Bible Text: Matthew 7:24\u201327 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | He who lis\u00adtens to Jesus and acts accor\u00addin\u00adgly is like a man who builds his house on rock. On the other hand, the one who only lis\u00adtens and does not act, sinks his life. A disci\u00adple responds to Jesus\u00bb invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon to fol\u00adlow him and now does ever\u00ady\u00adthing he can to share his who\u00adle life with him and beco\u00adme like him. \u00abDisci\u00adple\u00bb is ano\u00adther name for the per\u00adson who has a rocky foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon. Small groups are the trai\u00adning cent\u00adre on the way to beco\u00adming a disciple.<\/p>\n
The French Chris\u00adti\u00adan and evan\u00adge\u00adlist Eri\u00adno Dapoz\u00adzo (1907 \u2013 1974) tells of the time he was impri\u00adso\u00adned in a Ger\u00adman con\u00adcen\u00adtra\u00adti\u00adon camp: \u00abAt noon, the camp direc\u00adtor sent for me. He sat at a laid table. I was roaring hun\u00adgry. And then he star\u00adted eating me one cour\u00adse after the other. I had to stand at atten\u00adti\u00adon and watch. Final\u00adly, he had cof\u00adfee brought in. Poin\u00adting to the packet next to it, he said: \u00abLook, your wife sent you this from Paris: Pastries!\u00bb I knew how litt\u00adle the\u00adre was to eat and how my wife must have saved to make the\u00adse bis\u00adcuits. And then the camp lea\u00adder star\u00adted eating them. I asked him: \u00abGive me at least one, I don\u2019t want to eat it, I want to have it as a sou\u00adve\u00adnir of my wife.\u00bb And laug\u00adhing, he ate the last one. That was a moment when you start to hate.\u00bb Dapoz\u00adzo con\u00adti\u00adnues, \u00abAt that moment I rea\u00adli\u00adsed what it means: \u00abThe love of God is pou\u00adred out in our heart.\u00bb I could love the man. I thought, \u00abYou poor man! You have no one to love you. Only hat\u00adred sur\u00adrounds you! How good I have it as a child of God.\u00bb Then the man jum\u00adped up \u2013 he felt it \u2013 and ran out.\u00bb After the war, Dapoz\u00adzo visi\u00adted him. Then the man tur\u00adned pale: \u00abYou want reven\u00adge!\u00bb \u00abYes,\u00bb said Dapoz\u00adzo, \u00abI want to have a cup of cof\u00adfee with you. And in the car I brought a cake. And now we\u2019ll eat and drink tog\u00ade\u00adther!\u00bb It was then that the man was sho\u00adcked to rea\u00adli\u00adse that a per\u00adson who belie\u00adves in Jesus Christ no lon\u00adger has to hate. God\u2019s love has been pou\u00adred into his heart (from: Wil\u00adhelm Busch, Jesus unser Schick\u00adsal, Neu\u00adkir\u00adchen-Vluyn 2004, p. 152f). \tLoo\u00adking back: In the first third of the evening we look back at the highs and lows of the past days. We also talk about what we deci\u00added to do last time. Ele\u00adments we com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adon and prai\u00adse also belong in this part, if they occur at all. The expe\u00adri\u00adence is that the third third likes to fall under the table. It takes disci\u00adpli\u00adne to get to the point whe\u00adre God\u2019s word is done. But we need to prac\u00adti\u00adse it. If we hear God\u2019s Word for too long and don\u2019t do it, we beco\u00adme more immu\u00adne to God\u2019s Word. On the way to being a doer of God\u2019s Word, we need each other, lis\u00adtening tog\u00ade\u00adther, cou\u00adra\u00adge\u00adous\u00adly tack\u00adling and honest\u00adly being accoun\u00adta\u00adble to each other. \tGive a defi\u00adni\u00adti\u00adon for a disciple! Bible Text: Matthew 7:24\u201327 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | He who lis\u00adtens to Jesus and acts accor\u00addin\u00adgly is like a man who builds his house on rock. On the other hand, the one who only lis\u00adtens and does not act, sinks his life. A disci\u00adple responds to Jesus\u00bb invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon to fol\u00adlow him, and now con\u00adti\u00adnues to\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[63],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","wpfc_sermon_series-wie-du-und-ich","wpfc-sermon-single","post-2771","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nA voice is stir\u00adring in me that says: \u00abYou can\u2019t do that, show him! Jus\u00adti\u00adce must be done!\u00bb Is the\u00adre a dif\u00adfe\u00adrence bet\u00adween the emo\u00adti\u00adons in my heart and tho\u00adse of Jesus? For he said on the cross in the face of his tor\u00admen\u00adtors, \u00abFather, for\u00adgi\u00adve the\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle, for they know not what they do\u00bb (Luke 23:34). This is exact\u00adly what a disci\u00adple of Jesus is: he responds to Jesus\u00bb invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon to fol\u00adlow him and now does ever\u00ady\u00adthing he can to share all of life with him and beco\u00adme like him.
\nDapoz\u00adzo has built his life on a rock. His house is immu\u00adne to even the worst storms of life. On this rock, he is resi\u00adli\u00adent against inner-soul storms such as infe\u00adrio\u00adri\u00adty, self-accu\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon or dark thoughts and also against exter\u00adnal influen\u00adces such as hosti\u00adli\u00adty, pain or hun\u00adger. How can we build our house of life on rocks? By living as disci\u00adples of Jesus! What does that mean?
\nBuild as a fool
\nSuch exple\u00adti\u00adves are in the Bible. And in the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing con\u00adtext: \u00abBut he who lis\u00adtens to me and does not act on it is a fool (moros); he is like a man who builds a house on sand\u00bb (Matthew 7:26 NL<\/span>). A per\u00adson who lis\u00adtens to God and does not act on it is a fool. Moros can also be trans\u00adla\u00adted as a short-sigh\u00adted and super\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adal atti\u00adtu\u00adde to divi\u00adne things. By this defi\u00adni\u00adti\u00adon, the\u00adre are quite a few fools among Chris\u00adti\u00adans. It is just the more con\u00adve\u00adni\u00adent way. It is quite plea\u00adsant to attend or stream an upbeat church ser\u00advice or dis\u00adcuss God and the world in a small group. It is much more time-con\u00adsum\u00ading and exhaus\u00adting to do God\u2019s word.
\nWe asso\u00adcia\u00adte sand with holi\u00addays. Lying on a warm san\u00addy beach is good for you. Lol\u00adling and bas\u00adking in it is com\u00adfort\u00ading. The sand moulds its\u00adelf to our bodies. You hard\u00adly hurt yours\u00adelf play\u00ading beach vol\u00adley, ever\u00ady\u00adthing is soft and mal\u00adleable. Sand is asso\u00adcia\u00adted with a holi\u00adday atmo\u00adsphe\u00adre. For child\u00adren, the sand pile is very popu\u00adlar. They can play the\u00adre for hours, build sculp\u00adtures and rivers. We had a boy in our neigh\u00adbour\u00adhood who just did\u00adn\u2019t want to lea\u00adve the sand\u00adbox era behind. We smi\u00adled at him under our breath.
\nSpi\u00adri\u00adtual\u00adly, too, we should lea\u00adve the sand. It is not sui\u00adta\u00adble for buil\u00adding one\u2019s house of life on. We need a bet\u00adter foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon. S\u00f8ren Kier\u00adke\u00adgaard said, \u00abChrist does not want admi\u00adrers, but fol\u00adlo\u00adwers. The admi\u00adrer is the che\u00ada\u00adpest popu\u00adlar edi\u00adti\u00adon of the fol\u00adlower.\u00bb An admi\u00adrer is one who enthu\u00adsi\u00ada\u00adsti\u00adcal\u00adly hangs on the lip of Jesus, ful\u00adly appro\u00adves of it all, but does not act on it. A fol\u00adlower is a disci\u00adple who is pas\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adte about beco\u00adming like Jesus.
\nStorms are good checks to find out whe\u00adre we have built on sand. Such a storm is curr\u00adent\u00adly swee\u00adping through the world in the form of the coro\u00adna\u00advi\u00adrus. What is was\u00adting away in my life when I have no lei\u00adsu\u00adre acti\u00advi\u00adties, no work, no social cont\u00adacts, and ins\u00adtead iso\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon and worries? A good check is also to assu\u00adme that you belong to the risk group and would have clear sym\u00adptoms. What would that do to you?
\nBuild as a wise man
\n\u00abWhoe\u00adver lis\u00adtens to me and acts on it is wise and acts like a man who builds a house on solid rock\u00bb (Matthew 7:24 NL<\/span>). It\u2019s cra\u00adzy, that litt\u00adle word \u00abnot\u00bb makes the dif\u00adfe\u00adrence bet\u00adween me buil\u00adding on sand or rock. In Greek it is two tiny signs (me). This syllable distin\u00adgu\u00adis\u00adhes bet\u00adween a fool and an under\u00adstan\u00adding, wise per\u00adson, bet\u00adween an admi\u00adrer and a fol\u00adlower or disci\u00adple. So litt\u00adle and yet so much. Jesus is very con\u00adcer\u00adned that we build on rocks. Almost like a pray\u00ader mill, he repeats hims\u00adelf and chal\u00adlenges us to be not only hea\u00adrers but also doers of God\u2019s word.
\nUnli\u00adke sand, rock is some\u00adti\u00admes quite uncom\u00adfor\u00adta\u00adble. A few years ago, we spent our sum\u00admer holi\u00addays as a fami\u00adly in Croa\u00adtia, whe\u00adre the\u00adre is a lot of rock and hard\u00adly any sand on the bea\u00adches. It\u2019s quite exhaus\u00adting. You can\u2019t real\u00adly sett\u00adle down. You always have to find a new lying posi\u00adti\u00adon. The rock does\u00adn\u2019t adapt to me, I have to adapt to it.
\nBut: By doing God\u2019s word we build an excee\u00addin\u00adgly sta\u00adble house of life on a rock. The exam\u00adp\u00adle of Dapoz\u00adzo speaks cle\u00adar\u00adly. No storm can dama\u00adge it, not even the grea\u00adtest and last storm in earth\u00adly life, our dying. The fol\u00adlo\u00adwing pas\u00adsa\u00adge speaks about this: \u00abExer\u00adcise (Greek: gym\u00adna\u00adzo) yours\u00adelf in doing the will of God!\u00bb (1 Timo\u00adthy 4:7 Lut). And fur\u00adther, \u00abPhy\u00adsi\u00adcal trai\u00adning has some value, but spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal trai\u00adning is even more important, for it pro\u00admi\u00adses gain in this life as well as in the life to come\u00bb (4:8 NL<\/span>). First of all, yes, buil\u00adding a house on rocks takes more than lol\u00adling in warm sand, it takes spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal gym\u00adnastics. The gain in this life and the life to come is huge and gua\u00adran\u00adteed. Last week I visi\u00adted the rail\u00adway muse\u00adum in Ber\u00adg\u00fcn. On the Albu\u00adla line, all the via\u00adducts were built with stone. It was said that unli\u00adke iron bridges, the\u00adse are much more dura\u00adble. But it cos\u00adts effort. But don\u2019t worry: we don\u2019t fall from grace when we hear and do. Both are based on God\u2019s word and his spi\u00adrit, which does ever\u00ady\u00adthing for us if we want it.
\nOur small groups should be places for spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal gym\u00adnastics: places whe\u00adre we put the Word of God into prac\u00adti\u00adce. Gyms for disci\u00adple\u00adship. Jesus said, \u00abThe\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre go to all the nati\u00adons and make disci\u00adples of them\u00bb (Matthew 28:19 NL<\/span>). We pre\u00adsen\u00adted the three-thirds pro\u00adcess to the she\u00adp\u00adherds of our groups:<\/p>\n
\n\tLook upwards: In this part we deal with the Bible or with last Sunday\u2019s ser\u00admon. We talk about it and ask our\u00adsel\u00adves what God has to say to us.
\n\tLoo\u00adking ahead: Based on the ser\u00admon, we prac\u00adti\u00adse lis\u00adtening. In per\u00adso\u00adnal pray\u00ader, each per\u00adson asks God what exact\u00adly I should do. Who should I tell about you in the next two weeks? Whe\u00adre do I need for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness? Who can I help? Whom should I encourage?<\/p>\n
\nYou get older auto\u00adma\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly, disci\u00adples don\u2019t. \ud83d\ude09 The start\u00ading signal comes whe\u00adre a per\u00adson responds to Jesus\u00bb call to \u00abFol\u00adlow me\u00bb. When we walk in the dust of the gre\u00adat Rab\u00adbi cal\u00adled Jesus, we have the exam\u00adp\u00adle and the ener\u00adge\u00adtic super\u00adna\u00adtu\u00adral sup\u00adport for buil\u00adding hou\u00adses on rocks. This Jesus invi\u00adtes you to fol\u00adlow Him and be His disciple!
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead the Bible text: Matthew 7:24\u201327<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat could be the obs\u00adta\u00adcles for you to build a house on rocks?
\n\tTell about a storm in your life whe\u00adre your foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon was tested!
\n\tIs the extra\u00ador\u00addi\u00adna\u00adry sta\u00adte we are in also a storm for you? How do you deal with it?
\n\tWhat do you think of the three-thirds pro\u00adcess in the small groups? Could this be hel\u00adpful for doing God\u2019s Word?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"