感恩的先知
What’s the worst mess you have ever been in?
你经历过最糟糕的一团乱麻时的情形是什么？
If you’re a parent of young kids, you probably have a lot of stories to draw from.
如果你是年幼孩子的父母，你可能有很多故事可以借鉴。
It’s normally those moments when you suddenly realise that things have been super quiet for a couple of minutes. And that there have been no demands on you. It’s those times – you normally need to investigate. That’s what Robyn and I had to do a few years ago when one of our children – unbeknown to us - decided to try their hand at baking!
通常是那些异常安静的时候，你突然意识到可能出了什么状况。而且那时候孩子们并没有在你身边磨来磨去。恰就是那个时候—你通常需要去看个究竟。几年前，我和罗宾就干了同样的事 – 我们的一个孩子 – 我们不知道是谁 – 想尝试做烘焙
Here is what happened…
And of course there was an older sibling - an accomplice that was happy for him to be the fall guy. This is a mess – but – honestly – it’s pretty tame compared to some of the other messes – like an entire pot of honey on the kitchen floor! Yep – a sticky situation.
当然，还有一个年长的兄弟—一个当了替罪羊还乐滋滋的帮凶这是一团糟的状况—但是—老实说—与其他一些麻烦相比，它还算相当温和—就像洒在厨房地板上的一整罐蜂蜜！ 是的—有点棘手。
So far in our series, we’ve seen that Jonah is in a sticky mess. It’s a mess of his making.
到目前为止，在我们的系列中，我们已经看到约拿陷入了困境。 是他自己搞得一团糟。
So far in our story, God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and reach out to the people of Ninevah. Jonah was used to speaking God’s Word to people who weren’t used to hearing it. He had a God-given ability to speak God’s Word. When God told him to go, he would typically go.
到目前为止，在我们的故事中，上帝告诉约拿去尼尼微，接触尼尼微的人民。 约拿善于向不习惯听到 神的话的人讲道。 他有 神所赐的能力，可以说 神的话。 当上帝告诉他去时，他通常会去。
So, when it concerned the Ninevites and said said ‘go,’ Jonah said, ‘no.’ Jonah knew that if the Ninevites responded to the message and repented, it was likely that God would forgive them. As much as Jonah loved grace, he didn’t want grace given to others who deserved whatever judgement was coming their way.
而现在的情况与尼尼微人有关， 神说“去”时，约拿却说“不”。约拿知道如果尼尼微人回应了告诫并悔改，上帝很可能会赦免他们。 尽管约拿爱 神的恩典，但他不希望 神施恩给那些应该受到他们当得审判的那些人。
And that ‘no’ sent him running as far away from Nineveh as he could go. Remember the map we’ve used – (use map from Brad’s first message). Instead of heading Northeast to Nineveh - Jonah heads in the complete opposite direction to Tarshish - as far as you could go in the opposite direction in the known world of that time.
而那个心中的“不”让他尽可能地远离尼尼微。 记住我们用过的地图—— 约拿并没有向东北方向前往尼尼微，而是朝着他施一个完全相反的方向走—那是当时已知地域的尽头。
Jonah with all his God-given ability, ran from his God-given responsibility.
约拿有着 神所赋予的全部能力，却甩掉 神赋予的责任
Now, to get Jonah’s attention, God caused a great storm to disrupt Jonah’s spiritual slumber. Jonah and the Gentile sailors became aware the storm was from the Lord. To cease the squall, the sailors threw Jonah overboard. This should be the end of the story. But, God’s grace continues to reach out to Jonah. So, we come to the part of the story that is the most well-known – where Jonah gets swallowed by the great fish.
现在，为了引起约拿的醒悟，上帝制造了一场大风暴来扰乱约拿属灵的沉睡。 约拿和外邦水手意识到风暴来自 神。 为了停止狂风，水手们把约拿扔到了海里。这应该是故事的结局。 但是，上帝的恩典继续伸向约拿。所以，我们来到了故事中最著名的部分——约拿被大鱼吞下。
People often get hung up about the fish and whether it could ever happen. Let’s face it – being kept alive in a fish for three days is not something anybody would ever expect. That’s kind of the point. But we’re talking about a God who made all the fish and the ocean and raised Jesus from the dead– who himself had been buried in a tomb for three days! In other words - don’t get hung up on the fish. Besides, the fish is only mentioned in three verses. And those verses that mention the fish are really the frame around the main part of this chapter – all showcasing a beautiful prayer that Jonah prays from inside the belly of the great fish.
人们经常对（这吐掉约拿的）大鱼以及它是否真的发生感到困惑。 让我们面对现实吧——没人期待在一条鱼里挣扎三天。 这观点似乎很对。 然而我们谈论的是一位创造了所有的鱼和海洋并使耶稣从死里复活的上帝——主耶稣祂自己已经被埋在坟墓里三天了！ 换句话说 - 不要纠结在鱼上。鱼只在三节经文中提及。 那些提到鱼的经文其实给出了本章最主要部分的框架——所有这些经文精彩展地示出约拿在大鱼的肚子里所做的极致的祷告。
I want you to hear these verses being read in one go to appreciate the emotion Jonah is expressing here.
我想让你听我一口气读完这些经文，好好体会约拿在这里所表达的情感。
Now the LORD had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.
Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from inside the fish. 2 He said,
“I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and he answered me.
I called to you from the land of the dead, and LORD, you heard me!
3 You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea.
The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves.
4 Then I said, ‘O LORD, you have driven me from your presence. Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’
“I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. 6 I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O LORD my God, snatched me from the jaws of death!
7 As my life was slipping away, I remembered the LORD.
And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple.
8 Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.
9 But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows.
For my salvation comes from the LORD alone.”
10 Then the LORD ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach. / Jonah 1:17-2:10
约拿的祷告/约拿书 1:17-2:10
2 约拿在鱼腹中向他的上帝耶和华祷告说：
2 “我遭遇患难的时候向你求告，
你就应允我。
我在阴间的深处呼求你，
你也垂听我的声音。
3 你把我抛进深海，
茫茫大海把我吞没，
你的巨浪洪涛淹没我。
4 我心想，你已经驱逐我离开你的面，
但我要再瞻仰你的圣殿。
5 波涛环绕我，
深渊吞没我，
海草缠绕着我的头。
6 我下沉到山的根基，
大地的门把我永远关住；
然而，我的上帝耶和华啊，
你却把我的性命从深坑中拯救出来。
7 我的生命渐渐消逝的时候，
我就想起了耶和华。
我的祷告进入你的圣殿，
达到你面前。
8 那些信奉虚无神明的人，
背弃了怜爱他们的主，
9 但我要用感谢的声音向你献祭，
我必还我许的愿，
因为救恩来自耶和华。”
10 于是，耶和华命令那条鱼，
鱼就把约拿吐到陆地上。
What do you notice about this chapter?
在这一章里你注意到什么？
The first thing I notice is that Jonah is praying!
This is the first time we have heard Jonah pray. Remember, last week it was the pagan sailors who prayed. They even asked Jonah to pray. But, Jonah doesn’t pray. He had received a word from the Lord to go to Nineveh, but he goes down to Joppa. He didn't pray about going to Joppa. He gets on a ship to Tarshish. He didn't pray about whether or not he should get on that ship. After all, Jonah was not talking to God.Ever since he said “no” to God, his life has been on a downward spiral
In fact, one of the key words in the first chapter is the word ‘down.’ It’s hard to see in English but notice how the same Hebrew words or same Hebrew sounding words - are used in this first chapter:
我注意到的第一件事是约拿在祷告！
这是我们第一次听到约拿祷告。 请记住，上周我们提到做祷告的是外邦水手。 他们甚至要求约拿祷告。 但是，约拿却没有祷告。他从 神那里得到了一个去尼尼微的命令，但他下到了约帕。 他并没有为他去约帕祷告。他乘船前往他施。 他没有为自己是否应该上那艘船而祷告。从始至终，约拿并没有跟 神交通。自从他对上帝说“不”之后，他的人生就一直走下坡路
事实上，第一章中的一个关键词是“down”这个词。在英语中很难看到，但请注意在第一章中如何使用相同的希伯来词或相同的希伯来语发音：
Jonah “went down to Joppa” (1:3) 约拿“下到约帕” （1：3）
“down to the port” (1:3) “下到港口” （1：3）
“down below the deck of the ship (1:5), “下到底仓”（1：5）
“lying down, fell into a deep sleep” (1:5]. “躺下沉睡”（1：5）
Jonah is on a downward trajectory. And it took a storm to bring him further down to rock bottom.
Did you feel some of that downward spiral as I read the verses earlier… as Jonah describes the pounding of the waves, the engulfing currents, the panic of feeling like he was slipping away. Surrounded by the deep waters, wrapped in seaweed…
In the minds of the Israelites, you couldn’t get any lower than the sea. In their minds, it was a place of death.
Jonah’s life has hit rock bottom. It’s only in this moment of crisis that Jonah prays.
During the series, we’re looking at the ways we too are like Jonah.
约拿正一步步下行。 一场风暴让他进而跌至谷底。
当我读到前面这些经文时，你有没有感受到一种螺旋式下降的感觉……正如约拿描述海浪的冲击，吞噬的大潮，感觉到他正在一步步被卷进去带走的恐慌。 被深水包围，被海藻包裹着……
在以色列人的心目中，你不能低于海。 在他们的心目中，那是一个死亡之地。
约拿的人生跌入谷底。 只有在这个危机时刻，约拿才会祷告。
在这个系列中，我们正在反省我们行事也像约拿一样。
The first of 4 of these reflections today is this:
今天的四个反思主题中的第一个是这样的：
1. I am Jonah when my prayer life often revolves around moments of crises. .
当我的祷告常常是在危难机时刻展开时，我就是约拿。
It’s almost comical how many people seem to get religious when they find themselves in the ditch of life.
As is often said, you never realize that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. In the words of Jesus – “You must lose your life to find your life” / Matthew 10:39
Pastor Timothy Keller describes it well: “We are not competent to run our own lives until we are realize that we are not competent to run our own lives.” – Tim Keller
If Jonah was to begin to ascend, both in the water and in faith, he had to be brought to the very end of himself. The place we tend to most appreciate God’s grace is when we’re at rock bottom. Jonah, the prophet who refused to pray in the opening chapter of the story, has finally cried out to God.
Isn't that so often the reality for you and me?
There can be many reasons why people don’t pray. We get distracted or busy or restless. The reason Jonah didn’t pray is because he was running from God – and didn’t want to speak to him.
多少人在发现自己陷入生活困境时才似乎变得敬虔，这几乎是可笑的。
正如人们常说的，你永远不会意识到耶稣是你所需要的一切，直到你除了耶稣什么都没有了。用耶稣的话来说——“试图保全自己生命的反而会失去生命，但为我舍弃生命的反而会得到生命。”/马太福音 10:39
提摩太 凯勒 (Timothy Keller) 牧师很好地描述了这一点：“直到我们意识到我们没有能力经营自己的生活, 我们才有能力经营自己的生活，。” ——蒂姆·凯勒
如果约拿想要开始提升，无论是在水中还是在信仰上，他都必须把自己带到尽头。当我们处于最低谷时，我们往往最欣赏上帝的恩典。在故事开始的章节中拒绝祷告的先知约拿终于向上帝呼求。
对你我来说，这不是经常发生的事情吗？
人们不祷告的原因可能有很多。我们会分心、忙碌或不安。约拿不祷告的原因是他在逃避上帝——不想和祂交通。
But regardless of the reason, when we only pray occasionally …
when we’re in trouble … when we’re at our wits end … we’re being just like Jonah when our prayer life revolves around moments of crises.
Yet, despite all this – God still answers.
You may have thought at the end of chapter one that Jonah would disappear under the waves.
That we’d never hear from him again.
That would be the end of the wayward, disobedient prophet.
But it wasn’t.
God heard his cry. This is a stunning reminder to us that we are never beyond the saving grace of God.
Some of you right now are heading towards rock-bottom where you feel like nothing could get any worse.
但不管是什么原因，当我们只是偶尔祷告……
当我们遇到麻烦时……当我们束手无策时……当我们的祷告常常是因为危机临到时，我们就像约拿一样。
然而，尽管如此——上帝仍然回应我们。
在第一章的结尾，你可能认为约拿会消失在深海。
我们再也不会听到他的消息了。
那将是任性、不听话的先知的结局。
但事实并非如此。
上帝听到了他的呼求。 这对我们来说是一个惊人的提醒，我们永远不会超出上帝的救赎恩典。
你们中的一些人现在正走向谷底，你会觉得事情没有比现在更糟的了。
I sense the Spirit saying to you …
我感受到圣灵正在对你低语…
We can never run so far, we can never fall so deeply, we can never fail so often, that we are beyond crying out to God.
What I want you to realise today is that when you’re plunging to rock-bottom, help is just a prayer away.
So, if you’re in over your head? Pray. Is it your own fault, like Jonah? Pray anyway. God is never more than a prayer away. When we come to him – even if it’s because we've hit rock bottom with no other place else to go - God still chooses to say, "Come to me."
我们永远不会跑那么远，我们也永远不会跌倒那么深，我们永远不会失败，以至于我们无法向上帝呼求。
今天我想让你意识到，当你跌入谷底时，得到帮助仅靠一个祷告。
所以，如果你焦头烂额？ 祷告。 像约拿一样，是你自己的错吗？ 无论如何都要祷告。 上帝离你永远只是一个祷告的距离。 当我们来到祂面前时——即使是因为我们已经跌入谷底，没有其他地方可去——上帝仍然选择说，“到我这里来。”
Now, you might not have realized it but there are actually two prayers Jonah prays.
Did you notice that almost all the verbs here in the chapter are past tense. In other words, Jonah wasn’t crying out to God to do something in the future. Rather, here in chapter 2, he is celebrating something that God had already done in his past. So, right at the beginning Jonah says:
看呐，你可能还没有意识到，但实际上约拿做了两个祷告。你有没有注意到本章中几乎所有的动词都是过去式。 换句话说，约拿并没有呼求上帝在未来做点什么。 相反，在第 2 章这里，他是在赞颂 神在他过去已经做过的事情。 所以，就在开头约拿说：
“I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and he answered me.”/ Jonah 2:2“
我遭遇患难的时候向你求告，你就应允我。“/约拿书2：2
Having been completely reluctant to talk to Yahweh while on the ship, he has now prayed twice – once as he was drowning, and now again as he lay inside the belly of the fish reflecting on his rescue.
Sometimes people summaries this prayer in chapter 2 as ‘please, get me out of this fish!’ Instead, it’s a prayer of thanksgiving – where Jonah is praising God for rescuing him from drowning. Jonah realizes that God sent the great fish to rescue him from drowning!
In fact, many scholars describe it as a psalm of thanksgiving, exactly what we find in the book of Psalms in the Old Testament. It follows the expected traits of these types of psalms.
And what’s more - when you study Jonah’s words closely, you find out that these words are borrowed. It shows how well Jonah can quotes a lot of Scripture from memory.
All of which suggests that as a good prophet of Yahweh, Jonah knew the Scriptures. He is thoroughly biblical. But – as we’ve seen – this doesn’t always show up in his behaviour.
This leads to our next idea:
他在船上完全不愿意与 神交通，现在他已经祷告了两次——一次是在溺水时，一次是在他躺在鱼的肚子里求救时。
有时人们将第 2 章中的这个祷告总结为“求求你，把我从这条鱼里救出来！”相反，这是一个感恩的祷告——约拿在赞美上帝救他免于溺水。约拿意识到上帝派大鱼来救他免于溺水！
事实上，许多学者将其描述为感恩的诗篇，这正是我们在旧约诗篇中发现的。它遵循这些类型的诗篇的特征。
更重要的是——当你仔细研究约拿的话，你会发现这些话是借来的。它显示了约拿能很好地从记忆中引用大量的经文。
所有这些都表明，作为 神的好先知，约拿了解圣经。他是完全属神的。但是——正如我们所见——这并不总是出现在他的的所作所为中。
这就引出下一个反省的主题：
2. I am Jonah when I can quote the Bible but don’t put it into practice.
当我对圣经倒背如流却并不付诸实践时，我就是约拿
Jonah knew the Bible. Every part of this chapter is a quote from Scripture. He has a brilliant knowledge of the Scriptures.
The problem was, he didn’t obey them.
He didn’t put them into practice.
He didn’t apply what he knew to his life.
One of my professors at seminary, Howard Hendricks, would often say, “The Bible was not written to satisfy your curiosity; it was written to transform your life.”/ Howard Hendricks
约拿了解圣经。 本章的每一部分都引用了圣经。 他对《圣经》的知识渊博。
问题是，他并没有服从圣经的指引。
他没有把它们付诸实践。
他并没有将他所知道的应用到他的生活中。
我在神学院的一位教授霍华德·亨德里克斯（Howard Hendricks）经常说：“圣经不是为了满足你的好奇心而写的； 它是为了改变你的生命而写的。”/霍华德·亨德里克斯
The New Testament book of James agrees,
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says… Whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do” / James 1:22, 25
新约雅各书也做出了呼应
“你们要行道，不要只是听道，自己欺骗自己。…但详细查考那使人得自由的全备律法并且持之以恒的人，不是听了就忘，而是身体力行，这样的人必在他所行的事上蒙福。“雅各书1：22，25
This is not to disparage knowing, studying and memorising the Scriptures. I’ve spent 7 years in formal theological education and loved it! I’m giving much of my life to teaching the Bible. But knowing the Bible isn’t enough. We need to apply it.
When we get smug … when we’re becoming self-righteous … when we’re developing a sense of spiritual superiority … we’re being just like Jonah when we can quote the Bible but don’t put it into practice.
这并不是贬低认识、学习和背诵圣经。 我在正规的神学教育中度过了 7 年，并且非常喜欢它！ 我将大部分时间都用于教授圣经。 但了解圣经是不够的。 我们需要应用它。
当我们沾沾自喜……当我们变得自以为是……当我们发展出一种精神上的优越感……我们就像约拿一样，可以引用圣经但并不付诸实践。
There is a third way we can be like Jonah:
第三个我们可以像约拿的反省主题是：
3. I am Jonah when I arrogantly look down on sinners instead of humbly reflecting God’s grace.
当我傲慢地看不起罪人而不是谦卑地映射出上帝的恩典时，我就是约拿。
Why do I say that?
I mentioned that this chapter is effectively a thanksgiving psalm. Such Psalms have a particular pattern to them. Like many thanksgiving psalms, Jonah’s response included a vow to praise Yahweh. Normally this would involve sacrifices to Yahweh at the temple in Jerusalem, where after the sacrifice the person who had been delivered would share their story with God’s people and celebrate what He had done.
我为什么这么说？
我提到这一章实际上是一首感恩诗篇。 这样的诗篇有着它们一种特殊的行律。 像许多感恩诗篇一样，约拿的回应包括赞美 神的誓约。通常和在耶路撒冷圣殿向 神献祭一起进行，献祭后，被拯救的人将与上帝的子民分享他们的故事并见证祂所做的一切。
So expectantly Jonah says: I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows./ Jonah 2:9
所以约拿满怀期待地说：但我要用感谢的声音向你献祭，我必还我许的愿，”约拿书2：9
This is standard fare for a thanksgiving psalm.
But, in the verse right before he makes this promise – he says:
这是感恩诗篇的标准表述。
但是，就在他许诺之前，他说：
Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. Jonah 2:8
“那些信奉虚无神明的人，背弃了怜爱他们的主，“约拿书2：8
Who do you think he has in mind here as those who “worship false gods and turn their back on God’s mercies”?
There can be little doubt he has in mind the pagan sailors he had left behind on the ship.
Jonah was very confident about his religious superiority over those pagans he had left behind.
Of course, the delicious irony is that unbeknown to Jonah, the pagan sailors have cried out to God.
Brad showed us last week how the chapter one finishes:
你认为他在这里指的是哪些“崇拜假神，背弃上帝的怜悯”的人？
毫无疑问，他想到了他留在船上的异教徒水手。
约拿绝对自信自己在宗教信仰上远远超越了那些被他留在船上的外邦人。
当然，具有讽刺意味的是，约拿不知道，那些外邦水手却已经向上帝呼求。
Brad(布拉德)在上周已经向我们展示了第一章是如何结束的：
The sailors were awestruck by the LORD’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him./ Jonah 1:16“
众人都极其敬畏耶和华，向祂献祭，并且许愿。“/约拿书1：16
We're meant to draw a parallel between the sailors and Jonah.
Both faced a similar crisis -- peril from the sea.
Both cried to Yahweh -- acknowledging His sovereignty.
Both were physically saved; Both offered worship.
我们打算在水手和约拿之间做个平行对比。
两方面都面临着类似的危机——来自海上的危险
两方面都向耶和华呼求——承认他的主权。
两方面都得救了； 两方面都敬拜 神。
While Jonah had definitely been humbled by his experience, his own words betray a continuing arrogance. He continues to proudly assume he was better than pagans who did not know Yahweh.
In other words, despite his breakthrough here, Jonah has not grasped grace as deeply as we might at first think he has. There is still a sense of superiority and self-righteousness that will cause him to explode in anger when God has mercy on those Jonah sees as his inferiors.
In many ways, this is similar to a story Jesus told about a Pharisee and a tax collector who both went to pray at the temple. While the tax collector humbled himself before God as a sinner, the Pharisee proudly assumed he was spiritually superior. Ironically, at the end of His parable, Jesus said that only the tax collector went home justified before God.
虽然约拿肯定因他的经历变得十分谦卑，但他自己的话暴露了一种持续的傲慢。 他继续自豪地假设他比不认识 神的那些外邦人更好。
换句话说，尽管他在这时已经完成了突破性地改变，但约拿并没有像我们起初认为的那样深刻地理解 神的恩典。 当上帝怜悯那些约拿认为劣等于他的人时，他仍然有一种优越感和自以为是的感觉，这会让他爆发愤怒。
在很多方面，这类似于耶稣讲述的一个故事，一个法利赛人和一个税吏都去圣殿祷告。 当税吏以罪人的身份在上帝面前自卑时，法利赛人却自豪地认为他在属灵上是优越的。 具有讽刺意味的是，在他比喻的结尾，耶稣说只有税吏在上帝面前称义。
UK pastor Phil Moore suggests we can all be guilty of the same thing:
英国牧师菲尔·穆尔提出我们都可能犯同一个错：
“His reaction reminds us that we can all develop no-go areas in our minds. If it isn’t a particular ethnic group for you, it may be members of the gay or transgender community, or Muslims, or people much richer or poorer of older or younger than you are.” / Phil Moore“
他的反应提醒我们，我们都可以在脑海中发展出禁区。 如果对你来说不是一个特定的种族群体，那么可能是同性恋或跨性别社区的成员，或者是穆斯林，或者是比你更富有或更贫穷或者更老/年輕的人。” /菲尔·穆尔
The truth is that we can all be susceptible to a “holier-than-thou” attitude.
We are like Jonah when we arrogantly look down on sinners instead of humbly reflecting God’s grace.
How do we change that? It requires coming back to the cross of Jesus and reminding ourselves that we never deserved and can never repay what God has done for us in Jesus.
The simple fact that Jonah got what he did not deserve: mercy instead of judgment, deliverance instead of death. This should have changed Jonah profoundly.
In the same way, this should change us profoundly. What our sin and rebellion earn is death. What God makes available to us in Jesus is life, an undeserved gift of his mercy and grace. This should destroy any spiritual pride we might have.
事实是，我们都容易受到“比你更圣洁”的态度的影响。
当我们傲慢地看不起罪人而不是谦卑地映射上帝的恩典时，我们就像约拿一样。
我们如何改变它？我们需要回到耶稣的十字架前，并提醒自己，我们从来不配，也永远无法报答上帝在基督耶稣里为我们所做的一切。
约拿得到了他不配得的， 简单的事实就是：他得到 神的怜悯而不是审判，拯救而不是死亡。 这应该深刻地改变了约拿。
同样，这应该深刻地改变我们。 我们的罪和背叛所带来的是死亡。 上帝在基督耶稣里给我们的是生命，他的怜悯和恩典是我们的不配得的恩赐。 这应该摧毁我们可能拥有的任何属灵骄傲。
Because a true understanding of grace causes us to cease looking down our noses at others and instead come alongsides of them with compassion and with grace and with kindness.
So I am Jonah
when my prayer life often revolves around moments of crises.
when I can quote the Bible but don’t put it into practice.
when I arrogantly look down on sinners instead of humbly reflecting God’s grace
因为对恩典的真正理解使我们不再看不起别人，而是以同情心、恩典和仁慈的态度与他们站在一起。
所以我是约拿
当我的祷告常常是因为危机临到时
当我 可以引用圣经但并不付诸实践
当我傲慢地看不起罪人而不是谦卑地映射出上帝的恩典时
There is one final reflection I want us to see:
4. I am Jonah when I fail to acknowledge the depth of my own sin.
4. 当我不承认自己罪有多深时，我就是约拿。
The psalm of Jonah ends on an emphatic note – a declaration of God’s saving power:
我希望我们看到最后一个反思：
约拿的诗篇以一个强调的结尾——宣告了上帝的拯救的大能：
“Salvation comes from Yahweh” (Jonah 2:9b).
因为救恩来自耶和华。 /约拿书2：9b
It’s one of the most profoundly significant sayings in the Bible. If someone is saved, it is wholly God’s doing. It is not a matter of God saving you partly and you saving yourself partly. No. God saves us. We do not and cannot save ourselves. That’s the gospel. Jonah’s closing line is therefore a profound theological statement about salvation. It’s also a statement of profound gratitude for God had delivered him from a watery grave.
However, did you notice something missing in this prayer?
Nowhere does Jonah admit that what he had done was wrong.
There is no confession of his sin.
There is no admission that he should not have run from Yahweh.
There is no repentance.
这是圣经中最深刻的话语之一。 如果有人得救，那完全是 神的作为。 这不是上帝搭一部分救你，你也一部分自救。 不，上帝救赎了我们。 我们没有也不能救赎自己。 这就是福音。因此，约拿的最后一句话是关于救恩的深刻神学陈述。 这也是对上帝将他从水坑中拯救出来的深深感恩。
然而，你有没有注意到这个祷告中缺少了什么？
约拿没有任何地方承认他的所作所为是错误的。
没有承认他的罪。
没有人承认他不应该逃避 神。
没有悔改。
One of my seminary professors – Robert Chisholm - articulated it well:
我的一位神学院教授——罗伯特·奇泽姆（Robert Chisholm）很好地阐述了这一点：
“We expect a penitential psalm in which the prophet confesses his sins, but, much to our surprise, he did not acknowledge his disobedience. He simply celebrated his deliverance, boasted of his superiority to pagans, and made promises.” / Robert Chisholm
“我们期待先知承认他的罪的忏悔诗篇，但令我们惊讶的是，他没有承认他的不服从。 他只是赞美 神救他，吹嘘他相比于外邦人的优越感，并做出承诺。” / 罗伯特·奇泽姆
Jonah said all the right words. He said to God, “You’re good, You’re great, You have saved my life.” But never once did he say, “Oh, I have sinned against the living God, the Creator and sustainer of my very life. I, Jonah, Your very prophet, have ignored Your call and command.” In other words, Jonah was incredibly grateful to God for saving him from death. But his heart towards others hasn’t changed.
约拿说的都是正确的话。 他对上帝说：“你很良善，你很伟大，你救了我的命。” 但他从来没有说过，“哦，我得罪了活 神，我生命的创造者和维护者。 我，约拿，你的先知，忽略了你的呼召和命令。” 换句话说，约拿非常感恩上帝将他从死亡中拯救出来。 但他对别人的心并没有改变。
In his insightful book entitled Respectable Sins, Jerry Bridges suggests that “we, like society at large, live in denial of our sin.” He says:
杰里·布里奇斯在他富有洞察力的书《可敬的罪》中说“我们和整个社会一样，生活在否认自己的罪中”。 他说：
“Our gossip or unkind words about a brother or sister in Christ roll easily off our tongues without any awareness of wrongdoing. We harbour hurts over wrongs long past without any effort to forgive as God has forgiven us. We look down our religious noses at ‘sinners’ in society without any sense of a humble ‘there but for the grace of God go I’ spirit… Why do we not also mourn over our selfishness, our critical spirit, our impatience, and our anger?”/ Jerry Bridges
“我们对基督里的兄弟姐妹的流言蜚语或不友好的话很容易从我们嘴里吐出来，而没有意识到有任何不当行为。 我们怀揣对过去的别人的错误伤害，却没有因为上帝已经宽恕 了我们，去做任何努力去宽恕别人，。 我们在宗教上对社会中的“罪人”嗤之以鼻，却没 有任何谦卑的的态度，“但因上帝的恩典我会去”的精神……为什么我们不也为我们的自私、我们的满眼梁木、我们的急躁和我们的愤怒而哀恸？”/杰里·布里奇斯
It's easy to see sin in others. It’s easy to point it out to others.
What we need to do is actually acknowledge it and confess it in ourselves.
It’s there in all of us. I am Jonah when I fail to acknowledge the depth of my own sin.
Despite all this, God extends his grace to his runaway prophet.
Earlier we saw that the word “down” is a keyword. There’s another keyword. It’s the word “great.”
Each time it is associated with God throughout the story of Jonah.
很容易在别人身上看到罪。 向其他人指出这一点很容易。
我们需要做的实际上是承认它并在我们自己里面承认它。
它存在于我们所有人中。 当我不承认自己罪恶的深度时，我就是约拿。
尽管如此，上帝还是将祂的恩典延伸到祂逃跑的先知身上。
前面我们看到“down”“下”这个词是一个关键词。 还有一个关键词。 就是"great““伟大”這二個字。
在整个约拿的故事中，每次它都与上帝联系在一起。
We already seen the way God sends a great wind,
and it produces a great storm.
The pagan sailors are converted through a great fear.
Today – we’ve seen the way God appoints a GREAT fish for Jonah.
我们已经看到上帝吹来大风的方式，
并产生大风暴。
外邦水手因极大的恐惧而皈依了。
今天—我们已经看到上帝用一条大鱼拯救约拿的 大能。
When the story mentions that God "arranged" a great fish, the word “arranged” could be translated "commissioned." It’s the word a king would use if he was going to appoint an ambassador or a messenger. It was something you did to a person. The irony of course is that Jonah was the one who was commissioned or “arranged” to go to Nineveh. But Jonah ran from his responsibility. So, now, it’s a fish that’s being commissioned. The fish obeys without hesitation – something Jonah is still learning. Jonah, the runaway prophet who didn’t deserve God’s kindness, received it. The one who shouldn’t have received a miracle, did.
Until we grasp our own need for grace in an ongoing way - we will be like Jonah, just a shadow of what we could be and should be.
当故事提到上帝“安排”了一条大鱼时，“安排”一词可以翻译为“委派”。 这是国王在任命大使或使者时会使用的词。 这是你要对某一个人做的事情。具有讽刺意味的是，约拿是受委派或“安排”去尼尼微的人。 但约拿逃避了他的责任。 所以，现在，这是一条被委派的大鱼。 大鱼毫不犹豫地服从了——而约拿仍在学习这一点。不配得到上帝恩典的逃跑先知约拿得到了 神的仁慈。 不配得到 神迹的人，得到了。
直到我们以持续的方式掌握自己对恩典的需要之前—我们都将像约拿一样，只是我们可以成为和应该成为的人的影子。
All this leads us to our big idea for today:
Recipients of God’s amazing grace should respond with overflowing gratitude and deep humility
所有这些都把我们带到了今天的核心信息：
得到上帝奇妙恩典的人应该以满满的感恩和深深的谦卑来回应 神
Grace is something that transforms us from inside out.
Grace is why we can be patient and forbearing with others.
Grace is why we are slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to get angry.
Grace is what snuffs out spiritual arrogance and superiority.
Grace replaces all such things with overflowing gratitude and deep humility.
恩典是从内到外翻转我们的东西。
恩典是为什么我们可以对他人有耐心和宽容。
恩典是我们慢慢说、快快听、慢慢生气的原因。
恩典能扼杀属灵的傲慢和优越感。
恩典用满溢的感恩和深深的谦卑取代了所有这些东西。
So, When was the last time you acknowledged God’s grace in your life?
Take some time today to thank God for his grace in the little things: good health, family and friends, work, fun, and relaxation. Remember - like Jonah, none of this is deserved. There is no entitlement: it’s grace.
But go one step further.
Think of the radical grace you have received. Think of the way Jesus didn’t run from his responsibilities. He was not reluctant. Rather he relentlessly pursues you and me with his grace.
When Jonah disobeyed, Jesus obeyed.
Jonah went into the depths of the sea in order to save the sailors, but Jesus went into the depths of death and separation from God in order to save Jonah – and you and me.
那么，你最近一次承认上帝在你生命中的恩典是什么时候？
今天花点时间感恩上帝在小事上的恩典：身体健康、家人和朋友、工作、娱乐和放松。记住——就像约拿一样，这一切我们都不配得。 无权拥有：这是恩典。
但更进一步。
想想你所领受的根本恩典。 想想耶稣是如何不逃避责任的。 祂并不計代價。 相反，祂以他的恩典执着地寻回你和我。
当约拿不服从时，耶稣服从了。
约拿为了拯救水手而进入深海，但耶稣为了拯救约拿——以及你和我，进入了死亡和与上帝分离的深渊。
If you have trusted Jesus—that He died for your sin and conquered death by rising from the dead—well, you are a product of grace. You don’t deserve grace, and that’s why precisely it’s grace. If you haven't yet trusted Jesus – can I encourage you to bow before the God who loves you and pursues you – and cry out to him. If you choose to do that today – and you’re online in our services – let the online hosts know. They would love to pray with you and send you a starting pack to help you in your journey with Jesus.
如果你相信耶稣——他为你的罪而死，并且通过从死里复活战胜了死亡——那么，你就是恩典的产物。 你不配得到恩典，这就是为什么它就是恩典。如果你还没有相信耶稣——我可以鼓励你在爱你并追求你的上帝面前低头——并向祂呼求。 如果你今天选择这样做 - 并且你在我们的线上服务 - 让線上的主持人知道。 他们很乐意与你一起祷告，并寄给你一个入门读物包，以帮助你启程与耶稣同行。
PRAYER:
祷告：
Jesus, thank you that you never give up on us. You pursue us. You run after us. You are so patient with us. In response, we come now to simply express our overflowing gratitude and deep humility to you.
主耶稣啊，感谢你从不离弃我们。你寻找我们。你紧紧跟着我们。你是如此耐心地待我们。作为回应，我们现在来到你面前表达我们对你满满的感恩和深深的谦卑。
