Bible Text: John 15:15 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | \u00abThe\u00adre are fri\u00adends, the\u00adre is fami\u00adly \u2013 and the\u00adre are fri\u00adends who beco\u00adme fami\u00adly \u00abWel\u00adco\u00adme Home! Real fri\u00adends are wan\u00adted \u2013 becau\u00adse good rela\u00adti\u00adonships are worth their weight in gold. Hel\u00adpful tips for deve\u00adlo\u00adping friendships.<\/p>\n
\tJesus lived in the clo\u00adsest rela\u00adti\u00adonship with his hea\u00adven\u00adly Father. That is why he with\u00addrew again and again into silence. The\u00adse times tog\u00ade\u00adther with the Father were essen\u00adti\u00adal for his survival! \tV1<\/span> Do you encou\u00adra\u00adge one ano\u00adther to fol\u00adlow Christ? Do you com\u00adfort one ano\u00adther in love? Are you united in the Holy Spi\u00adrit? Is the\u00adre mer\u00adcy and com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon among you? <\/p>\n Fri\u00adends encou\u00adra\u00adge each other: \u00abKeep at it, don\u2019t hang up your faith.\u00bb They know how to com\u00adfort each other. They can sym\u00adpa\u00adthise, laugh along, mourn along! They feel con\u00adnec\u00adted. Not becau\u00adse they are soul\u00adma\u00adtes, but becau\u00adse the bond of faith holds them together.<\/p>\n \tV2<\/span> Then make my joy com\u00adple\u00adte by working tog\u00ade\u00adther in good fel\u00adlow\u00adship, loving one ano\u00adther and hol\u00adding tog\u00ade\u00adther with all your heart. <\/p>\n Fri\u00adends stick reso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly tog\u00ade\u00adther through thick and thin, they make sure that not\u00adhing can dis\u00adturb their rela\u00adti\u00adonship and meet each other with love that has stay\u00ading power. They lis\u00adten to each other and can talk about ever\u00ady\u00adthing tog\u00ade\u00adther, honest\u00adly and openly.<\/p>\n \tV3<\/span> Do not be sel\u00adfi\u00adsh; do not stri\u00adve to make a good impres\u00adsi\u00adon on others, but be hum\u00adble and esteem others more high\u00adly than yourselves. <\/p>\n A fri\u00adend is not arro\u00adgant or opi\u00adni\u00adona\u00adted. They can lis\u00adten to others even if they dis\u00adagree with them. Fri\u00adends think more of the other per\u00adson than of themselves.<\/p>\n \tV4<\/span> Do not only think about your own affairs, but also take an inte\u00adrest in others and what they are doing. <\/p>\n Fri\u00adends are con\u00adcer\u00adned that the other per\u00adson is doing well, not just them\u00adsel\u00adves. Fri\u00adends ask about each other\u2019s well-being.<\/p>\n \tV5<\/span> This is the atti\u00adtu\u00adde that should deter\u00admi\u00adne your dealings with one ano\u00adther; it is the atti\u00adtu\u00adde that Jesus Christ exem\u00adpli\u00adfied to us.<\/p>\n Paul sum\u00adma\u00adri\u00adses: Jesus is the prime exam\u00adp\u00adle of a good fri\u00adend! That is also my per\u00adso\u00adnal con\u00advic\u00adtion! Neither the very best fri\u00adend nor the very best girl\u00adfri\u00adend can trump Jesus. No human being can live fri\u00adend\u00adship like him. When fri\u00adend\u00adships are for\u00admed, it is always a gift. If you ask, \u00abHow do I get a good boy\u00adfri\u00adend, a good girl\u00adfri\u00adend?\u00bb Then I would give you the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing tip today: Go home and put Phil 2:1\u20135 into prac\u00adti\u00adce litt\u00adle by litt\u00adle and pay atten\u00adti\u00adon to what hap\u00adpens to you! Befo\u00adre Jesus was cap\u00adtu\u00adred, Judas came with a bunch of men and betray\u00aded Jesus with a fake kiss. And Jesus said to him, \u00abMy fri\u00adend, is this what you have come for?\u00bb (Matthew 26:50 LU<\/span>) I pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly would have asked Jesus the\u00adre, \u00abWas\u00adn\u2019t that a bit hypo\u00adcri\u00adti\u00adcal too?!\u00bb No, Jesus could not be hypo\u00adcri\u00adti\u00adcal at all! Jesus could greet Judas like that becau\u00adse he always looks at peo\u00adp\u00adle through the dirt that sticks to them! Per\u00adhaps the\u00adre is someone among us this mor\u00adning who has fai\u00adled hor\u00adri\u00adbly in their Chris\u00adti\u00adan life this past week and is now deep\u00adly sad\u00adden\u00aded for them\u00adsel\u00adves. I dare to say to you in Jesus\u00bb name: \u00abMy fri\u00adend, I\u2019m glad you came to wor\u00adship, to be clo\u00adse to Jesus! If you are sor\u00adry, Jesus is hap\u00adpy to for\u00adgi\u00adve your sin!\u00bb \tI have more than one per\u00adson here in the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty with whom I can talk open\u00adly and honest\u00adly about everything! \tHow do you expe\u00adri\u00adence Jesus as a fri\u00adend, e.g. in ever\u00ady\u00adday life? Bible Text: John 15:15 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | \u00abThe\u00adre are fri\u00adends, the\u00adre is fami\u00adly \u2013 and the\u00adre are fri\u00adends who beco\u00adme fami\u00adly \u00abWel\u00adco\u00adme Home! Real fri\u00adends are wan\u00adted \u2013 becau\u00adse good rela\u00adti\u00adonships are worth their weight in gold. Hel\u00adpful tips for deve\u00adlo\u00adping fri\u00adend\u00adships. I have seen a \u00abErleb\u00adnis Erde\u00bb pro\u00adgram\u00adme from ARD<\/span>.\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":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-bernhard-hohl","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-willkommen-daheim","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-2362","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
\nI remem\u00adber a pro\u00adgram\u00adme from ARD<\/span> cal\u00adled \u00abErleb\u00adnis Erde\u00bb (Expe\u00adri\u00adence Earth) in which it was shown that the\u00adre are 10 mil\u00adli\u00adon ani\u00admal and plant spe\u00adci\u00ades on earth, none of which can sur\u00advi\u00adve on their own. Be it for food or repro\u00adduc\u00adtion or other requi\u00adre\u00adments: they depend on each other for sur\u00advi\u00adval! Humans, the crown of crea\u00adti\u00adon, are no dif\u00adfe\u00adrent! We need each other in ever\u00ady\u00adday life. We need each other for a healt\u00adhy deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00adment in faith. It is not for not\u00adhing that we have so many let\u00adters in the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment that talk about being with and for one ano\u00adther! It is also remar\u00adkab\u00adle that God cho\u00adse a who\u00adle peo\u00adp\u00adle for sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon history!
\nRela\u00adti\u00adonships are essen\u00adti\u00adal for life and faith!
\nThe best exam\u00adp\u00adle of this phra\u00adse is Jesus! He lived rela\u00adti\u00adonships on three levels:<\/p>\n
\n\tAt the same time, Jesus sought a rela\u00adti\u00adonship with peo\u00adp\u00adle. He cho\u00adse 12 disci\u00adples with whom he shared his who\u00adle life in this world and they beca\u00adme his fri\u00adends! He also took women into his cir\u00adcle of friends.
\n\tJesus also estab\u00adlished rela\u00adti\u00adonships with the out\u00adside world: He made time for the sick, the suf\u00adfe\u00adring, for tax coll\u00adec\u00adtors and sin\u00adners \u2013 for all who lon\u00adged for love and accep\u00adtance. Jesus had eyes that even spot\u00adted Zac\u00adchae\u00adus on the mul\u00adber\u00adry tree! Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, this is what Jesus was reproa\u00adched for, cul\u00adti\u00advat\u00ading such rela\u00adti\u00adonships! The Pha\u00adri\u00adsees gos\u00adsi\u00adped about him, \u00abHe is a glut\u00adton and a drun\u00adkard, and the worst peo\u00adp\u00adle are his fri\u00adends!\u00bb (Matthew 11:19 NL<\/span>) They could not have utte\u00adred more beau\u00adtiful prai\u00adse! Do you even know the worst of your vil\u00adla\u00adges! Actual\u00adly, we should! Jesus has set an exam\u00adp\u00adle for us. As a com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty we have a lot to offer. Every com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty of Chris\u00adti\u00adans is a com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty of fri\u00adend\u00adship! A com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty that crea\u00adtes friends!<\/p>\n
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\nQues\u00adti\u00adons on the topic
\nThis morning\u2019s the\u00adme chal\u00adlenges us to ans\u00adwer a few questions!
\nHow can you reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse a real friend?
\nThe ser\u00admon text I have cho\u00adsen is from Phil\u00adip\u00adpians (Phil\u00adip\u00adpians 2:1\u20135 NL<\/span>) which descri\u00adbes fri\u00adend\u00adship quite well:<\/p>\n
\n
\nDo you have a real boy\u00adfri\u00adend, a real girlfriend?
\nOr do you say, like the man at Pond Bethes\u00adda, \u00abI have no man?\u00bb I\u2019ll rela\u00adte the ques\u00adti\u00adon here to see\u00adtal chi\u00adle. Do you have real fri\u00adends here?
\nCan you ans\u00adwer the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing in the affirmative:<\/p>\n
\n\tI have more than one per\u00adson here in the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty that I could call in an emer\u00adgen\u00adcy at any time of the day or night!
\n\tHere in the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty I can give mys\u00adelf as I am, becau\u00adse I feel loved, accept\u00aded and accept\u00aded as I am, with all my rough edges.
\n\tI feel here that other peo\u00adp\u00adle are inte\u00adres\u00adted in me and real\u00adly want to know how I am.<\/p>\n
\nWhat is a fri\u00adend\u00adship worth?
\nI\u2019ll ans\u00adwer from my per\u00adso\u00adnal point of view: Fri\u00adends have always chal\u00adlen\u00adged and ques\u00adtio\u00adned me! Being with fri\u00adends has chan\u00adged my life. I have lear\u00adned to put up with other opi\u00adni\u00adons and views for the sake of fri\u00adend\u00adship. A fri\u00adend does not appro\u00adve of ever\u00ady\u00adthing I appro\u00adve of. Not ever\u00ady\u00adthing that is important to me is important to him! Fri\u00adend\u00adships also live on for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness \u2013 like a mar\u00adria\u00adge. Fri\u00adend\u00adship rela\u00adti\u00adonships are of pri\u00adce\u00adl\u00adess value! By making us his fri\u00adends, Jesus has enab\u00adled us to tre\u00adat our neigh\u00adbours with love and to be fri\u00adend\u00adly to them.
\nAmen!
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: John 15:15 \/ Phil\u00adip\u00adpians 2:1\u20135<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat do you expect from a fri\u00adend\u00adship bet\u00adween Christians?
\n\tWhat are the chal\u00adlenges of such a fri\u00adend\u00adship for you?
\n\tCan you ans\u00adwer the four points in the affir\u00adma\u00adti\u00adve? (At the end of ques\u00adti\u00adon 2 of the sermon)
\n\tHow do you make friends?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"