者圣灵是否在我们中间作工？问题应该是：子对我们来说是真实的吗？祂在我们中间得高举了吗？那就是圣灵的工作！祂总是向我们指示圣子。我非常感恩我从圣经、清教徒、钟马田和约翰-派博那里得到的教导。在这一点上，他们都是一致的。请听约翰·派博分享如何追求圣灵的能力。 |
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| In seeking to be filled and empowered by the Spirit we must pursue him indirectly—we must look to the wonder of Christ. If we look away from Jesus and seek the Spirit and his power directly, we will end up in the mire of our own subjective emotions. The Spirit does not reveal himself. The Spirit reveals Christ. The fullness of the Spirit is the fullness that he gives as we gaze on Christ. The power of the Spirit is the power we feel in the presence of Christ. The joy of the Spirit is the joy we feel from the promises of Christ. Many of us know what it is to crouch on the floor and cry out to the Holy Spirit for joy and power, and experience nothing; but the next day devote ourselves to earnest meditation on the glory of Jesus Christ and be filled with the Spirit.2 |
在寻求被圣灵充满和赐予能力时，我们必须间接地追求祂—我们必须仰望基督的奇妙。如果我们远离耶稣，直接寻求圣灵和祂的能力，我们就会陷入自己主观情绪的泥潭。圣灵不彰显自己。圣灵彰显基督。圣灵充满就是当我们凝望基督时所充满的。圣灵的能力就是我们感受基督同在时的力量。圣灵的喜乐是我们从基督的应许中感受到的喜乐。我们很多人都知道什么是俯伏在地上向圣灵呼求喜乐和能力，却什么也没有经历；但如果第二天投入认真默想耶稣基督的荣耀，就会被圣灵充满。3 |
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| 3. Better: Why Is It Better If Jesus Goes Away? |
3. 更好：为什么耶稣离开会更好？ |
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| Jesus said that it is better if he goes away. Better the Spirit in you than the Jesus beside you. That seems almost ludicrous. How could it possibly be better? Wherever Jesus is, it is better there. But Jesus was limited in the sense of being localized in Luke’s Gospel. When he was in Judea, he was not in Samaria. When he was in Galilee, he was not in Jerusalem. He is in one place, not another. That is the incarnation. |
耶稣曾说，祂走了会更好。在你里面的灵比在你身旁的耶稣更好。这看起来几乎是荒谬的。怎么可能会更好呢？无论耶稣在哪里，那里都会更好。但在路加福音中，耶稣在物理空间的意义上是有限的。当祂在犹太的时候，就不在撒玛利亚。当祂在加利利时，祂就不在耶路撒冷。祂只能出现在一处，而不能同时出现在另一处。这就是道成肉身。 |
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| But now by the Spirit, he tells the disciples that he will come to them wherever they are. Do you see the stunning implication of that statement? Jesus can be present by the Holy Spirit in each conversation we have this Thanksgiving. We do not have to wonder which conversation he will join this year. It is not like we are wondering who will get Jesus for the holidays this year. You had him last year and we get him this year. He can be everywhere as salvation in Jesus’ name is spoken and Jesus shows up to save and forgiveness is given by the empowering witness of the Holy Spirit. |
但现在藉着圣灵，祂告诉门徒，无论他们在哪里，祂都要与他们同在。你看出这句话的惊人含义了吗？在这个感恩节中，耶稣可以通过圣灵出现在我们的每一次对话中。我们不必怀疑祂今年会不会参加哪场对话。我们不可能去疑惑谁今年会得到耶稣。我们去年拥有祂，我们今年也同样能拥有祂。祂可以无处不在，当我们奉耶稣的名宣讲救恩，耶稣就现身救人，并由圣灵的能力见证给予赦罪。 |
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| This is so important for us. Can we just have a gut check moment? Get ready for it. I will tell you a story to get your heart ready for what I feel led to say. |
这对我们来说非常重要。我们能不能来个肠胃镜检查？做好准备。我给大家讲一个故事，让你对我要说的话做好心理准备，。 |
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| On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur, there was once a crude little lifesaving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea. With no thought of themselves they went out day and night, tirelessly searching for the lost. This wonderful little station saved many lives and, over time, it became famous. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding area, sought to become associated with the station – to give of their time, money, and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought, and new crews were trained. The little lifesaving station grew. |
在一个经常发生沉船事故的危险海岸上，曾经有一个简陋的小救生站。建筑只是一间小屋，只有一艘船，但几个忠实的成员却一直在海上守望。他们不顾自己的安危，日日夜夜不知疲倦地去寻找失踪的人。这个奇妙的小站挽救了许多人的生命，久而久之，它就出名了。一些得救的人，以及周边地区的其他各种人，都想与该站建立联系—为支持该站的工作奉献自己的时间、金钱和精力。买了新船，培训了新船员。小小的救生站壮大了。 |
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| Some of the members of the lifesaving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge for those saved from the sea. So they replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in the enlarged building. Gradually, the lifesaving station became a popular gathering place for its members. Over time, they decorated it exquisitely, using it as a sort of club. Fewer members, however, were now interested in going to sea on lifesaving missions, so they hired lifeboat crews to do the work. The lifesaving motif still prevailed in the club’s decoration, and there was a liturgical lifeboat in the room where the club’s initiations were held. About this time, a large ship was wrecked off the coast and the hired crews brought in boatloads of cold, wet, and half-drowned people. They were dirty and sick… The beautiful new club was in chaos. So the property committee immediately had a shower-house built outside the club where shipwrecked victims could be cleaned up before coming inside. |
救生站的部分成员对楼房如此简陋、设备简陋感到不满。他们认为，应该提供一个更舒适的地方，作为从海上获救者的第一个避难所。于是，他们把应急折叠小床换成了床，并在扩建后的楼房里放上了更好的家具。渐渐地，救生站成了会员们的热门聚集地。久而久之，他们把它装饰得很精致，把它当作一种俱乐部。不过，现在有兴趣出海执行救生任务的成员越来越少了，所以他们雇佣了救生艇队员来完成工作。俱乐部的装饰中仍然盛行救生图案，在俱乐部举行入会仪式的房间里有一艘礼仪救生艇。大约在这个时候，一艘大船在海岸边失事，雇佣的船员带来了一船又冷又湿、差点淹死的人。他们又脏又病......美丽的新俱乐部一片混乱。于是，业委会立即让人在俱乐部外面建了一个淋浴房，让遇难者在进屋前先清理一下。 |
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| At the next meeting, there was a split in the club’s membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s lifesaving activities altogether, having come to regard them as unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal social life of the club. Some members insisted upon lifesaving as their primary purpose, and pointed out that they were still called a lifesaving station. But they were regarded as too old school and outdated. They were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast. So they did. |
在接下来的会议上，俱乐部的成员出现了分歧。大多数成员希望完全停止俱乐部的救生活动，因为他们认为这些活动令人不快，妨碍了俱乐部的正常社会生活。有委员坚持以救人为主要目的，并指出他们还叫救生站。但他们被认为是太老派和过时了。最后他们被否决了，并被告知，如果他们想拯救在那些海域遇难的各种人的生命，他们可以在海岸上新建自己的救生站。于是，他们就这样做了。 |
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| As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. It, too, evolved into a club, while yet another lifesaving station was founded. History has continued to repeat itself, and if you visit that seacoast today you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks still happen in those waters, but most of the people drown (originally came from Theodore O. Wedel, “Evangelism – the Mission of the Church to Those Outside Her Life,” The Ecumenical Review October, 1953), p. 24. |
随着岁月的流逝，新站也经历了旧站的变化。它也演变成了一个俱乐部，同时又成立了一个新救生站。历史不断重演，如果你今天去那片海岸，你会发现那片海岸上有很多专属俱乐部。船难仍在那些水域发生，但大多数人都淹死了（原文来自西奥多-O-韦德尔，"传福音—教会对她生活之外的人的使命"，《普世教会评论》1953年10月），第24页。 |
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| This is a parable and as a parable you should not ask where the coastline is and what ocean that is. It is the history of the church. Let’s make it personal. There are churches throughout the Twin Cities that were once lifesaving stations, but now they are more like clubs. |
这是一个寓言，作为一个寓言，你不应该问海岸线在哪里，那是什么海洋。这就是教会的历史。让我们把它跟我们切身联系起来。整个双城地区都有教会，它们曾经是救生站，但现在更像是俱乐部。 |
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| The parable points to the continual danger we face of drifting away from the mission of the Great Commission. I feel it, don’t you? We tend to try and make life more manageable and comfortable. Maybe we tried sharing the gospel a few times, but people were not exactly open to it and so we stopped speaking the name of Jesus. We drift into just being nice people. It is uncomfortable to keep bringing up Jesus to people who do not want to hear about him. It is more manageable to just try to continue to be warm toward them and listen to them and put up with the things we do not like. |
这个比喻指出了我们所面临的不断偏离大使命的危险。我感觉到了，你呢？我们倾向于尝试让生活变得更容易管理和舒适。也许我们尝试过几次分享福音，但人们并不完全接受，所以我们就不再提耶稣的名字。我们渐渐变成了一个老好人。一直向不想听到耶稣的人提起耶稣是不舒服的。只要尽量继续对他们热情，听他们的话，忍耐我们不喜欢的事情，这样比较好管理。 |
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| We do this in our individual relationships and we do this corporately as a church. We can get satisfied with the relational benefits of church life or we can become self-absorbed and preoccupied with doctrinal hair-splitting, political agendas, social issues, or any other number of things. |
我们在个人关系中这样做，我们在教会中也这样做。我们可以满足于教会生活的关系利益，也可以自我陶醉，专注于教义的细微差别、政治议题、社会问题或其他任何事情。 |
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| But Acts will rebuke us every time. What is the church in Acts? We will look high and low for some distinction between the church and its witness. The Spirit is given to the church for its witness to Jesus. The Spirit bears witness to Jesus as the church does. The Spirit continually drives the church to witness and new believers are added and new churches are planted as the name of Jesus is spoken in the power of the Spirit. The church is not a witnessing church in the sense that the church is interested in witnessing or has programs for witnessing or sends out missionaries to witness. The church does not have a separate program called “witness” because that is what all of the church is called to always be. |
但使徒行传每次都会责备我们。使徒行传中的教会是什么？我们将从高处和低处寻找教会和见证之间的一些区别。圣灵赐给教会是为了让祂为耶稣作见证。圣灵为耶稣作见证，正如教会一样。圣灵不断地推动教会去做见证，当耶稣的名在圣灵的大能中被说出来时，新的信徒就会加入，新的教会就会被建立起来。教会作为一个见证型的教会并不因为教会对见证感兴趣，或者有见证的计划，或者派出宣教士去见证。教会没有一个单独的项目叫“见证”，因为那原本是教会所有的人永远要做的事。 |
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| And in only three decades, the church as witness did all that we read in Acts (and more). We must return to our birthright as witnesses of Jesus in the power of the Spirit. |
而在短短的三十年里，作为见证的教会做了我们在使徒行传中读到的所有事情（还有更多）。我们必须回到我们与生俱来的权利，在圣灵的能力中为耶稣作见证。 |
| Closing Song: Holy Spirit Living Breath of God (with Gabriel’s Oboe) |
结束歌曲：《圣灵，神生命的气息》 |
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| Sermon Discussion Questions |
讲道讨论问题 |
| Title: Wait for the Promise of the Father |
标题：等候父的应许 |
| Text: Acts 1:4-5 |
经文：使徒行传1:4-5 |
| Main Point |
要点： |
| Wait for the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit. |
等待应许的圣灵浇灌。 |
| Outline |
纲要 |
| 1. The Promise of the Father (v. 4) |
1. 天父的应许（第4节） |
| 2. The Teaching of Jesus (v. 4) |
2. 耶稣的教导（第4节） |
| 3. The Testimony of John (v. 5) |
3. 约翰的见证（第5节） |
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| General Questions |
一般性问题 |
| 1. What were your initial responses to the sermon? What was the Holy Spirit doing in your heart during or after the sermon? Was there a new insight gained? Any questions prompted? What did you find convicting, helpful, eye-opening, or troubling? Explain. |
1. 你对讲道的初步反应是什么？在讲道时或讲道后，圣灵在你心中做了什么？是否有了新的感悟？想到什么问题了吗？你觉得哪些地方让你信服，哪些地方对你有帮助，哪些地方让你大开眼界，哪些地方让你烦恼？请解释。 |
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| 2. What point from the sermon landed on you with the most weight of joy or conviction? What things did you see and savor that you feel like you need to share with others? |
2. 讲道中的哪一点让你感到最大的喜悦或为罪沉痛？你看到了什么，品味了什么，让你觉得需要和别人分享？ |
| Discussion Questions |
讨论问题 |
| 1. What is the “promise of the Father” for which Jesus commands them to wait? Where in the Old Testament does the Father give this promise? |
1. 耶稣命令他们等待的“父的应许”是什么？在旧约中，天父在哪里给出这个应许？ |
| 2. Why was Jerusalem part of the package deal of this promise? |
2. 为什么耶路撒冷是这个应许礼包的一部分？ |
| 3. What did Jesus teach about the pouring out of the Spirit? |
3. 耶稣关于圣灵的浇灌有什么教导？ |
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| 4. What did John the Baptist say about the link between the coming of the Messiah and the work of the Spirit? |
4. 施洗约翰对弥赛亚的降临和圣灵的工作之间的联系是怎么说的？ |
| 5. Why did the disciples need to wait for the outpouring of the Spirit? |
5. 为什么门徒需要等待圣灵的浇灌？ |
| Application Questions |
应用问题 |
| 1. Have you come to grips with all the disciples had before Pentecost and yet it was not enough? How much more do we then need the power of the Spirit for our witness? Does this produce a necessary sense of dependence in you? |
1. 你是否已经领悟到五旬节前门徒们所拥有的一切，然而这还不够？那么，我们又如何更加需要圣灵的能力为我们作见证呢？这是否会让你产生必然的依赖感？ |
| 2. How are we supposed to pursue the Spirit’s presence and power? How do you do this practically in your own life and witness? How could you take the next step in making this a bigger part of your life? |
2. 我们应该如何追求圣灵的同在和能力？你如何在自己的生活和见证中切实做到这一点？你如何迈出下一步，让这成为你生命中更大的一部分？ |
| 3. What specific adjustments do you need to make as you seek to live out the overall message of Acts? How can this book become a life message for us? |
3. 当你力求活出使徒行传的整体信息时，你需要做哪些具体的调整？这本书如何成为我们生命的启示？ |
| Prayer Focus: Pray for a grace to be a witness for Jesus in the power of the Spirit. |
祷告焦点：求主恩典，让我们在圣灵的能力中为耶稣作见证。 |
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