Bible Text: Pro\u00adverbs 30:7\u20139 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | Agur is a wise man with high self-know\u00adledge and self-awa\u00adre\u00adness. He knows about his weak\u00adne\u00ads\u00adses and tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adons: Fal\u00adse\u00adhood and lies as well as having too much or too litt\u00adle. He prays to God to keep this away from him. Basi\u00adcal\u00adly, he prays for authen\u00adti\u00adci\u00adty, for truth and for a life\u00adstyle of con\u00adtent\u00adment and fru\u00adga\u00adli\u00adty. The\u00adse are the con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons he needs so that he can live out of a healt\u00adhy rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God. Like you and me.<\/p>\n
Our who\u00adle eco\u00adno\u00admic sys\u00adtem is geared towards growth. If this is not 1 to 3%, we talk about eco\u00adno\u00admic sta\u00adgna\u00adti\u00adon or depres\u00adsi\u00adon. Only growth is posi\u00adti\u00adve. Sin\u00adce the Second World War, this has more or less always been the case. But now some things are hap\u00adpe\u00adning in this world that are wea\u00adk\u00ade\u00adning our eco\u00adno\u00admy and caus\u00ading a slump. Last week we read in the news\u00adpa\u00adper that the air\u00adline Swiss was going to cut 1000 jobs. Many other com\u00adpa\u00adnies \u2013 even renow\u00adned ones \u2013 are doing the same. The busi\u00adness com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty is not very opti\u00admi\u00adstic about the future. Today\u2019s youth is the first gene\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon sin\u00adce the Second World War that can\u00adnot assu\u00adme that things will always go up. Befo\u00adre, it was always clear that whoe\u00adver lear\u00adns a good pro\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adon and is healt\u00adhy will have a good inco\u00adme that increa\u00adses until retirement. \tThe ser\u00admon is based on the idea that we will pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly have to tigh\u00adten our belts in the future. What do you think of this assessment? Bible Text: Pro\u00adverbs 30:7\u20139 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | Agur is a wise man with high self-know\u00adledge and self-awa\u00adre\u00adness. He knows about his weak\u00adne\u00ads\u00adses and tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adons: Fal\u00adse\u00adhood and lies as well as having too much or too litt\u00adle. He prays to God to keep this away from him. Basically\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-3120","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nWis\u00addom is nee\u00added to deal with the chal\u00adlenges of today. A few years ago, the\u00adre was an inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading column in the free news\u00adpa\u00adper dis\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adted at rail\u00adway sta\u00adti\u00adons. A woman of bare\u00adly 20 years and a pen\u00adsio\u00adner com\u00admen\u00adted on events of the zeit\u00adgeist. After a year, they took stock of their col\u00adla\u00adbo\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon. The young woman said, \u00abCom\u00adpared to my col\u00adle\u00adague, I defi\u00adni\u00adte\u00adly under\u00adstand more about today\u2019s times and tech\u00adno\u00adlo\u00adgies, but he under\u00adstands more about life.\u00bb Wise Agur also under\u00adstands more about life. He is the aut\u00adhor of the penul\u00adti\u00adma\u00adte chap\u00adter of Pro\u00adverbs, a book from wis\u00addom lite\u00adra\u00adtu\u00adre. Despi\u00adte his wis\u00addom, Agur was a very mode\u00adst con\u00adtem\u00adpo\u00adra\u00adry who con\u00adside\u00adred hims\u00adelf to be avera\u00adge \u2013 not par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar\u00adly gifted or espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly cle\u00adver: \u00abI am even too stu\u00adpid for a human being, inde\u00aded I pos\u00adsess no intellect. I have no wis\u00addom, and I do not know God the Holy\u00bb (Pro\u00adverbs 30:2\u20133 NL<\/span>). That is per\u00adhaps a bit thick. In any case, he knows that he is no geni\u00adus, no high-fly\u00ader who has rus\u00adhed from suc\u00adcess to suc\u00adcess in his life. He does not spread an aura of spe\u00adcial\u00adness. Just like you and me.
\nThe pray\u00ader he now says sums up his wis\u00addom. He prays it in view of his dying: \u00abTwo things I ask of thee, that thou deny me not befo\u00adre I die\u00bb (Pro\u00adverbs 30:7 Lut). Agur asks for the two most important things in life.
\nNeither fal\u00adse\u00adhood nor lies
\n\u00abLet fal\u00adse\u00adhood and lies be far from me\u00bb (Pro\u00adverbs 30:8a Lut). Agur wants to be a sin\u00adce\u00adre and straight\u00adfor\u00adward per\u00adson \u2013 in his dealings with other peo\u00adp\u00adle and hims\u00adelf. He does not want for\u00adma\u00adli\u00adsed rela\u00adti\u00adonships whe\u00adre much is a fa\u00e7a\u00adde. But he also asks for hones\u00adty towards hims\u00adelf. The\u00adre are so many life lies that belie\u00adve: If I had had a bet\u00adter child\u00adhood, I would be suc\u00adcessful today. It\u2019s your fault that I\u2019m not hap\u00adpy. I have to be per\u00adfect. You have to ful\u00adfil all my needs. God will save me from all dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adties. I have to get some\u00adthing done for me to count for some\u00adthing. The worst lie anyo\u00adne could belie\u00adve is that you can do wit\u00adhout God.
\nYes, you can fool yours\u00adelf for years and lie to yours\u00adelf \u2013 often until a cri\u00adsis expo\u00adses the lie as unsus\u00adtainable. Not infre\u00adquent\u00adly, we expe\u00adri\u00adence libe\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon from life lies in times when we can only trust God. Per\u00adhaps Agur was expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adcing just such a cri\u00adsis in the form of burn\u00adout. Agur con\u00adfes\u00adses, \u00abI am tired, God; I am wea\u00adry and worn out\u00bb (Pro\u00adverbs 30:1 NL<\/span>). Many men live accor\u00adding to the lie of having to be the best. Then they look for an area whe\u00adre they can suc\u00adceed, such as making money. Often they get stran\u00added with x\u2011hundred hours of over\u00adti\u00adme, a divorce or a burnout.
\nIn a TED<\/span> talk, which are inspi\u00adra\u00adtio\u00adnal short talks, it was explai\u00adned that when a woman looks at a maga\u00adzi\u00adne, she knows that all the\u00adse pic\u00adtures of women have been edi\u00adted and are not real at all. With her mind she knows that the\u00adse women don\u2019t look like the pic\u00adtures. And then she puts the maga\u00adzi\u00adne down and wants to look exact\u00adly like the women in that maga\u00adzi\u00adne. The\u00adse lying pho\u00adtos poi\u00adson our thin\u00adking. Even though we know they are not real, they influence our image of what a beau\u00adtiful woman should look like. No won\u00adder, accor\u00adding to the sur\u00advey, 90% of all women are dis\u00adsa\u00adtis\u00adfied with their appearance.
\nAgur\u2019s request is wis\u00addom that grows out of self-know\u00adledge. He prays that wrong thin\u00adking should no lon\u00adger come to him.
\nNeither pover\u00adty nor wealth
\n\u00abAnd let me neither beco\u00adme poor nor rich, but give me just as much as I need. For if I beco\u00adme rich, I might deny you and say, \u00abWho is the Lord?\u00bb And if I am too poor, I might ste\u00adal and so bring the holy name of God into dis\u00adre\u00adpu\u00adte\u00bb (Pro\u00adverbs 30:8b\u20119 NL<\/span>). Have you ever pray\u00aded not to get rich? No one would pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly object to a spon\u00adta\u00adneous pay rise. We would much rather say the pray\u00ader of Jabez, which pro\u00admo\u00adtes our pro\u00adspe\u00adri\u00adty and wealth: \u00abEnlar\u00adge my ter\u00adri\u00adto\u00adry\u00bb (1 Chro\u00adnic\u00adles 4:10 NL<\/span>). Agur sees gre\u00adat dan\u00adgers in pover\u00adty and wealth:
\nDan\u00adger of wealth: Wealth can be a stumb\u00adling block, that I put my trust in my pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons ins\u00adtead of in God. This leads to ove\u00adre\u00adsti\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon of ones\u00adelf and one makes ones\u00adelf belie\u00adve that one is an invul\u00adnerable hero. Not only the lips, but the who\u00adle life\u00adstyle asks, \u00abWho is the Lord?\u00bb Pha\u00adraoh ans\u00adwers with this very phra\u00adse when Moses told him, \u00abThus saith the LORD<\/span> God of Isra\u00adel, Let my peo\u00adp\u00adle go\u00bb (Exodus 5:1 Lut). In good Ger\u00adman: What do I care about the LORD<\/span>. Look at me, I have achie\u00adved ever\u00ady\u00adthing, I don\u2019t have to fol\u00adlow anyo\u00adne. This is pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly also the reason why Jesus sta\u00adtes: \u00abIt is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a need\u00adle than for a rich man to enter the king\u00addom of God\u00bb (Mark 10:25 NL<\/span>). Once upon a time the\u00adre was a far\u00admer who owned a lar\u00adge farm with fields. The har\u00adve\u00adst was so gre\u00adat that his barns could not hold the crops. Then he had a good idea. He tore down all his barns and built big\u00adger ones. This expan\u00adsi\u00adon gave him a gre\u00adat deal of secu\u00adri\u00adty for the next few years. He thought he had ever\u00ady\u00adthing under con\u00adtrol. \u00abBut God said to him, \u00abHow stu\u00adpid of you! You will die this very night. And then who will get all this?\u00bb \u00bb (Luke 12:20 NL<\/span>). This entre\u00adpre\u00adneur did not know good mea\u00adsu\u00adre and expan\u00added more and more. How much is enough?
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\nDan\u00adger of pover\u00adty: Recent\u00adly I heard about a sin\u00adgle mother. She belongs to the working poor, i.e. she works but her money is not enough. Every time she stands in front of a cash regis\u00adter, she has to add up whe\u00adther she has enough money to pay. Her gaze is so focu\u00adsed on the lack of money that she too is in dan\u00adger of no lon\u00adger trus\u00adting God for her pro\u00advi\u00adsi\u00adon. Poor and wealt\u00adhy peo\u00adp\u00adle often have the same pro\u00adblem: ever\u00ady\u00adthing revol\u00adves around money. Both are in dan\u00adger of Mam\u00admon pushing God off the thro\u00adne. A few days ago, the Rund\u00adschau repor\u00adted about North Afri\u00adcans who are on a thie\u00adving spree in Lau\u00adsanne. The\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle are so poor that they have not\u00adhing to lose. Last week, money was sto\u00adlen seve\u00adral times from our bis\u00adtro cash regis\u00adter. May\u00adbe the per\u00adpe\u00adtra\u00adtor is a poor per\u00adson. As Chris\u00adti\u00adans we are obli\u00adged to help such peo\u00adp\u00adle. We would like to do this.
\nAgur prays for healt\u00adhy finan\u00adcial cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances so that he can have a healt\u00adhy rela\u00adti\u00adonship with his Crea\u00adtor. He knows that if he has too much or too litt\u00adle, he will take it into his own hands and no lon\u00adger trust God. He prays for frame\u00adwork con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons that will enable him to live a good life in depen\u00addence on his God.
\nCon\u00adtent\u00adment and frugality
\nWhat then is the good solu\u00adti\u00adon in mate\u00adri\u00adal terms: \u00abAnd let me neither beco\u00adme poor nor rich, but give me just as much as I need\u00bb (Pro\u00adverbs 30:8b NL<\/span>). Agur prays neither for wealth nor for pover\u00adty, but for fru\u00adga\u00adli\u00adty. Basi\u00adcal\u00adly, he asks: Give me just enough for today. That is a pro\u00adblem of us Swiss. We not only have enough for today, but at least for the next two weeks. I would not be sur\u00adpri\u00adsed if Jesus refers to this very pas\u00adsa\u00adge in the Our Father pray\u00ader. Give us today our dai\u00adly bread. Let us not keep hoar\u00adding purcha\u00adses, huge stocks neither in the bank account nor in the fri\u00addge. Dai\u00adly fresh bread smells and tas\u00adtes good. Give me just as much as I need, that I have enough \u2013 no more, no less.
\nJesus also says: \u00abThe\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre do not worry about tomor\u00adrow, for each day brings its own bur\u00addens. Today\u2019s worries are enough for today\u00bb (Matthew 6:34 NL<\/span>). Today is today and tomor\u00adrow is tomor\u00adrow. How many worries and stres\u00adses revol\u00adve around things that are not today. Worry\u00ading is was\u00adted ener\u00adgy any\u00adway. At least 98% of what I worry about never comes to pass. And the other 2% I can\u2019t pre\u00advent with my worries.
\nShalom does not mean that the wea\u00adpons are silent and all is well. Shalom does not mean poli\u00adti\u00adci\u00adans sit tog\u00ade\u00adther and deve\u00adlop peace plans. Shalom means having enough. Shalom is the fee\u00adling that I do not come up short. Jesus Christ is cal\u00adled the Prin\u00adce of Peace (Isai\u00adah 9:5). Paul says about him: \u00abFor he is our peace\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 2:14 NL<\/span>). This means not\u00adhing other than: He is enough, He gives enough. Jesus puts an end to the fee\u00adling that I always come up short, have too litt\u00adle, am too litt\u00adle or can\u00adnot plea\u00adse anyo\u00adne. Throug\u00adhout the Arab world, peo\u00adp\u00adle know what shalom means. Some peo\u00adp\u00adle greet each other with Shalom, others with Sha\u00adlam. And ever\u00adyo\u00adne under\u00adstands the gree\u00adting: I wish you to have enough. Every quar\u00adrel and every war beg\u00adins with envy and the fee\u00adling of being too short. Whoe\u00adver has found this peace can not only live fru\u00adgal\u00adly, but also at PEACE<\/span>. \u00abThat is why we want to be con\u00adtent as long as we have enough food and clot\u00adhing. Peo\u00adp\u00adle who want to beco\u00adme rich only fall into tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon and beco\u00adme ent\u00adan\u00adgled in so many foo\u00adlish and harmful desi\u00adres that they ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly fall into ruin and their own down\u00adfall. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil; so some peo\u00adp\u00adle, out of greed for money, have depar\u00adted from the faith and cau\u00adsed them\u00adsel\u00adves much pain\u00bb (1 Timo\u00adthy 6:8\u201310 NL<\/span>). It is true: the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. How many fami\u00adlies drifted apart becau\u00adse of inhe\u00adri\u00adtance dis\u00adpu\u00adtes? How much envy is the\u00adre becau\u00adse of money? How many cri\u00admes and disho\u00adne\u00adsties have been com\u00admit\u00adted becau\u00adse of money? The solu\u00adti\u00adon to all the\u00adse evils lies in the wis\u00addom of Agur.
\n\u00abHe makes peace to your bor\u00adders and satis\u00adfies you with the best wheat\u00bb (Psalm 147:14 Lut). The signs of the times indi\u00adca\u00adte that we must learn to live with much tigh\u00adter limits. Tho\u00adse who per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly know shalom, having enough, get a huge joy, free\u00addom and gene\u00adro\u00adsi\u00adty in deal\u00ading with their pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons. Pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons are a bles\u00adsing with which we can bless others.
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\nAgur is a per\u00adson with a very high level of self-know\u00adledge and self-awa\u00adre\u00adness. He knows about his weak\u00adne\u00ads\u00adses and tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adons that he can\u00adnot cope with: fal\u00adse\u00adhood and lies, having too much or too litt\u00adle. He prays that God will keep this away from him, for a life\u00adstyle of con\u00adtent\u00adment and fru\u00adga\u00adli\u00adty. The\u00adse are the con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons he needs to live out of a healt\u00adhy rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God. Like you and me. When we pray this ear\u00adnest\u00adly, we begin to under\u00adstand more about life.
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead the Bible text: Pro\u00adverbs 30:7\u20139<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat do you think about the pray\u00ader of Agur? Would you use it as a tem\u00adp\u00adla\u00adte for yourself?
\n\tWhat life lies do you suspect in your life? Have you alre\u00ada\u00addy unmas\u00adked any? How did you get rid of them?
\n\tIn the mate\u00adri\u00adal sphe\u00adre, Agur plea\u00added for the prin\u00adci\u00adple of having enough. How much is enough? What can we learn from the entre\u00adpre\u00adneur who did not have enough, but enlar\u00adged his barn?
\n\tWhat are the dan\u00adgers of wealth?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"