大使命 4
萬王之王的權柄
上週我們開始探討『大使命』的第一句話：『天上地下所有的權柄都賜給我了』(參考馬太福音28:18)。這句話可能超過我們這一生所能領會；即便如此，它是所有其他命令的根基，所以我們不只要尋求瞭解，更要讓其成為我們生活中的指導原則。當我們要開始對其有所領會，讓我們先開始瞭解使徒保羅在羅馬書八章38-39節的陳述：
因為我深信無論是死，是生，是天使，是掌權的，是有能的，是現在的事，是將來的事，
是高處的，是低處的，是別的受造之物，都不能叫我們與神的愛隔絕；這愛是在我們的主基督耶穌裡的。
比起宇宙的浩瀚，地球連一粒沙都不如。然而，這小小 的星球卻擁有無限的價值與目的，因為神來到地上救贖人類與地球，給予地上無限的價值。我們是藉由人們願意為商品付上的價錢來決定其價值，父神看重地球到一個地步，付上了祂所能付上的最大代價─祂自己的兒子。這使所有受造物在永恆裡驚奇！
主應許要將祂的帳幕設立在人中間，這似乎美好到令人難以相信，但卻是千真萬確的。神賜予我們此應許的頭期款，是讓聖靈來住在凡經由十字架救贖而信靠祂的人裡面，使我們很難不驚嘆大衛王在詩篇八篇3-4節所驚嘆的：
我觀看祢指頭所造的天，並祢所陳設的月亮星宿，
便說：人算什麼，祢竟顧念他？世人算什麼，祢竟眷顧他？
當我們觀看天是如此浩瀚，我們離宇宙幾乎有一百二十億光年的距離，實在是難以想像的浩大，但祂卻如此愛我們，來到地上與我們同住。這值得我們用永恆來驚奇，但祂的確愛我們到一個地步，甚至讓祂的帳幕設立在人間。
這裡是另一個祂對我們的愛有何等長闊高深的看法─它就像宇宙一樣浩大，卻不過是天上的『影兒』。此意謂它好比物質實體與屬靈領域的關係，正如影子與我們的關係一樣！天上的國度遠比我們所認為的更廣大、更榮耀，但神卻來到地上住在人中間。
我們所事奉的神比我們小腦袋所能領會的更大，連數算每一個人頭上的頭髮對祂而言都是輕而易舉的。聖經說祂知道我們的意念，祂以祂話語的能力托住宇宙，同時卻又與我們每一個人同在。祂愛每一個人，想要與我們有非常個別的關係。看起來似乎好得不切實際，好到鮮少人能瞭解到足以真正追求與神這樣的關係。
當我們開始領會神有多大時，我們便瞭解何以耶穌會對人的不信感到驚訝。當摩西分開紅海，天使覺得很無聊！他們曾目睹神將天如帳幕般分開，所以他們不會為小小星球上的小小事情吃驚。現在來想一想，神如何將『天上地下所有的權柄』都賜給耶穌。你認為祂會眷顧我們的小事嗎？
祂應許我們，我們若不再擔心自己的小事，先全心投入來尋求祂的國，祂會顧念關係到我們的每一件事。祂知道我們就像洞裡的老鼠，當我們全神貫注在我們個人生活中，我們便無法往上看並看見祂的國度。當我們觀看祂的國度、祂的權柄，以及祂所給予我們的一切，我們若仍像許多人一樣，被自己與自己小小的世界迷住，我們會覺得自己非常愚蠢。
這就是『大使命』一開始的真理─所有的權柄都賜給我們的萬王之王，這是何等奇妙可畏，而且越來越令人敬畏。此命令是成為祂門徒，以及協助他人成為祂門徒所擁有的最大特權。讓我們定意以尊榮來看待大使命，它值得我們竭盡一切所能直到其完成。
(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week 4, 2013)
The Authority of Our King - The Great Commission, Part 4
Week 4, 2013
Rick Joyner
Last week we began to consider the first sentence of “The Great Commission”: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (see Matthew 28:18). This is probably much more than we can even comprehend in this life. Even so, it is the foundation upon which the rest of the mandate is based, so we should seek to not only understand it, but to let it be a guiding principle of our lives. As we begin to comprehend this, we begin to understand the Apostle Paul’s statement in Romans 8:38-39:
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Compared to the expanse of the universe, the entire earth hardly qualifies as a speck of dust floating around in it. However, this little planet has been given infinite value and purpose because God came to the earth to redeem man and the earth. That would be enough for infinite value to be given to the earth. We determine the value of any commodity by what someone is willing to pay for it, and the Father valued the earth enough to pay the ultimate price that could ever be paid—His own Son. This will be a marvel of the entire creation for all of eternity, but it gets even better!
The Lord has promised that He is going to make His abode on earth among men. It seems too wonderful to be true, but it is true. We have been given a down payment of this promise by the Holy Spirit coming to live in those who trust in Him for their atonement through the cross. It is hard not to wonder as King David did in Psalm 8:3-4:
When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained;
What is man, that Thou are mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visited him? (KJV)
When we now consider the expanse of the heavens, with the physical universe being estimated to be almost twelve billion light years across, an almost incomprehensible expanse, yet He loves us so much He is coming to live here with us. This is something we will likely marvel at for eternity, but He does love us enough to even make His abode on earth among men.
Here’s another thought to stretch the height and length and breadth and depth of His love for us—as big as the physical universe is, it is but a “shadow” of the heavenly realm. This means it has as much substance compared to the spiritual realm as our shadow does to us! The kingdom of heaven is more glorious and bigger than we could ever conceive. Yet God is going to dwell on the earth among men.
We serve a God much bigger than our little minds can even comprehend. It is easy for Him to even number the hair on the heads of every person. We are told that He knows our thoughts. He upholds the universe with the word of His power, yet He is personal with each one of us. He loves each one and wants a very personal relationship with each of us. It does seem too good to be true, and it is so wonderful that very few ever get their heads wrapped around it enough to really pursue this relationship with God.
When we begin to comprehend how big God is we understand why Jesus marveled at human unbelief. When Moses parted the Red Sea, the angels were bored! They had seen God spread out the heavens like a tent curtain, so they were not that impressed with little feats like this on our little planet. Now think about how “all authority in heaven and on earth” has been given to Jesus. Do you think that He can take care of our little stuff?
Then He promises us that if we will quit worrying about our own stuff and devote ourselves to seeking His kingdom first, He will take care of everything that concerns us. He knows we are like rats in a hole when we are consumed with our own lives so we cannot look up and see His kingdom. When we see His kingdom, His authority, and all that we have been given in it, we will feel very foolish about being caught up in ourselves and our own tiny world as so many are.
This is the truth that “The Great Commission” begins with—all authority has been given to our King. It is awesome, and it never stops getting more awesome. It is the greatest of all privileges to be given this mandate to be His disciples and to help make others into His disciples. Let us resolve to treat it with the honor that it deserves and give ourselves to doing everything we can to see it fulfilled.
