Bible Text: Luke 15:11\u201324 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | This ser\u00admon con\u00adnects the annu\u00adal the\u00adme \u00abWel\u00adco\u00adme Home\u00bb with a cur\u00adrent chall\u00adenge in con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adtio\u00adnal life that we are facing. Name\u00adly, we ask our\u00adsel\u00adves how, inspi\u00adred by the hos\u00adpi\u00adta\u00adli\u00adty in God\u2019s house, we can deri\u00adve a com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adve wel\u00adco\u00adming cul\u00adtu\u00adre for the see\u00adtal chi\u00adle. In this endea\u00advour, we find strong impul\u00adses in the para\u00adble of the father with the two lost sons. <\/p>\n
Every Janu\u00adary we hold a so-cal\u00adled visi\u00adon ser\u00advice. The\u00adse ser\u00advices are meant to open our eyes to the future. We talk about what spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal mea\u00adning the the\u00adme of the year could have for our con\u00adcre\u00adte con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adtio\u00adnal life. Spe\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adcal\u00adly, we want to look at hos\u00adpi\u00adta\u00adli\u00adty in God\u2019s house today and draw con\u00adclu\u00adsi\u00adons for our\u00adsel\u00adves. Jesus paints this very impres\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly befo\u00adre our eyes in the para\u00adble of the father with the two sons.
\nWel\u00adco\u00adme cul\u00adtu\u00adre in God\u2019s house
\nJesus con\u00adtin\u00adued: \u00abA man had two sons. The youn\u00adger son said to his father, \u00abI want my inhe\u00adri\u00adtance from your pro\u00adper\u00adty alre\u00ada\u00addy.\u00bb \u00bb (Luke 15:11,12). He might as well have said, \u00abI wish you were dead.\u00bb This is becau\u00adse inhe\u00adri\u00adtance is nor\u00admal\u00adly only given after the death of the father. This son could not wait. With the money in his pocket, the youn\u00adger son tur\u00adned com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly away from his pre\u00advious life. Jesus here paints us a pic\u00adtu\u00adre of the worst pos\u00adsi\u00adble beha\u00adviour that was pos\u00adsi\u00adble in the cul\u00adtu\u00adre of that time. The son had trea\u00adted his father with dis\u00adre\u00adspect. His actions were not trif\u00adles. He was an adul\u00adte\u00adrer and spent the money on pro\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtes. When the\u00adre was no money left, he even sank so low as to take a job as a pig her\u00adder. Pigs were the epi\u00adto\u00adme of impu\u00adri\u00adty for Jews.
\nJesus could not add any\u00adthing that would make the son worse off. The youn\u00adger son is ful\u00adly awa\u00adre that he has mes\u00adsed up. That is why he wants to go back to his father. He does not expect to be wel\u00adco\u00admed as a son. He was only hoping for a job as a day labou\u00adrer. \u00abSo he retur\u00adned home to his father. He was still far away when his father saw him coming. Full of love and com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon, he ran to meet his son, embra\u00adced him and kissed him\u00bb (20). The father ran to meet him. That was not what a rich man did in tho\u00adse days. But love was stron\u00adger than social norms.
\n\u00abHis son said to him, \u00abFather, I have sin\u00adned against hea\u00adven and also against you, and am no lon\u00adger wort\u00adhy to be cal\u00adled your son.\u00bb \u00bb (21). A rote say\u00ading (17ff). The\u00adre is some truth in this thought. It is true that his actions were unwor\u00adt\u00adhy of a son. But let us look at the father\u2019s reac\u00adtion: it seems as if he does not even hear the rehe\u00adar\u00adsed apo\u00adlo\u00adgy. The father knew what was going on in his son\u2019s heart. He felt that he was sor\u00adry. Not\u00adhing else mattered.
\n\u00abBut his father said to the ser\u00advants, \u00abQuick! Bring the best clo\u00adthes in the house and put them on him. Get a ring for his fin\u00adger and san\u00addals for his feet. And slaugh\u00adter the calf we fat\u00adten\u00aded in the sta\u00adble.\u00bb (22+23). The calf, inci\u00adden\u00adtal\u00adly, is the only cha\u00adrac\u00adter for whom this sto\u00adry ends bad\u00adly! \u00abFor my son here was dead and has come back to life. He was lost, but now he is found again. And a feast of joy began\u00bb (24).
\nThe three gifts are of gre\u00adat importance:
\nA robe \u2013 rela\u00adti\u00adonship restored
\nThis was not a dir\u00adty, used robe, but the best robe in the who\u00adle house. Per\u00adhaps it even belon\u00adged to the father hims\u00adelf. It sym\u00adbo\u00adli\u00adses that the son has been res\u00adto\u00adred to the posi\u00adti\u00adon and all the rights of a son. The father never stop\u00adped loving him. But now he was also com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly res\u00adto\u00adred. The robe also sym\u00adbo\u00adli\u00adses the cove\u00adring of the son\u2019s shame.
\nOne Ring \u2013 Power of Att\u00ador\u00adney Restored
\nIt must have been some kind of signet ring, like the ones used on offi\u00adci\u00adal docu\u00adments. Ever\u00adyo\u00adne knew that it was a sign of his father. Wit\u00adhout this seal, ins\u00adtruc\u00adtions on a docu\u00adment had no bin\u00adding aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adty. So the ring is a sym\u00adbol of power and aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adty to car\u00adry out busi\u00adness on behalf of the father. This boy, who had squan\u00adde\u00adred his father\u2019s wealth, was put back into ser\u00advice, so to speak, and was again allo\u00adwed to con\u00adduct busi\u00adness in the name of the father. He had access to all the infor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon. What a vote of con\u00adfi\u00addence. He was allo\u00adwed to give orders again and ever\u00adyo\u00adne had to obey him becau\u00adse of the ring on his finger.
\nSan\u00addals \u2013 Posi\u00adti\u00adon in the fami\u00adly restored
\nThird\u00adly, he asked the ser\u00advants to bring him san\u00addals. In a Jewish house\u00adhold, only the father and the sons were allo\u00adwed to wear san\u00addals. So the father has made it unmist\u00adaka\u00adb\u00adly clear that this boy \u2013 regard\u00adless of his deeds \u2013 is still his son. With all the rights that go with it.
\nWel\u00adco\u00adme cul\u00adtu\u00adre in the see\u00adtal chile
\nThis exam\u00adp\u00adle of hos\u00adpi\u00adta\u00adli\u00adty in the house of God should inspi\u00adre us as see\u00adtal chi\u00adle. The local church should repre\u00adsent the house of God on this earth. Hos\u00adpi\u00adta\u00adli\u00adty is a divi\u00adne qua\u00adli\u00adty that we are to live. Strikin\u00adgly, it is men\u00adtio\u00adned as a cri\u00adter\u00adion for elders. \u00abAn elder must be a per\u00adson who leads an impec\u00adca\u00adble life. He is to be faithful to his wife. He should have self-con\u00adtrol, live pru\u00addent\u00adly and have a good repu\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon. He should be hos\u00adpi\u00adta\u00adble and able to teach others\u00bb (1 Timo\u00adthy 3:2; cf. Titus 1:8). The peo\u00adp\u00adle of the church lea\u00adder\u00adship are also to go ahead and set an exam\u00adp\u00adle in this mat\u00adter. But being a host is not only a lea\u00adder\u00adship task, as we will see in a moment.
\nThe fol\u00adlo\u00adwing four steps are stages in our wel\u00adco\u00adming culture:
\n1. initi\u00adal contact
\nLike the father in the para\u00adble, we want to approach new peo\u00adp\u00adle proac\u00adtively but tactful\u00adly. (I don\u2019t think we should kiss them.) We also want to be proac\u00adti\u00adve by invi\u00adting peo\u00adp\u00adle. The busi\u00adness cards prin\u00adted on the the\u00adme of the year and available at the exit can also be used for this. Who could you invi\u00adte to the house of God, which is the church, this year?
\nThe son retur\u00adned emp\u00adty-han\u00added and with a dama\u00adged repu\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon. The Father accept\u00aded him uncon\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adnal\u00adly and let him expe\u00adri\u00adence His soot\u00adhing grace. The\u00adre was no pres\u00adsu\u00adre, no expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons, only accep\u00adtance and for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, we Chris\u00adti\u00adans are not neces\u00ads\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly known for the\u00adse qua\u00adli\u00adties, but rather for cri\u00adti\u00adcal eye\u00ading and jud\u00adging or even con\u00addem\u00adning. A sin\u00adgle woman gave her body in exch\u00adan\u00adge for pay\u00adment to men to get her child over the hump. To be less expo\u00adsed to pain, she took mind-alte\u00adring drugs. When told to go to the church for help, she said, \u00abI alre\u00ada\u00addy feel bad. I don\u2019t want to feel worse.\u00bb I dream of a church whe\u00adre peo\u00adp\u00adle run direct\u00adly into the soot\u00adhing and wel\u00adco\u00adming grace of God repre\u00adsen\u00adted by peo\u00adp\u00adle. Would\u00adn\u2019t it be nice if we were known for extra\u00ador\u00addi\u00adna\u00adry empathy!
\nOn our web\u00adsite you will find the words \u00abbelong, belie\u00adve, behave\u00bb. Peo\u00adp\u00adle should belong imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly. Through the expe\u00adri\u00adence of uncon\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adnal accep\u00adtance they beco\u00adme open to faith in Jesus Christ. And only then \u2013 through the power of the Holy Spi\u00adrit \u2013 are they chan\u00adged in their beha\u00adviour. God rea\u00adches the goal with every per\u00adson \u2013 also with me.
\nJust as the Father cover\u00aded the shame of the Son with the robe, we are very con\u00adcer\u00adned that peo\u00adp\u00adle are never expo\u00adsed here. That is why the\u00adre are no open pray\u00ader ses\u00adsi\u00adons and no forced say\u00ading hel\u00adlo to each other.
\n2. crea\u00adte contacts
\nIn a second step, new peo\u00adp\u00adle should be able to net\u00adwork. The father in the para\u00adble had a calf slaugh\u00adte\u00adred and threw a feast. A feast is a gre\u00adat way to build rela\u00adti\u00adonships in a plea\u00adsant set\u00adting. Recent\u00adly I heard a pas\u00adtor say that atten\u00adding a church retre\u00adat replaces three years of \u2019nor\u00admal\u00bb church life in terms of making cont\u00adacts. We are always try\u00ading to find spaces whe\u00adre peo\u00adp\u00adle can easi\u00adly build rela\u00adti\u00adonships. This can be at the thanks\u00adgi\u00adving fes\u00adti\u00adval, on the Isra\u00adel trip, during the Chrisch\u00ado\u00adna holi\u00addays or every Sun\u00adday in the bis\u00adtro. To make it a litt\u00adle easier to con\u00adnect the\u00adre, we want to crea\u00adte a cor\u00adner whe\u00adre peo\u00adp\u00adle can come.
\nSym\u00adbo\u00adli\u00adsed by the san\u00addals, the son\u2019s posi\u00adti\u00adon in the fami\u00adly was res\u00adto\u00adred. He was again com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly part of the fami\u00adly and thus had access to all the infor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon. It was poin\u00adted out to us that it is still too dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to get the infor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon. We want to impro\u00adve that.
\nBeco\u00adme part 3
\nThrough the ring that was put on the son\u2019s fin\u00adger, his aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adty was res\u00adto\u00adred. He was allo\u00adwed to con\u00adduct busi\u00adness and give orders in the name of the father. This gave him power to make a dif\u00adfe\u00adrence. Peo\u00adp\u00adle beco\u00adme part of a Chris\u00adti\u00adan com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty when they are allo\u00adwed to live their cal\u00adling and use their pas\u00adsi\u00adon. We want to help peo\u00adp\u00adle to make a dif\u00adfe\u00adrence in see\u00adtal chi\u00adle. Then some\u00adthing very beau\u00adtiful hap\u00adpens: they no lon\u00adger talk about \u00abyou\u00bb, but about \u00abwe\u00bb. They lea\u00adve the obser\u00adver sta\u00adtus and beco\u00adme part of the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty. Iden\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon hap\u00adpens. And tho\u00adse who iden\u00adti\u00adfy them\u00adsel\u00adves cri\u00adti\u00adcise in an uplif\u00adting way and work for impro\u00adve\u00adments them\u00adsel\u00adves. Tog\u00ade\u00adther we invest our\u00adsel\u00adves for a cau\u00adse that is big\u00adger than our\u00adsel\u00adves. In this pha\u00adse, the pro\u00adcess beg\u00adins in which a guest beco\u00admes a host, who gives peo\u00adp\u00adle a wel\u00adco\u00adme and makes them feel welcome.
\nThe role of the church ser\u00advice is also chan\u00adging. Until now, it was an indis\u00adpensable rech\u00adar\u00adging sta\u00adti\u00adon. But now you begin to get the fee\u00adling that you have slow\u00adly but sure\u00adly seen it. This is a good sign, becau\u00adse now it is time to prepa\u00adre for the next pha\u00adse. The chan\u00adge from con\u00adsu\u00admer to host must now take place.
\n4. beco\u00adme a father
\nHen\u00adry Nou\u00adwen wri\u00adtes in his excel\u00adlent book \u00abTake His Image in Your Heart\u00bb that the goal of a son should always be to beco\u00adme a father hims\u00adelf who makes the grace of God tan\u00adgi\u00adble for others. A father puts his own needs and pre\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adces in the back\u00adground in favour of \u00abhome\u00adco\u00admers\u00bb in a won\u00adderful sel\u00adfless\u00adness. The atmo\u00adsphe\u00adre of the home is more important to him than his own needs, becau\u00adse he has found the source of true life. He rests in hims\u00adelf becau\u00adse he has beco\u00adme com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly at home with the hea\u00adven\u00adly Father. Are you alre\u00ada\u00addy a father loo\u00adking out for home\u00adl\u00adess peo\u00adp\u00adle? We despera\u00adte\u00adly need spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal mothers and fathers in the see\u00adtal chi\u00adle to hand\u00adle well the growth God has given us. Mere\u00adly sta\u00adting that new peo\u00adp\u00adle come and others lea\u00adve is unwor\u00adt\u00adhy of a father. To be a father or mother, spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal matu\u00adri\u00adty is nee\u00added. In the cour\u00adse of the year, we want to be chal\u00adlen\u00adged to take steps towards growth.
\nThe 95-year-old Pablo Casa\u00adls, con\u00adside\u00adred the grea\u00adtest cel\u00adlist the world has ever seen, had an exem\u00adpla\u00adry atti\u00adtu\u00adde. A young repor\u00adter asked him one day: \u00abYou are 95. You are con\u00adside\u00adred the best cel\u00adlist in the world and yet you still prac\u00adti\u00adse six hours a day. Why?\u00bb To which the repli\u00aded, \u00abBecau\u00adse I think I\u2019m making pro\u00adgress.\u00bb We have not rea\u00adched our goal yet and we should make pro\u00adgress every day. That is how we beco\u00adme matu\u00adre in Christ.
\n
\nWel\u00adco\u00adme home! As a who\u00adle con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adti\u00adon, we want to take a big step for\u00adward in this topic this year \u2013 and not only with the adults, but also with the child\u00adren. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, a pro\u00adject has been star\u00adted within the visio\u00adna\u00adry lea\u00adder\u00adship whe\u00adre the\u00adse four points will be dealt with inten\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly. The idea is that we will hold a com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty forum on the topic in due course.
\nBecau\u00adse Jesus Christ left his home and came to earth as a stran\u00adger, we can find a home with the hea\u00adven\u00adly Father. We are allo\u00adwed to come with emp\u00adty hands, are warm\u00adly wel\u00adco\u00admed and are allo\u00adwed to beco\u00adme more at home the lon\u00adger we stay. That is grace! This grace should beco\u00adme a per\u00adso\u00adnal expe\u00adri\u00adence for our\u00adsel\u00adves and new peo\u00adp\u00adle in the see\u00adtal chile.
\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead the Bible text: Luke 15:11\u201324<\/p>\n
\tHow do you rate the wel\u00adco\u00adming cul\u00adtu\u00adre of see\u00adtal chi\u00adle and whe\u00adre do you see room for improvement?
\n\tWhich of the four stages do you feel you are in? What would it take to reach the next one?
\n\tHave you been able to deve\u00adlop deep rela\u00adti\u00adonships? Which ves\u00adsels have been helpful?
\n\tDo you see yours\u00adelf as a guest or a host in see\u00adtal chi\u00adle? What is the impact of one or the other?
\n\tDo you know the fee\u00adling that the ser\u00advices no lon\u00adger have the same rele\u00advan\u00adce for your spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal life? What could this mean for your heart attitude?
\n\tUsing the imagery of the para\u00adble, how might one descri\u00adbe God\u2019s grace?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bible Text: Luke 15:11\u201324 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | This ser\u00admon con\u00adnects the annu\u00adal the\u00adme \u00abWel\u00adco\u00adme Home\u00bb with a cur\u00adrent chall\u00adenge in con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adtio\u00adnal life that we are facing. Name\u00adly, we ask our\u00adsel\u00adves how, inspi\u00adred by the hos\u00adpi\u00adta\u00adli\u00adty in God\u2019s house, we can deri\u00adve a com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adve wel\u00adco\u00adming cul\u00adtu\u00adre for the see\u00adtal chi\u00adle. In this\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[53],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-willkommen-daheim","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-2041","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"hentry","10":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t