The first part of the Ser\u00admon on the Mount is about \u00abcity deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00adment\u00bb. God is the crea\u00adtor and buil\u00adder of the city, which is visi\u00adbly situa\u00adted on a moun\u00adtain (Matthew 5:14). The vir\u00adtu\u00ades from the Beati\u00adtu\u00addes are some\u00adthing like the ent\u00adrance gate to this city and at the same time a descrip\u00adti\u00adon of the cul\u00adtu\u00adre that pre\u00advails the\u00adre. Peo\u00adp\u00adle who dance to God\u2019s music make up this city, the King\u00addom of God.<\/p>\n
The first part of the Ser\u00admon on the Mount is about \u00aburban deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00adment\u00bb. Austria\u2019s Vien\u00adna, Germany\u2019s Frei\u00adburg and St. Gal\u00adlen in Switz\u00ader\u00adland bear the label \u00abmodel city\u00bb. Thus it was writ\u00adten about St. Gal\u00adlen: \u00abIn a Euro\u00adpean com\u00adpa\u00adri\u00adson of cities, St. Gal\u00adlen scores excel\u00adlent\u00adly. The eas\u00adtern Swiss metro\u00adpo\u00adlis con\u00advin\u00adces as a strong regio\u00adnal eco\u00adno\u00admic cent\u00adre with a low tax bur\u00adden, a high\u00adly qua\u00adli\u00adfied work\u00adforce and a rela\u00adxed housing mar\u00adket.\u00bb Modern cities invest lar\u00adge sums in urban deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00adment. Urban deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00adment is a pro\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adon that can be lear\u00adned in spe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly deve\u00adlo\u00adped degree programmes. \tRead through the eight the\u00adses of the Beati\u00adtu\u00addes. What fee\u00adlings and thoughts come up? The first part of the Ser\u00admon on the Mount is about \u00abcity deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00adment\u00bb. God is the crea\u00adtor and buil\u00adder of the city, which is visi\u00adbly situa\u00adted on a moun\u00adtain (Matthew 5:14). The vir\u00adtu\u00ades from the Beati\u00adtu\u00addes are some\u00adthing like the ent\u00adrance gate to this city and at the same time a descrip\u00adti\u00adon of the cul\u00adtu\u00adre that pre\u00advails the\u00adre. Peo\u00adp\u00adle who dance to God\u2019s music form\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":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-metamorphose","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-3363","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
\nIn the Ser\u00admon on the Mount, Jesus reve\u00adals hims\u00adelf as a city deve\u00adlo\u00adper, so to speak, who sets out to rea\u00adli\u00adse his king\u00addom in the form of a city. In Matthew 5:14\u201316 we dis\u00adco\u00adver that this city is made up of peo\u00adp\u00adle. \u00abA city set on a moun\u00adtain can\u00adnot remain hid\u00adden\u00bb (Matthew 5:14 NG\u00dc<\/span>). The city is to be visi\u00adble from afar. It is the city whe\u00adre God is the King. He is the crea\u00adtor and builder.
\nThe congratulations
\nSin\u00adce the sen\u00adten\u00adces in Matthew 5:3\u201312 are all intro\u00addu\u00adced with \u00abHap\u00adpy to prai\u00adse are\u2026\u00bb. (Luther: \u00abBles\u00adsed are\u2026\u00bb), this pas\u00adsa\u00adge is also cal\u00adled the Beati\u00adtu\u00addes. The first two ver\u00adses of Psalm 1 also begin with the same words. So it is like a con\u00adgra\u00adtu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon for a basic decis\u00adi\u00adon made in life or a chall\u00adenge to make one. This decis\u00adi\u00adon con\u00adcerns the ques\u00adti\u00adon in which com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty we want to loca\u00adte our life and thus beco\u00admes the gate\u00adway to God\u2019s city. Jesus chal\u00adlenges us to think careful\u00adly about the music we want to dance to. It is important to remem\u00adber that the music we dance to will rub off on our lives and cha\u00adrac\u00adter. From Psalm 1 we know: A flou\u00adris\u00adhing life (not a pro\u00adblem-free) life is found in dancing to the music of God.
\nThe\u00adse con\u00adgra\u00adtu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adons speak to all tho\u00adse who have set out to learn to dance to the music of hea\u00adven with Jesus and in his com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty, that they are ther\u00adeby cal\u00adled sons and daugh\u00adters of God. They are part of God\u2019s future pro\u00adject, the city on the moun\u00adtain, the King\u00addom of God movement.
\nThe virtues
\nThe Beati\u00adtu\u00addes con\u00adtain eight the\u00adses. If we read them from Psalm 1, we dis\u00adco\u00adver in them eight vir\u00adtu\u00ades that distin\u00adgu\u00adish the cha\u00adrac\u00adter of a per\u00adson who dances to the music of the king\u00addom of heaven.
\nHumility
\n\u00abHap\u00adpy are tho\u00adse who are poor in the sight of God\u00bb (v.3 NG\u00dc<\/span>). Humi\u00adli\u00adty must not be con\u00adfu\u00adsed with self-aba\u00adse\u00adment and sub\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adness. It is rather the cou\u00adra\u00adge\u00adous accep\u00adtance of rea\u00adli\u00adty: He, God is the Crea\u00adtor and Sus\u00adtai\u00adner, I am His \u00abpoor\u00bb (i.e. depen\u00addent and nee\u00addy) crea\u00adtu\u00adre. From the Jewish tra\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon, the per\u00adson who con\u00adfes\u00adses the creed of Isra\u00adel is hum\u00adble: \u00abHear, Isra\u00adel! The LORD<\/span> our God, the LORD<\/span> is uni\u00adque. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre you shall love the LORD<\/span> your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength\u00bb (Deut. 6:4f EU<\/span>).
\nSuf\u00adfe\u00adring from the hard\u00adship of the world
\n\u00abHap\u00adpy to prai\u00adse are tho\u00adse who mourn\u00bb (v.4 NG\u00dc<\/span>). The term com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon is often unders\u00adtood as a fee\u00adling that occurs spon\u00adta\u00adneous\u00adly when we see peo\u00adp\u00adle in need. Howe\u00adver, a vir\u00adtue is more than a spon\u00adta\u00adneous\u00adly trig\u00adge\u00adred fee\u00adling. It is about a deep con\u00adcern in the face of need in the world. Peo\u00adp\u00adle who are about to hear the music of hea\u00adven and dance to it suf\u00adfer when they see stumb\u00adling huma\u00adni\u00adty \u2013 of which they are also a part. It is about see\u00ading the world through the eyes of Jesus and wee\u00adping over it.
\nNonviolence
\n\u00abHap\u00adpy are the meek\u00bb (v.5 NG\u00dc<\/span>). Meekness is often misun\u00adders\u00adtood as soft\u00adness. When Jesus rode into Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem on a don\u00adkey as the Mes\u00adsiah King, he was cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adri\u00adsed as \u00abmeek\u00bb. But this does not pre\u00advent him from going straight to the temp\u00adle and dri\u00adving out the mer\u00adchants. It beco\u00admes clear that meekness should not be unders\u00adtood in the sen\u00adse of soft\u00adness. It is about the inner strength that enables non-vio\u00adlence and trusts com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly in God.
\nLon\u00adging for justice
\n\u00abHap\u00adpy to prai\u00adse are tho\u00adse who hun\u00adger and thirst after righ\u00adteous\u00adness\u00bb (v.6 NG\u00dc<\/span>). This vir\u00adtue fol\u00adlows on from the second vir\u00adtue: Tho\u00adse who see the world with God\u2019s eyes and suf\u00adfer from need also car\u00adry within them a lon\u00adging for a more just world.
\nMercy
\n\u00abHap\u00adpy are the mer\u00adciful\u00bb (v.7 NG\u00dc<\/span>). Out of the con\u00ads\u00adter\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon in the face of need and the lon\u00adging for a more just world, a hel\u00adping atti\u00adtu\u00adde ari\u00adses which leads to cor\u00adre\u00adspon\u00adding actions. Mer\u00adcy can be unders\u00adtood as action that ser\u00adves jus\u00adti\u00adce. God does not want to see reli\u00adgious ritu\u00adals (sacri\u00adfices), but mer\u00adciful action (Hosea 6:6). In Matthew 25:31\u201346 this vir\u00adtue is unfold\u00aded and con\u00adcre\u00adti\u00adsed in the \u00absix works of mer\u00adcy\u00bb: Feed the hun\u00adgry, give drink to the thirsty, wel\u00adco\u00adme stran\u00adgers, clo\u00adthe the naked, visit the sick and the imprisoned.
\nPuri\u00adty (cla\u00adri\u00adty) of the heart
\n\u00abHap\u00adpy to be prai\u00adsed are tho\u00adse who have a pure heart\u00bb (v.8 NG\u00dc<\/span>). This vir\u00adtue is not about a sin\u00adless heart or impu\u00adri\u00adty that needs puri\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon. It is about the heart being sin\u00adce\u00adre and trans\u00adpa\u00adrent as the cent\u00adre of the per\u00adson. What is requi\u00adred is clear focus, unam\u00adbi\u00adgui\u00adty and con\u00adse\u00adquent action.
\nWil\u00adling\u00adness for recon\u00adci\u00adlia\u00adti\u00adon and peace
\n\u00abHap\u00adpy are tho\u00adse who make peace\u00bb (v.9 NCC<\/span>). It is about the vir\u00adtue of affir\u00adming, lon\u00adging for and pro\u00admo\u00adting acts of peace from the bot\u00adtom of one\u2019s heart. The pro\u00adgram\u00adma\u00adtic announce\u00adment of the Mes\u00adsiah on Christ\u00admas night is: \u00abGlo\u00adry and honour to God in the hig\u00adhest, and peace on earth for tho\u00adse on whom his good plea\u00adsu\u00adre rests\u00bb (Luke 2:14 NCC<\/span>).
\nWil\u00adling\u00adness to endu\u00adre resis\u00adtance for the sake of justice
\n\u00abHap\u00adpy are tho\u00adse who are per\u00adse\u00adcu\u00adted for righ\u00adteous\u00adness\u00bb sake [\u2026] when you are insul\u00adted and per\u00adse\u00adcu\u00adted for my sake, and the worst things are unjus\u00adt\u00adly said to you\u00bb (v.10+11 NCC<\/span>). When the first seven vir\u00adtu\u00ades beco\u00adme life-defi\u00adning in a per\u00adson, it must be expec\u00adted that now and then someone will fall under the wheels of a socie\u00adty that does not live such vir\u00adtu\u00ades. The inner rea\u00addi\u00adness to some\u00adti\u00admes be insul\u00adted or even oppres\u00adsed for the sake of the king\u00addom of God beco\u00admes a vir\u00adtue its\u00adelf. If we have the way of Jesus befo\u00adre our eyes, let us also pro\u00adve our\u00adsel\u00adves to be God-dancers in this vir\u00adtue. In ano\u00adther place, the\u00adre is talk of car\u00adry\u00ading the cross.
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\nHow do the\u00adse vir\u00adtu\u00ades beco\u00adme ours? Like father, like daugh\u00adter, like son. The hea\u00adven\u00adly Father embo\u00addies the\u00adse vir\u00adtu\u00ades. When we abide in Him and dance to His music, inner atti\u00adtu\u00addes flou\u00adrish that matu\u00adre into vir\u00adtu\u00ades and ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly make up a person\u2019s cha\u00adrac\u00adter. This is meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis \u2013 the lar\u00adva beco\u00admes an adult being.
\nIn the let\u00adter to the Thes\u00adsa\u00adlo\u00adni\u00adans, Paul gives us ano\u00adther important hint regar\u00adding meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis: \u00abWe do not cea\u00adse pray\u00ading for you, that our God will make you rea\u00addy for the life to which he has cal\u00adled you. And we pray that God will fill your good inten\u00adti\u00adons and what you do by faith with his power\u00bb (2Thessalonians 1:11 NLB<\/span>). Meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis pre\u00adsup\u00adpo\u00adses good inten\u00adti\u00adons. The\u00adse he fills with his power so that we find our way to the life he has cal\u00adled us to. Each of us could choo\u00adse a vir\u00adtue from the Beati\u00adtu\u00adde and make it our inten\u00adti\u00adon. From this we could for\u00admu\u00adla\u00adte a goal for the year, wri\u00adte it in the spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal dia\u00adry and begin to ask for God\u2019s power in this matter.
\nThe promises
\nAs alre\u00ada\u00addy men\u00adtio\u00adned: Whoe\u00adver allows hims\u00adelf to be plan\u00adted in God\u2019s com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty and dances to His music is hap\u00adpy to be prai\u00adsed. Real\u00adly? Are the peo\u00adp\u00adle real\u00adly \u00abHap\u00adpy to prai\u00adse\u00bb who are poor, mour\u00adning, renoun\u00adcing vio\u00adlence and per\u00adse\u00adcu\u00adted? Are they not rather to be pitied? Recent\u00adly a woman said that she was at war with God right now! The reason is that the\u00adre are things in life that do not go smooth\u00adly. Suf\u00adfe\u00adring, pres\u00adsu\u00adre and resis\u00adtance are part of a life with God. Never was\u00adte a cri\u00adsis! They pro\u00admo\u00adte growth and matu\u00adri\u00adty. Regard\u00adless of how para\u00addo\u00adxi\u00adcal the Beati\u00adtu\u00addes sound and how things are going in your life right now: You are hap\u00adpy to be prai\u00adsed when you have plan\u00adted your life with God. Then you are like a blos\u00adso\u00adming tree by a stream. Heat and drought can do not\u00adhing to you.
\nThe eight the\u00adses of the Beati\u00adtu\u00addes all have the same struc\u00adtu\u00adre: Con\u00adgra\u00adtu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon \u2013 Vir\u00adtue \u2013 Pro\u00admi\u00adse. The con\u00adgra\u00adtu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon is in the pre\u00adsent ten\u00adse, the pro\u00admi\u00adse in the future ten\u00adse. A per\u00adson who dances to the music of God is alre\u00ada\u00addy dancing to hap\u00adpi\u00adness. And yet we live in the pro\u00advi\u00adsio\u00adnal. The best is yet to come: life in the city of God, whe\u00adre He dwells in the midst of His sons and daugh\u00adters and estab\u00adlishes His king\u00addom. Someone once said, \u00abIt\u2019s good that we don\u2019t yet know what it will be like in the hea\u00adven\u00adly city, other\u00adwi\u00adse no one would want to live.\u00bb Alre\u00ada\u00addy hap\u00adpi\u00adness and deep peace, yet not yet in maxi\u00admum per\u00adfec\u00adtion; that is the life of a per\u00adson who has ent\u00adrus\u00adted his life to Jesus.
\nThe Beati\u00adtu\u00addes descri\u00adbe the future of tho\u00adse who are cal\u00adled God\u2019s daugh\u00adters and sons with eight dif\u00adfe\u00adrent pro\u00admi\u00adses: To them belongs the king\u00addom of hea\u00adven \/ they will be com\u00adfor\u00adted \/ they will recei\u00adve the earth as a pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adon \/ they will be fil\u00adled \/ they will find mer\u00adcy \/ they will see God \/ they will be cal\u00adled sons of God \/ to them belongs the king\u00addom of hea\u00adven. The idea of the\u00adse glo\u00adrious riches should trig\u00adger a reac\u00adtion in us: \u00abRejoice and be glad! For in hea\u00adven a gre\u00adat reward awaits you\u00bb (Matthew 5:12 NG\u00dc<\/span>).
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\nJesus came to earth to build God\u2019s king\u00addom. He wants to do this with us humans. When we loca\u00adte our lives in Jesus and ent\u00adrust our\u00adsel\u00adves to Him, we beco\u00adme city buil\u00adders along\u00adside Him. Vir\u00adtu\u00ades and our cha\u00adrac\u00adter play an important role in this. They form the cul\u00adtu\u00adre of this future city. You are cor\u00addi\u00adal\u00adly invi\u00adted to be a buil\u00adding block of it!
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: Matthew 5:1\u201312; 2 Thes\u00adsa\u00adlo\u00adni\u00adans 2:11<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat is the dif\u00adfe\u00adrence that our vir\u00adtue and cha\u00adrac\u00adter for\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon should make up the cul\u00adtu\u00adre of the city of the living God and not just our pri\u00adva\u00adte piety?
\n\tWhich of the eight vir\u00adtu\u00ades men\u00adtio\u00adned appeals to you most? Which ones would you like to pro\u00admo\u00adte in your life?
\n\tRead 2 Thes\u00adsa\u00adlo\u00adni\u00adans 1:11. For\u00admu\u00adla\u00adte an inten\u00adti\u00adon regar\u00adding vir\u00adtu\u00ades, wri\u00adte it in your dia\u00adry and pray for it daily!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"