A pastor posed a
rather stimulating question: Which would you prefer for a next-door neighbor:
a
person of excellent habits or a person
with a good heart? 隣人としてどちらを好みますか：誠実な心で優れた習慣をもつ人ですか？ Which would you prefer for a good friend: a person of
excellent habits, or a person with a good heart? Which would you prefer for
a husband or a wife: a spouse with excellent habits, or a person with a
good heart? Which would you prefer for a child: children with excellent
habits, or children with a good heart?
It is wonderful to have a neighbor who conscientiously cares for his property while respecting your property. It is wonderful to have a friend who always treats you with consideration. It is brilliant to be married to a husband who always is thoughtful and courteous, or to a wife who always is gracious in her comments and deeds. It is pleasing and delightful to have a son or daughter who shows respect and uses good manners.
As wonderful as those situations are, none of them compare to having a neighbor, a friend, a husband, a wife, a son, or a daughter with a good heart.
When you discuss good behavior, you are discussing the quality of a person's self-control. 個人の自制心の質... もしくは ...
It is wonderful to have a neighbor who conscientiously cares for his property while respecting your property. It is wonderful to have a friend who always treats you with consideration. It is brilliant to be married to a husband who always is thoughtful and courteous, or to a wife who always is gracious in her comments and deeds. It is pleasing and delightful to have a son or daughter who shows respect and uses good manners.
As wonderful as those situations are, none of them compare to having a neighbor, a friend, a husband, a wife, a son, or a daughter with a good heart.
When you discuss good behavior, you are discussing the quality of a person's self-control. 個人の自制心の質... もしくは ...
人としての質
But when you discuss
a good heart, you are discussing the quality of the person.
You might agree that if a person’s excellent habits could learn to become a person with a good heart but what is that? Over time, that person might just as well as fall off the earth than to change. Why change? His deeds matters more to him than what he believes. Does it matter to you?
At the end of last week’s talk, we used a verse from Ps 51:10. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 神よ、わたしにきよい心を造り、ゆるがない霊を私のうちに新しくしてください。 I BELIEVE THAT IT TAKES A WORK OF GOD TO REALLY CHANGE THE HEART OF SOMEONE. What I believe in my heart drives what I do, not the other way around. And as we begin this series on What I Believe, we do need to ask the question: Why believe it anyway? What good does it do me?
The Bible 聖書 Tradition 伝統 Myth 神話 Legend 凡例 Fable
寓話
It gives us a foundation. それが私達にとって基礎となる...
As in the story found
in our passage this morning, there was a need for the father to go deeper than
he was able to go. He just could not
believe that his belief was ‘deep’
enough to cause that sort of change in his son.
LET’S LOOK AT THIS FROM THE START: Read Mark 9:14-29. The people ran to Jesus. He was an authority. We believe a great deal from authorities. Some people in authority lead those under them from the truth. Some in authority give sound advise. Studies show that sugar pills, or placebos, can alleviate or ease many symptoms if a sick person believes he is getting good treatment. Current research reveals that 1 in 3 people find such medication to be helpful--even when they are told they are getting a placebo. This illustrates the power of mind over body. It also shows that a belief may be temporarily effective, even when it isn't true.
Samuel
Johnson サミュエル·ジョンソン (an
English author during the mid 1700s) once said: "We are inclined to believe those whom we
do not know because they have never deceived us." While that may be true, I don’t want to
walk through life always doubting people who give me information, do you?
The content of belief is important: Jonathan Whitfield, ジョナサン·ホイットフィールド a British
minister who helped spread the Great Awakening in the UK during the 1700’s, was
preaching to coal miners in England. He asked one man, "What do you believe?" "Well, I believe the same as the church." "And what does the church believe?" "Well, they believe the same as me."
Seeing he was getting nowhere, Whitfield said, "And what is it that you both
believe?" "Well, I suppose the same
thing." He had NO IDEA!
C. H. Spurgeon CHスポルジョンclaimed that 98 % of the people he
met--including the criminals he visited in prisons--told him that they believed
the Bible to be true. But the vast
majority had never made a personal, life-changing commitment to Jesus Christ. For them, "believe" was not an active verb.
Is belief an active word 動作動詞 for you? This man in verse 17 set the stage for the
problem. A spirit had robbed his son of
his speech as well as his freedom. He
knew that his son had been in this condition for some time—since his childhood
and nothing was helping him—even after having the Disciples of Jesus pray over
him. So he said to Jesus, “But if You can do anything, take
pity on us and help us.”
He was including himself in the problem—a good move.
Jesus
said, “If you can?” ...
“Everything is possible for one who believes.”
Immediately
the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe;
help me overcome my unbelief!” Healing resulted.
Question: 質問：What did the man believe? How much belief was necessary for what he
wanted to be accomplished?
First: He had a problem so He took the
problem to Jesus.
Second:
He knew he could not do this by himself.
Third:
He asked for MORE of what was necessary for the healing to be realized.
Fourth: Jesus gave the father what
he needed and wanted: A healthy son and
more faith.
What
are some things that you need more faith for?
An unbelieving spouse? Children
who need salvation? Illness that has affected
someone you love? Need a job? Can’t break that bad habit? Lack faith to keep on in the faith? Just what is it? You may want to take the man’s lead and bring
that which bothers you to Jesus. And you
may need to self-realize that you don’t have enough faith for Him to work. You may need to say to the Father: “I do believe; help me overcome my
unbelief!” "私は信じています、わたしの不信仰を克服するのに助けてくれることを！"
Overcome my unbelief! Can unbelief be overcome? Can you live a life that has evidence of a
strong faith? Or are we forever doomed
to live a life that is powerless and unproductive?
I believe that we can
live a strong faith-life.
I believe that it does not come easily nor does it always seem to be
there! I believe that the life we live,
we MUST live with our eyes firmly fixed on the One who died for us. That is part of the Gospel! That is what I believe and I feel very sure
that God can be believed and trusted.
Even when the bottom seems to have fallen out, He is there and He gives
us His Grace to carry on.
I
found this drawing
the other day. It might be true for you
as it was for me.
My child, I
never left you. Those places with one set of footprints? It was
then that I carried you…わが子よ、私はあなたから離れたことはない。一人分の足跡がある場所？
That long groove over there is when I dragged you for a while. 私はしばらくの間、あなたを引いた時、そこには長い跡がある...
I believe He wants us to make it. I believe He wants us to hold on. I believe He is waiting to work in us—once we get out of the way. Remember Jesus’ words in the Garden? Is it possible? Look at Mark 14:35~42. マルコ14:35-42 Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him. 36 “Abba, Father,” He said, “everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.” こう言われた。「アッバ、父よ、あなたは何でもおできになります。この杯をわたしから取りのけてください。しかし、わたしが願うことではなく、御心に適うことが行われますように。」Three times—the same prayer! Didn’t He believe His Own Father?
BUT
He went, not only through the hard time, He made it out the other side! His trust was in His Father! His will was to be done! As we go over the
Creed of Faith, can you find it in your heart of hearts to really believe what
you are saying? Maybe you need to ask, “I do believe;
help me overcome my unbelief!”
Believer, what do you believe? 信ずる者、 あなたは何を信じますか？
我は天地の造り主、全能の父なる神を信ず。我はその独り子、我らの主、イエス・キリストを信ず。主は聖霊によりてやどり、処女マリヤより生まれ、ポンテオ・ピラトのもとに苦しみを受け、十字架につけられ、死にて葬られ、陰府にくだり、三日目に死人のうちよりよみがえり、天にのぼり、全能の父なる神の右に座したまえり、かしこより来りて生ける者と死ねる者とを審きたまわん。我は聖霊を信ず、聖なる公同の教会、聖徒の交わり、罪の赦し、身体のよみがえり、永遠の生命を信ず。アーメン
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; On the third day He rose again;He ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.AMEN.
