成圣的追求_04b
主讲：林慈信牧师_校对：刘加立弟兄_文字：Cherry姐妹
Now let’s look at Paul’s message 我们现在看保罗的信息，from verse 22 on，从22节看下去，to verse 23，看到23节，Paul says that you are very religious 保罗说你们是非常的敬畏鬼神，verse 23，I found an altar that says to the unknown god 因为我看到里面有一座坛，上面写着说“未识之神”。what you worship as unknown this I proclaim to you，你们不认识所敬拜的，现在我就来告诉你们，can man know God？人能认识神吗？we’re talking not about Christians，我们不是在说基督徒，this is Paul’s gospel message 这是保罗的福音信息 can man know God？到底人可不可以认识神？Paul said what you worship as unknown I know and I will proclaim to you。保罗说你们所敬拜的未识之神，我认识、我要来告诉你们。
since man’s deepest need is worship既然人内心最深处的需要是敬拜，man is going to look for an object for worship所以人要找他可以敬拜的东西，man and woman have always been looking for truth or for God。人就一直在寻找真理、寻找神。Unfortunately we have found all kinds of God substitute但是很可惜的，我们找到很多神的代替品。
In the 17 century，在17世纪，Europeans substituted rationalism reason man’s reason for God’s word欧洲的人用理性代替神的话。Reason is the ultimate judge of truth. 他们认为理性是判断真理的。
In the 18 century，在18世纪，man substituted science for God。人科学来代替了神。
In the 19 century，在19世纪，Europeans agreed with Emmanuel Kant 欧洲人同意康德在，that the universe really doesn’t have any truth that you can know 就是在这个宇宙里面，没有真理存在，at least you cannot know truth through reason or through science至少是你们不能从科学或者理性方面去得到真理，you can only know the truth in a subjective world你们只能够借助主观去知道真理。so you see 19 century European philosophy，所以你看19世纪的哲学，you’ll find men and women finding all kinds of subjective and relative things to substitute God你们看到当时代的人，他们有很多主观的，甚至相对的东西来代替神。romanticism浪漫主义，a feeling instead of God，感觉来代替神，existentialism，存在主义，how I feel right now 我现在感觉到什么 that’s a substitute for God用来代替神；materialism，唯物论主义，matter instead of God，物质的东西来代替神。Sigmund Freud，psychology，弗洛伊德，一个非常著名的心理学家，man’s subconscious feelings and drives instead of God 人的潜意识用来代替神。and we can name many more 我们可以讲很多的例子。
what about the 20 century？但是在20世纪呢？the 20 century simply takes the nineteenth century ideas and put them into practice，20世纪就把19世纪的所有的一些理念付诸行动。now I have been telling you that we are the most fortunate people that have ever lived .我已经说过，我们是有史以来来最幸运的人。however we have just lived through one of the most horrible centuries in human history。尽管我们经过人类历史上最可怕的几个世纪中的一个，most of us didn’t live through those Wars and revolutions 我们很多的人没有经过那些战争和革命，we try to emigrate 因为我们尽力逃避了。
Can men find God？人可以找到神吗？not with his own resources 不是靠凭着他自己的能力。what about Chinese people？那么中国人呢？what are some substitutes for God that we have put up？我们用来代替神的是什么东西？I know you’re gonna say zip code.（笑声）我知道你会说是邮寄号码。This is contemporary Chinese in North America这是北美华人的趋向。but for two thousand years，但是2，000年来，the Chinese people have been so proud of their own culture 中国人对自己的文化的非常的骄傲，so Chinese culture becomes a substitute for God 所以中国文化成为我们的偶像。
If we have an Olympic Games 假如有一个奥林匹克的比赛 to compete which people are the most proud 哪一国人是最骄傲的？Chinese will win many many many gold medals 我们中国人可能就会赢很多金牌；Americans win some silver 可能美国人就会赢一些银牌 and also Jews and Germans 还有犹太人和德国人。we are so proud of our culture 我们对自己的文化的背景是多么骄傲 for those of us who used to live in Beijing 那些从北京来的，you know that you live in the center of the world 你们知道你们是在这个世界的中心 the way you talk tell us that you live in the center of of culture and civilization 从你讲话的态度就可以看得出你住在文明的中心。can man know God？人到底可以认识认识神吗？No，because we have substituted something else in God’s place。答案是：不能，因为我们用很多的东西来代替了神。
the concept in verse 23，在23节里面讲，what you worship as unknown I now proclaim to you 你们所不认识的神，现在我要告诉你知道。Man does not know God because he doesn’t want to know God。人不认识神，因为他们不愿意去认识神。I didn’t say that，but Paul said that，不是我讲的，是保罗讲的，in Romans chapter 1，在罗马书第一章，verse 20 to verse 18，that’s right backward from 20 to 18，倒过来从20-18节，you’re listening：Roman chapter 1verse 20，罗马书1:20节，then verse 19，然后19节，then 18，然后18节：all men know God，所有的人都认识神，because God has made himself known through nature 因为上帝透过大自然显明祂自己，and also in human heart and mind也在人的心里面显明，so all men know God 所以所有的人都知道神men do not know God because men don’t want to know God人不认识神，是因为人不想认识神，and Paul says now I proclaim to you但是保罗说我现在告诉你 so every human being knows God deep down in his or her mind。
因此，每一个人的内心的深处认识知道神，therefore there is hope in the 21 century，因此在21世纪，人就有这个希望，as you talk to broken heart 当你对一个破碎的心灵讲话的时候，deep down in that broken heart，在那个破碎的心灵的深处 God has spoken to him or her before 神已经先对他们讲过话了。We do not begin a conversation with a non Christian person不是我们开始个一个非基督徒讲话，we don’t start that conversation 不是我们开始这样的一个对谈 God has started speaking in that heart 神已经开始在他们的心里面讲话。
and then Paul says I proclaim this to you保罗说我要把这个对你们讲论 that means that in addition to God speaking in nature 意思是神借着大自然讲话以外，and in addition to God speaking in every human being’s mind and heart除了神在人的内心讲话以外，God has come into time and space，God has come into history 神进到时间和空间，进到人类的历史； and had spoken to us对我们讲话。The climax of that speaking is Jesus Christ 讲话的高峰就是耶稣基督 and so because God has chosen to speak to us因为神选择对我们讲话，therefore men and women can know God 所以人可以认识神。
Young people know this very well 年轻人对这一点非常清楚 in there in your English literature classes 在你们的英文的那文学课上，you know that the most important problem in philosophy today你们知道今天的哲学上最大的问题是 it’s not rationalism不是理性主义，not science不是科学，not romanticism不是浪漫主义，not existentialism不是存在主义，the most important problem in philosophy today 在今天哲学的最大的问题是is what is language？语言是什么？is there a meaning in every book？在每一本书里面有真实的意义吗？
未经同意，请勿擅自在其它网站或平台转载和刊登课程的逐字稿；课程的逐字稿的版权归「中华展望」，禁止复印出版等商业用途。
中华网络圣约学院ccnci.org中华展望圣约学院[email protected]（PayPal）
Parents，we need to start studying what our young people are studying所以我们作为父母亲的要开始学习我们的年轻人所学的 why are you saving up one hundred and twenty thousand dollars to send your children to university for four years 你为什么要存12万美元来送他们去读四年大学？Do you know what they are learning？你知道他们在学什么东西吗？I don’t have time to to explain about why language is the most important philosophical issue in the twenty first century，我今天没有很多的时间解释清楚为什么21世纪最重要的哲学问题是语言的问题，but I’ll give you a biblical answer very quickly 但是我可以给你一个圣经的简短回答men and women，we borrow language from God今天我们人是从神那里借到语言，language is a gift from God 语言是上帝给我们的恩赐。
when Adam and Eve were created 当亚当与夏娃被创造的时候，the first thing they did was not to speak第一件事情他们不是讲话，the first thing that they experience is God spoke.他们经历的第一件事情是神对他们讲话，because God speaks 因为神讲话，therefore we speak，we write and we listen.因此我们讲话、我们书写、我们聆听。God has chosen to speak to us .上帝选择对我们讲话，and he also performed acts to save us from sin祂还采取行动救赎我们脱离罪，and so the Bible is a book with words因此我们看到圣经上面就是文字语言，words carry ideas 语言文字带有观念words carry truth 语言带有真理。
Today many evangelical theologians tell us that the Bible is not about truth 今天很多福音派神学家告诉我们圣经不是关于真理的，the Bible is stories，narrative 圣经里面只不过是故事、叙事。You see the word narrative 叙述，（笑声）the word narrative has become a substitute word for truth today 叙述这个词就变成一个真理的代替。你们知道我讲什么吗？and so brothers and sisters，don’t let anybody tell you that the Bible is not a book of doctrines or truths 所以弟兄姐妹们，今天不要让人告诉我们说圣经不是讲教义或真理的。
I’d like to remind our young people 我要提醒我们的年轻人 that among your generation 在你们这一代人里面 what do I mean by your generation？我说你们这一代到底是什么意思？that means high school students in Evangelical churches in the USA 就是那些在这个福音派教会里面的那些中学生 that’s you就是你们and perhaps that would include university students as well 在大学里面的学生或者可以包括在里面 surveys show that ninety one percent of you do not believe in absolute truth 统计显示 91%的年轻人，他们不相信有绝对真理的存在 remember we’re talking about Christian young people in Bible believing Churches记住我们说的是在相信圣经的福音派的教会里面的那些年轻人。
now this should not surprise us这个对我们来讲不要意外 because your English teacher’s been teaching you all this all along 因为你们的英语老师一直在教导你们这些东西，they’ve been telling you that books or text has no meaning 他们一直在告诉你们书本上或者文本是没有意思的，text 文本，we have to learn a new vocabulary 我们得学习一个新的词汇 a text that means it is anything that can be interpreted 文本就是说随着你的意思去解释的 yeah it’s a book for example that can be interpreted 就是好像一本书你就随便去解释里面的字 not a only a book a hex a hex is anything that you can interpret it can be a cup一本这个文本就是一样东西随便是无论是一样任何的东西，你可以去解释的 a text that means anything has no meaning因此，一个文本是没有它的意思 it’s all up to you how you interpret it 所以是随着你的意思去说，怎么样解释它。
now our high school English teacher has been teaching our young people this for many years now 今天我们这个中学的英文老师一直很多年来 就这样教导我们的孩子们 and that is why many of our young people lose their faith uh just the first semester in university这就是为什么我们许多的年轻人在大学第一学期就失去了信仰。now we we thank God that many of them do not lose their faith at college 我们感谢神他们中间很多人没有失去他们的信心 they love God 他们爱神 they love Jesus他们爱主耶稣 they go on short term mission trips他们参加短宣 after college在大学之后 they want to return to our churches 他们要回到教会里面。however ninety one percent of them do not believe in absolute truth尽管他们中间91% 不承认有绝对真理。
again we’re talking about young people who love Jesus你要记得我们是讲那些爱主耶稣的年轻人，we’re talking about people in our church our own children我们是在讲我们教会里面的年轻人，我们的孩子们，perhaps I should define what the word absolute truth mean 或者我应该说跟你们解释一下绝对真理是什么意思。absolute truth means that there are truths that do not change according to culture 绝对真理就是不因文化而改变的真理，there are certain things that do not change 这些事情是不改变的，the Ten Commandments will always be true 十诫永远是真理的，God will always be holy神永远是圣洁的，and we need to remind ourselves first or second generation that the Bible teaches us absolute truths 因此 我们要常常的提醒我们，不管是我们是第一代的移民，还是第二代，圣经教导我们绝对的真理。
Now let’s take a look at some of the absolute truths that Paul preached on that day 我们现在看看保罗那天所讲的绝对真理 ：verse 24，24节，the God who made the world and everything in it being Lord of heaven and earth does not live in temples made by men，创造宇宙和其中万物的 神，既是天地的主，就不住人手所造的殿，Paul is saying two things about God 这里保罗讲到关于神两件事 number one第一件，God created the universe 神创造宇宙，number two第二点，God is the owner of the universe 上帝是宇宙的所有者 first of all God created heavens and earth第一点上帝创造天地 and secondly he is the Lord of heaven and earth第二点 祂是天地的主宰，our God is eternal 我们的神是永恒的。
what does the word eternal mean？永恒是什么意思呢？it means God is Lord over time 永恒的意思是神是时间的主宰eternal does not mean limitless time 永恒并不是说无限的时间，limitless time is still time因为无限的时间仍然是时间，Eternity is Lordship over time 但是永恒是神的主权在时间之上。What does the word infinite mean？那么那个无限是什么意思呢？That is God is infinite我们说神是无限的，it is not just limitless space 并不是说无限的一个空间 God is Lord over space 而是说神也是空间的主宰，limitless space is still space因为无限的空间仍旧是空间。Now young people or adult you need to understand our God is that great 年轻人或成年人，你们要知道我们神是这么伟大的一个神。
If you don’t put your faith in such a large and great God 如果你们不把你们的信心放在这么伟大的神当中 you are gonna run into trouble 你会遇到很多的困难，your faith will crumble你的信心会破碎，if your faith in Jesus Christ is only for your own good 假如你们对耶稣基督的信心只是为着自己的利益，you say why do you have to tell me God is so great and God demands that I worship him 你可能会说，林牧师为什么你要告诉我们神是如此的伟大，要我们去敬拜祂呢？Because the Bible tells me that your deepest need is worship 因为圣经告诉我，你们心里面最深处的需要是敬拜。I don’t have to prove that 我并不需要向你们证明这件事情，Bible tells me that因为圣经告诉我了。I’m only offering you the greatest God you could possibly worship。我只不过是把最伟大的神介绍给你们可以敬拜祂。
Let’s continue. 我们再继续下去，verse 24 at the end，does not live in temples made by man所以祂就不住在人所所造的殿里面 Lord is he served by human hands as though he needed anything since he himself gave gifts to all mankind life and breath and everything所以也不用人手服侍，好像缺少了什么，自己倒将生命、气息、万物赐给万人。God created the universe上帝创造宇宙，God is the Lord of the universe上帝是宇宙的主宰，God is the Lord of time上帝是时间的主宰，he is Lord of space祂是空间的主宰。
Next he does not need our worship下面是祂不需要我们敬拜。Read it verse 24 and 25，读24跟25节，now does God want us to worship him 上帝要不要我们敬拜祂呢？Yes，he wants us to worship him 是的，祂要我们敬拜祂，God commands us to worship him 上帝命令我们去敬拜祂，God delights in our worship上帝喜悦我们敬拜祂。and when we worship through Jesus 所以当我们透过主耶稣来敬拜祂的时候，God accepts our worship 所以接受我们的敬拜。
but brothers and sisters our God is so great he does not need our worship但是弟兄姊妹，我们的神是那么的伟大，祂不需要我们的敬拜，it is not because God is lonely 并不是说上帝很孤单or insecure 或者是说祂不平安，he wants people to give him a pat on the shoulder想要人拍拍祂的肩头，鼓励一下。frankly some of us don’t really understand why we worship God 坦率地说，我们中间有些人不真的明白为什么我们要敬拜神。we think that when we worship God we’ll get something out of it我们以为敬拜神，我们可能从中获得什么东西。God does not need our worship，上帝不需要我们敬拜祂，but he commands us to worship him但是祂命令我们敬拜祂 but that should affect our attitude when we worship 那应该影响到我们敬拜时的态度。Don’t think of God as your equal不要以为神是与我们同等的。
we’re gonna move on to verse 26，我们继续下看 26节，“And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth，having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place，他从一本造出万族的人，住在全地上，并且预先定准他们的年限和所住的疆界”。This verse tells us two things这解经文告诉我们两件事 mankind has a single ancestor his name is Adam人类只有一个始祖，他的名字叫亚当，and the second thing verse 26 says，26节讲的第二件事情是your cultural background is not an accident 你的文化背景并不是偶然的一件事情。
First，mankind has a single ancestor，第一点，人类是只有一个始祖。What does that have to do with you and me ?那对你我来讲有什么意思呢？The 21 century is filled with broken people，21世纪是充满了破碎的人，somebody’s dying of cancer有人死于癌症，people are going through divorce 人们离婚，and the children are watching their parents getting divorces，儿女们看着父母亲离婚，young people are watching their friends，young friends die年轻人看到他们自己年轻的朋友死去。So you try to comfort people and and share the gospel with them 所以你想安慰他们，跟他们分享福音。Every human being is different 但是每一个人都是不同的，we’re different in our cultural background 我们的文化背景不同，we’re different in the experiences that we have had in life 我们生活的经历不同，our world view and value system 我们的世界观和价值观不同。
How can I as a Christian communicate with a non Christian？我作为一个基督徒怎么样跟一个非基督徒交通呢？Some mission professors tell us 有的宣教的教授告诉我们：oh，you have to understand their culture 你们要明白他们的文化背景。Yes，we do need to understand their culture，是的，当然我们需要了解他们的文化背景，Chinese being a adult we’ve got to understand our next generation’s culture作为成年的中国人，我们需要了解我们下一代的文化的背景。
提示：逐字稿文字只限于个人和教会私下学习交流，目的是造就教会和教会负责带领、讲道的同工们；未经同意，请勿擅自在其它网站或平台转载和刊登课程的逐字稿；课程的逐字稿和图片的版权归「中华展望」，禁止复印出版等商业用途。当文字和录音不符时，以录音为准。愿上帝赐福文字编辑和校对的肢体来雅正！若是有修改的地方、奉献支持或是其他任何问题请使用以下邮件方式联系我们。中华网络圣约学院ccnci.org中华展望圣约学院 [email protected]（PayPal）