晨興聖言-為着主的來臨(W4-4)

第四週　週四

http://morning-revival.twgbr.org/mp3s/2023/1-Chinese-NY/week-04/week4day4.mp3 

晨興餧養

太二四48~51　若是那惡僕心裏說，我的主人必來得遲，就動手打那些和他同作奴僕的，又和酒醉的人一同喫喝，在想不到的日子，不知道的時辰，那奴僕的主人要來，把他割斷，定他和假冒為善的人同受處分…。

〔在馬太二十四章四十八節，〕惡僕是信徒，因他是主所派的（45）；他稱主為『我的主人』；他相信主要來。四十九節說，那惡僕動手打那些和他同作奴僕的，又和酒醉的人一同喫喝。動手打同作奴僕的，就是虐待作同伴的信徒；和酒醉的人一同喫喝，就是與沉醉在屬世事物裏的世人為伴（馬太福音生命讀經，八二○頁）。

信息選讀

那惡僕的問題不是他不曉得主要來，乃是他不盼望祂來。他不喜歡過一種為着主的來臨豫備好的生活。因此，當主回來時，祂要把他割斷，定他和假冒為善的人同受處分。把他割斷，指在主要來的榮耀中與主隔絕。這相當於銀子比喻（太二五14~30）中『扔在外面黑暗裏』的結語。…主乃要把〔惡僕〕從祂自己將在的榮耀中割斷。這等於扔在外面黑暗裏。

凡被扔在外面黑暗裏的，將要從主，從祂的同在，從祂的交通，並從祂將在的榮耀範圍中被割斷。這不是永遠沉淪，乃是受時代的懲治。…主不會把責任指派給假信徒。那惡僕的確是得救的人。在馬太福音這卷國度的書中，結局不是得救；結局乃是國度：我們將得着賞賜進入國度，或是將失去賞賜，失去國度的享受，並且遭受懲罰和管教，在那裏哀哭切齒（馬太福音生命讀經，八二○至八二一頁）。

我們眾人都應該按時分糧給主的子民（太二四45），並且充分使用主的恩賜（二五20、22）。在消極一面，我們不該動手打那些和我們同作奴僕的人（二四49）。你可能沒有盡你的責任去完成你的事奉，反而在批評，有時甚至強烈地和弟兄們作對。你不是在作工，乃是動手打同作奴僕的。…許多地方召會的長老總是怕作錯事。他們一旦作錯了甚麼事，幾乎所有的人都會透過電話知道。這些電話上的談論都是在動手打人，許多聖徒都在動手打長老。

當一些消極的事發生在任何聖徒身上，有些人永遠不會禁止自己不說。傳播這樣消極的情形乃是一種動手打人。有些時候在禱告聚會裏，為着一個在消極情形裏的聖徒，你也許用一種巧妙的方式為他禱告。你也許不在別的時間暴露他，卻藉着你的禱告暴露他。神知道你的心。你的心和你禱告的意念不是那麼純淨。你也許裝作很屬靈，不批評或論斷人。你為人禱告，但你的禱告大約百分之十是一種論斷。這就是動手打人。一個地方的長老也許批評另一個地方的長老，這也是動手打同作奴僕的。

你把你事奉的時間浪費在動手打人的事上。你沒有事奉，反而動手打了弟兄，就是和你同作奴僕的。…我們都必須停下我們的批評、論斷、反對和怨言，那些都是在動手打人。我們必須花費我們的時間、我們的精力和我們的一切，為着主的權益有積極的事奉（李常受文集一九八五年第五冊，六六四至六六六頁）。

參讀：實行主當前行動之路，第七至十章。

 WEEK 4 — DAY 4 

Morning Nourishment 

Matt. 24:48-51 But if that evil slave says in his heart, My master delays, and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with the drunken, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him asunder and appoint his portion with the hypocrites… 

[In Matthew 24:48] the evil slave is a believer, because he is appointed by the Lord (v. 45), he calls the Lord “my master,” and he believes that the Lord is coming. Verse 49 says that the evil slave beats his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with the drunken. To beat the fellow slaves is to mistreat the fellow believers, and to eat and drink with the drunken is to keep company with worldly people, who are drunk with worldly things. (Life-study of Matthew, p. 742) 

Today’s Reading 

The problem with the evil slave is not that he does not know that the Lord is coming, but that he does not expect Him. He does not like to live the kind of life that is prepared for the Lord’s coming. Therefore, when the Lord comes back, He will cut him asunder and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. To cut him asunder means to cut him off. This signifies a separation from the Lord in His coming glory. This corresponds to being cast out into the outer darkness in the conclusion of the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30)… The Lord… will cut [the evil slave] off from the glory in which He Himself will be. This is equal to being cast out into outer darkness. 

Whoever is cast into outer darkness will be cut off from the Lord, from His presence, from His fellowship, and from the glorious sphere in which the Lord will be. This is not to perish eternally, but to be chastened dispensationally… The Lord would not assign duties to a false believer. Certainly the evil slave is a saved one. In Matthew, the book of the kingdom, the issue is not salvation. The issue is the kingdom: whether we shall receive a reward to enter into the kingdom, or whether we shall lose the reward, miss the enjoyment of the kingdom, and suffer punishment and discipline where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 742-743) 

All of us should be those who are feeding the Lord’s people at the proper time (Matt. 24:45) and using the Lord’s talents in full (25:20, 22). On the negative side, we should not be those beating our fellow slaves (24:49). You may not do your duty to perform your service, but instead you are criticizing and sometimes even strongly opposing the brothers. You are not doing the work but beating the fellow slaves… Many of the elders in the local churches are afraid to do anything wrong. Once they do something wrong, nearly everyone knows through the use of the telephone. These telephone calls are all beatings. Many of the saints are beating the elders. 

When something negative happens to any of the saints, some can never retain it. Passing on the news of this negative situation is a kind of beating. Sometimes you may have a subtle way of praying in the prayer meeting for a saint who is in a negative situation. You may not expose him at other times, but you expose him through your prayers. God knows your heart. The intention in your heart and in your prayer is not so pure. You may pretend to be so spiritual, not criticizing or judging people. You pray for people, but about ten percent of your prayer is a kind of judging. This is beating. The elders in one location may criticize the elders in another location. This is also beating the fellow slaves. 

You waste your time of service in beating. Instead of doing the service, you beat the brothers, the fellow slaves… We all have to stop our criticizing, judging, opposing, and murmuring as a kind of beating. We must spend our time, our energy, and our everything to do a positive service for the Lord’s interest. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 5, “The Way to Practice the Lord’s Present Move,” pp. 539-540) 

Further Reading: CWWL, 1985, vol. 5, “The Way to Practice the Lord’s Present Move,” chs. 7-10