晨興聖言-極其需要新的復興(W06-4)

第六週 • 週四

W06-d4-ch

晨興餧養

彼前五2  務要牧養你們中間神的羣羊,按着神監督他們,不是出於勉強,乃是出於甘心…。

弗四29 敗壞的話一句都不可出口,只要按需要說建造人的好話,好將恩典供給聽見的人。

 

在彼得的頭一封書信中,在二章二十五節他說到基督是我們魂的牧人和監督,而我們的魂乃是我們內裏的所是,也就是我們的真人位。在五章一至二節他告訴長老們,務要按着神牧養神的羣羊。按着神,意思就是我們必須活神;我們必須隨時隨處有神。我們在我們的悟性上、道理上、與教訓上有神,但我們在牧養人時可能沒有活神。當我們與神是一,我們就成了神。在我們牧養別人時,我們就有神並且就是神。按着神牧養,意思就是按着神屬性的所是牧養。神是愛、光、聖、義。…我們必須按着這四種屬性牧養年幼的、輭弱的和退後的。這樣,我們就是好牧人。

我們若要享受生命,並將生命供應別人,就必須牧養他們。真正生命的供應乃是藉着訪問人、接觸人而牧養人(李常受文集一九九四至一九九七年第五冊,一五四至一五五頁)。

信息選讀

許多年前,我以為監督是要觀察誰對誰錯,誰作得好,誰作得差。後來我才領悟,監督主要的是在於監督需要。…〔牧人〕的監督與保護羣羊、引導羣羊並餧養羣羊有關。

如彼得所說的,作長老的應當『按着神…出於甘心』而監督〔彼前五2〕。按着神監督,意即按着神的性情、心意、作法和榮耀,不按着人的偏好、興趣和目的。作長老的不該按着他們的意見、觀念或好惡而監督。反之,他們該照着神的揀選、願望、心意和喜好而監督。作長老的必須全然按着神的思想、感覺、意願和揀選而監督。他們必須按着神的好惡而監督。

在彼前五章二節,彼得警告作長老的不要為着卑鄙的利益,乃要熱切的施行監督。這就是說,作長老的不該利用長老職分,當作得利的方法。他們該熱切的監督,像父母熱切的照管兒女一樣(彼得前書生命讀經,三五一至三五三頁)。

我們能幫助〔個性乖僻、頑固的〕肢體有多少,在乎我們自己的個性受對付有多少。主使用他們的個性作為鏡子,返照我們的個性。我們也許說他們的難處是他們的個性,但主也許問我們:『你的個性如何?』…我們的個性若被主摸過,他們…會知道。這會幫助他們,讓他們的個性受對付。…今天我們所在地的召會是幼嫩新鮮的,但幾年之後,有些聖徒乖僻的個性會顯明出來。我們是否能幫助他們,在乎我們讓主摸我們的個性有多少。

與弟兄們交通並與他們配搭,也許能幫助我們從自己的個性裏出來。我們也許只要跟隨一同配搭的弟兄們,就能得着幫助。…大部分個性強的人都認為自己比別人聰明;他們認為自己比別人更有眼光、更有遠見。因此,他們不信任別人,結果他們就不跟隨別人。…這種人可以藉着簡單的跟隨別人而得幫助。

我們要幫助人在個性上受對付,就必須率先使自己的個性受對付(李常受文集一九七七年第二冊,六五四至六五六頁)。

參讀:活力排,第五章。

WEEK 6 — DAY 4

W06-d4-en

Morning Nourishment

1 Pet. 5:2 Shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing not under compulsion but willingly, according to God…

Eph. 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but only that which is good for building up, according to the need, that it may give grace to those who hear.

In his first Epistle, Peter speaks of Christ being the Shepherd and Overseer of our soul, our inner being and real person (2:25). Then in 5:1-2 he tells the elders that their obligation is to shepherd God’s flock according to God. According to God means that we must live God. We must have God on hand. We have God in our understanding, in our theology, and in our teaching, but we may not live God when we are shepherding people. When we are one with God, we become God. Then we have God and are God in our shepherding of others. To shepherd according to God is to shepherd according to what God is in His attributes. God is love, light, holiness, and righteousness.. We must shepherd the young ones, the weak ones, and the backsliding ones according to these four attributes. Then we will be good shepherds.

If we want to enjoy life and minister life to others, we must shepherd them. The real ministering of life is shepherding by visiting and contacting people. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “The Vital Groups,” pp. 114-115)

Today’s Reading

Years ago I thought that the overseeing was to observe who is wrong and who is right, who is doing well and who is doing poorly. Later, I came to realize that to oversee is mainly a matter of overseeing the need…[A shepherd’s] oversight is related to protecting the flock, leading the flock, and feeding the flock.

As Peter says, the elders should oversee “willingly, according to God” [1 Pet. 5:2]. To oversee according to God means according to God’s nature, desire, way, and glory, not according to man’s preference, interest, and purpose. The elders should not oversee according to their opinion, concept, or likes or dislikes. Instead, they should oversee according to God’s choice, desire, intention, and preference. The elders must oversee the church altogether according to God’s thought, feeling, will, and choice. They must oversee according to God’s likes and dislikes.

In 5:2 Peter warns the elders not to seek gain through base means but to eagerly exercise oversight. This means that the elders should not take advantage of the eldership and use it as a means to gain money. They should eagerly take the oversight like parents who eagerly exercise care over their children. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 290-292)

How much we can help these members [who have a peculiar, stubborn disposition] depends on how much our own disposition has been dealt with. The Lord uses their disposition as a mirror to reflect our disposition. We may say that their problem is their disposition, but the Lord may ask us, “How about your disposition?”…If our disposition has been dealt with by the Lord, they will know this…This will help them to allow their disposition to be dealt with…Today the church in our place is tender and fresh, but after a number of years the peculiar dispositions of some of the saints will be manifested. Whether we can help them depends on how much we have allowed the Lord to touch our disposition.

Fellowshipping with brothers and coordinating with them may help us to get out of our disposition. We may receive help simply by following the brothers with whom we are coordinating…Most people with strong dispositions think that they are smarter than others. They think that they have more insight and more foresight than others. Thus, they do not trust in others, and as a consequence, they do not follow others…This kind of person may be helped by simply following others.

In order for us to help people to be dealt with in their disposition, we must take the lead to have our disposition dealt with. (CWWL, 1977, vol. 2, pp. 487-489)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “The Vital Groups,” ch. 7 

 

留言

這個網誌中的熱門文章

晨興聖言-經歷、享受並彰顯基督(四)(W43-綱要)

晨興聖言-話語的職事...(W1-綱要)

晨興聖言-話語的職事...(W3-綱要)