Bible Text: John 12:24 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | On Eas\u00adter we cele\u00adbra\u00adte the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of Jesus Christ. Death and resur\u00adrec\u00adtion are part of the nor\u00admal spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal rhythm of every fol\u00adlower of Jesus. Spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal growth can\u00adnot be had wit\u00adhout the minor or major deaths that occur in every life.<\/p>\n
Eas\u00adter cle\u00adar\u00adly shows us that God\u2019s resur\u00adrec\u00adtion power is grea\u00adter than death. It is equal\u00adly clear to us that life emer\u00adges from death. A beau\u00adtiful exam\u00adp\u00adle of this is the Jeri\u00adcho rose, whe\u00adre life emer\u00adges from see\u00admingly dead under\u00adgrowth through a litt\u00adle rain. In Isra\u00adel, almost all churches face east, towards the sun\u00adri\u00adse, testi\u00adfy\u00ading to the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of Jesus Christ!
\nGod directs
\nJesus makes it very clear to his disci\u00adples that his death will not be an indus\u00adtri\u00adal acci\u00addent. On the eve befo\u00adre his cru\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adxi\u00adon he said: \u00abThe\u00adre is not much time left for me to speak to you, becau\u00adse the ruler of this world is alre\u00ada\u00addy very near. He has no power over me; but I will do what the Father wants me to do, so that the world may know that I love the Father\u00bb (John 14:30f). The ruler of this world is Satan. In the who\u00adle sce\u00adne he plays a com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly sub\u00ador\u00addi\u00adna\u00adte role. He will think hims\u00adelf vic\u00adto\u00adrious when Jesus dies, but it is someone else who directs. It is hard to belie\u00adve, but Jesus\u00bb father is pul\u00adling the strings, even though it is to the death for Jesus. Even more: it is part of the love affair bet\u00adween Father and Son.
\nWhen we go through dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adties and cri\u00adses in our lives, it may be that our hea\u00adven\u00adly Father is direc\u00adting us. Out of love, he allows minor and major \u00abdeaths\u00bb to draw us clo\u00adser to him.
\nLife ari\u00adses from death
\nJesus cle\u00adar\u00adly sta\u00adtes that the rhythm of death and resur\u00adrec\u00adtion is uni\u00adver\u00adsal: \u00abI assu\u00adre you: a grain of wheat must be sown in the earth. If it does not die the\u00adre, it will remain alo\u00adne \u2013 a sin\u00adgle seed. But its death will bring forth many new seeds \u2013 a rich har\u00adve\u00adst of new life\u00bb (John 12:24). All of our lives will bring forth a rich har\u00adve\u00adst through smal\u00adler and lar\u00adger deaths. Death and resur\u00adrec\u00adtion are part of the nor\u00admal spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal rhythm of every fol\u00adlower of Jesus. An essen\u00adti\u00adal tea\u00adching of Jesus is that life comes from death \u2013 that when we lose life, we gain it (Matthew 16:25). Spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal growth can\u00adnot be had wit\u00adhout the minor or major deaths that occur in every life. Mar\u00adtin Schles\u00adke: \u00abWe do not have the choice not to die. A seed eit\u00adher remains and dies or it falls on fer\u00adti\u00adle soil and dies \u2013 so that the seed beco\u00admes a germ and the germ beco\u00admes the plant. The\u00adre is a dying towards death and a dying into life. We do not live towards our death, but we die towards our lives.\u00bb
\nWhen we embrace this rhythm, when we affirm this fact, we approach life dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly. Then cri\u00adses can beco\u00adme times of pro\u00adfound chan\u00adge. New pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties emer\u00adge. And new insights about God and our\u00adsel\u00adves. We grow in faith and beco\u00adme more at home with the hea\u00adven\u00adly Father.
\nI invi\u00adte you to con\u00adsider the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing four ques\u00adti\u00adons the next time you (or someone clo\u00adse to you) find yours\u00adelf in crisis:<\/p>\n
\tHow could the cri\u00adsis help you to reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse what is dying in your life?<\/p>\n
With pain and obs\u00adta\u00adcles, my first reac\u00adtion is anger and rage. I can\u00adnot ima\u00adgi\u00adne that this could have any\u00adthing to do with God\u2019s act of love with me. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, I lament his absence and reject Satan. When I ask this ques\u00adti\u00adon serious\u00adly, I dis\u00adco\u00adver that God often has a lot to say.<\/p>\n
\tHow could you re-eva\u00adlua\u00adte or re-shape the situa\u00adti\u00adon to make it a fruitful time of dis\u00adco\u00adve\u00adring God rather than miss\u00ading Him?<\/p>\n
If I encoun\u00adter a pro\u00adblem, I want to sol\u00adve it imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly and eli\u00admi\u00adna\u00adte it \u2013 as quick\u00adly as pos\u00adsi\u00adble. Such a ques\u00adti\u00adon acts like a delay. It forces me to inter\u00adpret the cri\u00adsis as God\u2019s nor\u00admal spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal pro\u00adgram\u00adme for human beings \u2013 his rhythm of life for beco\u00adming more at home with him. We should think less in terms of \u00abhea\u00adled\u00bb and \u00abnot hea\u00adled\u00bb, but ask about the expe\u00adri\u00adence we are going through.<\/p>\n
\tWhat signs of resur\u00adrec\u00adtion do you perceive?<\/p>\n
Our cul\u00adtu\u00adre tea\u00adches us to flee, fight or push away pain and loss rather than face it. Becau\u00adse that is hard and dif\u00adfi\u00adcult work! But if we pati\u00adent\u00adly keep at it and go through this pro\u00adcess with God, the voice of God\u2019s love gra\u00addu\u00adal\u00adly beco\u00admes clea\u00adrer and more audible.<\/p>\n
\tWho could be a wise com\u00adpa\u00adn\u00adion for you to help you see what God wants to do in you and through you?<\/p>\n
Some\u00adti\u00admes I won\u00adder what would have beco\u00adme of Mary if she had not had her cou\u00adsin Eli\u00adsa\u00adbeth in her cri\u00adsis with the unwan\u00adted pregnan\u00adcy. Eli\u00adsa\u00adbeth was her com\u00adpa\u00adn\u00adion while the new life took shape in her womb.
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\n\u00abBut we car\u00adry this pre\u00adcious tre\u00adasu\u00adre in fra\u00adgi\u00adle ves\u00adsels (clay jars), name\u00adly in our weak bodies. So ever\u00adyo\u00adne can see that our strength comes enti\u00adre\u00adly from God and is not our own\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 4:7). Kurt Spiess lite\u00adral\u00adly expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced this sen\u00adtence: gre\u00adat weak\u00adne\u00adss and fra\u00adgi\u00adli\u00adty. He pain\u00adted a pic\u00adtu\u00adre of this. On the right side, the power and dyna\u00admism of the Holy Spi\u00adrit is visi\u00adble. On the other side is a fra\u00adgi\u00adle ves\u00adsel. It often hap\u00adpens in life that some\u00adthing dies or breaks. But litt\u00adle by litt\u00adle we can beco\u00adme awa\u00adre that it is pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly whe\u00adre pie\u00adces break away that God\u2019s gol\u00adden tre\u00adasu\u00adre beco\u00admes more and more visi\u00adble. The Holy Spi\u00adrit shows us the gold in the midst of our bro\u00adken pie\u00adces. And this gold sud\u00adden\u00adly shi\u00adnes. God\u2019s grains of gold shi\u00adne through our cracks.
\nYes, it is true: We live and die. But it is equal\u00adly true that we die and live \u2013 to beco\u00adme more at home with Him.
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: John 12:24; 14:30,31<\/p>\n
\tAccor\u00adding to the text given, who direc\u00adted the death of Jesus? What is the role of God? What is the role of Satan?
\n\tWhat could be \u00ables\u00adser or grea\u00adter deaths\u00bb in our lives concretely?
\n\tTalk about the four ques\u00adti\u00adons that came up in the ser\u00admon and app\u00adly them to your per\u00adso\u00adnal life!
\n\tDeath and resur\u00adrec\u00adtion are part of the nor\u00admal spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal rhythm of every fol\u00adlower of Jesus. What influence could this sen\u00adtence have on your life?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bible Text: John 12:24 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | On Eas\u00adter we cele\u00adbra\u00adte the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of Jesus Christ. Death and resur\u00adrec\u00adtion are part of the nor\u00admal spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal rhythm of every fol\u00adlower of Jesus. Spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal growth is not to be had wit\u00adhout the minor or major deaths that occur in every life. Eas\u00adter leads us\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":["wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","wpfc_sermon_series-willkommen-daheim","wpfc-sermon-single","post-2190","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t