『歸耶和華為聖』(8) ：「全然降服」(1)

背誦經文： 10 那二十四位長老就俯伏在坐寶座的面前，敬拜那活到永永遠遠的，又把他們的冠冕放在寶座前，說： 11 我們的主，我們的　神，你是配得榮耀、尊貴、權柄的；因為你創造了萬物，並且萬物是因你的旨意被創造而有的。(啟4:10-11)

主題信息：神的旨意和托付絕對不是一個可有可無的選擇，乃是我們的責任和滿足 神、榮耀 神的機會。每次的順服，不僅可以免去「嚼環轡頭」、「以腳踢刺」的痛苦，更是能夠使 神的旨意得以通行。然而，外面的順服並不能代表在 神面前真實的降卑與完全的降服，約拿「由抗命到完全降服」的例子為我們提供了最好的屬靈教訓。

A. 憑己意的事奉常是危險的事奉

我們常用自己的喜好、利害、觀點、傳統、經驗…來事奉 神，而不是體會 神的心，以絕對「信而順服」的態度來遵行 神的命令，實現 神的旨意。

• 1耶和華的話臨到…約拿，說： 2 「你起來往尼尼微大城去…」 3 約拿卻起來，逃往他施去躲避耶和華…(拿1:1-3)
• 求你攔阻僕人不犯任意妄為的罪，不容這罪轄制我，我便完全，免犯大罪。(詩19:13)/ 那時，以色列中沒有王，各人任意而行。(士21:25)

B. 「信而順服」是「歸耶和華為聖」的必經途徑

• 1耶和華的話二次臨到約拿說： 2 「你起來！往尼尼微大城去…」 3 約拿便照耶和華的話起來，往尼尼微去。(拿3:1-3)

約拿的順服帶來了尼尼微全城的悔改－「尼尼微人信服 神，便宣告禁食，從最大的到至小的都穿麻衣…各人回頭離開所行的惡道，丟棄手中的強暴。」(拿3:5-10))。

C. 真正的「尊 神為 神」就會對 神全然的降服，並帶進 神旨意的完成

在約拿記第三章結束時，我們可以清楚看出來：「約拿的使命」—神對尼尼微人的救恩—己經完成，但是「約拿的生命」—神對約拿的救恩—尚未完全…在第三章裡面，我們雖然看到約拿有「順服的行動」但卻沒有「降服的生命」；他「所做的」雖然是對的，但是他「所是的」卻仍是錯的，所以 神仍需繼續工作在他身上。感謝神，約拿書仍有第四章，是 神專門針對約拿的製作與教育！感謝 神，為著衪那『不肯放我們的愛』！

• 這事約拿大大不悅，且甚發怒…10 耶和華說：「這蓖麻不是你栽種的，也不是你培養的；一夜發生，一夜乾死，你尚且愛惜； 11 何況這尼尼微大城，其中不能分辨左手右手的有十二萬多人，並有許多牲畜，我豈能不愛惜呢？」 (拿4:1-11)

因著 神的恩典，約拿由抗命到順服，由勉強的順服到完全的降服。之後，他就不再倔強，不再頂嘴，也不再埋怨。一個對 神真正降服的人，即使是再不容易、再不喜歡的處境，順服也會變得主動而且甘心。

Holiness Unto The Lord (8): Total Surrender (1)

Memorization Scriptures: “The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” (Rev 4:10-11)

Main Message: Doing God’s will and commission are never optional, but it is our responsibility and opportunity to satisfy and glorify God.  Every act of obedience not only spare us the pain of “being steered by bits” or “kicking the goad”, but more importantly that the will of God will be unobstructed.   However, outward obedience does not mean we are truly humbled and totally surrendered before God inwardly – Jonah’s example of “resistance to total Surrender” is the best spiritual lesson for us.

A. Services according to one’s own will are always dangerous

Often we use our own likes, abilities, perspectives, traditions, experiences … to serve God, and instead of knowing the heart of God – with an absolute “trust and obey” attitude of doing God’s commandments and fulfilling God’s will.

· Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah … “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city … But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. (Jonah 1:1-3)

· Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me.  Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. (Psalm 19:13)

· In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25)

B. “Trust and obey” is the pathway to “holiness unto the Lord”

· Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time … “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city … so Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. (Jonah 3:1-3)

Jonah’s obedience brought about the repentance of the entire city of Nineveh – “So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them … let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. (Jonah 3:5-10)

C. To genuinely “let God be God”, one will totally surrender to God and bring about the fulfillment of God’s will

At the conclusion of the third chapter of the Book of Jonah, we can clearly see “the commission of Jonah” – God’s salvation for the Ninevites have been accomplished, but “the life of Jonah” – God’s salvation for Jonah have not yet been completed … In chapter three, although we can see Jonah’s “acts of obedience” but not the “surrendered life”; what Jonah “have done” was absolutely correct, but who “he was” was still wrong, thus God had to continue to work on him.  Thank God, the book of Jonah continues into chapter 4 – it is God’s specific making, training, and nurturing of Jonah!  Thank God, for His Love - “the love that will not let us go”!

· But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry … But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock? (Jonah 4:1-11)

Through God’s grace, Jonah went from resistance to obedience, from obeying reluctantly to total surrender.  Hence forth, he is no longer stubborn, no longer talks back, and no longer complains. For a person who is truly surrendered to God, he will take initiative with a willing heart to obey - no matter how difficult or how unfavorable the circumstances might be.