Be strong and courageous 要剛強壯膽 audio (3MB)
Here we are having church in a very unchurchlike place. Not less spiritual, as God is as much here as he is in church. Just very different to where we usually have church. It’s a strange and often difficult experience when we take experiences that we are comfortable with in one place into a different context. Like Andy was saying, the faith that he is so comfortable with in his own home and the one that was still familiar in a very different country becomes an issue of contention and great discomfort at University. As Ivy said moving countries makes what was so familiar and ordinary in one culture become controversial and a cause of deep hurt in another. We have all experienced this when it comes to our faith. What feels so affirming and guiding at church can feel so different at home or school or at work. Some of you know the difficulty of living in a home where your faith is not shared. Every school and University student knows the difficulty of being a Christian in an Australian school. And even in our workplaces it is interesting to see what people think and feel of our faith’s belief and practices.
It is our perspective or vision arising out of our experience that uniquely enables us to do what we do. Your God given experiences and convictions are what you need to do what God has called you to do. Now you need to be strong and courageous. Your feelings may push you around but be strong and courageous. How?
我們經歷神的赦罪，就需要行神所要我們行的道。我們如何能剛強壯膽地去行呢？
Joshua, stood at the beginning of a journey and a task that God had given him. He was uniquely equipped for this role. Virtually all people around him, the people he had to influence and lead didn't share the experiences he had had. They neither knew the amazing things he had witnessed nor the depth of despair he had been through. They could not even begin to anticipate what they were going to have to go through to and they didn't know the rewards that awaited them. Joshua and Caleb were the only two people who had left Egypt forty years previously who were about to enter the promised land. All their peers and elders had perished in the wilderness and all the people with them now, had been born in the wilderness. The new generation knew only the stories passed down, they hadn't had the experiences themselves.
約書亞現在正要開始神指派他的任務。他曾有獨特的經歷及為神所裝備。四十年前離開埃及的以色列人中祇有約書亞與迦勒能進入應許地。現在跟隨他的未曾親身經歷神從埃及釋放以色列人的作為，所有的都是傳述下來前人的事跡。
So God who had called and trained Joshua over the course of his life now challenges him - Be Strong and Courageous. In the passage that we read, this challenge is uttered not once but thrice.
神親自揀選及訓練約書亞，經文中三次提到要剛強壯膽。
Firstly God says,
1. As I was with Moses so I will be with you; I will not fail or forsake you
Be strong and courageous; you will put this people in possession of the land that I swore to
give to their ancestors
首先 神說 ：
1. 過去神與摩西同在，祂亦將與約書亞同在，必不撇下也不丟棄。
『你當剛強壯膽，因為你要和百姓一同進入耶和華向他們列祖起誓應許所賜之地』
Look back and be strong for the future
回顧經驗勇敢面對將來
Josh had been a devoted and loyal understudy to Moses. He had never left the tent of meeting where Moses mediated between God and people, he had been on the Mountain when God gave the ten commandments. He had led the soldiers while Moses prayed with hands lifted up and seen the effect of his drooping hands. After the battles God reminded Joshua…
約書亞忠心伺候摩西，目睹耶和華的大能。打敗希實本王及巴珊王後﹐神提醒他
21 那時我吩咐約書亞說：『你親眼看見了耶和華你神向這二王所行的；耶和華也必向你所要去的各國照樣行。 22 你不要怕他們，因那為你爭戰的是耶和華你的神。』申 3:21
Joshua had seen the promised land as a spy and torn his clothes in anguish when the others were too scared to proceed and he had been there when Moses lost his temper and hit the rock with his staff leading God to revoke his visa into the promised land.
That was what he had experienced in Moses's life, in the life of his people and his own life. Could he trust that experience as he stepped out into his immediate future.
約書亞窺探迦南地回來因百姓悖逆而撕裂衣服。他目睹摩西因失信心以杖擊磐石而不能進應許地。根據以往的經驗他如何能勇敢面對將來。
When you look back at your life:
In whose shadow has God raised you? Whose example inspires you? Who in your family or in this church or in your life have you watched, walk with God? How have you seen God work in their life to bring to bear promises made in the Bible? What have you seen, observed and experienced in being part of God's people, the church?
當你回望過去，在家庭中或教會中那些人對你影響深遠呢？你看到神在他們生命中的工作嗎？
Moses wasn't perfect, God used him and he must have been an amazing person but with his own flaws. The people we look to may also be flawed, in fact most probably they will be. We may not see eye to eye with them, but we can still learn to see God working in and through them.
摩西並不是無可指責，我們仰慕的人也不完美。但我們可以看到神藉著他們去作工。
Remember them to help you be strong and courageous.Remember them and remember that God will not fail us or leave us, that he will accomplish what he has called us to do.
記念他們的軟弱能幫助你們剛強壯膽，因為神不會撇下我們，不會丟棄我們。祂會成就委派我們的任務。
Then God challenges Joshua again, 神再挑戰約書亞
2. Be strong and courageous and Act in accordance with the law
Don't turn from it and you will be successful; Meditate to act on it for prosperity and success
2. 要剛強壯膽及謹守遵行律法
不可偏離律法你可以順利；思想及遵行就會亨通順利
The Bible is a reminder: Ex 17:14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”
聖經提示；出17：14 14 耶和華對摩西說：『我要將亞瑪力的名號從天下全然塗抹了，你要將這話寫在書上作紀念，又念給約書亞聽。』
The Bible reminds us of choices, consequences and complications. But most of all it reminds us of God's faithfulness and the progress of his plan. As it unfolds history it shows God's path of Justice and Mercy unpacking itself, visiting both judgement and forgiveness.
The Bible unpacks God's one command; Love. As Chris mentioned a few weeks ago that love looks nothing like what our advertisers and movies portray. The Bible spells out in contract terms what love towards God and others looks like. Meditate on it and practice it is God's advice to Joshua.
聖經提醒我們神是信實及祂的大能，神有公義亦有憐憫。
聖經亦揭示神的大愛，此愛不同廣告及電影中的愛。聖經道出對神及對人的愛應如何。讓我們多思想並遵行。
As Christians we are constantly told we need to read the Bible more. The challenge for us is not to find out more about the Bible. That's just putting off the difficult bit. It is to live the Bible, it is to act in accordance with what we see in it. To be courageous to use it as a mirror to look at ourselves and as a window on the world and what we should be doing in it.
Can you think of a time when reading or hearing the Bible made you do something? Be strong and courageous and keep doing it - don't give up.
作為基督徒明白要多讀聖經，但挑戰不單在多讀、多瞭解；更重要是要行道，遵照聖經的道理作為明燈，指引我們日常的行為。你能剛強壯膽地照著聖經指引而行嗎？不要放棄。
A third time God challenges Joshua: 神更進一步挑戰約書亞：
3. Be strong and courageous
Don't be frightened and dismayed
God is with you wherever you go
3. 你要剛強壯膽
不要懼怕，也不要驚惶
因為你無論往那裏去，耶和華你的神必與你同在
Now Joshua and Caleb were alone. They had to motivate and lead a group of people through some very difficult challenges ahead. The odds looked insurmountable. The cost of failure high.
God challenges Joshua, despite the circumstances don't be dismayed or discouraged cos I am with you.
You may look at your work place, like I look at mine and go, am I making any difference whatsoever. You may look at your workplace and think how many times have I been through that exact same scenario, will those people never get it?
Will the world ever get better, will we ever make a dent on war and poverty and injustice?
What's the point of all the love and care that you have shown to someone only for them to seemingly be completely unappreciative of it, or even worse abuse it.
God's words to Joshua - Be strong and courageous.
現在祇賒下約書亞及迦勒帶領以色列人，前路困難亦不樂觀。神對約書亞一再肯定，不要懼怕，不要驚惶因為神與他同在。
你環顧周圍，世界仍充滿戰亂、貧困、不公義。你對人付出愛別人未必欣賞更甚會利用你的愛心。神對約書亞的話是 ﹣ 要剛強壯膽
I Cor 16:13-20
林前 16:13-20
In this community I have seen people care for others, support others even when their own families have abandoned them, share their faith with people who cannot comprehend God, help others recover from mistakes and addictions, keep showing the way despite seemingly no attention being given, show leadership, facilitating a difference in the developing world, raising a family to worship God. I could go on and on.
Be faithful to what God has called you to. He has shaped you through particular people and particular experiences to make you see things that sometimes only you will see. He has given you the Bible as a reminder and a guide. God now says don't let circumstances and difficulties thwart you, for God himself willbe faithful to you and the task which he has called you to.
在這世代我曾看見有人不顧家人的反對而去愛護他人。與人分享福音，幫助別人從錯誤中改過。就算是沒有人重視仍有人繼續幫助發展中國家、又或建立敬拜神的家庭等，林林總總。
因此祇管忠於神的呼召。祂會藉著不同的人及經驗去裝備你。祂已將聖經給你作為指引及提示。神說不要讓環境及困難妨礙你，因為神會親自保守你完成祂委派你的任務。
