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Remind Us For We Always Forget (Exodus 29:36-46)

I. A Reminder Of God’s Grace

II. A Reminder Of God’s Preeminence

[14:51] Introduction: Are we living or surviving? [17:06] What’s our Christian calling? [20:37] I. A Reminder Of God’s Grace-Atonement for the priests [23:59] Talents are gifted by God for His honour [27:37] Total Dedication and Commitment to God [30:33] II. A Reminder Of God’s Preeminence [33:51] Christian living is a marathon [36:11] Apostle Paul’s Consecration—Both Life and Death [40:47] Are you ready to meet the Lord? [44:49] Closing Prayer

Description:

Hook for the Sermon:

How often do we forget the grace of God in our daily lives? Just as the priests in Exodus were reminded day after day of their need for atonement through sacrifices, we too must remember the immeasurable sacrifice of Christ that cleanses and sanctifies us. Have we allowed routine to overshadow reverence? Have we placed God at the centre of our lives—or have we unknowingly drifted? This sermon invites us to reflect deeply, be reminded of His grace, and renew our commitment to living as holy, living sacrifices unto Him.

Why God prescribed a seven-day ordination program for priests in the Old Testament? What does that have to do with us going through our days on autopilot? How often do we pause to remember what matters most in daily living? Let’s follow this sermon by Pastor Paul Cheng to be reminded and be revived in our Christian faith.

Why did God prescribe a seven-day ordination program for priests in the Old Testament? Could this be a divine reminder for us to intentionally pause amidst the routines of daily life? How often do we forget to reflect on what truly matters? Let’s explore Pastor Paul Cheng’s sermon to rediscover the grace that sustains and revives our faith.

Do you ever feel like life is stuck on repeat? You wake up, rush through your day, and collapse into bed, only to do it all over again tomorrow. Work feels monotonous, worship becomes routine, and even your faith seems to lose its spark.

But here’s the sobering truth: “Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 8:11). From the priests of ancient Israel to believers today, we’re all prone to forgetting God’s grace in the grind of daily life.

This sermon dives into the heart of “spiritual amnesia.” Why did God design a seven-day consecration for the priests? How could Paul face death with such confidence, declaring, “I am ready”? The answers lie in a timeless reminder—one that spans thousands of years and speaks to the core of our faith: grace, purpose, and a race that never ends.

If you’re tired of living on autopilot and longing to reignite your passion for God, the answers are waiting for you. Keep reading—this might just change the way you see your life and faith.

Description:

Explore the full depth of every sermon with our detailed transcriptions. This section provides a written record of powerful messages like "Remind Us, For We Always Forget," allowing you to revisit key insights, reflect on biblical truths, and apply them to your daily life. Perfect for those who want to study, share, or meditate on God's Word in a more intentional way.

Hook:

Do you ever find yourself forgetting the lessons that matter most? Dive into the transcribed sermon "Remind Us, For We Always Forget" and rediscover the truths that anchor your faith. Will this message challenge you to remember what truly lasts? Read on and find out.

"Remind Us For We Always Forget" is a sermon delivered by Pastor Paul Cheng on December 27, 2024, focusing on Exodus 29:36-46.

Key Points:

• A Reminder of God's Grace: The sermon emphasizes the significance of the seven-day ordination process for priests, highlighting the daily sin offerings as a reflection of God's grace and the necessity for atonement.
• A Reminder of God's Preeminence: It underscores the importance of placing God at the center of our lives, drawing parallels between the Old Testament sacrifices and the Christian call to live as a "living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God" (Romans 12:1).

Thought-Provoking Questions:

• How can the repetitive nature of daily rituals lead to spiritual complacency in our lives?
• In what ways does the ordination process of Old Testament priests mirror our journey toward spiritual dedication and service?
• How can we ensure that our daily routines remain acts of worship rather than mere obligations?
• What steps can we take to keep God's preeminence at the forefront of our daily decisions and actions?

This sermon invites reflection on the depth of God's grace and challenges believers to maintain a vibrant and intentional relationship with Him, avoiding the pitfalls of routine complacency.

For the full sermon transcript and further insights, visit Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church's sermon database:

Introduction: Are we living or surviving?

In this physical world, as a daily routine, a man wakes up early in the morning and goes to work. Perhaps, as he sits at his desk in the office, there will be a pile of assignments set before him. He strives to accomplish those assignments, finishes the day's work, goes back home, and one day is gone. We seem to be doing the same thing over and over again, and often, when we get into such a situation, life becomes like a rut. There is little satisfaction in the things we do, and we start to forget the real significance of why we do what we do.

Perhaps you are a doctor or a nurse. You may embark on this journey of work with a passion to save lives, to help and serve the people. Or you are a policeman or a soldier, and you begin with this passion to maintain law and order, to fight for justice, and to protect your country. But as you go through the motions of the work, and on top of that, you have to face the different problems and issues in the course of the work, you are distracted and begin to lose your passion. It happens all the time. Indeed, there's always this danger of going through our duties and responsibilities in such a way that it becomes a tedious routine. We are just going through the motions, and it becomes very difficult to change.

What about our spiritual services? Whether it be worshipping the Lord on Sundays, serving in the various ministries of the church, or even partaking in the Holy Communion, do we adopt the same attitude? Do we allow the worship and service of the Almighty God to become so predictable, tedious, and routine, just like going through the motions? God forbid! Do not be surprised if you are experiencing such a thing, because the Bible says: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man" (1 Corinthians 10:13) I think, at some point, most believers have experienced such a feeling. It is one thing to experience such a feeling, but it is another thing altogether when we become complacent and continue to remain in such a situation.

Remember, in our previous messages, we have been learning about the ordination of the priests. The priests were specially called to serve the one living and true God, to represent the people before Him. It was a high calling—a great privilege. But as human as they were, as they did their work repeatedly, over and over again, and on top of that, had to deal with the challenges and issues of serving with the other priests and facing a problematic nation that was constantly rebellious, they too would be tempted to let the worship and service of the Almighty God become so predictable, tedious, and joyless, just as if they were going through the motions.

Therefore, at the very onset—at the very beginning of their ordination—we are told that the whole ordination process lasted for seven days. Though the Bible does not tell us why it had to be such a long and elaborate process, we can understand from the perspective of the priests. As they went through this long and elaborate process, what would their minds be thinking? They would be constantly reminded of who they were and what they were called to do, lest they forget. This is the spiritual lesson we want to learn from today's passage in Exodus 29:36–46. The title of our message is: ‘Remind Us, for We Always Forget.’

I. A Reminder Of God’s Grace

Our first point is a reminder of God's grace. Let us begin with Exodus 29:36, "And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it. Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy." (Exodus 29:36-37)

It took one whole week to ordain the priests, and on each day of the week, a new, fresh bull, which was without blemish, was sacrificed on God's altar. The altar was the place where God would accept the sacrifices for the sins of His people; therefore, it had to be made holy. This was done by sprinkling it with the blood of seven perfect sacrifices.

These sacrifices were for the priests because they first had to understand they needed atonement. They needed their sins to be forgiven. Most certainly, they had been specially chosen to serve God at the tabernacle, but as far as their righteousness was concerned, they were no better than anyone else. They were just as sinful as anyone else. The only reason why they could serve was that God had chosen them. He had saved and sanctified them through the blood of the sacrifice.

The amazing thing was that not just one sacrifice, but seven sacrifices—seven bulls—had to be offered for their sins, one for each day of the week. So you can imagine, as the priests were offering the sacrifices day after day, and bull after bull, they were constantly reminded that it was the blood of those sacrificial animals that had taken away their sins. They saw the grace of God in taking away their sins, so they were constantly reminded—not just one day, but seven days continually—lest they forget.

Sometimes, there are pastors, preachers, and full-time workers who are gifted in so many different ways. They are gifted to preach the Word of God. They have the ability to articulate the Bible in a way that ordinary people can understand and apply to their lives. They are gifted to minister to different age groups—the elderly, the adults, the young people, and the children. They are gifted in almost everything. Then, they become proud. Once, a pastor proudly said to me that he had taught the Book of Genesis so many times—at least 20 times throughout his ministry—and he knew it from front to back. He said all he needed was just 15 minutes to prepare a sermon.

Dear friend, when a person does something repeatedly, over and over again, he becomes so familiar with the thing he does. That is the most dangerous part. He will become proud. He will start to think that it is because of his own ability, his own giftedness, his own talents. He will start to think that he is indispensable. He has forgotten about God. What about you?

This danger does not only apply to pastors and preachers but to every believer. You may be called to play the piano, lead a worship service, or teach the children in Sunday school, and you have been doing it for years. You are so familiar with the music scores that you can play without even looking at the notes. Or you can lead worship or teach the Bible without any preparation, without praying and relying on God for strength. That is when you have forgotten, and you become proud.

We must always be reminded that if not for the blood of Jesus Christ, we would not be saved, let alone serve God. If not for the blood of Christ, we would not be able to do anything that is pleasing and acceptable to Him. Like the priests in those days, we need to be reminded repeatedly that it is the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ reminds us of God's grace. It is all because of God's grace that you and I are able to worship and serve Him.

After God had dealt with the priests, He turned to the people. Once the priests had atoned for their own sins, they had to make sacrifices for the sins of the people. Exodus 29:38-39 says: "Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even." The priests had to offer those sacrifices every day for the people. It was part of their priestly duties. They would offer a lamb in the morning and another lamb in the evening.

According to verses 40 and 41, the sacrifices were combined with grain, oil, and wine (or grape juice). As the sacrifices burned in the flames, the smoke would rise up to heaven as a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD. Look at verse 42: "This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee." Verse 43 says: "And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory."

Remember, the burnt offering signifies a total dedication and commitment to God. In other words, this was what the children of Israel must do—be totally dedicated and committed to God. When they obeyed His instructions accordingly and continually, the tabernacle would be sanctified, and God would be pleased to meet and speak with them there.

Not only would the tabernacle be sanctified, God said in verse 44, even the altar (where the sacrifices were offered) which means God would accept their offerings; and even the priest (Aaron and his sons) would be sanctified, which means God would set them apart to serve Him.

II. A Reminder Of God’s Preeminence

Remember, the tabernacle represented the presence of God, and it was located at the centre of the Israelites' camp in the wilderness. But what was more important was not the physical location but the spiritual location. Spiritually, the tabernacle had to be at the centre of their lives. When they did that, God promised in verse 45: "And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God." Finally, verse 46 says: "And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God." What can we learn from this passage? This brings us to our second point: a reminder of God's preeminence in our lives.

Just like the other offerings in the Old Testament, these sacrifices were connected to Christ and the Christian life. In the same way the children of Israel were saved by the blood of the animal sacrifice, we are saved by the blood of Christ—the ultimate Lamb of God. In the same way the children of Israel had to offer themselves and be totally dedicated and committed to God, we are to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice and be totally dedicated and committed to God.

In the same way the children of Israel had to open and close each day with those sacrifices, we are called to begin and end each day with our Almighty God. That is why we must begin and end each day with our own quiet time with God. Every day we must pray and seek the will of the Lord in the decisions and choices we make in life. Every week we must come to church to worship and serve God, giving our tithes and offerings. And as often as we can, we must partake of the Lord's Supper to be reminded that it is all because of the death and blood of Jesus Christ.

In essence, God always has to be the centre of our life, and every day we are offering ourselves as a living sacrifice to serve Him and glorify Him. We often hear people say that the Christian life is not a 100-metre race; it is a marathon. We understand what they mean.

Do you know how we got the name ‘marathon’? In 490 BC, the people of Athens fought a very crucial and decisive battle against the Persians in a little village called Marathon. One of the soldiers was assigned to carry the news of the victory back to the people at Athens. He ran faithfully with all his strength and might, and he was focused on the cause. So much so that immediately when he arrived with the message, he died. Apparently, he ran over 26 miles nonstop. As a tribute to his faithfulness, they named any race over 26 miles a ‘marathon’.

The only difference is that the Christian life is a never-ending marathon, which means we run and run, we serve and serve, until the day the Lord calls us home—whether by way of death or by the rapture. Our attitude must be to run faithfully, to run with all our strength and mind, and to remain focused on God.

Allow me to quote the example of the Apostle Paul, who said in 2 Timothy 4:6: "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand." The word ‘offered’ has the idea of being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice, like the way the children of Israel offered their sacrifices mixed with grain, oil, and wine. Since the altar was burning hot, there would be this path of smoke rising up. Almost immediately, it would disappear—one moment the smoke would be there, but the next moment it would disappear.

That was how Paul viewed his life. His entire life was offered to God, and he knew that he would be killed eventually. He would be like an offering being poured upon the altar, which would soon be like a path of smoke—it would disappear in no time. But that offering of his entire life would be a sweet savour, well-pleasing and acceptable unto God. Some theologians feel that Paul was anticipating the kind of death he would suffer. He knew that as a Roman citizen, he would not be crucified. Therefore, most likely, he would be beheaded. So, in a sense, like a drink offering, his blood would be poured out (in his death) for the glory of God.

Whatever the case, note that Paul said, ‘I am ready, and the time of my departure is at hand,’ which simply means the final stage of his life and ministry had come. It was not as if Paul would be dying in a few days or hours. Obviously, he knew that the Romans would take several months to investigate his case. That is why in verse 13 (2 Timothy 4:13), he asked Timothy to bring along his coat that he left at Troas and also the books. Then, in verse 21 (2 Timothy 3:21), he urged Timothy to make every effort to come before winter so he could see him face-to-face before he died.

Some of us who are in our 80s or 90s, or who are in the final stage of cancer, might say, ‘The time of our departure is at hand.’ But it does not mean that we are dying tomorrow—it simply means we have come to the final stage of our lives. How was Paul able to face death so boldly? While he was alive, he was willing to offer his life to God to be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable. And now, he was ready to offer himself to God in his death. In other words, he had always been living his life for the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why he was ready to meet his Creator.

Dear friend, this is an important lesson for all of us to learn in our lives. Do you know the reason why some believers are so bold and courageous in the final moments of their death, while others are so fearful, doubtful, and confused? You see, as Christians, our life is to be a living sacrifice unto the Lord (Romans 12:1)—we know that. But the question is, have we done that? If you and I are not ready to meet the Lord in our day-to-day activities, do you think we will suddenly be ready to meet our Creator when we die? Most certainly not. We call ourselves believers, but if God is not preeminent—if God is not the centre of our lives—do you think we will be ready to say, ‘I am now prepared to meet my Creator’? No way.

Every day of our lives, we need to be reminded of God's grace. We need to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice unto Him—as we worship and serve Him, as we immerse ourselves in Bible studies, as we pray, supplicate, and rely on Him moment by moment. As we consider Him in all the decisions and choices of life, as we seek His will and obey Him, we are making sacrifices unto Him. And there will come one ultimate sacrifice we have to make, and that is when we draw our last breath and offer our lives to Him in our death.

There may be times when we are tempted and fall into sin. We must pick ourselves up, confess our sins, and ask the Lord to forgive and deliver us. There may be times when we are distracted by the challenges and issues of life. That is why we pray, ‘Remind us, O Lord, for we always forget.’ When you and I look to the Lord every day of our lives and understand that it is because of His grace that we need Him every moment, our entire life will be a sweet savour unto Him. And when death knocks on our doors, then we will be ready to meet our Creator. We will be prepared to meet our Creator. This is the only way we ought to live our lives—for the glory of God. Let us pray.

Closing Prayer

Father in Heaven, indeed, as we consider this portion of Scriptures once again, we are reminded of Thy grace. It is all because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Without His blood, we will not be saved, let alone serve Him. If not for His blood, we will not be able to do anything that will be pleasing and acceptable unto Thee.

Remind us always, for we always forget. And also remind us that Thou ought to be the centre of our lives—not only by our profession, but by the way we live our lives every day. We need to open and close each day with Thee and Thee alone. We need to pray and seek Thy will for all the decisions and choices we make in life. We need to understand Thy Word and obey Thy will. We need to worship and serve Thee. We need to engage ourselves in evangelism and discipleship. We need to glorify the Almighty God, who sent His Only Begotten Son to save us from our sins.

This is the only way for us to live our lives. And when we do that, we know that our lives will be a sweet savour unto Thee. It will be pleasing and acceptable unto Thee. So even when death knocks on our doors, we are not afraid, because death is but the instrument to usher us into Thy presence. And we will be able to say, ‘I am ready, for the time of my departure is at hand. I am ready to meet my Creator.’ I pray that all of us will remember to live such a life, so that we will be prepared and ready to meet Thee. We pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Chinese Translation:

背景简介与导语：

你是否发现，自己正日复一日地重复着机械的生活？清晨赶工，深夜疲惫，忙碌中渐渐忘记为何而活；敬拜成了例行公事，服事变得索然无味——甚至连信仰也仿佛被裹进了一层麻木的壳。

但圣经警告我们：

「你要谨慎，免得忘记耶和华你的神」

（申命记8:11）。从古时的祭司到今天的信徒，人类总在恩典中蒙召，却又在习惯中遗忘。

这篇讲道将带你揭开「属灵健忘症」的真相：为何神设立七天的祭司按立仪式？保罗面对死亡时为何能说「我准备好了」？答案藏在一个跨越三千年的提醒中——关乎恩典的震撼、生命的重心，以及一场永不停息的马拉松。

若你想打破生活的「自动驾驶模式」，重新点燃对神的敬畏与热情，答案就在下一页。

讲道文稿全文翻译：

主题：提醒我们，因为我们总是忘记

在这个物质世界中，作为日常惯例，一个人清晨醒来，去工作。也许，当他坐在办公室的桌前时，面前会有一堆任务。他努力完成这些任务，结束一天的工作，回到家，一天就这样过去了。我们似乎一遍又一遍地做着同样的事情，而当我们陷入这种状态时，生活就变得像一条固定的轨道。我们所做的事情几乎没有满足感，我们开始忘记我们为什么做这些事情的真正意义。

也许你是一名医生或护士。你可能怀着拯救生命、帮助和服务他人的热情开始了这段工作旅程。或者你是一名警察或士兵，你怀着维护法律与秩序、为正义而战、保护国家的热情开始了这份工作。但当你日复一日地重复这些工作，并且还要面对工作中各种问题和挑战时，你会分心并开始失去热情。这种情况时常发生。确实，我们总是有这样一种危险，那就是以如此枯燥的方式履行我们的职责和责任。我们只是在机械地完成任务，而改变变得非常困难。

那么，我们的属灵服事又如何呢？无论是在主日敬拜主，还是在教会的各种事工中服事，甚至是参与圣餐，我们是否也抱有同样的态度？我们是否允许对全能神的敬拜和服事变得如此可预测【习以为常 accustomed to】【predictable 意料之中， 墨守成规】、枯燥和例行公事，就像机械地完成任务一样？愿神禁止！如果你正在经历这样的事情，不要感到惊讶，因为圣经说：“你们所遇见的试探，无非是人所能受的。”（哥林多前书10:13，和合本）我认为，在某个时刻，大多数信徒都曾有过这样的感受。经历这种感受是一回事，但当我们变得自满并继续停留在这种状态中时，就是另一回事了。

记得在我们之前的信息中，我们一直在学习关于祭司的按立。祭司被特别呼召来服事那一位永活的真神，代表百姓站在祂面前。这是一个崇高的呼召——一种极大的特权。但作为人，当他们一遍又一遍地重复他们的工作，并且还要与其他祭司一起面对服事中的挑战和问题，以及面对一个不断叛逆的国家时，他们也可能会受到试探，让对全能神的敬拜和服事变得如此可预测、枯燥和无趣，就像机械地完成任务一样。

因此，在他们按立的一开始——在他们按立的起初——我们被告知整个按立过程持续了七天。虽然圣经没有告诉我们为什么必须是一个如此漫长而复杂的过程，但我们可以从祭司的角度来理解。当他们经历这个漫长而复杂的过程时，他们的心里会想些什么？他们会不断地被提醒他们是谁以及他们被呼召去做什么，以免他们忘记。这是我们从今天出埃及记29:36-46的经文中要学习的属灵功课。我们信息的标题是：“提醒我们，因为我们总是忘记。”

一、提醒神的恩典

我们的第一点是提醒神的恩典。让我们从出埃及记29:36开始：“每天要预备一只公牛为赎罪祭，为洁净坛；坛洁净了，就要用膏抹坛，使坛成圣。要为坛赎罪七日，使坛成圣；坛就成为至圣，凡挨着坛的都成为圣。”（出埃及记29:36-37，和合本）

按立祭司花了整整一周的时间，在这一周的每一天，一只新的、无瑕疵的公牛被献在神的祭坛上。祭坛是神接受祂百姓赎罪祭的地方，因此它必须被分别为圣。这是通过将七只完美的祭物的血洒在坛上来完成的。

这些祭物是为祭司预备的，因为他们首先需要明白他们需要赎罪。他们的罪需要被赦免。当然，他们是被特别选出来在会幕中服事神的，但就他们的义而言，他们并不比任何人更好。他们和其他人一样有罪。他们能够服事的唯一原因是神拣选了他们。祂通过祭物的血拯救并使他们成圣。

令人惊奇的是，不仅需要一只祭物，而是七只祭物——七只公牛——必须为他们的罪献上，每天一只。所以你可以想象，当祭司日复一日地献上祭物，一只公牛接一只公牛时，他们不断地被提醒，正是这些祭物的血除去了他们的罪。他们看到了神除去他们罪的恩典，因此他们不断地被提醒——不是一天，而是连续七天——以免他们忘记。

有时，有些牧师、传道人和全职同工在许多方面都很有恩赐。他们有恩赐传讲神的话语。他们有能力以普通人能够理解并应用到生活中的方式讲解圣经。他们有恩赐服事不同年龄层的人——老年人、成年人、年轻人和儿童。他们几乎在每件事上都有恩赐。然后，他们变得骄傲。有一次，一位牧师自豪地对我说，他已经教导《创世记》很多次了——至少在他事工中教导了20次——他对这本书了如指掌。他说他只需要15分钟就能准备一篇讲道。

亲爱的朋友，当一个人反复做某件事时，他会对他所做的事情变得非常熟悉。这是最危险的部分。他会变得骄傲。他会开始认为这是因为他的能力、他的恩赐、他的才华。他会开始认为自己是不可或缺的。他已经忘记了神。你呢？

这种危险不仅适用于牧师和传道人，也适用于每个信徒。你可能被呼召来弹钢琴、带领敬拜或在主日学教导孩子，而且你已经做了很多年。你对乐谱非常熟悉，甚至可以不看乐谱弹奏。或者你可以不经过任何准备、不祷告、不依靠神的力量来带领敬拜或教导圣经。那就是你忘记了，你变得骄傲了。

我们必须时刻被提醒，如果不是因为耶稣基督的宝血，我们不会被拯救，更不用说服事神了。如果不是因为基督的宝血，我们无法做任何讨神喜悦和蒙祂接纳的事。就像那时的祭司一样，我们需要不断地被提醒，这是基督的宝血。基督的宝血提醒我们神的恩典。正是因为神的恩典，你和我才能够敬拜和服事祂。

在神处理了祭司之后，祂转向了百姓。一旦祭司为自己的罪赎了罪，他们就必须为百姓的罪献祭。出埃及记29:38-39说：“你每天所要献在坛上的，就是两只一岁的羊羔。早晨要献这一只，黄昏的时候要献那一只。”（出埃及记29:38-39，和合本）祭司必须每天为百姓献上这些祭物。这是他们祭司职责的一部分。他们要在早晨献一只羊羔，在傍晚献另一只羊羔。

根据第40和41节，祭物与谷物、油和酒（或葡萄汁）一起献上。当祭物在火焰中燃烧时，烟雾会升到天上，作为献给耶和华的火祭，成为馨香之气。看第42节：“这要在耶和华面前、会幕门口，作你们世世代代常献的燔祭。我要在那里与你们相会，和你们说话。”（出埃及记29:42，和合本）第43节说：“我要在那里与以色列人相会，会幕就要因我的荣耀成为圣。”（出埃及记29:43，和合本）

记住，燔祭象征着对神的完全奉献和委身。换句话说，这是以色列人必须做的——完全奉献和委身于神。当他们按照祂的指示持续地顺服时，会幕就会被分别为圣，神也会乐意在那里与他们相会并说话。

不仅会幕会被分别为圣，神在第44节中说，甚至祭坛（献祭的地方）也会被分别为圣，这意味着神会接受他们的祭物；甚至祭司（亚伦和他的儿子们）也会被分别为圣，这意味着神会分别他们来服事祂。

二、提醒神的至高无上

记住，会幕代表了神的同在，它位于以色列人在旷野中营地的中心。但更重要的不是它物质【实际】的位置，而是属灵的位置。在属灵上，会幕必须成为他们生命的中心。当他们这样做时，神在第45节中应许：“我要住在以色列人中间，作他们的神。”（出埃及记29:45，和合本）最后，第46节说：“他们必知道我是耶和华他们的神，是将他们从埃及地领出来的，为要住在他们中间。我是耶和华他们的神。”（出埃及记29:46，和合本）我们从这段经文学到了什么？这引出了我们的第二点：提醒神在我们生命中的至高无上。

就像旧约中的其他祭物一样，这些祭物与基督和基督徒的生活有关。就像以色列人通过动物祭物的血得救一样，我们通过基督的宝血得救——祂是终极的神的羔羊。就像以色列人必须献上自己并完全奉献和委身于神一样，我们也要献上自己作为活祭，并完全奉献和委身于神。

就像以色列人必须每天以这些祭物开始和结束一样，我们被呼召每天以我们的全能神开始和结束。这就是为什么我们必须每天以与神的安静时光开始和结束。每天我们必须祷告并在生活的决定和选择中寻求神的旨意。每周我们必须来教会敬拜和服事神，献上我们的十分之一和奉献。并且尽可能多地参与主的晚餐，以提醒我们这一切都是因为耶稣基督的死和宝血。

本质上，神必须始终是我们生命的中心，每天我们都要献上自己作为活祭来服事祂并荣耀祂。我们经常听到人们说，基督徒的生活不是100米短跑，而是一场马拉松。我们明白他们的意思。

你知道“马拉松”这个名字是怎么来的吗？公元前490年，雅典人民在一个叫马拉松的小村庄与波斯人进行了一场非常关键和决定性的战斗。其中一名士兵被指派将胜利的消息带回给雅典的人民。他忠实地奔跑，竭尽全力，专注于使命。以至于当他带着消息到达时，他立刻死了。显然，他跑了超过26英里，没有停歇。为了纪念他的忠诚，他们将任何超过26英里的比赛称为“马拉松”。

唯一不同的是，基督徒的生活是一场永无止境的马拉松，这意味着我们奔跑、奔跑，服事、服事，直到主召我们回家的那一天——无论是通过死亡还是被提。我们的态度必须是忠实地奔跑，竭尽全力和心思奔跑，并专注于神。

让我引用使徒保罗的例子，他在提摩太后书4:6中说：“我现在被浇奠，我离世的时候到了。”（提摩太后书4:6，和合本）“浇奠”这个词的意思是像以色列人献祭时与谷物、油和酒混合的奠祭一样被倾倒。由于祭坛非常热，烟雾会升起。几乎立刻，它就会消失——烟雾会在一瞬间出现，但下一刻就会消失。

这就是保罗如何看待他的生命。他的一生都献给了神，他知道自己最终会被杀。他会像被浇在祭坛上的祭物一样，很快就会像一缕烟雾——瞬间消失。但他一生的献祭将成为馨香之气，蒙神悦纳。一些神学家认为，保罗预见到了他将要面对的那种死亡。他知道作为罗马公民，他不会受十字架的刑罚。因此，他很可能被斩首。所以，从某种意义上说，就像奠祭一样，他的血会为神的荣耀而倾倒（在他的死亡中）。

无论如何，请注意保罗说：“我现在被浇奠，我离世的时候到了。”（提摩太后书4:6，和合本）这仅仅意味着他生命和事工的最终阶段已经到来。这并不是说保罗会在几天或几小时内死去。显然，他知道罗马人会花几个月的时间来调查他的案件。这就是为什么在第13节（提摩太后书4:13），他要求提摩太把他留在特罗亚的外衣和书带来。然后，在第21节（提摩太后书4:21），他敦促提摩太在冬天之前尽力来见他，以便在他死前能与他面对面相见。

我们中一些已经80多岁或90多岁的人，或者处于癌症晚期的人，可能会说：“我们离世的时候到了。”但这并不意味着我们明天就会死去——这只是意味着我们已经到了生命的最后阶段。保罗为何能够如此勇敢地面对死亡？在他活着的时候，他愿意将自己的生命献给神，作为活祭，是圣洁且蒙神悦纳的。而现在，他准备在死亡中将自已献给神。换句话说，他一直为主耶稣基督而活。这就是为什么他准备好去见他的创造主。

亲爱的朋友，这是我们每个人在生活中需要学习的重要功课。你知道为什么一些信徒在临终时如此勇敢和无畏，而另一些人却如此恐惧、怀疑和困惑吗？你看，作为基督徒，我们的生活应当是献给主的活祭（罗马书12:1，和合本）——我们知道这一点。但问题是，我们做到了吗？如果你和我在日常活动中没有准备好见主，你认为当我们死时，我们会突然准备好见我们的创造主吗？当然不会。我们自称是信徒，但如果神不是至高的——如果神不是我们生命的中心——你认为我们会准备好说“我现在准备好见我的创造主”吗？绝不可能。

在我们生命的每一天，我们都需要被提醒神的恩典。我们需要将自己作为活祭献给祂——当我们敬拜和服事祂时，当我们沉浸在圣经学习中时，当我们每时每刻祷告、恳求和依靠祂时。当我们在生活的每一个决定和选择中考虑祂，当我们寻求祂的旨意并顺服祂时，我们就是在向祂献祭。而我们最终要献上的一个终极祭物，就是当我们吐出最后一口气，在死亡中将我们的生命献给祂时。

有时我们可能会受试探并陷入罪中。我们必须振作起来，承认我们的罪，并求主赦免和拯救我们。有时我们可能会被生活中的挑战和问题分心。这就是为什么我们祷告说：“主啊，提醒我们，因为我们总是忘记。”当你和我每天仰望主，并明白正是因为祂的恩典，我们每时每刻都需要祂时，我们整个生命将成为献给祂的馨香之气。当死亡敲响我们的门时，我们将准备好去见我们的创造主。我们将准备好去见我们的创造主。这是我们唯一的生活方式——为神的荣耀而活。让我们祷告。

天上的父，确实，当我们再次思考这段经文时，我们被提醒了祢的恩典。这一切都是因为耶稣基督的宝血。没有祂的血，我们就不会被拯救，更不用说服事祂了。如果不是因为祂的血，我们无法做任何讨祢喜悦和蒙祢接纳的事。

主啊，请时常提醒我们，因为我们总是忘记。也提醒我们，祢应当是我们生命的中心——不仅在我们的信仰宣告上，更在我们每天的生活方式上。我们需要每天以祢开始和结束。我们需要祷告并在生活的每一个决定和选择中寻求祢的旨意。我们需要明白祢的话语并顺服祢的旨意。我们需要敬拜和服事祢。我们需要投身于传福音和门徒训练。我们需要荣耀全能的神，祂差遣祂的独生子来拯救我们脱离罪恶。

这是我们唯一的生活方式。当我们这样做时，我们知道我们的生命将成为献给祢的馨香之气。它将蒙祢悦纳。因此，即使死亡敲响我们的门，我们也不害怕，因为死亡只是引导我们进入祢同在的工具。我们将能够说：“我准备好了，因为我离世的时候到了。我准备好去见我的创造主。”我祈祷我们所有人都会记住过这样的生活，以便我们准备好去见祢。我们奉耶稣的名祷告。阿们。