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The Persistent Purpose of God - Part 2
T. Austin-Sparks

T. Austin-Sparks (1888 - 1971). British Christian evangelist, author, and preacher born in London, England. Converted at 17 in 1905 in Glasgow through street preaching, he joined the Baptist church and was ordained in 1912, pastoring West Norwood, Dunoon, and Honor Oak in London until 1926. Following a crisis of faith, he left denominational ministry to found the Honor Oak Christian Fellowship Centre, focusing on non-denominational teaching. From 1923 to 1971, he edited A Witness and a Testimony magazine, circulating it freely worldwide, and authored over 100 books and pamphlets, including The School of Christ and The Centrality of Jesus Christ. He held conferences in the UK, USA, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the Philippines, influencing leaders like Watchman Nee, whose books he published in English. Married to Florence Cowlishaw in 1916, they had four daughters and one son. Sparks’ ministry emphasized spiritual revelation and Christ-centered living, impacting the Keswick Convention and missionary networks. His works, preserved online, remain influential despite his rejection of institutional church structures. His health declined after a stroke in 1969, and he died in London.
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In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of having a positive vision of God's purpose. He addresses preachers specifically, urging them to read the first verses of Ezekiel and understand the urgency and seriousness of their calling. The preacher highlights that God calls individuals to bring about change in situations that are not as He intended them to be, and that this call often requires a recognition of one's own inability to meet the situation. The sermon also emphasizes the need for a kind of man who will bring about God's purposes, a man whose life has been revolutionized by God's need and who experiences the dissatisfaction and disappointment of God's heart.
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...that we were considering this morning. 在這裡我們就需要擁有早晨之所以能解經的原則 For those principles are the key to this book in a special way 那原則對這一本聖經尤其是一種的所有 We begin by indicating one of those principles in another way 我開頭的時候要再換一種方法來說出那原則 God's end is always implicit in all his beginnings 神的那個目的就是終結 總是包括在神的那個開始的裏面 Thus we have Genesis in the book of the Revelation 所以我們在七十六地裏頭就有唐詩句包括在裏面 And the book of the Revelation in Genesis 同時唐詩句裏面也包括了七十六 Do try to remember this as we proceed with these studies 當我們在這裡往前研究的時候請大家去牢這一點 Let me repeat that 我願意再重複一遍 God's end is always present in his beginnings 神的那個終結總是包括在他的開始裏面 Perhaps you would like an illustration of this We will have it in the fifteenth chapter of the book of Exodus 在十五章裏頭我們能找到一個例證 Chapter Fifteen 十五章 Verse Thirteen 十三節 Thou in thy loving kindness hath led the people that thou hast redeemed Thou hast guided them in thy strength to thy holy habitation 你憑此來領了你所輸的百姓 你憑能力引他們到了你的聖所 Thou will bring them in and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance The place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in The sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established 十七節 你要將他們領進去 在於你產業的宣傳 以後啊 就是你為自己造的住處 主啊 就是你所建立的聖所 Now do you recognize what that has said? 你有沒有看出來這裡所說的是什麼? Israel has only just got out of Egypt 以色列人 這時候剛剛出了埃及 They are just over the Red Sea 他們剛才過了紅海 This is the song of Moses and all Israel As they have escaped from Egypt and Pharaoh 這是以色列人 剛剛從藩樓手下逃離出來 穆斯和他們共同去埃及 They have only just begun their journey 他們剛剛是開始他們狂野的路程 But here it says Thou hast guided them in thy strength To thy holy habitation 但是這裡說 你憑能力引他們到了你的聖所 The place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in 主啊 就是你為自己造的住處 The sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established 主啊 就是你手所建立的聖所 That takes us right on to the end of their history 這是讓我們直接地看見 他們以色列人歷史的總結 Hundreds of years would have to pass Before the temple was built 在聖殿 就是聖地之所 要被建造之前 還有幾百年的過程 Before Jerusalem The holy mountain was secured 那時候 耶路撒冷那個聖山 還沒有得到 They had got to go a long way For a long time Before they came there 他們還是要走很長的路 經過很長的時間 他們才能夠得到了 耶路撒冷那個聖山 But here, right at the beginning It is spoken of As though it were already accomplished 但是 在他們這個路程 最開始的時候 這裡是說的 好像是 那些路程已經終結了 Now I'm going to pause for a moment 我現在願意停一下 I don't know whether you're going to be able to do two things 我不知道你們能不能夠做兩件事 It is not very helpful to me To be speaking to the tops of everybody's heads 我 不會 是 說到大家的頭上去 覺得能夠有什麼幫助 I would certainly look into your faces as I'm speaking 我在這裡說的時候 我總是要看你們的面孔 Whether you'll be able to do your writing And look at me at the same time, I don't know 你們 或者有的時候 一面看我 一面有記錄 Well, you see from this instance What I mean By God's end always being right there at the beginning 我要帶著它看見 神在終結的時候 總是在它開頭就包括在裡面 Heavenly things always govern all the earthly things 是天的事 總是支配著 是地的事 Invisible things govern all the visible things 看不見的事 總是支配著看得見的 Spiritual things govern all the temporal things 宿命的事 也總是支配著暫時的事 Universal things govern all the local things 宇宙性的事 總是支配著地方性的事 That is something you must always remember When you are reading the Bible 當我們讀經的時候 Let's keep in mind as we approach this book of Ezekiel 當我們來看這一本結束的時候 尤其要把這些都記牢 Human history is not just human history It is God's history 人類的歷史不僅是人類的歷史 而是神的歷史 This book of Ezekiel seems to have a lot of earthly history in it 這一本一世結束 好像是說到好多地上的歷史 But the truth is that it is all governed by a divine end and purpose 但是實際說來 這些故事都是受到 數千一個神聖的目的 可支以支配著 Now the big question which we meet right at the beginning of this book 在這一本書最開頭的時候 我們需要知道一點 Is does this book have a message for the church in this dispensation 這就是說 這本書有沒有一個信息 是為了這個時代的教會 Does it just relate to a period in the past history of the people of Israel 它是僅僅說到 在以往以色列人的一段歷史嗎 Does it relate to the future dispensation in the matter of prophecy 或者它是僅僅說到 將來預言的一段故事 Or is its main message for the church in this dispensation 或者它裡面主要的信息 乃是為了這個時代的教會 We shall be compelled to face those questions as we move into this book 當我們看這本書的時候 我們就沒有辦法 不來冥乎這些問題 Especially in those parts of the book which we are going to particularly consider 特別是在我們 特別要看進那段落裡面 要注意這些事 The answer is found not in the earthly but in the heavenly 這個解答不是在書地的書上 乃是在書店裡面 Not in the temple but in the spiritual 不是在戰士的書上 而是在書林裡面 So we come to the setting and reason for this book 所以我們就要來看 它怎樣說法 並且它所說的理由 We must recognize when the book was written and why 我們必須知道 這本書是什麼時候寫的 並且是為什麼寫的 What is in this book happened at a time when a whole system had broken down and failed 這本書裡面所寫的事 乃是發生在 整個九月制度 都破壞了 失敗了的時候 The reason for that breakdown and that failure was because that system became something in itself 那個九月的制度 所以破壞失敗的原因 乃是因為那個制度 僅僅不過是成為一種制度而已 It lost its spiritual and its eternal meaning 它失去了那個樹林 那個永遠的意義 We must recognize that this is something that constantly recurs in the history of the things of God 我們必須記得 這時在神的世上 一直發生有這個衝突 It happened in Israel 在一十年中 就是這樣發生過 It has happened in Christianity generally 在基督教裡頭 一般來說來 也是這樣發生過 It has happened in many movements and pieces of work of God 在許多神的工作裡 和一般的聚眾中 也是這樣發生過 It began with a great testimony 這就是說 開頭的時候 有相當大的一個見證 Just as Israel began 正如一十年 在開頭的時候說有的一樣 It was a wonderful testimony to the Lord with which Israel's history began 一十年歷史開始的時候 他們對於這事實在是有一個偉大的見證 But then that whole thing broke down 那時以後 整個的事情就破壞了 It completely failed 完全失敗了 Because it lost its spiritual meaning and became something in itself 因為它失去了 它樹林的價值 而不過留下 它本身一件東西而已 在基督教的身上 也是如此 在開始的時候 相當的美好 在一般說來 基督教已經破壞而失敗了 Something in itself and has lost its heavenly meaning 因為它變成了一個 世界樹林的制度 不過是它自己的本身 而沒有樹林的意義 Now we return to this book of Ezekiel 我們現在來看到 It's Yeshua And we find God moving away from Jerusalem 我們就看見 神從耶路撒冷那裏離開了 And God is found outside and not inside 神就不在耶路撒冷裏面 而是在耶路撒冷外面 And the thing in which God once was has now become an empty shell 從前神所在其中的那個東西 現在成為一個空的殼子了 That which was once vital and effective 就是從前曾有一次 是滿了生命而有國效的 And was greatly used of the Lord 並且也為主所大用的 Has become a merely formal and empty thing with God on the outside 現在卻成了一個形式空殼子的東西 而神不在其中 That is the setting and the occasion of this book 這就是這本書寫出來的時候 是有的那個光景 Now let us look at the prophet himself 那我們現在要把這本書的本身 來看一下 You know that Yeshua did not begin by being a prophet 我們把這個一世界生先知先看一下 我們大概知道一世界開始 不是一個先知 Ezekiel was a trained priest and not a prophet 一世界乃是一個 受不教導的祭祀 而不是一個先知 You notice verse 3 tells us that 第一章三節是告訴我們這事 And then at the beginning it refers to the thirtieth year 在開頭的時候 他說到那個第三十年 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year 他說當三十年的時候 The thirtieth year was most probably the thirtieth birthday of Ezekiel 大概是直到一世界 第三個生日的年數裡 It was at the age of thirty that the priests finished their training and entered upon their ministry 即使乃是受信人 到了三十歲滿的時候 而開示他們的職份 You remember that it was when the Lord Jesus was thirty years of age that he entered upon his ministry 我們還記得 主耶穌耶穌到了三十歲的時候 才出來施行聖事 His preparation was finished and his ministry began 三十年完了 他預備的工作成功了 而他的工作開始了 So at the age of thirty Ezekiel ought to have commenced his priestly ministry 所以到了三十年滿了之後 於是也應該開示他 知識的職位 But instead of fulfilling his ministry as a priest he was called to be a prophet 但是沒有盡他知識的職份 他的夢照來做了一個新生 His whole life and training and vocation were changed 他整個的生命 他的受的信念 以及他的使命 都完全更換了 A prophet is one who represents the full mind of God when that mind has been lost 一個信之 乃是代表 神整個的觀念 等那個觀念 被人失去的時候 It is impressive to note that Ezekiel had to take up something altogether different from that for which he was trained 我們需要注意 以使節現在需要負一個責任 完全和他所信 所有的東西不同的 The situation which existed required that 那個時候的今年 需要有這種光景 We shall come back on that again later 等一下我們還要回頭來說這件事 Now when God moved in relation to his full mind which has been lost amongst his people 當神為了要來完成 他的百姓 是失去的 他的觀念的時候 There are always things essential in the instrument of his movement Because if this is going to be done It is only God who can do it 因為如果這件事要成功的話 那只有神來完成就可以 You know the course of men is quite different from that 我們大家知道 人的生活方式 和這個完全是不同 The way of men is to take men and train them and make them able to do the work 人的方式 方法 就是把人選出來 要訓練他們 使他們能去做那件事 So that when they come out of the college or the bible institute they feel that they are equipped for the work 所以當他們從學校的畢業 或從新學的畢業了 他們就覺得他們有資格來做神的工作 And now of course they can do it They have been trained for it 自然照著他們受的訓練來說 他們現在能做一點了 I'm going to tell you something that you need not put down in your notebook 我現在要說一點的事給你們聽 你們不需要記錄下來 我就是要在這裡形容 我說的是什麼 這是很重要的一個點 我知道一個很大的聖經學院 They have every year a great carnival 在那個大的聖經學院所在的地方 每一年都有一個遊戲場 And everybody in the city is supposed to have some representation in the carnival 在那個里頭 在那個城裡頭 總有人來代表 So they hire great carts 他們就雇了那些大力車 And they build on the carts some representation of their business 在那個車上頭 他們就弄一些東西 能來做廣告 It is all done very wonderfully 那些做的都是很美妙的 And so the Bible Institute joined in 那個聖經學院也聯絡在裡面了 And it set up on the carts a representation of the institution 在那個車上 也弄一點東西 來宣傳那個聖經學院的事 Here was the Bible College 在這裡有一個聖經學院 Join in at one end 一直往那去 到了一個重點 For all kinds of men 那裡為著各種人來看 There was a farmer with his farm instrument 那兒有這個農夫 上面有他的農機 There was the engineer with his tools 也有工程師和他們的工程工具 There were all the kinds of trades that you could think of 那裡有很多很多的事業 They are all marching into the Bible Institute 他們都在那裡走向這個聖經學院了 But then they are coming out of the other end 然後他們就從那一頭出來了 But you cannot recognize them now 你也不能認出他們了 They've left their old clothes behind 因為他們把他們的衣服都脫下來了 They have left their tools behind 他們也把他們的工具放下了 And they've all got their collars on round the back waist 然後他們都把他們的領子吊過來了 They've all got black clothes with a black hat 他們也都穿了黑袍戴了黑帽了 They are now all pastors 他們現在都變成牧師了 They've been through the machine 他們是經過機器製造出來的 That is not what God does 這不是神所要做的事 That is a purely mechanical way of making servants of God 這完全是人工為了神製造出僕人來 Of course all those men now are qualified for the work 自然那些人就著工作來說都覺得有資格了 Ezekiel was not qualified for his work 但是以使節就他的工作來說是不夠資格的 He was qualified to be a priest And he was called to be a prophet 他有資格來做一個祭祀 而他夢到是做一個信之 And what we find is that all through his life He never found it easy 我們從聖經裡能看出來 他整個一生一切的事就他來說都是不容易 You see how difficult Ezekiel found his work 你能看出來以使節在他的工作上何等的感覺艱苦 He realized that it was only by the help of God That he could fulfill his ministry 他深深知道只有藉著神的幫助 他才能盡他的職責 We all have to begin there if we are really going to minister in heavenly things 如果我們真的要盡職在數千的世上 我們就必須知道這一件事 There has to be this tremendous change 必須在我們身上有一個大的改變 Where we come to realize that we cannot do this work of ourselves Only the Lord can do it 在這個改變裡頭我們能夠深深地領會 我們沒有辦法來做這個工作 只有做自己能做 There was this great sense of disappointment with things as they were 在這裡我們就深深地覺得 就這些事來說我們是失望的沒有辦法的 The overpowering sense that things were wrong 也許有人會想這個事情在這裡錯誤了 And this state of things had to be made the business of Ezekiel's life 並且這種的光景需要一世一生才可以 You will have to begin there if you are really going to be used of God 如果真的你們要給神來用的話 你們必須從這裡開始才可以 You will have to be overwhelmed with the sense that things are all wrong in this world 你們必須有一個感覺 好像倒塌下來覺得說整個世界都是錯誤的 That things are not as they ought to be 一切的事所有的光景都不是他們該有的光景 You have no ability to put them right 你們沒有辦法能把這事情改正過來 But you sense that God has called you to this 但是你們卻覺得神呼召你們需要你們來做這件事 And that your ability to do anything must come from God himself 並且你們若是能做這件事 你們就深深地覺得彼此是神的能力才可以 That is where we begin with Ezekiel 這就是我們在一世間身上開頭所看見的事 And of course we take the spiritual principles as we go along 那自然在我們前去的時候 我們一直要用這個數量的原則 I think I need not go back over that ground 我想我不必再回頭說這一點了 There is a breakdown in things 整一切事情都有了一個破壞 They are not as God intended them to be 但一切的光景都不是神要有的光景 God calls men and women in relation to this situation 為了這種的經驗神就呼召出一般的男女來 And their call changes the whole course of their life 他們夢到了要把他們整個的生活整改了 And in the call is the consciousness that they have no ability in themselves to meet the situation 在這一個夢召裡頭 他們深深地感覺他們沒有能力來應付這個局面 But God who has called them will be their sufficiency 但是那呼召他們的神卻能是他們擔當 I have read the first three chapters of this book into what I have just said 我把剛才頭三章的意思也已經說到我剛才說的裡面了 Just take one little fragment 你現在就是看一眼 It was the commission of each individual 這就是一世界是受的嘲諷 Son of man, I send thee not to a people of a strange language 人子啊 我不是差遣你到外邦方言的人中間 Whose language you do not understand 他們是說的話是你不曉得的 If I send you to them, they would listen 若是我差遣你到他們中間 他們要聽你的話 But I send you to the house of Israel 但我是差遣你到以色列去 They will not hear you 他們必定不要聽你的話 That's a difficult commission 這是很艱苦的一個使命 And only the Lord could carry a man through that 只有主能帶一個人經過這個 But then notice what the Lord says as to divine equipment 很要注意 主如何收到神聖的裝備 是來裝備一個人 I have made thy face hard against their faces 我是你的面孔比他們的面孔還要堅硬 And thy forehead hard against their forehead 我是你的額比他們的額還要堅硬 In other words, the Lord is going to be the strength of this difficult work 換一句話來說 主自己來做了這個艱苦工作的能力 Then we notice another thing 我們還要注意另外一件事 With this sense of disappointment 有因者 有這樣一種一切都失敗了失望的感覺 This whole change in the course of life 這個整個生活的改變裡面 This having to take away for which there was no natural equipment 在這裡一切天然的資格都沒有用 There goes this second great factor 這就有第二個大的因素 Is equal for the Lord 於世界看見了主 He was given a vision of the Lord 他得到了一個意向 是看見了主 A vision of what the Lord wanted 就是在意象中看見主所要的東西 Now it is very important that these two things that I have mentioned Always go together 我們要注意剛才我說的兩件事 一直是並行的 If we have disappointment and dissatisfaction Without vision That is negative 若是我們只有對機面的失望 感覺它的失望 沒有看見意象 就不過是消極了 There are plenty of people who are dissatisfied with things as they are 有好多人對他們形式的機面都是感覺不滿意 They are the people who can always see what is wrong 總有一些人一直能看出來什麼事情發生錯誤了 They can point their finger at the weaknesses and the faults 他們能夠指出來那些不滿意那些錯誤的地方 They are experts in criticizing everything 他們是批評專家 That is negative 這不過是消極的一面 It does not get us anywhere 這個不能叫我們成功什麼 With dissatisfaction there must go vision 只有這樣的失望的認識 必須有意象才可以 But vision must rest upon travel 但是這個意象完全 必須是根據受困了 若是一個意象沒有經過受苦 心都沒有經過艱苦 那種意象不過就是幻想的奧秘就是了 這兩件事必須是平行 Dissatisfied 若是你和我感覺顯示的局面並不滿意 Feel that things are all wrong 你覺得什麼事都是錯誤了 We ought to be in possession of the knowledge of what the Lord really does want 我們就必須能得到主所要的那種知識 We ought to have a positive vision of the purpose of God 我們對神的主義必須有一個積極的意象 Now I want to stop here and say a word to the preachers 我願意在這裡停下來 對所有做工作的人說幾句話 Let us read these first verses 讓我們讀這一章頭幾節 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year In the fourth month In the fifth day of the month That I was among the captives by the river Jiba That the heavens were opened And I saw visions of God In the fifth day of the month Which was the fifth year of King Jehorakim's captivity The word of the Lord came expressly Unto Ezekiel the priest The son of Jerzy In the land of the Chaldeans And the hand of the Lord was there upon me I say I want to say a word at this point to the preachers You notice that what Ezekiel was about to do Had a special date for its beginning 我們在這裡看見 以實節在特別的日子有一點的事要做 在以實節他的書裡頭特別的提到日子 你若是把它全書讀過 你就能看出來它特別的不宜這個日期 這就是給我們點酒啊 一個臣道人必須為了他的信息有一個確定的日子 我們不能有普普通通的講一點東西 我們教人一點的聖經不該僅僅是種普通性質的說法 What God needs more than anything Is men who have a message for the present hour When we have finished our life and our ministry 當我們這一生可謂之時的完成之後 It ought to be possible for it to be said of us That man had a message for his time He was not just one in the general masses of teachers or preachers But he had God's word for that hour His ministry related to a special time in the purpose of God 他的信息乃是和神的旨意某一個時候發生絕對的關係 你們一切臣道人或是彰化人都需要求助把這一點指給你們 That it can be recognized that your ministry relates to the present time What God wants to do now That is a very important factor in ministry 這個在我們的知識裡頭是很重要的一個因素 就是說到神在這一個時候需要什麼 我們必須求助使我們能成為主在這個時候使用的一個工具 It is a time factor in our ministry So the date is a very important thing in ministry When God really raises up men He raises them up for a time 興起他們來是為著那個時代 And then next note Ezekiel was raised up in relation to a special situation at that time What we have just read shows that Ezekiel was right there in the situation 就在那個時候的居民當中 我在加勃魯河邊北主見人中 以使節不是向著一個居民傳授神的話 而他自己不在那個居民裡面 他不是對著他所幻想的一個居民來傳授什麼話 他也不是對著他親吻的一個居民來傳授神的話 他乃是就在那個居民裡頭 He was in the closest personal touch with the need The need was his need He was put right into the heart of the situation And his ministry came out of that He said I sat where they sat And that takes ministry out of the realm of the merely theoretical and puts it into the very practical You will notice that this was true of all the prophets They did not speak to the Lord about the Lord's people as they They are in this situation They have done these things They have these needs The prophets always spoke to God We are in distress Read the prayer of Nehemiah Read the prayer of Daniel They were a part of the situation And you and I to be effective ministers must be there Then the third thing This ministry has to be very personal You notice what it says in verse 3 The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest That means two things It means that Ezekiel did not get his ministry out of books He did not fulfill a second hand ministry His ministry was not the result of study This came to him personally These visions of God were his own His message was original and not second hand It must be like that Our ministry must be like that It must be the result of something that God has said to us personally And then the last thing The word of the Lord came expressly That meant that there was an urgency about it You know the meaning of that word You speak about an express train What do you mean by an express train? One that must get there quickly, it's very urgent You remember the word of the apostle, the spirit speak it expressly There is urgency about this The word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel There is something very urgent about this You have got to get there as soon as you can There is very serious business on hand All your energies must be concentrated upon this object That's how it has got to be with us There has got to be a tremendous urgency about our preaching There are very great issues at stake I would say to you preachers one thing Before you deliver your message Stop and say one thing to yourself I am now going to influence lives perhaps for all time and all eternity I am now going to influence lives perhaps for all time and all eternity We will see face to face what God has in store for his people We will see the great river We will see the great temple We shall come to the wonderful city And then at the end we shall come to Jehovah's Sharma The Lord is there But you cannot come to understand all that until you see the kind of man that God needs for it It is a kind of man that will bring that into view The things that I have just said are the things which make up the kind of man needed I would like you to go back over them again Remember that this is a man whose whole life has been revolutionized by the purpose of God God's need has changed the whole course of his life God's need has disappointed him so far as his natural life is concerned Something of the disappointment and dissatisfaction of the heart of God has entered into this man's life I do try to lay hold of that this morning Because it was on that very thing that God moved all the way through history I suppose Abraham was for most of his life very satisfied with the earl of the colonies He had all that he wanted there But then there began to come into his heart a great dissatisfaction with that life And his heart was reaching out for something that he did not know All he could say was, this is not what I was made for I am sure that there is something more in life than this There must be some greater purpose and meaning than this This does not satisfy me It was on that ground that God moved in in his life It was God working into Abraham his own dissatisfaction And when that dissatisfaction was there, God could give the positive side of what really was his purpose And that was true of all the great servants of God I believe it was true of Moses Quite sure that it was true of Ezekiel It was true of Paul I believe that we can detect, even in Paul of Tarsus, something of dissatisfaction God prepares his way like this We must have this in us before God can do anything else In order to bring his great positive purpose in, he must write the negative in our hearts This is the way of service On the one side it is disappointment On the other side it is God's appointment And then the consciousness of having no natural ability And all the ability having to come from God himself A work that no man could do And certainly a work that no man would take on himself That was Ezekiel But God had taken hold of this man Everything that happened to him was because the hand of the Lord was upon him For this morning I am going to finish there It's a matter of the hand of the Lord being on us If the hand of the Lord is upon us, then we cannot help ourselves Work may be difficult The disappointment may be great The demands may be great But we cannot help it, we've got to go on You remember what Jeremiah another prophet said about this Because the people would not listen And because his ministry meant so much suffering Jeremiah said that he decided never to speak again He was going to give up preaching He was going to give up the work of God But then he said, while I kept silent The fire burned The word of the Lord was as a fire in my bones I could not speak again I could not do otherwise That is what Ezekiel meant by the hand of the Lord was upon me You see what that meant afterwards How that hand of the Lord moved Ezekiel everywhere He was a man under the hand of the Lord Do pray that you may be like that That it will not be your choice one way or the other But that your life will just be because the hand of the Lord is upon you The Lord needs men and women like that Pray that you may be like that You are not in the thing because you like it Because you chose it Because you have any qualification for it You are in it because the hand of the Lord is upon you And to take yourself out of this work would be to take yourself out of the hand of the Lord Now if it is like that Something is going to happen You will have a message for the time You will have a message for the situation You will feel the urgency of this message The word will be like a fire in your bones The Lord makes us all messengers like that Now you can see what I meant at the beginning It is spiritual value that matters It is not the intellectual knowledge But that we are men and women like this That is spiritual effectiveness You ask the Lord to make you like that That everybody is able to recognize that you have a heart that is burdened by the Lord On the one side you have seen what is wrong On the other side you have seen what God wants And that you feel that he has laid his hand on you in relation to that The Lord makes that true of us, all of us
The Persistent Purpose of God - Part 2
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T. Austin-Sparks (1888 - 1971). British Christian evangelist, author, and preacher born in London, England. Converted at 17 in 1905 in Glasgow through street preaching, he joined the Baptist church and was ordained in 1912, pastoring West Norwood, Dunoon, and Honor Oak in London until 1926. Following a crisis of faith, he left denominational ministry to found the Honor Oak Christian Fellowship Centre, focusing on non-denominational teaching. From 1923 to 1971, he edited A Witness and a Testimony magazine, circulating it freely worldwide, and authored over 100 books and pamphlets, including The School of Christ and The Centrality of Jesus Christ. He held conferences in the UK, USA, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the Philippines, influencing leaders like Watchman Nee, whose books he published in English. Married to Florence Cowlishaw in 1916, they had four daughters and one son. Sparks’ ministry emphasized spiritual revelation and Christ-centered living, impacting the Keswick Convention and missionary networks. His works, preserved online, remain influential despite his rejection of institutional church structures. His health declined after a stroke in 1969, and he died in London.