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Zion Bread of Life Christian Church

Luke 3 – The Beginning of a New Era 路加福音3 – 一個新時代的開始

Thursday, 26th October 2023

Rev Daniel Xi An Poon 潘錫安牧師

The Gospel is for everyone of us, no matter who we are and where we come from. God’s Gospel is so real for everyone, in Luke 2, we saw Simeon and Anna, they were only mentioned once in the Bible, but God remembers them. Israel was ruled over by the Roman government at the time, but there were still people firmly believed in God, just like Simeon and Anna, their faith in God did not change even thought they were in a difficult situation. Also the Bible mentioned the prophetess Anna, who had lived with a husband seven years and then became a widow of about eighty-four years, she served God with fastings and prayers night and day. The Gospel was for people like her, who did not conform with this world, and live a life pleasing God.

福音是給我們每個人的，無論我們是誰、來自哪裡。神的福音對每個人來說都是如此真實，在路加福音第二章中，我們看到了西面和亞拿，他們在聖經中只被提到過一次，但神記得他們。當時的以色列雖然被羅馬政府統治，但仍有人堅定地相信神，就像西面和亞拿一樣，即使身處困境，他們對神的信心也沒有改變。聖經中也提到女先知亞拿，她與丈夫同居七年，守寡約八十四年，晝夜禁食、禱告事奉神。福音是為像她這樣不隨俗世界、過討神喜悅的生活的人而準備的。

V1-20 Repent Return Sin Forgiven 悔改回轉使罪得赦

In Luke 3, we saw the life of John the Baptist. We knew Jesus went on the cross and saved all people, but this salvation began with John the Baptist. John opened the way for Jesus, he brought the message of repenting and returning to the people at the time. He called people to turn back to God, he was willing to respond to the Word of God. John the Baptist was in the wilderness, he didn’t not serve in a synagogue, even though his father was a priest.

在路加福音第三章，我們看見施洗約翰的生命。我們知道耶穌走上十字架拯救了所有人，但這個拯救是從施洗約翰開始的。約翰為耶穌開闢了道路，他為當時的人們帶來了悔改的信息。祂呼召人回轉歸向神，祂願意回應神的話。施洗約翰在曠野裡，雖然他的父親是一位祭司，但他並沒有在猶太會堂裡服事。

V3-6 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ” John the Baptist did not lift up himself, but to show people the blessings of God. He shared the message to people, that the Gospel is to focus on the portion God gave to them. We must start with our lives, tend to our hearts, and turn back to God.

V3-6「他就來到約旦河一帶地方，宣講悔改的洗禮，使罪得赦。 正如先知以賽亞書上所記的話說：在曠野有人聲喊著說：『預備主的道，修直他的路！ 一切山窪都要填滿，大小山岡都要削平，彎彎曲曲的地方要改為正直，高高低低的道路要改為平坦。 凡有血氣的，都要見神的救恩。』」施洗約翰不是高舉自己，而是向人展現神的祝福。他向人們分享了這樣的訊息：福音要專注於神給他們的那一份。我們必須從我們的生活開始，照顧我們的心，並回轉歸向神。

God wants us to repent and return, to sort our lives out. John the Baptist wanted everyone to enjoy the new generation, the new blessings, and everything start with repent and return.

神希望我們悔改並回轉，整理我們的生活。施洗約翰希望每個人都能享受新的世代、新的祝福，一切都從悔改回轉開始。

V21-22 Respond Humbly into the Destiny 謙卑回應進入命定

V21-22 “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said: You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” We don’t know how to walk forward, we cannot let go of our old path. We think that walking in the old path is easy for us, but we don’t know how to keep going forward. We think it’s so difficult to respond to God. Jesus was willing to pray and to wait upon God, He was willing to humble Himself, to be baptised, to respond, and the Holy Spirit came upon Him.

V21-22「眾百姓都受了洗，耶穌也受了洗，正禱告的時候天就開了， 聖靈降臨在他身上，形狀彷彿鴿子；又有聲音從天上來說：你是我的愛子，我喜悅你。」我們不知道如何向前走，我們無法放棄舊的道路。我們以為走舊路很容易，卻不知道如何繼續前進，我們認為回應神是如此困難。耶穌願意禱告、等候神，祂願意謙卑自己、受洗、回應，聖靈就降在祂身上。

Do we hear God talking to us, do we really know God sees us as His beloved sons and daughters? Or are we full of fear, worry about how others judge us, and worry about how people look at us? We are His beloved sons and daughters, He is pleased with us, but so often we still stand outside the door. We cannot let go of ourselves, we cannot humble ourselves, we cannot put God first… we must enter the destiny of God, the promise as the sons and daughters. This is the new generation, we cannot bring our old self into this new era. We must live a new life, our old self has died, we are not servants but children of God.

我們是否聽到神對我們說話，我們是否真的知道神將我們視為祂心愛的兒女？還是我們充滿了恐懼，擔心別人如何評價我們，擔心別人如何看待我們？我們是祂心愛的兒女，祂對我們很滿意，但我們常常站在門外。我們不能放下自己，我們不能謙卑自己，我們不能把神放在第一位……我們必須進入神的命定，作為兒女的應許。這是新的一代，我們不能把舊的自己帶入這個新的時代。我們必須過新的生活，我們的舊我已經死了，我們不是僕人，而是神的兒女。

V23-38 Everything is Possible in God’s Plan神的計劃凡事都能

V23 “Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli.” People saw Jesus as the son of Joseph, but God had the plan since long ago. Jesus had the blood of David and the blood of Adam. When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, God had the salvation plan. But we only see the path ahead of us, we cannot see God’s bigger plan. We want to walk in the path of grace, but we continue to walk in our old path. God wants us to carry His fragrance, to show people who God is in our lives, then we can reveal the goodness of God in our lives and in the lives of people around us.

V23「耶穌開頭傳道，年紀約有三十歲。依人看來，他是約瑟的兒子，約瑟是希里的兒子。」人們視耶穌為約瑟的兒子，但神早已有計劃。耶穌是大衛的後代和亞當的後代。當亞當在伊甸園犯罪時，神就有了拯救計畫。但我們只看到前面的路，看不到神更大的計劃。我們想要走在恩典的路上，但我們仍然走在我們的舊路上。神希望我們能帶著祂的馨香之氣，活出祂給我們的命定，然後我們就能在我們的生命和周圍人的生命當中彰顯神的真實良善。

This is a new era, a new generation, we must put to death our old-self and welcome the new life!

這是一個新的時代，新的世代，我們必須把舊我治死，迎接新生命！