(Matt 12:46-50) （太12：46-50）

(Sister Li’s testimony) …

Thank God for guiding His sons and daughters into His family. 感谢主引导神儿女归入神的家。Baptism is the very first but crucial step. 洗礼，是归入神家的第一步，也是关键的一步。This is a step towards responding to God, 这是回应神的一步，a step towards receiving His love, 是接受神的爱的一步，and a step towards the start of walking with Jesus! 又是与耶稣同行的起步！It doesn’t finish there. We just start there. 但这只是开始，不是结束。We are called into a relationship of trust, of sharing life and walking with God. 我们蒙召进入一种信靠、分享生命、与神同行的关系中。Jesus our God loves us deeply. 主耶稣深爱我们。He called us into a family relationship. 祂呼召我们进到一个新的家庭关系中去。Today, we’ll continue to look at the book of Matthew. Matt 12: 46-50今天我们继续分享马太福音46-50节。

1, Jesus calls us into a family relationship.  (v.46-47) 耶稣呼召我们进入神的家

46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” 耶稣还对众人说话的时候，不料他母亲和他弟兄站在外边，要与他说话。 有人告诉他说：“看哪，你母亲和你弟兄站在外边，要与你说话。” After the healing of the blind and mute man, 主治好又瞎又哑的人后，while Jesus was still teaching the crowd, 正在对众人讲道，his mother and brothers stood outside, 不料他的母亲和弟兄站在外边，wanting to speak to him. 要和他说话。In that culture and that age, 以那个时代的文化，family was a big thing.家庭非常重要。Even now, 就算现在这个时代，“family first” has become a universal concept “家庭第一”的观念也是全世界通行，meaning that we prioritize our families. 意味着我们把家庭放在优先位置。Because we all have a mum and a dad, one or two or three or four siblings. 因为我们都有爸爸妈妈、一至几个兄弟姊妹。If someone told us that our mums and our brothers were standing outside wanting to talk to us, 要是有人告诉我们，你妈妈和弟弟在外面，想和我们说话……I don’t think that anyone of us would continue to sit there and neglect our family members. 我想没有人会继续坐在那里不去理他们吧。We all prioritize our families.我们都会把家庭放在优先位置。

But how Jesus responded was shocking. 但主的回答令人震惊。Why would the Son of God who was full of love not respond immediately to his physical family? 为什么充满慈爱的神儿子不马上回应他肉身的家人呢？Would they have felt embarrassed (losing face) by Jesus’ reaction? 他的家人会不会因耶稣这样而丢面子？Would they be hurt by Jesus’ reaction? 他们会感到受伤害吗？(I know that my mum would have. 我知道我妈妈会。And actually, 事实上，she was wounded for at least 10 years after I devoted my time, energy, and money to the call of God. 自从我奉献我的时间、精力、钱财来回应神的呼召后，我妈妈有受伤感至少达十年之久) Didn’t Jesus love Mary and his brothers? 耶稣不爱玛丽亚和他弟兄吗？Didn’t he care for his earthly family? 他不关心他肉身的家庭吗？Yes, Jesus did. 是，耶稣爱，也关心。But don’t forget Jesus Christ is the Son of God.但不要忘了，耶稣基督是神的儿子。

Hebrews 1:3 tells us,(希伯来书 1:3) 说，The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. 他是　神荣耀所发的光辉，是　神本体的真像，常用他权能的命令托住万有。 In other words, 换句话说，Jesus Christ was also the glorious God who appeared in a body. 耶稣基督就是神荣耀的光辉，就是神自己。Christ was fully man and fully God. 基督既是完全的人，又是完全的神。“Just and true are His ways” 你的道途义哉！诚哉！(启15：3) In every situation, 无论什么环境，we are to believe that whatever He does is righteous and just. 我们都要信祂所做的无不公义正直。Whatever He does to us is for our good. 祂所行的一切都是要我们得益处。Don’t let our limited understanding of God become a stumbling rock to our feet.不要让我们对神有限的认识绊倒我们。(I shared with you that my mum doubted God’s love for at least 10 years. 曾有十年之久我妈妈怀疑神的爱。Because she thought that God had stolen her daughter away for His own use. 因她认为神把她女儿抢走为自己所用。But the story ended up with forgiveness, 但这个故事的结局却是饶恕、healing, 医治、deliverance拯救、and knowing the will of the Father. 和明白神旨意。

With God’s love and mercy, 因着神的爱和怜悯，she now has confidence that in God’s love for her He wants to purify her faith, 她现在相信神的爱，相信神要炼净她的信心，to draw her to have a close relationship with God by removing idols from her heart, 除去她心中的偶像，吸引她与神建立亲密关系，and to guide her into literally having a family relationship with the brothers and sisters in the home church. 引导她与家里教会的弟兄姊妹建立真实的家庭关系。My mum and dad have been living in our place in Asia where the home church is held for 3 years now.到现在，我父母住在我们被教会使用的家里已有三年多了。

Jesus doesn’t say that the church is like a family, 耶稣不是说，教会就像一个家，or that we are like a family. 或者我们就像一家人。But we are family. 而是说，我们就是一家人。Jesus calls us into a family relationship. 耶稣呼召我们进到一种家庭关系里。And He wants us to live in this family relationship with God, 并要我们活出和神是一家人的样子，so that we may get a foretaste of the real intimacy that we will experience with each other for the rest of eternity in heaven.让我们预尝这在天上的、将来永恒中的、美好的、亲密的神家的样子。

2, The relationship with our eternal family is more important. V. 48我们与永恒家庭的关系更重要

48 He (Jesus) replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 他却回答那人说：“谁是我的母亲？谁是我的弟兄？” 就伸手指着门徒，说：“看哪，我的母亲，我的弟兄。 凡遵行我天父旨意的人，就是我的弟兄姐妹和母亲了。”(马太福音 12:48-50) Here Jesus tells us that he valued his relationship with his disciples more than his relationship with his physical family.耶稣在这里表明，他看重与门徒的关系比肉身的家庭关系更重要。Jesus values his relationship with you and me more than a physical family relationship.耶稣看重与你我的关系，胜于肉身的家庭关系。Some may think that Mary might have been highly blessed because she gave birth and nursed Jesus Christ. 有人会认为玛丽亚得了极大的祝福，因她生养了耶稣基督。But Jesus corrected this by replying，但耶稣纠正他们说，“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Luke 11:27-28) 耶稣正说这话的时候，众人中间有一个女人大声说：“怀你胎的和乳养你的有福了！” 耶稣说：“是，却还不如听　神之道而遵守的人有福。”(路加福音 11:27-28) Who are those able to hear the word of God and obey it? 谁是能够听神之道并遵守的人？Christians! 是基督徒！We, us, the children of God. 我们，神的儿女。Jesus Christ offered his blood to make us at peace with God, 耶稣基督流宝血使我们与神和睦，and he also made us part of the family. 又使我们和祂成为一家人。When we baptised, we are baptised into God’s family. 我们受洗，是受洗归入神的家。

Last Sunday, 上周主日，we as J and N’s brothers and sisters, 我们作为J和N的弟兄姊妹，no matter what skin colour we have, 不论肤色种族，embraced them into the family of God in this place! 一起迎接他们进入神在这地的家！And we also had four people become members of OTBC. 还有四个人加入OTBC。They publicly committed themselves to the family of God in this place. 他们当众委身于神的这个家。We together declared we would love, 我们一同宣告，作为一家人，我们将彼此相爱、serve, 共同服事、and support one another as a family. 彼此扶持。We belong to Jesus, we belong to His family, 我们属于耶稣，属于耶稣的家，and we also belong to each other也彼此委身。

So, we are not just saved as individuals. 因此，耶稣并不仅仅是救我们个人。Jesus saves us and takes us into His family. 主耶稣拯救我们，还领我们归入祂的家。“What great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children fo God, and that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1你看父赐给我们是何等的慈爱，使我们得称为　神的儿女；我们也真是他的儿女。 (约翰一书 3:1) We are adopted by God as sons and daughters. 神收纳我们为儿女后嗣。Our adoption as sons and daughters of God changes the order of our relationships. 这彻底改变了我们关系中的次序。It changes the order of our relationships from the flesh and blood first to being loyal to God the Father first. 这使我们从看重血肉关系第一位，到变成向神忠心第一位。

Jesus claimed in Matt 10:37,主耶稣宣告说，“anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. “爱父母过于爱我的，不配作我的门徒；爱儿女过于爱我的，不配作我的门徒； (马太福音 10:37) Does it mean that Jesus doesn’t want us to love our earthly father, mother, or siblings? 耶稣不愿我们爱地上的父母或兄弟姊妹吗？Of course not! 当然不是！God wants us to honor our father and mother, 神要我们孝敬父母，and love our neighbours as ourselves. 又当爱人如己。But He knows that in our flesh we are incapable of unconditional love! 但祂知道肉体里没有无条件的爱！Our love and giving can turn to bitterness, 我们的爱和付出，若得不着回报，就会变成苦毒、blaming, 责怪、unforgiveness and hurt when we aren’t repaid for it. 不饶恕、和伤害。

God wants all of the relationships we are in神愿意我们一切的关系our family relationships, 家庭关系，our relationships with friends, 朋友关系，with co-workers, 同事关系，and with everyone else, 和任何人的关系，to be rooted in his love, truth, and righteousness, 都扎根在祂的爱、真理和公义之上，so that our broken relationships can be restored. 这样就使我们破碎的关系可得修复。Therefore, 所以，flesh and blood relationships are important, 地上的血肉关系很重要，but they don’t last forever. 但不能存到永远。The relationships with God’s family which our Lord Jesus brings to us will last forever. 主耶稣带给我们与神家的关系将永远长存。Even when our physical bodies die, 就算身体死了，death is just a gate for us to go into eternity. 死亡也只是一扇通向永恒的门。And we are still in God’s family. 我们仍在神的家中。That’s why we need to pray and share the gospel with our family members, 这就是为什么我们要祷告向家人传福音，if we love them and want to be with them forever.若我们爱他们，愿意和他们永不分离。

3, Doing the will of the Father遵行神的道

Not everyone in the world belongs to God’s family. 并非世上每个人都属于神的家。The family of God is not based on flesh and blood,神的家不是建立在血肉关系之上， (John 1:12-13); （约1：12-13）， it’s not based on heritage, 也不因着遗传，because I’m the third generation of a Christian family. ——我出生就是第三代基督徒。no! 不！The family of God is based on believing in Jesus ourselves. 神的家建立在我们对耶稣的信上。Who can become Jesus’ brother and sister and mother? 谁能成为耶稣的兄弟、姊妹、母亲？  v.50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” 凡遵行我天父旨意的人，就是我的弟兄姐妹和母亲了。 

If we say we believe in Jesus若我们说我们信耶稣 that’s not enough那还不够。Our Lord is looking for evidence. 主耶稣要找凭据。That is to do the will of the Father, 那就是遵行天父旨意，just as Jesus Christ did. 正如耶稣所行的。Some may ask, 有人会问， “How do I know God’s will for my life?” 我怎么知道神对我生命的旨意呢？God’s common will has been written in His book. 神的普遍旨意都写在圣经里了。If we don’t listen to His words and obey them, 我们若不听从神的话，why would He speak to us more? 神怎么会对我们说更多的话呢？It’s impossible! 这是不可能的！We must first do what he says in the bible. For example,我们必须先做祂在圣经中所说的，就如：

a, Surrender your will to God’s will. (Romans 12: 1-2)  降服于神的旨意（罗12：1-2）

b, Pursue being sanctified (1 Thess 4:3) by living in a new way (Col 3:10)  追求圣洁（帖前4：3），活出新人的新样（歌3：10）

c, Give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:18) by getting rid of all bitterness,  rage and anger (Eph 4:31) 凡事谢恩（帖前5：18），除去苦毒、恼恨、愤怒（弗4：31）

d, Suffer for doing good. (1 Peter 3:17, 1 Peter 4:1-2) 为行善受苦（彼前3：17，4：1-2）

e, Delight yourself in the Lord. (Psa 37:4) 以耶和华为乐（诗37：4）(then He will place His desires in your heart, you therefore will know His will. He makes His will be made known to those who seek doing His will.)（祂就将你心里所求的赐给你，你就得以明白神的旨意。神将自己的旨意向行祂旨意的显明）

What hinders us from doing His will? 什么会拦阻我们遵行神旨意？In the Parable of the Talents, 在才干的比喻里，the servant who was entrusted with a thousand dollars didn’t do God’s will. 那领了一千两银子的仆人没有遵行神的旨意。Jesus tells us that when He returns, 主耶稣说祂再来的时候，He will call all of us before Him, 要召我们到祂面前，to ask us what we have done with the gifts, talents and opportunities that He has given each of us. 要我们因从神所得的恩赐、才干、机会向祂交账。And then He will reward us. 祂会赏赐我们。The one who got five talents and won five back, 领五千的另赚了五千， and the other who got two and won two back, 另一个领两千的赚了两千，they were both commended by the Lord.他们都得了神的称赞。‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”主人说，‘做得好！你真是个又良善又忠心的奴仆，既然你在小事上忠心，我要把更大的事交给你。进来分享你主人的快乐吧！But the servant who didn’t do God’s will was punished. 但这个仆人没有遵行神的旨意就受了罚。What hindered him from doing God’s will? 是什么拦阻了他行神旨意呢？That’s very important for us to learn, 这是很需要学习的，so that we’ll not be like him. 让我们不至于像他。

Let’s read what the man said, 我们来读这恶仆人怎么说。 “Lord, I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 那领一千的也来，说：『主啊，我知道你是忍心的人，没有种的地方要收割，没有散的地方要聚敛，我就害怕，去把你的一千两银子埋在地里。请看，你的原银子在这里。(马太福音 25:24) From his words, 从他的话里，we can see that first of all, 我们看见，第一he had distorted view of God. 他歪曲了对神的认识。What did God look like?神是怎样的？His viewed God as is a hard God. 他觉得神是苛刻的。God wanted to reap fruit, 神要收割，but He didn’t sow first.但他并不撒种。That’s not true! 这不是真实！The man’s belief and view of God was based on what he felt. 那人的信和对神的认识都是基于他自己的感觉。But the bible tells us that God is merciful,但圣经告诉我们神是怜悯， gracious and long suffering.恩典和忍耐。God is not a hard but a loving Father. 神不是苛刻而是慈爱的父。So believing our own feelings hinders us from knowing God and His will.因此我们若信自己的感觉阻挡我们认识神和祂的旨意。

Secondly, 其次，he said, “I was afraid.” 他说:“我很害怕。”Fear hinders us from doing His will. 惧怕阻挡我们遵行祂的旨意。Fear increases negative feelings. 惧怕会加增负面情绪。“We feel overwhelmed by impossibilities”. “我们被‘不可能做到”的感觉胜过。Fear steals courage from us. 惧怕偷走我们的勇气。“I can’t do it... 我做不了……I’m afraid that I’ll make mistakes. 我怕我会犯错。” Fear makes us run away,惧怕使我们逃避，rather than face problems. 而不是面对问题。Sometimes, the problem is not that big. 有时候问题并不是那么严重。But the feeling of fear makes us amplify the problem. 但惧怕感使我们放大了困难。Fear also causes us to try to protect ourselves,惧怕也使我们竭力自我保护，by hiding our true selves去隐藏自己 to tell lies,而说谎，and live behind masks. 活在面具之下。

“what if people know that I’m not good enough? 如果别人知道我不够好怎么办?Will they still accept me? 他们还会接纳我吗?” When you fear, you wanna escape. 当你害怕，你就想逃。When you fear, you get angry. 惧怕使人发怒。Anger is a way of expressing fear. 发怒是表达惧怕的一种方式。When you are afraid, 当你感到害怕，you try to control. 你就竭力去控制操纵。“I’m feeling that it’s out of my control, 我觉得事态超出了我的控制，I become afraid, 我很怕，so I must control it,所以我必须控制它，to get my sense of security back. 才能找回我的安全感。”

If you try to control your kids, 如果你想操纵控制你的孩子，because you are afraid that they might do something bad or look bad, 因你怕他们会做糟糕的事或让人觉得糟糕，you hurt them, 你就伤害了他们，because you can’t really control people, 因为你并不能真正控制住他人，and they will become afraid of you. 他们会害怕你。when you fear,当你害怕, you try to control, 你想去控制，you keep yourself and your household,就使你自己、你的家庭，or the involvement of the people under the torment of the fruit of fear. 或身边的人遭受惧怕之苦果的折磨。

The fruit of fear is contrary to the fruit of the Holy Spirit, 惧怕的果子与圣灵所结的果子完全相反，that is unforgiveness, 那就是不饶恕、joylessness, 不喜乐、unrest, 不平安、impatience, 急躁、malice…怨恨……And the wall of rejection and fear will be built between you and your kids or other people. 这样你和孩子之间、和他人之间会筑起一道拒绝和惧怕的墙。Actually, we can’t control life. 事实上，我们无力控制自己的生活。Only God is in control. 唯有神掌权。

Fear damages our relationships with God and with people. 惧怕会破坏我们与神、与人的关系。Fear brings slavery to us: 惧怕使我们被奴役：Romans 8:15, “for you did not received a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 【罗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！”Fear makes us slaves, 惧怕使我们成为奴仆，and keeps us in spiritual prison, 将我们关在属灵的监牢里，so that we can’t be free to do the Father’s will. 使我们不能自由地遵行父的旨意。That’s a big thing. 那就出大问题了。But we have received the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 但我们已经领受了耶稣基督的灵。The Holy Spirit empowers us to overcome fear. 圣灵赐我们能力战胜惧怕。And He testifies to us that we are sons and daughters of God. 祂见证我们是神的儿女。Positionally, 从地位上说， we’re no longer slaves of fear! 我们不再是惧怕的奴隶!

Yes, 是的，fear might have entered into your life through horror movies or horror stories; 惧怕或许借着恐怖电影或恐怖故事进入你的生命；fear might have entered into your life through lies, 也可能借着谎言、accidents, 意外事故，or threatening words from someone else. 或他人威吓的话语进入。Now it’s time for us to cleanse our hearts! 现在是时候洁净我们的心了！It’s time for us to put our trust in the Lord, 是时候信靠我们的主，and believe in the truth to fight off fear! 相信真理来战胜惧怕了!Because fear will torment you and punish you, 因为惧怕会折磨你、刑罚你。 1John 4:18 tells us, 约一4:18告诉我们：because fear has to do with punishment.因为惧怕里含着刑罚。 Punishment has something to do with torment. 刑罚与折磨有关。Don’t allow fear to torment you and punish you anymore. 不要再让惧怕来折磨和刑罚你了。If you embrace fear, 如果你怀抱惧怕，you suffer (torment) from fear, 你就会因惧怕受苦，your household suffer, 你的家人也跟着受苦，and we also suffer. 我们也一样受苦。Because if one part suffers, every part suffers with it. 因为若一个肢体受苦，所有的肢体就一同受苦。

We are sons and daughters of the almighty God! 我们是全能神的儿女！We need to ask God’s forgiveness for ourselves and to forgive. 我们当祈求神的饶恕并去饶恕人。We need to stand up for the truth, 我们当为真理而站立，and get rid of bitterness and anger, 除去苦毒和愤怒，close the doors to fear, 向惧怕关门，and let the peace of Christ rule in us! 让基督的平安掌管我们！This is what we are called for! 这就是我们被呼召的使命!

 There is no fear in love. 爱里没有惧怕。“God is my Father, 神是我的父亲，if God loves me, 神若爱我，why should I fear? 我有何惧怕?” cast out lies, 让我们弃绝谎言，let us be rooted in love, righteousness, and the truth. 在爱、公义和真理中扎根。 “perfect love drives out fear” “爱既完全，就把惧怕除去。”

 Jesus Christ sacrificed himself for us. 耶稣基督既为我们牺牲了自己。We have a favoured position in God’s family. 我们被施恩引进神的家。We are welcomed into a family relationship,我们被迎接进入一个家庭关系，where God is our Father. 神就是我们的天父。We have the Holy Spirit help to us overcome. 有圣灵帮助我们得胜。Whom shall we fear? 我们还怕谁呢? Brothers and sisters, 弟兄姐妹们，let us love one another, 让我们彼此相爱，do the will of the Father, 遵行父的旨意，expand God’s family on earth! 让神的家在地上得以扩张!