The meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis \u00abLet your being be trans\u00adfor\u00admed!\u00bb descri\u00adbes the pro\u00adcess of a fol\u00adlower of Jesus in trans\u00adforming from ego-natu\u00adre to Jesus-liken\u00adess. Jesus needs the image of the grain of wheat that has to die in the earth so that it can bear much fruit. A fol\u00adlower of Jesus dies in the meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis towards life. The focus of this ser\u00admon is on life in the adult stage. What does this look like in the key are\u00adas of life \u2013 money and pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons, care\u00ader and employ\u00adment, and fami\u00adly and friends?<\/p>\n
\tHow do we come into such free\u00addom in the are\u00adas of life as Paul descri\u00adbes in the given Bible text? The meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis \u00abLet your being be trans\u00adfor\u00admed!\u00bb descri\u00adbes the pro\u00adcess of a fol\u00adlower of Jesus in trans\u00adforming from ego-natu\u00adre to Jesus-liken\u00adess. Jesus needs the image of the grain of wheat that has to die in the earth so that it can bear much fruit. A fol\u00adlower of Jesus dies in the meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis towards life. The focus of this\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[72],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","wpfc_sermon_series-metamorphose","wpfc-sermon-single","post-3319","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nAfter the cater\u00adpil\u00adlar has pupa\u00adted, it seems to be dead. But then it awa\u00adkens to new life and new beau\u00adty through the pro\u00adcess of meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis. It moves towards life through dying. It is no dif\u00adfe\u00adrent in the trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon of our being: \u00abIf the grain of wheat does not fall into the earth and die, it remains a sin\u00adgle grain. But if it dies, it bears much fruit\u00bb (John 12:24 NG\u00dc<\/span>). In fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus, we are chal\u00adlen\u00adged to do just that. That is why it does not feel attrac\u00adti\u00adve. Today we focus more on living and less on dying.
\nI am curr\u00adent\u00adly rea\u00adding the bio\u00adgra\u00adphy of Rees Howells (1879\u20131950), who came from a poor fami\u00adly in a Welsh mining vil\u00adla\u00adge. The\u00adre he lear\u00adned the secret of pray\u00ader and expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced the power of God in a most impres\u00adsi\u00adve way. He even beca\u00adme the door ope\u00adner for a revi\u00adval in Afri\u00adca. After he had deci\u00added to live with Jesus Christ, an embatt\u00adled trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon pro\u00adcess fol\u00adlo\u00adwed. The Holy Spi\u00adrit chal\u00adlen\u00adged him to deal with ever\u00ady\u00adthing that belon\u00adged to the old natu\u00adre. Love of money, per\u00adso\u00adnal ambi\u00adti\u00adon, natu\u00adral affec\u00adtion for par\u00adents and loved ones, the desi\u00adres of the body, love of life its\u00adelf \u2013 all that makes even a con\u00adver\u00adted man live for hims\u00adelf: his own com\u00adfort, advan\u00adta\u00adge, pro\u00adgress, even his cir\u00adcle of fri\u00adends \u2013 must be brought to the cross. The result was not pover\u00adty, britt\u00adle\u00adness or nar\u00adrow\u00adness, but full\u00adness, exu\u00adberant joy and deep peace.
\nA fol\u00adlower of Jesus dies in meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis towards life. As soon as he has sur\u00adren\u00adde\u00adred one area of life com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly to God, a huge joy and free\u00addom fol\u00adlows. Paul finds words for this: \u00abOne thing is cer\u00adtain, brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters: it is coming to an end fas\u00adter and fas\u00adter. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, in the time that is left to us, for the mar\u00adried per\u00adson it must not be mar\u00adria\u00adge that deter\u00admi\u00adnes his life; for the sad per\u00adson it must not be sad\u00adness, and for the joyful per\u00adson it must not be joy. Whoe\u00adver buys some\u00adthing should hand\u00adle it as if it did not belong to him, and whoe\u00adver makes use of the things of this world must not allow hims\u00adelf to be taken cap\u00adti\u00adve by them. For the world as it is is doo\u00admed\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 7:29\u201331 NG\u00dc<\/span>). When we sur\u00adren\u00adder our sphe\u00adres of life to God, they come into pro\u00adper order and we can enjoy them in free\u00addom wit\u00adhout fal\u00adling into an unp\u00adlea\u00adsant dependence.
\nIn the last ser\u00admon (Sym\u00adpa\u00adthiser or Fol\u00adlower), Jesus encoun\u00adters three peo\u00adp\u00adle who\u00adse mate\u00adri\u00adal com\u00adfort, job and fami\u00adly ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly pre\u00adven\u00adted them from ful\u00adly fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus. Today we look at the\u00adse are\u00adas again and rea\u00adli\u00adse that it is only pro\u00adfi\u00adta\u00adble to put them behind Jesus.
\nFree\u00addom in money and possessions
\nGod told Abra\u00adham to lea\u00adve his home\u00adland and move to a land that He would show him. Who would do such a thing? Abra\u00adham obey\u00aded and set out with his fami\u00adly. He sur\u00adren\u00adde\u00adred his life com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly to God. When he ente\u00adred the Pro\u00admi\u00adsed Land, he had not\u00adhing. But God ent\u00adrus\u00adted him with an incre\u00addi\u00adble amount of wealth. God is not stingy!
\nMoney is an excel\u00adlent ser\u00advant, but a low\u00adly mas\u00adter. Jesus\u00bb con\u00adcern is that money beco\u00admes an excel\u00adlent ser\u00advant. The\u00adre is a gre\u00adat dan\u00adger in our afflu\u00adent socie\u00adty that money and pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons deter\u00admi\u00adne our lives and we defi\u00adne our\u00adsel\u00adves by them. At the same time, this excludes Jesus being our mas\u00adter. \u00abA man can\u00adnot ser\u00adve two mas\u00adters. He will be devo\u00adted to one and reject the other. He will give his all to one and des\u00adpi\u00adse the other. You can\u00adnot ser\u00adve God and at the same time ser\u00adve mam\u00admon\u00bb (Matthew 6:24 NG\u00dc<\/span>). The term mam\u00admon does not mean money in and of its\u00adelf, but the spi\u00adrit behind it that makes us depen\u00addent on money \u2013 also cal\u00adled love of money.
\nAt the last regio\u00adnal pas\u00adtors\u00bb mee\u00adting, a col\u00adle\u00adague who is reti\u00adring this year said, some\u00adwhat asha\u00admed\u00adly, \u00abSome\u00adti\u00admes I think about how much money I could have made if I had stay\u00aded an engi\u00adneer.\u00bb And then he told us with joy that a door was ope\u00adning for a con\u00addo\u00admi\u00adni\u00adum and that he had just expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced a few mira\u00adcles in terms of finan\u00adcing. If we put our mate\u00adri\u00adal com\u00adforts behind Jesus, we will expe\u00adri\u00adence how he pro\u00advi\u00addes. Wise Solo\u00admon says to this: \u00abTrust in your riches and you will peri\u00adsh! But the god\u00adly flou\u00adrish like trees in spring\u00bb (Pro\u00adverbs 11:28 NL<\/span>).
\nBut the pro\u00adcess of sub\u00ador\u00addi\u00adna\u00adting our mate\u00adri\u00adal com\u00adforts to God is extra\u00ador\u00addi\u00adna\u00adri\u00adly dif\u00adfi\u00adcult and deman\u00adding. Becau\u00adse we are so rich, we think we can also lose a lot. God\u2019s goal is to lead us into a huge free\u00addom in terms of pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons and money. Having as if we did\u00adn\u2019t have. That makes us cri\u00adsis-pro\u00adof. For it is true: \u00abFor wealth can sud\u00adden\u00adly dis\u00adap\u00adpear \u2013 it takes wing like an eagle and flies away\u00bb (Pro\u00adverbs 23:5 NL<\/span>). Our money is not safe, espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly in this day and age, and the situa\u00adti\u00adon can chan\u00adge very quick\u00adly. The meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis in money wants to prepa\u00adre us for this. But it cos\u00adts us ever\u00ady\u00adthing. The power of mam\u00admon can only be bro\u00adken through gene\u00adrous giving. The money must ser\u00adve us and not we the money! A rich man who wan\u00adted to fol\u00adlow Jesus fai\u00adled becau\u00adse he could not let go of his pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons (Matthew 19:16ff).
\nFree\u00addom in pro\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adon and employment
\nWhen peo\u00adp\u00adle talk to each other, they soon talk about their pro\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adon. Becau\u00adse of our pro\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adon, we place our\u00adsel\u00adves abo\u00adve or below the per\u00adson we are tal\u00adking to. It is through pro\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adon that we get sta\u00adtus, iden\u00adti\u00adty and mea\u00adning. One reason why I don\u2019t approach my time\u00adout in the sum\u00admer in a rela\u00adxed man\u00adner is that who am I then when I live far away from my job and com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty? The\u00adre is a task ahead of me: the ego natu\u00adre must be repla\u00adced with the divi\u00adne natu\u00adre in this matter.
\nWork is very cen\u00adtral for us humans. Alre\u00ada\u00addy on the day of his crea\u00adti\u00adon, he was given the task of main\u00adtai\u00adning, mana\u00adging and sha\u00adping the earth. Accor\u00adding to Jewish thin\u00adking, what is crea\u00adted later is always caring for what has gone befo\u00adre. So man is sup\u00adpo\u00adsed to main\u00adtain and shape fau\u00adna and flo\u00adra, lakes and mea\u00addows, the Mil\u00adky Way and other gala\u00adxies in a caring way. And who then cares for man? On the seventh day God res\u00adted from all his works and insti\u00adtu\u00adted the Sab\u00adbath. The Sab\u00adbath and the res\u00adt\u00ading God take care of us! But when work takes on too much weight and pushes Jesus out of first place, man sud\u00adden\u00adly belie\u00adves he can no lon\u00adger afford the day of rest. He gets caught in a hams\u00adter wheel and as a result his mar\u00adria\u00adge, fami\u00adly or health suf\u00adfers. The Sab\u00adbath is a test case for the right prio\u00adri\u00adties. The job also belongs behind Jesus in disci\u00adple\u00adship. We are then cri\u00adsis-pro\u00adof even when we lose our job, becau\u00adse it does not hit us in the core of our personality.
\nPer\u00adhaps employ\u00aders are gra\u00adteful when their employees are ens\u00adlaved by work and achie\u00adve a lot for the sake of their self-worth. Do not be afraid! Paul says: \u00abDo your work with zeal and joy, as if you were ser\u00adving God and not men. Do not for\u00adget that the Lord will reward you with the hea\u00adven\u00adly inhe\u00adri\u00adtance. Ser\u00adve the Lord Jesus Christ\u00bb (Colos\u00adsi\u00adans 3:23f NL<\/span>)! If someone ser\u00adves the Lord Jesus Christ with and in work, he will do excel\u00adlent and honest work, and \u2013 he does it with joy and in gre\u00adat freedom.
\nFree\u00addom in fami\u00adly and among friends
\nA fort\u00adnight ago, befo\u00adre his bap\u00adtis\u00admal rene\u00adwal, I asked the bap\u00adti\u00adsed if he was wil\u00adling to put his wife and daugh\u00adter second behind Jesus. Many felt that this ques\u00adti\u00adon was not ade\u00adqua\u00adte and were embar\u00adras\u00adsed. Can the\u00adre be any\u00adthing more important than fami\u00adly? By far the best thing for your fami\u00adly and fri\u00adends is to cle\u00adar\u00adly put Jesus Christ first.
\nAlso a fort\u00adnight ago, the Win\u00addow on Sun\u00adday por\u00adtray\u00aded a woman who was 36 years old and alo\u00adne with her four child\u00adren. They lived as a fami\u00adly in Papa New Gui\u00adnea. Her hus\u00adband was a pilot for a mis\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adry socie\u00adty. One day, the unthinkable hap\u00adpen\u00aded: he cra\u00ads\u00adhed his pla\u00adne and died. Today \u2013 14 years later \u2013 she still has tears in her eyes when she talks about it. She said: \u00abI did\u00adn\u2019t under\u00adstand God that way, but I always knew that he was the\u00adre and that he was indi\u00adrect\u00adly or direct\u00adly respon\u00adsi\u00adble. He did not pre\u00advent the dis\u00adas\u00adter. But I feel and have the cer\u00adtain\u00adty that he loves me nevert\u00adhel\u00adess. In all the hea\u00advi\u00adness, it was also a beau\u00adtiful expe\u00adri\u00adence becau\u00adse I expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced God as a rea\u00adli\u00adty in that moment.\u00bb Fri\u00adends and fami\u00adly are not cri\u00adsis-pro\u00adof \u2013 God is!
\nNever think that mar\u00adria\u00adge and fami\u00adly would suf\u00adfer if you fol\u00adlow Jesus with ever\u00ady\u00adthing you have. In Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 5, Paul com\u00adpa\u00adres the mys\u00adtery of Christ\u2019s devo\u00adted love for the church to the love of a wife and hus\u00adband. The purest and grea\u00adtest love the world has ever seen should ser\u00adve as a model for the love bet\u00adween hus\u00adband and wife. The more you are recep\u00adti\u00adve to the love of God, the grea\u00adter you will love your spou\u00adse and your fri\u00adends! Whoe\u00adver knows hims\u00adelf loved by God and thus recei\u00adves mea\u00adning, iden\u00adti\u00adty and value, does not have to over\u00adbur\u00adden his spou\u00adse. He is then not respon\u00adsi\u00adble for his hap\u00adpi\u00adness, becau\u00adse that is alre\u00ada\u00addy there.
\nChild\u00adren are often the cent\u00adre of atten\u00adti\u00adon in fami\u00adlies. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing revol\u00adves around the child\u00adren. This is very unhe\u00adalt\u00adhy for their deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00adment. They are con\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adned to get and have gre\u00adat effort to give. The order should be dif\u00adfe\u00adrent: God first, then the spou\u00adse and only then the child\u00adren. This is the secret of suc\u00adcess for gro\u00adwing healt\u00adhy child\u00adren. This is also clear from the sto\u00adry of crea\u00adti\u00adon: first man was crea\u00adted as a coun\u00adter\u00adpart of God, then man got ano\u00adther human being for com\u00adpa\u00adn\u00adion\u00adship and from this rela\u00adti\u00adonship the child\u00adren grew. Do you want to do some\u00adthing good for your child\u00adren? Remo\u00adve them from the cent\u00adre of your life! In this mat\u00adter, too, you find life through dying.
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\nA fol\u00adlower of Jesus who allows hims\u00adelf to be trans\u00adfor\u00admed in his I finds hims\u00adelf as a ste\u00adward and no lon\u00adger as an owner. He also no lon\u00adger seeks the mea\u00adning of life in the crea\u00adted, but in rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God. This leads to an incon\u00adceiva\u00adble free\u00addom and supre\u00adme enjoy\u00adment with regard to pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons, work, fami\u00adly and all other things in life. In meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis we die to life. This is radi\u00adcal. The root word radix means root. \u00abThe\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, as you have recei\u00adved Christ Jesus as your Lord, so also live with him and be obe\u00addient to him. Sink your roots deep into his soil and draw from him, and you will grow in faith and beco\u00adme stead\u00adfast in the truth in which you have been ins\u00adtruc\u00adted. And then your lives will over\u00adflow with gra\u00adti\u00adtu\u00adde for all he has done\u00bb (Colos\u00adsi\u00adans 2:6f NL<\/span>). Niklaus von der Fl\u00fce asks God in a pray\u00ader for this trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon: \u00abMy Lord and my God, take from me ever\u00ady\u00adthing that hin\u00adders me to you. My Lord and my God, give me ever\u00ady\u00adthing that pro\u00admo\u00adtes me to you. My Lord and my God, take me from me and give me enti\u00adre\u00adly to you.
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead the Bible text: 1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 7:29\u201331<\/p>\n
\n\tMeta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis means dying towards life. How do you under\u00adstand this? How does one do that?
\n\tWhat is the dan\u00adger when pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons, work, fami\u00adly or other things come befo\u00adre Jesus in the list of prio\u00adri\u00adties? What are the cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristics of this?
\n\tTo what ext\u00adent is fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus radi\u00adcal? Why is it not a dan\u00adge\u00adrous radicalisation?
\n\tPray tog\u00ade\u00adther the pray\u00ader of Niklaus von der Fl\u00fceh and pray for the set Meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis annu\u00adal goals!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"