Bible Text: Gene\u00adsis 3:1\u20137 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | When the ser\u00adpent tempt\u00aded humans in the Gar\u00adden of Eden, Adam stood sil\u00adent\u00adly and pas\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly bes\u00adi\u00adde his wife. This pat\u00adtern has been repea\u00adted mil\u00adli\u00adons of times over the cour\u00adse of time. Many men shut them\u00adsel\u00adves off when things get con\u00adfu\u00adsing or threa\u00adtening. The second Adam, Jesus Christ, chan\u00adges the omens completely.<\/p>\n
\tWhy did Adam behave so pas\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly in the who\u00adle \u00absna\u00adke scene\u00bb? Bible Text: Gene\u00adsis 3:1\u20137 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | When the ser\u00adpent tempt\u00aded humans in the Gar\u00adden of Eden, Adam stood sil\u00adent\u00adly and pas\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly bes\u00adi\u00adde his wife. This pat\u00adtern has been repea\u00adted mil\u00adli\u00adons of times over the cour\u00adse of time. Many men shut them\u00adsel\u00adves off when things get con\u00adfu\u00adsing or threa\u00adtening. The second\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-2826","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nWe are in the most beau\u00adtiful idyll in the Gar\u00adden of Eden. I recent\u00adly pho\u00adto\u00adgra\u00adphed a pic\u00adtu\u00adre on which the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing text was prin\u00adted next to a magni\u00adfi\u00adcent land\u00adscape: \u00abEden in Thur\u00adgau \u2013 the Thur\u00adgau land\u00adscape as a sym\u00adbol of the Gar\u00adden of Eden. The\u00adre are cer\u00adtain\u00adly more regi\u00adons in our fat\u00adher\u00adland that are even more fer\u00adti\u00adle and bet\u00adter cul\u00adti\u00adva\u00adted than the Thur\u00adgau, but no regi\u00adon in Ger\u00adma\u00adny has as much the repu\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon of an Eden as the Thur\u00adgau, becau\u00adse none is so hea\u00advi\u00adly plan\u00adted with fruit trees\u00bb. This is what Chris\u00adtoph Mei\u00adners \u2013 pro\u00adfes\u00adsor of world\u00adly wis\u00addom in G\u00f6t\u00adtin\u00adgen \u2013 wro\u00adte in a let\u00adter in 1788 and thus shaped the image of Switzerland.
\nIn the Gar\u00adden of Eden, the first human cou\u00adple, Adam and Eve, lived hap\u00adpi\u00adly and ful\u00adfil\u00adled tog\u00ade\u00adther in harm\u00ado\u00adny with their Crea\u00adtor. In the midd\u00adle of this idyll, they encoun\u00adter a sna\u00adke. The peo\u00adp\u00adle of the Ori\u00adent con\u00adside\u00adred it to be the sym\u00adbol of cun\u00adning and decep\u00adti\u00adon. \u00abThe ser\u00adpent was the most cun\u00adning of all the ani\u00admals that the Lord God had crea\u00adted. \u00abDid God real\u00adly say,\u00bb she asked the woman, \u00abthat you must not eat fruit from the trees of the gar\u00adden?\u00bb \u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 3:1 NL<\/span>). Behind the ser\u00adpent hides the temp\u00adter, also cal\u00adled Satan (mudd\u00adler). This is exact\u00adly the nasty way he still tri\u00ades. He exag\u00adge\u00adra\u00adtes wit\u00adhout mea\u00adsu\u00adre. Peo\u00adp\u00adle were allo\u00adwed to eat from all the trees, but not from that one. After\u00adwards, the sna\u00adke lies to the two of them right to their faces: \u00ab \u00abYou will not die,\u00bb hissed the sna\u00adke. \u00abGod knows that your eyes will be ope\u00adned when you eat from it. You will be like God and will know good from evil.\u00bb \u00bb (v.4f NL<\/span>).
\nAdam is silent
\nThroug\u00adhout histo\u00adry, the Church has gene\u00adral\u00adly bla\u00admed Eve for the fall of the human race. Along\u00adside the capri\u00adcious\u00adness of the \u00abwea\u00adk\u00ader ves\u00adsel\u00bb, Adam is put in a bet\u00adter light. Yet the\u00adre are various good reasons to assu\u00adme that Adam stood bes\u00adi\u00adde Eve throug\u00adhout the con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon. Of the four reasons that sup\u00adport this assump\u00adti\u00adon, I will sin\u00adgle out one. It says: \u00abAnd the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desi\u00adra\u00adble to give under\u00adstan\u00adding; and she took of the fruit the\u00adreof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her hus\u00adband with her, and he did eat\u00bb (v.6 Elb). Why did\u00adn\u2019t Adam say any\u00adthing? Befo\u00adre God crea\u00adted Eve, he had com\u00adman\u00added Adam never to eat of that very spe\u00adci\u00adfic tree. He pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly did. But when the ser\u00adpent crept up and enga\u00adged him in con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon to rai\u00adse doubts about God\u2019s good\u00adness, Adam said not\u00adhing, even though he heard every word. He could have said, \u00abHey, hold it, dar\u00adling! This ser\u00adpent is up to no good. I have seen through her wiles. We have no reason to doubt God\u2019s good\u00adness.\u00bb And then he would have tur\u00adned to the sna\u00adke and said, \u00abSna\u00adke, this con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon is over. Get out of here!\u00bb But Adam did not say a sin\u00adgle word. He left his wife alo\u00adne. The first time it came to plea\u00adding God\u2019s cau\u00adse, in his first spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal batt\u00adle \u2013 he fai\u00adled. Adam, whe\u00adre are you?
\nImme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly befo\u00adre this sce\u00adne is the crea\u00adti\u00adon account. In Gene\u00adsis 1, God encoun\u00adters dark\u00adness and cha\u00ados. He spo\u00adke into the dark\u00adness, brin\u00adging forth order, beau\u00adty and rela\u00adti\u00adonship. It is a God who speaks to bring about rela\u00adti\u00adonship. After crea\u00adting ever\u00ady\u00adthing, he keeps the Sabbath.
\nAdam was crea\u00adted in God\u2019s image, but beha\u00adves fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtal\u00adly dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly. The ser\u00adpent cau\u00adses con\u00adfu\u00adsi\u00adon and cha\u00ados. Inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00adingly, it is Eve who reflects the image of God more cle\u00adar\u00adly than Adam, becau\u00adse she talks to the ser\u00adpent. But what about Adam? The Bible does not report that God gave him any ins\u00adtruc\u00adtions about what to say to the ser\u00adpent. So he kept silent. Adam was pre\u00adsent phy\u00adsi\u00adcal\u00adly, but emo\u00adtio\u00adnal\u00adly he was not. He faded into the back\u00adground ins\u00adtead of step\u00adping for\u00adward into the lime\u00adlight. He was made to speak, but he did not say a word. He lis\u00adten\u00aded to the sna\u00adke, he lis\u00adten\u00aded to what his wife said, he took of the fruit, and then he ate. Three times he reac\u00adted pas\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly befo\u00adre he ate of the for\u00adbidden fruit.
\nWhen God spo\u00adke, crea\u00adti\u00adon emer\u00adged from cha\u00ados; when Adam was silent, cha\u00ados retur\u00adned to crea\u00adti\u00adon. God used speech to estab\u00adlish a rela\u00adti\u00adonship; Adam used silence to des\u00adtroy the rela\u00adti\u00adonship. God res\u00adted after crea\u00adting ever\u00ady\u00adthing; Adam had to work even har\u00adder as a result of his silence.
\nMany men still fol\u00adlow this pat\u00adtern today; they do not feel com\u00adpe\u00adtent in rela\u00adti\u00adonships and remain silent. Their safe ter\u00adrain is work, whe\u00adre they take refu\u00adge. The\u00adre they have some\u00adthing to say. Men among them\u00adsel\u00adves very often talk about work.
\nMen are silent
\nLar\u00adry Crabb, a Chris\u00adti\u00adan psy\u00adcho\u00adlo\u00adgist, has writ\u00adten a book cal\u00adled \u00abThe Silence of Men\u00bb. In it he shows that Adam\u2019s silence is at the begin\u00adning of all male fail\u00adure. Various men por\u00adtray\u00aded in the first book of Moses deli\u00adbera\u00adte\u00adly cho\u00adse to remain silent or to look away, to for\u00adget or to turn away. And each time they did so, they got them\u00adsel\u00adves into trou\u00adble. For exam\u00adp\u00adle, Abram, ins\u00adtead of trus\u00adting God\u2019s plans, lis\u00adten\u00aded to the advice of his wife Sarai and slept with his ser\u00advant Hagar. \u00abAnd Sarai said unto Abram, Behold, the LORD<\/span> hath shut me up, that I can\u00adnot bear. Go, I pray thee, to my hand\u00admaid, if by her I may have a son.\u00bb And Abram obey\u00aded the voice of Sarai. So Sarai, Abram\u2019s wife, took Hagar her Egyp\u00adti\u00adan maid and gave her to Abram her hus\u00adband to be his wife\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 16:2\u20133 NL<\/span>). Like Adam, Abram remains silent and pas\u00adsi\u00adve when tal\u00adking to his wife. But silence still speaks today. Ishma\u00adel, Hagar\u2019s son \u2013 from who\u00adse des\u00adcen\u00addants the Arab peo\u00adp\u00adles des\u00adcend \u2013 des\u00adpi\u00adses Isra\u00adel to this day.
\nAnd it goes on about the rebel\u00adli\u00adon of a Cain, to the impa\u00adti\u00adence of a Moses, from the weak\u00adne\u00adss of a Peter to my own fail\u00adure when I fai\u00adled to meet my wife in love. Like you and me. Sin\u00adce Adam, many men feel the natu\u00adral urge to be quiet whe\u00adre she should be tal\u00adking. Many men feel most com\u00adfor\u00adta\u00adble in situa\u00adtions whe\u00adre they know exact\u00adly what to do. But when things get con\u00adfu\u00adsing or threa\u00adtening, some\u00adthing insi\u00adde them tigh\u00adtens up and they shut down.
\nA man is on his way home from work. From six in the mor\u00adning to six in the evening, not\u00adhing but con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adons \u2013 with col\u00adle\u00adagues, cus\u00adto\u00admers and busi\u00adness part\u00adners. Tired as he was, he could hard\u00adly wait to get to the peo\u00adp\u00adle he loved most \u2013 his wife and child\u00adren. But as he tur\u00adned into the dri\u00adve\u00adway, his ner\u00adves ten\u00adsed. In his mind\u2019s eye he saw the child\u00adren wan\u00adting to play with him and the wife wan\u00adting to know how his day had been. She would give a detail\u00aded account of what had hap\u00adpen\u00aded sin\u00adce he left the house in the mor\u00adning. When he ente\u00adred the room, his wife gree\u00adted him with the ques\u00adti\u00adon that mil\u00adli\u00adons of women ask their hus\u00adbands every day. She asked, \u00abHow was it today?\u00bb He loo\u00adked her in the eye and said only one word: \u00abGood.\u00bb He hoped that was the end of the con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon. Imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly he tur\u00adned to the mail and pre\u00adten\u00added it was more important than the woman\u2019s ques\u00adti\u00adon. But all she wan\u00adted was to share in his life, and all he real\u00adly wan\u00adted was to che\u00adrish and love her.
\nSilence is deadly
\nIn the ver\u00adna\u00adcu\u00adlar, we speak of the Fall in this sto\u00adry. Sin means the brea\u00adking of the rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God. The inde\u00adpen\u00addent human being, who is God hims\u00adelf and does not sub\u00admit to Him, sins.
\nGod had fore\u00adtold Adam: \u00abIf you eat the fruit from this tree, you must defi\u00adni\u00adte\u00adly die\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 2:17 NL<\/span>). The ser\u00adpent clai\u00admed the oppo\u00adsi\u00adte. Who is right? Much later, Paul looks back at this sto\u00adry. \u00abFor if becau\u00adse of the sin of the one, death reig\u00adned through the one, how much more shall tho\u00adse who recei\u00adve the full\u00adness of grace and of the gift of righ\u00adteous\u00adness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ\u00bb (Romans 5:17 Lut).
\nThe first \u00abone\u00bb is Adam. It was never God\u2019s inten\u00adti\u00adon that man should age, beco\u00adme weak and feeb\u00adle, suf\u00adfer sick\u00adness and die. But becau\u00adse of Adam\u2019s trans\u00adgres\u00adsi\u00adon or silence, death acts as the boss in this world. His power is very cle\u00adar\u00adly shown to us espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly in the cur\u00adrent situa\u00adti\u00adon. Not all dise\u00ada\u00adses and ailm\u00adents are fatal, but they are mani\u00adfes\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons of death. Fati\u00adgue, weak\u00adne\u00adss and lack of strength, are also signs and sym\u00adptoms of death. Even the silence of men smells of death. Ins\u00adtead of crea\u00adting rela\u00adti\u00adonships, they are pre\u00adven\u00adted. Death is the boss. It strikes at whom, whe\u00adre and when it wants. It does not tole\u00adra\u00adte any contradiction.
\nThank God for the \u00abhow much more\u00bb! What Jesus, the second Adam (cf. 1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 15:47 NG\u00dc<\/span>) did is so much more and far grea\u00adter than what the first Adam did. He offers us \u00abthe full\u00adness of grace and the gift of righ\u00adteous\u00adness\u00bb. Tho\u00adse who have accept\u00aded this gift will reign in life through Jesus Christ. He came to des\u00adtroy death and give us eter\u00adnal life. With him we can reign more and more over all forms of death \u2013 even if we still have to suf\u00adfer sick\u00adness and death.
\nBles\u00adsed to be a bles\u00adsing. Death is no lon\u00adger the boss in the house of a Jesus fol\u00adlower. Jesus Christ is! Men can beco\u00adme a bles\u00adsing to tho\u00adse around them by spea\u00adking and rela\u00adting even on uncer\u00adtain ground. Women can rejoice and also be life-givers to tho\u00adse around them. The second Adam, Jesus Christ, sets com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly new omens befo\u00adre our ever\u00ady\u00adday life!
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRea\u00adding the Bible text: Gene\u00adsis 3:1\u20137<\/p>\n
\n\tMen are said to be rather quiet and reser\u00adved when they are on uncer\u00adtain ground. In the pro\u00adfes\u00adsio\u00adnal world, on the other hand, they are often much more com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adca\u00adti\u00adve. Could you con\u00adfirm this statement?
\n\tWhat is the dif\u00adfe\u00adrence for ever\u00ady\u00adday life whe\u00adther death or a fol\u00adlower through Jesus Christ is chief?
\n\tFor men: Does your fami\u00adly sen\u00adse that you have rever\u00adsed omens through Jesus Christ?
\n\tFor women: What could help the man to move bet\u00adter on uncer\u00adtain terrain?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"