27/11/2016 听道笔记：《天国中的千禧年》安耀@海牙堂

千禧年：耶稣和他忠心的仆人一同做王1000年

今天的问题：
什么是天国、神国？
什么是千禧年？
为什么要有千禧年？
千禧年之后发生什么？

目标：认识耶稣，认识十字架

启示录20
1 我又看见一位天使从天降下，手里拿着无底坑的钥匙和一条大链子。
2 他捉住那龙，就是古蛇，又叫魔鬼，也叫撒旦，把它捆绑一千年，
3 扔在无底坑里，将无底坑关闭，用印封上，使它不得再迷惑列国。等到那一千年完了，以后必须暂时释放它。
4 我又看见几个宝座，也有坐在上面的，并有审判的权柄赐给他们。我又看见那些因为给耶稣作见证并为神之道被斩者的灵魂，和那没有拜过兽与兽像，也没有在额上和手上受过它印记之人的灵魂；他们都复活了，与基督一同做王一千年。
5 这是头一次的复活。其余的死人还没有复活，直等那一千年完了。
6 在头一次复活有份的有福了，圣洁了！第二次的死在他们身上没有权柄。他们必做神和基督的祭司，并要与基督一同做王一千年。
7 那一千年完了，撒旦必从监牢里被释放，
8 出来要迷惑地上四方的列国，就是歌革和玛各，叫他们聚集争战，他们的人数多如海沙。
9 他们上来遍满了全地，围住圣徒的营与蒙爱的城，就有火从天降下，烧灭了他们。
10 那迷惑他们的魔鬼被扔在硫磺的火湖里，就是兽和假先知所在的地方。他们必昼夜受痛苦，直到永永远远。
11 我又看见一个白色的大宝座与坐在上面的，从他面前天地都逃避，再无可见之处了。
12 我又看见死了的人，无论大小，都站在宝座前，案卷展开了；并且另有一卷展开，就是生命册。死了的人都凭着这些案卷所记载的，照他们所行的受审判。
13 于是海交出其中的死人，死亡和阴间也交出其中的死人，他们都照各人所行的受审判。
14 死亡和阴间也被扔在火湖里。这火湖就是第二次的死。
15 若有人名字没记在生命册上，他就被扔在火湖里。

《礼记》中的故事：孔子和土地经过泰山，听见女子悲伤哭泣。孔子让门徒去问她为什么哭泣，原来女子命苦，舅舅和丈夫都被老虎咬死，那天她的儿子也被老虎咬死了。孔子问，为什么她不搬走呢？女曰：这里没有苛政。孔子听到之后说：苛政猛于虎。
我们定居或迁移的原因：1）自然环境条件，2）人文、政治。
－ 当然，“苛政猛于虎”不是说给百姓听的，是将给官府听的。 不是所有人都觉得苛政猛于虎，有些人更愿意忍受苛政。
－ 妇人悲哀的最大原因：不是猛虎，就是苛政。
－ 永远都要面对/承受一些事情，问题只是选择我们更愿意选择忍受/面对什么。这是残酷的现实，人心的见证，圣经的启示：神的判决（the fallen world）。
诗篇2：1-3
1 外邦为什么争闹，万民为什么谋算虚妄的事？
2 世上的君王一齐起来，臣宰一同商议，要抵挡耶和华并他的受膏者，
3 说：“我们要挣开他们的捆绑，脱去他们的绳索！”－ 人不可能依靠自己建立一个完美的国度。

“国”在圣经中总共出现1051次 －－人的国（万国万民）vs神的国（没有具体出现在旧约，但概念一直在里面，从创1-2开始）
最早的神国，就像伊甸园的样子；但是亚当背叛上帝。而神的国一开始看起来似乎没有很厉害：阻止不了亚当犯罪，也阻止不了人接下来与神为敌（巴别塔）。但是神没有对我们赶尽杀绝，祂的规划是耶稣基督的出现（2nd Adam）。
Adam vs Christ is life Saul vs David
Faith in Christ brings salvation -- both for people in old testament and new testament.
神的国已经来到，人应当悔改相信，离弃罪恶的世界（巴比伦），与基督相连。

天国子民的权益是今生和来世的（路18:30 "没有在今世不得百倍，来世不得永生的"）：不是天国的门票，而是天国的护照
Recall CSLewis The great divorce: heaven works its way back in time and makes our whole lifetime a blessing from the Lord.基督徒背后是最强的国（不是美国），而是神国：风是它的使者，火是它的差役，万有都是基督造的。我们还怕什么？
林后6:9-10
"似乎不为人所知，却是人所共知的；似乎要死，却是活着的；似乎受责罚，却是不致丧命的；似乎忧愁，却是常常快乐的；似乎贫穷，却是叫许多人富足的；似乎一无所有，却是样样都有的。"
 林后4:8-10
我们四面受敌，却不被困住；心里作难，却不致失望； 遭逼迫，却不被丢弃；打倒了，却不致死亡； 身上常带着耶稣的死，使耶稣的生也显明在我们身上。
 不要临死才信：1) 一来死亡可能很突然，2) 损失，没有得到先下天国的福祉－－神的全能和恩典

千禧年的观点：
(A) 前千 --- consists more different small versions
－ linear timeline (relatively more literal), Christ comes before that 1000 years, establishes kingdom on earth. first ressurrection is all believers/martyrs, second is all the dead. reigning over the remaining people (form 7 bowls of disaster not all people die)

(B) 无千
－ metaphorical/spiritual 1000 year reign, now we are in that reign. first ressurrection is spirit, second is bodily.
－ difficulty in interpretation: 1) satan is still raging, 2) diff interpretation of the same word "ressurrection" in the same paragraph.

(C) 后千
－ wrong in principle, human effort to build up a good, humanistic society. was mainstream before the world wars due to reliance on the enlightenment, reason and science/technology.

Why (possibly) an earthly kingdom?
1) 指出人的败坏：v7-9，千禧年之后，撒旦一放出来，人还是会背叛神。No excuse for us!
2) 成全旧约的应许：
Isaiah 11:6-9
豺狼必与绵羊羔同居，豹子与山羊羔同卧，少壮狮子与牛犊并肥畜同群，小孩子要牵引它们。牛必与熊同食，牛犊必与小熊同卧，狮子必吃草与牛一样。吃奶的孩子必玩耍在虺蛇的洞口，断奶的婴儿必按手在毒蛇的穴上。在我圣山的遍处，这一切都不伤人，不害物，因为认识耶和华的知识要充满遍地，好像水充满洋海一般。

Psalm 72:8-14
他要执掌权柄，从这海直到那海，从大河直到地极。住在旷野的必在他面前下拜，他的仇敌必要舔土。他施和海岛的王要进贡，示巴和西巴的王要献礼物。诸王都要叩拜他，万国都要侍奉他。因为穷乏人呼求的时候，他要搭救；没有人帮助的困苦人，他也要搭救。他要怜恤贫寒和穷乏的人，拯救穷苦人的性命。他要救赎他们脱离欺压和强暴，他们的血在他眼中看为宝贵，他们要存活。

Zechariah 14:5-11
耶和华必做全地的王，那日耶和华必为独一无二的，他的名也是独一无二的。全地，从迦巴直到耶路撒冷南方的临门，要变为亚拉巴。耶路撒冷必仍居高位，就是从便雅悯门到第一门之处，又到角门，并从哈楠业楼直到王的酒榨。 人必住在其中，不再有咒诅，耶路撒冷人必安然居住。

1 Cor 15:23-25
但各人是按着自己的次序复活：初熟的果子是基督，以后在他来的时候，是那些属基督的。 再后末期到了，那时基督既将一切执政的、掌权的、有能的都毁灭了，就把国交于父神。因为基督必要做王，等神把一切仇敌都放在他的脚下。

 Conclusion: we don't know for certain which theory is correct, but this is not a reason to ignore this text. If we really wish for the second coming, we should always go back to this text and ponder its meaning.

A Sunday night prayer

Dear Lord,

If one day my reason (or lack of reason) fails me, please uphold me.
I remember those days, oh the days, when I wandered around in the night wailing and writhing in pain. When my self-control and reason fail to constrain myself. When the pain is simply too much to bear. When I fixed my eyes on things of the world and shriek in torment when I cannot get them. In my lungs. In my heart. In my soul. I remember the horror of looking back and dreading those distortions on my spirit. Tormenting and killing me.
Lord, forbid it that I will ever go back again.
Lord, teach me to rest in You alone. Not in my own wisdom, my own strength, my own intellect and mind, my character and morale... for those who rely on their own strength perish, but those who look unto the Lord shall rise. They shall soar like eagles. They shall run and not be weary.

I know You have redeemed me. With You as my Saviour, I never want to go back to relying on my own strength. Individual perseverance and character will eventually wear out, what do I have which is everlasting except for You?
Be my only source of strength. Be my source of hope. Be my source of wisdom and love.
I know that some sufferings in life might never be eradicated. I know I might need to suffer the ache from scars every now and then. But Lord, what is all that, compared to Your glory! Let me see Thy face. Let me dwell in Thy presence, let me abide in You. Let me see the ultimate reality -- Christ seated on the throne of heaven, at the right-hand side of the Father, my advocate and friend! The One who gave his life for me as an atoning sacrifice! What else do I need? What else do I even want? For sure, You are sufficient, and I will rejoice at the sight of Your glory. Even my suffering will be for Your glory, and therefore I praise You; even my worst nightmares exist so that You may triumph over them. The more ugly those sorrows are, the more victory comes from Your grace. Lord, let me be that child of Yours, sorrowful yet rejoicing, in pain but full of hope, under attack but at rest.

And may all glory, and praise, and honor go to my Lord Jesus Christ, King of all. In His name I pray, Amen.

父子、君臣的决裂 (撒下16:15-23 研经报告)

这段经文主要描述的是大卫和押沙龙父子关系，通过押沙龙的行为宣告了彻底的决裂。

在15章，押沙龙拉拢民心，试图谋权篡位，并在希伯伦正式开始他的反叛。押沙龙还把大卫身边的谋士亚希多弗请来了，留在身边为自己献计。大卫听闻讯息之后，带着家人、一些臣仆和祭司撤离耶路撒冷，躲避押沙龙。但是后来，大卫命令祭司撒督把约柜抬回了耶路撒冷。大卫也让他所信任的朋友户筛回到耶路撒冷迎接押沙龙，让他去假装投靠押沙龙，但实际上要暗中破坏押沙龙和亚希多弗的反叛。

押沙龙到了耶路撒冷，身边的两个谋臣都曾是大卫的亲信，如今却在押沙龙那里，所以表面上看来押沙龙大大地占了优势。大卫并没有任何直接的反击，约柜也回到了城里，一切似乎都太顺利地落在押沙龙的掌控里。但押沙龙当然知道，事情还没有结束。虽然大卫逃离了，他依然是以色列正式的王，而本来来到耶路撒冷的押沙龙就是准备与大卫狠狠交战一番（撒下15:14）、血洒耶路撒冷、杀死大卫，争夺王位的。面对这样的平静，押沙龙反而有些慌乱失措，以至于在接下来的章节中，押沙龙都是相对被动地听从两个谋士的建议。

在20-22节记录了一件很重要的事：在亚希多弗的建议下，押沙龙在以色列众人面前与大卫的妃嫔亲近。这些妃嫔是大卫唯一留下来看守宫殿的人，在某种程度上也表示大卫的王权尚未完全离开耶路撒冷。但押沙龙丝毫不顾念与大卫的父子之情，公开羞辱得罪自己的父亲。押沙龙的行为也实现了先知拿单对大卫的预言（撒下12:11-12）： ‘我必从你家中兴起祸患攻击你。我必在你眼前把你的妃嫔赐给别人，他在日光之下就与她们同寝。你在暗中行这事（这事指的是他与拔示巴犯了奸淫，并杀了拔示巴的丈夫乌利亚），我却要在以色列众人面前，日光之下，报应你。’

问题是，亚希多弗为什么会提出这样的建议呢？

第一，亚希多弗认为如此做，押沙龙就能有效地向全城宣告他已经破釜沉舟地与大卫为敌，使他们父子关系决裂。因为从大卫逃离耶路撒冷的行动来看，所有人都知道大卫多少是顾念自己和押沙龙的父子之情，不愿正面交锋的。对大卫来说，押沙龙虽然反叛，他仍是自己所爱的儿子。当初押沙龙杀人，他虽大怒却不愿办案；现在押沙龙要夺权，他自然是不愿让儿子妄为，却也不忍心真的置押沙龙于死地。证据是，大卫把户筛送到押沙龙身边也只是让他暗中破坏叛乱的计划，他大可让户筛去刺杀押沙龙，但他没有。甚至在押沙龙被大卫的臣子杀死后（18章），大卫悲痛万分，说“恨不得替押沙龙死”。在16章这段经文，当所有人看见大卫如此护着押沙龙的时候，投靠押沙龙的人心里难免要想：万一大卫和押沙龙的关系修复，他们这些成了叛军的人们要怎么办？大卫可能会饶恕自己的儿子，他们却必定免不了死刑。

在这个时候，如果押沙龙不止用言语，更用行动使他和大卫之间彻底为敌，证明自己面对大卫丝毫不会心软；那么押沙龙的跟随者拥护他的心志会大大地坚定。另外，这个行为对耶路撒冷城中存留的那些仰慕尊敬大卫为王的人，也是一种警告，要让所有的民众转而顺服押沙龙。

第二，从另一个角度来看，亚希多弗会提出这样的建议，也表示这个人心中恨大卫，很有可能他早已有异心想要背叛大卫。坚定民心、巩固王权有那么多方法，直接出兵逮捕或追杀大卫都可以达到这个效果。何必这样多此一举，甚至可能激怒大卫使他反击？更何况，这个建议严重违反了神的律法，难道之前一直跟随着大卫的亚希多弗对神就毫无畏惧之心吗？

亚希多弗对大卫的不满，似乎也不是什么秘密，否则押沙龙也不会轻易在反叛、在希伯伦献祭的时候（撒下15:12）把亚希多弗请来。在撒下17，亚希多弗也向押沙龙献计追杀大卫，并只杀他一个，保全其他人性命。因此，看来亚希多弗帮助押沙龙不择手段夺取王位，为的是伤害大卫。

亚希多弗对大卫的背叛对大卫造成的痛苦，未必亚于押沙龙的攻击。在诗篇55中，大卫说，“倘若是仇敌辱骂我，我还能忍受；倘若是恨我的人欺凌我，我还可以躲开。可是，竟然是你——我志同道合的伙伴，我的挚友！”。从这首诗中可看出，大卫十分重视他和亚希多弗的交情。儿子和挚友的叛变，使大卫深受打击，转而投向神。

另外，当时在押沙龙身边的户筛虽然心向着大卫，却也无法阻止这一切的发生。虽然与大卫一同悲痛（撒下15:32），他依然需要沉住气假装投靠押沙龙，眼睁睁看着押沙龙行恶，为了等待能够毁坏押沙龙和亚希多弗计划的时机。从表面上看，押沙龙似乎胜券在握；但是他身边的两个谋士，一个暗中效忠大卫，正等待机会破坏他，另一位则不择手段地为他出主意，唆使他去行在耶和华眼中看为恶的事。押沙龙从头到尾，没有那么一点点顾虑到神，他依靠着自己的能力、谋士的计算，因此注定失败。即使耶和华的约柜在城里，也没有用。

读这段经文时，我不禁想起主耶稣曾说过的一句话（马太26:23-24）：“同我蘸手在盘子里的，就是他要卖我。人子必要去世，正如经上指着他所写的，但卖人子的人有祸了！那人不生在世上倒好。” 大卫所受的惩罚是神所预定的，必然要发生的事。然而，行这事的人依然要为自己的作为负责，他们的行为在神眼里看为极恶，因此他们有祸了。亚希多弗自尽（撒下17），押沙龙战死（撒下18），他们都没有好下场，不是因为他们得罪了大卫，而是因为他们惹怒了至高神。

听道笔记：教会与邪恶权势之对抗假先知by安耀@sound cloud

启示录13:11-18

11 我又看见另有一个兽从地中上来，有两角如同羊羔，说话好像龙。 

12 它在头一个兽面前，施行头一个兽所有的权柄，并且叫地和住在地上的人拜那死伤医好的头一个兽。 

13 又行大奇事，甚至在人面前叫火从天降在地上。 

14 它因赐给它权柄在兽面前能行奇事，就迷惑住在地上的人，说要给那受刀伤还活着的兽做个像。 

15 又有权柄赐给它，叫兽像有生气，并且能说话，又叫所有不拜兽像的人都被杀害。
手受印记。
16 它又叫众人，无论大小，贫富，自主的为奴的，都在右手上或是在额上受一个印记。 

17 除了那受印记，有了兽名或有兽名数目的，都不得做买卖。 

18 在这里有智慧：凡有聪明的，可以算计兽的数目，因为这是人的数目，它的数目是六百六十六。

启示录的书写宗旨：写给教会，字字句句离不开教会，不与教会的生活脱节。这是一卷认识基督的书卷，而不是为了满足好奇心。勉励教会在混乱的时代能抱着希望等待耶稣归来。

1:4 约翰写信给亚细亚的七个教会。……

1:11 “你所看见的当写在书上，达于以弗所、士每拿、别迦摩、推雅推喇、撒狄、非拉铁非、老底嘉那七个教会。”

2-3章：针对每个教会说话

4-5章：明白敬拜的真谛

6-10章：教会领受福音使命

11章开始：属灵争战 （呼应以弗所6:12 “因我们并不是与属血气的争战，乃是与那些执政的、掌权的、管辖这幽暗世界的，以及天空属灵气的恶魔争战。”）（祷告很重要）

12章：耶稣得胜，恶魔失败了，到地上来撒野

（与撒旦的争斗是真实的，但结局已定，我们必定得胜）

13:1-10：撒旦的超级模仿秀，模仿神与神争战，想夺取人的敬拜（大红龙模仿圣父，海中的兽模仿圣子）----- 用短暂有限的“虚假的永恒”来迷惑人心

13:11-18：地中的兽模仿圣灵，出现假先知

－地上出来：暗示可能是从我们身边崛起

－两角如同羊羔（看起来良善），说话像龙（说话的内容与良善的面容相差巨大）

－圣灵为基督做见证，地中的兽引诱人去敬拜海中的兽

启示录16:13 “我又看见三个污秽的灵，好像青蛙，从龙口、兽口并假先知的口中出来。”

启示录19:20 “那兽被擒拿，那在兽面前曾行奇事、迷惑受兽印记和拜兽像之人的假先知，也与兽同被擒拿。他们两个就活活地被扔在烧着硫磺的火湖里。”

启示录20:10 “那迷惑他们的魔鬼被扔在硫磺的火湖里，就是兽和假先知所在的地方。他们必昼夜受痛苦，直到永永远远。”

怎么定义假先知？

先问真先知是什么：

not primarily“预先知道”，but成为管道把上帝的启示和话语毫无偏差地传递

a standard format: "耶和华晓谕XX先知说"、“耶和华如此说” etc

1 cor 14:1 "你们要追求爱，也要切慕属灵的恩赐，其中更要羡慕的是做先知讲道。"

假先知就是相反…… XD 颠倒扭曲是非，让人不敬拜耶稣基督、敌对基督

－教会对假先知的防备不足！

耶稣曾说 Matt7:5 “你们要防备假先知。他们到你们这里来，外面披着羊皮，里面却是残暴的狼。”

1 John 4:3 “凡灵不认耶稣，就不是出于神，这是那敌基督者的灵。你们从前听见他要来，现在已经在世上了。”

－我们好像尸体一样被践踏了没有反应！我们需要警醒！

基督徒如何对待假先知的攻击

1) 操练属灵分辨能力

用感官、感觉。但人的感觉有限（不精密）。但我们依然很依赖感官，容易看外表 --- “外貌的信息”，比如这个人谈吐的优雅、是否让你舒服，装扮，说话方式etc。我们经常不自觉用这些信息去判定我所听到的信息是否准确。

如果有著名神学院的头衔，谈吐风趣幽默，逻辑环环相扣，牵动观众……我们还会不会去翻圣经确认他说的话是否准确？

假先知 －－装成光明的天使

我们看重外表头衔，而不是属灵上面使我们获益的真理

实用主义：给假先知铺平道路。20世纪成了美国的主流主要思想。1915年胡适从哥伦比亚毕业，导师是实用主义的领军人物。1954运动发表“多研究些问题，少谈些主义”。

1986年度Times风云人物邓小平：不论白猫黑猫，能抓老鼠的就是好猫。

英雄不问出处，达到目的就可以。

我们深受实用主义的害：跟孩子说“只要你考好试就可以了”。谋取利益不择手段。

连属灵生活也一样：喜乐忍耐仁义慈爱etc圣灵果子……我们用非基督的方法来得到这些（用“正能量”）。

你知道正能量是什么吗？？？New age spirituality and meditation! No Christ!

我们用各种非基督的方法来“成圣”，其实我们根本没有成圣……这就是为什么现在基督徒生命如此脆弱。

保罗其貌不扬，如果他今天在我们中间，我们会喜欢他讲的道吗？

不要把衡量圣经的工作交给其他人！帮助你的牧师最好的方法，就是帮他看他说的话究竟是否和圣经符合。

2) 不能将信心建立在神迹奇事上面

－兽会行大奇事，但行了再大的奇事还是虚假的

－即使科技发达，理性好像被搬上了神台；但今天的我们依然迷信、注重感觉（各种“解放”，西方人家里摆着佛头，被东方玄学、解构主义吸引）

－东方闪电的欧洲崛起

3) 更深爱神而不是爱自己

－v15 “又叫所有不拜兽像的人都被杀害。”，让你觉得自己的肉体更重要。

－最大的诱惑：不停的爱自己。

真实的属灵试探

“你们所遇见的试探，无非是人所能受的。神是信实的，必不叫你们受试探过于所能受的，在受试探的时候，总要给你们开一条出路，叫你们能忍受得住。”

666经常引发基督徒的恐惧，但不用怕一个印。神会保守我们。

666最直接的翻译就是不完全（7是完全数）。

Excerpt from "Christianity and Liberalism" by J.Gresham Machen on the doctrine of sin

Christianity differs from liberalism, then, in the first place, in its conception of God. But it also differs in its conception of man.

Modern liberalism has lost all sense of the gulf that separates the creature from the Creator; its doctrine of man follows naturally from its doctrine of God. But it is not only the creature limitations of mankind which are denied. Even more important is another difference. According to the Bible, man is a sinner under the just condemnation of God; according to modern liberalism, there is really no such thing as sin. At the very root of the modern liberal movement is the loss of the consciousness of sin.

The consciousness of sin was formerly the starting-point of all preaching; but today it is gone. Characteristic of the modern age, above all else, is a supreme confidence in human goodness; the religious literature of the day is redolent of that confidence. Get beneath the rough exterior of men, we are told, and we shall discover enough self-sacrifice to found upon it the hope of society; the world's evil, it is said, can be overcome with the world's good; no help is needed from outside the world.

What has produced this satisfaction with human goodness? What has become of the consciousness of sin? The consciousness of sin has certainly been lost. But what has removed it from the hearts of men?

In the first place, the war has perhaps had something to do with the change. In time of war, our attention is called so exclusively to the sins of other people that we are sometimes inclined to forget our own sins. Attention to the sins of other people is, indeed, sometimes necessary. It is quite right to be indignant against any oppression of the weak which is being carried on by the strong. But such a habit of mind, if made permanent, if carried over into the days of peace, has its dangers. It joins forces with the collectivism of the modern state to obscure the individual, personal character of guilt. If John Smith beats his wife nowadays, no one is so old-fashioned as to blame John Smith for it. On the contrary, it is said, John Smith is evidently the victim of some more of that Bolshevistic propaganda; Congress ought to be called in extra session in order to take up the case of John Smith in an alien and sedition law.

But the loss of the consciousness of sin is far deeper than the war; it has its roots in a mighty spiritual process which has been active during the past seventy-five years. Like other great movements, that process has come silently--so silently that its results have been achieved before the plain man was even aware of what was taking place. Nevertheless, despite all superficial continuity, a remarkable change has come about within the last seventy-five years. The change is nothing less than the substitution of paganism for Christianity as the dominant view of life. Seventy-five years ago, Western civilization, despite inconsistencies, was still predominantly Christian; today it is predominantly pagan.

In speaking of "paganism," we are not using a term of reproach. Ancient Greece was pagan, but it was glorious, and the modern world has not even begun to equal its achievements. What, then, is paganism? The answer is not really difficult. Paganism is that view of life which finds the highest goal of human existence in the healthy and harmonious and joyous development of existing human faculties. Very different is the Christian ideal. Paganism is optimistic with regard to unaided human nature' whereas Christianity is the religion of the broken heart.

In saying that Christianity is the religion of the broken heart, we do not mean that Christianity ends with the broken heart; we do not mean that the characteristic Christian attitude is a continual beating on the breast or a continual crying of "Woe is me." Nothing could be further from the fact. On the contrary, Christianity means that sin is faced once for all, and then is cast, by the grace of God, forever into the depths of the sea. The trouble with the paganism of ancient Greece, as with the paganism of modern times, was not in the superstructure, which was glorious, but in the foundation, which was rotten. There was always something to be covered up; the enthusiasm of the architect was maintained only by ignoring the disturbing fact of sin. In Christianity, on the other hand, nothing needs to be covered up. The fact of sin is faced squarely once for all, and is dealt with by the grace of God. But then, after sin has been removed by the grace of God, the Christian can proceed to develop joyously every faculty that God has given him. Such is the higher Christian humanism--a humanism founded not upon human pride but upon divine grace.

But although Christianity does not end with the broken heart, it does begin with the broken heart; it begins with the consciousness of sin. Without the consciousness of sin, the whole of the gospel will seem to be an idle tale. But how can the consciousness of sin be revived? Something no doubt can be accomplished by the proclamation of the law of God, for the law reveals transgressions. The whole of the law, moreover, should be proclaimed. It will hardly be wise to adopt the suggestion (recently offered among many suggestions as to the ways in which we shall have to modify our message in order to retain the allegiance of the returning soldiers) that we must stop treating the little sins as though they were big sins. That suggestion means apparently that we must not worry too much about the little sins, but must let them remain unmolested.

With regard to such an expedient, it may perhaps be suggested that in the moral battle we are fighting against a very resourceful enemy, who does not reveal the position of his guns by desultory artillery action when he plans a great attack. In the moral battle, as in the Great European War, the quiet sectors are usually the most dangerous. It is through the "little sins" that Satan gains an entrance into our lives. Probably, therefore, it will be prudent to watch all sectors of the front and lose no time about introducing the unity of command.

But if the consciousness of sin is to be produced, the law of God must be proclaimed in the lives of Christian people as well as in word. It is quite useless for the preacher to breathe out fire and brimstone from the pulpit, if at the same time the occupants of the pews go on taking sin very lightly and being content with the more' standards of the world. The rank and file of the Church must do their part in so proclaiming the law of God by their lives that the secrets of men's hearts shall be revealed.

All these things, however, are in themselves quite insufficient to produce the consciousness of sin. The more one observes the condition of the Church, the more one feels obliged to confess that the conviction of sin is a great mystery' which can be produced only by the Spirit of God. Proclamation of the law, in word and in deed, can prepare for the experience, but the experience itself comes from God. When a man has that experience, when a man comes under the conviction of sin, his whole attitude toward life is transformed; he wonders at his former blindness, and the message of the gospel, which formerly seemed to be an idle tale, becomes now instinct with light. But it is God alone who can produce the change.

Only, let us not try to do without the Spirit of God.

The fundamental fault of the modern Church is that she is busily engaged in an absolutely impossible task--she is busily engaged in calling the righteous to repentance. Modern preachers are trying to bring men into the Church without requiring them to relinquish their pride; they are trying to help men avoid the conviction of sin. The preacher gets up into the pulpit, opens the Bible, and addresses the congregation somewhat as follows: "You people are very good," he says; "you respond to every appeal that looks toward the welfare of the community. Now we have in the Bible--especially in the life of Jesus--something so good that we believe it is good enough even for you good people." Such is modern preaching. It is heard every Sunday in thousands of pulpits. But it is entirely futile. Even our Lord did not call the righteous to repentance, and probably we shall be no more successful than He.

"The Author of the Greatest Letter ever Written", Romans Series no. 1, John Piper

Romans 1:1-7

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 

2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 

3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 

4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 

5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. 

6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

- the way to be lastingly relevant, is taking stand on old, tried, unshakable truths

- Romans: solid, durable, thorough

- a rather "personal" book --- Paul has a lot to say about himself

- two distinctive approaches in preaching: completely without pastor's personal perspective, but sometimes a good personal perspective is a living testimony to God's Word

1) all of sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23)

2) the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23)

3) God demonstrates His love for us in while we were sinners Christ died for us (Rom 5:8)

4) therefore if you will confess and believe, you will be saved (Rom 10:9)

- went to college, aspiring to go to med school and be doctor

- went to hospital because of sickness, then God moved Piper to spread God's Word instead

- moved to a single room in hostel, to pursue God and quiet time (how have I, in contrast, used the space given to me?)

- Man made new, John Stott (Rom 5-8)

- seminary: Romans 1-8 (Daniel Fuller), Unity of the Bible in Rom 9-11

- calling: away from seminary Bethel, to pastorate

- I, the God of Romans 9 will be proclaimed and heralded, not just analyzed and explained

- a "Blaise Pascal" moment: Fire!

("From about half-past ten in the evening until about half-past twelve … FIRE … God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, and not of the philosophers and savants. Certitude. Certitude. Feeling. Joy. Peace."
He recorded the experience (called the "Mé;morial") on a piece of parchment, which he carried with him the rest of his life, sewed inside his coat. He began a life-long association with Port-Royal—though he, unlike his sister, never became a "solitaire.")

how did a former Pharisee who hated Christianity, killed the first Christian martyr, persecuted church violently ----> wrote a book in the Bible that changed the face of the world?

v1: 3 words ---> bonded by, called by, set apart for .... SOMEONE ELSE is in this verse

--- not WHO am I, but WHOSE am I?

- the ultimate question is not what we are like, but Who we belong to

1) bondservant of Christ Jesus

-- JC was (according to Tacitus, Josephus etc) dead! and Paul says that JC is his master, that He is alive.

2) bought, owned by Jesus: we are owned doubly by God: by virtue of creation and redemption

-- to please God (Gal 1:10) "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."

    ~ therefore do not please men (unless it glorifies God)

3) set apart for the gospel

-- from his mother's womb (predestined, Gal 1:15) --- huge detour!! resonates with Rom 11:33

-- God chose someone and allowed him to venture into the depths of sin, later still willing to use him

Leon Morris: frequency of "God" in this chapter extremely high

Rom 11:36 "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

小要理默想一周后，目光停在这样一段经文上。

记得曾经对我来说最难接受的事，就是发现自己的人生中似乎没有什么可以恒久相信的。不再相信别人口中的是非对错之分，不再相信人心，不再相信身边的人，甚至不再相信自己的判断。
所以特别感恩，当神的话语再次出现自己的生命中，是祂让我再次看见这世上只有一个完全信实，完全良善，完全可靠，完全公义…完全对，却又完全爱的，那就是祂自己。因为有祂，生命中才有了一个定点，一个必不动摇的高台。这不代表人生中失去了变化而变得乏味，而是在千变万化中，终究有个东西是不变的，是能包容涵盖一切的。也因此，我不再害怕变化。