应许遥不可及时——亚伯拉罕的信心之旅（六）When Promises Seem Far Away: Abraham’s Journey of Faith (6)：『我宁愿有耶稣，胜于人的声望I’D RATHER HAVE JESUS THAN MEN’S APPLAUSE』——《创世记》Genesis 14：
主讲：林慈信牧师_校对：刘加立
Hymn: 圣诗《I’d Rather Have Jesus‘我宁愿有耶稣’》（《生命圣诗》第361首）
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold我宁愿有耶稣，胜于金钱；
I’d rather be His than have riches untold我宁属耶稣，胜于财富无边。
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands我宁愿有耶稣，胜于地土；
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand愿主钉痕手，引导我前途。
Refrain副歌：Than to be the king of a vast domain, or be held in sin’s dread sway胜过作君王虽统治万方却仍受罪恶捆绑；
I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today我宁愿有耶稣胜于世界荣华，富贵，声望。
I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause我宁愿有耶稣，胜于称颂；
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause我宁忠于主，成全祂的事工；
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame我宁愿有耶稣，胜于名声；
I’d rather be true to His holy name愿向主圣名永赤胆忠诚。
Refrain副歌: Than to be the king of a vast domain, or be held in sin’s dread sway胜过作君王虽统治万方却仍受罪恶捆绑；
I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today我宁愿有耶稣胜于世界荣华，富贵，声望。He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom恩主比百合花更加美艳；
He’s sweeter than honey from out the comb远比蜂房蜜更加可口甘甜；
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs惟主能满足我饥渴心灵；
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead我宁愿有主，跟随祂引领。
Refrain副歌: Than to be the king of a vast domain, or be held in sin’s dread sway胜过作君王虽统治万方却仍受罪恶捆绑；
I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today我宁愿有耶稣胜于世界荣华，富贵，声望。
引言：温习Introduction：Review：
Abraham’s Journey of Faith message No. 6亚伯拉罕的信心之旅第六次的信息。Our scripture is the entire fourteen chapter of 《Genesis》我们的经文是《创世记》十四章全章。I will only start reading at verse 17我只是从第17节开始读：After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh——that is the King’s Valley. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine，he was priest of God Most High第17节：亚伯兰杀败基大老玛和与他同盟的王回来的时候，索多玛王出来在沙微谷迎接他——沙微谷就是王谷。又有撒冷王麦基洗德带着饼和酒出来迎接，他是至高上帝的祭司。Verse 19：and he blessed him and said：Blessed be Abram by God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth：and blessed be God Most High who hath delivered your enemies into your hand.And Abram gave him a tenth of everything他为亚伯兰祝福说：愿天地的主、至高的上帝赐福于亚伯兰，至高的上帝把敌人交在你手里是应当称颂的，亚伯兰就把所得的拿出十分之一来给麦基洗德。
Verse 21:And the king of Sodom said to Abram“Give me the persons，but take the goods for yourself.” But Abram said to the king of Sodom“I have lifted my hand to the Lord，God Most High，Possessor of heaven and earth，that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say‘I have made Abram rich.’ 所多玛王对亚伯兰说：你把人口给我，财物你自己拿去吧。亚伯兰对所多玛王说：我已经向天地的主、至高的上帝耶和华起誓：凡是你的东西，就是一根线、一根鞋带，我都不拿，免得你说：我使亚伯兰富足。Verse 24:I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten，and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner，Eshcol，and Mamre take their share只有仆人所吃的，并与我同行的亚乃、以实各、幔利所应得的份，可以任凭他们拿去。
By way of introduction let us review what has happened so far我们一开始先来温习一下，到目前为止我们看到的是什么？Let’s review Abraham’s journey of faith我们来温习亚伯拉罕的信心之旅：（1）In Chapter 12 he took some good first steps（《创世记》）第十二章亚伯兰做出信心的起步，开始得非常好：obedience and worship顺服，还有敬拜。（2）Second half of Chapter 12，Abram experience his first major failure第十二章的下半章，亚伯兰第一次的大大的失败：due to fear and he lied出于惧怕，他也撒谎了。（3）Chapter 13到了十三章，there was recovery he returned from his failure十三章是复原——他从失败中起来了：He made a spiritual choice——opposite of Lot’s sensual choice在那里，亚伯兰做了一个属灵的选择——有别于罗得的选择，罗得的选择是出于情欲的。（4）Now we come to Chapter 14现在我们来到第十四章，here Abram took his major step在这里，亚伯兰走出重要的一步：Because he was facing a situation which requires a proactive and decisive choice他所面对的事情需要他主动地、果断地选择。Now Abram like all of us believers that lives in the world，though not of the world亚伯兰跟所有的信徒都是活在这个世界里，虽然是不属于这个世界的。Now this is the way the world temps us believers这个世界是这样子来诱惑信徒们的。
Chapter 13第十三章the temptation of materialism and selfishness物质主义和自私的试探；Chapter 14第十四章is the temptation of man’s applause and self-esteem第十四章是别人给我们的称赞、声望的试探、自我形象的试探。As Hollywood and US media puts it：the temptation is to gain“15 minutes of fame”好像好莱坞跟美国媒体说：可以有“十五分钟的亮相”。
But what was God doing问题是上帝在做什么?Well， he was establishing his covenant with Abram上帝在与亚伯兰立约——God was giving him salvation上帝是在拯救他给他救恩的：
[1] In Chapter 12在（《创世记》）十二章：He gave Abram a command along with promises 他给亚伯兰一个命令，同时带着应许的。
[2]Chapter 12 to 13 十二到十三章：He protected Abram while he sinned上帝在亚伯兰犯罪的时候仍然保护着他，and even gave him material blessings afterwards甚至乎在他犯罪之后，在物质上还是赐福给他的。
[3]Chapter 13第十三章：He gave Abram a greater promise祂给亚伯拉罕更大的应许：He promised all the land to Abram他把全地都应许要给亚伯兰的。
[4]Now we come to Chapter 14现在我们来到第十四章：What is God doing here上帝在这里做什么？God is giving Abram an encounter with Jesus Christ上帝在这里要亚伯拉罕与耶稣基督相遇，to fellowship with Christ与耶稣基督交通的。
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[5]And then in the next chapter Chapter15到了下一章十五章：God was gonna use a very solemn awesome ceremony to make a covenant oath with Abraham上帝要用一个非常严肃的仪式来与亚伯拉罕发誓立约的。
That’s what God doing上帝就是在做这些事情：wonderful acts of Salvation上帝奇妙的救恩透过行这些大事临到亚伯兰的。So far what lessons have we learned到目前为止我们学到什么功课呢？
[1]Chapter 12第十二章：We should obey God’s command我们需要顺从上帝的命令。
[2]Chapter 13第十三章：Don’t worry about food and livelihood.Trust God不要为食物、生活忧虑惧怕，要信靠上帝。And if we sin，we should repent from our sin犯罪的时候要悔改认罪。
[3]Now Chapter 14现在来到第十四章了。Now we’re gonna learn this chapter about love in action现在我们要学爱心采取行动的功课：Love is a fruit of faith爱是信心所结出的果子。Here we’re gonna learn four spiritual lessons在这里我们要学到四方面的属灵的功课：
1.第一个功课：How the world will eat you alive、will
eat the believers’souls alive世界怎么样来吞吃信徒的灵魂的？The world offers us no mercy世界对我们不怜悯的、不客气的。It gonna to eat your life要吞吃我们的。2.第二个功课：How we as believers can be faithful and obedient while living in the world我们怎么样在这个世界生活，仍然可以有信心又信实、又顺服上帝——信靠顺服——『Love in action爱心采取行动』！
3.第三方面的功课：What the world will offer you世界会给你什么？In other words，how the world will tempt you世界会怎么样诱惑你？
4.And finally the fourth lesson最后第四个功课是：Be alert：what is God doing我们要警觉留意上帝在做什么?
I.LESSON #1第一项的功课：DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD不要贪爱世界，BECAUSE THE WORLD WILL EAT YOU UP WITH DESTROY YOUR SOUL因为世界会吞吃你的灵魂，会毁灭你的(VV.1-12)
The passages is verse 1 to 12经文是《创世记》十四章第1到12节：We remember in Chapter 13我们记得在第十三章，Lot made a choice罗得做出了选择：a choice out of sensual lust是基于情欲的选择，a choice for materialism他选择了物质主义。Now Lot’s location Sodom罗得的所在地索多玛is a place of great prosperity and the place of great evil 所以极其富有的地方也是极其邪恶的地方。The Jordan Valley is the crossroads between empires Mesopotamia and Egypt这个约旦河（谷）流的地区是帝国的交汇点（美索不达米亚和埃及的交汇点）） 。The reality is现实的世界是：it is a world of geopolitics of power struggle现实的世界是一个地域政治的世界，是一个国际斗争的世界。
Le’t go back to《Genesis》4我们回到《创世记》第四章：After mankind failed人类堕落之后：
[1]There was Idolatry人会敬拜偶像；
[2]There was hatred and murder人会彼此憎恨、谋杀——the first sin after the Fall was Cain killing his brother人类堕落之后第一件的罪行就是该隐杀掉他的弟弟。
[3]There was great arrogance about man’s cultural achievements、about urbanization第三，人会很傲慢——为自己的文化的成就，为自己的城市化、都市化而骄傲。
[4]Instead of spreading up over the earth，man was greeding and expanded his power上帝是要人分散在全地；人是贪心地要扩张自己的势力：Now it is interesting that in the twenty of century很有趣的是在二十世纪的时候，archaeologists have been confirming with evidence the historicity of 《Genesis》14考古学家证明《创世记》第十四章是真实的历史的记载的。（1）The oldest writing that archaeologists found comes from Sumer which peak around 2400 B.C.人类最早的文字是出自苏美尔，他们的全盛期是主前2400年。（2）And then Akkad conquered Sumer之后阿卡德就征服了苏美尔。And their peak was around 2350 B.C.他们的全盛期大概是主前2350年。Now the four kings metioned here in our passage comes from this area我们在（《创世记》）第十四章看到这四个王来自这个地区的。（3）Then Sumer people——Sumerians defeated Akkad again苏美尔人又战败了阿卡德，and their peak was 2100 B.C.他们的全盛期是主前2100年。Here we read the oldest law code这里我们读到这个地区最早的法律《Ur-Nammu》（《乌尔纳姆法典》是用楔形文字写成的世界上最早的成文法典，以当时乌尔第三王朝的创始者Ur-Nammu的名字命名）。They worshiped their Monn God Sin（也被称为Suen）他们拜月亮这个神的宗教——这个神叫做Sin 。And this is where Abraham’s ancestors came from这个就是亚伯拉罕的祖籍。（4）And then around 2000 B.C.然后到了主前2000年的时候，Babylon began to dominate or rather control the area巴比伦人就开始控制这个地区。The dynasty is called Ur III 这段时期叫做吾珥第三个朝代（吾珥第三王朝）。Babylon controlled the area，but really no superpower dominated是的，巴比伦人控制这个地区，但没有完全管辖。During this period，4 kings extended influence southwestward to Canaan that’s what we read about the war在这段时期四王扩展他们影响力，向西南部迦南地，所以我们就读到《创世记》第十四章的战争了。
This period you read the Nuzi Tablets（禊形文字）在这段时期，Nuzi这个地方有很多的文字。They tell us about the customs of that time告诉我们当时很多的习惯、习俗。The four kings dominated or controlled the five kings of the Jordan Valley四王控制了约旦河流的五王，for twelve years有十二年这么久。And then the Jordan Valley kings rebelled然后约旦河的五王反叛。Then when the year later the four kings came to attack再过一年四王来攻打，and they plundered the cities and captured its people他们来抢劫、来掳掠，and of course they captured Lot当然他们也把罗得也掳去了。
You see，brothers and sisiters：we can expect this is the normal pattern of the sinful world弟兄姐妹，我们可以预期这个是世界一般运作的模式：Empires rise，Empires fall王国兴，王国衰。What can we learn我们可以学到什么功课？What should we do我们该如何行？What we can learn from Lot’s example从罗得他这个个案我们可以学到什么呢？As I was meditating on this当我在默想这件事情的时候，I think of three different scenarios how Christians face a reality such as Sodom我想到三种不同的情况，就是基督徒跟索多玛这种的世界之间的关系。The three situations are那三种情况是：[1]Sometimes we have a choice首先第一种的情况是我们有选择的；[2]The second situation is we have no choice第二种情况是我们没有选择的；[3]And the third situation is when God calls us to make a choice to follow him and to serve him第三种情况是当上帝的呼召来到要差遣我们。
[1]选择一条对灵命有益的路；不要先考虑其他需要——我可以做什么帮助世界（事奉）：If there’s a choice Scenario 1第一种情况是：当我们有选择的时候if it’s up to us假如是任由我们选择的话，we should choose like Abraham’s choice：chose a path that spiritually beneficial for us我们要学习亚伯拉罕的选择，他选择一条对自己的灵命有帮助、有益处的道路。Now for some of us Christians was ministry minded我们有些基督徒是很注重、很关心服事的，instead of choosing to meet some need——some urgent need for the Gospel，we should first choose what is specially beneficial for us我们很多时候会考虑到我们选择去什么地方，先问：我们可以服事吗？可以满足什么事情上的需要吗？我看亚伯拉罕选择的是：他先问对自己最好的。
[2]The second Scenario is if we have no choice第二种情况是当我们没有选择，then we should be spiritual alert我们就应该有属灵的警觉：Yes we live in the world是的我们活在世界中，but do not belong to the world 但是不要属于这个世界，do not conform to the world不要效法这个世界，but be transformed by the renewal of your mind我们的心思意念要变化，这样子来更新。
I think of the black church in the United States cities让我想到美国黑人区的教会，many of our black brothers and sisiters have no choice我们很多的黑人的弟兄姐妹是没有选择的，around them agains murder and drug traffic他们住在一个充满着贩毒、罪案、谋杀的一个地区。There are no choice，or at least many of them do not have choice他们大部分人是没有选择的。And very often the real estate practices do not allow them to buy a house where the people do not welcome them美国很多时候的地产界的一些的习惯不允许他们搬到一些不欢迎他们的地区。And so the church becomes the watch man所以教会——黑人的教会，就成为守望者。Be alert警觉，because they face these realities因为他们所面对的就是这些的事实。So church and family they stand up and stay alert with faith and with hope所以他们充满着信心、盼望，过警醒的生活的。
[3]Thirdly第三种的情况是：maybe God calls some people to go into places like that有的时候上帝呼召一些人，差遣他们进到这种的地区；well，we might call city mission or urban mission我们可能称这些作城市宣教。Those whom God calls need to obey上帝呼召的人要顺服上帝；but they must also prepare spiritually但他们同时要做出属灵的准备：They should prepare to do good准备好行善and be spiritually alert for your faith and for your life我们要有属灵的警觉：看守着自己的信仰，看守着自己的生命。
Very often the tremendous need and challenge of the mission field including the cities很多时候我们看到宣教工场的挑战和需要，特别是大城市的需要；we are so enamoured by the need我们被这种的需要挑战——占有了我们的心灵；and our faith of conviction begin to move结果是我们的信仰——信仰立场开始摇动。
So this is the first lesson这个就是第一项的功课：Don’t love the world，the world will eat you up不要爱这个世界，这个世界要吃掉你的。
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