Bible Text: Gene\u00adsis 37:1\u201311 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | Joseph had dreams at the age of 17 that would actual\u00adly come true thir\u00adteen years later. From his dreams to his desti\u00adny, the\u00adre were many tests and chal\u00adlenges to pass. One of them was the pri\u00adde test. God hel\u00adped him to beco\u00adme a hum\u00adble person.<\/p>\n
\tWhat dreams did you have for your life when you were young? What have they tur\u00adned into? Bible Text: Gene\u00adsis 37:1\u201311 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | Joseph had dreams at the age of 17 that would actual\u00adly come true thir\u00adteen years later. From his dreams to his desti\u00adny, the\u00adre were many tests and chal\u00adlenges to pass. One of them was the pri\u00adde test. God hel\u00adped him\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":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-wie-du-und-ich","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-3023","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
\nFrom the first mee\u00adting bet\u00adween Jacob and Rachel he knew: for this woman I am rea\u00addy to give ever\u00ady\u00adthing! Laban, Rachel\u2019s father, knew how to take advan\u00adta\u00adge of this and made him work for him for seven years. Then the wed\u00adding. But when Jacob lifted the veil of his wife, the shock was deep. It was the wrong woman. Leah, the sis\u00adter of Rachel. On his pro\u00admi\u00adse that he would work off the bri\u00adde pri\u00adce of seven years again, Jacob was also allo\u00adwed to call Rachel his wife after the wed\u00adding week. Now he had two wives at once, but he loved Rachel more than Leah.
\nThen it star\u00adted with child\u00adren. Six sons and a daugh\u00adter by Leah, two sons by Bil\u00adhah, Rachel\u2019s maid, two sons by Zil\u00adpah, Leah\u2019s maid, no child\u00adren by Rachel. Thanks to help from natu\u00adral medi\u00adci\u00adne, after a long wait and suf\u00adfe\u00adring, she final\u00adly beca\u00adme pregnant: Joseph was born! Much lon\u00adged for by Rachel and Jacob. At the birth of the second son, Ben\u00adja\u00admin, Rachel died (Gene\u00adsis 35:18).
\nIn chap\u00adters 37 \u2013 50 of Gene\u00adsis, the dream\u00adli\u00adke sto\u00adry of Joseph is descri\u00adbed. Read the Bible text: Gene\u00adsis 37:1\u201311 NL<\/span>.
\nProud dreams
\nBased on histo\u00adry, it is under\u00adstan\u00adda\u00adble that Joseph beca\u00adme Jacob\u2019s favou\u00adri\u00adte son, but in doing so he did him a dis\u00adser\u00advice and gave him a bad start in life. Becau\u00adse his father loved him more, he beca\u00adme proud and arro\u00adgant. In return, he was hated all the more by his ele\u00adven brot\u00adhers. Having ele\u00adven brot\u00adhers against you means many dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adties. At 17, Joseph was a spoilt daddy\u2019s boy with airs and graces. He was a dia\u00admond in the rough. Michel\u00adan\u00adge\u00adlo was asked how he mana\u00adged to chisel such mar\u00advell\u00adous sta\u00adtu\u00ades from a block of marb\u00adle lying in front of him. He car\u00adved the world-famous sta\u00adtue of David from a block of marb\u00adle. His ans\u00adwer was: \u00abI chip\u00adped away ever\u00ady\u00adthing that did\u00adn\u2019t belong to David.\u00bb
\nJoseph told his brot\u00adhers his proud dreams. In the first dream, the she\u00ada\u00adves of the brot\u00adhers bowed down to Joseph\u2019s she\u00adaf; in the second, the sun, the moon and ele\u00adven stars bowed down to him. This meant mother, father and the brot\u00adhers. \u00abJoseph\u2019s brot\u00adhers were jea\u00adlous of Joseph. But his father pon\u00adde\u00adred the dream\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 37:11 NL<\/span>). Joseph had gre\u00adat visi\u00adons but an imma\u00adtu\u00adre, pro\u00adble\u00adma\u00adtic cha\u00adrac\u00adter. He was a \u00abfluff goof\u00bb. God loves to deal with peo\u00adp\u00adle the way Michel\u00adan\u00adge\u00adlo did with the block of marb\u00adle. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing that does not belong, he works away.
\nThe inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading thing about Joseph is that his dreams \u2013 thir\u00adteen years later \u2013 actual\u00adly came true. Over a long thir\u00adteen years, God work\u00aded inten\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly with and on Joseph so that he could beco\u00adme the man who saved his peo\u00adp\u00adle from cer\u00adtain star\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon. God tes\u00adted Joseph and for\u00admed him. The Eng\u00adlish word testam\u00ado\u00adny trans\u00adla\u00adtes as tes\u00adtim\u00ado\u00adny. Tho\u00adse who pass the tests recei\u00adve a good tes\u00adtim\u00ado\u00adny at the end. But the jour\u00adney from dream to desti\u00adny took thir\u00adteen years. I noti\u00adce that young theo\u00adlo\u00adgy stu\u00addents are often told at the trai\u00adning cen\u00adtres that they will wri\u00adte histo\u00adry and that God will do gre\u00adat things with them. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, howe\u00adver, litt\u00adle is said about the thir\u00adteen-year path full of tests.
\nThat\u2019s what we want too. We want to live a meaningful life. We want to use our gifts for some\u00adthing big. Young peo\u00adp\u00adle have big dreams. We want a lega\u00adcy to be left behind when we are gone. God sees a Mar\u00adgrit, a Ralf, a Ruth, an Ernst, etc. in the marb\u00adle blocks befo\u00adre him. God wants you to grow so that you can take on more respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty. God sees in you a per\u00adson who can lead a meaningful life. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, we often refu\u00adse to take the tests and lose sight of our dreams. That is a tragedy.
\nEffec\u00adti\u00adve therapy
\n\u00abGod oppo\u00adses the proud, but gives grace to the hum\u00adble! The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, bow hum\u00adbly under the hand of God, and he will honour you when the time comes\u00bb (1 Peter 5:5 NL<\/span>). Joseph had ano\u00adther per\u00adson to oppo\u00adse him in addi\u00adti\u00adon to his brot\u00adhers. God. God is a won\u00adderful artist, even bet\u00adter than Michel\u00adan\u00adge\u00adlo. He tre\u00adats Joseph through various tests: the pri\u00adde test, the loser test, the suc\u00adcess test, the stress test, the endu\u00adrance test and the for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness test. The goal is humi\u00adli\u00adty \u2013 like Moses, for exam\u00adp\u00adle, had. It is said of him that he was the most hum\u00adble man on earth (4Mose 12,3). The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre Moses enjoy\u00aded a spe\u00adcial pri\u00advi\u00adle\u00adge: \u00abWith him I speak per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly, direct\u00adly and not in ridd\u00adles! He sees the Lord in his form\u00bb (Ex 12:8a NL<\/span>).
\nHow can a per\u00adson beco\u00adme hum\u00adble? Humi\u00adli\u00adty is not part of the fruit of the Spi\u00adrit that grows by its\u00adelf when we are con\u00adnec\u00adted to Jesus. It goes like this: \u00abBefo\u00adre a man\u2019s fall, his heart is proud; and befo\u00adre he is hono\u00adu\u00adred, he must be hum\u00adble\u00bb (Pro\u00adverbs 18:12 Lut). While still on holi\u00adday, my brot\u00adher-in-law told me about the Chran\u00adze\u00adberg sin\u00adgle trail, which requi\u00adres advan\u00adced riding tech\u00adni\u00adque. I smi\u00adled supe\u00adrior\u00adly when he said he did\u00adn\u2019t know if I was going down the\u00adre and announ\u00adced my visit. In the mean\u00adti\u00adme, I fell on the Rigi. Now I\u2019m not so sure whe\u00adther I\u2019ll just whiz down the\u00adre \u2013 just like that. Falls are not nice. They get us off our high hor\u00adse. Joseph\u2019s the\u00adra\u00adpy included many a fall. First, his brot\u00adhers threw him into a cis\u00adtern. Then he was sold to Egypt. The\u00adre he was thrown into pri\u00adson com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly unjus\u00adt\u00adly and sim\u00adply forgotten.
\nWhen God works on our pri\u00adde, he cer\u00adtain\u00adly does not want to make us a snail. But falls will hap\u00adpen that do not suit us: Deferm\u00adents, strokes of fate, ill\u00adness, acci\u00addents, inju\u00ads\u00adti\u00adces. It is said that peo\u00adp\u00adle show three reac\u00adtions in par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar: Fight, Flight or Free\u00adze (apa\u00adthy). We urgen\u00adtly need a fourth reac\u00adtion and are to see in \u00abfalls\u00bb God\u2019s ways through which He makes us more like the per\u00adson who finds His pur\u00adpo\u00adse. We need to learn to see in our falls oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adties to grow in humi\u00adli\u00adty. God wants to shape us into peo\u00adp\u00adle who\u00adse proud dreams come true. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, we do not rea\u00adli\u00adse it, resist it and get caught up in an insi\u00adgni\u00adfi\u00adcant life that is all about maxi\u00admi\u00adsing plea\u00adsu\u00adre and mini\u00admi\u00adsing suffering.
\nLibe\u00adra\u00adting humility
\nHumi\u00adli\u00adty has not\u00adhing to do with being a grey litt\u00adle mou\u00adse or having a loser image. Even with Jesus, it was a con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon for him to be able to do his extre\u00adme\u00adly signi\u00adfi\u00adcant cal\u00adling, name\u00adly to recon\u00adci\u00adle peo\u00adp\u00adle with God and offer them an eter\u00adnal home with the Father. \u00abHe renoun\u00adced ever\u00ady\u00adthing; he assu\u00admed the low\u00adly posi\u00adti\u00adon of a ser\u00advant and was born a man and reco\u00adg\u00adnis\u00aded as such. He hum\u00adbled hims\u00adelf and was obe\u00addient to the point of death\u00bb (Phil\u00adip\u00adpians 2:7f NL<\/span>). This is the exam\u00adp\u00adle we are to emulate.
\nHumi\u00adli\u00adty \u2013 this word is hard\u00adly unders\u00adtood today. Today, ever\u00ady\u00adthing revol\u00adves around self-rea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon, self-dra\u00adma\u00adtis\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon and I, I, I\u2026 Humi\u00adli\u00adty is the oppo\u00adsi\u00adte of pri\u00adde. Pri\u00adde means I can do it, I am important, I am the best. It\u2019s all about me. But be careful, humi\u00adli\u00adty is not to be con\u00adfu\u00adsed with self-pity. Self-pity is basi\u00adcal\u00adly the same as pri\u00adde. Becau\u00adse it goes out the\u00adre, \u00abOh, I\u2019m so poor, I can\u2019t do any\u00adthing, I have not\u00adhing.\u00bb The gaze is also on me. Humi\u00adli\u00adty is fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtal\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent. For humi\u00adli\u00adty means: I do not look at mys\u00adelf, but at God and sub\u00admit mys\u00adelf to God. For humi\u00adli\u00adty, we need to know who God is and who we are. Hum\u00adble peo\u00adp\u00adle look at the world with dif\u00adfe\u00adrent eyes. They are not the cent\u00adre around which ever\u00ady\u00adthing must revol\u00adve, but God. \u00abDo not\u00adhing for self-inte\u00adrest or vain glo\u00adry, but in humi\u00adli\u00adty esteem one ano\u00adther bet\u00adter than yours\u00adelf\u00bb (Phil\u00adip\u00adpians 2:3 NL<\/span>). A hum\u00adble per\u00adson can ask for for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness, he can admit his weak\u00adne\u00ads\u00adses, he can hand\u00adle prai\u00adse and cri\u00adti\u00adcism, he respects others more than they respect them\u00adsel\u00adves, he can ser\u00adve others and finds his way into a life in the power of God. He finds his destiny.
\nJoseph was ham\u00adme\u00adred and polished. When he was 17 and told his brot\u00adhers his dreams, it was all about him and his honour. In his world view, he was in the midd\u00adle and ever\u00ady\u00adthing revol\u00adved around him. Many years later, he was to inter\u00adpret the dreams of the bak\u00ader and the cup\u00adbea\u00adrer. He says: \u00abOnly God can inter\u00adpret dreams\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 40:8 NL<\/span>). When inter\u00adpre\u00adting a dream for Pha\u00adraoh, he says: \u00abIt is not in my power to do that, your majes\u00adty,\u00bb Joseph repli\u00aded, \u00abonly God can. But he will sure\u00adly announ\u00adce some\u00adthing good to you\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 41:16 NL<\/span>). Joseph got a com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly new, a hum\u00adble mindset.
\nThe fol\u00adlo\u00adwing sto\u00adry is about a hum\u00adble per\u00adson: During the inhu\u00adma\u00adne Cul\u00adtu\u00adral Revo\u00adlu\u00adti\u00adon in Chi\u00adna last cen\u00adtu\u00adry, a doc\u00adtor and his wife were also arres\u00adted. They had mana\u00adged to car\u00adry a Bible through all the inter\u00adro\u00adga\u00adti\u00adons. Hea\u00advy phy\u00adsi\u00adcal labour sap\u00adped their strength. In dark times, they thought God had for\u00adgot\u00adten them. The wife of a bri\u00adga\u00adde lea\u00adder had been pregnant six times. Each time she mis\u00adcar\u00adri\u00aded. On the seventh occa\u00adsi\u00adon, the doc\u00adtor was cal\u00adled in to act as an obste\u00adtri\u00adci\u00adan. The child was born ali\u00adve, but beca\u00adme very ill a few days after birth. The doc\u00adtor was asked to help again. He won\u00adde\u00adred if he should help peo\u00adp\u00adle who had shown many times that they hated Chris\u00adti\u00adans. Dri\u00adven by the know\u00adledge that Jesus wants us to love even our enemies, the doc\u00adtor agreed to help. But how? He had no medi\u00adci\u00adne. So he knelt with his wife befo\u00adre the par\u00adents and child and asked for the help of his Lord Jesus. The pray\u00ader was ans\u00adwe\u00adred. The child got well. The impri\u00adson\u00adment of the doc\u00adtor and his wife was reli\u00ade\u00adved, but not lifted. Only after 27 years were the two released.
\nIf the doc\u00adtor had felt proud ani\u00admo\u00adsi\u00adties towards the bri\u00adga\u00adde lea\u00adder, he could not have saved. A proud Joseph could not have saved his brot\u00adhers. As alre\u00ada\u00addy said, even Jesus beca\u00adme the saviour of men only with humi\u00adli\u00adty. Gre\u00adat dreams, if they are from God, always have to do with saving peo\u00adp\u00adle. For this we need a hum\u00adble heart. \u00abThe LORD<\/span> will give grace to the hum\u00adble\u00bb (Pro\u00adverbs 3:34 Lut). Why has Chris\u00adtia\u00adni\u00adty beco\u00adme so weak and meanin\u00adg\u00adless? Cer\u00adtain\u00adly not becau\u00adse Jesus would not call peo\u00adp\u00adle for grea\u00adter things. It is pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly becau\u00adse we do not accept the \u00abfalls\u00bb to humility.
\nJesus says: \u00abCome to me, all of you [\u2026] I will teach you, for I am hum\u00adble and kind, and your soul will rest with me\u00bb (Matthew 11:28f NL<\/span>). If we accept this invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon, we learn from Jesus. It is he who brings our dreams into rea\u00adli\u00adty. Humi\u00adli\u00adty is a pre\u00adre\u00adqui\u00adsi\u00adte to be salt and light in this world.
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRea\u00adding the Bible text: Gene\u00adsis 37:1\u201311<\/p>\n
\n\tWhy did\u00adn\u2019t God just give Joseph the dream 13 years later?
\n\tWhat is pri\u00adde? What is humi\u00adli\u00adty? How do you learn humility?
\n\tWhy does the rea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon of our dreams often only hap\u00adpen after we have prac\u00adti\u00adsed humility?
\n\tDo you know a per\u00adson you would descri\u00adbe as humble?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"