亚伯拉罕信心之旅_02_应许遥不可及时
主讲：林慈信牧师_校对：刘加立弟兄
When Promises Seem Far Away: Abraham’s Journey of Faith (2)
启程信心之旅THE JOURNEY OF FAITH BEGINS
(一)祷告：Let us begin with pray我们一同祷告：Father
we are grateful for being our faithful God天父感谢你，你是我们信实的上帝！You are always been there from the beginning of our journey of faith我们踏出信心之路一开始,你就在那里托住我们。You held us up、you protect us、you guide us and you leade us你保护我们、你供给我们所需要的，你带领我们的的路。We ask Holy Spirit illuming us as we study your words today我们今天研究你的话语,求圣灵光照我们。We pray in a sufficient Savior you Jesus’s name ,Amen!我们奉那位全备的救主耶稣基督的名求，阿们！
（二）The Journey Of Faith Begins信心之旅启程：When promises seem far away：Abraham’s Journey of Faith message No.2这个是《应许遥不可及时——亚伯拉罕的信心之旅》第二讲：The last message we saw that Abraham believed the Gospel that was preached to him上一讲我们看到：亚伯拉罕相信那个传给他的福音。He believed in Jesus Christ他相信耶稣基督。Jesus said that Abraham saw my day and was glad耶稣基督亲自说：亚伯拉罕看到我的日子就欢喜快乐的。He believed Christ他相信耶稣基督，and he was justified through his faith而他因信——因这个信心称义了，and the same faith was the instrument of sanctification这个信心也是使亚伯拉罕成圣的工具。
（三）Now,let’s go back to the very beginning of Abraham’s story现在我们回到亚伯拉罕的故事，从头开始来讲：Brothers and sisters，If you look back弟兄姐妹，当你回顾，when you first took a tiny steps of faith 当你起初踏出信心的一小步的时侯，Did you triumph你得胜了吗？Did you fall or fail你跌倒了吗、失败了吗？No matter what happened, God was there不论你当时的情况如何，上帝是在那里的。He has always been there他从来就在：preparing you、shaping and molding you、calling you预备你、塑造你、呼召你。Great is his faithfulness祂的信实是广大的！His promises never fail祂的应许永不落空。And Jesus’s blood and resurrection power are always sufficient for you而耶稣基督的宝血跟复活的大能永远对你是有效的。
（四）Today we look at three things今天我们来看三方面：I.How God prepared to call Abram上帝怎么做预备功夫预备来呼召亚伯兰。II.God’s calling came to Abram第二上帝的呼召是怎么临到亚伯兰。III.How Abram took his first step of faith response to God’s call第三亚伯兰怎么样踏出信心的第一步来回应上帝的呼召。
I.First of all God was always Working第一.上帝不断地一直在做工: He All Along, He Was Preparing to Call Abram一直来上帝为呼召亚伯兰作预备功夫的。
(1)First as God look on this sinful world filled with siners，God was not silent当上帝面对这个充满着罪人的世界,上帝并没有沉默。God continuously executed judgment上帝不断地执行审判的。Now after Noah’s Flood在挪亚时期洪水之后呢，the lifespan of men continued steadly to decrease人类的寿命一直一直的减短。From Adam to Lamech (that was Noah’s father) there were 1000 years从亚当到拉麦（就是挪亚的父亲）是1000年。But from Lamech(Noah’s father) to Shem(Noah’s son) also 1000 years从拉麦到闪（挪亚的儿子）也是1000年。It is possible that Lamech knew both Adam，on the one hand and Shem有可能拉麦认识亚当，也认识闪。And Shem probably knew Abram而闪有可能认识亚伯兰。This is assuming that we believe literary the genealogies in Genesis这个是假设我们相信用字义来理解《创世记》的家谱。And I see no reason why we should not我不感觉到有什么理由不相信《创世记》家谱的年份的。
After the Flood, mankind continues to be arrogant and sin against God洪水之后，人类继续骄傲，犯罪顶撞上帝。In 《Genesis》 11 we read about Tower of Babel 我们在《创世记》第十一章读到巴别塔的记载。And God came down with judgement上帝下来审判人类。（《Genesis》11）8 & 9(《创世记》)第十一章8到9节：『so the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth. Verse 9:Its name called Babel because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth于是耶和华使他们从那里分散在全地上… 。因为耶和华在那里变乱了天下人的言语，使众人分散在全地上…』。So man continued to sin所以人继续犯罪，God continued to judge上帝继续的审判。
(2)But at the same time that God judges us, he continues to show mercy to mankind但是上帝审判人类之同时，不断的向人类施怜悯的。Man built cities in Mesopotamia人类在美索不达米亚那里建造城市。And three cities in Sumer were Ur、Kish and Babylon而苏美尔）的三大城市，吾珥是其中之一个。And《Genesis》11 & 12 that region was called Chaldea or land of the Chaldeans而《创世记》十一、十二章中那个地区叫做迦勒底。Mankind often found cities and civilizations along rivers人类往往在河流旁边设立城市跟文明的。Sumer and Akkad along the Rivers Euphrates and Tigris苏美尔跟阿卡德就是在两条河的旁边——幼发拉底河和底格里斯河建立很多的城市的。Egypt along the River Nile埃及是跟着尼罗河；India along The Indus’s River印度沿着印度河；China——The Yellow River中国的文明沿着黄河。This was God’s common Grace这个是上帝的普遍恩典，that he allowed men to attend Cultural achievements of cities and civilizations他让人类有所成就：建立城市、建造文明。However in every culture men worshipped idols可是在每一个文化里面人都敬拜偶像。At Ur people probably worshipped the moon God在吾珥人类应该是敬拜月亮这个神的。So please note this所以请注意：This is the City Of Man这个是人的城市；On the one hand cultural achievements，yet on the other hand full of sin and idolatry一方面有文明的成就；另一方面充满着罪和偶像敬拜。And this is why this world for the Christian：“this world is not my home”这就是为什么对基督徒来说呢，“这世界非我家”！So God judges；God is merciful所以上帝审判，上帝施怜悯。
(3)God continues to separate a Godly line, that they may be justified and sanctified in Christ上帝继续把一个敬虔的族类分别出来，要他们在基督里称义，成圣；And belong to him作为属于上帝的子民的。And God has been preparing this godly line since Gen.3:15而自从创世记第三章15节人类犯罪堕落之后呢，上帝一直在预备这个敬虔的族类。
Now let’s take a look at Terah——Adam’s father现在我们来看他拉——亚伯兰的父亲：in the Genealogy of Abraham we note在创世记的家谱我们注意到：From Adam to Noah were 10 generations从亚当到挪亚是十代.And from Noah to Terah (or you might say from Shem to Abram) were another 10 generations而从挪亚到他拉（或者你也说从闪到亚伯兰）也是十代。And ten was a significant number十是一个很重要的数目的。
Now God is about to turn a new page in his plan of redemption现在上帝在祂的救赎历史上要展开新的一页。He wanted it to further manifest his “covenant of grace”，his method of salvation上帝现在要进一步显明祂的『恩典之约』、祂的救法。And from now on, Abram and his seed are almost the only subject of the biblical history从现在开始，整本《圣经》的历史都围绕着亚伯拉罕的后裔和上帝在他们身上的计划。So God was separated out his Godly line所以上帝在把这个敬虔的族类要分别出来的。
(4)But then what was man doing人在做什么呢？
Man continued to be busy, minding the things
of this world、this life.人类继续忙于今生这个世界的事情的。Genesis 11:31《创世记》十一章第31节：『Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran,his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law,his son Abram’s wife, and they went for together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan.They went to Haran,they settled there他拉带着他儿子亚伯兰和他孙子,哈兰的儿子罗得，并他儿妇亚伯兰的妻子撒莱，出了迦勒底的吾珥，要往迦南地去；他们走到哈兰，就住在那里』。Terah migrated with his family from Ur to Canaan他拉带着家人从吾珥要移民到迦南地。Was he looking for greener pastures他是否去找更好的机会呢？But he stopped at Haran但是他在哈兰停下来。That was about midway大概是走了一半的路。And if we look at the Genealogies我们假如读家谱的话，Terah lived on in Haran for 60 more years after Abram left在亚伯拉罕离开之后呢，他拉再活了60年的。
So lot of people migrate today今天很多人都在计划要移民的，looking for greener pastures在找更好的机会、更好的地方。《Proverbs》 16:9 tell us《箴言》第十六章第9节告诉我们：『The heart of man plans his way；but the Lord establishes his steps』『人心筹算自己的道路；惟耶和华指引他的脚步』。God was working神在做工的。The Bible tells us that Terah worshipped idols圣经告诉我们，他拉是一个敬拜偶像的人。In 《Joshua 》24:2《约书亚记》二十四章第2节这样说：『Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, long ago your fathers lived beyond Euphrates, Terah，the father of Abraham and Nachor，and they wordship other gods』《约书亚记》二十四章第2节: 『古时你们的列祖，就是亚伯拉罕和拿鹤的父亲他拉，住在大河那边事奉别神』。
Now Jesus called his disciples to give up themselves, take up the cross and follow him耶稣呼召祂的门徒的时候，呼召他们要舍弃一切，舍己、背起十字架来跟从祂的。《Matthew》 16:24《马太福音》十六章24节：『Then Jesus told his disciples：If any one would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me耶稣对门徒说：若有人要跟从我，就当舍己，背起他的十字架来跟从我的』。That was God’s call for Abraham as well这个也是上帝对亚伯兰的呼召的。
Man was busy with their things of this life人在
忙于今生的事。What are you busy doing你又在忙什么呢？
(5)第五方面：God was working all around Abraham, in the lives of his family members上帝在亚伯兰周围，在他家人身上动工的：
Terah’s family members including the following他拉有这些的家人的: Nahor拿鹤; Abram亚伯兰; Sarai，his wife撒莱，亚伯兰的妻子; and Lot还有罗得。Nahor拿鹤Among his descendants——wives for Isaac、Jacob后来他的后代嫁了以撒跟雅各。God was preparing granddaughters-in-law for Abraham上帝为亚伯拉罕预备儿媳妇，还为他的孙子预备妻子的。
Haran，one of Terah’s three sons died early in Ur 哈兰是他拉其中一个儿子，早死在吾珥。It is not something that we can assume that the children always were bury their Dad我们不能够假设每一次每个家都是黑发送白发的。《Job》 10:22《约伯记》第十章22节：『The land of gloom like thick darkness,like deep shadow without any order那地黑暗，如死荫之地，毫无秩序』。There’s no assumed order about death死亡是不跟什么次序的。Life and death are in God’s hands人的出生，人的死，都在上帝的手中。
For Sarai，Abram’s wife，she was Barren撒莱，亚伯兰的妻子，她是不能生育的——《Genesis》11:30《创世记》第十一章30节。Of course God worked miracle in her 当然上帝在她的身上行了神迹。
Then was Lot然后有罗得，Lot——He followed along他是跟着别人走的。He followed his grandfather他跟着他的祖父；after Haran，he followed his uncle Abram之后跟着他的伯伯亚伯兰走。Finally for the end of his life，he followed the leading of his daughters最后他在人生晚期很悲剧地跟着他的女儿们。
Now God has different plans for different people上帝在不同人的身上都有不同的计划，who run the miracle in Sarai’s life他在撒莱身上要行神迹。And he was preparing his people from Nahor his descendants 在拿鹤的后代也预备他的子民的。The most important最重要的, he was preparing Abraham祂在预备亚伯拉罕。He wanted to choose Abraham祂要拣选亚伯拉罕。
Now the Bible tell us he was already calling Abraham when he was in Ur圣经告诉我们，老早当亚伯兰在吾珥的时候上帝就已经呼召他的。Stephen said in 《Acts 》7:2司提反在《使徒行传》第七章第2节说：Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he lived in Haran《使徒行传》第七章第2节：上帝在吾珥的时候…..荣耀的上帝就已经向亚伯兰显现的。God was preparing Abraham to enter the heavenly city上帝在预备亚伯拉罕进到天上的城——《Hebrews》 11:13-16《希伯来书》第十一章13到16节。God was not only preparing Abraham for heaven 上帝不单单为亚伯拉罕进天上的城而预备他，God was preparing Abraham to enter Canaan to bear witness for him in this world上帝也在预备亚伯拉罕要进迦南地、要在这个世界里为祂作见证的。
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Likewise, brothers and sisters同样的，弟兄姐妹：God is preparing you and me上帝在预备你、预备我，for heaven？Yes. Also for work on earth为我们去天上预备我们，也预备我们在地上做工的。He has been preparing us and circumstances around us他就预备我们的生命，也在预备我们周围在发生的事。So what are you busy doing那你又在忙什么呢？
(6)Let’s make some applications我们来做一些的应用
A.God is not silent in this world of civilization and
idolatry首先上帝在这个文化在进化、在发达却很多偶像敬
拜的世界中呢，他不是沉默的。
B.God is moving on in this plan of Redemption上帝一直在前进，成就他的救赎计划.God has a missionary plan for the world上帝对全世界有着一个宣教的计划。
God is not concern only with the Jewish people上帝不仅仅是关心以色列人的，God is not concern only with the American people上帝不仅仅是关心美国人的，God is not only concern about Chinese people上帝不仅仅是关心中国人的；He is not a tribal God耶和华不是一个民族的守卫神呐！God’s plan is for the whole world、all nation上帝是为万国万族的人设立他的计划的。
The significance of God’s call on Abraham is而上帝呼召亚伯兰的重要性就是: From now on，he is on the fullfill his plan of Salvation through Abraham’s descendants从今以后，上帝透过亚伯拉罕的后裔——敬虔的后代来成就他的救赎计划，through his Godly line透过敬虔的后代。This is a missionary call这是一个宣教的呼召，this is a missionary plan这是一个宣教的计划。What is your vision你的异象是什么呢？Is your vision too small你的异象太小了吗？You think of God as a tribal God for yourself、your family、your church你看耶和华是你的生命、你自己的守卫神吗？是你家庭的守卫神吗？是你教会的守卫神吗？
C.Now God prepares everything you need in order to respond to his missionary call、his world-wide call and prepare everthing you need to serve him上帝一切都预备好了：
准备你接受他的呼召、回应祂的呼召、回应他的宣教的呼召来服事祂的。《Ephesians》 2:10《以弗所书》第二章第10节：『We are his workmanship我们是他的杰作…that’s the piece…We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand that we should walk in them我们原是他的工作，在基督耶稣里造成的，为要叫我们行善，就是上帝所预备叫我们所行的』。
And he prepared everything that we need而他预备好我们所有所需要的——《2 Peter》1:3《彼得后书》第一章第3节：『His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness上帝的神能已经将一切关乎生命和虔敬的事情赐给我们，皆因我们认识那用自己荣耀和美德召我们的主through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence』。Because God call us因为上帝呼召我们，yet prepare everthing we need for life and godliness and good works他预备好一切，叫我们能够服事他、做出好行为，回应他的呼召。And God’s call does not come to us in one day or one night而上帝的呼召不仅是一天一夜之间临到我们的。As we would know definitely God’s call because as some special meeting or conference you sends to God’s call好像说你在一个特别的聚会，一天晚上你感觉到上帝肯定呼召了你了。He takes our whole lifetime to call us or to shap or model us祂是用了我们的一生——整整一生,来呼召我们、同时塑造我们的。
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