Bible Text: Matthew 12:48\u201350 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Like You and Me | Jesus says, \u00abFor whoe\u00adver does the will of my Father in hea\u00adven is my brot\u00adher and sis\u00adter and mother.\u00bb \u00bb (Matthew 12:48\u201350). Along with an app\u00adre\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon for mothers, the ser\u00admon looks at how we our\u00adsel\u00adves can beco\u00adme mothers and fathers, brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters to one ano\u00adther. The ser\u00admon is pep\u00adpe\u00adred with expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces and a lot of moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon to live spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal fami\u00adly tog\u00ade\u00adther\u00adness as a congregation!<\/p>\n
Mother\u2019s Day! I espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly wel\u00adco\u00adme you mothers and hope that you have the most com\u00adfor\u00adta\u00adble seats today! It is said that some men in Chris\u00adti\u00adan con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adti\u00adons stay at home on Mother\u2019s Day becau\u00adse the ser\u00admon is not meant for them any\u00adway. At pre\u00adsent, howe\u00adver, we have a com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent situa\u00adti\u00adon: ever\u00adyo\u00adne is at home! So I also wel\u00adco\u00adme the men who are pre\u00adsent, as well as all the young peo\u00adp\u00adle, even though they may not be thin\u00adking about get\u00adting mar\u00adried for a long time, and cer\u00adtain\u00adly not about beco\u00adming mothers or fathers. It\u2019s just good that you\u2019\u00adre all here! And I pro\u00admi\u00adse you, you will all be in the sermon! \tFor one thing, it appli\u00ades to ever\u00ady\u00adthing and ever\u00ady\u00adwhe\u00adre in your ordi\u00adna\u00adry ever\u00ady\u00adday life! This spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal kin\u00adship is much stron\u00adger and much more las\u00adting than your phy\u00adsi\u00adcal fami\u00adly ties, becau\u00adse it has an eter\u00adnal character! \tThe first is a teen\u00adager who wan\u00adted to stand out with ever\u00ady\u00adthing and be extra\u00ador\u00addi\u00adna\u00adry: Hair\u00adstyle, pier\u00adcing, clo\u00adthes, man\u00adne\u00adrisms and expres\u00adsi\u00adons. In short: a teen\u00adager who cau\u00adses trou\u00adble ever\u00ady\u00adwhe\u00adre and ear\u00adns more dis\u00adli\u00adke than affec\u00adtion. Alre\u00ada\u00addy in Kigo times, this boy gets a pray\u00ader god\u00admo\u00adther who had recei\u00adved a big heart from God for this boy and beca\u00adme a bril\u00adli\u00adant spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal mother for him. Again and again she approa\u00adched him and wan\u00adted to know how he was doing and how she should pray for him. This clo\u00adse con\u00adnec\u00adtion remain\u00aded throug\u00adhout all the dif\u00adfi\u00adcult years. Now mar\u00adried, the young man and his wife keep coming to church. Bible Text: Matthew 12:48\u201350 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Like you and me | Jesus says, \u00abFor whoe\u00adver does the will of my Father in hea\u00adven is my brot\u00adher and sis\u00adter and mother.\u00bb \u00bb (Matthew 12:48\u201350). In addi\u00adti\u00adon to an app\u00adre\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon for mothers, the book addres\u00adses how we our\u00adsel\u00adves are mothers and fathers, brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters to one another.\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-2858","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
\nBefo\u00adre we turn to the Bible tog\u00ade\u00adther, I would like to say some\u00adthing to tho\u00adse who are now sit\u00adting in the box seats: You acti\u00adve mothers, who still have child\u00adren around your ears at home, you are doing such an important job, you sim\u00adply have to be admi\u00adred today and hop\u00adeful\u00adly also spoi\u00adled a litt\u00adle! You deser\u00adve a big round of applau\u00adse! Like the aut\u00adhor Irmela Hof\u00admann, you too can say: \u00abI work in the most important work\u00adshop of the nuclear age, whe\u00adre the future is shaped and the pre\u00adsent gains its sala\u00adry: I am a house\u00adwi\u00adfe and mother of three children!
\nJesus and his family
\nWhen Jesus once again had a lar\u00adge crowd around him, someone urged him, \u00abYou, your mother and your brot\u00adhers are stan\u00adding out\u00adside!\u00bb Jesus tur\u00adned to him and said, \u00ab \u00abWho is my mother, and who are my brot\u00adhers?\u00bb Then poin\u00adting with his hand to his disci\u00adples, he con\u00adtin\u00adued, \u00abBehold, the\u00adse are my mother and my brot\u00adhers! For whoe\u00adver does the will of my Father in hea\u00adven is my brot\u00adher and sis\u00adter and mother.\u00bb \u00bb (Matthew 12:48\u201350 NG\u00dc<\/span>).
\nInte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading! Whoe\u00adver puts his life into God\u2019s hands and con\u00adscious\u00adly lives with Jesus grows into a new kin\u00adship, into a new fami\u00adly! Jesus did ever\u00ady\u00adthing for this spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal fami\u00adly. Even on the cross, imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly befo\u00adre his death, he was still for\u00adging fami\u00adly ties: \u00abWhen Jesus saw his mother stan\u00adding the\u00adre bes\u00adi\u00adde the disci\u00adple whom he loved, he said to her, \u00abWoman, this is now your son.\u00bb And to the disci\u00adple he said, \u00abThis is now your mother.\u00bb From then on the disci\u00adple took her to his house\u00bb (John 19:26\u201327 NL<\/span>). This makes sen\u00adse to us! The \u00abcarpenter\u2019s wife\u00bb did not recei\u00adve an old-age pen\u00adsi\u00adon at that time and was depen\u00addent on someone taking care of her. John took on the respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty of caring for Mary, the mother of Jesus.
\nThe com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty family
\nThis exam\u00adp\u00adle shows very well how being a mother and father, brot\u00adher and sis\u00adter takes on a com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent dimen\u00adsi\u00adon! And that is why it is good that ever\u00adyo\u00adne is here in the ser\u00advice: mothers, fathers, sin\u00adgles, young women and men, child\u00adren, grand\u00admo\u00adthers and grand\u00adfa\u00adthers, widows and widowers!
\nWe have once again arri\u00adved at our the\u00adme for the year: \u00abI will bless you and you shall be a bles\u00adsing!\u00bb This pro\u00admi\u00adse is aimed at two are\u00adas of your life:<\/p>\n
\n\tAnd second\u00adly, it has gre\u00adat signi\u00adfi\u00adcan\u00adce for the Chris\u00adti\u00adan com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty; whe\u00adre we are spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters, spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal mothers and fathers to one another.<\/p>\n
\nHow are you doing in the church fami\u00adly? May\u00adbe you are in a situa\u00adti\u00adon right now whe\u00adre you feel alo\u00adne with your faith. You real\u00adly need a spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal mother, a spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal father or a spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal sis\u00adter or brot\u00adher! I can only say to you: Don\u2019t sup\u00adpress this need! Don\u2019t say: \u00abWe can do wit\u00adhout! Make your desi\u00adre your pro\u00adject, your pray\u00ader! If God reminds you of someone you could talk to, get in touch!
\nAno\u00adther ques\u00adti\u00adon that ever\u00adyo\u00adne bet\u00adween the ages of 8 and 88 needs to ask is: Is the\u00adre someone in the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty who seems to be alo\u00adne and has litt\u00adle connection?
\nLook around you with loving eyes. Lis\u00adten to others with loving ears! Take the first step towards others!
\nI would like to rela\u00adte two experiences:<\/p>\n
\n\tThe second teen\u00adager was a dif\u00adfe\u00adrent type, but no less rebel\u00adlious. Even befo\u00adre gra\u00addua\u00adti\u00adon, he made a state\u00adment to his pious par\u00adents: \u00abAfter gra\u00addua\u00adti\u00adon, I won\u2019t come to church any more, at most I\u2019ll go to ICF<\/span> from time to time! But now spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal mothers from the children\u2019s ser\u00advice had the cou\u00adra\u00adge and the con\u00adfi\u00addence to ask this rebel\u00adlious teen\u00adager to join the Kigo. And he said yes! Fri\u00adends from the church took him to the Prai\u00adse Camp in St.Gallen. The\u00adre his life was tur\u00adned upsi\u00adde down and the rebel\u00adlious teen\u00adager beca\u00adme a valuable spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal coun\u00adter\u00adpart for the child\u00adren in the church. And the litt\u00adle \u00abbut\u00adtons\u00bb loved him. Later he inves\u00adted hims\u00adelf in the teenage group. And today, as a new\u00adly mar\u00adried man, he and his wife are respon\u00adsi\u00adble for a group of young adults.<\/p>\n
\n
\nSpi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal fathers and mothers are born in ado\u00adle\u00ads\u00adcence and often remain so for life. Child\u00adren like to lean on role models who are bet\u00adween 13 and 17 years old! Teen\u00adagers to young adults. They love older coun\u00adter\u00adparts they can look up to. Young peo\u00adp\u00adle in their deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00adment are so gra\u00adteful for all tho\u00adse who take an inte\u00adrest in them and who con\u00adscious\u00adly turn towards them! I know you children\u2019s and youth lea\u00adders are awa\u00adre of the good you do when you invol\u00adve young peo\u00adp\u00adle in co-respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty at an ear\u00adly age!
\nBibli\u00adcal example
\nA beau\u00adtiful bibli\u00adcal exam\u00adp\u00adle is Timo\u00adthy! First we must note that Timo\u00adthy had two bril\u00adli\u00adant role models in the faith, name\u00adly his grand\u00admo\u00adther Lois and his mother Eunice (2Timothy 1:5). The apost\u00adle Paul beca\u00adme his spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal father and drew him into coope\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon at an ear\u00adly age! Paul wri\u00adtes to the Corin\u00adthi\u00adans about him: \u00ab[\u2026] I have sent Timo\u00adthy to you, whom I love as if he were my own son, and who is a trus\u00adted co-worker with me in my ser\u00advice for the Lord\u00bb (1Corinthians 4:17 NG\u00dc<\/span>). What is inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading about a Mother\u2019s Day is that Paul also sees hims\u00adelf as a mother to other Chris\u00adti\u00adans, e.g. when he wri\u00adtes to the Gala\u00adti\u00adans: \u00abMy child\u00adren, it is as if I had to give birth to you a second time. I am going through birth pangs again until Christ takes shape in your lives\u00bb (Gala\u00adti\u00adans 4:19 NG\u00dc<\/span>). As if he had any idea what birth is and what birth pangs are! But: Paul hims\u00adelf had a spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal mother! At the end of Romans he greets a Rufus and adds: \u00ab[\u2026] and greet also his mother, who also beca\u00adme a mother to me\u00bb (Romans 16:13).
\nFor me per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly, a spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal mother is a woman who is alre\u00ada\u00addy over 90 years old and has been sup\u00adport\u00ading me and my fami\u00adly in pray\u00ader for deca\u00addes. So pre\u00adcious!!! Do you have a spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal mother who sup\u00adports you and prays for you? Do you have a fat\u00adher\u00adly fri\u00adend who under\u00adstands you and is clo\u00adse to you? I ask this of all generations!
\nIt is inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading how Paul is also mother\u00adly in his task as an apost\u00adle: \u00abWe would have had the right to make full use of our aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adty as apost\u00adles of Christ; ins\u00adtead, we have dealt with you gent\u00adly, like a mother who lovin\u00adg\u00adly cares for her child\u00adren\u00bb (1Tessalonians 2:7 NG\u00dc<\/span>). Per\u00adhaps Paul is not cre\u00addi\u00adted with this!
\na) Paul lear\u00adned this from God!
\nGod pro\u00admi\u00adsed His peo\u00adp\u00adle through the pro\u00adphet Isai\u00adah: \u00abI will com\u00adfort you as a mother com\u00adforts her child\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 66:13 LU<\/span>; see also Is. 49:15\u201316).
\nb) Or lear\u00adnt from David. This migh\u00adty king and war hero can say to his God in Psalm 131: \u00abI am at rest, my heart is con\u00adtent and quiet. Like a litt\u00adle child in its mother\u2019s arms, so calm and secu\u00adre am I with you!\u00bb (Psalm 131:2 Hfa).
\nIn sum\u00adma\u00adry, I can say that all the examp\u00adles men\u00adtio\u00adned have grown on the fer\u00adti\u00adle soil of aga\u00adpe love. God has pou\u00adred this love into the hearts of his child\u00adren. He did not put them on a drip! Pou\u00adred it out! This is part of the bles\u00adsing God says, \u00abI will bless you and you shall be a bles\u00adsing!\u00bb New\u00adly mar\u00adried, Ros\u00adma\u00adrie and I moved to Prat\u00adteln in the 70s. While loo\u00adking for a church, we came across a very small evan\u00adge\u00adli\u00adcal church. The first ser\u00advice we wan\u00adted to attend was an evening ser\u00advice: befo\u00adre the ser\u00advice even star\u00adted, a woman approa\u00adched us, say\u00ading we were lost! \u00abAre you loo\u00adking for the young church?\u00bb \u2013 \u00abNo we want to wor\u00adship here!\u00bb We stay\u00aded and made fri\u00adends with the peo\u00adp\u00adle. As the youn\u00adgest, we could be a valuable coun\u00adter\u00adpart to par\u00adents who were in the midd\u00adle of pro\u00adblems with their teenagers!
\n
\nGod\u2019s love and bles\u00adsing make it pos\u00adsi\u00adble for us to live this very dif\u00adfe\u00adrent dimen\u00adsi\u00adon of a spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal fami\u00adly. And so we are sud\u00adden\u00adly spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal fathers and mothers, spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters who are inte\u00adres\u00adted in others, who approach others, want to get to know them, pray for them, share in their suf\u00adfe\u00adring, walk a litt\u00adle way with them\u2026 \u2013 and that also across gene\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons! Con\u00adcepts such as mother\u2019s hap\u00adpi\u00adness and father\u2019s hap\u00adpi\u00adness take on a com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent mea\u00adning in the con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adti\u00adon. A fami\u00adly-like, Chris\u00adti\u00adan con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adti\u00adon beco\u00admes a fore\u00adtas\u00adte of hea\u00adven when its mem\u00adbers are fami\u00adly with each other!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"