IN QUEST OF THE TRUE PEACE• 寻求真正的平安

40 John Sung Revival Sermons

IV. IN QUEST OF THE TRUE PEACE  

(Acts Chapter 8)

Vs. 26. Philip held a revival campaign in Samaria and there he did many miracles. He had gone to Samaria following a great persecution in Jerusalem. He preached the Gospel of Jesus and the whole city gathered to hear him. He worked a mighty work in Samaria and brought great glory to God.

Philip had a wife and four daughters, a happy family indeed. One day, God's voice called him into the desert. Now the desert is a lonely place, but Philip doubted not. He obeyed God's command.

Vs. 27. Philip was surprised at what he saw in the desert. When we obey God's will we will also meet with unexpected events. Philip came face to face with a royal chariot bristling with bodyguards on both sides. Seated inside was a black Eunuch. This Eunuch was the Minister of Finance of his country, President of the National Bank. He was the king's right-hand man. The Eunuch lacked nothing, except this one thing --- he had no peace of heart because of his sins. God called Philip to preach to him at this moment of time.

When a man is burdened with sin, his heart becomes restless. In Tiensin, the wife of the manager of a mining company heard me preach. She unburdened her tearful miseries to me. She had a husband, children, money and a well-provided living. But she had no peace. Now this Eunuch had perhaps committed murder and graft. Although he was rich and powerful, his conscience had no peace.

Once I met a woman who knelt her way up a hill to seek peace. This shows how one might get anything in a materialistic life without ever obtaining peace. To repeat the sutras or worship Buddha would not bring peace. Money and power cannot buy peace. The Eunuch, having failed to find peace, climbed a thousand hills and dales to the Holy City to find peace in God's House. Many have used every way and means to find peace, but in vain. The Hindus sleep on a bed of pikes to find peace. The superstitious burn joss sticks and candies to find peace. The Eunuch came from a far country to Jerusalem to sacrifice in order to find peace. But he could not find it.

  Vs. 28-34. Although the Eunuch has sacrificed, his heart remains distressed. So he opens the Bible he had bought in Jerusalem to read. When he comes to the Book of Isaiah he finds it most gripping. At ch.53, there is recorded the story of a Man who died for mankind. He died to save mankind from sin. Though the Eunuch is entranced by his reading, he does not know Who He was that died for the sins of the world. “Could a sinner and corrupt officer like me be saved?" the Eunuch debates in his heart. As he frets over his lack of understanding, God tells Philip to run after the chariot. At sight of Philip the Eunuch gladly extends him a welcome. The Eunuch asks him to explain the meaning of that passage of Scripture. Philip expounds to the Eunuch, “The Man you read about is like a lamb. He died for mankind. Now a lamb's tail is a symbol of obedience. A lamb's horns, which droop, signify humility. And when he goes for shearing, he makes no noise --- this is dying for sinners." The Eunuch is still unhappy, but now the Holy Spirit begins to work in his heart. Many there are who read the Bible with a cold heart. They regard the Bible to be some literature. As for the Eunuch, the more he reads the less he understands and the more troubled he becomes. He arrives not at the truth of the Bible.

Once there was an evangelist who went out tracting. He gave one to a young man. That young man tore it to pieces. But these four words “Eternal Life, Eternal Death" somehow attached on his person, despite his trying to blow them away. A few more steps got him into contact with another evangelist who also handed him a tract. The tract bore the same words, "Eternal Life, Eternal Death." This troubled his heart. Whether he went to the cinema or whether he played tennis, there bobbed those four words, "Eternal Life, Eternal Death" on his mind. This finally brought the young man to Christ.

An old woman, though unable to preach was a zealous soul winner. Every Lord's Day, she would stand in front of her church to invite passers-by in. It happened that a fashionable young lady passed by that way. The old woman called to her to enter the church, “Come and worship, and you'll go to heaven," she cried. To which the fashionable young lady answered with popped eyeballs. When the old woman called to her again, she pushed her to the ground. As she left in great anger, the old woman continued to chirp away the Gospel invitation, "Come and worship and you'll go to heaven." Now the fashionable young lady could not help but ponder over the incident and as this pondering became more and more acute, she heard a voice one night, "Friend, come and worship and you'll go to heaven."

The next day she went to church of her own accord. That day she got saved. Beloved brothers and sisters, by one word of Scripture, the Holy Spirit had taken hold of her, and got her saved.

Vs. 35-40. Praise the Lord! As Philip continues to expound the Word, he says, “This Man who died for the sins of mankind is Jesus, crucified at Jerusalem. He is the Son of God come down from heaven. He preached on earth. He healed, He cast out devils. Later He died but on the third day He lived again. This Person is what the Bible is telling us." The Eunuch begins to glow at the words of Philip's preaching. O the joy of finding the peace he has been looking for all the years. His understanding of the Scriptures has led him to the very source of peace.

As they come to a stream the Eunuch requests Philip to baptise him. Now many are baptised because they are forced into it --- perhaps by parents, perhaps at the behest of their teachers. But not the Eunuch. Having been ascertained of the Eunuch's faith that he would believe and confess Jesus Christ to the end, he gladly baptised him. And what peace has come on the Eunuch since his wholehearted repentance.

Now when the angel brought death to the eldest sons of the Egyptians, the Israelites had their doorposts daubed with blood that the whole family might be saved. A little of the lamb's blood could redeem from sin and save. When a person repents of his sin the Blood of Jesus Christ, all the more, can cleanse him from sin.

A certain university student had sought for peace for nine long years. He asked me to pray for him. When he repented he found great joy. He confessed what joy he had missed all this while.

The Eunuch now crucifies his carnal self and has all the sins he has committed down the years washed away. He receives Jesus to live in his heart. He undergoes a complete change for a life of joy and peace.

Now after baptising the Eunuch, Philip does not go with him to Africa for power or money. The Holy Spirit immediately takes him to Samaria that he might not think of wealth but rather work --- the work of preaching and praying.

Beloved brothers and sisters, I was this Eunuch once. At my early age I did not find peace. At 18 I went to study in America. This brought me more sorrow of heart. I studied the philosophy of Laotse. I found no peace. I studied Buddhist scriptures. I found no peace. I studied the Koran. I found less peace. I locked myself in a room to read the Bible, but I found it very hard to understand.

The more I read the more bitter I became. On the night of February 10, as I prayed in tears kneeling on the floor, the Lord said to me, “Little child, your sins are forgiven!" From that moment, joy flooded in. The Lord commissioned me to preach. I preached for seven days, but I was taken for being crazy. I was put into a mental hospital. The doctors came to examine me and asked about my ancestry. After I went through the bitterness of a mental institution, I got the real joy. Everywhere I go to witness the gospel, to the way of real peace. Beloved brothers and sisters, nothing can give us peace. Only Jesus Christ can!

 

THEME SONG

Light that groweth not pale with day's decrease,

Love that never can fail till life shall cease;

Joy no trial can mar,

Hope that shineth afar,

Faith serene as a star,

And Christ's own peace.

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约翰·宋的40篇复兴布道

四、寻求真正的平安

（使徒行传第8章）

第26节：腓利在撒玛利亚举行了一场复兴运动，并在那里行了许多神迹。此前，他在耶路撒冷遭受了严重的迫害，之后便前往撒玛利亚。他传讲耶稣的福音，全城的人都聚集来听他讲道。他在撒玛利亚行了大能的事，使神得着极大的荣耀。

腓利有妻子和四个女儿，真是一个幸福的家庭。有一天，神的声音呼召他到旷野去。旷野是荒凉的地方，但腓利毫不犹豫，顺服了神的命令。

第27节：腓利在旷野所见的景象令他惊讶。当我们顺服神的旨意时，也会遇到意想不到的事情。腓利看到一辆皇家马车，两侧簇拥着卫兵。车里坐着一位黑人太监。 这位太监是国家的财政大臣，国家银行行长，是国王的得力助手。他一无所有，唯独缺少一样东西——因罪孽深重，内心无法安宁。就在此时，上帝呼召腓力来向他传道。

当一个人背负罪孽时，他的心便会躁动不安。在天津，一位矿业公司经理的妻子听我讲道，她泪流满面地向我倾诉了她的苦难。她有丈夫、孩子、金钱，生活富足，却无法获得内心的平静。这位太监或许犯过谋杀和贪污的罪行，尽管他富有权势，良心却无法得到安宁。

我曾遇到一位女子，她跪在山上寻求内心的平静。这表明，即使一个人在物质生活中拥有一切，也永远无法获得内心的平静。诵经或拜佛并不能带来平静，金钱和权力也买不到平静。 太监因无法找到内心的平静，便跋山涉水来到圣城耶路撒冷，希望能在神的殿中寻求安宁。许多人尝试了各种方法寻求平静，却都徒劳无功。印度教徒睡在长矛床上寻求平静，迷信的人焚香点糖祈求平安。太监从远方来到耶路撒冷献祭，希望能找到平静，却依然一无所获。

（以赛亚书 28-34 节）尽管太监献祭了，他的心依然忧伤。于是，他打开在耶路撒冷买来的圣经阅读。当他读到以赛亚书时，被深深吸引。第 53 章记载了一位为世人而死的人的故事。他为了拯救世人脱离罪恶而死。虽然太监被经文深深打动，但他并不知道这位为世人罪孽而死的人是谁。“像我这样有罪又腐败的官员，能得救吗？” 太监内心充满疑惑。他正为自己的不理解而忧虑时，神吩咐腓力去追赶战车。太监一见到腓力，就欣然迎接他。太监请腓力解释那段经文的含义。腓力向太监解释道：“你所读到的这个人就像一只羔羊，他为世人而死。羔羊的尾巴象征顺服，羔羊的角下垂，象征谦卑。羔羊去剪毛的时候，一声不吭——这就是为罪人而死。”太监仍然感到不悦，但此时圣灵开始在他心中动工。许多人读圣经时心存冷漠，把圣经当作文学作品。至于太监，他读得越多，就越不明白，也越感到困惑。他始终无法领悟圣经的真理。

从前有一位传道人四处传福音。 他把一张传单递给一个年轻人。年轻人把它撕成了碎片。但“永生，永死”这四个字却不知怎的粘在了他身上，尽管他试图把它们吹走。走了几步，他又遇到了一位传道人，那人也递给他一张传单。传单上同样写着“永生，永死”。这让他心神不安。无论他去电影院还是打网球，这四个字“永生，永死”都萦绕在他的脑海里。最终，这让年轻人归信了基督。

一位老妇人虽然不能讲道，却是一位热忱的灵魂拯救者。每个主日，她都会站在教堂前，邀请路人进来。一天，一位时髦的年轻女子正好路过。老妇人叫住她，让她进教堂。“来敬拜吧，你就能上天堂！”她喊道。年轻女子瞪大了眼睛，一脸茫然。 老妇人再次叫住她时，她一把将她推倒在地。老妇人气愤地离开，却依然喋喋不休地传讲着福音：“来敬拜吧，你就能上天堂。”这位时髦的年轻女子不禁反复思索这件事，随着思绪越来越清晰，一天晚上，她仿佛听到一个声音

说：“朋友，来敬拜吧，你就能上天堂。”

第二天，她自愿去了教堂。那天她得救了。亲爱的弟兄姊妹们，圣灵藉着圣经中的一句话，就抓住了她，使她得救了。

35-40节。赞美主！腓利继续讲解圣经，他说：“这位为世人罪孽而死的人就是耶稣，他在耶路撒冷被钉十字架。他是神的儿子，从天上降下来。他曾在地上传道，医治病人，赶出污鬼。后来他死了，第三天又复活了。圣经告诉我们的就是这个人。”太监听了腓利的讲道，脸上容光焕发。他多年来一直在寻找的平安，如今终于找到了，这是何等的喜乐！他对圣经的理解，引领他找到了平安的源泉。

他们来到一条小溪边，太监请求腓利为他施洗。现在许多人受洗是被迫的——也许是父母强迫的，也许是老师要求的。 但太监却不一样。他确信太监的信心，相信他会信靠耶稣基督直到永远，于是欣然为他施洗。自从太监真心悔改以来，他获得了何等的平安！

当天使降下死亡给埃及人的长子时，以色列人就用血涂抹门框，好让全家都能得救。羔羊的血只需一点点就能救赎人脱离罪恶。同样，当一个人悔改自己的罪时，耶稣基督的宝血更能洗净他的罪。

一位大学生苦苦寻求平安长达九年。他请我为他祷告。当他悔改时，他找到了极大的喜乐。他坦白自己这些年来错过了何等的喜乐。

如今，太监钉死了他肉体的情欲，他多年来所犯的一切罪孽都被洗净。他接受耶稣住在他的心里。他经历了彻底的改变，获得了喜乐与平安的人生。 

腓力为太监施洗后，并没有为了权势或金钱与他一同前往非洲。圣灵立刻带领他去了撒玛利亚，好让他不再想着财富，而是专注于工作——传道和祷告的工作。

亲爱的弟兄姊妹们，我曾经就是这位太监。我年幼时，内心充满痛苦。18岁时，我去美国求学，这反而加深了我的忧伤。我研读老子的哲学，却找不到平安；我研读佛经，依然找不到平安；我研读古兰经，却更加感到不安。我把自己关在房间里研读圣经，却发现难以理解。

我越读越感到苦毒。2月10日晚上，我跪在地上，泪流满面地祷告，主对我说：“孩子，你的罪赦免了！”从那一刻起，喜乐涌入我的心。主差遣我去传道。 我传道七天，却被当成疯子送进了精神病院。医生们来给我检查，还问了我的身世。经历了精神病院的苦难之后，我才真正体会到喜乐。无论我走到哪里，只要我见证福音，就能找到真正的平安。亲爱的弟兄姐妹们，没有什么能赐给我们平安，唯有耶稣基督才能！

主题曲

永不褪色的光芒，

永不消逝的爱，直到生命终结；

任何试炼都无法磨灭的喜乐，

照亮远方的希望，

如星辰般宁静的信仰，

以及基督赐予的平安。