The city on the moun\u00adtain descri\u00adbes a place of lon\u00adging and is an image for hea\u00adven on earth. It is an image for the king\u00addom of God that is invi\u00adsi\u00adbly buil\u00adding its\u00adelf in us and around us. It is a city that rea\u00adches far bey\u00adond geo\u00adgra\u00adphi\u00adcal and poli\u00adti\u00adcal boun\u00adda\u00adries and whe\u00adre Jesus is the undis\u00adpu\u00adted ruler on the thro\u00adne. In this city built with living stones, Jesus is the cor\u00adner\u00adstone. With the giving of our lives in bap\u00adtism, a per\u00adson beco\u00admes such a buil\u00adding block.<\/p>\n
\tWhat do you under\u00adstand by the term \u00abcity on the moun\u00adtain\u00bb? What does that have to do with you? The city on the moun\u00adtain descri\u00adbes a place of lon\u00adging and is an image for hea\u00adven on earth. It is an image for the king\u00addom of God that is invi\u00adsi\u00adbly buil\u00adding its\u00adelf in us and around us. It is a city that rea\u00adches far bey\u00adond geo\u00adgra\u00adphi\u00adcal and poli\u00adti\u00adcal boun\u00adda\u00adries and whe\u00adre Jesus is the undis\u00adpu\u00adted ruler of\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-3381","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
\nMan is crea\u00adted to ori\u00aden\u00adta\u00adte hims\u00adelf to the Crea\u00adtor, to take up the rhythm of the Crea\u00adtor in the sha\u00adping of his life. This is the visi\u00adon of the bibli\u00adcal dra\u00adma that rea\u00adches its goal in the last two chap\u00adters of the Bible in the form of the City of God. Cities are places of life and gre\u00adat pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties with almost unli\u00admi\u00adt\u00aded poten\u00adti\u00adal. They offer space for pro\u00adtec\u00adtion and encoun\u00adter. The Ser\u00admon on the Mount is some\u00adthing like the Magna Char\u00adta or the pro\u00adgram\u00adme of govern\u00adment of this city.
\nThe ori\u00adgi\u00adnal of the future
\nGod\u2019s sto\u00adry with us starts in a gar\u00adden and leads to an eter\u00adnal city whe\u00adre we will live, as we read in Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon. When we look at God\u2019s sto\u00adry with his peo\u00adp\u00adle, we dis\u00adco\u00adver a com\u00admon thread:
\nAbra\u00adham went out to find this city (Gene\u00adsis 12; Hebrews 11:8\u201316).
\nDavid pla\u00adced the Ark of the Coven\u00adant and a 24\u20137 pray\u00ader altar in the cent\u00adre of this city. The his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adcal Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem came to flou\u00adrish (1Chronicles 15; 16:37; 23:4\u20136).
\nEzra, Neh\u00ademi\u00adah and others had the same pas\u00adsi\u00adon and mis\u00adsi\u00adon to res\u00adto\u00adre the dwel\u00adling place of God with the people.
\nThe pro\u00adphe\u00adts speak of Zion as the place on the moun\u00adtain whe\u00adre God dwells among men. They announ\u00adce that when God rea\u00adli\u00adses his reign, the city of God on Zion will play a cen\u00adtral role: \u00abIn the last days, the moun\u00adtain on which the house of the Lord stands will beco\u00adme the most important peak and will rise abo\u00adve all other moun\u00adta\u00adins. All nati\u00adons will flock to it. They will come in dro\u00adves and say, \u00abCome, let us go to the moun\u00adtain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Isra\u00adel.\u00bb The\u00adre he will teach us his ways, that we may walk in his paths.\u00bb For then the Lord\u2019s tea\u00adching will go out from Zion and his word from Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. The Lord will judge bet\u00adween the nati\u00adons and admi\u00adnis\u00adter jus\u00adti\u00adce among many peo\u00adp\u00adles. Swords will be ref\u00ador\u00adged into ploughsha\u00adres and spear\u00adheads into pru\u00adning kni\u00adves. No nati\u00adon will go against ano\u00adther and they will no lon\u00adger learn to wage war. Come, peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel, let us live a life in the light of the Lord!\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 2:2\u20135 NLB<\/span>). In this city, per\u00adched on a moun\u00adtain and impos\u00adsi\u00adble to miss, jus\u00adti\u00adce will pre\u00advail. Ins\u00adtead of waging wars, peo\u00adp\u00adle will con\u00ads\u00adtruc\u00adtively and pro\u00adduc\u00adtively cul\u00adti\u00adva\u00adte and pre\u00adser\u00adve God\u2019s creation.
\nJesus speaks about this city in the Ser\u00admon on the Mount. He uses the image of the wise man who builds his house on it, the rock. Many hou\u00adses built on the rock make a city on the moun\u00adtain that shi\u00adnes so bright\u00adly that it can\u00adnot and should not be over\u00adloo\u00adked (Matthew 5:14\u201316).
\nThe Let\u00adter to the Hebrews informs us that all who belong to God have alre\u00ada\u00addy come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God (Hebrews 12:22).
\nReve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon speaks of a gol\u00adden city, the New Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem, coming down from hea\u00adven (Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 21). \u00abAnd I saw the holy city, the new Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem, coming down from God out of hea\u00adven like a beau\u00adtiful bri\u00adde ador\u00adned for her bri\u00adde\u00adg\u00adroom. I heard a loud voice from the thro\u00adne crying, \u00abBehold, the dwel\u00adling place of God is now with men! He will dwell with them and they will be his peo\u00adp\u00adle and God hims\u00adelf will be with them. He will wipe away all their tears, and the\u00adre will be no more death and mour\u00adning and wee\u00adping and pain. For the first world with all its cala\u00admi\u00adty has pas\u00adsed away fore\u00adver\u00bb (Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 21:2\u20134 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe image of the present
\nThe\u00adse texts descri\u00adbe that the arri\u00adval of the City of God is in the future. The ori\u00adgi\u00adnal of the City of God lies in hea\u00adven or in the future. But with Jesus, some\u00adthing like a copy, an image, is alre\u00ada\u00addy begin\u00adning to be rea\u00adli\u00adsed here and now (Matthew 4:17). The Ser\u00admon on the Mount speaks of the city on the moun\u00adtain and the peo\u00adp\u00adle who build hou\u00adses on rocks, which tog\u00ade\u00adther form this city. The city is an image of the king\u00addom of God that is being built invi\u00adsi\u00adbly in us and around us. It is a city that rea\u00adches far bey\u00adond geo\u00adgra\u00adphi\u00adcal and poli\u00adti\u00adcal boun\u00adda\u00adries and in which Jesus is the undis\u00adpu\u00adted ruler on the throne.
\nThe peo\u00adp\u00adle who lis\u00adten\u00aded to Jesus expec\u00adted that with the coming of the Mes\u00adsiah King, Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem would final\u00adly assu\u00adme its role as the cent\u00adre of the world. The city on the moun\u00adtain that shi\u00adnes out into all the world. And now this: the peo\u00adp\u00adle who have set out to dance to the music of hea\u00adven are to be the city on the moun\u00adtain. As alre\u00ada\u00addy men\u00adtio\u00adned: the wise man who builds his house on Him, the rock. Nota\u00adbe\u00adne, the wise man dif\u00adfers from the foo\u00adlish man in that he not only hears the words of Jesus, but also does them. In other words, peo\u00adp\u00adle who dance to the music of hea\u00adven and allow them\u00adsel\u00adves to be trans\u00adfor\u00admed in their being. This is how the city on the moun\u00adtain comes into being, which appears so bright that it can\u00adnot be over\u00adloo\u00adked. That has always been the dream of God.
\nIn this city built of living stones, Jesus is the cor\u00adner\u00adstone on which the who\u00adle struc\u00adtu\u00adre is ali\u00adgned (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 2:21f). Through the death of Jesus on the cross, the way to the Father and into his king\u00addom has been ope\u00adned. With the sur\u00adren\u00adder of our life in bap\u00adtism, a trans\u00adfer of owner\u00adship takes place. We enter into a coven\u00adant agree\u00adment with Him: He gave ever\u00ady\u00adthing for us, we give ever\u00ady\u00adthing back to Him in return. Through this sur\u00adren\u00adder of Jesus we live in the rea\u00adli\u00adty of the King\u00addom. The city on the moun\u00adtain comes into being whe\u00adre\u00adver peo\u00adp\u00adle devo\u00adted\u00adly live disci\u00adple\u00adship and unite in it, so that all are\u00adas of life are per\u00adme\u00ada\u00adted by the love of Jesus.
\nThe image of the city on the moun\u00adtain is being built here and now. This thought goes bey\u00adond our boxes. It opens up a gre\u00adat per\u00adspec\u00adti\u00adve for the king\u00addom of God, far bey\u00adond per\u00adso\u00adnal sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon. Bey\u00adond the ques\u00adti\u00adon of how we can invi\u00adte new peo\u00adp\u00adle to wor\u00adship on Sun\u00adday and how we design wor\u00adship accor\u00addin\u00adgly. This idea is much big\u00adger than the desi\u00adre to stand out posi\u00adtively at work by being fri\u00adend\u00adly becau\u00adse you don\u2019t lie, or not get\u00adting drunk at the Christ\u00admas par\u00adty. It is about a holi\u00adstic trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon, about cha\u00adrac\u00adter and vir\u00adtue for\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon accor\u00adding to God\u2019s music, about being a living stone in the city on the mountain.
\nAs see\u00adtal chi\u00adle, our task is to build right now in a way that is nor\u00admal in this city of the King. In and out of deep trust and faith that God is the one who owns all resour\u00adces and makes them available to us. A place whe\u00adre rela\u00adti\u00adonships with one ano\u00adther are para\u00admount, releasing pro\u00adduc\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty and crea\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty. A place whe\u00adre the full\u00adness of each individual\u2019s gifts can be reco\u00adg\u00adnis\u00aded, seen and grown. And so many won\u00adderful things more. In the Ser\u00admon on the Mount, Jesus wants to intro\u00addu\u00adce us to the hea\u00adven\u00adly dance and show us the pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties of metamorphosis.
\nThe radi\u00adance in action
\n\u00abAbra\u00adham was able to act this way becau\u00adse he was wai\u00adting for a city with a firm foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon, who\u00adse buil\u00adder and maker is God hims\u00adelf\u00bb (Hebrews 11:10 NLB<\/span>). This is fol\u00adlo\u00adwed by a list of all that Abra\u00adham did in faith. The lon\u00adging for the future city, made him dance to the music of hea\u00adven. Abraham\u2019s radi\u00adance rea\u00adches down to the pre\u00adsent day \u2013 all three mono\u00adthe\u00adi\u00adstic reli\u00adgi\u00adons lead back to him.
\nThe city of God should also be a place of lon\u00adging for us. A good 4000 years after Abra\u00adham, we are still wai\u00adting for the ori\u00adgi\u00adnal: \u00abFor this world is not our home; we do not expect our future city until we get to hea\u00adven\u00bb (Hebrews 13:14 NLB<\/span>). If we are alre\u00ada\u00addy dancing to the music of hea\u00adven now, we take a place in this visi\u00adon on the way to the eter\u00adnal city whe\u00adre God will dwell in the midst of us. We are part of a fasci\u00adna\u00adting sto\u00adry, of the buil\u00adding of the eter\u00adnal King\u00addom of God! This is the moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon and the frame\u00adwork in which our per\u00adso\u00adnal meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis is to take place. The per\u00adspec\u00adti\u00adve on the New Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem must remain: \u00abIf faith in Christ gives hope only for this life, we are the most mise\u00adra\u00adble peo\u00adp\u00adle in the world\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 15:9 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe city on the moun\u00adtain is also cal\u00adled Zion in the Bible. In Hebrew this means \u00abhig\u00adhest point\u00bb or also \u00absign\u00adpost\u00bb. This refers to a place that shows us the way, gives us ori\u00aden\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon and a goal. The pro\u00adphe\u00adcy of Zion points the way for us as God\u2019s people.
\nBeing part of this city is the secret of a life that is salt and light. The city on the moun\u00adtain is a place of being and not of doing, becau\u00adse we live in com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adon with the almigh\u00adty Crea\u00adtor of the earth and the gre\u00adat \u00abI Am\u00bb. That is why Jesus says to the lis\u00adten\u00aders: \u00abYou are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt when it has lost its fla\u00advour? Can it be made useful again? It is thrown away and tramp\u00adled on, like some\u00adthing that is worth not\u00adhing. You are the light of the world \u2013 like a city on a moun\u00adtain, shi\u00adning bright\u00adly in the night for all to see\u00bb (Matthew 5:13f NLB<\/span>). With Jesus, the king\u00addom of hea\u00adven has begun. No, it is not yet com\u00adple\u00adte. It also remains hid\u00adden, mys\u00adte\u00adrious and future. But alre\u00ada\u00addy now, through the peo\u00adp\u00adle who dance to the music of hea\u00adven, some\u00adthing is to beco\u00adme visi\u00adble. Abo\u00adve all, some\u00adthing is to beco\u00adme effec\u00adti\u00adve: This com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty is pro\u00admi\u00adsed to be \u00absalt of the earth\u00bb and \u00ablight of the world\u00bb. Well unders\u00adtood: Not to be, but to be! The city on the moun\u00adtain \u2013 it is an expres\u00adsi\u00adon of a life\u00adstyle that is so attrac\u00adti\u00adve that out\u00adsi\u00adders can reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse its radi\u00adance and ori\u00adent them\u00adsel\u00adves by it in the dark\u00adness of the world. Yes, even come the\u00adre to find shel\u00adter and beco\u00adme part of it.
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\nFinal\u00adly, a quo\u00adte from John Don\u00adne, a 16th cen\u00adtu\u00adry Eng\u00adlish theo\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adan: \u00abI will rise from the dead. \u2026 I shall see the Son of God, the Sun of Glo\u00adry, and mys\u00adelf shi\u00adne as the Sun. I shall be united with men of ages long past, and also with God Hims\u00adelf, who had no mor\u00adning that never began. \u2026 no man has ever seen God and lived. And yet I shall not live until I see God. And when I have seen him, I shall never die.\u00bb The city on the moun\u00adtain, the New Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem, should be a place of lon\u00adging that moti\u00adva\u00adtes us to dance to the music of heaven.
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: Matthew 5:13\u201316<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat do you ima\u00adgi\u00adne the ori\u00adgi\u00adnal of the future to be (cf. Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 21)?
\n\tWhat signi\u00adfi\u00adcan\u00adce does the fact that you are or can beco\u00adme a living com\u00adpo\u00adnent of this city have for you?
\n\tWhat can you con\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adte so that the city of God can alre\u00ada\u00addy take shape on this earth?
\n\tHow can the see\u00adtal chi\u00adle alre\u00ada\u00addy be a good reflec\u00adtion of the future city?
\n\tWhat does it take for a per\u00adson to be salt and light in the sen\u00adse of the Ser\u00admon on the Mount (Matthew 5:13f)?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"