John 15:18-20 (NKJV) “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.“
Jesus made it very clear that we will suffer persecution. Jesus promised us that the world will hate us. Light and darkness cannot co-exist. When light comes, darkness has to leave. When light comes, it will also reveal all the work of darkness and sin in the world. We are the salt and light of this world. As Christians, we do have values and principles that are exactly at the opposite end of the world. The Pharisees and the religious people persecuted Jesus because Jesus was righteous in His dealing and was not legalistic nor was He a conformist.
Given a situation where everyone in the industry is bribing and your client expects you to do the same but you want to be different because you stand by your values. As a result, they favor those who give them bribes. What will you do when they persecute you for standing up to your values and principles? Trust God to provide or we will stumble as mentioned by Jesus.
Perhaps you just join an advertising company and the media industry is quite a liberal place. Parties, alcohol, drugs and free social life is the kind of lifestyle your bosses, colleagues and clients have. Your bosses or clients may favour you or even give you a promotion if you join them often in those social hangouts. You are young and you want to prove yourself. On the other hand, they persecute you for your Christian values and principles. Do you stand or stumble?
You might be confronted and sifted by the devil because he is looking for every opportunity to oppress you through persecution by your boss or peers. However, these persecutions are pale in comparison for those who have been martyrs for their faith when they reside in countries who are hostile against Christians.
Jesus wants us to allow the word to take root in our lives so that we can stand firm in the midst of tribulation and persecution. He does not want us to fall away because we have been very shallow in our faith or has no rock solid conviction. The key to withstand the tribulation and persecution is to be rooted in Him.
Mark 4:17 (NKJV) And they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.
We need to be rooted in Him so that we will not stumble when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake. The seed will need time to take root when there is enough soil and we need to water it daily.
Philippians 3:8-10 (NKJV) Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.
Paul prayed that we may know the Father, to perceive and recognize Him. We need to be able to recognize what things are of God and recognize His works to understand the wonders of His person. God is consistent in actions with His character or nature. Unrighteousness cannot be in the presence of God, hence the need for the new birth and salvation. If we can recognize the work of the Father, we shall also be able to recognize the work of the enemy.
We not only need to know Word of God but also the God of the Word. This will give us greater understanding of the Word. Without knowing the nature and character of God, it will lead to a misinterpretation of the Word of God.
It takes a decision to get to know someone. We need to make this decision with God. We need to know that God is the sower even though He uses man to preach or teach His word today. He will not be the instigator or in cohort with the devil to steal the word that He has sown.
One way to be rooted is to know God’s character and the other is to be able to discern between the work of the devil and the goodness of God. If we do not know the character of God, we will be easily deceived by the devil.
You only know someone after you have formed an intimate relationship with them. Knowing someone doesn’t just come by spending time with them. You need to speak with them and more importantly learn to listen to them.
Make it your confession to grow in knowledge of God today!
Sermon series: There is power in the seed
以基督为根基并且站立地稳
约翰福音 15:18-20 “世人若恨你们，你们知道，恨你们以先已经恨我了。你们若属世界，世界必爱属自己的。只因你们不属世界，乃是我从世界中拣选了你们，所以世界就恨你们。你们要记念我从前对你们所说的话：‘仆人不能大于主人。’ 他们若逼迫了我，也要逼迫你们；若遵守了我的话，也要遵守你们的话。”
耶稣实实在在地说我们将会受到逼迫，这个世界肯定会恨我们。光明和黑暗无法共存，当光明来临时，黑暗必须逃跑。当光明来临时，必将显明这个世界上的黑暗和罪恶。我们是这个世界的盐和光，作为基督徒，我们所把持的价值和原则，正好与这个世界相反。法利赛人和宗教人士因为耶稣行事公义丶不墨守成规也不妥协就逼迫祂。
如果所有人在你的行业中都在行贿，你的客户也等着你这么做；为了坚守你的价值观，你不随波逐流，但最后你的客户或许会偏心那些向他们行贿的人。当他们因为你坚守价值观和原则而迫害你时，你该怎么做呢？要相信神会供应我们，不然我们会如同上述所提会因耶稣跌倒。
可能你刚刚加入一家广告公司，由于传播行业通常特别自由。你的老板丶同事和客户的生活风格里充斥着派对丶酒精丶毒品和放纵。若你参与老板和客户之间的社交活动，可能会多得到一些好处，而你则是既年轻又急于想证明自己。在这种情况下，当他们因着你的基督徒价值和原则而逼迫你时，你会坚持立场还是跌倒呢？
你可能会面对魔鬼丶牠用筛筛你，因为牠不断找机会借着你的上司和同事的逼迫来压榨你。然而，与那些居住在反对基督教国家丶因着自己的信仰而殉道的人们相比，这样的逼迫是微不足道的。
耶稣希望祂的道在我们的生命中生根，以致于在苦难和逼迫中我们能站得稳。祂不希望我们信仰的根基是表面的、信心没有建立在磐石上，使我们因此离开了真理。对抗苦难和逼迫的关键是要将根基建立于祂。
马可福音 4:17 但他心里没有根，不过是暂时的，及至为道遭了患难，或是受了逼迫，立刻就跌倒了。
我们必须将根基建立于祂，这样就不会在苦难或逼迫来临时因为真理而跌倒。当土壤足够的时候，种子会需要时间来扎根，我们也需要每天给它浇水。
腓立比书 3:8-10 不但如此，我也将万事当做有损的，因我以认识我主基督耶稣为至宝。我为他已经丢弃万事，看做粪土，为要得着基督，并且得以在他里面，不是有自己因律法而得的义，乃是有信基督的义，就是因信神而来的义；使我认识基督，晓得他复活的大能，并且晓得和他一同受苦，效法他的死。
保罗祷告我们能认识天父，明白并接受祂。我们需要能够辨识哪些是神的作为，祂做的工，才能了解祂的本性。神的行为与祂的性格或性情是一致的。但凡不公义的在神面前都站立不住，因此我们需要领受新生命和神的救赎。如果我们能认出神所做的工，也必会认出仇敌做的事。
我们不仅要了解神的道，同时也明白道中的神。这将使我们对祂的道有更深的认识。不知道神的性情和本性，会导致我们曲解对神的道。
真正了解一个人是需要决心的。我们要与神做这个决定。我们需要知道神会洒种，即使在当下祂是通过人来讲道或教导祂的话。祂不会来煽动或是做魔鬼的共犯来偷窃祂所播种的道。
将信心根基建立在神的一种方式，就是去了解神的本性；另一种方式是去分辨魔鬼的邪恶和神的良善。如果你不了解神的本性，很容易受魔鬼欺骗。
只有与人们建立了亲密的关系后，你才能真正了解他们。了解他们不仅仅只是花时间在一起，也需要与他们对话，更重要的是，还要学会倾听对方。
今天就下定决心，在认识神上成长吧！
讲章系列：种子大有能力
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