When Promises Seem Far Away应许遥不可及时——Abraham’s Journey of Faith Message of No.5
亚伯拉罕信心之旅第五次的信息
『我宁愿有耶稣，胜于金钱地土I’D RATHER HAVE JESUS THAN MONEY OR LANDS』——
主讲：林慈信牧师_校对：刘加立弟兄
《创世记Genesis》13
引言Introduction：
Today our scripture is from 《Genesis》13今天我们的经文是《创世记》第十三章：So Abram went up from Egypt，he and his wife and all that he had，and Lot with him into the Negev. Now Abram was very rich in livestock、in silver and gold. And he journeyed on from the Negev as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning，between Bethel and Ai，to the place where he had made an altar at the first.And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord(ESV)亚伯兰带着他的妻子与罗得并一切所有的，都从埃及上南地去。亚伯兰的金、银、牲畜极多。他从南地渐渐往伯特利去，到了伯特利和艾的中间，就是他以前支搭帐棚的地方，也是他起先筑坛的地方，他又在那里求告耶和华的名。
And Lot，who went with Abram also had flocks and herds and tents，so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together；for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together，and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land与亚伯兰同行的罗得也有牛群、羊群、帐棚。那地容不下他们，因为他们的财物甚多，使他们不能同居。当时，迦南人与比利洗人在那地居住。亚伯兰的牧人和罗得的牧人相争。
Then Abram said to Lot“Let there be no strife between you and me，and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen，for we are kinsmen.Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me.If you take the left hand，then I will go to the right，or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.”And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord，like the land of Egypt，in the direction of Zoar.This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other亚伯兰就对罗得说：“你我不可相争，你的牧人和我的牧人也不可相争，因为我们是弟兄。遍地不都在你眼前吗？请你离开我。你向左，我就向右；你向右，我就向左。”罗得举目看见约旦河的全平原，直到琐珥都是滋润的。那地在耶和华未灭所多玛、蛾摩拉以先，如同耶和华的园子，也像埃及地。于是罗得选择约旦河的全平原，往东迁移，他们就彼此分离了。
Abram settled in the land of Canaan，while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord亚伯兰住在迦南地，罗得住在平原的城邑，渐渐挪移帐棚，直到所多玛。所多玛人在耶和华面前罪大恶极。
The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever罗得离别亚伯兰以后，耶和华对亚伯兰说：“从你所在的地方，你举目向东西南北观看，凡你所见的一切地，我都要赐给你和你的后裔，直到永远。
I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord我也要使你的后裔如同地上的尘沙那样多，人若能数算地上的尘沙，才能数算你的后裔。你起来，纵横走遍这地，因为我必把这地赐给你。”亚伯兰就搬了帐棚，来到希伯仑幔利的橡树那里居住，在那里为耶和华筑了一座坛。
This passage is filled with spiritual lessons这章经文充满着属灵的功课，make me think of the hymn that George Beverly Shea used to sing very often at The Billy Graham Crusade让我想起在葛培理布道会的时候，那位独唱的男低音常常会唱的《I’d rather have Jesus我宁愿有耶稣》。The first verse goes like this第一节的歌词这样说：I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold; I’d rather be His than have riches untold我宁愿有耶稣，胜于金钱；我宁属耶稣，胜于财富无边。I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands; I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand我宁愿有耶稣，胜于地土；愿主钉痕手引导我前途。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。We can see in《Genesis》Chapter 13 that Abraham recovered from his failure and fiasco in Egypt我们在《创世记》第十三章看到亚伯兰从在埃及闯的大祸恢复过来了；and grew in his faith我们也看到他在信心上在成长。
God never stops working上帝不断的在做工。He works to accomplish the purposes of his covenant of grace上帝不断的做工来成就他的恩典之约的旨意。
Five spiritual lessons五项的属灵的功课：
I.Lesson #1第一项功课：“I’d Rather Have Jesus Than Money or Lands我宁愿有耶稣（或者耶和华），胜于金钱地土”：
We can reference《Philippians》3:8-10我们也可以参考《腓立比书》第三章8到10节：Paul says to know Jesus Christ is the most precious thing in life保罗说认识耶稣基督为至宝。1.Lesson No.1第一项的功课：Everything that we have is grace我们人生一切所有的都是恩典；everything that we are is grace我们之所以成为怎样一个人都是恩典：
God delivered Abram from Egypt上帝把亚伯兰救出埃及了。Now this rescue was sheer grace! 这个的搭救完全是恩典！And we noticed that Abraham left Egypt a rich man我们也注意到亚伯兰离开埃及时候他财富很多的。This was sheer grace, this was underserved grace这个完全是恩典，是不配得的恩典。
We’ll note how Abram response to grace下面我们会注意到亚伯兰对上帝的恩典有怎么样的回应。In Chapter 13，yes； also Chapter 14在第十三章、十四章都有他的回应的。
2.Return to first steps of faith回到起步的信心。
In the beginning of Chapter 13 we notice that Abram returned to first steps of faith我们注意到在第十三章一开始的时候，亚伯兰回到起步的信心。We thank God that Abram did not lose his faith after the sojourn in Egypt我们感谢主亚伯兰经过了埃及的经历和他所闯的大祸，并没有失去他的信心。He returned to the Negeb and south他回到南地。And then to Bethel然后回到伯特利where he previously had pitched his tent就是他以前曾经支搭帐篷的地方——verse 3 & 4(《创世记》第十三章)第3、第4节。
In《Revelation》2:5在《启示录》第二章第5节：Jesus told the church耶稣吩咐教会to remember our first love要记得重拾我们起初的爱心：Go back to the first steps回去起初所走的那几步。We need to remember God’s grace——undeserved grace我们要记得上帝的恩典，记得这些恩典都是不配得的！
It is amazing that in the Bible we read of these people and since they committed their mistakes they made很奇妙的是，在圣经里面这么多的圣经人物，他们犯罪、他们闯祸；the God is gracious但是耶和华是充满着恩典和怜悯的。
《Psalm》103诗篇103篇：Bless the Lord, O my soul, and bless all that is within me, bless his holy name我的心哪，你要称颂耶和华，凡在我里面的，也要称颂他的圣名！Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits我的心哪，你要称颂耶和华，不可忘记他的一切恩惠。Who forgives all your iniquity他赦免你的一切罪孽；who heals all your diseases医治你的一切的疾病；who redeems your life from the pit他救赎你的命脱离死亡；who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy以慈爱和怜悯为你的冠冕；who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s他以福乐使你的心愿满足，以致你好像鹰一般恢复青春的活力（诗103:1~5）。
Remember，remember记得，记得：count your blessings要数算主的恩典的——Lesson number 1第一项的功课。
II.Lesson #2第二项的属灵的功课：To quote Jesus’s words in 《Matthew》6:24引用耶稣在《马太福音》第六章24节的话：You Can not Serve God and Serve Mammon你们不能又事奉上帝，又事奉玛门：
1.What is money金钱是什么？
Both Abram and Lot were rich man亚伯兰和罗得都是富有的人。What is money? 金钱是什么？Well, in the plainest sense, money is a tool of exchange最明显的意义是，金钱是交换的工具。And having money/riches can be an opportunity for doing good——for God and for others有钱可以是行善的机会——服事上帝服事别人的机会——《Ephesians》4:28《以弗所书》第四章28节。
2.But money/riches can be a burden但是金钱财富很可能成为包袱、重担：
Earning money can be a burden赚钱本身可能是重担；storing up you money can be a burden把钱财积蓄起来也可能是一个重担。In《James》Chapter 5 tells us the hazard of storing money《雅各布布书》第五章告诉我们：你要把你的钱财存放起来本身有很多的危机或者是麻烦的——《James》5:1-3《雅各书》第五章：Come now you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire嗐！你们这些富足人哪，应当哭泣、号啕，因为将有苦难临到你们身上。你们的财物坏了，衣服也被虫子咬了。你们的金银都长了锈，那锈要证明你们的不是，又要吃你们的肉，如同火烧。
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Storing money but is a risky business存放我们的财宝是冒险；to keep and account our money can be a burden记账本身也是一个重担。We very seldom think in this way that using money can be a burden我们一般不会这样看，但花钱消费是一个重担；and even more a burden when we abuse it滥用金钱更加是一个重担。And fear of losing money is a burden too为金钱忧虑，恐怕失去金钱，是一个重担。
These are warnings for modern immigrants对我们今天的移民人士是一个警告——Immigrants to the city移民到大城市的人、immigrants to the western countries移民到西方国家的人。Now there is nothing wrong with it moving to the big cities移民到大城市本身没有什么错，but very often our choices reveal our hearts and value of our hearts但是我们往往所作出的选择，是揭露出我们心里…我们的内心和内心的价值观的。
And Jesus pointedly talk about this in《Matthew》 Chapter 6 verse 20，right in the middle of the sermon on a mount耶稣一针见血的在登山宝训，恰恰中间的那里说出这一点——《马太福音》第六章第20节；right in the middle of the sermon on a mount Jesus says在登山宝训中间耶稣这样说——Verse 22第22节：“The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness”! Verse 21“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”我们从22节开始读：“眼睛就是身上的灯。你的眼睛若了亮，全身就光明；你的眼睛若昏花，全身就黑暗。你里头的光若黑暗了，那黑暗是何等大呢”！21节“因为你的财宝在哪里，你的心也在那里”。And so Jesus goes on verse 24 tell us:“you cannot serve two masters, either God or money”所以耶稣在24节就继续说：“一个人不能服事两个主人，你要不就是服事上帝，要不就是钱财”。
Not only that不但如此，money is a tool of exchange金钱是交换的工具，money can be an opportunity for doing good金钱可以用来做很多的好事。But money can be a burden但是金钱可能是一个重担。And way we get on money and use on money reveal the values in our heart我们怎么得到我们的钱财、怎么花我们的钱财，都揭露出我们内心的价值观。
3.Money can be a snare and an idol钱财可能是陷阱，可能是偶像：
And Jesus in 《Mark》10:23耶稣在《马可福音》十章23节：After the rich yang man sadly left him那个少年的官忧愁的离开耶稣之后，Jesus says: How difficult it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom耶稣说钱的人进天国是何等的难啊！That is rich people who are not rich in the spirit换言之，在外表是富足，心灵却贫穷的人，it is real difficult for them to be true kingdom disciples他们很难做天国的真正的门徒的。
4.Have you built a Biblical“philosophy of money”你是否已经建立了一个符合圣经的金钱观呢
So brothers and sisters所以弟兄姐妹，have you built a Biblical“philosophy of money”你是否已经建立了一个符合圣经的金钱观呢？（1）About earning money and hard work如何赚钱，勤劳的工作。（2）And then the philosophy about spending money for our needs, not our wishes第二，你的金钱观包括怎么花钱——为了我们所需要的而不是欲望。（3）Number 3, the philosophy include how to save money for your family第三，你的金钱观包括如何积蓄——为了家庭；Not for yourself but for your lover不是为了自己，是为了家人。（4）And finally your philosophy of money includes how to give money away最后，你的金钱观包括怎么捐钱。《Ephesians》4:28《以弗所书》第四章28节Teaches us that one purpose for earning money is for give it away我们基督徒赚钱的其中一个目的就是要把它捐出去——For God and for others为上帝也是为别人来奉献。
In 《Genesis》Chapter 13在《创世记》十三章，We saw that riches became a burden我们看到财富成为一个重担：Both Abram and Lot have lots of gold、silver、cattle and tents亚伯拉罕跟罗得都有很多的金、银、牛羊和帐篷。It could be instruments for good可以用来做很多的好事的。The question is what’s in the heart问题是我们的心——内心里面有怎么样的动机。So we see that because their riches grow所以我们看到他们的财富越来越多。There wasn’t enough space for the two men’s servants and two men’s cattle and two men’s tents我们就发觉他们两方面都有牛羊、都有仆人、都有帐篷，那地就容不下他们两帮人了。
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