1. Hello, listening friends, and thank you for joining us for this broadcast.
亲爱的朋友，你好，很感谢你收听我们今天的节目。
2. In this series, we have been learning how to follow God’s call on our lives.
在这个系列里，我们一直在学习，如何回应，并跟随神对我们的呼召。
3. That call sometimes leaves us asking the question, “You want me to do what?”
在这个呼召之下，我们不得不问：“你让我做什么？”
4. And in today’s final answer, we will learn how to tell the story.
今天要讲最后一个答案，我们要学习如何说故事。
5. If you have a Bible, please turn to the book of Joshua, chapter 24.
如果你有圣经，请翻到约书亚记24章。
6. But first, I want you to imagine this imaginary scenario.
首先，请你运用你的想象力，进入这样一个场景。
7. You wake up in the morning and there is no dawn.
你清晨起床，看不见曙光。
8. Morning passes, but still no sun has risen.
早上过去了，太阳还是没有升起来。
9. And by afternoon, ice begins forming on the trees from unexpected freezing weather.
到了下午，这出人意外的寒冷，使树梢都结了一层冰霜。
10. Imagine the panic and the fear and the puzzlement about why the sun has stopped shining.
你可以想象，人们感到很困惑，也很惊恐，为什么太阳竟然不再发光。
11. You would ask, “What happened to the sun?”
你会问：“太阳出了什么事啊？”
12. Perhaps, out of fear, churches will begin to be filling up with people crying to God and praying for hours and hours.
很可能，人们因为害怕，都挤到礼拜堂去，不断祷告，向神呼求。
13. The next morning, the sun rises again and the light penetrates the darkness.
第二天太阳再度升上来，阳光穿透了黑暗。
14. I want you to imagine the joy and the elation of seeing the rays of the sun.
请你想象，人们看见了阳光，是多么雀跃，和兴奋呀！
15. Imagine the praise, the thankfulness, and the gratitude to God for the rising of the sun.
请你想象，人们为了天空的太阳，对上帝发出了由衷的感恩和赞美。
16. And yet in our real world, God does make the sun rise every morning.
其实，在我们所处的现实世界里，神让太阳每天按时升起来。
17. Why don’t we praise God every single day for the sun?
为什么我们却没有每天为太阳来赞美神呢？
18. Why don’t we praise God every single day for just waking us up?
为什么我们却没有每天为神让我们醒过来而赞美神呢？
19. Why don’t we daily have this thankfulness and praising attitude?
为什么我们不是每天都存着感恩和赞美的心呢？
20. Why would it only happen after this fearful experience?
为什么非等到经过了恐怖的事，才感恩赞美呢？
21. Because sadly, we do not fully appreciate God and His creation or His gifts.
可悲的是，我们从来不懂得完全地欣赏，神的创造和祂的赏赐。
22. Sadly, we often have to lose something before we fully appreciate it.
可悲的是，若没有失去过，我们就不懂得欣赏和感恩。
23. Because sadly, we are forgetful people.
因为很可悲，我们都是健忘的人。
24. And our forgetfulness is precisely why God tells us repeatedly in His Word, “Remember, remember, remember.”
我们很容易忘记，所以神才再三提醒我们，要记住，要记住，要记住。
25. Amnesia is a medical condition that involves the loss of memory.
失忆症是一种失去记忆的疾病。
26. A victim will actually forget his name, where he lives, significant events in his life, and even his family.
患者真的会忘了自己的名字，住址，家人，和他人生中重大的事件。
27. There is a spiritual equivalence to amnesia.
在属灵方面，也有同样的失忆症。
28. It happens when people allow their present trouble to cause them to forget God’s past mercies.
当人们容许眼前的困难蒙蔽他们，忘记了神过去的恩慈，就患了属灵失忆症。
29. They forget God’s past blessings and provision.
他们忘记了，神过去的赐福和供应。
30. They forget God’s past interventions and unmerited favors.
他们忘记了，神过去曾介入他们的生活，赐给他们原不配得的恩典。
31. God knows our tendency to forget His goodness, grace, and mercy.
神了解，我们很快就会忘记祂的良善、恩慈和怜悯。
32. God knows our tendency to stop appreciating His past blessings.
神知道，我们很快就不再感谢祂过去所赐的恩福。
33. And our forgetfulness is why God repeatedly says in the book of Joshua chapter 24, “Don’t forget what I have done for you.”
因为我们善忘神的恩典，所以神在约书亚记24章那里，一再地说：“别忘了我为你做的一切。”
34. In fact, the very place where Joshua gathered the people was a deliberate choice.
事实上，约书亚召聚百姓的地方，是刻意挑选的。
35. Look at the book of Joshua chapter 24 verse 1.
我们来看约书亚记24章第1节。
36. “Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel in Shechem.”
约书亚将以色列的众支派聚集在示剑。
37. Some of you may be asking, “What is so important about Shechem?”
有些人可能会问：“示剑这个地方有什么重要性吗？”
38. Ah, it’s a source of remembrance.
有，那是有纪念意义的地方。
39. Six hundred years earlier, near Shechem, God promised Abraham that God would give Abraham’s descendents the land of promise.
六百年前，在靠近示剑的地方，神应许亚伯拉罕，赐应许之地给他的子孙后代。
40. And Abraham responded to the grace of God and His promise by building an altar of faith in Shechem.
亚伯拉罕回应神的恩典和神的应许，就在示剑这个地方建立信心的祭坛。
41. Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, also came to Shechem.
亚伯拉罕的孙子雅各也来到了示剑。
42. And there, Jacob surrendered the idols and removed them in order to worship the one true God in Shechem.
在示剑那里，雅各除去所有的偶像，单单敬拜独一的真神，耶和华。
43. And so six hundred years after Abraham, Joshua builds another altar at Shechem to praise God for His faithfulness,
亚伯拉罕之后的六百年，约书亚在示剑建立起另一座祭坛，颂赞信实守约的神。
44. and also to challenge his people to make a response to God’s blessing.
并在这里，向百姓挑战，要他们回应赐恩福的神。
45. Six hundred years may seem like a long time to us, but God never forgets His promises.
对我们来说，六百年是一段漫长的时间，但不论多长的时间，神总不忘记祂自己的应许。
46. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you probably have your own Shechem in your life.
如果你是相信耶稣基督的信徒，在你生命中，很可能也有一个类似示剑的地方。
47. These Shechems in our lives are the places where God had met us in a very special way;
在我们生命中的示剑，神以很独特的方式与我们相遇。
48. places where God blessed us and provided for us,
在那里，神赐福给我们，供应我们的需要。
49. places where God fulfilled His promises to us and answered our prayers,
在那里，神实现祂对我们的应许，并回应我们的祷告。
50. places where God intervened on our behalf,
在那里，神在我们的生命中有所作为。
51. places where God showed Himself faithful to us despite of our faithfulness.
在那里，神不计较我们是否忠诚，祂仍然信实地看顾我们。
52. There in the city of Shechem, God spoke to His people through Joshua.
神在示剑，通过约书亚向祂的百姓说话。
53. There He reminded them of how He rescued them from the mud pits of slavery,
祂在那里提醒他们，祂如何在为奴之地的泥坑里拯救他们。
54. how He gave them manna in the wilderness,
祂如何在旷野中，赐吗哪给他们作食物。
55. how He gave them the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night,
祂如何在白昼以云柱，夜间以火柱来引领他们。
56. how He gave them victory over their enemies,
祂如何帮助他们战胜敌人。
57. how He supernaturally helped them cross the river of impossibilities,
祂如何以超自然的大能，带他们渡过艰难的大河。
58. how He destroyed the impenetrable walls of Jericho on their behalf,
祂如何为他们摧毁了难以攻克的耶利哥城墙。
59. how the Lord kept His promises to Abraham six hundred years earlier,
神如何信守祂在六百年前对亚伯拉罕的应许。
60. and how His chosen people became the inheritance of that promise.
祂的百姓如何成为了应许的继承人。
61. Seventeen times in the book of Joshua chapter 24, God used the word, “I,” “I.”
在约书亚记24章里，有17次神使用了“我”这个字。
62. “I took you.”
我带你。
63. “I gave you.”
我给你。
64. “I sent you.”
我差遣你。
65. “I brought you.”
我领你。
66. “I delivered you.”
我救你。
67. And God is saying the same thing to you, my listening friend.
亲爱的朋友，神今天对你说同样的话。
68. Do you remember that serious illness that you survived?
你记得吗？那次你生了严重的病，却得到痊愈。
69. God healed you.
神医治了你。
70. Do you remember the money you just received?
你还记得收到的那笔钱吗？
71. God gave that money to you.
是神赐给你的金钱。
72. Do you remember the problem that nearly destroyed you?
你还记得那场差点毁了你的灾难吗？
73. God brought you through that.
神带领你安然渡过。
74. And think of the children that you have.
想想你的儿女，
75. They are not your children.
他们不是属于你的，
76. They are God’s children and He gives them to you to manage for Him.
他们是神的儿女，交给你托管的。
77. And here, Joshua reminds them of their responsibilities because of these blessings.
在这里，约书亚提醒百姓，他们接受了那么多的恩典，但他们也有责任。
78. My listening friend, God has blessed you for a purpose.
亲爱的朋友，神赐福给你是有目的的。
79. And you must discover how God wants you to use these blessings to bless other people.
你必须寻求如何使用神赐给你的福，让别人也能蒙福。
80. It is not enough for you to review your blessings and say, “Thank you, God. You’ve blessed me so much.”
当你回顾神所赐的福气时，仅仅说：“神啊，感谢你所赐的丰盛恩典。”这样说是不够的。
81. No.
不够。
82. You must respond to the receiving of your blessings.
你必须对所得到的恩典作出回应。
83. You must remind yourself of your responsibility for what God has given you.
你必须提醒自己，神赐福给你，你也有你的责任。
84. God’s blessings were given to you so that you may become a witness for Christ,
神赐福给你，使你成为基督的见证人，
85. so that you may be an ambassador for Christ,
使你成为基督的使者，
86. so that you may be a reconciler of men and women to the Lord Jesus Christ.
你要使许多人与耶稣基督和好。
87. When Jesus responded in obedience to God His Father, He did something.
当耶稣顺服天父的旨意，祂以行动来回应神。
88. He came down from heaven.
祂从天上降临人间。
89. And Jesus said in the book of Luke chapter 15,
耶稣在路加福音15章那里说，
90. that when the shepherd discovered one of his sheep were missing, he did something.
当牧羊人发现羊群中有一只羊失踪，他采取了行动。
91. The shepherd went out and looked for the lost sheep until he found it.
牧羊人出去寻找迷羊，直到找着为止。
92. And then he put the sheep on his shoulders and brought it back.
他把羊扛在肩上，带它回家。
93. When the woman in the Bible lost her coin, she did something.
圣经说到一个女人，失落了一块钱，她采取了行动。
94. She started searching diligently until she found the coin, and then they all rejoiced.
她仔细地寻找，直到找着了，大家一起高兴。
95. Joshua said to God’s people,
约书亚对神的百姓说：
96. “You need to remember your blessings, but now you also need to respond to these blessings.”
“你们要记住你们所蒙的福，同时也要作出回应。”
97. In fact, if you read in the book of Joshua chapter 24, you will notice that Joshua grew frustrated at the people’s apathy.
事实上，当你读约书亚记24章这段经文时，你会发现，约书亚对百姓冷漠的回应，感到很失望。
98. The people’s attitude was something like this—
百姓的态度是这样的，
99. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, we love God. Yeah, yeah, we love God.
“是啊，是啊，我们是爱神，没错，我们是爱神的。”
100. All right, Joshua, we will see what we can do in response to God’s blessings.”
“好吧，约书亚，让我们看看，该如何回应神的赐福。”
101. But Joshua became exasperated at their insipid, lukewarm response, and he said in verse 15, “Choose for yourself this day whom you shall worship. If you’re going to worship the false gods of your fathers, go ahead.”
约书亚看到他们这种敷衍冷淡的态度，忍不住发火了。在15节那里，他说：“若是你们以侍奉耶和华为不好，今日就可以选择所要侍奉的。如果你们偏要拜你们祖先所拜的假神，尽管去拜。”
102. These are the words of an exasperated man.
这是一句气话。
103. And so he goes on to say,
他接着说：
104. “But as for me and my household, we know what decision we are making. We are going to worship the one, true God.”
“至于我和我家，我们必定侍奉耶和华。”
105. You can sense Joshua’s exasperation as if to say, “Don’t just worship God halfheartedly.
你可以感受到约书亚的激愤，似乎他在说：“不要假情假意地敬拜神。”
106. Don’t serve Him out of a feeling of obligation.
“不要勉强侍奉神。”
107. Don’t outwardly do the right things while inwardly your heart is full of selfishness.”
“不要外面一套，里面一套，外表道貌岸然，内心自私自利。”
108. Joshua said, “As far as my family and I are concerned, we are going to serve the one, true God.”
约书亚说：“至于我和我家，我们必定侍奉耶和华独一的真神。”
109. Regardless of what popular opinions say or what other people do,
不论舆论潮流如何，
110. regardless of what pressures are put upon me,
不论加在我身上的压力有多大，
111. regardless of what others would say about me or do to me,
不论别人说我什么，或如何对待我，
112. I will only serve the one, true God.
我单单侍奉那位独一的真神。
113. But even after these words, Joshua feels that the people still are not convinced.
即使在这番表白之后，约书亚仍然感到百姓无动于衷。
114. Joshua feels that they were saying ‘yes’ with their mouths but ‘no’ with their eyes.
约书亚感受到他们口是心非。
115. So in chapter 24 verse 23, Joshua says,
于是，在24章的23节那里，约书亚说：
116. “Then put away the foreign gods which you are keeping in your homes.”
“你们现在要除掉你们中间的外邦神。”
117. What does that mean today to us?
这对我们今天的意义是，
118. It means that you need to prove your allegiance to Christ and take a stand now.
你必须表明立场，证明你对耶稣基督的忠诚。
119. It means that you must let your walk match your talk today.
你必须言行一致。
120. My listening friend, please listen carefully as we conclude.
亲爱的朋友，在我们快要结束时，请留心听我说。
121. Most covenants are held between two equals.
通常，合约都是由平等的双方订立的。
122. For example,
比如，
123. we have a covenant of marriage between husband and wife as two equals.
婚姻的约，是平等的夫妻，双方所订立的。
124. Two businessmen enter into a business partnership as two equals.
商业的合约，也是由平等的两位商人订立的。
125. But the magnificent thing about the grace of God is that the superior, holy, righteous, rich God makes and keeps a covenant with inferior sinners like us.
然而，神的恩典最可贵之处，祂原本是崇高的，圣洁的，公义的，丰富的神，竟然愿意跟我们这些卑微的罪人立约，而且信守诺言。
126. And what a privilege it is to know that the great and only God wants to covenant with us.
这位伟大独一的真神，竟然愿意跟我们立约，这是多大的殊荣啊！
127. And so, my listening friend, make a covenant with God today that you will use your blessings to bless other people.
因此，我亲爱的朋友，今天就跟这位神立约吧！答应祂，你愿意别人通过你得恩福。
128. Say to God today, “God, You saved me. Now I want to help save somebody else.”
今天就对神说：“神啊，你拯救了我，现在让我可以助一臂之力，使别人得救。”
129. “God, You blessed me. Now I want to be a blessing to others.”
“神啊，你赐福给我，现在我希望自己能成为别人的祝福。”
130. “God, You provided for me. Now I want to provide for others to hear the gospel and come to believe in You.”
“神啊，你供应我所需，现在我愿意有所奉献，让别人有机会听福音，并接受相信你。”
131. Do you know, my listening friend, what honors the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God?
亲爱的朋友，你知道吗？怎样才能归荣耀给立约守约的神呢？
132. Your willingness to trust Him.
就是你乐意信靠祂。
133. Trust in His grace,
相信祂的恩慈，
134. in His provision,
祂的照顾，
135. and in His promises.
和祂的应许。
136. Until next time, I wish you God’s richest blessing.
让我们下次节目再见，愿神的厚恩常在你身上。
