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Zion Bread of Life Christian Church

Luke 13 – Life Entering the Kingdom of God 進入天國的生命

Tuesday, 14th November 2023

Rev Daniel Xi An Poon

Jesus came to this world to heal us so our life will be more like Him. What kind of life does God want us to live? What is the life Jesus want to bring to us? Jesus stayed with the disciples for three and a half years, He wanted all His followers to enter a life of the Kingdom of God. The Jewish people at the time wanted to go back to live their old life before the Roman government take over. Jesus brought their focus back to the Kingdom of God.

耶穌來到這個世界是為了醫治恢復我們，好讓我們的活出更像祂的生命。神希望我們活出什麼樣的生命？耶穌想帶給我們什麼生命？耶穌與門徒在一起三年半，祂希望所有跟隨祂的人都能進入神國度的生命。當時的猶太人想回到羅馬政府統治之前的舊生活，耶穌將他們的注意力帶回神的國度。

V1-9 Repent and Return Home 悔改回家

V1 “There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.” Pilate purposely defile the sacrifice of Jewish, he wanted to show them who was the boss. Jesus told them to keep their focus right. Do not think those who are suffering are because they are wicked. Because if we don’t repent we will also enter disruption. We try to hide our sins, we thought nobody would know, but if we don’t repent, we will also perish.

V1 『正當那時，有人將彼拉多使加利利人的血摻雜在他們祭物中的事告訴耶穌。』彼拉多故意玷汙猶太人的祭物，他想讓他們知道誰才是老大。耶穌告訴他們要專注在對的地方。不要以為那些受苦的人是因為他們做了惡事，因為如果我們不悔改，我們也會陷入混亂。我們試圖隱藏我們的罪，我們以為沒有人會知道，但如果我們不悔改，滅亡最終還是會臨到。

V6-7 “He also spoke this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard: Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?” The fig tree did not bear fruits, and the vineyard keeper is responsible for all the growth of the trees. Then when people asked him why the fig tree did not bear fruits, then the keeper started to dig and to add fertiliser. The fertiliser does not smell nice, but it’s good for the tree. We must experience certain things in life then we can bear fruits.

V6-7 『於是用比喻說：一個人有一棵無花果樹栽在葡萄園裡。他來到樹前找果子，卻找不著， 就對管園的說：看哪，我這三年來到這無花果樹前找果子，竟找不著。把它砍了吧，何必白占地土呢？』無花果樹不結果子，葡萄園管理員負責所有樹木的生長。當人們問他為什麼無花果樹不結果子時，飼養員就開始挖土並添加肥料。肥料聞起來不太好聞，但對樹木有好處。我們必須在生活中經歷一些可能會讓我們不舒服的事情，然後才能結出果實。

V8-9 Our life needs a lot of pruning, by faith and by the grace of God, we can become the descendants of Abraham and we can enter the Kingdom of God. But afterwards what do we do? Are we willing to be fertilised and to be trimmed? We must be willing, to repent and to return home.

V8-9 『管園的說：主啊，今年且留著，等我周圍掘開土，加上糞， 以後若結果子便罷，不然，再把它砍了。』我們的生命需要大量的修剪，靠著信心，靠著神的恩典，我們才能成為亞伯拉罕的後裔，才能進入神的國。但之後我們該怎麼辦呢？我們願意被施肥料、被修剪嗎？我們必須願意悔改並回家。

V10-21 Reveal the Kingdom of God 顯明神的國

V10 “Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.” In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray for the Will of God to be on earth as it is in Heaven. We’re not just come to church on Sunday to enjoy the service or to fulfil our own needs, but to live the Kingdom of God everyday. Jesus knows the heart of the Father, His Kingdom is with us, it’s not far away, but it’s up to us to live it out everyday.

V10 『安息日，耶穌在會堂裡教訓人。』在主禱文中，耶穌教導我們禱告神的旨意行在地上如同在天上一樣。我們在主日來到教會不只是為了享受禮拜或滿足自己的需要，而是為了每天活出神的國。耶穌知道天父的心，祂的國度就在我們身邊，並不遙遠，但我們每天都要活出神的國。

V15-16 “The Lord then answered him and said: Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” The woman was in bandage in many years and Jesus set her free on sabbath day. What is our attitude when we come to church on Sunday? Do we see the people in bondage and set them free in the name of Jesus? When people come to church, when people come to us, do we hold our hands out for them? Or are we waiting for ourselves to be ready? We can never be ready, we must repent and return to the House of God. Not just physically but also in our heart.

V15-16 『主說：假冒為善的人哪，難道你們各人在安息日不解開槽上的牛、驢，牽去飲嗎？ 況且這女人本是亞伯拉罕的後裔，被撒旦捆綁了這十八年，不當在安息日解開她的綁嗎？』這位婦女多年來一直被捆綁，耶穌在安息日釋放了她。當我們在星期日去教會時，我們的態度是什麼？我們是否看見受捆綁的人並奉耶穌的名釋放他們？當人們來到教會時，當人們來到我們這裡時，我們會向他們伸出雙手嗎？或者我們正在等待自己準備好？我們永遠無法真正的準備好，我們必須悔改並回到神的家。不僅在身體上回到家，更要打從心裡回轉。

V18-19 “Then He said, what is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.” We think we have nothing to offer, we feel that we can’t even solve our own problems then how can we help others? Jesus said all we have to do is to be planted in the House of God, to let people come and rest in where we stand and receive God’s restoration. When we ignore the problems in life and focus first on the Kingdom of God, with our willing heart, God will do supernatural things.

V18-19 『耶穌說：神的國好像什麼？我拿什麼來比較呢？ 好像一粒芥菜種，有人拿去種在園子裡，長大成樹，天上的飛鳥宿在它的枝上。』我們覺得自己無能為力，覺得連自己的問題都解決不了，那該如何幫助別人呢？耶穌說我們要做的就是栽種在神的殿裡，讓人來我們當中得到安息，領受神的恢復。當我們忽略生活中的問題並首先專注於神的國度時，只要我們願意，神就會做超自然的事。

V22-35 Be Upright and Praise God 歸正稱讚神

V24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” We want our lives to be how we expect it to be, but Jesus said to all the people that we must strive to enter the narrow gate. He didn’t just talk to a few people but to everyone. We want to bring a lot of things through the narrow way, but they would not all fit. We must learn to let go, we cannot receive the Kingdom and the world at the same time. God has prepared everything for us, we can let go of the things we are holding onto in this world.

V24『耶穌對眾人說：你們要努力進窄門。我告訴你們：將來有許多人想要進去，卻是不能。』我們希望生活成為我們所期望的那樣，但耶穌對所有人說，我們必須努力進入窄門。祂不只對少數人說話，而是對所有人說話。我們想把很多東西帶過窄門，但它們並不都適合進入。我們必須學會放手，我們不能同時抓著天國和世界的東西。神已經為我們預備好了一切，我們可以放下在這個世界上所緊緊抓住的東西。

V28-30 “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.” When we don’t move forward then we will be overtaken. What is our attitude as a Christian? What is our heart towards God? What is in our mind? Let go of all the complaints, stop seeing what we don’t have, and let our life be righteous for God. Our earthly desires will never be fully fulfilled, when we focus on this world, we will never feel there is enough, therefore, we only need to focus on what God wants us to focus. First seek His Kingdom and Righteousness, and everything will be given to us.

V28-30『你們要看見亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各和眾先知都在神的國裡，你們卻被趕到外面，在那裡必要哀哭切齒了。 從東、從西、從南、從北將有人來，在神的國裡坐席。 只是有在後的將要在前，有在前的將要在後。』當我們不前進時，我們就會被超越。身為基督徒，我們的態度是什麼？我們對神的心態是什麼？我們心裡在想什麼？放下所有的抱怨，不再看見我們沒有的東西，讓我們的生命為神成為正直公義的。我們的私慾永遠不能被滿足，當我們專注於這個世界時，我們永遠不會感到足夠，因此我們只需要專注在神要我們專注的事情上。先尋求祂的國和義，一切都會賜給我們。