Bible Text: 1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 1:18 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Like you and me | For some, non\u00adsen\u00adsi\u00adcal, unneces\u00adsa\u00adry, sim\u00adply a scan\u00addal; for others, the basis for their new life with God. In addi\u00adti\u00adon, we expe\u00adri\u00adence Andre\u00adas on his inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading path to faith.<\/p>\n
Andre\u00adas sits on the flo\u00ador and rolls a ciga\u00adret\u00adte. For almost 3 weeks, the 18-year-old has been on a trip of self-dis\u00adco\u00advery. All by hims\u00adelf, he rode his moped all the way to Eng\u00adland and back, 3000 km. Now he is on his way back and takes a break on a bench; his over\u00adalls are dir\u00adty, his fin\u00adger\u00adnails black and his long hair greasy; he stinks and is tired. Lost in thought, he does\u00adn\u2019t noti\u00adce how a sty\u00adled busi\u00adness\u00adman of about 50 sits on the bench with him. After a few minu\u00adtes, this man turns to him and asks: Do you know Jesus? Andre\u00adas, howe\u00adver, is a con\u00advin\u00adced and mis\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adry athe\u00adist. He finds belief in God stu\u00adpid and com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly absurd! Even now he puts on a pity\u00ading smi\u00adle, as he often does with his pious class\u00adma\u00adtes at the grammar school. Bible Text: 1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 1:18 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Like you and me | For some, non\u00adsen\u00adsi\u00adcal, unneces\u00adsa\u00adry, sim\u00adply a scan\u00addal; for others, the basis for their new life with God. In addi\u00adti\u00adon, we expe\u00adri\u00adence Andre\u00adas on his inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading path to faith. Andre\u00adas sits on the flo\u00ador and rolls a ciga\u00adret\u00adte. Since\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[35],"wpfc_sermon_series":[63],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-bernhard-hohl","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-wie-du-und-ich","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-2812","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
\nHow would peo\u00adp\u00adle react today if you asked them: Do you know Jesus? \u00abSure, I know Jesus, he is in the Bible. We heard about him at school,\u00bb some would spon\u00adta\u00adneous\u00adly ans\u00adwer. Others would per\u00adhaps imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly do a 180 and dis\u00adap\u00adpear. Still others would smi\u00adle, doubt our sani\u00adty and sud\u00adden\u00adly have no more time. What hap\u00adpen\u00aded on Good Fri\u00adday? \u2013 would also be such a ques\u00adti\u00adon as a con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon star\u00adter. That would be more dif\u00adfi\u00adcult! Good Fri\u00adday \u2013 a day off from work to enjoy! But the mea\u00adning behind it? No idea! Even tal\u00adking about it is com\u00adple\u00adte non\u00adsen\u00adse for most peo\u00adp\u00adle. Jesus dies on the cross! That is a bloo\u00addy scan\u00addal! A mis\u00adcar\u00adria\u00adge of jus\u00adti\u00adce! Good Fri\u00adday \u2013 the\u00adre is no mea\u00adning behind it! Paul says in 1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans, ch 1, ver\u00adse 18: \u00abI know how non\u00adsen\u00adsi\u00adcal the mes\u00adsa\u00adge of the cross sounds in the ears of tho\u00adse who are peri\u00ads\u00adhing. But we who are saved reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse in this mes\u00adsa\u00adge the power of God.\u00bb Opi\u00adni\u00adons dif\u00adfer on the cross. The\u00adre are also Chris\u00adti\u00adans who have trou\u00adble with this day! The\u00adre are con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adti\u00adons that have taken their Good Fri\u00adday ser\u00advice out of the pro\u00adgram\u00adme. They con\u00adcen\u00adtra\u00adte on Eas\u00adter. They pre\u00adfer to talk about the resurrection!
\nJesus tried to prepa\u00adre the disci\u00adples for his pas\u00adsi\u00adon. The first time, Peter was hor\u00adri\u00adfied and vehe\u00admen\u00adt\u00adly refu\u00adsed: \u00abThis must not hap\u00adpen, Lord,\u00bb he said. \u00abThis must not hap\u00adpen under any cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances!\u00bb (Matthew 16:23 LU<\/span>) That would be embar\u00adras\u00adsing! A Saviour who must suf\u00adfer and die! From the second announce\u00adment we read that the disci\u00adples could not do any\u00adthing with this news \u2013 and inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading: they were afraid to ask fur\u00adther ques\u00adti\u00adons! We are some\u00adti\u00admes afraid to ask fur\u00adther ques\u00adti\u00adons becau\u00adse we are afraid of the \u00abit could be!\u00bb we are afraid. Or when we don\u2019t want to know the truth. Jesus makes a third attempt, but it is no use: \u00abThe disci\u00adples unders\u00adtood not\u00adhing of all this. The mea\u00adning of the\u00adse words was hid\u00adden from them; they did not under\u00adstand what was meant\u00bb (Luke 18:34 NG\u00dc<\/span>). Was it easier to talk about the cross of Jesus after the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion. Paul made the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing expe\u00adri\u00adence on his mis\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adry jour\u00adneys: \u00abThe Jews demand signs and the Greeks seek wis\u00addom. When we pro\u00adcla\u00adim Christ as cru\u00adci\u00adfied, the Jews are indignant and the Greeks decla\u00adre it non\u00adsen\u00adse\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 1:22\u201323 NL<\/span>). Why did this con\u00adti\u00adnue until today? Becau\u00adse Jesus thwar\u00adted the human idea of a true, ful\u00adfil\u00adled life and made it out to be a dead end, an erro\u00adn\u00adeous path! The Jews thought they were good enough, but they would have lik\u00aded to see ano\u00adther mira\u00adcle from Jesus; and the Greeks were loo\u00adking for some\u00adthing cle\u00adver, for an intellec\u00adtu\u00adal \u00abhip\u00bb. And today: peo\u00adp\u00adle don\u2019t need Jesus to die for them. They mana\u00adge wit\u00adhout. They are respon\u00adsi\u00adble for their own faux pas! A God who sacri\u00adfices his Son for us and then dies on the cross cover\u00aded in blood \u2013 that is no God!
\nOpi\u00adni\u00adons dif\u00adfer on the cross of Jesus
\nEvery per\u00adson comes to the cross\u00adroads of Good Fri\u00adday at some point in their life\u2019s jour\u00adney. The cross of Jesus places peo\u00adp\u00adle at a cross\u00adroads \u2013 whe\u00adre they have to deci\u00adde. Two paths are offe\u00adred to you, like the two arms of a cross: the path with God or the path wit\u00adhout God! It is a decis\u00adi\u00adon about life and death \u2013 about being lost or being saved! What is cra\u00adzy is that in the cour\u00adse of time peo\u00adp\u00adle have con\u00adver\u00adted the cross\u00adroads at the cross into a giant round\u00adabout with hundreds of exits and pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties. The\u00adre are exits to eso\u00adte\u00adri\u00adcism, healt\u00adhy living, yoga, astro\u00adlo\u00adgy, Bud\u00addhism, gro\u00adwing self-con\u00adfi\u00addence, Islam, cos\u00adme\u00adtic sur\u00adgery, Chi Gong, Hin\u00addu\u00adism, banks, fit\u00adness temp\u00adles, slee\u00adping bet\u00adter, Tai Chi, fit in old age etc. The\u00adre are undoub\u00adted\u00adly good offers the\u00adre too. And peo\u00adp\u00adle go round in this round\u00adabout and help them\u00adsel\u00adves to the buf\u00adfet for a ful\u00adfil\u00adled and hap\u00adpy life \u2013 and yet remain emp\u00adty. Are the\u00adse unli\u00admi\u00adt\u00aded pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties now sup\u00adpo\u00adsed to be bet\u00adter, more sen\u00adsi\u00adble, more inge\u00adnious and easier to under\u00adstand than the fact that God loves us and wants to give us a life with a future and hope? Paul turns the tables two ver\u00adses after our ser\u00admon text: \u00abWhe\u00adre are the wise, the scri\u00adbes, the bril\u00adli\u00adant spea\u00adk\u00aders? God has made fools of them and expo\u00adsed their wis\u00addom as use\u00adl\u00adess non\u00adsen\u00adse\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 1:20 NL<\/span>). Here is an inter\u00adme\u00addia\u00adte remark: When we talk about the foo\u00adlish\u00adness of the cross on this day, we must remain awa\u00adre that even then not a few priests, Pha\u00adri\u00adsees and scri\u00adbes came to belie\u00adve. Just as num\u00ade\u00adrous super-smart peo\u00adp\u00adle share the faith with us today! Is the good news of the Bible so dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to under\u00adstand? An eye-opener:
\nGod loves people
\nFirst things first: God loves all peo\u00adp\u00adle! He has demons\u00adtra\u00adted this love to us with his Son Jesus Christ. Jesus took the punish\u00adment for our guilt upon hims\u00adelf by going the way to the cross, for you and me, for all of us. He did this vol\u00adun\u00adt\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly! Jesus says it hims\u00adelf: \u00abNo one takes it (life) from me; I give it free\u00adly. I have the power to give it away and I have the power to recei\u00adve it again. This is the com\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adon I have recei\u00adved from my Father\u00bb (John 10:18 NG\u00dc<\/span>).
\nThe board in front of the head
\nIt is sad that bet\u00adween most peo\u00adp\u00adle and God is like a wall. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, many peo\u00adp\u00adle never expe\u00adri\u00adence any\u00adthing of God\u2019s love becau\u00adse they igno\u00adre him. They are God to them\u00adsel\u00adves. When the Bible speaks of sin, it does not mean our moral fail\u00adure first, but the arro\u00adgant going over God\u2019s head. For me, the cur\u00adrent Coro\u00adna cri\u00adsis is like God shaking the com\u00adfor\u00adta\u00adble chairs whe\u00adre peo\u00adp\u00adle are stuck and invi\u00adting them to come to him: \u00abSo, get up, come to me already!\u00bb
\n
\nThe crossing at the crossroads
\nSome\u00adti\u00admes peo\u00adp\u00adle need seve\u00adral \u00abshakes\u00bb befo\u00adre they make the right decis\u00adi\u00adon. Like Andre\u00adas, whom we met on the bench. He tried to make the man next to him under\u00adstand that reli\u00adgi\u00adon is non\u00adsen\u00adse. But he hims\u00adelf beco\u00admes sus\u00adpi\u00adcious becau\u00adse he rea\u00adli\u00adses that he does\u00adn\u2019t real\u00adly know any\u00adthing about the Chris\u00adti\u00adan faith. The man wants to give him ano\u00adther New Tes\u00adta\u00adment. Andre\u00adas, who does not agree at first, thinks: \u00abOk, I can read it\u00bb\u2026 At home he starts to read, but it is total crap for him. \u00abIt\u2019s about Jesus, who forms a group with a few com\u00adple\u00adte idi\u00adots, fails grand\u00adly in the end and is cru\u00adci\u00adfied\u00bb, is how he sums up what he has read. But it pis\u00adses him off that the\u00adre is some\u00adthing that so ful\u00adfils others, but he can\u2019t find access to this mate\u00adri\u00adal. His next step is to get in touch with his fun\u00adny, pious school\u00adma\u00adtes from high school. They imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly invi\u00adte him to the youth Bible cir\u00adcle, whe\u00adre they talk to each other, read the Bible, sing and pray. He attends seve\u00adral times, but still feels not\u00adhing of God\u2019s clo\u00adsen\u00adess. After gra\u00addua\u00adting from high school, he does his com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty ser\u00advice in an old people\u2019s home \u2013 the\u00adre he is con\u00adfron\u00adted with faith again. He is ama\u00adzed at the many old, bit\u00adter peo\u00adp\u00adle who look back on their lives and say: \u00abI have lived off the mark. I have built my life on things that don\u2019t work.
\nIsn\u2019t it bad when a per\u00adson has to make such a con\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adon at the end of his life? This tou\u00adch\u00ades the young man and he asks hims\u00adelf: What real\u00adly wears in this world? In this old people\u2019s home the\u00adre was also an old woman who was devout. She was in a bad way. She could no lon\u00adger get up, at most she could sit up in bed. But this was one of the hap\u00adpiest and kin\u00addest women he had met. She always said, \u00abWhen the Lord Jesus comes for me some\u00adday, it will be good!\u00bb When one ente\u00adred her room, the sun would rise! The young man felt: the\u00adre is a God after all. This woman has some\u00adthing that car\u00adri\u00ades her. The\u00adre is some\u00adthing worth living for. And he expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces how unbe\u00adlief has to cede more and more space to faith. One day, Andre\u00adas came across a page in his tes\u00adta\u00adment whe\u00adre the rea\u00adder had the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to docu\u00adment his decis\u00adi\u00adon for faith in the God of the Bible in wri\u00adting, with date and signature.At that moment, he deci\u00added for Jesus. Even today he sticks to it and says: \u00abI want to belie\u00adve, even if doubts ari\u00adse from time to time!\u00bb (from: Susan\u00adne Hoch\u00admey\u00ader-Licht\u00adblau, Von Gott ber\u00fchrt, Gerth-Medi\u00aden, ISBN<\/span> 978\u20133\u201195734\u2013625\u20114)
\nGood Friday
\nThat\u2019s how God is! Our mis\u00adbe\u00adha\u00adviour towards God and our ego trips can\u00adnot stop Him from show\u00ading His love to peo\u00adp\u00adle even in the 21st cen\u00adtu\u00adry. He still knocks on people\u2019s doors and draws them to Hims\u00adelf \u2013 like Andrew! That is why we go through life with open eyes and ears, becau\u00adse per\u00adhaps Jesus wants to use you as a \u00abnudge\u00bb for others, as he did through the man on the bench, through the young peo\u00adp\u00adle in the Bible stu\u00addy group or through the radi\u00adant woman in the old people\u2019s home. We are bles\u00adsed to bless others! \u00abI know how non\u00adsen\u00adsi\u00adcal the mes\u00adsa\u00adge of the cross sounds in the ears of tho\u00adse who are lost. But we who are saved reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse the power of God in this mes\u00adsa\u00adge\u00bb (1 Cor 1:18 NL<\/span>). What a pri\u00advi\u00adle\u00adge, in this Coro\u00adna-shaken world, to be at home with God!
\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"