0524 – Know Jesus Personally 亲自认识耶稣

Luke 8:22-25 Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”

On this occasion, Jesus had given the disciples the Word to cross over to the other side, but then a windstorm arose. Instead of holding on to the Word of Jesus, the disciples chose to look at the circumstances and cried for help. After Jesus rebuked the wind and waves, He questioned them, “Where is your faith?”.

What did Jesus expect them to build their faith upon? His Word, and for us today, the Bible. Without faith it is impossible to please God, and faith in God is based on the Word because faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God.

Often the circumstances will be contrary to the Word that God has given you. This is when you have to choose not to base your faith on what you see in the natural, the reports and your feelings. The enemy always wants to shift your attention from the Word to the circumstances, and he will bombard you with negative thoughts and worst case scenarios, because he wants you to quit, which often seems easier than standing on the Word of God.

The disciples were afraid and said, “Who can this be?”, because at that point in time, while they knew of Jesus or had knowledge about Him, they did not know Him personally or had a full revelation of who Christ was. However, later on in His ministry, when Jesus asked them whom they said He was, Peter confessed, “You are the Christ! The Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). What a tremendous difference between knowing God and to know of God!

When we only know of God, it will be difficult for us to believe in Him in difficult times, but when we know Him personally, we can trust in His Word, His character and His love for us through the storm, and his peace will fill our hearts and strengthen our faith.

Sermon Series: Fight the Good Fight of Faith


亲自认识耶稣

路加福音 8:22-25 有一天,耶稣和门徒上了船,对门徒说:“ 我们可以渡到湖那边去。” 他们就开了船。正行的时候,耶稣睡着了。湖上忽然起了暴风,船将满了水,甚是危险。门徒来叫醒了他,说:“ 夫子,夫子,我们丧命啦!“ 耶稣醒了,斥责那狂风大浪,风浪就止住,平静了。耶稣对他们说:“ 你们的信心在哪里呢?” 他们又惧怕,又希奇,彼此说:“ 这到底是谁?他吩咐风和水,连风和水也听从他了。”

这一次,耶稣已赐给门徒话 语要渡到湖的另一边,但是后来忽然起了暴风。门徒非但没有持守耶稣的话,反而选择看环境并大声呼救。耶稣斥责那狂风大浪后,质问门徒,“你们的信心在哪里呢?”

耶稣期望门徒把信心建立在什么根基上?祂的话, 而今天对我们而言就是圣经。人非有信,就不能得到神的喜悦,而对神的信是建立在神的道上, 而信道是从听道来的,听道是从基督的话来的。

你所处的环境常常会与神赐给你的话语背道而驰。这时你就必须选择不把信心建立在自然界中所看到的,所听到的报告和你的感觉。敌人总是想把你的注意力从神的话语转移到环境上,并用消极思想和最坏情况轰炸你,因为他要你放弃,这往往似乎比站立在神的话语上更容易些。

门徒们惧怕,彼此说:“ 这到底是谁?“,因为在那个时候,虽然他们知道耶稣 或对祂有所了解,但他们没有亲自认识祂或者对基督是谁还没有得到完整的启示。然而,在祂后来的事工里,当耶稣问门徒 他们说祂是谁,彼得承认, “你是基督!是永生神的儿子。” (马太福音 16:16)认识神和知道神 有何等大的差别啊!

当我们只是知道神,在困境中我们将很难相信祂,可是当我们亲自认识祂, 我们可以信靠祂的话语,祂的品格 以及在暴风雨中祂对我们不离不弃的爱,祂的平安将充满我们的心 并加强我们的信心。

讲章系列: 为真道打那美好的仗