報主的話:
離開神，我們人就找不到生活的意義；離開神，人就找不到生命真正的價值。沒有神，活著跟死一樣；沒有神，人不如不要到世界來；沒有神，人生就沒有希望。所以人的一生一旦沒有神，我們的計畫、我們的理想、我們的生活，一切都變成空的！所以耶利米書第二章才說，離開神，自己就變成虛妄。
所以，不是神要我們，是我們需要神。這個、非常重要的一點。因為有一些人，他覺得，來教會聚會，給神一個面子；來教會聚會，給教會負責人、傳道人一個面子；啊、本來不來的，看到誰，所以他來了；或者因為自己的父母，所以來了。其實喔、不是神需要我們；聖經裡面說，千萬的天使在服侍神；以賽亞書說，天使在頌讚的時候，殿的根基震動，聖殿充滿了榮耀！如果我們不拜神，神還在那個地方，神的榮耀還在那裡，神的權柄還在那裡，神沒有影響。因為，人好像灰塵一樣；人拜不拜神，對神沒有影響。但是，如果人沒有拜神，人的吃虧最大。因為一切，變成虛妄……
所以我們人要變化做新人，最重要是那個改變，要拔出來、毀壞，這個最難！那耶利米要改變的是什麼？是他們離開神、那種生活方式。那怎麼改變？就告訴他們說：「你們不對！」我們知道，如果有一個人，到處去講：「你不對！」這個人，大概沒有朋友；因為大家都很喜歡人告訴你，你有什麼好處。所以耶利米幾十年做先知，他隻做一件事情，告訴以色列百姓：「你們不對，要悔改，不然大難臨到！」所以，他沒有朋友，到處受逼迫。但是他的訊息是真的，這個是以色列百姓得救的一條路──要回轉、歸向神，不然大難、巴比倫就下來啦！所以耶利米受很多的苦，但是他忠心到底。他忠心到底，是因為他對神的敬畏跟順服！也是對人的憐憫跟愛……
神在用人啊、那個屬靈的條件很重要；聖經裡面找不到，神在用人的時候說：「誒、這個人很有恩賜，所以我揀選他、用他。」沒有這樣的，沒有一個是這樣的。聖經、揀選人，好像耶利米，他是小孩子啊！看不出他有什麼恩賜，但是耶利米有屬靈的條件：就是他對人有憐憫的心，他對神有敬畏的心！這個是神用他的一個重要原因……
耶利米書第一章8節：「你不要懼怕，因為我與你同在。」耶利米年紀很小，他說：「我怕！」神說：「你不要怕，我要跟你同在。」這一句話是做聖工，一個重要的條件──我要跟你同在。如果沒有神的同在，耶利米沒有辦法做先知幾十年哪！他早就被打死了。所以神的同在，使他能夠繼續做下去幾十年。
所以保羅跟提摩太說：你要靠著神的恩典、剛強起來！我們做聖工會剛強，是因為神的恩典；我們本身算不了什麼。沒有神的同在，我們沒有辦法一直服事到現在。你看教會裡面好多人很熱心在服事神幾十年到現在，這是靠神的恩典。不然有時候，一人講一句話，你說：「不做，算啦！」所以神才會叫我們剛強，一直往下做。
但是我們要想一件事情：耶利米到最後，工作有沒有果效？答案是：沒有。他傳警告幾十年，一個也沒有聽，沒有人聽。他、使命很清楚，就是要拔出、毀壞、要建立、栽植。神的同在、很清楚，但是作工，沒有果效。為什麼沒有果效？不是神沒有能力，不是耶利米沒有盡心，是人剛硬！硬心不改變！
所以今天我們要了解，教會的聖工，我們要盡力做，我們要靠神，但是結果，我們沒有辦法預測。如果我們自我檢討：我已經盡力做了！盡力禱告啦！但是結果就不是我們能夠控制的。挪亞造方舟、傳警告，到最後幾個信？一個也沒有，隻有他的家八個人。
所以末世來到，我們要傳福音，愈來愈難，我們最重要、就是要：盡力做！要求主與我們同在。保羅撒種，亞波羅澆灌，但是神叫它長大；我們結果就交給神。但是我們做的工、精神所付出去的，神都會記念……
A Weeping Prophet - Jeremiah
by Pr. D. Liang
(Languages: Spoken in Mandarin, Translated in English)
Leaving God, we, humans, will not be able to find the meaning of life; and we will not find the true value of life. Without God, living is the same as death; it will be better men not born into the world; and there will be no hopes in our lives. Therefore, if men is living without God, whatever our plans, ideals and what kind of lives we are leading will be meaningless. This is why chapter 2 of Jeremiah says that we will be like nothing by leaving God.
So, God does not need us, but we all need God. This is a very important concept we should all have. Some people think that he comes to church to make God, church board members, or preachers to feel good. Originally, he/she is not coming, but he/she comes because someone or his/her parents are going to show up.
As a matter of fact, God does not need us if we do not come to Him. We can see in the Bible that there are millions of millions of angels serving God. This is why the Book of Isiah says that when angels were praising God, the foundation of the temple shook and the temple was filled with glory! If we do not worship God, God is still in that place, His glory still remains, and His power still intact. God will never be affected by those of us who do not worship Him. Men are but like dusts, and God will never be affected by men's not worshiping Him. On the other hand, if Men do not worship God, men will suffer a great deal because whatever he is striving or has striven will become totally meaningless.
For a person to become anew, he/she needs to transform him/herself – to pull up and destroy. Pulling up and destroying ones old self are very difficult things to do. What prophet Jeremiah wanted the Israelites to do? He wanted them to leave the godless life by telling them what was wrong about their actions. If a person is spreading about the wrongs that we have done, he/she will have no friend, for everyone like to hear people to tell us what are the good things about us.
Jeremiah, in his several decades of being a prophet, did only one thing – telling the people of Israel, “You have done wrong. You should repent. Otherwise, big calamities will fall upon you!” Because of his action, he probably made no friends and was persecuted everywhere. However, what he told was the truth and the message was the salvation to the Israelites – Returning to God, Babylonians were going to bring calamities upon the nation of Judah! He suffered much, but he was loyal to the Lord until to the end, out of not only his fear and obedience to God, but also his love toward humans...
When God uses a person, He looks upon the person's spiritual qualifications. The Bible never says, “Oh, this person is so gifted, so I shall choose him and use him.” No way! In the Bible, God chooses those who are like a child, just as Jeremiah was when he was chosen. No one can see any gift out of Jeremiah, but Jeremiah had spiritual qualifications, which is his sympathy toward mankind and his fear towards God! These are the factors why God chose him to be a prophet.
The book of Jeremiah Chapter 1 verse 8 says, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.” Jeremiah was young at the time God spoke this to him. Jeremiah said, “I am afraid!”. God told him, “Do not be afraid, for I will be with you.” These words are important when we conduct sacred work – God will be with us. If God was not with him, Jeremiah would not have become a prophet for several decades, and he would have beaten to death! It was because of God's abidance, Jeremiah was able to be a prophet for such a long time.
Therefore, Paul said to Timothy that he should be strong by the mercy of God. The reason that we have strength to carry out scared work of God is because of God's mercy. We are nothing, and we will not be able to serve him and men until now. Look at the people who serve in the church so many years. They all rely on God's mercy. Sometimes, someone says some bad things about us, we will say, “Forget it! I am not continue doing it anymore!” It is God at this time who give us strength to continue.
We need to think about one thing here: Did Jeremiah's work produce any effect? No! He preached warnings to the Israelites for several decades. No one listened. His message was very clear – to pull out, destroy, and rebuild and replant. God's abidance was very clear. However, there was no effect to what he had preached. Why there was no effect? It was not because God was powerless, not because Jeremiah was not doing his best, but because hearts of men were adamant – refusing to change.
Therefore, today, we need to realize that we need to do our best to perform sacred works in church by relying on God. Despite the fact that we have no control over the results, we need to examine ourselves – have we done our best? How many believed Noah when he preached the warnings of the flood? No one but eight people in his family.
The end time is coming. The mission to preach the gospel will be all the more difficult, but we will still need to do our best! We need to ask God's abidance. Paul sowed and Apollo watered, but it is God who grows it. We only need to give the results to the hands of God. God will remember our work and our efforts....
歡迎您點選下載聆聽Pr. Liang 梁得仁 –A Weeping Prophet Jeremiah --英語翻譯 語音檔。
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