God has offe\u00adred us a new coven\u00adant through Jesus. Using Hebrews 3 and 5, I want to talk about what the Father\u2019s thoughts are about us and what it means for us as Chris\u00adti\u00adans, as fol\u00adlo\u00adwers and imi\u00adta\u00adtors of Jesus. I want to talk about how much we are co-incor\u00adpo\u00adra\u00adted in Jesus and belong to his fami\u00adly and what it means to grow up as his followers.<\/p>\n
Some months ago I went through a pro\u00adcess of ques\u00adtio\u00adning what is actual\u00adly true. Seve\u00adral state\u00adments made it clear that cer\u00adtain tea\u00adchings I was fol\u00adlo\u00adwing \u2013 Bible trans\u00adla\u00adti\u00adons, both of which are lin\u00adked to basic beliefs \u2013 are bad and wrong and occult and miss\u00ading the truth. I stron\u00adgly ques\u00adtio\u00adned whe\u00adther what I thought was good was wrong after all. I stop\u00adped rea\u00adding the Bible, wat\u00adching tea\u00adchings and ser\u00admons. For some days my quiet time was only time with Jesus. Once when I was jog\u00adging, he spo\u00adke to me and said, \u00abRemem\u00adber what I said? I am the Way, the TRUTH<\/span> and the Life.\u00bb That\u2019s when it beca\u00adme clea\u00adrer to me: it does\u00adn\u2019t mat\u00adter what ser\u00admons I lis\u00adten to or what Bible trans\u00adla\u00adti\u00adons I read. What is important is that I fol\u00adlow Jesus, becau\u00adse he is the truth. I beca\u00adme very awa\u00adre of how important it is to have Jesus as our goal in ever\u00ady\u00adthing we do. - A rea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon of what our con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon is. God, through Jesus, has pre\u00adsen\u00adted a new coven\u00adant that he offers us. It is a revo\u00adlu\u00adtio\u00adna\u00adry new thing that is signi\u00adfi\u00adcant\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent from pre\u00advious sta\u00adtes. It goes from \u00abyou have to do this and keep the\u00adse laws\u00bb to \u00abmy grace is all you need\u00bb. It is some\u00adthing new. \tWhat did you remem\u00adber from the sermon? God has offe\u00adred us a new coven\u00adant through Jesus. Using Hebrews 3 and 5, I would like to address what the Father\u2019s thoughts are about us and what it means for us as Chris\u00adti\u00adans, as fol\u00adlo\u00adwers and imi\u00adta\u00adtors of Jesus. I want to talk about how much we are co-incor\u00adpo\u00adra\u00adted in Jesus and belong to his\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[70],"wpfc_sermon_series":[63],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-jan-timon-beck","wpfc_sermon_series-wie-du-und-ich","wpfc-sermon-single","post-3243","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nThe aim of rea\u00adding the Bible is to get to know Jesus bet\u00adter. The goal in wor\u00adship is to wor\u00adship him, not to put on a smooth show. The goal in church is to cele\u00adbra\u00adte a feast for him as a com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty. So in some way I have to be able to test. To check whe\u00adther, for exam\u00adp\u00adle, this ser\u00admon is good or bad or this Bible trans\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon is okay. That means that the\u00adre has to be growth. In order for us to be able to exami\u00adne, we must first beco\u00adme matu\u00adre, and that is what I would like to talk about today. I do not in the least want to give the impres\u00adsi\u00adon that I have rea\u00adched the goal of \u00abcoming of age\u00bb. Rather, I am stri\u00adving in that direc\u00adtion and I would like to share a part of my pro\u00adcess with you.
\nGod\u2019s temp\u00adle, par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adti\u00adon in the hea\u00adven\u00adly world
\nIn this pro\u00adcess, it has beco\u00adme incre\u00adasing\u00adly clear that at least two con\u00adcre\u00adte steps are needed.<\/p>\n
\n\u2013 Taking acti\u00adve steps. An acti\u00adve going towards it and accep\u00adting it. Go towards it and accept it consciously.
\nToday I would like to high\u00adlight one small fact about the new coven\u00adant. One ser\u00admon is not enough to talk about the new coven\u00adant and I mys\u00adelf have not been deal\u00ading with it for long. I would like to high\u00adlight a small fact from Hebrews 3, which is very important for the first step. At the end we move on to Hebrews 5. Befo\u00adre we dive in, a bit of back sto\u00adry: Chap\u00adter 2 of Hebrews is about how Jesus suf\u00adfe\u00adr\u00aded the tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon of all huma\u00adni\u00adty and death its\u00adelf, thus qua\u00adli\u00adfy\u00ading as a repre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adti\u00adve with imme\u00addia\u00adte effect. This is important for the under\u00adstan\u00adding of chap\u00adter 3: \u00abThe\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, dear brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters, give all your atten\u00adti\u00adon to Jesus. You also belong to tho\u00adse who are sanc\u00adti\u00adfied and cal\u00adled to par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adte in the hea\u00adven\u00adly world. Look to him, the true apost\u00adle and high priest, to whom we con\u00adfess \u2026 \u00bb (Hebrews 3:1 NG\u00dc<\/span>).
\nWhat have we read? You too belong to tho\u00adse who are sanc\u00adti\u00adfied and cal\u00adled to par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adte in the hea\u00adven\u00adly world! Jesus is the repre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adti\u00adve of huma\u00adni\u00adty. Becau\u00adse, as God\u2019s Son, he went through ever\u00ady\u00adthing you can ever go through and ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly laid down his life as a bill-pay\u00ader for your life, you now have the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to be co-incar\u00adna\u00adted in his life. You are sanc\u00adti\u00adfied and cal\u00adled to share in the hea\u00adven\u00adly world. Becau\u00adse you are included in Jesus\u00bb life, you are bla\u00adme\u00adl\u00adess in this con\u00adtext. You are part of his hea\u00adven\u00adly iden\u00adti\u00adty. The\u00adre are two ver\u00adses in Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans that express this well:
\n\u00abTog\u00ade\u00adther with Jesus Christ he rai\u00adsed us from death, and tog\u00ade\u00adther with him he has alre\u00ada\u00addy given us a place in the hea\u00adven\u00adly world, becau\u00adse we are joi\u00adn\u00aded to Jesus Christ\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 2:6 NG\u00dc<\/span>). An important empha\u00adsis here is on the \u00abalre\u00ada\u00addy now\u00bb. It is not some\u00adthing yet to come that we hope will come. It is pos\u00adsi\u00adble right here and now becau\u00adse Jesus gives you a new life. Howe\u00adver, it invol\u00adves con\u00adcre\u00adte action on your part: \u00abPut on the new life as you put on new clo\u00adthes. You have now beco\u00adme new peo\u00adp\u00adle, crea\u00adted by God hims\u00adelf in his own image. Let ever\u00adyo\u00adne reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse that you now belong to God and live as it plea\u00adses him\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 4:24 HFA<\/span>).
\nYou have to con\u00adscious\u00adly accept this new life. I like the ana\u00adlo\u00adgy with the clo\u00adthes. Some\u00adti\u00admes new clo\u00adthes feel a bit stran\u00adge and inap\u00adpro\u00adpria\u00adte at the begin\u00adning. But when you rea\u00adli\u00adse that you are co-incor\u00adpo\u00adra\u00adted into the death and resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of Jesus, you rea\u00adli\u00adse your bla\u00adme\u00adl\u00adess\u00adness in this con\u00adtext. You are sanc\u00adti\u00adfied and cal\u00adled to par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adte in the hea\u00adven\u00adly world.
\nFrom the pro\u00adphe\u00adtic model to today\u2019s reality
\nLet us con\u00adti\u00adnue rea\u00adding at the Epist\u00adle to the Hebrews. The\u00adre are other facts that point to the pre\u00adsent sta\u00adte of the new coven\u00adant. \u00ab\u2026 and keep in mind how faithful\u00adly he ser\u00adves the one who appoin\u00adted him! In this he is com\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adble to Moses, of whom the Scrip\u00adtures say that he pro\u00adved faithful in all God\u2019s house. Moses, howe\u00adver, belon\u00adged to this house hims\u00adelf, while Jesus is its buil\u00adder. (After all, every house has a buil\u00adder, and the one who crea\u00adted ever\u00ady\u00adthing is God). And becau\u00adse it is not the house but its buil\u00adder that is tru\u00adly hono\u00adu\u00adred, the honour and glo\u00adry of Jesus is also grea\u00adter than that of Moses. When Moses, as that scrip\u00adtu\u00adre says, pro\u00adved faithful in all God\u2019s house, it refers to his ser\u00advice as a ste\u00adward \u2013 a ser\u00advice that poin\u00adted bey\u00adond hims\u00adelf and his time to God\u2019s spea\u00adking through Christ\u00bb (Hebrews 3:2\u20135 GNT<\/span>).
\nDo you remem\u00adber the sto\u00adry of Moses and the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes in the desert? God gave Moses a very detail\u00aded order to build a holy tent. Moses car\u00adri\u00aded out ever\u00ady\u00adthing exact\u00adly accor\u00adding to plan. In rela\u00adti\u00adon to this chap\u00adter, Moses is the pro\u00adphe\u00adtic model. It shows what God thinks about his temp\u00adle and how much effort and love he put into the detail. It is com\u00adpared that Moses is the buil\u00adder of the house and Jesus is the ste\u00adward. \u00abChrist, on the other hand, pro\u00adves his faithful\u00adness as God\u2019s Son and thus as the Lord over God\u2019s house. This house is us \u2013 pro\u00advi\u00added we con\u00adfi\u00addent\u00adly hold on to the hope God has given us, which fills us with joy and pri\u00adde\u00bb (Hebrews 3:6 NG\u00dc<\/span>).
\nJesus is respon\u00adsi\u00adble for his own house\u00adhold, not as a ser\u00advant, but as a son. The\u00adse ver\u00adses from Hebrews 3 show us how much we are a part of this fami\u00adly. We are not a part at play, or in a dress rehear\u00adsal for the main game. It is not an event that takes place in the future. It is now! We have a place in the hea\u00adven\u00adly world. We have a roy\u00adal iden\u00adti\u00adty here on earth. You are the temp\u00adle of God, his house. You are his address here on earth.
\nOne of the dif\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adces that the new coven\u00adant brings is that we no lon\u00adger speak in pro\u00adphe\u00adtic figu\u00adres and ana\u00adlo\u00adgies. Whe\u00adre once the Holy Spi\u00adrit was on cho\u00adsen peo\u00adp\u00adle from time to time, today he lives here in the world in you. Many pro\u00adphe\u00adci\u00ades in the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment poin\u00adted to the coming time when the Mes\u00adsiah would come. What was lon\u00adged for over gene\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons for a long time is now a rea\u00adli\u00adty in full frui\u00adti\u00adon. This fills us. Fil\u00adled with self-con\u00adfi\u00addence, joy and pride.
\nLet your\u00adsel\u00adves be transformed
\nDuring this pro\u00adcess I have not only lear\u00adned a lot about the new coven\u00adant, which will pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly con\u00adti\u00adnue for a long time. I have also beco\u00adme awa\u00adre of how much I am still in the old coven\u00adant. I have been sear\u00adching fran\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly for some\u00adthing that has long been a rea\u00adli\u00adty in my life. I was loo\u00adking for the living God, the work of the Holy Spi\u00adrit, mani\u00adfes\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons like healings, pro\u00adphe\u00adci\u00ades and spea\u00adking in ton\u00adgues as descri\u00adbed in the Bible. All this I have sought with the mind\u00adset of the old coven\u00adant: I must seek more, per\u00adform more, do more, go to church more, do more good, be more of an exam\u00adp\u00adle to others\u2026 The com\u00admon deno\u00admi\u00adna\u00adtor here is per\u00adfor\u00admance. It\u2019s the old \u00abI do it mys\u00adelf law.\u00bb The more you do, the more you recei\u00adve. Yet Jesus, through his minis\u00adtry on earth, made a mockery of the old law becau\u00adse he intro\u00addu\u00adced grace. In the let\u00adter to the Romans I found a litt\u00adle hint how we can beco\u00adme awa\u00adre of this new rea\u00adli\u00adty. \u00abAnd do not con\u00adform your\u00adsel\u00adves to this cour\u00adse of the world, but be trans\u00adfor\u00admed by the rene\u00adwing of your mind, that you may pro\u00adve what is the good and accep\u00adta\u00adble and per\u00adfect will of God\u00bb (Romans 12:2 SCHL2000<\/span>).
\nI deli\u00adbera\u00adte\u00adly cho\u00adse this trans\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon becau\u00adse it says very well: \u00abLet your\u00adsel\u00adves be trans\u00adfor\u00admed\u00bb. Other trans\u00adla\u00adti\u00adons some\u00adti\u00admes say that we should learn to think in a new way. This impli\u00ades that we come to this trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon by cram\u00adping into the head. But, it does mean that we are to be trans\u00adfor\u00admed. It means to set our hearts on Jesus, to enter into a fri\u00adend\u00adship with him. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing God wants to do through us, every reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon he gives us, never comes from per\u00adfor\u00admance on our part, but always from a fri\u00adend\u00adship with him.
\nFrom milk to solid food
\nI belie\u00adve that after a cer\u00adtain initi\u00adal peri\u00adod whe\u00adre we get to know Jesus, the\u00adre has to be growth. The\u00adre is a good image of gro\u00adwing up in Hebrews 5. It is an ana\u00adlo\u00adgy that as a fresh fol\u00adlower of Jesus you are like a litt\u00adle child being fed with milk. You learn the basic aspects of the gos\u00adpel. Over time you grow and you have to move on to solid food. Why is this so important? \u00abOne who can only tole\u00adra\u00adte milk is not a child and does not under\u00adstand what adults are tal\u00adking about. An adult can eat solid food. Only tho\u00adse who have trai\u00adned their dis\u00adcern\u00adment can distin\u00adgu\u00adish bet\u00adween good and evil\u00bb (Hebrews 5:13\u201314 HFA<\/span>).
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\nWe need to be trans\u00adfor\u00admed by the rene\u00adwing of our minds so that our dis\u00adcern\u00adment can be trai\u00adned. We were never cal\u00adled to go to church. We are cal\u00adled to be the church. We are not cal\u00adled to have a cool time in our church. The church is a place whe\u00adre we are nur\u00adtu\u00adred and streng\u00adthe\u00adned to go about our mis\u00adsi\u00adon, which Jesus has given us. May\u00adbe at first it feels a bit stran\u00adge to go from milk to solid food. But we are cal\u00adled to be a part of his hea\u00adven\u00adly iden\u00adti\u00adty, to make an impact as child\u00adren of the king here on earth.
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead the Bible text: Romans 12:2<\/p>\n
\n\tHave you ever thought about what the new coven\u00adant means for your life?
\nLife has?
\n\tAre you living in the new covenant?
\n\tWhat are your thoughts on gro\u00adwing up spiritually?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"