The Need for All Our Service to Be Initiated by God
读经∶民十八1，罗十一36，撒下七1～3、5、11～14上，伯三八2，四二6，徒二二8、10
壹 我们在召会中一切的工作和事奉，必须是神所发起的，并且必须照着祂的意愿来作；否则，我们在事奉神的事上，就有了干犯圣所的罪孽─民十八1，罗十一36:
I. All our work and service in the church must be initiated by God and must be according to His desire; otherwise, we will commit the iniquity of the sanctuary in our service to God—Num. 18:1; Rom. 11:36:
一 凡是从人发起，是人开始的，不管是多么为着神的，都不过是宗教活动，没有基督的同在。
A. Anything that is initiated or started by man, regardless of how much it is for God, is a religious activity devoid of the presence of Christ.
二 一个人在没有想到神的时候，没有心事奉神的时候，神来了，神给人一个感觉，摸着了人，向人启示，给人一个命令，呼召人、引导人，使人得着了一些出乎神的东西，以致人无法不行动─耶一4～10、17～19，但十一32。
B. A man may have no thought of God and no heart to serve God, but God comes to him, prompting and touching him, revealing Himself to him, giving him a command, a calling, and a leading, so that he receives something of God and cannot help but take action—Jer. 1:4-10, 17-19; Dan. 11:32.
贰 亚伯照着神的启示，凭信献上祭物；他的献祭是从神的话来的─来十一4，创三21，四1～5，罗十17:
II. Abel offered sacrifices by faith according to God's revelation; his offering of a sacrifice came in response to God's word—Heb. 11:4; Gen. 3:21; 4:1-5; Rom. 10:17:
一 神在亚当堕落之后，就指示人要杀牺牲流血为人赎罪；亚伯听见这个，看见这个，也明白这个，就照着神的指示和命定献祭─创三21，来九22。
A. After Adam's fall, God showed man redemption through the shedding of the blood of a sacrifice; because Abel heard, saw, and understood this, he offered a sacrifice according to God's instruction and ordination—Gen. 3:21; Heb. 9:22.
二 该隐出于自己，凭己意事奉神；他把地里的出产献给神，这样献祭，不折不扣就是宗教的活动─创四3。
B. Cain served God from himself according to his own will and opinion; he offered the fruit of the ground to God, and this offering was entirely a religious activity—Gen. 4:3.
三 所谓宗教活动，就是人在没有得着神的启示，没有得着神的命令，没有得着神的引导下，而事奉神、敬拜神；每─个事奉神的人，他的活动都必须绝对地出于神，不是出于人。
C. A religious activity is any service or worship that does not originate from God's revelation, command, and leading; the activities of one who serves God must originate absolutely from God, not from man.
叁 挪亚照着神的吩咐事奉神；甚至方舟里的每一个尺寸，每一个造法，都不是挪亚这个人能想出来的，乃是神自己定规的─六14～七5，来十一7。
III. Noah served God according to God's command; even the measurements and methods of building the ark were not according to Noah's imagination but to God's determination—6:14—7:5; Heb. 11:7.
肆 亚伯拉罕照着神的显现事奉神─徒七2～4，创十二1～4、7～8，十三14～18，十五1，来十一8～10。
IV. Abraham served God according to God's appearing—Acts 7:2-4; Gen. 12:1-4, 7-8; 13:14-18; 15:1; Heb. 11:8-10.
伍 摩西照着神的指示事奉神，拯救以色列人，并且照着神的模型建造会幕─出三10、14～15，二五9、40，四十16～17、34～35，徒七44，来八5。<
V. Moses served God according to God's instruction for the deliverance of the children of Israel and for the building of the tabernacle according to God's pattern—Exo. 3:10, 14-15; 25:9, 40; 40:16-17, 34-35; Acts 7:44; Heb. 8:5./h5>
陆 大卫敬畏神，与神合作，让神作事─徒十三36上：
VI. David feared God, cooperated with God, and let God work—Acts 13:36a:
一 大卫热心要为神建造圣殿（撒下七1～3），但神拒绝了大卫的好意；神差遣申言者拿单对大卫说，“你要建造殿宇给我居住么？”─5节
A. David was zealous to build a temple for God (2 Sam. 7:1-3), but God rejected David's good intention; God sent Nathan the prophet to David to ask, "Is it you who will build Me a house for Me to dwell in?"—v. 5.
二 我们要事奉神的那个心，祂悦纳；但我们所作的定规，神不悦纳；神说，“你要……么？”神不要我们替祂定规什么。
B. Our heart to serve God is acceptable, but our decision to do something for Him is not acceptable; God said, "Is it you…?"; God does not want us to decide anything on His behalf.
三 我们该爱神并等候祂的吩咐；我们该寻求祂的旨意，等候祂的启示；正如旧约里那些爱主人的仆人耳朵被穿通，听见主人的话一样，我们必须专专等候主人的命令─出二一6，提后二21下。
C. We should love God and wait for His command; we should seek His will and wait for His revelation; just as the slave in the Old Testament loved his master and allowed his ear to be bored through with an awl to hear the word of his master, we must focus on waiting for our Master's command—Exo. 21:6; 2 Tim. 2:21b.
四 大卫是个敬畏神的人，他没有反抗拿单，反而停了下来；停下建造圣殿的行动乃是大事。
D. Because David feared God, he did not react to Nathan; rather, he stopped; the act of stopping the building of the temple is a great matter.
五 和受恩姊妹说，“凡不能为神的缘故不作工的，都不能为神的缘故作工。”
E. Sister M. E. Barber said, "Whoever cannot stop working for the sake of God cannot work for the sake of God."
六 大卫那次的停下，在宇宙中树立了双层的见证：宇宙中的事，只能出于神，不能出于人；第二，不是在乎人为神作什么，乃是在乎神为人作什么。
F. David's stopping established a twofold testimony in the universe: first, all the work in the universe should come from God, not from man; second, all that matters is what God does for man, not what man does for God.
七 大卫要为神建造圣殿，但神说祂要为大卫建立家室，从那个家要兴起─个国来─撒下七11～14上。
G. David wanted to build a temple for God, but God said that He would build David a house, from which a kingdom would come forth—2 Sam. 7:11-14a.
八 神对大卫说了这话后，大卫竟然两次跌倒─盖造圣殿的儿子和殿的基地，都是大卫犯罪得赦免而得着的：
H. Even after God spoke this word to David, he fell twice—the son as the builder and the site for the temple both came out of David's being forgiven of his sins:
1 第一次，他杀了乌利亚，霸占了乌利亚的妻子拔示巴；大卫犯罪后生了一个儿子，就是所罗门，后来成为神殿的建造者─十一2～17、26～27。
1. First, he murdered Uriah and usurped his wife Bathsheba; after David sinned, he bore a son, Solomon, who would be the builder of God's temple—11:2-17, 26-27.
2 第二次，他数点以色列人，显示他隐藏的骄傲，信靠战士的数目过于信靠神；大卫数点百姓被神惩治后，就在神指示的一块地上献祭，那块地就是后来建造圣殿的基地─二四1～10、18～25，代上二一1，代下三1。
2. Second, he numbered the children of Israel, showing his hidden pride by putting his faith in numbers of warriors rather than in God; after David was chastised for numbering the people, he offered sacrifices on a piece of land, as instructed by God, which later became the site for the building of the temple—24:1-10, 18-25; 1 Chron. 21:1; 2 Chron. 3:1.
九 我们要从深处学得，神只需要我们与祂配合，祂不需要我们为祂作什么；我们要停下我们的主张、定规、看法，而让祂说话，让祂进来，让祂发号施令─太十七5。
I. We must learn deep within that God wants only our cooperation; He does not need us to do anything for Him; we must stop all our opinions, decisions, and ideas; we need to let Him speak, let Him come in, and let Him command—Matt. 17:5.
柒 保罗照着他在被征服的转变时所见的异象而事奉：
VII. Paul served God according to the vision that he saw at his vanquishing conversion:
一 保罗的第一个问题是：“主啊，你是谁？”这与保罗的生活有关，是寻求对基督的认识─徒二二8，腓三10上。
A. Paul's first question to the Lord was, "Who are You, Lord?"—this is related to Paul's living, which was a quest to know Christ—Acts 22:8; Phil. 3:10a.
二 保罗的第二个问题是：“主啊，我当作什么？”这与保罗那纯粹由神所发起的事奉有关─问这话的人有福了！─徒二二10，罗一9，林后二12～14
B. Paul's second question to the Lord was, "What shall I do, Lord?"—this is related to Paul's service, which was purely initiated by God; blessed is he who asks this question!—Acts 22:10; Rom. 1:9; 2 Cor. 2:12-14.
三 我们都该问主：“我当作什么？”而不是告诉祂：“这是我要作的。”
C. We should all ask the Lord, "What shall I do?" rather than telling Him, "This is what I will do."
捌 事奉上的基本原则乃是：一切必须是神发起的：
VIII. The basic principle in our service is that everything must be initiated by God:
一 凡是事奉神的人，都当从以上的例证看见一个原则：神的工作需要人的配合，但不要人发起；我们该毫无保留地听从祂。
A. All those who serve God must see a principle from these examples: God's work needs man's cooperation, but it does not require man's initiation; we should listen to Him unreservedly.
二 约伯记启示，领受神启示的唯一条件，乃是停下我们的说话、主张、眼光和己：
B. The book of Job reveals that the unique prerequisite to receiving God's revelation is to stop our speaking, our opinion, our view, and our self:
1 约伯记告诉我们，人的言语叫神的旨意暗晦不明（三八2）；人的主张是显于人的话语；人的话代表人的主张。─引用经文
1. The book of Job tells us that God's counsel is darkened by man's words (38:2); a person's opinion is expressed in his word, and his word represents his opinion.
2 主说，“若有人要跟从我，就当否认己”（太十六24）；当约伯说，“我厌恶自己”（伯四二6），他乃是指他的主张、看法和意见。─引用经文
2. The Lord said, "If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself " (Matt. 16:24); when Job said, "I abhor myself " (Job 42:6), he was referring to his opinions, views, and ideas.
三 出于人的事奉，其中有自己的享受、爱好和味道；出于神的事奉，即使遇到为难，仍会向主献上敬拜，继续往前；出于神的事奉，不会使人着急、争执。
C. Service from man has man's natural enjoyment, preference, and flavor; service from God enables man to worship the Lord and advance even when facing difficulties; service from God enables man to not be anxious or quarrelsome.
四 虽然我们一切的事奉都是由神发起的，但我们必须在主面前学习背负责任，并绝对地忠心；我们要倚靠主，联于主并与主有交通，而执行我们的事奉─林前四1～2，七25。
D. Although all our service is initiated by God, we must learn to bear responsibility and be absolutely faithful before the Lord; we need to rely on the Lord, carrying out our service by being joined to the Lord and being in fellowship with Him—1 Cor. 4:1-2; 7:25.
五 这种的事奉建造基督的身体，终极完成新耶路撒冷，并预备我们在永世里永远地事奉祂─弗四11～12，启二二3。
E. This kind of service builds up the Body of Christ to consummate the New Jerusalem, and it prepares us to serve Him in and for eternity—Eph. 4:11-12; Rev. 22:3.