Bible Text: Psalm 34:15 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | Seek peace and pur\u00adsue it! Peace is after all the fruit of the Spi\u00adrit that is in our hearts. What is the\u00adre to seek and cha\u00adse?! On the other hand, we are awa\u00adre that peaceful coexis\u00adtence does not come natu\u00adral\u00adly to us. But for a cosy home, peace is! Wel\u00adco\u00adme home to our search for peace!<\/p>\n
Peace is not so easy to defi\u00adne. Many peo\u00adp\u00adle spon\u00adta\u00adneous\u00adly say: peace is the oppo\u00adsi\u00adte of war. But is peace what a war lea\u00adves behind in a coun\u00adtry after peace has been con\u00adcluded? I think of the bom\u00adbed-out cities in Ger\u00adma\u00adny after the Second World War. Or of the count\u00adless grie\u00adving fami\u00adlies after both world wars; and actual\u00adly after every war. Bible Text: Psalm 34:15 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | Seek peace and pur\u00adsue it! Peace is after all the fruit of the Spi\u00adrit that is in our hearts. What is the\u00adre to seek and cha\u00adse?! On the other hand, we are awa\u00adre that peaceful coexis\u00adtence does not fall into our laps.\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[35],"wpfc_sermon_series":[53],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-bernhard-hohl","wpfc_sermon_series-willkommen-daheim","wpfc-sermon-single","post-2055","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nOthers say: Peace is the oppo\u00adsi\u00adte of stri\u00adfe? Do you only enjoy peace after a serious quar\u00adrel \u2013 or are the\u00adre not still afters\u00adhocks, e.g. a bot\u00adtom\u00adless dis\u00adap\u00adpoint\u00adment that it could come to this quar\u00adrel at all? Or a para\u00adly\u00adsing fear of the next argument?
\nPeace has also beco\u00adme a casu\u00adal col\u00adlo\u00adquia\u00adlism: \u00abThat\u2019s peace,\u00bb \u2013 this snow\u00adshoe hike through the fresh\u00adly snow-cover\u00aded land\u00adscape. \u00abIt was so peaceful, just wal\u00adking tog\u00ade\u00adther,\u00bb a cou\u00adple enthuses.
\nPeace can be tat\u00adto\u00adoed on your upper arm; it can be writ\u00adten in big let\u00adters on your T\u2011shirt or on your cap \u2013 but you\u2019\u00adre having trou\u00adble in the class\u00adroom, or with your par\u00adents, and you\u2019\u00adre ran\u00adting about this evil world. Peace may be writ\u00adten on the sti\u00adcker on your school bag \u2013 but you still whine about your tea\u00adchers and classmates!
\nOf cour\u00adse, peace is also sung about in many dif\u00adfe\u00adrent ways. I think back to a song by Nico\u00adle in the 80s, which was at the top of the charts for over 5 months: \u00abA litt\u00adle peace, a litt\u00adle sun\u2026 A litt\u00adle peace, a litt\u00adle joy, a litt\u00adle warmth, that\u2019s what I wish for. A litt\u00adle peace, a litt\u00adle dre\u00ada\u00adming\u2026 A litt\u00adle peace, a litt\u00adle love\u2026
\nThat is typi\u00adcal for us humans, we like to \u00abtick\u00adle\u00bb! It\u2019s like a gour\u00admet buf\u00adfet. We want to be able to enjoy as much as pos\u00adsi\u00adble, so only a litt\u00adle bit of ever\u00ady\u00adthing! We like to enjoy the who\u00adle of life with all its temp\u00adting mor\u00adsels. Nico\u00adle then con\u00adfes\u00adses hers\u00adelf: I know my songs don\u2019t chan\u00adge much, I am just a girl who says what she feels\u2026
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\nSeek peace and pur\u00adsue it.\u2026
\nWe suspect that a very spe\u00adcial peace is meant by this call. Divi\u00adne peace, which is ren\u00adde\u00adred in the Bible with the Hebrew term shalom or the Greek term eir\u00e9\u00adn\u00e9, means: regard\u00adless of all cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances \u2013 I am well, the\u00adre is a peace in my heart; I have enough; I can look God in the eye; I am too-peaceful.
\nWe have lacked this divi\u00adne peace sin\u00adce the Fall. From child\u00adhood, we are peo\u00adp\u00adle who never have enough. Wit\u00adhout this peace from God, we are rest\u00adless and dis\u00adsa\u00adtis\u00adfied; con\u00adstant\u00adly pul\u00adling others down, get\u00adting angry with others, etc.. And we are con\u00adcer\u00adned first with our own well-being and not with the well-being of others.
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\nThe peace of God in 3 dif\u00adfe\u00adrent stages from OT<\/span> via NT<\/span> to the final peace
\n1. in the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment, the peace of God was for his cho\u00adsen people
\nGod\u2019s peace was then in the peo\u00adp\u00adle of God.\u2026
\n\u2013 Pre\u00adsence of God in the taber\u00adna\u00adcle or later in the temp\u00adle; or in the wil\u00adder\u00adness wan\u00adde\u00adring with the cloud or in the night the fla\u00adme of fire.
\n\u2013 This peace gave secu\u00adri\u00adty, e.g. for a good night\u2019s sleep (Psalm 4:9).
\n\u2013 Expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced through God\u2019s pro\u00adtec\u00adtion and preservation.
\n\u2013 In the expe\u00adri\u00adence of the Day of Ato\u00adne\u00adment, and the various feast days
\n\u2013 A good land to dwell in (Psalm 37:11)
\n\u2013 If the king was good and did what is right, the peo\u00adp\u00adle will live in peace (Psalm 72:3)
\n\u2013 Tho\u00adse who lis\u00adten\u00aded to God and stood faithful\u00adly by Him were assu\u00adred of peace (Psalm 85:9).
\n\u2013 Peace was depen\u00addent on the ful\u00adfilm\u00adent of the law (Psalm 119:165)
\nThat was all true for God\u2019s peo\u00adp\u00adle. For the other nati\u00adons it was: \u00abThe\u00adre is no peace for the wicked,\u00bb says my God. Isai\u00adah 57:21
\n
\n2. in the New Testament
\nJesus brought a three\u00adfold peace to this earth to us humans: >peace bet\u00adween man and God, >peace among us humans and the >peace with yourself.
\nNow the peace of God is so clo\u00adse to us that it lives in us!
\nJesus said in his fare\u00adwell dis\u00adcour\u00adses: Even though I am no lon\u00adger here, peace will remain with you. Yes, I give you my peace \u2013 a peace that no one else in the world can give you. John 14, 27
\nHe is pre\u00adsent in the child\u00adren of God through the Holy Spi\u00adrit. Peace is a fruit of the Spi\u00adrit within us. Jesus is the announ\u00adced Prin\u00adce of Peace. As Prin\u00adce, he has this fruit at his dis\u00adpo\u00adsal. He can spread it through us, pas\u00adsed on, for exam\u00adp\u00adle, sim\u00adply through our being and our actions; through what we radia\u00adte and spread. This peace in us has an influence on our who\u00adle being with body, soul and spi\u00adrit. Paul con\u00adnects it with our sanctification:
\nMay the God of peace sanc\u00adti\u00adfy you through and through. May he pro\u00adtect your spi\u00adrit, soul and body so that they will be int\u00adact when Jesus Christ our Lord returns. 1 Thes\u00adsa\u00adlo\u00adni\u00adans 5:23
\nThis pro\u00adcess of sanc\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon con\u00adti\u00adnues until we reach the goal of faith. We are still tal\u00adking about the strugg\u00adle of faith. We are still chal\u00adlen\u00adged, some\u00adti\u00admes mas\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly. We are suf\u00adfe\u00adring from sick\u00adness. We are still suf\u00adfe\u00adring, despi\u00adte this divi\u00adne peace within us, from ten\u00adsi\u00adons in the inter\u00adper\u00adso\u00adnal sphe\u00adre, quar\u00adrels in mar\u00adria\u00adge, thick air in the fami\u00adly, bul\u00adly\u00ading at work. Suf\u00adfe\u00adring becau\u00adse of our fail\u00adures, our self-will, small faith \u2013 but all this can\u00adnot ground God\u2019s peace in us.
\nI am con\u00advin\u00adced that our per\u00adse\u00adcu\u00adted brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters also expe\u00adri\u00adence this deep peace! Even if they are in pri\u00adsons or labour camps, through what they radia\u00adte, even others come to faith.
\nJust as the apost\u00adle Peter had to admo\u00adnish the Chris\u00adti\u00adans then, we still need it today. He wri\u00adtes in his let\u00adter and urges us: \u2026to be ful\u00adly direc\u00adted towards the com\u00admon goal. Be full of com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon, love one ano\u00adther as brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters in faith, tre\u00adat one ano\u00adther with mer\u00adcy and cour\u00adte\u00adsy! Do not repay evil with evil and insults with insults! On the con\u00adtra\u00adry, bless! 1 Petr. 3,8ff
\n
\nSeek peace and pur\u00adsue it.\u2026
\nThe Greek word here for seek (z\u00e9teo) does not just mean your search for your glas\u00adses or car keys! It has far grea\u00adter mea\u00adnings: to seek out, to exami\u00adne, to explo\u00adre, to pon\u00adder, to pon\u00adder, to pon\u00adder, to miss, to desi\u00adre, to desi\u00adre, to demand, to demand. Think about how you should behave in this ten\u00adse situa\u00adti\u00adon at work. Reflect a litt\u00adle on why you left the house group, the small group in a stran\u00adge mood again! I am con\u00advin\u00adced that Jesus loves such broo\u00adders! See\u00adking peace means that you want to give room with all your heart to the peace in you, to Jesus in you, and not to the anger in your bel\u00adly. Whe\u00adre hurts, jea\u00adlou\u00adsy, envy, dis\u00adap\u00adpoint\u00adments and other things are dis\u00adrupt\u00ading our inner peace, you can con\u00adsider the good with the help of Jesus!
\nThin\u00adking about love!
\nActual\u00adly, our ver\u00adse from Psalm 34 is miss\u00ading the first part: \u00abFor\u00adsa\u00adke evil and do good; seek peace and pur\u00adsue it.\u00bb May\u00adbe you would have ple\u00adnty of reason to be real\u00adly angry at someone, or may\u00adbe not. Whe\u00adther your anger is jus\u00adti\u00adfied or unfoun\u00added, do good. Seek the good. Yes, we all know that this is not easy, to give way to Jesus in us. It would only be fatal if we resign our\u00adsel\u00adves: \u00abI\u2019m just on the edge of my seat! Some\u00adti\u00admes I just can\u2019t sit still and I have a poi\u00adso\u00adno\u00adus ton\u00adgue. I\u2019m just sensitive\u2026\u00bb
\nThe word \u00abhunt\u00bb real\u00adly comes from hun\u00adting voca\u00adbu\u00adla\u00adry. I have never been invol\u00adved in a hunt, but what I know about hun\u00adters is that they are pas\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adte. They have only one goal: not to go home emp\u00adty-han\u00added. They put their all into it, they are focu\u00adsed, they sweat or wait pati\u00adent\u00adly, they don\u2019t give up \u2013 and they are a con\u00adspi\u00adra\u00adto\u00adri\u00adal community!
\nRemem\u00adber: The peace of God is within you, make room for it in your heart and in your head! Paul encou\u00adra\u00adges us to hold on to God\u2019s grace: The God of peace will soon force Satan under your feet and tread him down. I wish you that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will accom\u00adpa\u00adny you! Romans 16:20
\nIn the idea spek\u00adtrum of 9 Janu\u00adary, 9 peo\u00adp\u00adle were asked what this exhorta\u00adti\u00adon of Psalm 34 means to them. I would like to quo\u00adte a few sen\u00adten\u00adces from the answers:
\n\u2013 The more place the hero of peace, Jesus, takes up in me, the more I have cha\u00adsed peace. (Ramo\u00adna Keil)
\n\u2013 I do not aspi\u00adre to live wit\u00adhout con\u00adflict. I want to beco\u00adme a pea\u00adce\u00adma\u00adker in con\u00adflict situa\u00adtions. (Eli\u00adsa\u00adbeth Kunz)
\n\u2013 I want to seek peace atten\u00adtively, honest\u00adly and per\u00adsis\u00adt\u00adent\u00adly in rela\u00adti\u00adonships with my fel\u00adlow human beings. This means honest\u00adly thin\u00adking about rela\u00adti\u00adonships; cou\u00adra\u00adge\u00adous\u00adly approa\u00adching others when uns\u00adpo\u00adken things are in the air; not giving up when others react dis\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly. (Chris\u00adti\u00adne Grogg)
\n\u2013 A can\u00adto\u00adnal coun\u00adcil\u00adlor: I want to respect my poli\u00adti\u00adcal oppon\u00adents as human beings, love them and see them as Jesus Christ sees them: as peo\u00adp\u00adle whom he loves and for whom he came into this world to save. (Erich Vontobel)
\n
\n3. the peace of God in its ulti\u00adma\u00adte beau\u00adty and glory
\nBut even this New Tes\u00adta\u00adment high level of divi\u00adne peace from God is an inter\u00adme\u00addia\u00adte stage. We will only expe\u00adri\u00adence the peace of God in its final beau\u00adty and glo\u00adry in hea\u00adven. Until that time comes, we still have to be pati\u00adent. Paul descri\u00adbes this wai\u00adting room in Romans 8:19: Yes, the who\u00adle crea\u00adti\u00adon is eager\u00adly wai\u00adting for the child\u00adren of God to beco\u00adme visi\u00adble in all their glory.
\nIn this lon\u00adging we natu\u00adral\u00adly also think of the pro\u00admi\u00adses of Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon: no more sor\u00adrow, no more tears, no more pain, no more death \u2013 but I find the descrip\u00adti\u00adon of this time by Isai\u00adah just as beau\u00adtiful: Then the wolf and the lamb will live tog\u00ade\u00adther in harm\u00ado\u00adny; the leo\u00adpard and the goat will lie down tog\u00ade\u00adther. Calf, lion and fat\u00adling will beco\u00adme fri\u00adends and a litt\u00adle boy will she\u00adp\u00adherd them. Cow and bear will gra\u00adze tog\u00ade\u00adther. Their cubs will rest next to each other. The lion will eat straw like the catt\u00adle. The infant will play at the otter\u2019s loopho\u00adle. Yes, an infant puts its hand into a poi\u00adso\u00adno\u00adus snake\u2019s den. Isai\u00adah 11, 6
\nLet us rejoice tog\u00ade\u00adther in the 50 weeks ahead of us this year, which we have \u2013 God wil\u00adling \u2013 to grow in peace. I would like to express my per\u00adso\u00adnal faith for all of you and for us as a who\u00adle con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adti\u00adon with the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing ver\u00adse: You will expe\u00adri\u00adence God\u2019s peace, which is grea\u00adter than our human minds can ever com\u00adpre\u00adhend. His peace will keep your hearts and minds in faith in Jesus Christ. Phil\u00adip\u00adpians 4:7
\nAmen
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead the Bible text: Psalm 34:15
\nAs belie\u00advers living in the age after Christ, we have many advan\u00adta\u00adges com\u00adpared to the peo\u00adp\u00adle of God befo\u00adre Christ! List some things\u2026
\n2. what are our weak points that often lead to dis\u00adcord and strife?
\n3) How have you con\u00adcre\u00adte\u00adly sought peace and hun\u00adted for peace in dif\u00adfi\u00adcult situations?
\nWhat do you ima\u00adgi\u00adne a heart full of peace from God to be?
\nWould any of you like to share a cur\u00adrent ten\u00adsi\u00adon in your inter\u00adper\u00adso\u00adnal life? (pos\u00adsi\u00adbly also as a pray\u00ader request)
\nHow do you do that? What do you do, lea\u00adve \u00abevil\u00bb and do \u00abgood\u00bb instead?
\nWhat do you per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly take away from this ver\u00adse 15 from Psalm 34?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"