{"id":3092,"date":"2020-09-20T09:45:54","date_gmt":"2020-09-20T07:45:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sermons.seetal-chile.ch\/?post_type=wpfc_sermon&p=3092"},"modified":"2020-09-20T18:52:09","modified_gmt":"2020-09-20T16:52:09","slug":"josef-im-ausdauertest","status":"publish","type":"wpfc_sermon","link":"https:\/\/sermons.seetal-chile.ch\/en\/sermons\/josef-im-ausdauertest\/","title":{"rendered":"Josef \u2013 in the endu\u00adrance test"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bible Text: Gene\u00adsis 45:3\u20138; Gene\u00adsis 50:20 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | We can\u00adnot influence what hap\u00adpens WITH<\/span> us but we can influence what hap\u00adpens IN<\/span> us. At the age of 40, Joseph was able to draw an extre\u00adme\u00adly posi\u00adti\u00adve (inte\u00adrim) balan\u00adce of his life. And this, alt\u00adhough he had bad start\u00ading con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons for his life. In a long 22 years he lear\u00adned per\u00adse\u00adver\u00adance, to embrace suf\u00adfe\u00adring and to look for\u00adward with hope. This shaped him into a man who saved the lives of many people.<\/p>\n

Some peo\u00adp\u00adle find their way to the rea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon of their dreams despi\u00adte many obs\u00adta\u00adcles and cri\u00adses \u2013 like Made\u00adlai\u00adna in the play. Others, howe\u00adver, let their lives be deter\u00admi\u00adned by cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances. A lot of per\u00adse\u00adver\u00adance was deman\u00added of Joseph from his dreams to his desti\u00adny. We can\u00adnot influence what hap\u00adpens WITH<\/span> us but we can influence what hap\u00adpens IN<\/span> us. Let us take the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty that the things that hap\u00adpen to us trig\u00adger much heal\u00ading in us.
\nExer\u00adcise endurance
\nJoseph had his proud dreams at the age of 17. At the age of 30 he beca\u00adme Pharaoh\u2019s depu\u00adty (Gene\u00adsis 41:46). Then fol\u00adlo\u00adwed seven fat years. Becau\u00adse Joseph knew from Pharaoh\u2019s dreams that seven lean years would fol\u00adlow, he deve\u00adlo\u00adped an ela\u00adbo\u00adra\u00adte grain sto\u00adrage sys\u00adtem to pre\u00advent an impen\u00adding fami\u00adne. Joseph\u2019s fami\u00adly was also hit by fami\u00adne. His father Jacob lear\u00adned that grain could be bought in Egypt and sent his remai\u00adning sons to the gran\u00adary of Egypt after two years of fami\u00adne (Gene\u00adsis 45:6). The\u00adre they met Joseph wit\u00adhout reco\u00adg\u00adnis\u00ading him. This encoun\u00adter deman\u00added ever\u00ady\u00adthing from Joseph, full wis\u00addom and humi\u00adli\u00adty. So Joseph was 39 years old at that time. 22 years after the break with his brot\u00adhers, he had rea\u00adched the peak of matu\u00adri\u00adty. 21 years ago we came to Seon \ud83d\ude09 Sin\u00adce my \u00abschool\u00bb was not so inten\u00adse and the tests not so bla\u00adtant, I still lack a good bit to this matu\u00adri\u00adty. Good thing needs matu\u00adri\u00adty. Dia\u00admonds were for\u00admed mil\u00adli\u00adons of years ago, deep insi\u00adde the earth, hundreds of kilo\u00adme\u00adt\u00adres below the earth\u2019s crust. Under inten\u00adse pres\u00adsu\u00adre and red-hot heat, car\u00adbon atoms join into a solid crys\u00adtal lat\u00adti\u00adce and form rough dia\u00admonds. They are trans\u00adpor\u00adted to the earth\u2019s sur\u00adface during vol\u00adca\u00adnic erup\u00adti\u00adons. The value is crea\u00adted by grinding.
\nJosef was tes\u00adted over a peri\u00adod of 22 years. We can\u00adnot influence what hap\u00adpens WITH<\/span> us but we can influence what hap\u00adpens IN<\/span> us. Joseph influen\u00adced what hap\u00adpen\u00aded IN<\/span> him over the years. When he final\u00adly reve\u00ada\u00adled hims\u00adelf to his brot\u00adhers, he said: \u00ab[\u2026] But his brot\u00adhers were stun\u00adned and could not utter a word. \u00abCome here to me,\u00bb he said. They came clo\u00adser. And again he said: \u00abI am your brot\u00adher Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. But do not reproach your\u00adsel\u00adves for that. God hims\u00adelf sent me befo\u00adre you to save your lives. For for two years now the\u00adre has been fami\u00adne, and for the next five years too you will neither be able to sow nor reap. God has sent me befo\u00adre you so that he may mira\u00adcu\u00adlous\u00adly keep you ali\u00adve and some of you may remain. Yes, it is not you who have sent me here, but God! And he has made me Pharaoh\u2019s chief advi\u00adser \u2013 lord over his who\u00adle house and ruler over all Egypt.\u00bb \u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 45:3\u20138 NL<\/span>).
\nMatu\u00adring pro\u00adces\u00adses take a lot of time. In Joseph\u2019s case, it took 22 years from the dream to his desti\u00adny. Behind this is per\u00adse\u00adver\u00adance and pati\u00adence. In our express socie\u00adty, we do not auto\u00adma\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly find the\u00adse qua\u00adli\u00adties. We \u00abwas\u00adte\u00bb every minu\u00adte when not\u00adhing is going on. When I star\u00adted my app\u00adren\u00adti\u00adce\u00adship almost 30 years ago, we app\u00adren\u00adti\u00adces stood at the vice for three months fil\u00ading away at a solid U\u2011iron. Today, in a com\u00adpa\u00adny like that, ever\u00adyo\u00adne would have quit the app\u00adren\u00adti\u00adce\u00adship after just a quar\u00adter of a year. At the begin\u00adning of my reha\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon peri\u00adod after my should\u00ader ope\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon, I once took the bus from D\u00fcr\u00adre\u00adn\u00e4sch to Seon. 24 minu\u00adtes! Hard\u00adly beara\u00adble for me. We urgen\u00adtly need to learn to allow bore\u00addom. If bore\u00addom lin\u00adgers long enough, crea\u00adti\u00adve ide\u00adas sud\u00adden\u00adly come and the pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty ari\u00adses to reflect on things in life and to mature.
\nA few weeks ago we alre\u00ada\u00addy dealt with the cycle descri\u00adbed in Romans 5:3\u20135: Dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adty \u2013 pati\u00adence \u2013 inner strength \u2013 hope \u2013 love. It is my con\u00advic\u00adtion that God would not choo\u00adse dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adties as a means if it were other\u00adwi\u00adse. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, once again: Never was\u00adte a crisis!
\nEmbrace suffering
\nDif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adties and cri\u00adses are the start\u00ading point of every matu\u00adring pro\u00adcess. Joseph trus\u00adted God even in the most dif\u00adfi\u00adcult cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances. As a result, much good could hap\u00adpen in his heart and he found an impres\u00adsi\u00adve matu\u00adri\u00adty. We can\u00adnot influence what hap\u00adpens WITH<\/span> us but we can influence what hap\u00adpens IN<\/span> us. How can we influence what hap\u00adpens insi\u00adde us? By embra\u00adcing suf\u00adfe\u00adring ins\u00adtead of pushing it asi\u00adde. Embra\u00adcing suf\u00adfe\u00adring does not mean glo\u00adri\u00adfy\u00ading it or see\u00adking it out. The Rus\u00adsi\u00adan wri\u00adter Fyo\u00addor M. Dostoevs\u00adky helps us along when he says, to para\u00adphra\u00adse: \u00abYou must love your fate, for it is the way God shapes you.\u00bb Loving one\u2019s fate and embra\u00adcing suf\u00adfe\u00adring mean the same thing.
\nIn order for us to embrace our desti\u00adny \u2013 espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly the hard part \u2013 we need to under\u00adstand and affirm the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing sen\u00adtence from Paul: \u00abAnd we know that for tho\u00adse who love God and belong to him accor\u00adding to his will, ever\u00ady\u00adthing works out for the good\u00bb (Romans 8:28 NL<\/span>). In our Wes\u00adtern Euro\u00adpean cul\u00adtu\u00adre we like to under\u00adstand that God will har\u00admo\u00adni\u00adse ever\u00ady\u00adthing and make it feel good. In the next sen\u00adtence Paul explains to us what he means by good: \u00abFor God cho\u00adse them befo\u00adre time began and pre\u00addesti\u00adned them to be like his Son [\u2026]\u00bb (Romans 8:29 NL<\/span>). Ever\u00ady\u00adthing that hap\u00adpens to us \u2013 espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly the dif\u00adfi\u00adcult things \u2013 should con\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adte to our beco\u00adming more like Jesus in our who\u00adle being. The goal of life with Jesus is not to stay in a com\u00adfort zone, but to be like Him. Joseph testi\u00adfies at the end of his sto\u00adry that this is real\u00adly true: \u00abAs far as I am con\u00adcer\u00adned, God has tur\u00adned all the evil you plan\u00adned for good. In this way he wan\u00adted to save the lives of many peo\u00adp\u00adle\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 50:20 NL<\/span>).
\nExpect more
\nJoseph was for\u00admed by God into a matu\u00adre per\u00adso\u00adna\u00adli\u00adty. In lea\u00adder\u00adship lite\u00adra\u00adtu\u00adre, the term con\u00adver\u00adgence is used. Con\u00adver\u00adgence is when a person\u2019s matu\u00adri\u00adty of cha\u00adrac\u00adter, expe\u00adri\u00adence and com\u00adpe\u00adtence con\u00adver\u00adge. We are on the way there.
\nMany peo\u00adp\u00adle went through such pro\u00adces\u00adses of matu\u00adri\u00adty. Jesus says about Peter: \u00abI assu\u00adre you, when you were young you could do what you wan\u00adted and go whe\u00adre you plea\u00adsed. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and ano\u00adther will lead you and take you whe\u00adre you do not want to go\u00bb (John 21:28 NL<\/span>). Peter used to live self-deter\u00admi\u00adned, in old age God will deter\u00admi\u00adne him. Young Moses was ira\u00adsci\u00adb\u00adle and unpre\u00addic\u00adta\u00adble. He kil\u00adled an Egyp\u00adti\u00adan who oppres\u00adsed his peo\u00adp\u00adle. The old Moses led a peo\u00adp\u00adle of mil\u00adli\u00adons out of cap\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty into a new home\u00adland and let hims\u00adelf be gui\u00added by the pil\u00adlar of fire and the cloud. Good things take time. Gor\u00addon Mac\u00adDo\u00adnald said at about 70 years old, \u00abI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve pre\u00ada\u00adched my best ser\u00admon yet.\u00bb Do you also think your best is yet to come. The best is yet to come. Not only in terms of eter\u00adnal com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adon with God, but also in your life on this earth. You should still be able to say this sen\u00adtence when you are 50, 60, 70 or 80 years old!
\nIt is reg\u00adrettable and a gre\u00adat dama\u00adge to the king\u00addom of God when peo\u00adp\u00adle over the age of 50 with\u00addraw into their own world. The\u00adre are a few examp\u00adles in the Bible who hand\u00adled this dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly. \u00abWhen Joshua had grown very old, the Lord said to him, \u00abYou are get\u00adting old, and the\u00adre is still a gre\u00adat deal of land to be con\u00adque\u00adr\u00aded\u00bb \u00bb (Joshua 13:1 NL<\/span>). Even when you are very old, the\u00adre is still much land ahead to con\u00adquer. His com\u00adpa\u00adn\u00adion, Caleb says, \u00abThe Lord has kept me ali\u00adve until now, as he pro\u00admi\u00adsed. For\u00adty-five years ago, during Israel\u2019s wil\u00adder\u00adness wan\u00adde\u00adrings, he gave Moses this pro\u00admi\u00adse for me. Today I am 85 years old. I am still as strong as I was when Moses sent me on scou\u00adting, and I am still spry and as good in batt\u00adle today as I was then. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre I ask you to give me the hill coun\u00adtry\u00bb (Joshua 14:10\u201312 NL<\/span>). Caleb, at 85, was not asking for the Medi\u00adter\u00adra\u00adne\u00adan beach or the fer\u00adti\u00adle Jor\u00addan Val\u00adley, but for the chal\u00adlen\u00adging and hard-to-cul\u00adti\u00adva\u00adte moun\u00adtain coun\u00adtry. The more matu\u00adre you are, the more chal\u00adlen\u00adging tasks you can tackle!
\n 
\nWe can\u00adnot influence what hap\u00adpens WITH<\/span> us but we can influence what hap\u00adpens IN<\/span> us. Through faith in Jesus Christ, a com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly new start\u00ading posi\u00adti\u00adon ari\u00adses: God now dwells in you in the per\u00adson of the Holy Spi\u00adrit. He is the one who works on your heart. He is the resour\u00adce that makes you a matu\u00adre per\u00adson who is a bles\u00adsing to other people.
\n 
\n 
\n 
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: Gene\u00adsis 45:3\u20138; Gene\u00adsis 50:20<\/p>\n

\tIt took Josef 22 years to pass the mas\u00adter craftsman\u2019s exami\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon. Endu\u00adrance was requi\u00adred. How do you train endu\u00adrance? To what ext\u00adent do you allow bore\u00addom in your ever\u00ady\u00adday life and how do you use it?
\n\tJoseph chal\u00adlenges us to embrace suf\u00adfe\u00adring. What does this mean for you con\u00adcre\u00adte\u00adly in your life? How do you embrace suffering?
\n\tDo you belie\u00adve that with tho\u00adse who love God all things work for the best (Romans 8:28)? What then is the best?
\n\tJoshua, even in his old age, still had much land ahead of him to con\u00adquer. What kind of land lies ahead? What could the moun\u00adtai\u00adnous land mean that could still be occu\u00adp\u00adied even in old age?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bible Text: Gene\u00adsis 45:3\u20138; Gene\u00adsis 50:20 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | We can\u00adnot influence what hap\u00adpens WITH<\/span> us but we can influence what hap\u00adpens IN<\/span> us. At the age of 40, Joseph was able to draw an extre\u00adme\u00adly posi\u00adti\u00adve (inte\u00adrim) balan\u00adce of his life. And this despi\u00adte the fact that he had bad\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-3092","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

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