My ways > your ways
My ways > your ways
- Greg Waybright
- Isaiah 55:1-13
- Examining Our Ways
- 47 mins 13 secs
- Views: 1234
Pastor's Letter
My Ways > your ways
This past week, our entire nation has been called to prayer. The call culminated on Thursday with the 63rd annual National Day of Prayer. The theme for 2014 was One Voice, United in Prayer, emphasizing the need for individuals, corporately and individually, to place their faith in the unfailing character of their Creator, who is sovereign over all governments, authorities, and men. To further highlight the theme, the national committee organizing this day chose Romans 15:6 as the guiding Scripture for the year: “So that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This year’s honorary chair was Anne Graham Lotz, who offered her own personal prayer for us as a nation.
This past week, our entire nation has been called to prayer. The call culminated on Thursday with the 63rd annual National Day of Prayer. The theme for 2014 was One Voice, United in Prayer, emphasizing the need for individuals, corporately and individually, to place their faith in the unfailing character of their Creator, who is sovereign over all governments, authorities, and men. To further highlight the theme, the national committee organizing this day chose Romans 15:6 as the guiding Scripture for the year: “So that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This year’s honorary chair was Anne Graham Lotz, who offered her own personal prayer for us as a nation.
You may find it online at https://nationaldayofprayer.org/about/national-prayer-by-anne-graham-lotz/.
I am calling us as a local church to continue in fervent prayer this week for our personal lives, our community, our nation, and our world. Because of that, we will be moving away from our series in the Book of James for one more week so that we might hear from one of the most powerful calls to prayer found in the Bible, Isaiah 55:6–7:
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake his ways
and the unrighteous his thoughts.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
Appropriately, after this week of prayer, our pastors and Ministry Council members are calling on us as a church family to pray about a matter that the Lord has placed deep into our hearts, i.e., the discipleship of our families and children. Those church people at LAC who have gone before us recognized early on that the facility in which the training of our children and families occurs is a high ministry priority. They made major sacrifices to build that ministry facility on Maple Street. Now, in 2014, we too have seen that the Maple Street facility is in deep need of restoration and renewal. On behalf of the LAC spiritual leadership, I call us to prayer and to action both about our “Restore and Renew the Maple Street Children’s Center” initiative and about many other issues facing our church and nation. We will, as Scripture says, “seek the Lord” and “call on him.”
To His Glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor
Study Notes
May Ways > your ways - Study Notes
English
MY WAYS > your ways
Isaiah 55: 6-9
A Promised Party for God-Seekers
God has been planning a celebration bigger than anything we've ever even imagined. It's something that Isaiah tells us God was already in the midst of planning while Isaiah was writing way back in the 8th C., B.C. And, the celebration is described in terms of a banquet – a banquet far great than anything the Food Channel could ever describe. The Bible gives us a part of the menu in Isaiah 55:1. There's wine in abundance. And milk, of course, for those concerned that God might not be happy about having wine. And as for food, the "Taste of Pasadena", will be nothing to compare to the "Taste of Heaven." And there will be a coronation too, God says. But it won't be of a Rose Bowl Queen. No, in this coronation, Jesus, God's Son born through the line of King David, will be crowned king of the universe.
And people from all over the world will be there. It's going to be a joy-filled celebration. Even nature itself is going to join in. Mountains and hills will burst into song (probably "rock" music). The trees of the fields will be clapping their hands (non clappers will have to get themselves ready for this). Of course this is all picture-language. But what a marvelous picture it is! All the jubilees and carnivals and festivals of thousands of years of human history can't compare with the splendor of the celebration God is planning.
And now the good part: God wants you to be there! Isaiah tells us that every human being can all be a part of it. People from all nations and ethnicities will be invited to the party. That means you and I are invited. The invitations are very personal and they're going out from God to us now. And the condition for getting to go to the celebration couldn't be simpler: See vv.6 7.
There is a big problem here. That problem is in our own souls. I think one of the problems with our world is that, while everyone seems to be looking for something to make life wonderful, they're not really looking for the right thing. The question that people ask is, "What is life about?" The question we ought to be asking is, "Who is life about?" What people ought to be looking for is God. "Seek the Lord," says Isaiah. The mistake most of us make is that we seek for satisfaction in things. Our problem is that our lack is not some thing but some one.
I remember as a child going to a big toy store with my Mom. I was so fascinated by all the toys and displays that I let go of her hand and wandered off. Then, I saw a woman walking out of the store that I thought was my Mom and I went tearing out after her. But it wasn't my Mom. And, I was lost. Suddenly, I realized I was on my own. I began to panic. I looked around feverishly. The issue was that "someone" was no longer with me. Those toys were not what I needed. I needed her! In the same way, we need God. We've walked away from him and all the toys in the world can't compensate for that loss.
So the plight of most human beings is that we have toyed around with material things in the world and lost touch with God. And yet those things can't really meet our deepest need, the thirst of our souls. We all long for something that isn't in the material realm at all, but in the realm of the personal, of the spiritual.
That's why Isaiah tells us to seek the Lord. According to 54:11, he was writing to people in deep distress -- but they were not turning to God. Isaiah says, "God is ready to enter into your life now – and he will begin to enable you to truly live again. But, if you're going to be part of this great celebration in which the whole of creation will find its fulfillment, you must find God before it's too late.
And Isaiah tells us that it's not that difficult. There are several things he tells us in this great text about searching for God. This is a message for those who do not know God at all and it's a message to those of us who claim to know God through faith in Jesus – but find that we seem for some reason to feel we are far away from him. How do we come near to God and find the joy-filled life he promises?
#1. We seek God by calling upon him.
Seek the Lord... call upon him.
If you set yourself to seek the Lord today in church or in the stillness of your room or under the stars, the first thing you will do is call on the Lord. The religious word for this is "pray." But many people feel that they can't pray. They feel that they don't know how to say things just right. Many think that real prayer takes a certain way with words, so you don't sound too coarse or too casual. Or that you have to have a lot of knowledge about God before you can pray. So the word "pray" throws up all kinds of obstacles for many people. Notice that the word "prayer" is not used here. The word Isaiah used is "call"! And that word is part of our everyday language, just like it was back then. We call the waiter. We call a friend on the telephone. We call for help on 911. Listen carefully: It's so simple: The first thing to do to seek the Lord is call to him. You might use words like these: "O God, help me!" Or: "God, if you are really there, show me!" Or: "O God, I need you, come and save me, forgive me, make me new." Or: "Father, I need your guidance, show me the way to go." You don't need a high school diploma to call for help. A child can do it. And that is the first step in what it means to seek the Lord. You say, "Lord, I need you. Come into this situation."
#2. There must be a measure of urgency about it.
"Seek the Lord while he may be found." Notice that phrase and the one parallel to it in the poetry, "While he is near." We mustn't just presume that God will always be calling out to us. Oh, he makes himself available to us. But it's not quite true to say that we can come to God whenever we please. If you've heard someone say, "I'll turn to God when I'm old sometime before I die. There's no real reason to mess up living my own life before then, is there?" To such a person, God says, "Beware!"
Of course, it is possible to find God on your deathbed. I know of few who ever do but I do think of the thief on the cross beside Jesus who was given assurance of heaven even in the last hour of his life. But the other thief is more representative of what I've experienced. In the end, he was hardened against God. And it is a dangerous thing to gamble in this. There is a "too late." We read about a Pharaoh in Egypt who began by hardening his heart against God and ended by discovering his heart was hardened too hard to change.
Let me tell you about my experience with these matters. There are times – quite frequent times, -- when I have a deep sense that God would have me to do something or to say something. Over the years, I've learned to obey that sense. Often, it happens in church. I know there is a decision I need to make – a contact I have to make – even a person I should pray for. Have you ever sensed that? In those times when God seems to be very near, I urge you to act when on what he seems to be putting on your heart and mind.
Hear the clear admonition "Call on him while he is near." There is urgency to it. "Call on him while he may be found."
When you sense that God is near you, that he is calling you to respond to him, that's the time you must act. Please know that you're not always going to feel the way you do now. You will get busy and may not be open to hearing God's call in the way you are now. And note this carefully: Once you've said no to God's call, it's much easier to say no the second time. You become harder. And God knows that and insists there's an urgency about these moments with him. When God calls you to faith, or to action or to turn from some sin, you dare not be half hearted. You must seize the opportunity.
The Greeks used to portray opportunity, named Kairos, as a fleet footed runner with wings on his feet. He had hair on the front of his head and none on the back. Once he'd run past, there was nothing to grab hold of.
I have had people say to me, "Oh, I ignored God a number of times so now he will never speak to me again. I say, "If you are here and hearing his word, he is speaking to you." But, when he speaks, you must respond. And today God gives the opportunity to turn to him. Finding God can sometimes be like that Greek runner. You come to church and look at a text like this one. An opportunity is presented to you...today! But the Bible makes no promises about tomorrow. If you know in your heart that God is calling you to do something to trust him, to obey him where you haven't act on that call. Seek him now. There is urgency if you're ever expecting to find the life God has made you to have.
#3. There must be a radical turning around about your seeking.
Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.
If you take seriously the positive side of seeking God, you have to take seriously the negative side of turning from behaviors and thoughts that offend him. You cannot seek God and practice sin or plan sin at the same time.
If you call out to God, "O God, I need you, help me!", one of the very first things that will happen in answer to that prayer is that God will awaken your conscience to something in your life that needs to be forsaken. If God answers your call in that way and you refuse to forsake what your conscience condemns, then you cease to seek God, and your words become empty. As John Piper says, "You can't seek God where he is not found, i.e., in sin."
It would be like a man who leaves his wife, moves into his own apartment, has a regular sexual affair alongside his marriage. Then, he misses his wife and family gets on the phone and "calls" his wife and "seeks" his wife. Then she says, "Have you forsaken that other woman?" And he says, "No, I haven't." Then she will rightly say, "Then you are not seeking me. Your call is empty. You will seek me and find me as your wife when you forsake her and all others for me alone, just like you vowed!"
In all this, God's ways are different from our ways, says the prophet in v.8. They're much higher, much loftier, much holier. If we're going to find him, it's not going to be by us dragging him down to our level but by him lifting us up to his. And, simply put, when you call on God, you should expect him to call you to change. When we call upon God, it almost always means repentance and surrender. Notice how the Bible puts it: New attitudes what God calls "thoughts." New habits what he calls "ways."
Let me help you think through what God might be saying to you today about repentance. I say that you know deep down inside what this means for you right now. All of us do. We all know the things in our lives that are wrong. You don't need the preacher to spell them out specifically. Our consciences do that. We all know the things we're ashamed of. We all know the things that, if we knelt down in honest prayer, we would find it very hard to talk about to God. And we already know his verdict upon them. Those are the things that have to change if we really want to know God and to experience the celebration and joy that he promises.
#4. There must be a trusting acceptance of God's pardon.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God and he will freely pardon.
Here's the shocker: God wants people with wicked ways to come to him. He wants people with unrighteous thoughts to come to him. Jesus did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. If you think that you are too bad to come to God, then your thinking is absolutely wrong. God's thoughts are higher. And one of God's amazing thoughts is he is ready to have mercy on bad people who seek him.
And don't miss the emphasis in that word "abundantly" in verse 7 ("freely," NIV). God wants you to know that pardoning people is what he loves to do most. His heart overflows with a longing to pardon you. Do you know the great message in Micah 7:18? Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the sins of the people who are his? You do not stay angry forever but you delight to show mercy?
Can you believe it? The holy God and creator of the universe delights in in showing you and me mercy by pardoning our sins! He loves to show mercy. Therefore, he does it abundantly, profusely, deeply. Paul says that the love of Christ is so wide, long, high and deep that it surpasses knowledge. What God is willing to do for you if you seek him is beyond your imagination. It is not a pardon that sends you back to the streets of sin. It is an abundant pardon. A pardon with a powerful and loving Parole Officer called the Holy Spirit.
When you seek the Lord, you find pardon for the worst sins you have ever committed and the pardon is so abundant you are given a "Parole Officer" called the Holy Spirit. Believe me, He is not like any parole officer you have ever imagined, because he protects and helps and guides and brings you to the fullest life possible. And on top of that he is the most wonderful person to be with in the world.
Now, do not miss this point: God's pardon has to be accepted by faith. For some reason, many, many people have been strangely reluctant to do receive the mercy God gives so freely. What is the problem? I suppose the problem is that we know we must die to self. When we seek God, when we call him to come into our lives, we must surrender in faith to Jesus Christ. But that surrender brings us into the life that God calls a celebration! What you must do is trustingly accept the pardon God offers to all who turn to him – or turn back to him -- in trust and repentance.
There was an interesting case back in the 1830s of a man named George Wilson. Wilson was put on trial for robbery with violence. At that time, it was a capital offense. He was convicted and sentenced to be hanged. Shortly before the execution, President Andrew Jackson granted him a pardon, but Wilson refused to accept it. So, Wilson's attorney obtained a stay of execution. His argument was that you couldn't execute a man who had been pardoned. The matter was so perplexing that it made it all the way to the Supreme Court. It was Chief Justice John Marshall who recorded the verdict of that court:
"A pardon is a deed to the validity of which delivery is essential. And delivery is not complete without acceptance. It may then be rejected. And if it be rejected, we have discovered no power in a court to enforce it. It may be supposed that no one being condemned to death would reject a pardon but the rule must be the same."
George Wilson maintained his stance of refusal upon which he was executed by his own choice. It's a remarkable incident, isn't it? It shows how, even in legal affairs, it's not enough for forgiveness to be offered. It has to be accepted.
And the same is true of you and me before God. God's invitation is a wonderful invitation to a great eternal celebration. I mean, if you or I were invited to a celebration at the White House or with the A-list at the Oscars, we wouldn't say, "Oh, that's my bowling night." Or, "Oh, that's the night I wash my hair!" No, we would clear the calendars. We'd get out our best clothes or get some new ones.
Well, here's an even more stupendous offer. God invites you to come to him – or to come back to him today. No offer in this world will ever match this invitation. God is inviting you to a celebration for the whole universe, the coronation of his Son.
Can you believe that people would refuse? Is there something in your life today that you know you must bring God into? Is there something today that you know God would have you do?
Let me end by coming back to v. 6: Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.
There is a window of opportunity. And you do not know when it will shut. It is open right now. You know it is because the Word of God is coming to you right now. And the Spirit is here in this place – and he's calling you.
So we are going to close the service by taking very seriously this line: "Call upon him while he is near." I believe everybody in this room needs to call upon the Lord — to seek the Lord right now while he may be found. Some need to call on him for salvation. Some need to call on him for help in overcoming a temptation or an unrighteous thought. And some need to call on him for counsel and guidance...
To His glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor
title="Chinese
為追求神的人一場應許的慶宴
神一直在計畫著一個慶典,這個慶典超乎我們所能想像的。以賽亞告訴我們,當他在主前8世紀寫作的時候,神已經在計畫這個事情。這個慶典被形容為一场宴席——這個宴席遠勝過美食頻道所描述的一切。聖經通過《以賽亞書》55:1給了我們宴席菜單的一部分。有豐盛的美酒。當然,對那些擔心酒會讓神不喜悅的人,還有牛奶。在食物方面,還有“帕薩迪納之味”,但與“天國之味”無法媲美。神說還有一個加冕儀式,但不是“玫瑰王後”。在這個加冕儀式上,出自大衛王族裔的神子耶穌,將被加冕,成為宇宙之王。 全世界的人們都會在那裡,那將是一個充滿喜樂的慶典。大自然也會參與,大山小山都要歌唱(可能還有搖滾樂)。山野的樹木也會拍手(平時不喜歡拍手的人要為此做好準備)。當然,這都是用語言描繪的畫面。但這是多麼美妙的畫面!人類幾千年歷史中所有的周年慶典、嘉年華和節日慶典都不能與神所計畫的慶典相比。 最為上好的:神希望你也在那兒!以賽亞告訴我們,每個人都可以成為宴席中的一員。萬國萬族的人都被邀請赴宴。這種邀請是非常個人化的,它們來自神。赴宴的條件再簡單不过:請看6-7節。
这里有一個大問題。這個問題在我們的靈魂裡。我想其中與我們這個世界相關的一個問題是:當每個人似乎都在尋找某種可以讓生命更精彩的東西時,其實他們找不到。人們會問:“生命與什麼有關?”其實這個問題應該這樣問:“生命與誰有關?”人們應該去尋找神。以賽亞說:“要尋求主。”我們大多數人所犯的錯誤是,我們在物質中尋找滿足。而我們的問題在於,我們缺少的不是某種東西,而是某個人。 我記得當我還是小孩子的時候,媽媽帶我去一個大的玩具店。各種玩具讓我著迷,以致我脫開媽媽的手溜開了。後來,我看見一個女人走出商店,我以為她就是我媽媽,我就在後面拽她。但她不是我媽媽。我找不到媽媽了。忽然,我意識到我是一個人,就開始害怕了。我發瘋一樣到處找。問題是某個人沒有和我在一起,這些玩具對我來說並不重要,我需要媽媽!同樣,我們需要神。我們離開了神,這個世界上的玩具不能彌補我們內心的迷失。 因此,人類的困境在於,我們擺弄著這個世界上的物質,卻失去與神的聯繫。那些東西不能真正滿足我們內心深處的需要,不能滿足我們心靈的饑渴。我們都渴望某種非物質的、屬靈的東西。 那就是以賽亞告訴我們要尋求神的原因。根據54:11,他正在寫給那些困苦中的人——但他們沒有轉向神。以賽亞說,“神現在已經準備進入你的生命中——祂將使你開始真正的生活。但是,假如你要成為慶典中的一員,你必須在慶典開始前找到神。” 以賽亞告訴我們,這並不難。他在經文裡告訴我們幾件有關尋找神的事。這個信息是講給那些根本不認識神的人,也是講給我們這些通過在基督裡的信心認識神的人——但我們發現因著某種原因感覺離神很遙遠。我們如何能接近神,並且找到祂應許的充滿喜樂的生活?
#1我們用求告來尋求神
尋找神…求告他。 如果你今天定意尋求神,不論是在教會,在你自己的房間中安靜或是在星光之下,你第一件要做的事就是求告神。帶著宗教意味的說法就是“禱告”。但是許多人覺得不會禱告。他們覺得自己不知道怎樣說好。許多人想真正的禱告要用特殊的用詞方式,聽起來不會太粗糙或太隨便。或者說你有很多有關神的知識以後才知道怎樣禱告。所以“禱告”這個字給很多的人帶來諸多的障礙。注意“禱告“這個字沒有用在這裡。以賽亞用的字是“求告”,用的是我們的日常用語,和古時一樣。注意聽好:很簡單:尋求主第一件事就是求告神。你用的字應該是這樣的:“神啊,幫助我!”或者說“神啊,你若在此,顯明給我!”或者說:“神啊,我需要你!請你救我,赦免我,使我焕然一新。“或者說;”天父,我需要你的引導,告訴我當行的路。”你不需要一張高中畢業證書來求告幫助。孩子都能夠做的。你說,“主呀,我需要你。請你來到如此境況中。”
#2. 緊迫性
“當趁耶和華可尋找的時候尋找他.” 注意這段句子和與其相應的詩歌對句, “ 相近的時候。 ” 我們不該以為神總是向我們喊話。 祂向人打開祂自己。 這和我們任意什麼時候想到祂面前就到祂面前不太一樣。 如果你聽人說,” 到我老了,要死的時候再轉到神的面前, 之前何苦沒事打亂我自己的生活。” 對這樣的人, 神說,: “要當心!” 當然,在你臨終的床前可能找得到神。我知道為數不多的人是這樣的。 想到十字架上耶穌旁邊的盜賊,在他生命的最後的幾個時辰耶穌向他確認天堂的應許。 但是另一個強盜卻代表著我更常見到的情形。 最後,他對神心硬。在這點上下賭注是很危險的事。 有”太晚”的時候.我們讀到埃及的法老開始心裡對神剛硬,至終發現他的心硬到無法改變。 我告訴你我在這些事上的經歷.有些時候-常常,我在心裡感到神要我做某件事,或說某些話。 日子久了, 我開始學會順服心裡的聲音.這常常發生在教會。.我知道我需要做一個決定-要給一個人打電話- 甚至要給一個人禱告.你有沒有這樣的感覺? 在這些時刻,神很親近.我呼籲你們當你感到神在你的心思中呼叫你的時候, 你要來回應祂。 聽清晰可闻的忠告: “相近的時候求告他。” 緊迫的程度. 當趁耶和華可尋找的時候尋找他” 當你感到神近在身邊,祂在呼喚你來回應祂的時候,也就是你行動的時候。 請你注意你不是總能如此這般感覺到神的時候。你忙起來,也許不會像現在這樣開放,聽見神的呼召.對神的呼召你一次說不,下一次再說不就容易多了。 然後你就更加的剛硬。而神知道這一起, 堅持這與神相遇的時刻的緊急性。 當神呼叫你的到信心,行動和從罪中迴轉的時候,你不敢三心兩意.你要抓住這個機會。 希臘人描繪機會,叫做“Kairos”如賽跑運動員,健步如飛,腳上就像長了翅膀,他的頭髮披前,不在身後。他快跑起來,什麼都抓不住。 有人對我說, “哦,我好多次忽略上帝的聲音,現在祂再也不跟我說話了。我說,“如果你今天在這,聽祂的話,祂正在對你說話。 ”但是,當祂說話的時候,你必須作出回應。今天神給你機會,讓你轉向祂。尋找上帝有時就像希臘的賽跑運動員。你到教會來,看到今天這樣的經文, 今天,一個機會呈現在你的面前!......但聖經不作任何明天的承諾。如果你心中知道神呼召你行動來相信他,順服他,你卻沒有對這一呼籲採取行動。現在就尋找祂。這是緊迫的事,如果你曾經希望找到生命的神造你的時候要你過的生活。
#3你的追求必須有一個徹底的迴轉。
惡人當離棄自己的道路,不義的當除掉自己的意念。 如果你對尋求上帝是認真積極的,你就必須認真地對待負面的行為和思想,迴轉,因為這些事冒犯神。你不能一邊尋求神,一邊在罪中活動,在罪中盤算。 如果你呼求神, “神啊,我需要你,幫助我! ” 神回答你的祈禱,其中發生的頭件事之一就是,神喚醒你的良知,發現你生活中的一些東西需要離棄的。如果神用這種方式回答你的禱告,但是你拒絕放棄你良知的譴責,那麼你就停止追求神,你得話也落空。正如John Piper 說的, “你不能在找不到神的地方尋求神,比如,在罪中。 ” 這就好比一個人想離開他的妻子,搬進自己的公寓,在婚姻之內和別人有性的關係。然後,他想念他的妻子和家庭,他拿起電話,“掛”電話給他的妻子,“找”他的妻子。可是她說,“你放棄了其他的女人嗎? ”他說:“不,我沒有。 ”那麼,她理所當然會說, “那你不是找我,你的來電是沒有意義的,只有當你放棄她和其他一切,唯獨只有我的時候,就像你所發誓的那樣,你才能找到我,發現我是你的妻” 總之,上帝的道路非同我們的道路, 先知在第8節中說到。他們要高得多,更崇高,更聖潔。如果我們要尋找祂,我們不能把祂拽拉下來,到我們的水平,乃是由神提升我們到祂的高處。而且,簡單地說,當你呼求神的時候,你應該期待祂會呼召你來改變。當我們呼求神,它幾乎總是意味著悔改和降服。請注意聖經如此說:神所呼召的新的態度為“意念”。新的習慣為“道路”。 讓我來幫助你思考今天神可能對你說的有關悔改是什麼的意思。我說,這個時候,在你內心深處你知道這對你意味著什麼。我們所有的人都知道。我們都知道自己生活中的那些事是不對的。您不需要牧師一一具體列出。這是我們的良心做的事。我們都知道我們為之羞愧的事情。我們都知道,如果我們誠實的跪下禱告的時候,我們會發現很難對神啟齒的事。而且我們已經知道神對這些事的判決。這些都是必須改變的,如果我們真的想認識上帝,體驗祂應許的歡樂。
#4. 必須信靠接納神的赦免
歸向耶和華,耶和華就必憐憫他.當歸向我們的神,因為神必廣行赦免。 令人震驚的是:神希望那些行惡的人到祂這裡。祂希望那些懷有不義意念的人到祂這裡來。耶穌來不是召義人,乃是召罪人悔改。如果你覺得自己太罪惡而不配到神面前來,那麼你的想法絕對是錯誤的。神的意念高過人的意念。神的美好的意念之一就是祂已預備好施憐憫給那些前來尋求祂的罪人。 千萬不要錯過第7節中強調的這個詞“廣行”。神想讓你知道,赦免人是祂最愛做的。祂的內心湧流著赦免你的渴望。你知道彌迦書7:18裡的偉大信息嗎?神啊!有何神像你,赦免罪孽,饒恕你產業之餘民的罪過?不永遠懷怒,喜愛施恩? 你能相信嗎?聖潔的神,宇宙的創造者喜悅藉著赦免我們的罪來向你我施憐憫!祂喜愛施行憐憫。因此,祂廣泛地,豐富地,深刻地施憐憫。保羅說,基督的愛是那麼的長、闊、高、深,它超出我們的理解。假如你尋求祂,神願意為你做的會超出你的想像。這個赦免不是把你送回街頭罪惡裡的赦免。這是一種豐富的赦免。這個赦免有一位強大且有愛的假釋官,叫做聖靈。 當你尋求主時,你為你所犯過的最嚴重的罪找到了赦免,這個赦免是如此豐富以至於給了你一個“假釋官”叫做聖靈。相信我,祂不同於那些你所能想像到的任何假釋官,因為祂保護,幫助並指導你,把你帶向可能的完全的生活。而最重要的是,在這個世界上和祂在一起是最棒的。 現在,不要遺漏這一點:神的赦免要憑信心去接受。出於某些原因,許許多多的人一直以來很奇怪地不情願去接收神廣泛施行的憐憫。這是怎麼回事?我想問題在於,我們知道我們必須向自我而死。當我們尋求神時,當我們邀請祂進入我們的生命時,我們必須在信仰裡向耶穌基督降服。但那種降服會把我們帶入被神稱作慶典的生活中!你必須做的是滿懷信心地接受神向所有那些尋求祂的—或是回轉向祂的人所施行的赦免—用信任和悔改來接受。 有一個有趣的案例,早在19世紀30年代有一個叫George Wilson的人。 Wilson因暴力搶劫被告上法庭。在當時,這是死罪。他被定罪並被判處絞刑。在臨刑前不久,Andrew Jackson總統授予他特赦,但Wilson拒絕接受。所以,Wilson的律師獲得了個死刑緩期執行。他的理由是,你不能對一個被赦免的人執行死刑。這個案子相當的錯綜複雜以至於它一路鬧到最高法院。首席大法官John Marshall記錄了該法院的判決: “赦免是一個契約,交付性是使其生效的關鍵,沒有接受交付性就無法完成。隨後赦免可能被拒絕。如果它被拒絕,我們就沒有權力在法庭強制執行它。也許人們認為應該沒有被判處死刑的人會拒絕赦免,但法規就是法規,不得擅改。” George Wilson在堅持了他拒絕的立場後,他被他自己的選擇執行了死刑。這是一個值得注意的事件,不是嗎?它顯示了即使是在法律事務中,僅僅提供赦免是不夠的,它還需要被接受。 你我在神面前也是一樣的。神的邀請是一個美妙的邀請--去參加一個偉大永恆的慶典。我的意思是,如果你或我被邀請去參加一個在白宮舉行的慶祝活動或是與一線名流們一起參加奧斯卡頒獎典禮,我們一定不會說, “哦,那是我的保齡球之夜。”或者說,“哦,那晚我要洗頭髮!”不,我們會清理那天的日程。我們會拿出我們最好的衣服,或者再去買幾套新的。 那麼,這裡有一個更加了不起的邀請。神邀請你到祂那裡去--或者今天回到祂那裡。這個世界上沒有任何邀請比得上這個邀請。神邀請你參加一個全宇宙的慶典,他兒子的加冕典禮。 你能相信會有人拒絕嗎?今天你的生活中有沒有什麼事情你知道必須請神來介入?今天有沒有什麼是神要你去做的?
讓我回到第6節經文來結束:當趁耶和華可尋找的時候尋找祂,相近的時候求告祂。 有一扇機會之窗。你不知道它什麼時候會關閉。它現在正開著。你知道它開著是因為現在神的話語正臨到你。聖靈就在這裡 - 祂正在呼喚你。 因此,我們要用認真對待這句經文來結束敬拜:“當趁祂相近的時候求告祂”我相信這裡的每一位都需要求告主--現在就去尋求主趁祂可以被尋見的時候。一些人需要尋求祂的拯救。一些人需要尋求祂的幫助來勝過試探或不義的意念。而有些人則需要尋求祂的輔導和指引...
荣耀归给神,
格雷格博士
主任牧师
Greg Waybright • Copyright 2014, Lake Avenue Church
Study Guide
My Ways > your ways - Study Guide
My ways > your ways
Isaiah 55:1-13
- Those who are in deep affliction (cf. Is. 54:11) are invited by God to a banquet he promises to throw in 55:1. Read v. 1 and discuss 1) who is invited and 2) whether this is an appealing invitation to you.
- In v. 2, God asks us to examine our ways regarding living for temporary or eternal things. How are we as people tempted to work for the kinds of things that cannot satisfy?
- Vv. 3–5 are a prophecy about the coming Messiah through the line of David. What do you think he meant when he spoke of 1) a Messiah’s being a witness and commander to the peoples and 2) a nation made up of nations that they did not know at the time?
- Vv. 6–9 are a call to prayer communicated through beautiful poetry. How should you apply v. 6 to your life each day?
- If we bring the Lord into the equation, what must we do, according to v. 7? How does this affect your prayer life?
- If God does not give precisely what we ask for, how should vv. 8–9 guide us?
- Read vv. 10–13. List the promises God makes. Then, 1) put each promise into your own words and 2) think of an application of each promise to your own walk with God. Then, spend some time in prayer with others seeking the Lord and calling upon his name. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
2014 Study Series • Copyright © 2014, Lake Avenue Church