晨興聖言-為着主的來臨(W5-6)

第五週　週六

http://morning-revival.twgbr.org/mp3s/2023/1-Chinese-NY/week-05/week5day6.mp3 

晨興餧養

徒二十28　聖靈立你們作全群的監督，你們就當為自己謹慎，也為全群謹慎，牧養神的召會，就是祂用自己的血所買來的。

林後十二15　我極其喜歡為你們花費，並完全花上自己。難道我越發愛你們，就越發少得你們的愛麼？

我們的態度可能是人人輭弱，我們不輭弱。我們可能感覺我們是剛強的。保羅在林前九章二十二節說，『向輭弱的人，我就成為輭弱的，為要得輭弱的人。』這意指我們要下到輭弱之人的水準。向生病的人，我們就下到生病之人的水準。這是藉着探訪牧養人的路。保羅也說，『有誰絆跌，我不焦急？』〔林後十一29〕這是對跌倒之人絆跌的原因，憂急且氣憤。這顯示保羅作好牧者，照顧神群羊的榜樣（李常受文集一九九四至一九九七年第五冊，一五五頁）。

信息選讀

在行傳二十章保羅與以弗所長老的談話中，保羅說他『或在公眾面前，或挨家挨戶『教導他們（20）。…他在這一切勞苦之外，還挨家挨戶的看望聖徒的家。他這樣作乃是要成全聖徒。凡與他們有益的，他沒有一樣避諱不告訴他們的（20）；他也把神一切的旨意都告訴他們（27）。使徒保羅所作的，是何等美妙的成全的工作！

保羅一再回到每一位聖徒的家，流淚勸戒、勸勉他們。使徒的說話該滿了同情，常有眼淚。你想作使徒麼？那你就要學習如何流淚。在十九節，保羅說他服事主，凡事謙卑，常常流淚。然後在三十一節，他說他不住的流淚勸戒每一位聖徒。使徒流淚告訴他所牧養親愛的聖徒，一切關於神和祂旨意的事；他不僅公開的說，他也看望聖徒的家（李常受文集一九八八年第四冊，四四一至四四三頁）。

林前十二章的末了啟示，愛是極超越的路（31下）。一個人如何作長老？愛是極超越的路。一個人如何作同工？愛是極超越的路。我們如何牧養人？愛是極超越的路。愛是我們申言並教導人極超越的路。為着我們的所是和所作，愛乃是極超越的路。

召會既不是逮捕人的警察局，也不是審判人的法庭，乃是養育信徒的家。作父母的都知道，他們的孩子越壞，就越需要父母的養育。…召會是愛的家，為着養育兒女。召會也是醫院，為着醫治並恢復有病的人。最後，召會也是學校，為着教導並造就尚未學習的人，就是那些沒有多少認識的人。召會既是家、醫院和學校，同工和長老就應當與主是一，在愛裏養育、醫治、恢復並教導人。

愛遮蓋人並建造人，所以為着建造基督的身體，在我們的所是所作上，愛乃是極超越的路。

我盼望因着我們接受有關牧養的這個負擔，在我們中間會有真正的復興。眾召會若都接受這教訓，有分於基督奇妙的牧養，在主的恢復裏就會有一次大的復興。我們在已過講說並教導了很多，但很少牧養。牧養和教導，應當像雙腳，為着我們與主一同行動。我們的牧養該一直帶着教導，而我們的教導也應當一直帶着牧養（李常受文集一九九四至一九九七年第五冊，一七一至一七三、一二七頁）。

參讀：哥林多後書生命讀經，第四十四篇；對同工長老們以及愛主尋求主者愛心的話，第二章。

WEEK 5 — DAY 6

Morning Nourishment

Acts 20:28 Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has placed you as overseers to shepherd the church of God, which He obtained through His own blood.

2 Cor. 12:15 But I, I will most gladly spend and be utterly spent on behalf of your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved less?

Our attitude may be that everyone is weak but we are not weak. We may have the feeling that we are strong ones. In 1 Corinthians 9:22 Paul says, “To the weak I became weak that I might gain the weak.” This means that we should come down to the weak one’s level. To a sick person we come down to the level of a sick person. This is the way to shepherd people by visiting them. Paul also says, “Who is stumbled, and I myself do not burn?” [2 Cor. 11:29]. This is to burn in sorrow and indignation over the cause of the stumbling of all the fallen ones. This shows the pattern of Paul as a good shepherd, taking care of God’s flock. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “The Vital Groups,” p. 115)

Today’s Reading

In Paul’s talk with the elders in Ephesus in Acts 20, Paul said that he taught them “publicly and from house to house” (v. 20)… In addition to all his labor, he still visited the homes of the saints, from house to house. He did this to perfect the saints. He did not shrink from declaring to them anything that was profitable (v. 20), declaring to them all the counsel of God (v. 27). What a marvelous perfecting work the apostle Paul did!

Paul went back again and again to every home of the saints, exhorting them and admonishing them with tears. An apostle should speak full of sympathy, with tears. Do you want to be an apostle? Then learn how to weep. In Acts 20:19 Paul said that he served the Lord as a slave with all humility and tears. Then in verse 31 he said that he did not cease admonishing each one of the saints with tears. An apostle tells the dear ones under his shepherding everything concerning God and His counsel with tears. He does not only speak publicly, but he also visits the homes of the saints. (CWWL, 1988, vol. 4, “Further Light concerning the Building Up of the Body of Christ,” pp. 358-359)

The end of 1 Corinthians 12 reveals that love is the most excellent way (v. 31b). How can one be an elder? Love is the most excellent way. How can one be a co-worker? Love is the most excellent way. How do we shepherd people? Love is the most excellent way. Love is the most excellent way for us to prophesy and to teach others. Love is the most excellent way for us to be anything or do anything.

The church is not a police station to arrest people or a law court to judge people but a home to raise up the believers. Parents know that the worse their children are, the more they need their raising up… The church is a loving home to raise up the children. The church is also a hospital to heal and to recover the sick ones. Finally, the church is a school to teach and edify the unlearned ones who do not have much understanding. Because the church is a home, a hospital, and a school, the co-workers and elders should be one with the Lord to raise up, to heal, to recover, and to teach others in love.

Love covers and builds up, so love is the most excellent way for us to be anything and to do anything for the building up of the Body of Christ.

I hope that there will be a genuine revival among us by our receiving this burden of shepherding. If all the churches receive this teaching to participate in Christ’s wonderful shepherding, there will be a big revival in the recovery. In the past we did much speaking and teaching with very little shepherding. Shepherding and teaching should be like two feet for our move with the Lord. Our shepherding should always be with teaching, and our teaching should always be with shepherding. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “The Vital Groups,” pp. 126-127, 92)

Further Reading: Life-study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 44; CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “A Word of Love to the Co-workers, Elders, Lovers, and Seekers of the Lord,” ch. 2