上帝之道

神的道是活泼的，是有功效的，比一切两刃的剑更快（参来4:12）。所以，我们当越发郑重所听见的道理，恐怕随流失去（参来2:1）。我们当像马利亚一样安静在主脚前听主的话，因为主的话是我们生命的粮食，是我们脚前的灯、路上的光。神的话有权柄、有能力，只有神的话能吸引人，使人听了火热、扎心。

一、什么是上帝的道？

耶稣常用比喻讲到天国的道理（参太13）即生命之道。当时跟随主耶稣的人很多，但动机各不相同。当主讲到生命之道时说，人要吃他的肉，喝他的血。许多人因无法接受而离开。主问门徒说：“你们也要去吗？”彼得回答说：“主啊，你有永生之道，我们还归从谁呢？”（参约6）是的，信主的人正是因为有永生之道，才轻看世上至暂至轻的苦楚。

1、道就是神。约翰福音第一章讲到：道就是神，神就是道，神就是爱。道成肉身，住在我们中间，充充满满地有恩典，有真理，从他丰满的恩典中我们都领受了。耶稣基督就是在肉身显现的道。

2、整本《圣经》都是上帝的道。圣经是神所默示的（参提后3:16），我们要将上帝的话丰丰富富地存在心里，不可让主的话随流失去。有一位姐妹聚会时关上手机，聚会结束刚开机，马上就有人邀她打麻将，她立即答应了就赶去，这就使所听的道随流失去。

二、上帝的道为何有功效？

因为神的道是真理，是爱，是永恒不变的。二千多年来，教会在许多逼迫之下，不但没有消失，反而越来越复兴，正说明了这一点。世界万物都在改变，唯有神的话永不改变。神的道是活泼的，是有生命的。凡是有生命的，都会发展、壮大。神的话没有一句不带有能力，在人不能，在神凡事都能。只有神的话能使人听了扎心、悔改。主的一句话，使死了四天的拉撒路复活，使枯干的手复原，使患三十八年的血漏病人得医治，使长大麻风的得洁净。

三、上帝的道有何功效？

1、拯救人的灵魂：重生是藉着神活泼常存的道（参彼前1:23）。许多弟兄姐妹得救，都是因为神的道吸引人。使徒行传4:12告诉我们：除主以外别无拯救，天下人间没有赐下别的名，我们可以靠着得救。接受主的人就成为神的儿女。在南京保罗堂有一位弟兄，原来是个扒手，且常在教堂趁人祷告时行窃。某日，他来教堂欲施故技，恰好听到牧师讲罪的问题。神的道光照他，使他看到自己是个罪人。当牧师呼召时，他就来到台前决志归主。他在主前痛哭流泪，认罪悔改。

2、安慰人的心灵：人生道路充满各样曲折，只有主的话能安慰我们，使我们得到真正的平安喜乐。有一位失去生育能力的妇女不幸失去独生儿子，痛不欲生。当她稍微安静下来时，许多同事、亲友的探望又勾起她的伤心。她一年多都没有走出家门。这时，一位老姐妹带她到教堂参加聚会，主的话使她得到安慰，心中满了平安、喜乐。从此她将世界视为粪土，唯有耶稣基督为至宝。主的话使忧愁变喜乐，使绝望得盼望。

3、改变人的行为。以弗所书4:23告诉我们：听过主的道，领了他的教，学了他的真理，就要脱去行为上的旧人，穿上新人。哥林多后书5:17也讲到：若有人在基督里，他就是新造的人，旧事已过，都变成新的了，这两处经文都提到神的道能改变人的行为。

过去在南京有一位妇女十分凶恶，人称“老虎婆”，又因她擅长骂街而得名“骂半街”。她不但骂人，还会拿着香炉在别人家门口咒诅人。当地人都对她退避三舍，连村干部和派出所的人也怕她。有一次，一只牛误食了她家菜园的菜。牛的主人吓得一身冷汗，急忙请两个村干部帮他送伍佰元钱到她家中道歉。村干部迫不得已到“老虎婆”家，没想到她竟十分客气，不但很有礼貌，而且也不收钱。村干部以为她一定不肯善罢甘休，准备上门大吵大闹。牛的主人听村干部这么说，全家吓得浑身发抖。谁知“老虎婆”却一直没有来。后来，这家人打听后，才知道“老虎婆”信主已半个月了。主的道改变了她的生命，使她成为新造的人。

有一次，牧师到一个偏僻的乡村讲道，顺便为当地建堂选址，没想到接待的竟是当地镇干部。吃过午饭后，镇干部邀请牧师和信徒一同去选址。牧师看上一块空地，面积约有四亩。镇干部问他们要多大的地，信徒怕买不起，只说一亩多。镇干部还问：“够不够？”牧师想了想才改为三亩地。镇干部当即宣布将该土地奉献给教会，一个月内将手续办好。为何镇干部这么支持教会呢？原来，当地有一个犯罪团伙，搅得当地鸡犬不宁，其中的“大头”是个三进三出监狱的人。但自从“大头”悔改信耶稣后，他下令解散这个犯罪团伙，并动员手下人信主。就这样，“二头”、“三头”和许多恶人都悔改信了耶稣，乡村恢复了平静。“大头”的经历在当地传为佳话，为神作了美好的见证。

神的道是真理，是爱，我们都当听从神的道，好让人认出我们是上帝的儿女。

To Respond to God's Requirement

By Pastor Huang Yuguan

Bible Verse Reading: Hebrews 4: 12-13

The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. (Ref. Hebrews 4:12)

Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. (Ref. Hebrews 2: 1) We should be like Mary who sat at the LORD'S feet and listened quietly to what He was saying because God's Word is the food to our life, a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. God speaks with authority and power, and only His words can attract us and make our hearts burning within us.

I. What is the Word of God?

Jesus often told the Word of heavenly kingdom, i.e. the Word of life, in parables. (Ref. Matthew 13) There were many followers of Jesus then and they had their respective motives. When the LORD talked about the Word of life, he said that one should eat his flesh and drink his blood. Many could not accept what he said and turned back. Jesus asked the twelve disciples, "Do you also wish to go away?" Peter answered Him, "LORD, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life." (Ref. John 6) Yes, it is the words of eternal life that the LORD-believing people believe, so they don't consider seriously the temporary or slight pain in the world.

i. The Word is God. John 1 says that the Word is with God, God is Word and God is love. The Word became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth. From His fullness we have all received. Jesus Christ is the Word revealed in flesh.

ii. All scripture is about the Word of God. The Holy Bible is inspired by God. We should keep God's words in heart instead of forgetting them. A sister turned off her mobile phone during the church service. But when she turned it on after the service, she was invited to play mahjong immediately. She accepted and hurried to the spot, which made her lose the words she had just heard.

II. Why was the Word of God so effective?

Because God's Word is truth and love and it never changes. Over 2,000 years, the Church does not disappear under great persecution, but rather, it is more and more thriving, which confirms this point. All in the world has been changing, only the Word of God never changes. The Word of God is living and full of life. All that is full of life will develop and prosper. None of God's words is without authority and nothing is impossible for God. Only God's words can go to the depth of one's heart and make one repent. With His words, Jesus raises Lazarus to life four days after his death, restores a withered hand, heals a patient who has been suffering from hemorrhages for thirty-eight years and cleanses the lepers.

III. What effect does the Word of God have?

i. It saves the soul. Being born anew is through the living and enduring word of God. (Ref. 1 Peter 1:23) Many brothers and sisters have been saved because God's Word attracts them. Acts 4:12 tells us that there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given mortals by which we must be saved. Any who accepts the LORD is God's child. There is a brother in Paul Church in Nanjing. He used to be a thief and often stole things when Christians were praying. One day as he was to play the same old trick, he heard that the pastor was talking about sin. God's Word shined on him and made him see that he was a sinner. When the pastor made the call for believing the LORD, he came to the platform, and with determination he converted to the LORD. He cried painfully in front of the LORD, admitted his sin and repented.

ii. It comforts one's heart. The road of life is tortuous and only words of the LORD can comfort us and bring us real peace and joy. A woman who lost her only son was extremely painful and she was unable to have another birth. When she was slightly calming down, the visit of her colleagues, friends and relatives reminded her of the terrible sadness. For over one year she did not go outside her home. Then an old sister took her to a service in the church. God's words comforted her and her heart was filled with peace and joy. Thereafter, she regarded the world as dung but Jesus Christ as surpassing value. The words of the LORD turn sadness into happiness, hopelessness to hope.

iii. It changes one's behavior. Ephesians 4:23 tells us that we should put away our way of life and clothe ourselves with the new self after we hear the LORD'S Word, accept His teaching and learn His truth. 2 Corinthians 5:17 also says that if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new. Both of the two versions mention that God's Word changes human behavior.

There was once a very mean woman in Nanjing and she was called as "tigress". And because she was good at shouting abuses in public, she was named "shouting abuses half street." Besides, she also took an incense burner to other people's gate and cursed them. The local people gave way to avoid a conflict, and even carders of the village and the police of local police station were afraid of her. Once an ox ate the vegetable in her garden. The owner of the ox was so frightened that he hurriedly asked two village carders to help him and send 500 Yuan to her home and apologize to her. The carder had to go to "tigress" home. It turned out that she was very polite, and moreover, she didn't even take the money. The village carder didn't think she would leave the matter at that. He thought she would go the owner's home fighting. Hearing this, the owner's family was frightened into trembling. Who would have thought that the "tigress" did not come. Later the family found out that the "tigress" had been converted to the LORD for about half a month. It is the Word of God that changes her life and makes her become a new person.

Once a pastor went to a remote countryside to preach. He took the chance to find a place to build a local church. It was so unexpected as the person who received him was a local carder. Having had lunch, the village carders invited the pastor and believers to choose a place for the church. The pastor was satisfied with a vacant field with four acres. The believers were afraid that they would be unable to afford. So they said over an acre would be all right. The village carder asked again, "Is it enough?" The pastor changed to 3 acres after careful thinking. The carder announced at once that this field was to be dedicated to the Church. All the procedures were finished in one month. Why did the carder support church? It turned out that there used to be a gang of criminals who stirred the village into a tempest. The " first leader" of them had been in prison and then out of the prison three times. But ever since he repented and believed in Jesus, the " first leader" ordered to dismiss the gang and mobilized his subordinates to believe in the LORD. Thus the "second leader', the "third leader" and many other evil men repented and believed in Jesus. The village became quiet again ever since. The experience of the " first leader" made a good story in local place, which is a good testimony for God.

God's Word is truth and love. We all should follow God's Word so that others recognize us as the children of God. 　 　

（根据录音整理）