Will you please turn to the letter to
the Ephesians.
请我们一同翻开以弗所书 Please turn to the letter to the
Ephesians.
Ephesians, Chapter 3.
以弗所书第三章 Ephesians, Chapter 3.
We will read from verse 14 through verse
21.
我们从第十四节读到二十一节 We will read from verse 14 to
verse 21.
I will read it through first in English.
我要先用英文读一遍 I will read it in English first.
And then our brother will read it in
Chinese.
然后我们弟兄再用中文读一遍 And then our brother will read it
in Chinese.
For this reason, I bow my knees to
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of
whom every family in the heavens and on
earth is named, in order that He may
give you according to the riches of His
glory, to be strengthened with power by His
Spirit in the inner man, that the Christ
may dwell through faith in your hearts, being
rooted and founded in love, in order that
ye may be fully able to apprehend with
all the saints what is the breadth and
length and depth and height, and to know
the love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge,
that ye may be filled even to all
the fullness of God, but to Him that
is able to do far exceedingly above all
which we ask or think, according to the
power which works in us, to Him be
glory in the church, in Christ Jesus, unto
all generations of the age of ages.
Amen.
The Book of Ephesians, Chapter 3, verses 14
-21.
For this reason, I bow my knees to
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of
whom every family in the heavens and on
earth is named, in order that He may
give you according to the riches of His
glory, to be strengthened with power by His
Spirit in the inner man, that the Christ
may dwell through faith in your hearts, that
your hearts may be rooted and founded in
love, that ye may be fully able to
apprehend with all the saints what is the
breadth and length and height, and to know
the love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge,
that ye may be filled even to all
the fullness of God, but to Him that
is able to do far exceedingly above all
which we ask or think, that He may
be glory in the church, in Christ Jesus,
unto all generations of the age of ages.
Amen.
We thank God for gathering us together this
time.
I suppose we all remember that the theme
of this conference is spiritual seeding.
我相信我們每一個人都記得這一次特會的主題乃是屬靈的看見。
We will approach this matter with the two
prayers of the Apostle Paul.
我們用使徒保羅兩個禱告來看這個題目。
Because out of his own heart and his
experience, he prayed this prayer for the saints
in Ephesus.
In his first prayer, he prayed to the
God of our Lord Jesus, the Father of
Glory.
在他第一個禱告裡面, 他向著我們主耶穌基督的父,榮耀的神來禱告。
向著我們主耶穌基督的神,我們榮耀的父來禱告。
在那個禱告中
,他求神將那賜人智慧和啟示的靈賞給我們。
換一句話說,在他第一個禱告裡面,他求那智慧和啟示的靈。
因為他知道我們天然的人是沒有辦法領會屬靈的事情。
換一句話說呢,就著天然而言
,我們對屬靈的事情是瞎言的。
我們甚至認為屬靈的事情是愚拙的。
不僅我們不能領會, 我們也不能夠明白
,不能知道它。
因為屬靈的事要在靈裡面來分辨它。
所以,弟兄姊妹們,在這一個結果, 我們必須要記得一件事。
就是當我們面對屬靈事情的時候,我們天然而言,我們都是瞎言的。
In our own mind, we will be able
to know spiritual things.
Because Paul himself experienced it.
While he was a young man by the
name of Saul, 當他還是年輕的時候,他名字叫做掃羅, 他是一個法利塞人,
他是非常虔誠的, 他也非常熱心, 他有一個侍奉神的心願,
但是對屬靈的事而言,他是完全的瞎言。
他認為逼迫教會就是侍奉神, 直到有一天,
當天上的光照在他身上, 使他天然的眼睛瞎了, 卻將他屬靈的眼睛打開了,
並且藉著智慧和啟示的靈, 他看見了那一位義者,
就是拿撒勒人耶穌就是那義者, 那一位他所逼迫的就是神的兒子。
因著智慧和啟示的靈, 他看見了主,
將他屬靈的眼睛開啟了, 也開始了他屬靈的生命和生活,
所以親愛的弟兄姊妹們,這是一個非常實在的方式, 並且這件事也發生在我們每一個人的身上,
直到我們從上頭得著了啟示, 我們屬靈的生命才開始。
當然我們會看著我們的主耶穌, 也看著我們的主耶穌,
作為人類最好的人。
我們可能認為祂是一個偉大的教師, 祂是從神那裡來的先知, 但是我們無法真正的相信祂,
作為基督, 但是要我們真正的相信, 祂是永生神的兒子,
這是不可能的。
雖然頭腦上面我們可能相信了, 但是靈裡面我們卻沒有相信。
因著那個緣故, 我們屬靈的生命就還沒有開始, 直到有一天神開了我們裡面的眼睛,
神樂意將祂的兒子啟示在我的裡面, 忽然之間天開了,
我們就看見了那屬靈的事物, 弟兄姊妹們, 那是當我們剛得救的時候,
我們的開始。
我們可能以前也向神禱告, 但是好像一位弟兄所說的, 當我們呼喊神做父的時候,
我們好像稱呼岳父一樣, 但是那不是很自然的, 因為神離我們好像非常非常的遙遠,
我們可能相信祂存在, 但是祂是一位遙遠的神, 祂是一位不可知的神,
我們和祂之間沒有關係, 我們和神之間沒有任何的交通, 當有一天有福的事情發生了,
啟示就臨到了我們, 對我們而言天開了, 我們就變得很自然的,
這個自然是超然的自然, 我們就稱神做阿爸父親, 我們與神之間的那個關係就開始了,
這都是藉著那智慧和啟示的靈而開始的, 我們要請記得在我們開頭的時候所發生的事情,
就是我們一生屬靈生命生活的原則, 在我們屬靈生命中的每一步, It always begins with
the spirit of wisdom and revelation.
總是從智慧和啟示的靈開始的,
唯有當我們接受了智慧和啟示的靈之後,
那麼屬靈的事情對我們而言才變得真實。
我們知道所有神的啟示都已經記載在聖經中, 我們已經在讀聖經了, 我們甚至也背聖經,記得它,
我們甚至也認為自己明白了在聖經裡面所說的意義, 但是我們總是感覺, 我們所讀的不過是客觀的真理而已,
我們知道它是真的, 它是永遠的真理, 但是好像在我之外的真理,
在我的裡面還不是活的有功效的, 直到有一天, 神開我們的眼睛,
神賞賜給我們智慧和啟示的靈, 那麼這寫下來的聖經好像就活了,
它開始在我們生命裡面發生功效, 在那裡有能力, 所以弟兄姊妹們,
在我們屬靈生命的每一個階段, 腳步上都是照著這個屬靈的原則, 我們不能夠依靠自己的智慧和聰明,
我們必須要依靠我們的神, 我們感謝神,
他並不是自引的神, 祂乃是將祂自己啟示出來的神,
並且這是祂的喜悅, 祂樂意將祂的兒子啟示在我們裡面,
神不僅賜給我們智慧和啟示的靈, 並且祂要照明我們心中的眼睛,
那就是說祂要賜給我們一個更新的心意, 讓我們能夠明白在我們靈裡面所發生的故事,
好教我們能夠向別人解釋, 並且分享給我們的弟兄姊妹們,
為著整個教會的益處, 昨天早晨我們提到當這些事情發生的時候,
有三件事情, 神啟示出來讓我們明白, 第一就是祂的恩兆中有何等樣的指望,
不是我們認為我們人生的呼召, 乃是祂的呼召, 神呼召我們每一個人,
當祂拯救我們的時候, 祂就呼召我們, 祂並不是呼召我們來,
要我們為祂做什麼事情, 祂呼召我們成為, 祂所要我們所是的,
祂要我們這一般, 被祂兒子寶雪所救贖回來的人, 成為基督的身體, 我不能想到有任何事情,
比這一件事更有福分, 祂呼召我們與祂有一個關係, 那一個關係是那樣的親密,
那樣的一是一個合一, 祂呼召我們成為是基督的身體,
基督成為那個頭, 我們成為祂的身體, 我們成為基督的豐滿,
我們成為基督的見證, 基督與教會是一, 他們根本不可能被分開,
這個是直到永遠, 弟兄姊妹們
,你能想到任何事情, 比這個更有福嗎?
我們用另外一種方式來講, 什麼是身體呢?
什麼是頭和身體之間的關係呢?
你記得當嫂羅逼迫那些跟隨耶穌的人, 你知道我們的主相祂說什麼嗎?
嫂羅,嫂羅,為什麼你要追捕我?
為什麼逼迫我?
祂沒有這樣說, 你為什麼逼迫那些跟從我的人?
祂乃是說, 你為什麼逼迫我呢?
因為那些嫂羅所逼迫的人, 就是基督祂自己。
當我們摸到身體的時候, 就會抱怨, 因為身體和元首頭是一,
在生命裡是合一的, 在豐滿裡是合一的, 在榮耀中也是合一的,
那就是祂的呼召。
那麼這個呼召的盼望是什麼呢?
當這個身體長大成人的時候, 祂要成為高陽永遠的妻,
那是何等有福的盼望?
這是藉著啟示給我們的智慧的內容。
第二我們所提到的, 祂在聖徒中所得的積業有何等豐盛的榮耀?
祂不是說到我們在基督裡所得著的產業。
當我們想到我們在基督裡的產業的時候, 我們要怎麼描寫祂呢?
我們在基督耶穌裡的產業有何等豐盛的榮耀?
我們沒有辦法來描寫祂的豐盛。
我們沒有辦法來側墮那個榮耀。
我們只能說是榮耀啊!
祂是何等的豐富?
弟兄姊妹們, 但是不,在這裡主的話告訴我們是這樣的, 祂在聖徒中的積業有何等豐盛的榮耀?
我們要成為基督的產業, 我們要成為祂那有何等豐盛榮耀的產業?
Just as He is full of riches of
glory to us.
正好像祂對我們而言是有豐盛榮耀的一樣。
How can this be?
這怎麼可能呢?
And then you find the third thing, 然後我們看見第三件事情,
It is the power of God to those
who believe.
並且祂向我們這信的人所顯的能力是何等的浩大?
It is the power that raised Jesus Christ
from the dead.
這一個能力乃是使耶穌基督從死裡復活的能力。
It is the power that put our Lord
Jesus in the heavenlies by the right hand
of God.
這個能力是叫我們祖耶穌基督在天上坐在神的右邊的能力。
It is the power that put everything under
His feet.
這個能力是使萬有都服在基督之下的那個能力。
That He is above all things.
祂在萬有之上。
He be the head to all things.
祂做萬有之首。
For the church, which is the body, the
fullness of Him who fills all and in
all.
祂謂之教會做萬有之首。
教會就是祂的身體, 是那充滿萬有者的豐滿。
So all these are included in spiritual seeing.
這一切呢都是包含在那屬靈的看見的裡面。
All these are what God revealed to His
people.
這一切呢都是神向祂的祝福。
百姓們所啟示出來的。
And all these are to be accomplished in
Christ Jesus.
而且這一切都要在基督耶穌裡面完成。
In the church.
並且完成在教會中。
So brothers and sisters, 這是使徒保羅的第一個禱告。
And may this prayer be answered abundantly among
His people.
願這個禱告呢 在神的百姓中 豐富的得以成全。
Now this morning we would like to continue
on.
今天早晨我們要再往前。
And we will consider together Paul's second prayer
in the letter to the Ephesians.
我們要來思想 保羅給彝福所教會的第二個禱告。
He said, I bow my knee before the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
他說我在 我們主耶穌基督的父面前屈膝。
And what is he going to pray for
the Ephesian saints?
他要為著彝福所的聖徒 有什麼樣的禱告呢?
What is the difference between this prayer and
the first prayer?
那麼這個禱告 和第一個禱告有什麼不同呢?
In the first prayer he prayed for understanding.
第一個禱告 他求 悟性和明白。
He prayed that we may know.
他求使我們能夠真知道。
We may know the full knowledge of God.
我們能夠真知道 神裡面的知識。
We know what is in God.
我們知道在神裡面有什麼。
What does God intend to do?
神要做什麼?
His purpose.
祂的目的 祂的道路 祂的心意 These are the things that
are revealed to us 這些乃是向我們啟示出來的事情。
That we may know it.
好使我們能夠明白 認識祂。
And now you find in the second prayer
然後我們在第二個禱告中看見 it is different from the first prayer.
這個和第一個禱告是不同的。
The first prayer he prayed to the God
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
第一個禱告 他是向我們主耶穌基督的神禱告。
The second prayer he prayed to the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
第二個禱告 他是向著我們主耶穌基督的父來禱告。
Why?
Because God is the revealer of all wisdom.
因為神呢 乃是所有智慧的啟示者。
So you need to pray to God who
is the source of wisdom.
所以我們要向著 那智慧的源頭 就是神自己來禱告。
What you have there is objective truth.
在那裡我們看見的 乃是客觀的真理。
The truth that is in Christ Jesus.
就是在基督耶穌裡的真理。
Everything is accomplished in Christ Jesus.
在基督耶穌裡 所有的事情都完成了。
And he does all for us.
他這一切都是為著我們。
This is the eternal truth.
這是一個永遠的真理。
He has called us with a holy calling.
他用聖召召了我們。
He has filled us with all his fullness.
他用他的豐滿來充滿我們。
All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in
him and ye are complete in him.
神本性一切的豐富 都居住在他的裡面。
而且我們在他裡面 也得了豐盛。
And the power that has been manifested in
Christ Jesus is also for us.
在耶穌基督裡面 所顯出來的那個能力 也是為著我們的。
These are the truth of God.
這些乃是神的真理。
Never change.
是永不改變的。
Always true.
永遠是真實的。
It is not affected by us nor by
circumstances.
它不受我們和環境的影響的。
Because it is all being done in Christ
Jesus.
因為這一切 都在耶穌基督裡面成全了。
And to these eternal truths we need to
know to understand.
我們需要知道 我們需要明白。
And then you find in the second prayer
然後我們在第二個禱告裡看見 we pray to the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
他向著我們主耶穌基督的父禱告。
When it comes to the matter of the
Father 當我們講到父的時候 it refers to experience.
他乃是指著經歷所在。
There is a relationship between the Father and
the Son.
在論理 父和子之間有一個關係。
So the second prayer actually is for experience.
所以第二個禱告 實際上是為著經歷。
Now, if you read this prayer very carefully
若是我們 很仔細很留心的來讀這個禱告 You'll find in verse 18 我們會看見在十八節中
In order that ye may be fully able
to apprehend with all the saints what is
the breadth and length and depth and height.
能以和眾聖徒一同明白基督的愛是何等 長闊高深。
Now, there is a little problem with translation.
在翻譯的時候 有一點點的難處。
Because here in close to the original 在這裡呢
達比的翻譯 他是非常接近原文的 He used the word apprehend 他用了這一個字
就是得著 Now, this word includes the idea of
knowing.
這個字的 翻譯這個意思呢 包含了知道和認識。
More than just knowing it.
但是他比 知道認識明白 還要更深一些。
It is apprehending it.
他的意思是呢 我們得著了,擁有了。
In other words, it arrests us.
換一句話說呢 就是他抓住了我們。
It captures us.
他好像抓住了我們。
It grasps us.
他好像把我們呢 套住了。
Or we arrest it.
或者 我們也抓住了。
We capture it.
我們也得著了。
And we grasp it.
而且我們緊緊的 得著了。
So here you'll find it's more than just
knowing.
所以在這裡我們看見呢 他比那個緊緊的明白要多。
It is more than just understanding it.
他也比緊緊的 領會了要多。
It goes on that what you know and
understand began to grasp you.
他從我們 明白領會開始呢 他最後抓住我們。
And began to arrest you, capture you.
他把我們逮捕了, 把我們牢牢的套住了。
Or you can say you have captured it.
或者也可以這樣講 我們也逮捕抓到了它。
You have taken hold of it.
我們呢已經掌握了它。
So it refers to our experience.
所以這是指著我們的經歷說的。
It becomes our subjective experience.
它成為我們主觀的經歷。
What we know become what we capture.
我們所明白所知道的 成為我們所得著所抓住的。
So you find as you read on when
you began to apprehend it then you will
be filled with it.
所以當我們繼續讀 我們看見了 當我們 得著、擁有、抓住它的時候 我們就被它充滿了。
I do not know I do not know
if you you have seen the difference.
我不曉得大家 你們看見這個區別。
Oftentimes we think when we see we have
it.
許多時候 我們會認為只要我看見了 我就擁有了。
Now this is not absolutely true.
這個呢 並不絕對是對的。
Seeing is believing.
我們眼見 為憑我們相信。
Why do we not believe?
Because we don't see it.
若是我們沒有看見 我們怎麼會相信呢?
Spiritual things are unreal to us.
屬靈的事情 對我們來講是 不實際的、不真實的。
They are in heaven and we are on
earth.
那些事情是在天上 我們是在地上。
We are all in different realms.
我們在不同的境界。
And that's the reason why the natural man
cannot receive the things of the Holy Spirit.
那就是為什麼 屬血氣天然的人呢 不能接受屬靈的事情。
And they are folly to him.
對他們來講 這都是愚拙的。
And they cannot do it.
他們沒有辦法明白 知道它。
Because they are spiritually discerned.
因為他們沒有辦法 來分辨屬靈的事情。
When you are talking spiritual things with natural
man.
當我們 向天然的人 來談到屬靈的事情的時候。
He may be very brilliant.
他可能是一個 非常聰明的人。
When you talk with him of all things
under the heaven he knows.
當我們談 天下 天底下 各樣的事情 他都知道。
But when you talk about things above the
earth it is folly to him.
但是當我們談到 在地之上的 那些事物 對他而言 就是陌生的了。
I cannot believe because I don't see it.
我根本沒有辦法 相信 因為我看不見 這些事情。
We often say faith is blind.
我們有時候會說呢 盲目的信心。
信心是盲目的。
But faith is not blind.
但是信心呢 不是瞎眼 不是盲目的。
So far as the natural eyes are concerned
it is blind.
就著我們 天然的眼睛來說 它是一個盲目的 是瞎眼的。
But faith comes by seeing.
但是信心呢 是藉著看見 而有信心的。
But that seeing is the spiritual seeing.
但是那個看見呢 是屬靈的看見。
Your inner eyes being open 我們裡面的眼睛 被開啟了。
And because your inner eyes has been open
因著我裡面的眼睛 被開啟了 You have received wisdom and revelation.
我們就得著了 智慧和啟示的眼睛。
So you can believe it.
所以我們可以相信。
And it is hard not to believe.
要我們不信 是很難的。
Is it that true?
那豈不是真的嗎?
When Christ is revealed to you as the
Savior 當基督 啟示在我們裡面 是我們的救主 It is easy to
believe and hard to not believe.
要我們相信 是非常容易的。
要我們不信呢 是很困難的。
Because seeing is believing.
因為我們看見了 我們就相信了。
You see it 因為我看見了 with your spiritual eyes
藉著我屬靈的眼睛 is real is more real than the
things on earth 比地上任何的事情更真實 Brothers and sisters when
spiritual seeing happens 當屬靈的看見 發生的時候 you know what's
happening 你就知道 發生了什麼事情 The heaven opens 天就開了 In
the spirit it is as if you are
lifted up to the heaven.
在靈裡面 我們彷彿被提到天上去了 And you begin to see things
that the naked eyes can never see.
我們就開始看見 肉眼永遠看不見的那些事物 Or even hear things that cannot
be told.
我們也能夠聽見 那些人說不出來的 那些事物 But to you it is
so uplifting.
但是對你而言呢 那是何等的把我們提升起來 When light comes into your life
當光進到我們生命中 Your whole being seems to be enlightened
我們全人好像都被照亮了 And you seem to be lifted up
to heaven.
我們好像被抬到 舉到天上去了 You see things eternal.
我們開始看見那些永恆 永遠的事物 So different from things on earth.
和地上所有的事情是何等的不同 You are in another realm.
我們在另外一個境界中 And they are so real, so living.
而且他們是那樣的真實 那樣的活潑 And it gives you faith.
那個就帶給我們信心 So seeing is believing.
所以看見 就使我們相信 It happens.
It does happen.
它確實發生了 Isn't that true?
那豈不是真的嗎 But does it mean that you have
laid hold of all that you have seen?
但是那是不是就意味著 我們看見了 我們就真正抓住 擁有了這看見的事物呢 You can see like
Moses the whole land of Canaan.
我們可以像摩西一樣 看見迦南的全地 But he was not allowed to
enter into it.
但是神卻不許給他進去 You have to go in and put
your foot down.
我們必須要進去 用我們的腳踩過 And wherever your foot put down
that is your possession.
我們腳掌所踏之處 才成為我們的產業 Brothers and sisters I think we
have a mistaken idea.
弟兄姊妹們 我想我們可能有一個錯誤的觀念 Because we see we think that
we have it.
因為我們看見了 我們就認為我們擁有了 We think that we are already
filled with it.
我們認為了 我們已經感覺到它了 We are already in what we
have seen.
我們已經在我們所看見的那個事物之內了 And what have we seen is already
in us.
並且我們所看見的事物 也已經在我裡面了 並不是如此 You need another prayer.
我們需要有另外一個禱告 You need a prayer 我們需要禱告 我們能夠得著擁有它 Not
only knowing but apprehending 不僅僅是知道 並且是擁有它 Not only
seeing but possessing 不僅僅是看見它 並且是得著擁有它 Not only knowing
the eternal truth 不僅僅是知道那永遠的真理 But have personal experience
of it 並且對它有我們 個人親身的經歷 So this is the
second prayer that Paul prayed for the saints
in Ephesus.
所以這就是保羅 為著已腐朽的聖徒 所有的第二個禱告 Brothers and sisters 弟兄姊妹們 Do
you think you need such prayer?
你是否認為你需要有這樣的禱告呢 Now let us look at this prayer.
讓我們一同來看這個禱告 In verse 16 在十六節 In order that
he may give you according to the richest
of his glory to be strengthened with power
by his spirit in the inner man Here
you find the inner man I think in
some Chinese version you say the heart Now
this is not the heart This is the
inner man Now who is the inner man?
The inner man is the spirit of man
It is a little different from the heart
Now we sometimes say what is the heart?
Now of course the heart is the center
of our being It is the
passage between the soul and the spirit Usually
the heart includes all the functions of the
soul plus the conscience of the spirit This
you can find in the scripture We do
not have the time to go into it
But when you talk about the inner man
sometimes we say the hidden man of the
heart Then what does it refer to?
It refers to our spirit Now brothers and
sisters we who believe in the Lord Jesus
we have a new spirit We have a
regenerated spirit And we have Christ dwelling in
our spirit Where does the Holy Spirit dwell?
He dwells in our spirit Just like the
ark dwells in the holiest of all So
you find that the spirit of God dwells
in our spirit And that is Christ dwells
in our spirit He becomes the life of
our spirit Now that's what is in our
spirit today That's the inner man And
then you have the heart Now the heart
here means the center of your being
And the center of our being is the
soul Even though it is a passage to
the spirit But when you read the context
the heart you find in verse 17 that
Christ may dwell through faith in your heart
the heart really speaks of our soul Because
the heart here represents the center of our
being Now here we need a little explanation
Before we are regenerated our spirit
was dead Then how do we live?
We live by that created life of man
And this created life is a fallen life
Because man have sinned And so you find
that that which dwells in our soul is
a self-life And we live
by that self-life And that's the reason
why we are so self-centered Because that
is our life We live for ourselves Our
thinking our feeling our opinion is all governed
by this I self-life But
after we are saved something happens You find
that our spirit is being renewed into life
And the Holy Spirit Christ dwells in our
spirit So you have a double life In
your spirit Christ is your life In your
soul self is your life So after you
are saved I believe you all have experienced
this You find that there is a civil
war going on in your life Sometimes you
feel that you want to do God's will
Now where does that come from?
It comes from your spirit Because Christ is
the life of your spirit It is heavenly
It is spiritual And it has his nature
It has his requirement So you find that
after you are saved deep within yourself you
want to please God You want to do
his will But at the same time you
find there is there within you too That
is still self-centered If you do the
will of God you will suffer You will
get lost Be careful Love yourself Don't be
so foolish Do what you want to do
Gratify your own desire That will make you
happy And you are torn between these two
things And oftentimes you find that old Adam
is too strong for Yang Melek Thon That
is the famous saying by Melek Thon Philip
Melek Thon He is the theologian of reformation
He said old Adam is too strong for
Yang Melek Thon And Martin Luther also said
I do not afraid of all the pups
and the cardinals But I am afraid of
the pup within me Now brothers and sisters
do you have such experience?
You are torn According to your inner man
you want to go God's will But according
to your outward man you want your own
way And oftentimes you find these two cross
each other And oftentimes you find your
spirit is weak but your flesh is strong
The Bible said our spirit is willing but
the flesh is weak Well that's when you
come to the will of God But when
you come to the will of man the
spirit is weak and the flesh is strong
Brothers and sisters do you think you need
to cry out to God and ask God
that he will strengthen your inner man with
his power of the spirit To
be strengthened with power by his spirit in
the inner man Do you think you need
this prayer?
Because if you don't pray this prayer you
already see something heavenly You already see something
spiritual You already see something eternal And you
desire it You want it But you are
too weak Your flesh is too strong Brothers
and sisters we need to cry out to
God by the riches of his glory that
he will strengthen our inner man by the
power of the Holy Spirit And when that
happened you know what really happened within you
He said that that Christ may dwell through
faith in your hearts Christ dwells in our
spirit Self dwells in our hearts Self dwells
in our hearts But when your spirit is
so strengthened by the Holy Spirit you
find that Christ will come as it were
from your spirit into your heart He
will dethrone Self and be enthroned on in
your heart And
during the process you are bearing the cross
Brothers and sisters Our Lord Jesus said if
you want to follow me you have to
deny yourself take up your cross and follow
me Do you think that
you can see spiritual things without paying any
cost Spiritual things are
wonderful But spiritual things are costly Because
they are so different from earthly things The
flesh lusts after the spirit and the spirit
lusts after the flesh These
are two opposites They can never be together
It's either one or the other So brothers
and sisters this matter of bearing the cross
and follow the Lord is a daily thing
The moment you see spiritually the moment a
cross is formed If you don't see
anything spiritual you have no cross because you
just go on as you wish But the
moment you see something spiritual immediately a cross
is formed in your life Because the spiritual
and the earthly cross each other Heaven
and earth will cross each other Christ and
self will cross each other If you do
not bear the cross what you see spiritually
will never become your vocation If you do
not bear the cross what you see spiritually
will never become your vocation And that's the
reason why people may profess they have seen
And yet what they have seen never appear
in their life They
become visionary There is no reality It
is because there is a price to pay
Brothers and sisters do not be too happy
when you see because it challenges
you Every time you see something heavenly it
challenges you It depends on demands that you
take up your cross and follow the Lord
Self has to be dethroned Christ has to
be enthroned in our hearts And when this
thing happens you know what you experience Being
rooted and founded in love in order that
you may be fully able to apprehend with
all the saints what is the breadth and
length and depth and height and to know
the love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge
And when Christ comes into your heart what
is your experience You experience love You experience
the love of Christ You experience a love
that cannot be measured So it says here
what is the length and width and breadth
and height To know the love of Christ
which surpasses knowledge His love will so
concentrate you Give you the strength to lay
down everything for him Brothers and
sisters This is the way to possess This
is the way to be filled with the
fullness of God And this is when you
experience with all the things the unmeasurable love
of Christ How can anyone
be able to pay any cost for heavenly
things And you pay that cost willingly
It is impossible with man But possible with
God When your heart is filled with the
love of Christ What can you do?
Look at Paul If you read Philippians chapter
3 After he had received that heavenly vision
What was gained giving to him became lost
What he put his trust in before Now
he considered them as dross And he said
for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus
Christ I count all things but dross I
laid on everything Brothers and sisters It is
love that makes this possible So out of
his own experience Paul himself has gone through
it He knows that there is a price
to pay And it is the love of
Christ that constrains him And that brings him
into possession Brothers and sisters The same principle
works in all of us I would like
to give a personal testimony By the grace
of God I was saved in 1930 When
I was 15 In 1933 I was in
college In 1933 I was When I was
there the Lord began to open my eyes
He showed me a little bit just a
little bit of the body of Christ I
began to see that the body of Christ
is one Christ is not divided I
was at that time a Methodist My father
was a Methodist pastor I was zealous for
the Lord I was serving the Lord I
was but when I see the body is
one Christ is not divided I realized
I cannot continue in any organized institution
I realized I cannot continue in any institution
I thank God two of my classmates had
the same vision so three of us
sometimes we would go into an empty classroom
and pray together and sometimes even on the
Lord's Day we would go into an empty
room and break bread together we do not
want to belong to any earthly institution we
want to honor Christ as our head and
we want to be open to all God's
people and the Lord began to work during
that period I was at a crossroad if
I want to follow my conviction I have
to leave the denomination but I love my
father I do not want to hurt him
but if I don't what will be the
future people began to gather together and I
was leaving them and yet my two legs
are on two boats and these two boats
are sailing gradually apart I was troubled by
it and it was at that time a
servant of God came and we have some
meeting in a home in a morning that
brother gave a message it was Luke chapter
14 our Lord Jesus turned away from the
multitude and said if anyone want to follow
me he must forsake all and follow me
before you build a tower you need to
sit down and count the cost whether you
are able to finish it if you are
going to fight with another king who came
with 20 thousand soldiers and
you only are willing to use 10 thousand
soldiers then you better ask for peace
because you cannot succeed because you cannot succeed
because in other words if you want to
follow the Lord sit down not by impulse
and count your cost before you begin anything
and that message touched me very deeply so
at lunch time after we have lunch we
have a rest before we have the second
meeting in the afternoon and I was sitting
by myself I was praying Lord is it
because I have never sat down and count
my cost that I am now in such
situation so I
began to count my cost if I follow
my conviction what will happen to me and
you know the enemy knows how to pile
on all these costs I
began to see that I will be discharged
from my university my family will cast me
out all my future will be finished
the more I counted the cost the more
it costly I told the Lord I cannot
pay it I cannot do it I cannot
do it then I
saw the Lord I don't know
whether it's a vision or a dream or
what is it but I saw him coming
to me showing me his bleeding hands and
he said to me I did it all
for you what will you do for me
I said Lord
I am willing I
am willing to pay anything
his love melts me and by
that love he carried me through I am
what I am here today it begins at
that time so brothers and sisters seeing his
believing but before believing alone is not
enough trust and obey
there is no other way to be happy
in Jesus but to trust and obey so
brothers and sisters you began to apprehend with
all the saints what is the breadth and
length and depth and height of the love
of Christ it is not just a personal
thing you enter into fellowship with all the
saints throughout the centuries that are constrained by
the love of Christ and
come into possession filled with the fullness of
God is this
what you are asking for it is what
you are expecting all you have never asked
you never ask him to strengthen your inner
man by the power of his spirit you
never ask that Christ will come through faith
into your heart you never ask
that he will fill your heart with his
love that love
that cannot be measured if you
ask if you expect it you will find
the power in you will be more than
sufficient for all your needs and
that is the way that the church is
built that is the way that God will
be glorified in the church in Christ Jesus
dear brothers and sisters is it real with
us very very soon we shall meet
our Lord are we ready for him
all spiritual things worthwhile that
worth our losing all and gain him to
eternity dear
Lord may thy spirit search our hearts may
thy love fill our hearts dear that what
thou dost desire to do in us may
all be done may
Christ be glorified in the church we
ask in thy precious name may be glorified
the church amen