1. Hello, listening friends.
亲爱的朋友，你好，
2. We are glad to tell you, today, that we are bringing you a new series of messages.
很高兴在这个新的信息系列中和你见面。
3. We are calling it, “Knowing Christ”.
这个系列叫做“认识基督”。
4. It will help you to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
它能帮助你更深地认识主耶稣基督。
5. Whether you are a believer or not,
不论你是不是基督徒，
6. this series of messages will help you.
这一系列的信息都会给你带来帮助。
7. I hope you’re not going to miss any of it,
盼望你不要错过任何一次的节目时间。
8. and, I want to begin this series by telling you about something that is very familiar to parents.
首先，我要和你谈谈一种情况，是身为父母的都相当熟悉的。
9. Children, who do not know how to occupy their time, often complain of boredom.
有些不懂怎样有效利用时间的孩子，他们常常报怨说：太无聊。
10. Feeling bored is an indication of an inner emptiness.
感到无聊其实就是内心空虚的一种表现。
11. Children are not the only ones who feel boredom at times.
不只是孩子才会感到无聊。
12. Adults get bored, too;
成年人也不例外；
13. but adults mask their boredom by moving from one interest to another.
但成年人是借着不断地转移兴趣，来掩饰他们无聊空虚的感觉。
14. Adults mask their boredom by seeking new and exciting endeavors.
成年人四处寻求新鲜的刺激来消耗他们的精力，以遮掩他们内心的空虚。
15. Many adults mask their boredom by gossiping and back-biting.
很多人通过在别人背后说长道短，来打发他们无聊的时间。
16. Other adults mask their boredom by interfering in other people’s lives.
还有些人借着干涉他人的生活，从而排泄自己内心的空虚感。
17. There are even some Christians who are bored with their Christian life.
甚至有些基督徒对自己的信仰生活也感到枯燥乏味。
18. They express their boredom by going from one meeting to another.
他们不停地参加各式各样的聚会，用来打发自己无聊的时间。
19. They express their boredom by looking for answers in what others say,
他们对别人所说的话诸多挑剔，藉此发泄内心的空虚苦闷，
20. but they can never solve the problem of spiritual boredom.
就算这样，他们还是无法排解心灵深处的内在空虚。
21. Why?
为什么会这样呢？
22. Because there’s only one cure for spiritual boredom.
这是因为，要想医治人心灵上的空虚感，只有一剂良药。
23. What is this cure?
是什么呢？
24. It is knowing the Lord Jesus Christ,
就是认识主耶稣基督，
25. but many people would rather mask their spiritual boredom than face reality.
可是，很多人却宁愿掩耳盗铃，也不承认自己灵性的贫乏。
26. Here’s the problem:
所以问题就出来了：
27. masking your spiritual boredom will stop you from dealing with your most desperate need.
当你不断掩饰你灵性的贫乏，你就不再面对自己心灵深处最迫切的需要。
28. What is that most desperate need?
那么，我们最迫切的需要是什么呢？
29. It is how to permanently relieve the problem of spiritual boredom.
人最需要的就是，从心灵的空虚中彻底地释放出来。
30. The root cause of spiritual boredom is this:
人之所以感到空虚乏味，症结在于：
31. it is to know how to know and love Christ.
我们还不懂得该如何认识，并爱基督。
32. Some of you may say,
也许你会说：
33. “Wait a minute! I love Christ.
“慢着！我很爱主呀。
34. I study the Bible regularly.
我每天都读圣经。
35. I have excellent Bible knowledge.
我的圣经知识很丰富。
36. I even memorize vast portions of the Scripture.”
我还会背诵很多经文呢。”
37. All of these things are wonderful.
当然这些都很好，
38. Don’t stop doing them;
要继续努力；
39. but, to some, these means to loving Christ have become an end unto themselves.
然而，对某些信徒来说，这些似乎就是他们追求爱主的目标了。
40. Head-knowledge of the Bible must not be your only goal.
要知道，单单对圣经有头脑上的认识，不是我们唯一的目标。
41. Your goal must be to love Christ with all your heart,
我们的目的乃是要尽心来爱我们的主，
42. to love Christ more deeply every day,
要每日爱主更深，
43. to love Christ more intimately every day;
要每天与主更亲密；
44. and, when you grow in your love for Christ,
当你爱主更深的时候，
45. all the other things in your life will fall in place.
其他问题都会迎刃而解。
46. I want you to, please, if you have your Bible, to turn to Philippians, Chapter 3, verse 8.
如果你有圣经，请翻到腓立比书3章8节。
47. Here’s what the Word of God said:
圣经这样说：
48. “I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
“我将万事当作有损的，因我以认识我主基督耶稣为至宝。”
49. My listening friend, I want to tell you that you can spend the rest of your life studying this verse,
亲爱的朋友，即使你用一生的时间来操练这节经文所教导的功课，
50. and you still would not be able to fully achieve this goal,
也很难达到这个目标，
51. because, until you come to the point of being able to say,
因为，除非你能达到这个地步，说：
52. “Everything that I have -
“我所有的一切──
53. my job,
包括我的工作，
54. my money,
金钱，
55. my possessions,
财产，
56. my life -
生命等等，
57. everything is a loss when I put it side by side to knowing and loving Jesus Christ.”
和认识主，及爱主耶稣基督比起来，这一切都是粪土。”
58. Until you come to this point in your life,
如果你的生命还没有成长到这一步，
59. you have not begun to truly know the Lord Jesus Christ.
你还不算是真正认识主耶稣基督。
60. Let me ask you a question, my listening friend.
亲爱的朋友，我来问你一个问题。
61. What do you value most in life?
你最看重的是什么呢？
62. Only you know what it is.
你的心会告诉你答案。
63. For a long time, in my early Christian walk,
在我跟随基督的早期生涯中，
64. the most important goal in my life
有好长一段时间，我认为我生命中最重要的事情
65. was to earn a doctorate in philosophy from a prestigious university;
就是要在一所著名学府里取得哲学博士的学位；
66. so, one day, many years ago, I achieved my goal.
不错，有一天，我的愿望实现了。
67. You may ask, “Is your degree worthless to you now?”
你也许会问：“现在，难道你的学位对你没什么意义吗？”
68. No;
当然不是；
69. but, if I compare it with Christ and my knowing Him, it is less than rubbish.
可是，如果和认识主耶稣比起来，博士学位连粪土都不如。
70. When you begin the journey of intimately knowing Jesus Christ,
当你踏上追求与主更亲密的旅程以后，
71. you begin by comparing His permanence with how fleeting all other things are.
你才会认识到，和主的永恒相比，这世界的一切都只是昙花一现。
72. You begin by comparing His constantly refreshing us with how fast other things become stale and old.
你才会领悟到，这世上的一切都会渐渐失色变质，唯有我们的神历久长新。
73. My listening friends, please listen to what I’m going to tell you.
亲爱的朋友，请听我说。
74. Knowing Christ above everything else is not easy.
要承认基督超越一切，并不容易。
75. The constant temptation of placing other things above knowing Christ is very real.
在现实生活当中，的确有很多的事情常来诱惑我们，使我们分心而不去追求认识基督。
76. In fact, the more I grow in Christ, the more intense the temptation becomes;
事实上，我们越在基督里成长，试探就会更厉害；
77. but I know some of you are asking this question:
也许有人会问：
78. “How do you overcome these temptations?”
“你是如何胜过试探的呢？”
79. The question is: “How do I regularly choose to know Christ above all else?”
其实问题应该这样问：“我是否一贯地以认识基督，比其他所有一切都更重要呢？”
80. You cannot know Christ by simply amassing vast information about Christ.
光积累那些关于耶稣的知识，并不能真正地认识祂。
81. You cannot know Christ by merely having one spiritual experience after another.
单单靠你过去一些属灵的经验，也不能认识基督。
82. You cannot know Christ by merely hearing sermons about Christ,
单靠听道，并不能让你认识基督，
83. or, reading books about Christ.
或是单靠阅读属灵书籍，也不能认识祂。
84. Knowing Christ has to begin by being dissatisfied.
要想认识基督，必须要有一颗饥渴的心。
85. You must become dissatisfied with your current grasp of Christ’s love for you.
当你寻求基督的爱时，你必须常常感到不足够，内心不满足。
86. Knowing Christ begins with a yearning to know Him.
必须先有一颗渴慕认识主的心，才是认识基督的开始。
87. In Ephesians, Chapter 3, verse 18,
在以弗所书3章18节那里，
88. Paul prays the following words on behalf of the Ephesian Christians:
保罗为以弗所教会的信徒祷告说：
89. “...that they might comprehend the full breadth, length, Height and depth of the love of Christ
“能以和众圣徒一同明白基督的爱是何等长阔高深
90. Until you come to the point of saying, “Lord, my love for You is so pathetic.
如果你不能向神祷告说：“主啊，我的爱是何等贫乏。
91. My knowledge of You is so superficial.
我对祢的认识是如此肤浅。
92. My time with You is so one-sided.
我跟祢一起的时间，都是我单方面的要求。
93. My desire of You is merely to give me what I want.
我对祢所祈求的，都是为了满足我个人的需要。
94. My encounters with You are limited to when I need You.
我只有在我需要祢的时候，才来到祢面前。
95. Lord, I do not k now You or love You the way You loved me…” -
主啊，我根本不懂得像祢爱我那样，来爱祢，认识祢。”
96. until you come to this point in your life,
如果你还没有到达这一步，
97. you cannot begin to truly know the Lord Jesus Christ.
你就无法真正认识主耶稣基督。
98. Until you become dissatisfied with your current condition,
除非你对自己目前的状况，深深感到不满，
99. you have not yet begun the journey of knowing and loving Him.
你就还没有走上认识主，爱主的道路。
100. The Gospels tell us something very important about Jesus,
四福音书里讲到关于耶稣很重要的一点，
101. and it is this:
这就是：
102. that He longs to nourish our minds with His truth.
祂渴望用真理喂养我们，
103. He longs to elevate our imagination to new heights through His beauty.
祂期待用祂的荣美吸引我们进入更高的境地，
104. He longs to open our hearts to His love.
祂盼望用爱敲开我们的心门。
105. He longs for us to surrender our will to His purpose.
祂等待我们完全降服在祂的旨意里。
106. He longs for His holiness to challenge us;
祂希望用自己的圣洁来激励我们；
107. but, until we come to the point of saying, “Lord, I am truly dissatisfied with where I am,”
但是，如果我们不能对祂说：“主啊，我知道自己目前的情况实在差得太远了。”
108. spiritual boredom will continue to shadow you all of your life.
那么，心灵的枯燥和空虚，将永远成为我们生命的阴影。
109. The cure for spiritual boredom is not hearing more teaching and more preaching.
医治灵性的良方，并不在于到处去参加讲座和听讲道。
110. The cure for spiritual boredom is not more busy activities.
消除内在空虚的办法，并不在于忙碌地参与各种活动。
111. The cure for spiritual boredom is not doing things that mask your deepest longing,
要想解脱灵性的沉闷，不能用外在的活动来遮掩你心灵最深的渴求；
112. because our deepest longing is to know and love Jesus.
我们最深的渴求，就是要认识，并爱主耶稣。
113. Our deepest longing is to begin to apprehend the depth, the width, the breadth and the height of the love of Christ;
我们心灵最需要的乃是：明白主耶稣基督对我们大爱的长阔高深；
114. then, we must learn how to love Him back in the same way;
明白之后，我们还必须学习怎样回报祂的爱；
115. and all of that must begin with dissatisfaction.
所有这一切，都要从承认自己内心贫乏作为开始。
116. Complacency and smugness are the primary enemies of loving Christ.
自得自满是拦阻我们爱主最大的敌人。
117. When God called Abraham and said to him,
当神呼召亚伯拉罕时对他说：
118. “Abraham, leave everything and everybody, and I will lead you to an uncertain future...”
“亚伯拉罕，你要离开本地、本族、父家，往我所要指示你的地去。”
119. now, at that time, Abraham did not have a Bible.
要知道那时候，亚伯拉罕手头上还没有圣经。
120. Abraham did not have the knowledge that Christ died for him.
亚伯拉罕也不知道基督将要为他受死。
121. He lived 2,000 years before Christ died for him.
他生活在主前2000多年的时代里。
122. Abraham did not have a pastor or a church.
亚伯拉罕不属于任何的教会，也没有牧师。
123. Abraham did not have Christian friends.
他身边也没有基督徒朋友。
124. Abraham did not know a great deal about God.
亚伯拉罕甚至对神的认识并不多。
125. Oh, but Abraham trusted God and obeyed God.
可是，亚伯拉罕却相信神，并且顺服祂。
126. That is real love.
这就是真正的爱。
127. If you truly want to know and love Jesus Christ,
如果你真的想要认识，并且爱这位主耶稣基督，
128. you must be willing to give up everything.
你就必须有愿意舍弃一切的心。
129. You notice, I said “willing” to give up everything?
请留心，我说的是“愿意舍弃一切”。
130. There is nothing that you have that God wants.
其实神并不需要你的东西。
131. He gave you everything you have;
你的一切都是祂给你的；
132. so you must be willing to give up everything.
所以，你必须存心愿意放弃一切。
133. After Abraham obeyed God,
当亚伯拉罕听从了神的呼召，
134. God blessed him multiple times.
神反而加倍地赐福给他。
135. Abraham did not know that he was going to be so blessed of God.
亚伯拉罕并不知道神要大大赐福给他。
136. He simply obeyed for obedience’s sake.
他就是单纯地顺服主。
137. You cannot begin to know the Lord Jesus Christ without being willing to obey Him.
同样，如果我们没有一颗顺服的心，就不可能认识我们的主耶稣基督。
138. That may require you to give up the old sin that you’re still nursing.
顺服，也许意味着要你离开纠缠你的罪。
139. That may require you giving up your false concepts of God.
顺服，也许会要求你改变你对神的误解。
140. That may require you to give up your fears and insecurities.
顺服，或许会要求你放下思想包袱，坦然无惧。
141. In other words, you must be willing to say, “Nothing will I withhold from my Lord…”
换句话说，你必须要从心里对神说：“为了顺服主，我不愿意为自己留下什么。”
142. and, when you get to this point in your life,
只有当你来到这个地步，
143. then, you have begun your journey of knowing and loving Jesus with all of your being;
你才能够全心全意地踏上认识主和爱主的道路；
144. and I want to walk with you in that journey.
让我们并肩同行，一同踏上这条有福之路。
145. Until next time, I wish you God’s richest blessing.
好，我们下次再见，愿神大大赐福给你。
