2019-09-01 Encountering Jesus’ Power 经历耶稣大能

(Matt 9:18-26) （太9：18-26）

When you think about encountering the power of Jesus, what comes to mind? 当想遇见耶稣的大能，你会想到什么？The demon-possessed people were cured, 被鬼附的得洁净，the sick people were healed, 病得医治，and the dead were raised to life. 死人复活。But the biggest miracle is a changed life! 但是最大的奇迹就是生命的改变！After encountering the resurrection power of Jesus,在遇见耶稣的复活大能后，the lives of the disciples were changed. 耶稣的门徒的生活变了。Someone describes “God’s power encounters” as the clashing of the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. 有人描述“那些遇见上帝大能的人”就像遇见神国和撒旦国度的交战。

In Acts 26, Jesus says this to Paul the apostle,在使徒行传26章18节中，主对使徒保罗这样说， “I’m sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, 我差你到他们那里去，要叫他们的眼睛得开，从黑暗中归向光明，从撒旦权下归向神，so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.又因信我，得蒙赦罪，和一切成圣的人同得基业”  Actually, this is all who claim to be Christians have to experience. 实际上，这就是我们基督徒该有的经历。For the aim of encountering the power of Jesus is to open our eyes and turn us from darkness to light, 遇见主耶稣大能的目的，是为我们的眼睛得开，从黑暗中归向光明，and from the power of Satan to God! 从撒旦权下归向神！

A couple of weeks ago,几个星期前，a Chinese girl who is non-Christian told me that she had a car crash, 一位不信主的中国女孩告诉我她发生车祸，but the point she made to me was that she had been foretold about this incident by her dead grandma in a dream. 但她要说的点是，她死去的奶奶在梦里已经预告了她这事。She said that her dead grandma always told her the opposite to what did happen was gonna happen.她说她死去的奶奶会告诉她一些要发生的事，但事情总是相反的。In the dream, 在梦里，she was told that the car would crash violently, 她被告之车会受到猛烈撞击，but actually it wasn’t serious. 但实际上车撞的不严重。When I heard this, 当我听到这个时，I realised that No wonder the girl couldn’t believe in Jesus, 我知道了，难怪这女孩不信主，because she is tightly kept under the power of Satan!因为她被紧紧地拘禁在撒旦的权势之下！Satan is a liar! 撒旦是说谎者！He tells liars.撒旦说谎话！No wonder the dreams she had was opposite to reality.难怪她的梦是相反的。And he comes to destroy, kill and steal! 他来就是要毁坏，杀害和盗窃！And Satan legally controls the girl through her belief in ancestor’s worship, 借着这女孩信拜祖先，撒旦合法地控制着她，and the enemy masquerades as her grandma to deceive her.并伪装成她的奶奶来欺骗她。So I prayed for her secretly, 所以我暗暗为她祷告，for I knew that unless Jesus’ power came upon her in God’s timing,因为我知道除非时间到了，主耶稣的大能临到她，she would not to be free! 否则她不得自由！

We are grateful! 我们当感恩！That we are chosen! 我们是被拣选的！And we now have Jesus,我们现在有了主耶稣，and are able to encounter Jesus’ resurrection power through our prayers in faith to free ourselves and also to help others!并且能够借着信心里的祷告来经历主耶稣复活的大能，释放自己，并且帮助别人！Today, we are looking at Matt 9:18-26, 今天，我们来看看马太福音9：18-26，where two females encountered Jesus’ power:其中讲到两位女性得主耶稣大能：18 While he was saying this,耶稣说这话的时候， a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, 有一个管会堂的来拜他说，“My daughter has just died. 我女儿刚才死了。But come and put your hand on her, 求你去按手在她身上，and she will live.她就必活了。” 19 Jesus got up and went with him, 耶稣便起来跟着他去，and so did his disciples. 门徒也跟了去。20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.有一个女人，患了十二年的血漏，来到耶稣背后，摸他的衣裳繸子。 21 She said to herself, 因为她心里说，“If I only touch his cloak,我只摸他的衣裳， I will be healed.就必痊愈” 22 Jesus turned and saw her. 耶稣转过来看见她，“Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” 就说：女儿，放心！你的信救了你。”And the woman was healed at that moment. 从那时候，女人就痊愈了。23 When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, 耶稣到了管会堂的家里，看见有吹手，又有许多人乱嚷，24 he said, 就说，“Go away. 退去吧。The girl is not dead but asleep.这闺女不是死了，是睡着了” But they laughed at him. 他们就嗤笑他。25 After the crowd had been put outside, 众人就被撵出，he went in and took the girl by the hand,耶稣就进去，拉着闺女的手， and she got up. 闺女便起来了。26 News of this spread through all that region. 于是这风声传遍了那地方。 

1, Encountering Jesus’ power through pain and suffering借着苦难经历耶稣的大能

 While Jesus was saying, 当主耶稣说到，“the bridegroom is here新郎在这里…old wineskins can’t contain new wine…旧酒袋不能装新酒” a synagogue leader came and knelt down with a desperate petition for his daughter, 一个管会堂的来到主耶稣的面前迫切的为女儿祈求。When Jesus was just starting out with Jairus, 当主耶稣正和睚鲁往外走的时候，a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years desperately sneaked up to Jesus, 一个患了十二年血漏的女人偷偷走到主耶稣背后，and touched the edge of his cloak,摸他的衣裳繸子， and her bleeding was immediately stopped. 血漏立刻就止住了(Luke 42b-44). （路加福音 42b-44）

What brought those two people to Jesus?是什么让这两个人来到主耶稣面前？And what brings you to Jesus? 又是什么让你来到主面前？These two people were totally different, 这两个人完全不同，for they lived in different lives. 他们的生活完全不同。A synagogue leader was a ruler and a rabbi, 管会堂的既是领袖又是拉比，teaching God’s word in a synagogue, 在犹太教堂里教导上帝的话语，supervising the worship service and overseeing the work of the other elders. 监督敬拜服事并监督其他长老的工作。He was respected and may have been rich. 他德高望重且可能很富有。But because his only daughter, 但因为他的独生女，a girl about twelve was dying, 一个12岁的正在死去的女儿，(Luke 8:42),（路加福音第8章42节） he was drawn to Jesus humbly, 睚鲁因此谦卑来找主，so that he knelt before Jesus. 跪在主耶稣的面前。However, 然而，the bleeding woman was living in poverty, 那个患血漏的女人却是穷困的，for the bible tells us that she had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, 圣经里告诉我们她被血漏折磨了十二年，but no one could heal her.没人可以医治她 (Luke 8:43). （路加福音第8章43节）。A bleeding woman in the OT was considered unclean. 旧约中流血的女人被认为不洁净。She would have been isolated from everyone due to the illness just as someone with leprosy. 由于患病，她本应与所有人隔离，就像麻风病人那样。So this woman had been suffering from the disease physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually for 12 years!  因此，这个女人整整12年，在身体、心理、社交和精神方​​面受尽了折磨！But whether they were rich or poor然而，贫穷也好，富有也好, or whether they were respected or disrespected,德高望重也好，被人看不起也好，they all desperately needed Jesus due to their pain and suffering. 他们都因苦难切切需要耶稣。

We don’t like pain or suffering, do we?我们不喜欢苦难，对吧？But here we see that these two people encountered Jesus’ supernatural power through their pain and suffering! 但这两人却因各自的苦难而经历了耶稣超自然的能力！The woman desperately needed Jesus because of the12 years of her painful suffering. 这妇人因受了十二年的苦而迫切需要耶稣。But what brought Jairus to Jesus? 但睚鲁为了什么来到耶稣面前？The meaning of the name of Jairus is “one giving light” 睚鲁的意思是一个带给人光的人。In people’s eyes, he lived a blessed live! 在人眼中，他的生活蒙福！Yet it’s not the blessings that brought him to Christ Jesus, 可祝福并没有带他到耶稣基督面前，but the pain of losing his only daughter! 反而是失去独生女儿的苦难！That pain made Jairus face reality, 那痛苦滋味让睚鲁不得不面对现实，when he realised that his head-knowledge of God which he taught other people in synagogue couldn’t save his daughter. 就是他意识到自己在会堂里教导人的那些关于神的头脑知识，救不了他女儿。

The pain brings him to humility,苦难带给睚鲁谦卑，whereby he came to kneel before Jesus! 由此他来跪在耶稣面前！God uses the ugly things - “pain or suffering” to bring us to reality, 神用痛苦、苦难这些看起来讨厌的东西，使我们面对真相，where we no longer say, “I’m ok, I can do it by myself”, 我们就不再说“我还好，我可以自己来”but surrender to Jesus! 而是向主降服！Just as Paul the apostle suffered great hardships in the province of Asia, 如同使徒保罗在亚细亚经历极大患难，where people tried to kill him, 人们想要杀他，and he himself thought that he would die, 他自己也认定要死，but God eventually saved him. 但神最终拯救了他。Then Paul came to realise and testified this in于是保罗见证说，2 Cor 1:9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 自己心里也断定是必死的，叫我们不靠自己，只靠叫死人复活的　神。 (哥林多后书 1:9)

In this fallen world, 在这个堕落的世界，nobody can get away from pain or suffering or hardship. 无人可以逃脱苦难和艰难。But God uses pain or suffering or difficulties to prepare people’s hearts to long desperately for His work! 但神用苦难和难处预备人心，迫切渴望神的工作！ (I know that without suffering 5 years of manic depression,要不是五年狂躁症，I wouldn’t have needed Jesus. 我是不会信耶稣的。Financial blessings didn’t point me to Jesus. 财务上的祝福没有让我信主。

During the last 14 years,在最近的14年中，many of the people came to me asking for help and prayers 很多人来寻求帮助和祷告was because that they faced hard situations where nobody could help them but Jesus是因他们的困境无人可以解决，惟有耶稣。In the passage we read, 在经文中，the 12 years of suffering prepared the bleeding woman, 十二年血漏预备了这妇人，so that she desperately desired to touch Jesus, 让她迫切盼望摸一摸耶稣，for she had spent everything without finding a remedy. 因她花光所有的钱还是没治好这病。“The end of yourself is the beginning of God.” 人的尽头，神的开始。Have you heard about this saying?你听过这句话吗？This’s very true! 太真实了！

Pain and suffering are ugly, 苦难让人讨厌，and we are unable to escape from them in the sinful world. 在这个罪的世界里，无人可以逃避。But in God’s kingdom, 但在神的国度，God can turn ugly things into beautiful things! 神让坏事变好事，让讨厌的事变成美好的事！Pain and suffering may expose idols in our lives. 苦难可以显出我们生命里的偶像。Through undergoing them, we may come to realise that we need to deny the desires of the self, 经历苦难，我们才明白要否定己的私欲，and all the idols tangible or intangible in our hearts, 否定我们心里的有形无形偶像，and turn to the help of Jesus with all our hearts.  全心转向耶稣。

So what brings you to Jesus? 是什么让你来到耶稣面前？Do you consider pain or suffering a shameful thing, 你是否认为苦难是件让人羞愧的事，so you keep them deep in your heart and still allow pride to manipulate you and to produce more pain and hurt? 于是你把它藏在心底，继续受骄傲辖制并制造更多苦痛伤害？Or are you willing to be made new in the attitude of your mind through God’s words, 还是你愿意借着神的话心思意念上被更新，to believe that by bringing pain or suffering to Jesus desperately and humbly, 信苦难是带你来迫切而谦卑地呼求耶稣，you may personally encounter His deliverance power in His mercy just like this poor woman? 因此你可以像这可怜妇人一样，亲身经历神的怜悯和拯救？Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever! 耶稣基督昨日、今日到永远都不改变！

2, Encounter Jesus’ power by faith因信经历耶稣大能

v.22, Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.22节， 耶稣转过来，看见她，就说：“女儿，放心！你的信救了你。” It’s your faith that has made you well. 是你的信救了你。It’s your faith that makes you encounter Jesus’ resurrection power! 是你的信使你经历耶稣死里复活的能力！Actually, “without faith it is impossible to please God” Hebrew 11:6. （希伯来书 11:6）没有信心不能得神喜悦。 What is this faith that Jesus refers to? 耶稣所指的信是什么？In Luke 8,在路加福音八章，when people reported that Jairus’ daughter had died, 人告诉睚鲁他女儿死了，Jesus said to Jairus,耶稣听见就对他说，“don’t be afraid, just believe, and she will be healed.” （路加福音 8:50）“不要怕，只要信！你的女儿就必得救。” Here, Faith simply means to believe in what Jesus says about the things that we do not see, 这里所说，信就是信耶稣所说的、我们还未看到的事，instead of believing in what we see, or think or feel.不信我们自己的所见、所思、所感觉。At the moment Jesus said this to Jairus, 在耶稣说这话时，Jairus didn’t seen anything, 睚鲁啥也没看见，but he was told to believe in what Jesus said,却被告知要信耶稣所说的， ‘don’t be afraid, just believe, and she will be healed’不要怕，只要信！你的女儿就必得救。”

Hebrew 11, is often called the “faith” chapter. 希伯来书十一章被称为信心篇。Heb 11.1, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not seen.” （希伯来书 11:1）信就是所望之事的实底，是未见之事的确据。  It tells us that faith involves an assurance of things that we do not see, 它告诉我们，信是虽未看到就确信，and something that hasn’t yet been received but is hoped for. 虽未得着却盼望。Just like the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years, 如同十二年的血漏妇人，she hoped to be healed by touching Christ Jesus. 她盼望摸一摸耶稣病就好了。She had the assurance in her heart,她心里有确信， “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed. V.21” ：“我只摸他的衣裳，就必痊愈。” 21节 

So where does this “assurance” come from? 那么这“确据”从何而来？Is this from “myself” that if I “believe” that God will give me one billion dollars, I’ll receive it? 是从老我来的吗？如果我“相信”神要给我十亿，我就会得着？And if ‘I’ believe God will heal me miraculously, I’ll receive it? 或者如果我信神要以神迹医治我，我就会得着？Actually,事实上，Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 （罗马书 10:17）信道是从听道来的，听道是从基督的话来的。 It is Jesus who said to Jairus, 对睚鲁说这话的是耶稣，“don’t be afraid, just believe, and she will be healed.” “不要怕，只要信！你的女儿就必得救。”We are called to believe in what God says, 我们蒙召是来信神说的话，not in what we see or feel or think.不是信自己所见所思所感。Jesus said that she would be healed, 耶稣说她必得救，then she was raised to life! 于是她被治好了！God will do what He has promised! 神必成就祂所应许的！Faith is to believe what Jesus has promised, 信心是相信耶稣的应许，not what we feel, or we think. 不是信我们的感觉或想法。 (In my own experience, 在我自己的经历中，I once prayed for a girl who was having a fever, 我曾为一个发烧的女孩祷告，after leading her into a prayer of forgiveness, 当带她进入饶恕的祷告后，and I heard the Lord say,我听到主说， “the fever will leave on 9pm”. “晚上9点会退烧”。And 4 or 5 of the home church members waited and waited,教会有四五名肢体一同等候，more than 3 hours later, 3个多小时后，it’s just on 9 pm, 正好晚上9点，the fever left that girl. 女孩的烧退了。But many times, 但很多时候，I didn’t receive anything else, 我没有得着什么特别的话，so I couldn’t say anything else, 我就不能说什么，for God does what He says! 因神是照祂的话语行事的！Faith is to believe what Jesus says, 信心就是信耶稣所说的话，not what we feel, or we think. 不信我们的感觉或想法。

In the natural, 天然人里，we are used to gaining knowledge through the five senses我们习惯于通过五种感官来获得知识—seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting. 视觉、听觉、嗅觉、触觉和味觉。Just like those people who were in Jairus’ house wailing and mourning for his dead daughter, 如同那些在睚鲁家为他死去的女儿哭泣哀号的人，when they saw and heard Jesus say,当他们看见耶稣、听见祂说， “Stop wailing, she is not dead.” “不要哭，她不是死了。”“What? 什么？Who are you? 你是谁？Are you going mad? 你疯了吗？She is dead indeed! 她真的死了！” They laughed at Jesus, 他们就嗤笑耶稣，because to their sight, 因照他们眼所见的，the girl was dead indeed. 女孩实在是死了。But that’s how humans’ natural react, isn’t that?但这是人的自然反应！For our minds receive and process information因我们的大脑会接收和处理信息in order to draw conclusions about circumstances or things taking place around us. 然后对周围的环境或所发生的事物做出结论。But faith is not from the conclusions we make from what we see or hear or feel. 但信心，并不是从我们所见、所闻、所感中得出的结论！

The bible tells us,圣经告诉我们，‘we live by faith, not by sight 2 Cor 5:7’. 【林后5:7】因我们行事为人是凭着信心，不是凭着眼见。This bible verse declares that faith and sight oppose each other.这节经文告诉我们“信心”和“眼见”是对立的。Why?为什么？In Genesis 3,创世纪3章，we can see 我们可以看见，how the first humans failed the test of their faith because of sight.人类最初就是因凭眼见而在信心的考试中跌倒的！God commanded the man, 神吩咐男人，“…you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…“分别善恶树上的果子你不可吃”...Gen 3:6:"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate." 【创3:6】于是，女人见那棵树的果子好作食物，也悦人的眼目，且是可喜爱的，能使人有智慧，就摘下果子来吃了；又给她丈夫，她丈夫也吃了。

They trusted their sight他们相信自己眼睛所见的，rather than believing in what God had said – His words. 却不信神所说的话！And humanity has followed this example ever since. 从那时起人类就以此榜样代代相传！To be honest, 实在地说，we are used to living by sight rather than by faith. 我们习惯于凭眼见、而不是凭信心生活。 Why do you get emotional ups and downs so often? 为什么你的情绪常常起伏不定？Because when our sight tells us that something bad is gonna happen, 因眼睛告诉我们将要有不好的事发生了，we start to worry about it. 然后我们就开始忧虑。Worry, anxiety and fear steal our faith and produce liars in our hearts. 忧虑，焦虑，惧怕偷去我们的信心，生出谎言在我们心中。That’s why the truth tells us, “don’t live by sight, but by faith”!这就是为什么真理告诉我们不用凭眼见，要凭信心！Put you trust in God’s promises 要信靠神的应许you will encounter Jesus’ power 你就会经历神的大能。 1 Peter 5:7, cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 【彼前5:7】你们要将一切的忧虑卸给　神，因为他顾念你们。Phi 4:6-7, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 【腓4:6-7】应当一无挂虑，只要凡事藉着祷告、祈求和感谢，将你们所要的告诉　神。神所赐出人意外的平安，必在基督耶稣里保守你们的心怀意念。

In other words换句话说, “say a prayer to stop your worrying and calm your mind以祷告停止你的忧虑，平静你的心，and believe that Jesus is your heavenly Father,信耶稣是你天父，who cares for you! 祂顾念你！And He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think accord to the power that works in you!并且 信祂照运行在你心里的大能，充充足足成就一切，超过你所求所想！

Thursday evening Jasmine told me that she was about to lose her current job, 周四晚上Jasmine告诉我她差点失去目前这工作了。for her boss was about to sell his business to a woman, 因她的老板要把生意卖给一个女人，but suddenly, 但是突然，the woman was pregnant unexpectedly, 这个女人意外怀孕了，so she gave up, 所以她放弃了，and her boss would keep doing the business by himself. 她老板就继续自己做。Jasmine testified that during these two months Jasmine见证说，在这两个月中，she learnt a little bit about how to turn from the desire of the self to Jesus, 她学会了一点儿如何从旧人的私欲转向信耶稣，and she encountered the power of Jesus through the uncertainty of the job she has. 借着这工作的不确定，使她经历了耶稣的大能。

Only faith enables us to encounter Jesus’ power! 唯有信心能使我们遇见耶稣！Faith comes from the word of Christ! 信心从耶稣的话来！We are called to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.神呼召我们要仰望为我们信心创始成终的耶稣(Heb 12:2a)（来12:2上）What does Jesus Christ’s faith look like?什么是耶稣基督的信心？In Isaiah 11:3,it tells us that when the Messiah King comes,赛11:3告诉我们，当弥赛亚王来时，He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears. 祂行审判不凭眼见，断是非也不凭耳闻。In other words, 也就是说，when the Messiah king comes, 当弥赛亚王来时，He will not follow the way of Adam and Eve to judge by sight, 祂不会效法亚当夏娃去凭眼见断定是非，but by faith which is from the word of God.而是凭信靠神的话！When Jesus was on earth, 当耶稣在世上时，he clearly said, 他清楚地说，“by myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgement is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” 【约5:30】“我凭着自己不能作什么，我怎么听见，就怎么审判。我的审判也是公平的，因为我不求自己的意思，只求那差我来者的意思。” The key for Christ to have tremendous faith is基督能有极大信心的关键在于that as the Son of God 作为神的儿子he knows that by himself he can do nothing, 祂知道自己不能做什么，and he seeks nothing to please himself祂不求自己的意思，but seeks the Father’s will. 只求天父的旨意。Because of his tremendous obedience, 因祂完全顺服，even to the point of death,以至于死，the presence of the power of the Holy Spirit was with him all the time, 圣灵的大能一直与祂同在，and enabled him to perform miracles. 使祂能行神迹。

Today, the Holy Spirit is within us through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection; 今天，借着耶稣基督从死里复活，圣灵就住在我们里面；the word of God has been passed onto us; 神的道已经传给我们；the footsteps of Jesus have gone before us; 耶稣的脚步就在我们前面; It has been made possible for us to encounter Jesus’ power in our lives through God’s grace! 藉著神的恩典，我们 可以在生命中遇见耶稣的大能！

Pain and suffering are no longer ugly in God’s kingdom, 在神的国度里，痛苦和苦难不再是糟糕的，for they can point us toward encountering Jesus’ power因苦难可以使我们经历神的大能, if we bring them to Jesus desperately and humbly in faith! 若我们以信心，谦卑的心迫切把他们带到耶稣面前！Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever! 耶稣昨日今日一直到永远，是一样的！And Jesus is always available to show kindness to those who are desperate to touch Him! 并且，耶稣何等愿意施恩给那些迫切渴慕触摸祂的人！Are you one who can continually carry God’s this story into the world in this generation? 你是这个时代里的（睚鲁和血漏妇人）带着神的这个见证进入世界的人吗？