2017-09-10 The Lord's prayer 主祷文 (1)

Matt 6: 9-13 太6:9-13 We are all familiar with the Lord’s prayer. 我们都熟悉主祷文， Some people might have recited it when they were in Sunday School in their youth. 小时候去过主日学的，有的都可以背下来。How many of you could recite it when you were in your childhood? 这里有多少人从小可以背的？ Thanks be to God! 感谢主！But reciting the Lord’s prayer doesn’t mean that we have faith in it.但是，背主祷文不代表信主祷文。

For example, according to the Jewish tradition, 比如，犹太人的传统是，their boys must recite more than half of the Old Testament before they reach the age of fifteen. 犹太男孩在15岁前必须要背下旧约的一半，But most of them deny Jesus as the Messiah (the Christ). 但他们多数人不认耶稣是弥赛亚（就是基督）Why? 为什么？ For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Cor 3:6)(林后3:6)因为那字句是叫人死，精意是叫人活。

 What does it mean? 是什么意思？In our natural mind, we only know a little bit of the earthly things which we can see or experience, 我们天然的思想，只能知道地上一点点可以看到的、可以经历的事情，but the word of God is of the Spirit and of something that we can’t see, 神的话却是灵、是看不到的，how can we really understand it? 人怎么能理解呢？ Pray靠祷告，Because we have received the Spirit of God, 因为我们领受了圣灵，He will guide us into all truth.祂会引导我们进入一切的真理。Praise God! 赞美神！So today, we’re gonna look at the first word of the Lord’s prayer. 我们今天就来分享主祷文的第一句 “Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”  “我们在天上的父，愿人都尊你的名为圣”。

1, Identify the relationship -- God is our Father. 确定我们之间的关系——神是我们的父。

“Our father in heaven”, 我们在天上的父，which means when we pray, we define our identity as children of the Almighty God.这是说，我们祷告时，我们确定我们的身份是全能神的儿女。This is one of the sweetest truths in the universe that we no longer are fatherless. 一个宇宙中最最甘甜的真理，就是我们不再是没有父亲的了。Praise the Lord! 赞美神！

You know why? 知道为什么？Because Jesus Christ made a way for us to go to the Father, 因为耶稣基督开了一条道路，让我们去到天父那里，He made himself the atoning sacrifice, 他献上自己为赎罪祭，shed his blood for the forgiveness of our sins, 流血使我们罪得赦免， through his blood, our relationship with God was restored. 借着他的血，恢复了我们与神的关系。Jesus Christ was resurrected. 耶稣基督从死里复活了。

Let’s see what he said? 我们看看他怎么说？John 20 15-17, 约20:15-17 (look at the screen看屏幕) Jesus said, 耶稣说, “go to my brothers, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”  “你往我弟兄那里去，告诉他们说：我要升上去见我的父，也是你们的父；见我的神，也是你们的神。

Is your heart feeling warm now? 你心感到温暖吗？Christ said, “My Father is your Father, my God is your God.” 基督说“我的父，也是你们的父；我的神，也是你们的神。”Do you want to respond to Jesus right now? 想不想现在就回应耶稣？ Say, “Thank you, my Heavenly Father, 说谢谢你天父，Thank you, Jesus, my Father.谢谢你耶稣我的天父。” What a privilege! 何等特权！The twelve did nothing, but denied the Lord when he had been arrested. 在耶稣被捕时，除了不认主，十二门徒什么好的都没做。We did nothing but sinned against God. 我们除了得罪神，什么好的也没做。

God freely grants us this glorious grace. 神却白白赐下这荣耀的恩典。It is not just an accident,这绝不是偶然，In other words, you have become His sons and daughters, which didn’t happen by accident. 换句话说，你们不是因偶然原因才成为祂的儿女。Because the truth clearly says, 因为经上明明的说，“He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, (Eph 1:5)” “就按着自己意旨所喜悦的，预定我们借着耶稣基督得儿子的名分。”(弗1:5)

He predestined you and me before the creation of the world,在造世界以先，祂就预定了你和我， This is the truth.这就是真理。If you believe the truth, 你若信真理 ，you can be set free from all kinds of rejection and lies, 就可脱离各种被拒绝和谎言，Perhaps you once thought like this, 也许你曾经想，‘Why am I in this world? “我为什么来到世上？I’m a mistake by my parents,我的出生是一个错误，” No,That’s a lie. 不是的，那是个谎言。

You are not a mistake in this world. 你来到世上绝不是个错误。You might have been told that you were an accident, 或许有人告诉你，你爸妈不小心有了你，because your Mom and Dad didn’t plan for your coming. 因为他们没有计划要你 。But our Moms and Dads are not God, 但我们的父母不是上帝，They all have fallen natures.他们都有堕落的天然人性。 Your heavenly Father had purposed for you to come before the world was begun,在世界被造以先，你的天父已经计划了你的来到，Your Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for you.你的天父对你有完美的计划，He is your heavenly Father, who made you fearfully and wonderfully! 祂是天父，你的受造奇妙可畏！Your earthly father will never know how you were formed, 地上的爸爸永不会知道你是怎样成形的 ，but our heavenly Father knows.唯有我们天父知道。

In Psa 139: 15-16 says, 在(诗139:15-16)节说， “My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to me.” “我在暗中受造，在地的深处被联络。那时，我的形体并不向你隐藏。我未成形的体质，你的眼早已看见了。你所定的日子，我尚未度一日，你都写在你的册上了。”

Your heavenly Father saw your unformed body. He loves you! 你的天父看见了你未成形的体质。 祂就爱你！Knowing God as a Father might be difficult if we had an earthly father, who was abusive, absent, or distant. 若地上的爸爸，是常打骂孩子，或常不在身边，或离的很远，孩子就很难认识到神像父亲是怎么回事。Some of us may say,有人会说 ，“I can’t figure out what a father’s love looks like or feels like, 我很难想象父爱是怎样的，for I didn’t have a father figure during the time I was growing up.因在我的成长岁月里，没有经历过父亲是什么样的。”

This world is a world of fatherlessness. 这个世界是个无父爱的世界。Even if someone has an earthly father,就算是有父亲的人，like king David of Israel, 像以色列的大卫王，who had parents, but he said, 他有父母，但他说，“though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Psa 27: 10” “我父母离弃我，耶和华必收留我。”(诗27:10) David knows that his hope is not in his earthly father’s love, 大卫知道，他的盼望不在地上的父爱， for his earthly father still need God’s salvation and forgiveness, but in the Lord. 因他地上的父亲，也需要神的救恩和赦免，他的盼望在于神。

So do we, 我们也一样，Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. (Isa 43:18). 你们不要纪念从前的事，也不要思想古时的事，（赛43:18）Stop putting yourself into your sad story of the past, 不要再把自己放进过去伤心事中，And continually sorry for yourself, 继续为过往难过，“I didn’t have a father,我没有爸爸，he is not good,他不是好爸爸，” No, 不要了， the former thing has gone, 过去的已经过去，don’t live in the past.不要再活在过去。Broken is broken,破碎了就是破碎了，hope is hope, 盼望才是盼望。 the new thing has come. 新事已经来到。

Your earthly father needs God’s forgiveness, 你地上的父亲需要神的赦免，just like what you do,就像你一样，Forgiving your earthly father can set you free from your unhappy childhood.饶恕你的父亲，可以使你从童年阴影里走出来。Look to your Heavenly Father, 仰望天父，you will find love, peace, and joy. 就有爱，平安，和喜乐。

Some of us may have a father figure in our family, 我们当中有人有父亲，but all man has sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 但人都犯了罪，亏缺了神的荣耀。so whatever we learn from our earthly father figure, 无论我们从地上父亲身上学什么，we can still go wrong. 我们仍然会走错路。I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be thankful for our earthly fathers, 我不是说，我们就不要感谢我们地上的父亲了， I mean even if our earthly fathers love us very much in their nature, 我的意思是，就算他们天性中很爱我们，we still can’t be satisfied, 我们仍不会满足，because divine love is not from man, but God. 因为爱不从人而来，爱从神而来。

I have a very good earthly father who respected his traditional values, 我有一个很传统的好爸爸，and looked after his family very well, 也很顾家， he used to demonstrate his love for us in a sacrificial way by giving us good food and all kinds of material things, rather than giving to himself. 无私地爱着我们，把好吃的好用的全给了我们，自己舍不得吃。So my understanding of love naturally inherited from him was all about material things. 我过去从爸爸承传来的对爱的理解，爱就是给东西。 I once believed that money was everything, 我曾经认为钱就是一切。until one day, 直到有一天， I earned lots of money, 我赚了好多的钱，I could buy anything good for my daughter who was a little girl, 想给女儿买什么就可以买什么，I thought that was showing my love for her, 我想这就是我对她的爱，but she said to me, 可她却对我说，“That is what you think, that’s not what I want.” “这是你觉得的，不是我要的。” 

Because of my wrong understanding of love, 因我对爱的错误认识，I didn’t even think about my hot temper that hurt my family a lot, 我竟不觉得我的坏脾气大大伤害了我家人，and still believed that I loved them because I made money for them. 仍然觉得我挣钱给这个家，这就是我对他们的爱。Until one day, 直到一天， when I became a Christian, 我成为基督徒，and I was convicted by the Lord, 被神光照， I repented 我悔改了。 And now, 现在 ，I have a perfect father figure that I can learn from, 我有了可以效法的父亲的形象，祂是完全的 ，about what love is and how to love, that is Jesus, my Lord. 从祂那里学习什么是爱，怎么爱？ 那就是我主耶稣。

I am grateful for my earthly father for he did his best for us. 我为自己地上的父亲感恩， 因他尽他所能爱我们。But our earthly fathers are not the ultimate example to imitate, 但我们地上的爸爸不是最终效法的榜样，for humanity has fallen.因为人性堕落了。“each of us has turn to his own way! (Isa 53:6b) 各人都偏行己路！（赛53:6下）” Only our Father in heaven is our perfect Father who is Holy and merciful. 唯有我们天上的父，是完全的，是圣洁和慈怜的。

Matt 5: 44-45, But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven be perfect (太5:44-45)只是我告诉你们：要爱你们的仇敌，为那逼迫你们的祷告。这样，就可以做你们天父的儿子，像你们的天父完全一样。This is what the perfect father figure looks like, 这就是完全的父的形像，when we were still His enemies, 在我们还做祂仇敌时 ，we rebelled against our Father, 我们悖逆祂，He even went to the point of giving himself up on the Cross to save us, 祂却心甘情愿为我们上十字架来救我们，He shed his blood for the forgiveness of our sins.他流血赦免我们的罪。

When we didn’t love Him, 当我们还不爱祂，He came to love us.祂却来爱我们。 When we forget Him,当我们忘记祂 ，He never feels wounded but still loves us. 祂却没有受伤却仍然是爱。 When I follow His way to love, 当我这样去跟随，I am completely free from my hot temper. 我就从坏脾气里被释放了。Love is not easily angered, 爱是不轻易发怒 ，Love is in the truth.爱在真理里。Our Heavenly Father’s love is to save us from our sins, 天父的爱是要将我们从罪中释放出来，and to bring us into His eternity. 是要领我们进到祂的永生里去。

When we pray, 当我们祷告，we say, “Our father in Heaven,” “我们在天上的父， ”it reminds us, 这提醒我们，it’s not individually just about “me”,这不是只关于个人的“我”  ，it’s about “we”. 是我们。we are His children, 我们是祂的孩子，we are brothers and sisters,我们是弟兄姊妹， We have one Father, 我们有共同的父，We are in one family. 我们在同一个家。We should support each other,当彼此扶持， pray for each other, 彼此代祷，love one another.彼此相爱。 And when we confess our sins to each other and prayer for each other, we may be healed .(James, 5:16a) 并且我们要彼此认罪，互相代求，使你们可以得医治。雅5：16上

2, Our Heavenly Father is Holy. 天父是圣洁的父。

“Hallowed be Your name.” 愿人都尊你的名为圣”。Psa 111: 9, Holy and awesome is His name. 诗111:9 祂的名圣而可畏。 It reminds us, 这在提醒我们 ，that our Heavenly Father’s love isn’t like our earthly fathers, 天父不像我们地上的爸爸，Because His love is in His Holiness. 因为祂的爱在圣洁里。He is Holy! Holy Holy, the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. (Re 4:8b) 祂是圣哉，圣哉，圣哉，（主神是）昔在、今在、以后永在的全能者。(启示录4:8下) Re 1:5b-17  To Him who loves us When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead.(启示录1:5下-17)祂爱我们， 我一看见，就仆倒在他脚前，像死了一样。

Can you see here? 看见吗？When John the apostle encountered the manifest presence of Jesus, 当主耶稣向使徒约翰显现时，he fell at His feet as though dead. 他就仆倒在主脚前，像死了一样。This is the power of God’s holiness. 这是上帝圣洁的大能。The apostle John, who had such an intimate relationship with Jesus, 使徒约翰与主耶稣有很亲密的关系，when Jesus was physically with his disciples, 主在肉身里与门徒一起时，John lay his head on Jesus’ shoulder. 约翰曾把头靠在主耶稣的胸口。

According to the historical records, 据历史记录，John was about 92 years old,约翰那时92岁， when he was a prisoner of Rome because of the word of God in the island of Patmos, 当他因神的道被罗马政府囚禁在拔摩岛期间 ，and he saw this vision.他看见这个异像 。You can reckon, 你可以估算一下，that throughout 70 more years following Jesus as His apostle, 即便经历了70多年的跟随耶稣的使徒， when John saw Jesus,当他见到主， he fell at His feet as though dead. 他仆倒在主脚前，像死了一样 。What a Holy Father Jesus is!何等圣洁耶稣!

We can see many times in the bible, 圣经里有很多地方，how people reacted, when they encountered His manifest presence.都记载了人一见主面的反应。Abraham fell facedown (Gen 17:3)  亚伯拉罕俯伏在地。(创世纪17:3)，All of Israel fell facedown (2 Chron 7:3)以色列人俯伏叩拜。(代下7:3)，Moses fell prostrate (Deu 9:18) 摩西俯伏在耶和华面前。(申9:18)，The King of Jehoshaphat fell facedown (2  Chron 20:18) 约沙法就面伏于地。(代下20:18) ，Joshua fell facedown (Joshua 5:14) 约书亚就俯伏在地下拜。(约书亚记5:14)，Daniel was terrified and fell prostrate (Daniel 8:17) 但以理就惊慌俯伏在地。(但8:17) ， Peter fell at Jesus’ knees (Luke 5:8) 彼得就俯伏在耶稣膝前。(路5:8)

When God’s faithful servant Daniel encountered the manifest presence of God, 当神向衷心的仆人但以理显现时， he was terrified and fell prostrate. 但以理就惊惶俯伏在地。Similarly, 同样，When John, the apostle of Jesus encountered God’s manifest presence,当使徒约翰见到耶稣时，he fell at His feet as though dead. 他也仆倒在祂脚前，像死了一样。What a Holy God Jesus is! 何等圣洁主耶稣！“John as though he was dead before Jesus.” 约翰在主面前就像死了一样。John as if he experienced death before Jesus.见了主面，约翰就像经历了死一样。

It tells us that something must die. 这里在告诉我们，必须死，The flesh (the sinful nature) must die in the Lord.肉体旧人在主面前必须死。There is no room for our corrupted flesh’s desires, 在神圣洁国度和祂的显现时，不会有任何地步给肉体的私欲，earthly interests, 属地的喜欢，or anything about self in the Holy kingdom of God and His manifest presence. 和任何与人自己有关的东西。They must fall down before God and die. 这些在上帝面前都必须死。

That’s why Jesus repeatedly commanded, 这就是为什么耶稣吩咐， “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23.” “若有人要跟随我，就当舍己，天天背起他的十字架来跟从我。”(路9:23) But “Don’t be afraid”, 但不要惧怕，Jesus said this, “Don’t be afraid”, “Fear not,” 耶稣说不要惧怕，不要怕，Our Heavenly Father is awesome and great! 我们的天父是大而可畏的！He is the beginning and the end.祂是始祂是终。

He is alive for ever and ever.祂活到永永远远，He is the author of life,祂是生命的主宰， He is in control of everything. 祂在一切上掌权。 He is Holy.祂是圣洁。But “Don’t be afraid.”, 但不要惧怕。 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father. Romans 8:15. 你们所受的，不是奴仆的心，仍旧害怕；所受的，乃是儿子的心，因此我们呼叫：“阿爸，父!”（罗8:15）

For those who have received Christ as their personal saviour, and have received the Spirit of sonship,我们这些接受耶稣为救主的，受了圣灵的，there is no reason to fear.没有理由再惧怕。 Yes, we still have the flesh that may cause us stumble, 是的，旧人仍会让我们跌倒,  but the blood of Christ has ensured that we can cry out in faith, 但基督的宝血是我们的保障，可以在信心里呼求,“Abba, Father, forgive me and change me.”  “阿爸，父，赦免我，改变我。”

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) 我们若认自己的罪，神是信实的，是公义的，必要赦免我们的罪，洗净我们一切的不义。（约一1:9）I love it, Every night before I go to bed, 我爱这真理， 每天晚上我上床前， I will say this prayer, 我会这样祷告， “Father God, please search my heart, 父神，请监察我的心，to see if I did anything wrong before You during the day, 看我白天有没有得罪你，don’t let any darkness hide in my heart.别让黑暗藏在我心里。”

I don’t want my flesh’s thoughts or actions to hurt the Holy one who loves me. 我不愿再让我旧人的思想或行为来伤害这位爱我的圣者。I love to confess my wrong doing or wrong saying if He convicts my heart, 若神光照我，我很喜欢认罪悔改，because there is hope behind this action, 因为悔改里有盼望， “He will forgive me and purity me from all unrighteousness, 祂会赦免我和除去我一切的不义，And He will make me new at each day’s prayers. 并会使我在每天的祷告里更新。 Is this your hope that you are good naturally, and that you can do no wrong? 这是不是你的盼望，就是你天然人很好，你一切都做的对？

NO, 不，If you believe so, 若你那样相信， you are hopeless, 你没有盼望，You will always be frustrated. 你会一直沮丧下去。Our hope is that we can put off the old self and put on the new and be made new. 我们的盼望是我们可以脱去旧人，穿上新人，并被更新。Then we can be free from the self.那样就能从自己里被释放出来得自由。Confession and repentance is a fundamental attitude of humility before God Our Father.认罪悔改是在天父面前最基础的谦卑态度。

“Don’t be afraid,”不要怕，Isaiah 64:8 Yet, Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. （赛64：8）耶和华啊，现在你仍是我们的父！我们是泥，你是窑匠；我们都是你手的工作。The maker of heaven and earth is our heavenly Father, 天地的造物主是我们的天父，who has given us His Holy Spirit to dwell in us.祂赐圣灵住在我们里面。He will never forsake us, 祂永不离弃我们，He is our potter, we are His clay, 祂是窑匠，我们是泥土，And we are the work of His hand. 并且我们是祂手中的工作。

We aren’t the work of our own hands.我们不是自己塑造自己。If we are obedient and submit ourselves to His hand, 若我们顺服交托在祂手中，He can make us into His vessels, a cup? a bowl? a vase? 祂能把我们造成祂手中的器皿，或一个杯子，一个碗，一个花瓶？Whatever He wants for His use.祂想要的任何器皿。This is the reason why we were born into this world? 这就是我们为什么生在这世上的目的？

Because “For us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. (1 Cor 8:6)” 然而我们只有一位神，就是父—万物都本于祂；我们也归于祂—并有一位主，就是耶稣基督—万物都是借着祂有的；我们也是借着祂有的。（林前8:6）

This is the truth in the universe, 这是宇宙中的真理，everything comes from God our Heavenly Father. 一切都是出于神我们的天父。 Are you still worried about tomorrow? 你还为明天忧虑吗？A job?工作？ Money?钱？The place you live? 住在哪里？No, 不要忧虑，Stop wasting time. 不要浪费时间。Everything comes from God our Heavenly Father. 一切都是出于神我们的天父。 We were made by our heavenly Father，我们是天父所造，That’s why we exist. 这是我们存在的原因。For Him we live.活着为祂， By Him, through Him, and for Him 本于祂，借着祂，归于祂，We are here. 我们活着。

In the end, I’m gonna show you a video of “God’s hand on you”, 最后，我要给大家看一个视频叫“上帝的手在你身”，and play a song, named “He didn’t throw the clay away”, 同时放一首歌，叫“祂没有丢弃这泥土”，if you like, you can sing following the video. 你会的话，也可以跟着唱。 Here are the lyrics, we can read them together: 这是歌词，我们来一起读：Empty and broken, I came back to Him, 我到你面前，破碎又无有 ，A vessel unworthy, so scarred with sin, 无用器皿，因罪伤痕累累，But He did not despair He started over again. 但祂没轻看，重新塑造我。

And I bless the day, He didn't throw the clay away,我赞美，祂没丢弃我这泥土，Over and over, He molds me and makes me, 一次又一次，祂塑造我， Into His likeness, He fashions the clay.祂更新这泥土，使我像祂。A vessel of honor, I am today, 今天，成贵重器皿，All because Jesus didn't throw the clay away. 都因耶稣没有丢弃我这泥土。 He is the Potter I am the clay. 祂是窑匠 ，我是泥土。And molded in His image, He wants me to stay. 造我像祂，祂要与我同在。

Oh, but when I stumble,当我跌倒，When I fall,当我犯罪，When my vessel breaks, 当我这瓦器摔破，He just picks up those pieces, 祂拾起破碎瓦片，He does not throw the clay away.祂没有将我丢弃。Over and over, He molds me and makes me, 一次又一次，他塑造我，Into His likeness, He fashions the clay. 使我像祂，祂重塑这泥土。A vessel of honor, I am today, 今天，成贵重器皿， All because Jesus didn't throw the clay away. 都因祂没有丢弃我。

Everyone who comes to the Lord, 我们来到主面前，whether we think we are broken or not, 不管我们自己觉得我们是破碎的心， 还是不是，in God’s eyes, everyone is broken.在上帝眼中，每一个人都是破碎的心。Jesus came to seek the lost. 耶稣来寻找失丧的人。Not to call the righteous, 不是义人，for there is no righteous in the world but Jesus Christ.因为没有义人，只有耶稣一个。

He came to call sinners to repentance. 祂来呼召罪人悔改。Come to the Father who loves you, 来到爱你的天父面前，the power of forgiveness is released before His throne of grace and mercy, 在祂恩典怜悯的宝座前有赦免之恩，Let’s come to the Father and pray.让我们来到父面前来祷告。