Bible Text: Luke 18:9\u201314 and 21:1\u20134 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | How dif\u00adfe\u00adrent we are! Wel\u00adco\u00adme home! That sounds like a plea\u00adsant home. It sounds like fami\u00adly. Let\u2019s be honest! Are\u00adn\u2019t we a bit too full of words when we rea\u00adli\u00adse how dif\u00adfe\u00adrent we are? Back then, when Jesus was with us on this earth, he also loo\u00adked into the churches. Again and again. It was\u00adn\u2019t in churches, it was in the temp\u00adle, whe\u00adre the ser\u00advice took place. <\/p>\n
I warm\u00adly wel\u00adco\u00adme you to our ser\u00advice! \u00abWel\u00adco\u00adme home\u00bb \u2013 with this pro\u00admi\u00adse I greet tho\u00adse of you who are awa\u00adke and tho\u00adse who are still a litt\u00adle tired. The humo\u00adrous, the not-so-humo\u00adrous, the enter\u00adpri\u00adsing, the \u00abStu\u00adbe\u00adh\u00f6\u00adck\u00adler\u00bb, the cou\u00adra\u00adge\u00adous, the fear\u00adful, the young, the not-so-young, the sports enthu\u00adsi\u00adasts, the avid rea\u00adders, the gamers, the hob\u00adby gar\u00adden\u00aders, the jog\u00adgers, the blog\u00adgers, the made-up peo\u00adp\u00adle, the \u00abGebo\u00adtox\u00adten\u00bb, the 6p\u00e4ckler\u2026 I could go on and on! \the knows all our pray\u00aders that we address to God. Even then, the peo\u00adp\u00adle found in the house of God were extre\u00adme\u00adly diver\u00adse. Jesus has some\u00adthing to say to the proud Pha\u00adri\u00adsee: \u00abLet it not be so among you: but whos\u00adoe\u00adver will be gre\u00adat among you, let him be your ser\u00advant; and whos\u00adoe\u00adver will be first among you, let him be your ser\u00advant\u00bb (Matthew 20:26\u201327 LU<\/span>). The\u00adre is a second word from Jesus on this sub\u00adject: \u00abFor ever\u00adyo\u00adne who exalts hims\u00adelf will be hum\u00adbled, and he who hum\u00adbles hims\u00adelf will be exal\u00adted\u00bb (Luke 14:11). In the Ser\u00admon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to stop jud\u00adging others. We should not for\u00adget that others will tre\u00adat us the way we tre\u00adat them, and we should stop get\u00adting upset about the mote in our neighbour\u2019s eye when we our\u00adsel\u00adves have a beam in our eye. Let\u2019s deal with the mud in our own eyes first! One day in the temp\u00adle, Jesus also obser\u00adved the giving beha\u00adviour of many rich peo\u00adp\u00adle and a widow who was poor as a mou\u00adse. What does Jesus say about this? All giving is to be done dis\u00adcreet\u00adly. We should not make a fuss about it and hang it on the big bell just to be admi\u00adred by others. Then we would have alre\u00ada\u00addy recei\u00adved the reward. No: \u00abWhat you give should remain hid\u00adden. Then your Father who sees in secret will reward you\u00bb (Matthew 6:4 NG\u00dc<\/span>). This is a good rule in the church, that neither the pre\u00ada\u00adcher nor the church lea\u00adder\u00adship knows who gives how much, but the tre\u00adasurer alo\u00adne. In the same chap\u00adter Jesus also says that we should not lay up tre\u00adasu\u00adres of peri\u00ads\u00adha\u00adble things, but lay up tre\u00adasu\u00adres in hea\u00adven. For whe\u00adre our tre\u00adasu\u00adre is, the\u00adre our heart is also. You can tell whe\u00adre your heart is when you ask yours\u00adelf what is most in your mind. I am con\u00advin\u00adced that the\u00adse two sto\u00adries are high\u00adly topi\u00adcal at all times, not only becau\u00adse of the issues they address, but becau\u00adse we beco\u00adme awa\u00adre that many oppo\u00adsi\u00adtes are also at home in our congregation! \tSome are faithful and regu\u00adlar wor\u00adship\u00adpers, others are occa\u00adsio\u00adnal worshippers. How do we mana\u00adge to crea\u00adte a home\u00adly home as such dif\u00adfe\u00adrent peo\u00adp\u00adle than see\u00adtal chile? \tWhat oppo\u00adsi\u00adtes would Jesus jux\u00adta\u00adpo\u00adse today? Bible Text: Luke 18:9\u201314 and 21:1\u20134 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | How dif\u00adfe\u00adrent we are! Wel\u00adco\u00adme home! That sounds like a plea\u00adsant home. It sounds like fami\u00adly. Let\u2019s be honest! Are\u00adn\u2019t we a bit too full of words when we rea\u00adli\u00adse how dif\u00adfe\u00adrent we are?<\/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-2243","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nHow dif\u00adfe\u00adrent we are! Wel\u00adco\u00adme home! That sounds like a plea\u00adsant home. It sounds like fami\u00adly. Let\u2019s be honest! Are\u00adn\u2019t we a bit too full of words when we real\u00adly rea\u00adli\u00adse how dif\u00adfe\u00adrent we are? Back then, when Jesus was with us on this earth, he also loo\u00adked into the churches. Again and again. It was\u00adn\u2019t in churches, it was in the temp\u00adle, whe\u00adre the ser\u00advice took place. I would like to record what he saw the\u00adre in two reports:
\nSto\u00adry 1: The Pha\u00adri\u00adsee and the Publican
\n\u00abNow he told this para\u00adble to some who were con\u00advin\u00adced that they were pious and righ\u00adteous, and des\u00adpi\u00adsed the others: Two men went up into the temp\u00adle to pray, the one a Pha\u00adri\u00adsee, the other a publi\u00adcan. The Pha\u00adri\u00adsee stood and pray\u00aded within hims\u00adelf thus: I thank thee, O God, that I am not like other peo\u00adp\u00adle, rob\u00adbers, unjust, adul\u00adte\u00adrers, or even like this publi\u00adcan. I fast twice a week and tithe ever\u00ady\u00adthing I coll\u00adect. But the publi\u00adcan stood afar off, neither would he lift up his eyes to hea\u00adven, but smo\u00adte upon his breast, say\u00ading, God, be mer\u00adciful to me a sin\u00adner. I say unto you: This man went down to his house jus\u00adti\u00adfied, and not that man. For he who exalts hims\u00adelf will be hum\u00adbled, and he who hum\u00adbles hims\u00adelf will be exal\u00adted\u00bb (Luke 18:9\u201314 LU<\/span>).
\nSto\u00adry 2: The sacri\u00adfice of the poor widow
\n\u00abHe loo\u00adked up and saw the rich put\u00adting their gifts into the tre\u00adasu\u00adry. But he saw a poor widow put\u00adting two mites* the\u00adre. And he said, Ver\u00adi\u00adly I say unto you: This poor widow has put in more than all of them. For all the\u00adse have laid up of their abun\u00addance for gifts: but she of her pover\u00adty hath laid up all that she had to live on\u00bb (Luke 21:1\u20134 LU<\/span>). *Value of a 1 r\u00e4pp\u00adler; smal\u00adlest Hel\u00adle\u00adnic cop\u00adper coins.
\nBoth sto\u00adries illu\u00admi\u00adna\u00adte extre\u00adme posi\u00adti\u00adons: In the first sto\u00adry, the\u00adre is a self-righ\u00adteous Pha\u00adri\u00adsee at one end, and at the other end the\u00adre is a guilt-rid\u00adden tax coll\u00adec\u00adtor who would pre\u00adfer to crawl into the ground in shame. In the second sto\u00adry, it is rich, gene\u00adrous donors facing a mou\u00adse-poor widow who throws her last rake into the offe\u00adring box. In both sto\u00adries Jesus makes a com\u00adpa\u00adri\u00adson that actual\u00adly only he can make and that is because:<\/p>\n
\n\tonly he sees into the hearts and wal\u00adlets of all.<\/p>\n
\nCon\u00adtrasts are challenging
\nThis makes our tog\u00ade\u00adther\u00adness high\u00adly inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading and exci\u00adting, but also challenging.<\/p>\n
\n\tSome are relia\u00adble and ver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adle employees, others can\u00adnot or do not want to pitch in
\n\tSome take time to meet after the ser\u00advice, others dis\u00adap\u00adpear as quick\u00adly as possible.
\n\tSome app\u00adre\u00adcia\u00adte the value of a small group, others like to belie\u00adve solo
\n\tSome talk more pious\u00adly than others<\/p>\n
\nJesus is respon\u00adsi\u00adble for unity
\nThe first and grea\u00adtest thing is that Jesus con\u00adsiders hims\u00adelf respon\u00adsi\u00adble for brin\u00adging about this unity. Befo\u00adre he left this world, he pray\u00aded for all tho\u00adse who alre\u00ada\u00addy belie\u00adved and were yet to belie\u00adve: \u00abI pray for them all, that they may be one, as you and I are one, Father \u2013 that they may be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, and the world may belie\u00adve that you have sent me. I have given them the glo\u00adry you gave me, that they may be one as we are one \u2013 I in them and you in me, that they may all be per\u00adfec\u00adted into unity. Then the world will know that you have sent me and will under\u00adstand that you love them as you love me\u00bb (John 17:21\u201323 NL<\/span>). I belie\u00adve that the hea\u00adven\u00adly Father has heard the pray\u00ader of His Son Jesus Christ. Isn\u2019t this fact stag\u00adge\u00adring? No mat\u00adter how dif\u00adfe\u00adrent we are, unity, con\u00adnec\u00adted\u00adness and mutu\u00adal love is pos\u00adsi\u00adble through Jesus Christ. This onen\u00adess is not depen\u00addent on what you are and have, or on what you are and do not have, but this onen\u00adess is given to us by Jesus when we place our lives under his lord\u00adship. His gift has super\u00adna\u00adtu\u00adral qua\u00adli\u00adty becau\u00adse Jesus wants the same unity with us and among us as the one he has with his hea\u00adven\u00adly Father. Jesus is also awa\u00adre that the com\u00adple\u00adted unity will only be achie\u00adved in hea\u00adven. But the unity with Jesus, which is alre\u00ada\u00addy given to us, alre\u00ada\u00addy has glo\u00adry qua\u00adli\u00adty here. It is the best of the best! Jesus has a gre\u00adat con\u00adcern with this: That the world reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00ads\u00ades in us Jesus, whom the hea\u00adven\u00adly Father sent to this world for them. That the world reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00ads\u00ades in us how much God loves us and them.
\nAll this sounds so beau\u00adtiful, but why is it some\u00adti\u00admes so dif\u00adfi\u00adcult for you with cer\u00adtain peo\u00adp\u00adle with whom you share your faith? Whe\u00adre is this gift of unity? You can approach dif\u00adfe\u00adrent opi\u00adni\u00adons, dif\u00adfe\u00adrent life\u00adstyl\u00ades and dif\u00adfe\u00adrent beliefs dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly: You can be con\u00adcei\u00adted about your know\u00adledge and opi\u00adni\u00adon; you can be con\u00adcei\u00adted about your life\u00adstyle and belief style, or: you can app\u00adre\u00adcia\u00adte and love the neigh\u00adbour next to you in his dif\u00adfe\u00adrence, with his dif\u00adfe\u00adrent know\u00adledge even despi\u00adte his naught\u00adin\u00adess. Are you some\u00adti\u00admes also as impos\u00adsi\u00adble as me, but Jesus loves me any\u00adway?! Her\u00admann Bez\u00adzel descri\u00adbed Chris\u00adti\u00adan com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty like this: \u00abChris\u00adti\u00adans car\u00adry one ano\u00adther even when it seems unbe\u00adara\u00adble, under\u00adstand one ano\u00adther when it is almost impos\u00adsi\u00adble to under\u00adstand; love one ano\u00adther becau\u00adse they suf\u00adfer tog\u00ade\u00adther and pray for one ano\u00adther until they love one ano\u00adther\u00bb. Can you see it that way too? Do you strugg\u00adle with the \u00abmil\u00adler\u00bb who also comes to your small group? Do you not like to come to the ser\u00advice becau\u00adse then you might meet the \u00abmil\u00adler\u00bb? Pray until you love the \u00abM\u00fcl\u00adler\u00bb and the \u00abMeie\u00adri\u00bb! Not just until you can con\u00adfi\u00addent\u00adly lea\u00adve them on the left!
\nWhat signals are you sen\u00adding out?
\nNo one expects you to have a good rela\u00adti\u00adonship with ever\u00adyo\u00adne in a con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adti\u00adon of this size. But it is cru\u00adcial what signals you send out. If you send out the signal: \u00abI don\u2019t real\u00adly care about you\u00bb, then that is not only fatal and com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly wrong, but sim\u00adply not in the style of Jesus, who lives in you with his love. Live more with and from what you have in Jesus Christ! I recent\u00adly read the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing say\u00ading in a sta\u00adtus: \u00abEvery per\u00adson has three lives. One pri\u00adva\u00adte, one public and one that others make up\u00bb. How do you feel about others here in the church? For us Chris\u00adti\u00adans, we should exami\u00adne more how we think about others. We should talk less about others. But we should talk much more to others and love others with all our heart. That would be the life\u00adstyle of a good home!
\nOur contribution
\nWhat else can we con\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adte for a good coexis\u00adtence? Jesus gives us ano\u00adther tip in the Ser\u00admon on the Mount in the Beati\u00adtu\u00addes: \u00abHap\u00adpy are tho\u00adse who stri\u00adve for peace, for they will be cal\u00adled child\u00adren of God\u00bb (Matthew 5:9 NL<\/span>). A few ver\u00adses later, Jesus descri\u00adbes how important it is for us to for\u00adgi\u00adve one ano\u00adther. It is even vital for our sur\u00advi\u00adval when Jesus says: \u00abIf you for\u00adgi\u00adve tho\u00adse who have done evil to you, your hea\u00adven\u00adly Father will also for\u00adgi\u00adve you. But if you refu\u00adse to for\u00adgi\u00adve others, your Father will not for\u00adgi\u00adve you eit\u00adher\u00bb (Matthew 6:14\u201315 NL<\/span>). The for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness of Jesus that we expe\u00adri\u00adence makes it easy! Are\u00adn\u2019t we all glad and thank\u00adful when we don\u2019t have to car\u00adry around old bur\u00addens! The church is one body. Christ is the head, and all Chris\u00adti\u00adans are mem\u00adbers. No mem\u00adber hangs in the air. Even what is as clo\u00adse to you as your socks \u2013 they are not mem\u00adbers. Lim\u00adbs are only the parts of your living orga\u00adnism. All parts of a body are valuable! But they are not all the same! They are as dif\u00adfe\u00adrent as we are in this room \u2013 and that is good! Tog\u00ade\u00adther\u00adness as Chris\u00adti\u00adans as Jesus asked us from his hea\u00adven\u00adly Father will inspi\u00adre us all \u2013 and moreo\u00adver, it makes us cre\u00addi\u00adble in public! Wel\u00adco\u00adme home! Amen.
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead the Bible text: Luke 18:9\u201314 and 21:1\u20134<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat chal\u00adlenges you most about the quo\u00adte from H. Bez\u00adzel: \u00abChris\u00adti\u00adans car\u00adry one ano\u00adther even when it seems unbe\u00adara\u00adble, under\u00adstand one ano\u00adther when it is almost impos\u00adsi\u00adble to under\u00adstand; love one ano\u00adther becau\u00adse they suf\u00adfer tog\u00ade\u00adther and pray for one ano\u00adther until they love one another\u00bb.
\n\tWhat does sen\u00adding out posi\u00adti\u00adve signals mean for you in prac\u00adti\u00adcal terms?
\n\tHow can the unity and love that Jesus gives us flow from us better?
\n\tList more things that could be our con\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adti\u00adon to unity in the community!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"