应许遥不可及时——亞伯拉罕的信心之旅（七）
When Promises Seem Far Away——
Abraham’s Journey of Faith Message of No.7
亚伯拉罕的信心之旅第七讲“坚信中的疑问；疑问中的坚信”
《创世记》Genesis 15
主讲：林慈信牧师_校对：刘加立弟兄
You see no believer in God will be without a family没有一个信徒是无家可归的：We all belong in God’s family、God’s kingdom我们都属于上帝的家、上帝的国度的。And not only will no believer be without a family没有信徒……不单单说是没有一个家，no believer will be without a calling没有一个信徒是没有上帝在他身上呼召的。So every believer will have a family——God’s church所以每一个信徒都有家——上帝的教会；and every Christian has a calling from God in ministry每一个信徒都有神所来的呼召，有他的侍奉的。
So you see Abram coming down from the mountain top of victory，perhaps in a moment of it in us weakness、a moment of tiredness、a moment of questioning所以我们再说，你看到亚伯兰从得胜的巅峰下来，可能有一刻疲倦、有一刻怀疑或者是疑问。There are other stories in the Bible we see these giants of faith in a moment of relative weakness圣经里面还有其它的信心的伟人会有一个时刻比较软弱的。Elijah以利亚——1《Kings》19《列王记》上十九章：great victory over the priest of Baal——大大的得胜，胜过巴力这个偶像的祭司们。Chapter 18第十八章、Chapter 19十九章：The queen got angry他惹起王后的怒气了。He has escaped他逃跑，he began to present his discourage他就有点的忧郁了。God took care of him上帝照顾了他，God spoke to him上帝也向他讲话。And God gave him a job to do——three jobs actually he did one，the other two were for Elisha上帝给他三项的任务——其实他是做一项，其他两项是交给以利沙的。
Brothers and sisiters，are we aware that there are certain moments when we are more vulnerable to doubt我们会不会察觉到我们在什么时候特别会信心会软弱，甚至会怀疑？After a period of busy ministry 我们经过了忙碌的侍奉的一段时间or whatever it is in your routine不论你自己的生活的循环在哪一刻，it’s important to notice these moments记得我们要察觉这些的一瞬间的软弱；and take a question to God不过把我们的问题带到上帝的面前。But don’t forget不要忘记：seek ye first the kingdom of God，and his righteousness你们先要求他的国和他的义。
IV.GOD RENEWS, CLARIFIES, EXPANDS HIS PROMISES上帝更新、澄清、扩大祂的应许：
Now No.4 today，let’s see how God response好，现在今天的第四部分，我们来看上帝是怎么样的回应。Now we already know that God has given Abram promises——Chapter 12、Chapter 13我们知道上帝已经把一些应许给了亚伯拉罕的——第十二章、第十三章。Now in Chapter 15现在来到（《创世记》）第十五章：We see here God renews his promises我们看到上帝更新他的应许；we see God clarifies his promises我们看到上帝澄清他的应许；and we see God expanding his promises我们看到上帝扩大他的应许的范围。
First of all，again，God speaking to Abram再一次看到上帝向亚伯兰讲话：
- He calls Abram by name他按亚伯兰的名字呼召他。
- God promised that he will continue to protect Abraham第
二上帝再一次的应许：上帝会继续保护亚伯兰的——『I am your shield』verse 1第一节『我是你的盾牌』。Yes enemies may return，是的，树大招风，敌人可能会回来；but God will again be Abram’s protection但是上帝会再次做亚伯兰的保护者的。
- God offers himself to Abram as his reward第三方面上帝把自己
赐给亚伯兰，作为亚伯兰的大赏赐。You see，we can translate verse 2 in this way因为我们第二节是可以这样……I’m sorry ，you see we can translate the second sentence of verse 1 this way我们可以把第1节的第二句话这样来翻译的。We read in our translations：Your reward should be very great我们中文是这样翻译的：必大大的赏赐你。新译本：你的赏赐是很大的。It is possible to translate different way另外一个可能，作为这个第一节最后一小句的翻译：I shall be your great reward我就是你的大赏赐！I’m your protection、your shield，I’m your reward我是你的盾牌、你的保护、我是你的大赏赐。
Brothers and sisters，there’s a lot discussion about rewards today in the church今天在基督教的圈子里面，很多人讨论赏赐的问题。God，himself or Jesus Christ himself is the greatest reward上帝或者主耶稣自己就是我们最大的赏赐。Once we have him or the other rewards are secondary我们有了他，其他的赏赐都是次要的；even though it is in God’s will to give it to us虽然上帝的美意是也把这些的赏赐也赐给我们。So you see God is saying：I’m your protection、I’m your rewards所以上帝对亚伯兰说：我就是你的保护、我就是你的赏赐。
4.God promises an heir from Abraham’s own body上帝应许后嗣必定来自亚伯拉罕自己亲生的后裔：
And then in verse 4（《创世记》第十五章）第4节：God promises an heir for Abraham，but from his own body上帝应许亚伯兰必有后嗣，这个后嗣是他自己亲生的后裔。And you see God gradually shows Abram what that meas上帝一步一步地、逐步地给亚伯兰显明这是什么意思？He’s on learn through great miserable failing in Chapter 16 that the next step he took was the wrong step因为我们看到他马上又犯错了——在第十六章；所作出的都不是上帝的计划。An heir from Abram’s own body是亚伯兰亲身要生的。And later on God will show Sarah from her body as well后来上帝再次的向亚伯兰显明，不过也向撒莱显明——是要她撒莱生的才算是后嗣Sarah’s baby would be the heir.
5.God promises heirs as numerous as the stars上帝应许后裔必定像天上的星那么多。
God not only promises heir from Abram and Sarah上帝不仅仅是应许一个后裔、一个后裔从亚伯兰跟撒莱生的；God promised heirs as numerous as the stars in heavens——verse 5上帝不单单应许一个后嗣、一个后裔，上帝应许亚伯兰的后裔必定像天上的星这么多。So God expands his promise上帝扩大他的应许；he clarifies his promise他澄清他的应许：Abram’s own son——from Abram亚伯兰自己的儿子——他亲生的儿子。And he expands the promise 上帝扩大他的应许，as numerous as the stars好像星星这么多。
6.God promises the land上帝再次应许‘地’：
No.6第六God also promised to Abram again that he will possess the land上帝再次的应许亚伯兰，他必定要拥有应许之地的。In verse 7在第7节：God said three things上帝讲了三方面的话：A.第一方面I am the Lord我是耶和华。The Lord——Jehovah， that’s the name God uses when he makes covenant with human beings我是耶和华。『耶和华』这个名字是上帝用来与人立约的名字。B.上帝，这位立约的上帝this covenant making God says：I brought you out of the Ur of the Chaldeans是我把你从迦勒底人的吾珥领出来的。God showed Abram what he did in the past上帝向亚伯兰再次提醒他上帝过去做了什么？C.第三What is God gonna doing in the future上帝将来要做什么？To give you this land possess为要你得到这地。God’s past work is for the sake of of his future work上帝过去的大工是为了将来他要做的。God took Abram out of Ur in order for the purpose of giving Abram the promise land上帝把亚伯兰从吾珥领出来，为了目的就是要赐给亚伯兰这块地。So again God renews、clarifies、expands his promises你看上帝再次的应许、澄清他的应许、扩大他的应许。
And then from verse 13 to 14然后到了第13到14节的时候：
7.God foretells the future of his descendants上帝预告他后裔的遭遇：
God told Abraham about the future of his descendants上帝告诉亚伯兰他的未来的后裔要遭遇什么事：A.Suffering受苦；B.but God will deliver但是上帝会来搭救；C.and they will settle and possess the promised land上帝搭救他们之后，他们会定居、拥有应许之地了。That’for Abram那么对亚伯兰自己呢？
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8.God guarantees to Abraham old age and peaceful death——verse 15在（《创世记》第十五章）第15节上帝保证亚伯兰，他必长寿，然后平安去世的。
So you see，God is giving Abram promises over and over again所以你看到上帝一次、再次、多次的把应许一次一次的给亚伯兰。Brothers and sisters，is your greatest desire God’s kingdom弟兄姐妹我们再问一次：你心中最大的愿望是什么？是不是愿望上帝的国降临呢？You see God will bring about his kingdom上帝必定会设立他的国的。Jesus came to establish his kingdom耶稣来就是要设立天国的。The question is：is this what you desire问题是你所愿望的是这个吗？Would you like to take part of it你愿意在这个国度里有份吗？
In the moment of weakness we may begin to feel sorry for ourselves当我们有软弱的一刻的时候，我们可能会自怜——自我可怜。We may again look at our physical and this world needs我们可能又再一次地在看我们自己今生的、物质上的需要，as Abram did in Chapter 12正如亚伯兰在（《创世记》）第十二章所做的，and as he’s going to do again——do something wrong in Chapter 16然后到了十六章我们下面一章，他又再一次的犯错——out of fear、out of worry因为他惧怕或者因为他忧虑。So in the moment of weakness所以当我们有一点点动摇的时候，hold on to God’s promises抓住神的应许。
V.FAITH FOCUSES ON GOD’S WORD AND IS EFFECTIVE BECAUSE OF GOD’S WORD信心的焦点是上帝的话；信心有效（蒙悦纳、发生功效）也都是因为上帝的话：
What is faith信心是什么？Faith is to take hold of God’s word信心就是抓住神的应许。Faith is to take hold of Lord Jesus Christ信心就是抓住我们的救主耶稣基督。We will continue to discuss faith in our next message我们在下一次信息会再讲信心的性质的。And we will look at this very unusual ceremony that God told Abraham to prepare for in Chapter 15然后我们再来看上帝在第十五章吩咐亚伯兰进入到一个非常不寻常的仪式。
But for now但是在这个时刻，faith may question God信心可能会向上帝提问，it’s ok可以的；but you see God answer上帝会回答；not by telling Abram when the promises will be fullfilled不是告诉亚伯兰应许什么时候会实现or how或者方法。But you noticed what God did上帝做的是什么？He revealed his past mighty promises上帝跟亚伯兰温习他过去所给的应许、过去所做的作为。So Abram learned to just hold on to God and hold on to God’s promises所以亚伯兰学习抓住上帝、抓住他的应许。What does it mean to believe God信上帝的什么意思呢？It involves believing his promises信上帝就包括信他的应许；because to believe God’s promises even in the moments of weakness is to believe God因为就算在我们软弱的时候，抓住上帝信靠他的应许的时候，这个就是信心的表现。Jesus Christ is our example耶稣基督是我们的榜样and also our guarantee也是我们的保证。We will overcome我们会胜过的。Faith will win the victory信心会得胜的，not on our strength不是靠我们自己的力量，because they’re gonna weak in these vulnerable moments因为我们的信心会在某一些的时刻会非常的脆弱。Faith focuses on Christ and his promises信心的焦点是在耶稣基督身上、在神的应许那里。That kind of faith God accept and pleased with这种的信心上帝喜悦、上帝悦纳的。So watch your desire所以我们要留意我们心里面最大的愿望是什么？Will God give any signs上帝会给什么记号吗？Brothers and sisters，God’s signs lie in his word上帝的印证、记号都在他的话语里面。By his grace，through the Holy Spirit，we will learn all over again how to believe in God and believe in our savior Jesus Christ靠着他的恩典、靠着圣灵，让我们再一次的学习，怎么信靠我们的神、怎么相信他的应许。
Let us pray together我们一起祷告：Father we are grateful that you know our weaknesses上帝我们感谢你，你知道我们的软弱；and you know our weak moments你也知道我们软弱的一些的时刻。You grant these victories the times of joy and celebration有的时候你给我们喜乐、赞美、欢庆；sometimes we can’t stand up further anymore有时候我们站立不稳了——our faith begins to shake我们的信心就会动摇。Father，have mercy on us求上帝怜悯我们：strengthen our weak feet我们动摇的腿，求主你再一次的坚固；enable us by your grace to believe your promises帮助我们靠着你的恩典，再次的仍然坚持相信你的应许；encourage us求主你亲自的鼓励我们，give us hope求主你自己给我们盼望；engrave in our hearts：you are protection，you are reward求主把你的应许刻在我们的心版上：你就是我们的保护；你就是我们的赏赐。All because of Jesus did for us都因为主耶稣为我们成就的大工！We pray in Jesus’name，Amen我们奉耶稣基督的圣名求，阿们！
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