Matthias Altwegg
Pastor of the seetal chile
Man was created with a relational potential that requires both a vertical relationship with God and a horizontal relationship with people. In a friendship there are natural elements and also supernatural elements. When the two come together, a stronger bond is formed. In a marriage, there is also romantic love. This is the ideal prerequisite for the spouses to support and accompany each other on the path to new creation. In Genesis 1 and 2, God looks at his creation and repeatedly provides it with…
«Submit yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ» (Ephesians 5:21). This sentence is the overture to the great section on marriage in Ephesians 5, which actually contains everything you need for a happy and fulfilling marriage. It is simple and requires courage. Anyone who puts their personal happiness first and endeavours to be happy at all costs is well on the way to losing their last bit of happiness. Unbroken is an exciting film…
With the sentence «Test everything and hold on to what is good» (1 Thessalonians 5:21), Paul first challenges the church community in Thessalonica at the time, but also us, to a trusting openness towards the Holy Spirit. The listeners are also allowed to be critical throughout and have the task of testing what they hear. What are suitable criteria for this examination? «Test everything and hold on to what is good» (1 Thessalonians 5:21 EU) – this is the Lord’s Watchword for 2025. The advice makes sense immediately. Nobody thinks that everything…
The prophet Zephaniah calls on the people of Israel to rejoice and shout in a dark time. The reason for this is hope. Zephaniah could see through the horizon and saw there an inspiring picture of the future. As the final fulfilment of this picture is yet to come, we can still rejoice and exult with hope in our future today. My mum had a very difficult first birth, which involved a lot of suffering. And yet she was ready to give birth five more times.
Advent means arrival. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem two thousand years ago, most people could not link the event with their expectation of the Messiah. We are also in an Advent season in which we await the return of Jesus Christ. In view of the limited time, we should be wise and vigilant. The personified redemption, Jesus Christ, is near. The night will soon be over and the day will dawn. There is an old story of a king who…
We live in a church culture in which a person can become a Christian, but does not necessarily have to be a follower of Jesus. In the four biographies of Jesus, there is only the distinction between people and followers. The category of Christian, where you say a prayer of surrender, believe in a set of teachings about God and go to church to ensure that you go to heaven after you die, did not exist. A follower of Jesus is like an apprentice.…
This sermon follows on seamlessly from the last three sermons on the subject of forgiveness. Paul’s principle is: «Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good!» (Romans 12:21). However, he does not leave it at this general statement, but offers us five ways in which we can do this. Finally, we learn how followers of Jesus can have the strength and love to forgive and lead such a life. In October 2006, a…
The third dimension of Christian forgiveness is reconciliation with the person with whom we are in conflict. The actual goal of forgiveness is to rebuild a trusting relationship. This happens by clearly naming and repenting of our own part in the conflict. We then offer forgiveness to the other person and declare that we will not make amends. Furthermore, Jesus demands that we overcome evil with good. There are three basic dimensions of Christian forgiveness. Firstly, there is…
There are three basic dimensions of Christian forgiveness. Firstly, there is the vertical dimension – God’s forgiveness towards us. Secondly, there is the internal dimension – the forgiveness we grant to anyone who has wronged us. Thirdly, there is the horizontal dimension – our willingness to be reconciled. The horizontal dimension is based on the inner, and the inner is based on the vertical. This sermon is primarily about inner forgiveness. A pastor friend of mine who died last year due to a…
Being a follower of Jesus means living a life of constant forgiveness. The parable of a man in debt to the king teaches us the principles of forgiveness. In the person of the king, God does four things – he brings the hopelessly indebted man before him, but then takes pity on him, forgives his debt and sets him free. The king can only do this because he is prepared to take on the debt himself. God has done this in the person of…
What is the significance and importance of infrastructure for church life? In ancient Israel, the temple was the place of God’s presence. God dwelt among the people. His presence was bound to a house. Since Jesus, his followers together form the house in which God dwells. Buildings and infrastructure lost their indispensable importance, but continue to serve the current house of God, the church, as a helpful shelter to provide a space for their life together before and with God. On…
Twice during the 40-year desert period, the LORD God caused water to flow from a rock and used it to supply a nation of millions with their animals. Because Moses» actions in Kadesh (= being holy) did not comply with God’s instructions, he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. This seems very harsh at first, but on closer inspection it is understandable. The episode with the water from the rock is an illustration of how a follower should deal with Jesus. The people of Israel were…
Faced with thousands of people and only two fish and five loaves of bread in his hands, Jesus encouraged his friends with the words: «Give them something to eat!» For Jesus to ultimately perform the feeding miracle, He had to see the hunger of the people and a boy had to provide his humble resources. In the same passage, Jesus explains that He is the bread of life. Inspired by this feeding miracle, we want to hand out the bread that is Jesus to the people around us.…
The wilderness wandering of the people of Israel between Egypt and the Promised Land is an image of the discipleship of Jesus. When the Israelites encountered the hostile Amalekites, they were able to achieve victory through a two-pronged strategy: Prayer and attack. With this strategy, a follower of Jesus will also be victorious in the confrontation with his challenges. When the Swiss national football team was eliminated in the quarter-finals against England on penalties, some people used the saying «You can’t always win». It…
After the Israelites complained to their leader Moses about a lack of food, God set up the world’s best and most reliable meal service with daily deliveries. The only exception was the Sabbath. But as two portions arrived the day before, this did not affect the supply. How can we experience God as our provider? Many men have spent very arduous hours in military service. Once I wasn’t shaved well enough when bivouacking. As a result, one of the next nights I was…
God deliberately leads his people through the desert to test them. The test does not come out of malice, but to strengthen the faith and trust of the people. A piece of wood makes bitter water sweet. This experience points to the wood of the cross, on which Jesus overcame the bitterness of our lives, our abandonment, forsakenness and even the bitterness of death. It also answers the question of how we can become an oak of righteousness instead of a bitter wood.
It is remarkable and not coincidental that Pentecost fell exactly on the day when the Jews celebrated Shavuot. God wanted to make it easy for the Jews and help them to recognise the connection between the gift of the Holy Spirit and Shavuot. Shavuot is the feast of the firstfruits and the word of God. On this day, the people celebrated the fact that the Torah was given to them at Sinai. Through the Holy Spirit, the Torah was given to the followers of Jesus on Pentecost.
The journey of the people of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land is like a picture book for following Jesus Christ. The passage through the Red Sea is a parable for baptism. After baptism, they do not head straight for the Promised Land, but through the desert for forty years. The desert is the place where people are set to zero and preparation for the future homeland takes place. A pastor and a hippie sit on a bench in a park. The…
With a little distance, it is sometimes easier to say what the decisive factors in a person’s life were. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews does just this by looking back at Abraham, the model of faith. Abraham knew that his home was not this world and he trusted in the power of the resurrection. This way of thinking was the prerequisite for his obedience and true worship of God – and it still is today for following Christ. Abraham and Sarah had the promise that through them…
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the ultimate key moment in world history. If this did not really happen, faith in Jesus Christ makes no sense. Through the resurrection of Christ, discipleship received a huge boost, a new depth and a transcendent orientation. The resurrected Christ is the cornerstone to which everything should be orientated. But – belief in the resurrection is also offensive and provokes resistance. Recently, I read the obituary of a pastor’s wife and it said…
When Elisha was called to succeed Elijah, he sacrificed his cattle and the teams that provided income for his «old life». He tore down the bridge behind him and looked ahead. A few hundred years later, Jesus would describe this very behaviour as a condition for following Jesus. Elisha is ploughing with twelve teams. The light plough is guided with one hand. This one hand, usually the left, must simultaneously maintain the vertical position,…
Although discipleship has something «pioneering» about it, it does not require the personality of a pioneer. Timid and brash, introverted and extroverted, overwhelmed with coping with life and relaxed in everyday life – all followers are challenged to joyfully anticipate the new world of God and to grow into the new creation that they already are in Jesus. «Follow me!» We have been travelling with this theme for a few weeks now. Time to briefly summarise what we mean by discipleship. By this we mean our everyday life…
Abraham listened to God’s words and was ready to set off. He left the familiar and sought out previously unknown new territory. He retained this agility because his nomadic life was reflected in an inner attitude of freedom. He waited for the new world of God as the ultimate place of bliss. The aim of a church is not to create an attractive programme, but to train followers of Jesus. But for some reason, followers have become converted Christians. From doing…
Every follower was called to Jesus in order to be sent out from there. The Latin term for this is Missio Dei (sent by God). When passing on the gospel (=good news), motivation is crucial. Jesus describes the only driving force that leads to good results with the following words: «Rejoice that your names are written in heaven. The first nine chapters of Luke’s Gospel mainly deal with the question of who Jesus is. Then there is a change and the question is…
«Follow me!» This invitation is the 2024 theme for seetal chile. The resurrected Jesus speaks this sentence to Peter. The context of the event shows important criteria of a follower: he fishes on the right, he allows himself to be served by Jesus and loves Him, he says goodbye to competition, he is prepared to suffer and discovers the «lion» within himself. «You follow me!» This invitation from the risen Christ also applies to you. Peter is deeply frustrated. Now he wanted to follow…
The motto for 2024 was originally said to the Church of Corinth: «Everything you do should be done in love» (1 Corinthians 16:14 NLB). In the context of the circumstances at the time, these words take on great poignancy. The much greater miracle than spectacular spiritual gifts is love. Spiritual gifts do not necessarily grow on the soil of the gospel, but love does. Without love, faith suffocates – it is the breathing air of faith. The motto for 2024 seems succinct: «Let everything you do be done in love…
The people of Israel lived in exile in Babylon – an extremely bleak time for the individual Jews as well as for the entire nation. But then a message of joy arrives through the prophet Isaiah. Although Zion and Jerusalem lie in ruins, new hope germinates. The same gospel (= good news) reaches us in this Advent season – a similarly challenging time. It was the cold winter of the war in 1944 and a rabbi was hiding with his son in Silesia. Their future was completely…
Sanctification means that Christ takes shape in us and increasingly characterises our lives. A new way of being leads to a new way of doing. Christians tend to shorten this process by acting on their own initiative. The result is sobering. It is our concern that we as a church do not define ourselves by our programme, but by the quality of sanctification among the people. When I was a little boy, I had many exciting adventures with the gang in our neighbourhood. Chasing foxes, sparrows…
Our personal sanctification should grow out of our amazement at the mystery of God’s holiness. This happens in partnership between God and us humans. The human part consists of taking off the old clothes of deceitful desires and putting on the new clothes characterised by righteousness, holiness and truth. What happens in the dressing room is crucial to our personal sanctification. A few months ago, I shared one of my most exciting and glorious childhood memories here. As a big bunch of armed boys, we very often went…
In the Bible we are challenged again and again to be holy. To live holy means to live a truly fulfilling life. People are then in the process of sanctification when they live more and more according to the conferred status of «saint». The more we contemplate the glory of God, the more we see the mighty love and the more we become holy. The LORD says, «You shall be holy, for I am holy» (Deut. 19:2 LUT). Is «being holy» even worth striving for? Or…
The holy God is fathered by the people who make a covenant with him. A child of God lives in complete security, benefits from the compassionate wrath of God and is given an ultimate home. These experiences and grasping this truth in the depth of the heart changes us for the rest of our lives. In action movies, actors are often portrayed one-dimensionally as heroes or villains like cartoon characters. Since we can’t relate to them personally, we don’t mind if they are blown away.…
Elijah is in deep crisis. Nevertheless – or precisely because of this – he takes the long way through the desert to the mountain of God under his feet. He wants to see God and experience who He is. When he reaches his destination, he experiences the grace of the holy God in an indescribably impressive and gentle way. Although he is corrected in a loving way by God’s Word, he experiences full acceptance at the same time and gets a new perspective on the future. Just recently someone wrote me the following…
Elijah has fought and won a great battle for Yahweh, his God. Unfortunately, the expected response from God is not forthcoming, which confuses Elijah and drives him into depression. Despondent, he sets out to see this holy and strange God. On the long way to the mountain of God, he encounters his God in indescribable diversity and wisdom. In a city like Vancouver, where I have now lived for a long time, there is a huge offer for spirituality. There are Buddhist temples,…
God seeks communion with people with all the fibres of his being. In the Garden of Eden a line begins that leads through the tabernacle, the temple, the incarnation of Jesus, the body of an individual believer to the church. At Pentecost, the followers of Jesus become temples of the Holy Spirit. This is a huge privilege and at the same time comes with the responsibility to extend the presence of God to the whole earth. What better thing could happen to us than to witness live how Jesus heals people, demons…
Focusing on God’s holiness could at best create pressure or a sense of distance. Holiness is God’s core characteristic. On this ground, however, He is also love. Both belong together. Holiness without love would emphasise the rift between God and human beings. Love without holiness would explain it away. Holy love, on the other hand, overcomes the rift, but does not abolish it. Such love is strong, penetrating, winning and changing. The weekend before last, our son and I went on a city trip.…
Is the fear of the Lord a shelf warmer with an expiry date or is it still relevant today? The normal reaction of a person who encounters God in His holiness is awe and respect. Where this fear of God is missing, God becomes a means instead of the centre of life. Such faith, however, is neither crisis-proof nor does it lead to a fulfilled life. Therefore, our great endeavour should be to encounter this God in His majesty, greatness and glory. In the last service of the evening, we received…
The prophet Ezekiel describes a vision of a river whose source is in the Holy of Holies of the Temple. From there the water flows through the land into the Dead Sea. Everywhere it passes, health, food and life emerge. One day this vision will be fully and globally fulfilled. Until that time comes, the followers are entrusted with the task of wetting their surroundings with the life-giving water and thus promoting life. Later in this service we will hear Martin…
Through Moses» simple prayer «Oh God, heal her» Miriam was healed of leprosy. It is also true today that God’s holiness heals. Ever since man first challenged God in the Garden of Eden, sickness has been part of our existence on earth. When we pray for healing, we do so with the great certainty that God always heals – sometimes in the now, one hundred percent in the tomorrow. After the encounters with the holy God, Moses» face shone so brightly that he could see it with…
After the encounter at the thorn bush, Moses lived with a longing desire to see the glory of God again and again. There were extraordinary experiences in his life, such as at Mount Sinai. More importantly for Moses, however, he organised his daily life in such a way that shared times with God became a regular habit. These encounters with the very Other changed Moses in his being and doing. A holy life arises from intimacy with God, which, however, we decide to do and which we…
Moses» encounter with the holy God at the thorn bush completely turned his life around. As the basis for his maximally challenging mission – to lead a people of millions out of captivity into an unknown land – the LORD introduces himself by name. «I am he whom I will show myself to be.» The holy God is not comprehensible to us humans, but HE is not arbitrary either. His holiness guaranteed purest goodness, mercy, love and empathy. The quality of a Christian grouping.…
Moses is tending his father-in-law’s sheep in the desert when he suddenly becomes aware of a burning, but not incinerating, thorn bush. This encounter with the holy God fundamentally changes his life. From now on, he lives with a passionate desire to see this mysterious God and his life is set on a new course. Moses» experience is an example of how a person can encounter the very Other and what the consequences are. Meanwhile, our children have grown up. But…
God’s holiness confronts us with a side of God that we can hardly grasp. It shows us him as the completely different one who is nevertheless turned towards us. It remains a challenge to encounter this God and to make him neither small and predictable nor distant and frightening. Dealing with the topic is worthwhile, for the fact that God is holy is the deepest and most comprehensive description of God’s nature. In it, it becomes clear why God is God. For Christians, it is the greatest…
Jesus is the Word through whom all creation was created. This Word is full of life and light. Christmas means that this Word came into the world as a human being with a body. It is true that the creator Jesus was for the most part neither recognised nor received by his works, but this did not detract from his luminosity. But whoever receives this Word made man has the privilege of being a child of God with indescribable privileges. We are accustomed to the Christmas story being embellished, with a…
How can a person grow a green branch? The answer is in Isaiah 11, where a green branch grows from an old tree stump. It is the Messiah who came into the world as a child in Bethlehem as the Prince of Peace. Through his word he is building a kingdom of peace which will be completed at his return. The Kingdom of Peace of God is of worldwide significance. As a result of the war, when Russia occupied Kherson, the city was completely destroyed. It resembles a…
A woman who is hopeful directs her life according to this hope. The Bible says that the confident hope of a Christian is comparable to a pregnancy. Just as in a biological pregnancy, there are also clear signs in a spiritual pregnancy: Christ in us is to take shape more and more. How can this happen and what are the consequences? This experience happened some time ago: The telephone rings. A woman greets me in a remarkably friendly manner and informs…
How can little hope become much hope? A person has peace with God, access to grace and hope in the glory of God through faith in Jesus Christ. When such a person faces the difficult challenges in life positively, a powerful dynamic is set in motion that leads to greater hope. This hope will never be disappointed because a deposit guarantees it. In the middle of London on the north side of the Thames, the words «Nothing can separate us» are written out…
Abraham is presented to us in the Bible as a great example of faith. And it is true, he did truly amazing things out of trust in God. The letter to the Hebrews reveals his secret. Abraham trusted in a future city built by God, he trusted that death is not the end and that one day all promises will be fulfilled. This vision of things to come made him act boldly and confidently in the present. Hope is the ability to…
The Jewish festival for our Thanksgiving today is the Feast of Tabernacles, a celebration of the joy of life. In the Old Testament, God wanted to remind the people that they had lived in tabernacles during the desert wanderings, that He provided for them and was close to them. In Revelation we are promised that God will one day «dwell in tabernacles» among us. He will dwell with us. He will be our God and we will be sons and daughters to Him. So the harvest festival contains a strong aspect of hope. In my family of origin,…
Man carries in his heart the longing for love and justice. Jesus calls the place where this longing is satisfied heaven. Moreover, He challenges us to shape our lives on earth starting from heaven. With a heavenly hope, we can make courageous decisions and live radically new values. We gain access to heaven by sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In most cases, I like to design funeral services. There is nothing…
Creatio – Hope and Responsibility; this is our current theme for the year. Together with faith and love, hope is one of the most important characteristics of living Christianity. Faith strengthens us. Hope carries us. Love holds us. Faith, hope, love – these three remain. We are invited, by strengthening these qualities, to get the full sound of a person who is on the way with Jesus. The Queen and with her the Royal Family of England is on everyone’s lips right now. What are actually…
God can create a new heart or restore a broken heart. Jesus shows us in his dealings with Peter, after his denial, what purposeful pastoral care could look like. To do this, he creates a shame-free zone and a space of grace. Forgiveness plays a key role in restoration. The goal is a growing love for Jesus and a life in the vocation God has intended for us. To be free – that is what we all want. The Bible says: «Only then.…
Although the people of Israel had left the toughest adversary Egypt behind them after the passage through the Reed Sea, new enemies had appeared. One day there were five of them. But God did not let the sun set for a whole day, so that they could be defeated. Even in personal life, the path to freedom remains a lifelong task. But God gives such sunny days in which we are challenged to attack and defeat the enemies from the past.…
The poet of Psalm 1 writes that a tree planted by streams of water will bring forth its fruit in its season. The natural consequence of a life founded in God is the coming forth of its own fruit. Every follower of Jesus can only bring forth the fruit that has been planted in him. Being reconciled to our own fruit that our life produces with God is the prerequisite for participating in God’s kingdom. Recently I told you about my morning muesli. Today the recipe suggestion continues:…
Jeremiah presents two options: to become like a scrawny bunch of junipers in the desert or like a sturdy tree by the water. Which way we go depends on who we rely on. Do we trust in ourselves or in other people or do we trust in the Lord? We cannot become a strong tree by our own strength, but with the strength of our decisions. Last Sunday evening we once again sat under our wide-branched cherry tree. Although the sun was a little poisonous…
The purpose of life is to worship the Lord. Psalm 104 begins with a call to worship. It then mentions the reasons why one should praise God. It ends with a renewed call to praise God. Pausing and contemplating God’s creation provides great support to find one’s way as a human being into the real vocation of worshipping God. A microwave oven was invented to heat food. It is not so much for drying the dog. A welding machine has the purpose of…
Job experiences a tangible crisis. His whole life is shattered. Sitting suffering in the ashes, he experiences a real blind flight. This lasts until Elihu directs Job’s gaze to the wonders of creation. As the story continues, God himself asks Job question after question about nature, none of which he can answer. This glimpse into creation becomes an eye-opener for Job. Although he does not receive any answers to his suffering, it puts him in the right position with God.…
When the first people decided not to trust in God, family relationships also broke down. There has been much failure and pain in marriages and families ever since. Already in the second generation there was a fratricide and the murderer asked the question: «Shall I be my brother’s keeper?» The answer is a resounding yes. God is committed to the reconciliation of families. A basic prerequisite for this is forgiveness, which itself crosses the generational curse line.…
24 Man is given the task at the very beginning, as a creature, of keeping the relationships within creation intact. However, because man did not put his trust in God in the Garden of Eden, the whole creation is affected. Now the whole creation groans and waits longingly for redemption. The Kingdom of God that has dawned with Jesus will bring restoration to all creation. In my family of origin, we are six brothers and sisters. When my parents are out of the house in the evening.…
Easter means that Jesus is the victor over death, which came as a result of the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden. Jesus is not only spiritually, ideally resurrected, but physically, materially. Accordingly, his offered redemption is not only for the human soul, but also for the body, indeed for the whole of creation. This is the very good Gospel, which is the answer to the very good creation. A fortnight ago we moved into our new home. We came to…
In the Garden of Eden, harmony and abundant happiness reigned. Unfortunately, humanity chose to find happiness on its own path. Sin destroys relationship and creates separation. Exemplified by the Samaritan woman in John 4, by offering her living water at Jacob’s well, Jesus restores peace between God and people of all races and classes. Just as centuries earlier Abraham’s servant created the conditions for the marriage between Rebekah and Isaac at a well,…
In the creation of the world, God was at work as a team (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Jesus is the Word through whom everything was created. This Word later became man to restore the originally intended communion between God and man. The New Testament knows two terms for word: logos and rhema. Rhema stands for oral speech, the spoken word. A rhema of God is still vividly effective and powerful today and creates life. At the moment we are renovating our house.…
Who and what is the Holy Spirit? In the Hebrew Bible he is called Ruach and is fundamentally located in the creation texts. The Ruach is that which makes life possible and creates it – be it in creation or in new creation. The Ruach is realised in society in justice, mercy, law and peace. I read the following joke: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit want to go on holiday. The father says: «Let’s go to Pakistan».…
An omnipotent God could have created the world in the duration of a blink of an eye. But God takes time, creates time and gives it to creation. This is the ultimate announcement against stress and restlessness. How long do you think a day lasted in the creation story? Instead of arguing about this, the Christian church should focus on important beliefs and stand united against Darwinian theses. Recently, someone told me that the Corona viruses, out of a survival strategy, entered the more or less…
On the last day, God gives creation the rating «very good». This includes perfect creatures living in successful relationships with each other. Man, created in God’s image, takes servant responsibility for the rest of creation in a similar way that God does. A very good gospel involves not only the salvation of individual souls, but the restoration of the whole cosmos. God will restore the shalom of the creation narrative in the new creation. The people of Israel, the Hebrews, are…
After God created the world, He judged it to be very good. This is above all because the relationships within the individual species and beyond are perfectly harmonised. When man disregarded the only restriction in his vast living space, the world was thrown devastatingly out of balance. In Jesus Christ, the new creation begins with the goal of heaven coming to earth. For Christians, this means hope and responsibility in equal measure. Those who gain distance see better. So…
In the film «The Shepherd», it is impressively shown how Jesus changes the life of the shepherd Simon. With a limp, a gaping wound on his arm and a defective sacrificial lamb, he is humiliated. He brings up the rear and carries the Red Lantern. When Jesus is born, he is suddenly first. Jesus turns his life upside down. Jesus – the light of the world – took the Red Lantern from him and – he still does that today. Holding the Red Lantern…
The gap between hearing and doing is a general human phenomenon. When God became man in the person of Jesus Christ, he impressively overcame this gap. John describes this with the words: «And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us». In the life of a follower of Jesus, too, the Word is to become flesh and take form. Such a person is like one who builds his house of life on a rock. The storms of everyday life cannot harm him. Some…
Regarding the transformation into Jesus-likeness (metamorphosis), there are various stumbling blocks. One might say, «Yes, but this one says … and that one says …». Look at the way they live their lives. If the fruits of a life according to the Sermon on the Mount are not visible, such prophets have no authority for you. But it is not only a matter of prudence, but also of personal discernment. Am I a good tree with good fruit? We must not frantically try to bring forth good fruit, but strive to be a good…
The parable of the broad and narrow way has a formative and rather moralistic impact history. This was probably not Jesus» intention. In the context of the teaching on character and virtue in the Sermon on the Mount, He wants to tell us: Stop saying, «But that’s what gets me into trouble.» Be prepared to pay the price for living according to God’s standards. It is the condition for transformation towards Christlikeness. When I was a child, I didn’t just go to the schoolhouse during the week.…
«Deal with others as others should deal with you. This sentence sums up the Law and the Prophets» (Matthew 7:12 NLB). This is the so-called Golden Rule of Jesus. In this one sentence is the potential to change the world for the better. After the Golden Rule, the commandment of love is a second summary of the Law and the Prophets. When we deal proactively and in love with others, God’s kingdom definitely takes shape. …
He who finds his ultimate support in the heavenly Father becomes serene. Free of worry and fear, he can focus on the kingdom of God. This means committing oneself to the values of peace, joy and justice in all areas of life. Whoever does this without reserve will experience God’s provision by means of many coincidences. The metamorphic cycle is: serenity from prayer – commitment to the kingdom of God – provision by chance. The entry point is in prayer – enjoying filiation and cultivating communion with…
The way out of the treadmill of worry, that is, out of the fixation on myself, is through the «single eye», that is, through a reorientation of the gaze. And this happens through prayer. It becomes clear that the metamorphosis of man exceeds human possibilities and efforts. The Prayer of the Unfather leads him beyond himself into the encounter with the heavenly Father. Thus he finds simplicity. In the process, the two cardinal virtues of serenity and single-mindedness are cultivated. In the following of Jesus lies…
The middle of the Sermon on the Mount is about prayer. Prayer is also the key to transforming a person into the example of Jesus Christ. Jesus mentions two obstacles on the way to good character: hypocrisy and pious performances. If we fall prey to these, our character will be corrupted. From the father-child relationship with God comes liberation and change. The Greek philosopher Aristotle taught that whoever wants to cultivate his character must have a goal. Then it is a matter of…
Daddy is the best! This is especially true of the heavenly Daddy. HE is merciful and of great goodness and combines all the other excellent qualities. A person’s calling is to become more like this God. Let your being be transformed! Our contribution is to appreciate this God, spend time with Him and listen to Him. Everything else will run by itself. I can still hear a sentence by René Winkler, which he…
Make Love, not War («Make love, not war»). This catchphrase sums up love of enemies succinctly. Instead of war, followers of Jesus are to respond to hostility with love. The Father in heaven serves as a model for an exceptional lifestyle. He is not only a role model, but he wants to transform us into this character through metamorphosis. Carlos Ortiz, the pastor of the fastest growing church in Buenos Aires, told a story at a conference. For many years he had been…
God’s power shows itself in miracles that we can perceive with our natural eyes. But miracles are not the daily portion of God’s power that we need most. If we want to experience God’s power permanently, deeply and existentially, so that our feelings, thoughts and actions are gripped by it, then we must learn to see with the inner eyes, with the eyes of the heart. Power means freedom of action. There are those who wield power, those who exercise power, those who play power games and those who wield power. Power does not have a good reputation. That is why there are…
Isaiah says, «Yes, Lord, you are a God who hides Himself, you God and Saviour of Israel.» We all experience the hiddenness of God, often just when we need Him most. What is important to persevere in such times and give a boost to our faith? Jesus can become an example to us in this regard too. Last Sunday in the sermon, a woman from Humlikon was quoted as saying the following in the documentary film on the 1963 plane crash: «Before…
The glory of God is the combined total of all His grandiose divine attributes. Everything combined together makes God a glorious God. Jesus Christ put aside divine glory when he came to earth as a man. On the cross he was glorified and thereby made access to God’s glory possible for us. When we look at the crucified and risen Jesus, we recognise God’s glory and are changed into it. The Sermon on the Mount makes it clear that in the metamorphosis…
Many think that the motto «an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth» is a very anarchic and bloodthirsty one. The opposite is the case: this instruction served as a precept of the public courts and helped to curb evil. Jesus then addresses the personal dealings among his followers. There, virtues such as gentleness and magnanimity are to be promoted. There is a clear differentiation between the task of the state and the personal handling of conflicts. A sandbox scenario could look like this: Jonas steals Lars, his neighbour’s boy,…
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges us to speak the truth. The tension between truth and lies runs through the whole Bible. Lie is the mother tongue of Satan, truth is the mother tongue of God. In order to find the truth, our hearts must be changed by the one who is the truth. In the process, we are confronted with the abysses of our heart and being. No problem, Jesus can transform our being! There is a saying, «The pen is mightier than the sword.» You can achieve more with words…
On the first Pentecost, the people present experienced some supernatural phenomena: fire, wind and foreign languages. Today, the Holy Spirit still wants to work among the followers of Jesus. In order to still experience the Holy Spirit today, we have to direct our focus on the decisive things in life and learn to wait patiently. This is the way to true metamorphosis as well as experiencing supernatural events. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. The reason is that on Pentecost the Holy…
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus also speaks about marriage and divorce. Because the marriage covenant is fundamentally holy and indissoluble, he does so very restrictively. The only reason that legitimises divorce and remarriage is fornication. Jesus can probably only set such a high standard because he creates a new heart in his followers and thus enables them to be faithful and to love. Marriage is a cloister that God has chosen to make us more like Him. The same goal is pursued by metamorphosis.…
Summary: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks in a few words about sex as an expression of lust and as an expression of love. God as the inventor of sexuality talks about it in a very relaxed and helpful way. The first call to man was to be fruitful and multiply. And then came the Sabbath. God has given us two things: sexual life as a joy to express love, and the gift to control the urges. This sermon is about the basics for…
Summary: Many Christians have heard hundreds of sermons, but are amazed and excited when they learn a lot about themselves, about good communication and conflict management in a company staff seminar. Yet the Bible has much to say that is suitable for everyday life. This sermon relates Bible texts to the topics mentioned. Once a woman had spread rumours about her neighbours and slandered them. This caused a lot of trouble. A long time later she repented and asked her neighbour for forgiveness. He forgave her…
Summary: Jesus does not abrogate the Torah in the Sermon on the Mount, but interprets it correctly. Thus he says that we should not only not kill, but also not cover our neighbour with evil words. He gets to the root of the problem. In today’s sermon we learn how to deal with each other with dignity in case of conflict. Since Jesus values life very much, it is very important to him that no one is shamed. In England, a man robbed a bank. In the process he was…
Today is Good Friday, in three days Easter. This sequence also applies to the personal and faith process towards maturity. Paul wants to experience the resurrection power of Christ. For this to happen, he also wants to share in his suffering and become like him even into his dying. This sermon explains the significance of this truth for our lives. It seems to me that it happens more and more often that my wife Silvia says something about which thoughts run through my head at the same time. At the same time…
In the Sermon on the Mount there are six theses which are translated as «You have heard that it says in the Law of Moses: … But I say unto you». How did Jesus relate to the law of the Old Testament? What is the relationship between law and grace? And what does the better righteousness mean that Jesus demands from his disciples? Such and other interesting and relevant questions will be clarified in this sermon. What did Jesus change about the way we live? Normally, Christians are of the following conviction:…
The city on the mountain describes a place of longing and is an image for heaven on earth. It is an image for the kingdom of God that is invisibly building itself in us and around us. It is a city that reaches far beyond geographical and political boundaries and where Jesus is the undisputed ruler on the throne. In this city built with living stones, Jesus is the cornerstone. With the surrender of our lives in baptism.…
The first part of the Sermon on the Mount is about «city development». God is the creator and builder of the city, which is visibly situated on a mountain (Matthew 5:14). The virtues from the Beatitudes are something like the entrance gate to this city and at the same time a description of the culture that prevails there. People who dance to God’s music make up this city, the kingdom of God. The first part of the Sermon on the Mount is about «urban development». Austria’s Vienna, Germany’s Freiburg and St. Gallen in Switzerland bear…
The audience heard the Sermon on the Mount with Jewish ears. There are many images in it that set the head cinema of those present in motion. We approach the Sermon on the Mount from the Old Testament. In the Psalms we discover the three-step process: building virtue and character, realising God’s reign, and trusting God and praying. The metamorphosis should lead us to learn to dance to the music of God. Once upon a time there was a little boy. His father sat in the same room and wanted to read the newspaper.…
The metamorphosis «Let your being be transformed!» describes the process of a follower of Jesus in transforming from ego-nature to Jesus-likeness. Jesus needs the image of the grain of wheat that has to die in the earth so that it can bear much fruit. A follower of Jesus dies in the metamorphosis towards life. The focus of this sermon is on life in the adult stage. What does this look like in the key areas of life – money and possessions, career and employment, and family and friends?…
The environment in which a spiritual metamorphosis (transformation of being) can happen is following Jesus. Jesus sets the bar for discipleship very high and thus excludes all sympathisers. Neither material comfort nor a job nor a profession nor family or friends may stand between Jesus and his followers. But – there is a huge promise on discipleship: «And everyone who leaves houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or fields for my name’s sake will have everything returned to him a hundredfold, and will have the…
Metamorphosis in zoology is the transformation of the larval form to the adult stage – for example, from a larva to a butterfly. The same term is also used in the Bible in Romans 12:2: «Be transformed in your being!» This is a very interesting description of the maturing process of a follower of Jesus. The imperative challenges us to allow a process in our own lives that is entirely outside our own capabilities. No one can bring themselves into spiritual maturity. This…
Simeon is a man who lived in Jerusalem at the time of the birth of Christ. He lived an Adventist life because he was eagerly waiting for the Messiah. But then it came to an encounter with Christ: he saw Jesus with his eyes and even took him in his arms. The quintessence of this Christmas encounter is that Simeon experienced supreme joy and was able to die in peace. Those who encounter Jesus Christ will still experience this today. After the birth of her son Jesus, according to Jewish law, Mary was considered forty days…
Gideon lays out the fleece twice and receives confirmation that God wants to give him victory against Midian. His army consists of 32,000 men, but they are reduced to 300. God does not want the Israelites to boast that they had saved themselves by their own strength. Trumpets, clay jars and torches play a role in the battle. This represents that God was in the midst of His people. The victory was won only through Him. The sermon gives strong…
The people of Israel experienced a very difficult time a few years after their entry into the Promised Land. Over a period of seven years they were plundered and pillaged by the Midianites. To lead the people out of their misery, God calls the fearful Gideon out of hiding and addresses him as a «hero» of all things. When God wants to intervene in a situation, he often calls ordinary people who feel weak. A coward coupled with God’s strength makes a hero. Sometimes you hear…
King Hezekiah had an extremely difficult inheritance to bear. His father did everything the Lord had forbidden. Hezekiah broke away from his family history and took a stand of his own. He burned all the idols and utensils of idolatry in the Kidron Valley and reintroduced worship. Characteristic of Hezekiah is his trust in God. Because of this, he succeeded in everything he did. When he was deathly ill, God gave him an additional 15 years of life. They were not good for him. He overestimated himself…
Jonathan is a man – unlike his father King Saul – who lives God’s dreams through his faith. In the face of formidable superiority, he makes the decision to pursue God’s goals. Jonathan makes it clear that initiative and risk-taking are spiritually valuable and necessary qualities. His conviction is: «It is not hard for the LORD to help by much or little» (1 Samuel 14:6). Jonathan experienced this impressively together with his loyal armour-bearer. Around 1000 B.C., Israelite tribes had Saul…
Agur is a wise man with high self-knowledge and self-awareness. He knows his weaknesses and temptations: Falsehood and lying, and having too much or too little. He prays to God to keep this away from him. Basically, he prays for authenticity, for truth and for a lifestyle of contentment and frugality. These are the conditions he needs so that he can live out of a healthy relationship with God. Like you and me. Our whole economic system is based on…
Being spoiled by his father, rejection and betrayal by his vengeful brothers, all the injustices in Egypt – Joseph seems predestined for a victim role. How can someone cope with such a past? The key was the renunciation of taking on God’s role, the trust in God’s goodness and the desire to live his life for God’s glory. Our prisons are full of people who, on closer inspection, experienced a bad childhood with sad experiences. A father who again and again…
We cannot influence what happens WITH us, but we can influence what happens IN us. Joseph was able to draw an extremely positive (interim) balance of his life at the age of 40. And this despite the fact that he had bad starting conditions for his life. In a long 22 years he learned to persevere, to embrace suffering and to look forward with hope. This shaped him into a man who saved the lives of many people. Some people find realisation in spite of many oppositions and crises.…
On his journey so far, Joseph has already learned a lot in terms of character and fear of God. Now his first successes are beginning to show. He is hired as a personal servant by one of Pharaoh’s ministers. Everything is going well. Nevertheless, things go downhill again. Completely unjustly, he is thrown into prison and forgotten there. But in the end, he grows even more into his destiny. He learns two essential things: to put his trust in God alone and to look away from himself. Joseph was the favourite son…
His brothers threw Joseph into a well. There he sat, full of fear and with no prospects for the future. But God was already pulling the strings in the background. Joseph later says: «God turned all the evil you planned into good. In this way he wanted to save the lives of many people» (Genesis 50:20 NL). We are simply no longer used to dealing with pain, suffering and death. Yet it is the way God shapes us and makes us salt and light on this…
Joseph had dreams at the age of 17 that would actually come true thirteen years later. From his dreams to his destiny, there were many tests and challenges to pass. One of them was the pride test. God helped him to become a humble person. From the first meeting between Jacob and Rachel he knew: for this woman I am ready to give everything! Laban, Rachel’s father, knew how to use this and let him spend seven years for…
When Abraham has to sacrifice his long-awaited and beloved son Isaac, his trust in God is severely tested. Abraham passes this test because he trusts that God is good and has ways in store that he does not yet know about. Today, God is no longer looking for material sacrifices, but for our undivided hearts. Abraham was in awe of God. That is the condition to be obedient even when it seems to one’s disadvantage. The consequence of this is blessing.…
It seems as if Lot had no ethical compass, just drifted along and took the path of least resistance. Accordingly, his life resembles a series of misfortunes. How can we make wise and sustainable choices in our lives? Despite everything, Lot goes down in history as a «righteous man». This has much to do with the prayer of his uncle Abraham. With Lot, Abraham’s nephew, many things were not right. But there is no example that…
The parents Adam and Eve gave their second son the name Abel, which means breath or nothingness. This has been said over and over again to him through his name. Words have power. Abel, despite his short life, became the first example of faith (Hebrews 11:4). Unlike Cain, he sacrificed the first and best to God. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus takes Abel to task. If he noticed that Cain had something against him, he should have approached him and solved the problem.…
Why is there so much injustice in this world? Or is God even unjust? Cain felt set back and unappreciated compared to his brother Abel. Deeply offended and consumed by envy, he gave free rein to violence and killed his brother. God had shown him a better way to deal with his negative feelings. Nevertheless, God gave Cain a second chance. He should live, a marked man, but live. Have mercy on us, Lord. Why is it that a person is diagnosed with…
Saul was anointed as the first king over Israel. As equipment for this, the Spirit of God came upon him. He was SPIRITED. The Spirit caused him to speak prophetically, to be transformed into another person and to be led by God. Through disobedience to God, he was deSPIRITED, the Lord turned away from him, which ultimately ended in suicide. We can learn much from this story for our life with the Holy Spirit. An advocate (literally the summoned one) is a lawyer or…
Hagar had to stand in as a slave for Sarah, Abraham’s wife, because she could not have children. When she was pregnant, the two women had a catfight, so Hagar fled into the desert. There she met an angel who told her to humble herself and go back. Hagar called the Lord who had spoken to her El Roi – God who sees me. Because she received kudos from God, she was able to go back to the emotional wreckage. Have you already…
Judah is instrumental in the sale of his brother Joseph to Egypt. He then goes down to Canaan. Canaan stands for love of the temptations of the world. After acting out his sexual needs on his disguised daughter-in-law Tamar, he realises his guilt and turns back. Now he is even willing to lay down his life for his brother. Judah was a brother of Joseph who caused Joseph to be sold into slavery in Egypt (Genesis…
Eve was tempted by the serpent in the Garden of Eden on three levels: Greed, avarice and ostentation. These are the same temptations we still encounter today and seem to be the apt response to our longing for happiness. The result is ultimately shame and deficit. People do not become happy through external things, but in love for God and in being there for other people. Hans had served his boss faithfully for seven years and received a lump of gold as a reward, which was so…
When the serpent tempted humans in the Garden of Eden, Adam stood silently and passively beside his wife. This pattern has been repeated millions of times over the course of time. Many men shut themselves off when things become confusing or threatening. The second Adam, Jesus Christ, changes the sign completely. We find ourselves in the most beautiful idyll in the Garden of Eden. Recently I photographed a picture on which the following text was printed next to a magnificent landscape: «Eden in Thurgau – the Thurgau landscape as…
The risen Jesus meets Mary at the empty tomb as a gardener. God is like a gardener for us. He knows how to transform barren land into a flourishing garden. Easter turns a Good Friday of mourning into a Good Friday, a story of mourning into a story of hope. When the houses are built on a development and the first people move into their flats, the surroundings are still brown, dirty and dreary. The gardener is the last professional to come and take care of this dreariness, creating a garden,…
Elisha and his servant experience a story of seeing or not seeing in the face of an enemy army. Through a prayer of Elisha, Gehazi’s vision was unlocked into the invisible spiritual reality. As a result, he lost all fear because he saw the armies of God far superior to worldly dangers. Even in our car driving lessons we were taught that we drive where we look. If we look at the tree on the bend, there is great danger of a collision. That is why in…
Whoever listens to Jesus and acts accordingly is like a man who builds his house on rock. On the other hand, the one who only listens and does not act sinks his life. A disciple responds to Jesus» invitation to follow him and now does everything he can to share his whole life with him and become like him. «Disciple» is another name for the person who has a rocky foundation. Small groups are the training centre on the way to becoming a disciple. The French Christian…
What is a disciple? To get to the bottom of this question, we look at the origin of all discipleship, rabbinism in Jewish Galilee. This is discipleship: I respond to Jesus» invitation to follow him and now put all my efforts into sharing all of life with him and becoming like him. The disciple is an apprentice or apprentice of Jesus. «Therefore go to all the nations and make disciples of them» (Matthew 28:19 NL). Before this…
Ansgar Gmür was director of the Homeowners» Association, tenor, ventriloquist and tough businessman. Now he wants to become a pastor. Gmür was born the seventh of eight children into a mountain farming family in Amden. His mother died when he was eleven. Under his strict father, he had to work hard and had only a pair of shoes with holes. Even at 27, he was underweight and his doctor didn’t want to believe that he didn’t have enough money for food. But Gmür caught up with the Matura after his apprenticeship as a laboratory technician…
Samuel was a priest, prophet and centurion in Israel about 3000 years ago. In his younger years he learned to listen to and obey God. He expressed his experience in the following words to King Saul: «To obey him is very much better than to offer sacrifice, to listen to him is better than the fat of rams» (1Samuel 15:22). What is a life of listening and obeying as opposed to a life of offering sacrifices? The outstanding importance…
Samuel was born into a time when the word of God was «dear». Completely clumsy and unaware, he began to listen to God’s speaking. He humbly obeyed his God and thus became a priest, prophet and centurion in one person, the likes of which had not been seen since Moses. From his experience we can learn a lot for our own communication with God. When we listen to Him and obey Him, we become blessed and a blessing to others! As…
In our basic documents, the mission of seetal chile is described with the words gathering, strengthening and sending. Accordingly, there is a vision picture of a village. Now we have noticed that the dimension of mission is completely missing from the picture and is also little emphasised in our congregational culture. We believe that we have reached a point where we should focus more on the mission and renew the vision picture accordingly. «When the salt comes on the meat, on the fish.…
«I will bless you and you shall be a blessing» (according to Genesis 12:2). Abraham, the father of many nations, received this promise from God. God demanded an incredible departure from him: He was to leave his homeland, where he had already been rooted for 75 years. As a man blessed by God, he was to become a blessing for many other people and nations. In the life of Abraham and many other people we discover a common thread: God addresses people, blesses them and…
A prison cell is a good comparison for the Advent situation. The door is locked and can only be opened from the outside. In Jesus, God came to our world as a human being to free us from our prisons. The only appropriate response to God’s grace, is Mary’s when she says: «I am the servant of the Lord and bow to his will.» On 21 November 1943, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote from Nazi prison to his friend Eberhard Bethge: «Such a…
In the parable in Luke 15, when the son returned home after a long time, his father presented him with a splendid dress, a finger ring and shoes. In addition, he slaughtered the fatted calf and threw a feast. All this means that the returnee was granted the identity of a son. Fathers and mothers also have the task of speaking identity to their children and this also in their gender. «In the home must begin what is to shine in the fatherland.» This series of topics deals with…
On the fifth commandment («You shall honour your father and mother.») lies a huge promise. The implementation of this demand looks different in every phase of life. But it is always about respecting, honouring and strengthening the position of father and mother. The condition for adult children is that they have left father and mother. The goal is not independence, but hearts turned towards each other in freedom. «In the home must begin what is to shine in the fatherland.» This sentence by Jeremias Gotthelf,…
The fact that God presents Himself as Father in the Bible gives a huge dignity to the topics of parenting, upbringing and filiation. We may first enjoy God’s fatherly qualities personally and then also apply them in parenting. God’s parenting model describes itself with the words freedom, consistency and relationship. God’s first priority is a heart relationship. Psychology says that what you experience in the first six years of life is your «normal». In other words, what you perceive as normal in life is what…
A diametrically different personality type from Mary is Peter. He is a strongly extroverted person. When the community of Jesus» disciples was challenged, he was usually the quickest to react. He is an innovative, loud person, but he fails time and again because of his unsteadiness. Jesus takes care of him, changes him and gives him the great responsibility of being the rock on which Jesus builds his church. After the last sermon, I was asked the following question by email: What is Jesus? Intro?…
The church needs both introverts and extroverts so that it can act thoughtfully! Two sermons deal with the interaction of people with these two personality orientations. Mary, the mother of Jesus, shows some clearly introverted characteristics. Today the focus is on introverts. They are challenged to grow into spiritually-emotionally mature people. Four weeks ago Debora Sommer was with us and preached on the topic «Curtain up for quiet Christians». I have been working on this topic for about a year and have…
Those who turn to Jesus Christ are given a dwelling in the heavenly home! Unfortunately, the images of heaven are often so colourless and boring that many do not even look forward to the eternal home. This sermon provides motivating images of heaven. What we believe about the future affects our lives in the here and now. There is almost nothing more beautiful than roaming through the woods on a bike on a late summer day and looking down on Lake Hallwil from a high trail. This…
People who see themselves as guests on earth and have their home in heaven live refreshingly differently. The example of Paul from Philippians explicitly supports this thesis. Despite imprisonment with an open outcome, the basic melody of his life is joy, freedom from worries, serenity and freedom. We want to learn something from this inspiring example. How would you like to be? I make you a suggestion: Your heart is full of joy, even when life gets pretty tight. You are a…
Werner Messmer has been in the limelight for many years as an entrepreneur, politician and President of the Swiss Association of Master Builders. In an interview, he gives us an insight into how he walks with God in these public offices as well as in his private life. The way he lives his faith and the experiences he has are very encouraging and inspiring.
What makes the Father in heaven the best host? Based on the well-known Psalm 23, we draw conclusions about our own hospitality. And we will once again be amazed at how generous and good God is. Our theme for the year, «Welcome Home», means that each of us personally finds a home with the heavenly Father, but also that we offer hospitality to one another in this world. The Catholic priest Romano Guardini links these two strands together: «But if we are to be able to practise hospitality, we must offer hospitality to…
«Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in this way some have sheltered angels without realising it!» (Hebrews 13:2). The Greek word used in the Bible for hospitality literally means love for the stranger. Such hospitality is not only gastronomy, but also a spiritual event. Rabbi Shmuel of Brysow was one of the most respected men of his Hasidic faith. And he was rich. One day a large group of merchants came to Brysow, and shortly…
Jesus calls on his followers to «make disciples of the nations». A disciple then was like an apprentice with us 70 years ago. Back then, an apprentice became part of the Master’s family, watching him and learning how to do a thing, then doing it himself. To carry out this great commission, Christians are to go, baptise and teach. In the Ostschweizer Tagblatt, a man named Konrad Bösch reported: «Soon the time will come again when the apprenticeships will be filled anew.…
The Book of Ruth speaks of the exodus from home as well as the return. In order for the widow Ruth to make her home in Israel, she needed a redeemer. Boaz took over this function. This gave her a livelihood and eternal hope. Jesus is our redeemer; he too enables us to have a home in the house of God. Today’s blessing of Noemi G. is reason enough to look at the Noomi of the Bible in the Book of Ruth. It is a story of coming home. For the time being, however, it was off to…
First we must live ourselves, and then help others to live. This order is illustrated to us by a story of lepers who first filled their own bellies and then shared the good news. We are invited to the table in the house of God. There we are fed with delicacies. We are then challenged to invite others. Before each flight, we are told how to use the oxygen mask in an emergency. Pull the mask down towards you. Place the oxygen mask over your…
Pentecost originated from the Jewish festival of Shavuot, which is also called the «festival of the harvest». It is therefore obvious that Pentecost in turn heralds a time of harvest. By receiving the Holy Spirit, the followers of Jesus are equipped with a power through which they can be witnesses for the cause of Jesus to the furthest corners of the earth. Through this, people become at home with God. Welcome home! When the Israelites left captivity, it took exactly seven weeks for them to…
Jesus challenges his companions to repent and become like children (Matthew 18:3). To become truly at home with the heavenly Father requires a childlike faith. This is what someone finds when he has left behind the previous phases of «naïve faith» and «complex faith». Four weeks ago a woman here in the service told how she had found childlike faith through severe visitations. Childlike faith is a sign of maturity in the relationship with the heavenly Father.…
The Bible repeatedly presents God as a father with many good qualities. We want to be challenged by these to also live a good fatherhood in our families. Despite all our efforts, we miss some things and do not even meet our own requirements. This leaves its mark on the children. But God as Father takes care of us and gives healing. A congregation organised a faith course on «Breathing into God’s Presence». One course participant listened to everything patiently, but remained…
God not only has a Father’s heart, but also a Mother’s heart. In order to become completely at home with Him, we need a great closeness to both hearts. Our relationship with our biological mother has a great influence on our closeness to the mother heart of God. Mother wounds suffered must therefore be cared for and need healing. Emperor Frederick II made experiments with children. He wanted to find out the primordial language common to all human beings. He believed that he would be able to discover it by observing the language in which children speak.…
By the term «visitation» we understand a stroke of fate that is perceived as a test or punishment from God. In Luke 19:44 we encounter the word in the Bible and it refers to Jesus» visit to Jerusalem, with which he wanted to call people home to the heavenly Father. Based on personal stories, we want to show the potential of visitations and how they can bring us closer to God. According to Wikipedia, the term «visitation» means a stroke of fate that acts as a test or punishment.…
On Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Death and resurrection are part of the normal spiritual rhythm of every follower of Jesus. Spiritual growth cannot be had without the minor or major deaths that occur in every life. Easter clearly shows us that the resurrection power of God is greater than death. It is equally clear to us that life emerges from death. A beautiful example of this is the Jericho Rose, where from seemingly dead undergrowth, through…
The goal in life with Jesus Christ is to become more at home with the heavenly Father. Companions help us to achieve this. Aaron and Miriam were Moses» companions. Thanks to them, Moses became the capable and mature man we know from the Bible. My best colleague during my «tech time» was an Engadine and mountain guide. When we looked out of the window during lectures in Buchs in the Rhine Valley, we looked directly at the Kreuzberge on the edge of the Alpstein. For him, that was often…
Many people believe that everything will be fine as soon as they have found the perfect partner. Those who put the whole burden of their hopes and longings on their partner will crush them with their expectations. The story of Jacob, Rachel and Leah illustrates this point and shows us the way to freedom. People’s longing for true love has always been sung about and described, but in our present culture this longing is increased to almost immeasurable proportions. The stages of our world…
For decades Abraham waited for the promised son and when he finally came, he was to sacrifice him on a mountain. Isaac’s sacrifice taught Abraham to love God more than his son. It is also our problem that fulfilled dreams like to elevate themselves to idols. That is why we must always put them on the altar. Only those things can safely remain part of our lives that really no longer have an idol function.… Exactly twenty years ago, I was writing the final thesis of my…
Our vocation is to grow spiritually. Growing in faith is synonymous with «becoming at home» in the house of God. In this sermon, the different stages of growth are shown and you will be motivated to reach out for the next one. Intensive reflection and living with the Bible is the most powerful factor in spiritual growth. Albert Einstein’s young neighbour was talking to him at a party. The woman asked him, «What exactly do you do for a living?» Einstein looked at her and said, «I devote…
In the parable of the two prodigal sons, the question arises, who then is to do the work on the farm? Obviously, the older brother made a mistake by toiling in the fields like a slave. But just sitting in the banquet hall doesn’t work either. Every human being reaches out for love, acceptance and appreciation. If we try to earn these things by our actions, it comes out badly. But if we act on the foundation of love, acceptance and appreciation,…
The elder son in the parable is a stranger in his own home and lives a bitter «orphan mentality». All the wealth of the father would be available to him, but he does not use it. How can the change from such a lifestyle to a son or daughter mentality and thus to a liberated Christianity happen? Home is the place where I am unconditionally accepted and can give myself as I am. There I can also sometimes show off a «scolding» and…
This sermon connects the annual theme «Welcome Home» with a current challenge in congregational life that we are facing. Namely, we ask ourselves how, inspired by the hospitality in God’s house, we can derive a comprehensive welcoming culture for the seetal chile. In this endeavour, we find strong impulses in the parable of the father with the two prodigal sons. Every January we hold a so-called vision service. These services are meant to open our eyes to the future. We talk about what spiritual significance…
What is home? Is home simply a country or perhaps even just a house with which we associate sentimental memories? According to Psalm 91:9, the presence of God makes a place a home: «With the LORD I am safe! Yes, with God Most High you have found a home.» In this sermon series, we will discover together how to come home inside, find a fulfilled life and help others discover that home. On Sunday mornings, when I was still a child or teenager in the…
Without a personal encounter with God, Christmas remains only a fairy tale and personal faith bland and unattractive. To change this, God became human in the person of Jesus and made himself touchable, visible, audible and tangible. Through an encounter with God, Advent becomes an adventure! If you extend the word Advent with the three letters u‑r-e, it means adventure. Our theme for the year is «Abentüür Gebät». Prayer becomes an adventure when it comes to an encounter with God, which is also the…
The reformation of King Asa is a helpful illustration of how we can make our door high and the gate wide to receive the King of all kingdoms. This sermon is specifically addressed to Christians whose faith life has become lukewarm and who long for more excitement, rest and peace through Jesus Christ. Advent is a fitting time to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus.
Line bus prayers let us experience that God can be changed. With hot air balloon prayers, we ourselves experience a change. In any case, prayers have the power to change God, the world and ourselves! But prayers are not primarily about solving problems, but about deepening our relationship with the heavenly Father.
The Brennende Berg (356.7 m above sea level) is a forested hill on the border of the Saarland towns of Saarbrücken and Sulzbach. It is home to a smouldering coal seam that caught fire in the 17th century and is still smouldering today. Such underground fires remind us of something that can be seen in many people – including myself: a smouldering inner life that is difficult to smother and erupts every now and then. Jesus Christ is able to free us from our hurts, fixations and imprints.…
In search of love and freedom She lived in the world of the rich and beautiful and had her own agency for promotion and styling. Tina liked to be in front of the camera and created her own world «World of Venus» with pin-up calendars and VIP events. As a glamour girl, she cultivated her image as a «love goddess». Tina Schmidt talks about her life: «I only felt loved when I was desired. I thought I would die without sex. Only a completely different kind of…
The Book of Job gives us a deep insight into evil, who is behind it and how it works. Very impressively, Job lives out how we can behave in dark times so as not to become a prey to evil. Through his clinging to the Redeemer («Yet I know that my Redeemer lives and will have the last word on this earth.») his faith was raised to a higher level and he was blessed in an impressive way.
Jesus was tested by the tempter in the areas of popularity, possessions and power. These are the three areas that are powerful engines in our lives as well. Together with fear, this forms a negative spiral: one never has enough. The three evangelical counsels (chastity, poverty and obedience) are, to a certain extent, the brakes that make a good creative handling of these inner forces possible.
There is temptation in the form of testing and temptation in the form of seduction. With the sixth petition in the Our Father prayer, we pray God that we do not fall into temptation, do not fall into its trap. This petition is not about optimising our morals, but about reaching the goal – being with God.
Do we really need forgiveness like daily bread? With the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying together in the temple, Jesus shows that there are two kinds of people, those who know they are sinners and those who do not. Yet recognising one’s own vulnerability to sin would be the key to an upbeat and joyful life with Jesus!
The Bible says several times that if we refuse to forgive others, God will not forgive us either. Forgiveness is very one-sided and unjust. But if we dare, we will find that relationship is enabled and renewed.
In the parable of the begging widow, Jesus shows that persistent and determined prayer leads to the goal. The widow got what was coming to her. How much more will people get their rights if they persistently ask their Father in heaven!
«Daily» and «today» express that we are not to ask the Father in heaven for supplies, but for daily needs. If we always live in tomorrow, we make ourselves many unnecessary worries. The sermon challenges us to be whole before God now – and we will be blessed!
Jabez prayed against his own name, which was a curse word. It means torment and pain! Although the prayer sounds somewhat self-centred, it says: And God let come what he had asked for. Jabez rose up against his disposition through prayer. Prayer changed his life.
Prayer in Jesus» name is said to have a one hundred percent success rate. What does it mean for a person to pray in His name and to be an agent. The perfect empowerment consists in the care of the Holy Spirit and the influence of Jesus» name in the very highest place.
Jesus healed not only souls, but whole people according to body, soul and spirit. He still wants to do that today through his allies. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that our body – the older it gets – will diminish. Quite in contrast to the spirit, which is renewed from day to day. How do we deal with this tension?
«Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven». This phrase comes before the request for provision («Give us this day our daily bread.»). Apparently, it is more important that we grow into a deeper relationship of trust with God than that He fulfils all our wishes.
The Jews read the Book of Ruth on their feast of Pentecost (shavuot). This Old Testament story illustrates how the Holy Spirit unites people.
In prayer, we can step inwardly out of the many gazes of men and place ourselves under the one gaze of God. There we find a deeply liberated way of life, without pressure and full of strength. It is life in the presence of God, the place of freedom.
What does it mean when God’s kingdom comes? The sermon wants to encourage to ally oneself with God and to see oneself as a sent one for God’s kingdom in this world. We can help build God’s kingdom by making God’s Word a reality.
From top chef to ruin to «total enjoyment». André Heiniger is interviewed about his eventful life.
In the prayer David says in Psalm 131, he gives us deep insight into the secret of a quiet heart full of peace. Three enemies who must be replaced stand in the way of this peace.
An Easter sermon on the threefold «Peace be with you» from Jesus to the disciples who had locked themselves in fear. The resurrection of Jesus has the power to first open doors of the heart and then other doors as well.
A second time is about how the name of our Father in heaven can be sanctified. Through worship. But worship is much more than good feelings and beautiful songs. It is also about giving thanks, lamenting and proclaiming. Worship is the very meaning of our lives. The story of King Jehoshaphat from 2 Chronicles 20 brings together all facets of worship and shows the beautiful consequence of it.
Who is «Our Father», the person we address in prayer? It is a God who introduces himself with four letters (YHWH) that mean «his». The Father in heaven has the proper name «He-who-is» and many other names. God is just so big and so wide that you cannot capture him with a proper name. That would limit him and make him tangible. Each one of his many names shows certain characteristics of him.
The form of address in «Our Father» is written in the first person plural. Jesus, who recommended this prayer for imitation, had something in mind. When we call upon the Father in heaven from within the community, we will experience powerful effects of our prayers.
Who is actually «Our Father in heaven»? Who does Jesus say we should talk to? On the one hand, he is the near Father and on the other hand, he dwells in the distant heaven. How does the love of God relate to his holiness? Our image of God has a great influence on the basic attitude with which we pray.
We look at the vision of seetal chile and ask ourselves how God sees our community. This involves the well in the middle of the village as well as the building land reserves.
Start of the new year’s theme «Abentüür Gebät». When asked by his disciples to teach them how to pray, Jesus responded with the «Our Father’s Prayer». This prayer provides the structure for the sermons in 2018. Today, the aim is to gain an initial overview.
The way of the shepherds and the way of the wise men to Bethlehem to the manger is quite different. Nevertheless, for both groups it leads to the worship of God.
The tree of life that stood in paradise in Adam and Eve’s time reappears in the new city to come. It bears fruit twelve times a year and its leaves have healing power. It is a free gift of grace that man is given a second chance to eat from the tree of life and then live eternally with God.
This vision of the New Jerusalem is not meant to shape us into world-weary, but into hopeful, peace-making, loving people.
How are the biblical events of the first resurrection, the millennial kingdom and the final judgement to be understood and classified?
In a speech shortly before entering the Promised Land, Moses reminded the people of Israel not to forget God in all their prosperity and to be grateful to Him. How can we be grateful regardless of our personal situation?
Bablyon the Great is presented to us as a prostitute who seduces people from all nations. One day, however, her last hour will come…
This sermon is not about the popularly called «bowl judgments» but about how a Christian can stay awake and clothed in the face of these signs. The central biblical passage for this is Revelation 16:15.
John gives us an overview of what is happening in this world and shows us the key qualifications that a follower of Jesus needs in order to survive in this time: Patience, obedience and faith. What does this mean for our lives?
=D100:D101The number of the beast in Revelation 13 is 666. Elsewhere the Bible speaks of the Antichrist coming to deceive us. Where is he? How can we recognise him and prepare ourselves?
Revelation 12 describes a cutting-edge image that, according to various speculations, will come to pass on 23 September 2017. We are curious. In any case, this chapter shows us how Satan works in this world and what weapons he is powerless against.
According to Jesus, the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. When it is placed in the earth, it grows into a large perennial that can become a nesting place for migratory birds. The growth DNA of the mustard seed was placed in the people who believe in Jesus Christ. Therefore, great things can come about through their lives.
Jesus has given each of his followers a part of his wealth to trade with. What is the mission? What is the capital? How are they to trade? What happens when they report?
Between the 6th and 7th trumpets we are given a glimpse behind the scene. We see that God reigns absolutely sovereign over the whole scene.
A sermon on the solos of the Reformation. Delivered in Bad Schussenried on the occasion of the Gemeindeweekend 2017.
The visions of the trumpets answer important questions, such as how a follower of Jesus should behave in the face of catastrophes and wars in this world.
Mohanathas Balasubramaniam talks about his life.
Jesus Christ laid down his life for us on the cross on Good Friday. Again and again he says that his followers will also experience persecution and tribulation. These things are part of the core of faith, so to speak. What we are currently experiencing in the Western world is not normal. John sees the victorious overcomers in two different visions. These images are meant to encourage us to lay down our lives completely for Christ – no matter what the cost.
The seals will be broken and reveal what judgements will pass over the earth in a first series of sieves.
Epistle to Laodicea There is a way in the Gospel from an indifferent, passionless, lukewarm Christianity to a «hot» passion for Jesus.
Epistle to Philadelphia Even if you have little strength, hold steadfastly to Jesus. In doing so, you will create a great future for yourself and those around you!
Letter to Thyatira Christ challenges the church in Thyatira to many No’s for the great Yes!
Jesus personally writes heavenly feedback to the seven churches in Asia Minor. He tells the Ephesians that a church can do everything right and have a great magnetic effect, but if love is missing, everything is in vain.
Revelation sets our mental cinema in motion through the many images shown. At the beginning, the main character, Jesus Christ, is introduced. In the process, amazing things come to light!
Using the keywords belong – believe – behave, we explain our church culture and course. In doing so, we answer questions about how our welcoming culture can be reconciled with a Bible-based interpretation of the Bible.
Today we start the new annual theme «Foresight». In the course of 2017 we will interpret the book of Revelation. This sermon gives a first insight and shows the actual meaning of Revelation. It unveils and reveals in vivid, pictorial form the invisible realities and powers behind the visible events, thereby explaining the course of history.
A Christmas sermon about the mega joy experienced by the shepherds in the field. The reason for this joy was that the Saviour was born and created the condition for peace on earth.
This is the last of the four sermons on work and sums up the theme. The main message is: Christ is not only our Lord on Sunday, but he is also our employer on Monday.
Do we want to make a name for ourselves with the work or do we get a name and then do the work? This question decides whether I can glow at work or not.
The first of four sermons on the topic of faith and work deals with the basics. The following questions are clarified: What does God have to do with work? What do I have to do with work? How do we work?
Daniel shows us as a role model that we do not need to be total social deniers who go on hunger strike or withdraw from everything. However, with sympathetic determination, we must know the point where our «but» must come.
Susanne Geske is our guest and talks about her life. Susanne is the widow of the German missionary Tilman Geske, who was murdered in Turkey nine years ago.
Worship consists of praising, thanking, lamenting and proclaiming. If we worship in every situation of life, a strong soul can be formed in us.
We often experience a discrepancy between what we live and what the Bible actually intended. This tension is part of the life of a person who is on the way with Jesus. In this sermon, the solution is shown how our lives can nevertheless change sustainably and positively.
Jan Hus (1369–1415) is a shining example of a man who dedicated his life to the truth. His life ended at the stake on 6 July 1415 at the Council of Constance. It is impressive what an impact his life had.
What does it mean to shine in public and what are the requirements for this? This sermon explores this question using James 2:14–17 and other passages from this letter.
In the Bible, people are called happy who experience opposition and rejection because of their faith. Why does the good news often create friction in this world and what does this mean for active Christians?
An image that is used again and again for the church in the Bible is the body. The church is the body of Christ on this earth. This has strong implications for our togetherness and our mission.
In the Nicene and Constantinople Creeds, the Church is described by the proper words of the title. We look into the matter and try to understand why the Church Fathers chose exactly these words.
The impossible becomes possible! This statement is underpinned by the life of William Wilberforce (1759–1833). Wilberforce is the man who abolished slavery in the world’s leading slave-trading nation, Great Britain.
At the latest in difficult life situations, it is decisive whether God is the centre or only the means in a person’s life.
What it means to go through life as a single person, what steps can be helpful and how the church can provide a good environment.
Are there determinations and curses that are automatically passed on from one generation to the next? Can it be that because of my ancestors I am blocked? In this sermon, an answer to this question is given based on Exodus 34:1–9.
Martin Dreyer is a freelance theologian, qualified pedagogue, addiction counsellor and writer. He became known nationwide in the nineties through the founding of the Christian youth movement «Jesus Freaks». His breakthrough as an author came with the Volx Bible, a Bible in easy-to-understand language, which has become a paperback bestseller. Martin is married, has a daughter and a son and lives in Berlin. Despite these considerable successes, there are also dark dark sides to his life. The failure of his first marriage, alcohol and drugs as well as a…
How do you think Jesus would treat homosexual people? There are only speculative answers to this question because there are no such examples in the Bible. And yet a clear pattern can be discerned in how Jesus encounters people: Full of affection and compassion, and he always meets them with great clarity and challenging explicitness.
Till death do you part! in this day and age, most marriages end before death. This sermon is about how to counteract premature corrosion of marriage with suitable rust-proofing.
The third sermon in the mini-series «Everything has its time». How can we better order our time so that we are not simply under the tyranny of the urgent?
The first sermon of the mini-series «Everything has its time». Time is a gift from God. God himself has taken time and given it to you so that you can become his beloved child!
Jesus went through various stations during the Passion period, each of which can stand for an emotional or life situation of us humans. At the centre is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The fifth sermon on the «Shame or Dignity» campaign._x000D_ _x000D_ How can we experience honour, dignity and restoration through Jesus Christ?
The third sermon on the campaign «Shame or Dignity». How do we respond to shaming and how do we become the best version of ourselves?
