As fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ, we are cal\u00adled to do good. Howe\u00adver, it should not be about being prai\u00adsed. Love for fel\u00adlow human beings and God should be the sup\u00adport\u00ading moti\u00adve and result in a giving lifestyle.<\/p>\n
For some time now, I have been finan\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly sup\u00adport\u00ading a fami\u00adly in India with their liveli\u00adhood. When I visi\u00adted the fami\u00adly in Janu\u00adary 2020, I assu\u00admed that they than\u00adked me for my sup\u00adport. So I spent the few days with them and wai\u00adted for their Mer\u00adci. But not\u00adhing hap\u00adpen\u00aded. At first I was offen\u00added, becau\u00adse I wan\u00adted them to know who was fun\u00adding them, among other things. But sud\u00adden\u00adly I rea\u00adli\u00adsed that it\u2019s actual\u00adly gre\u00adat if they don\u2019t know about my finan\u00adces. This is exact\u00adly what today\u2019s ser\u00admon is about. \tWhe\u00adre in your life do you expe\u00adri\u00adence the ten\u00adsi\u00adon bet\u00adween doing good deeds and not tal\u00adking about them? As fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ, we are cal\u00adled to do good. Howe\u00adver, it should not be about being prai\u00adsed. Love for fel\u00adlow human beings and God should be the sup\u00adport\u00ading moti\u00adve and result in a giving life\u00adstyle. For some time now, I have been finan\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly sup\u00adport\u00ading a fami\u00adly in India in their liveli\u00adhood. When I\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[79],"wpfc_sermon_series":[72],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-cedric-bruegger","wpfc_sermon_series-metamorphose","wpfc-sermon-single","post-3637","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\n\u00abBe careful! When you do good, do not do it publicly just to be admi\u00adred. In that case, you must not expect to be reward\u00aded by your Father in hea\u00adven. When you give some\u00adthing to someone in need, do not trumpet it as the hypo\u00adcri\u00adtes do who brag about their good deeds in the syn\u00adago\u00adgues and on the streets just to attract atten\u00adti\u00adon! I assu\u00adre you: That is the only reward they will ever get in return. When you give to someone, do not tell your left hand what your right hand is doing. Give in silence, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you\u00bb (Matthew 6:1\u20134 NLB<\/span>).
\nQues\u00adti\u00adon own motives
\nJesus Christ is cri\u00adti\u00adcis\u00ading a com\u00admon prac\u00adti\u00adce here. Doing good was the order of the day for the Jews. But they did not do so enti\u00adre\u00adly vol\u00adun\u00adt\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly. For acting mer\u00adciful\u00adly towards others was deman\u00added and was a com\u00admandment. This com\u00admandment is cal\u00adled the Zede\u00adkah. The Jews are obli\u00adged to give to other peo\u00adp\u00adle, even though they owe them not\u00adhing. This is becau\u00adse, as God\u2019s cho\u00adsen peo\u00adp\u00adle, they have been ent\u00adrus\u00adted with so much by Him, even though He owes them not\u00adhing. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, many dona\u00adti\u00adons and cha\u00adri\u00adta\u00adble things did not hap\u00adpen vol\u00adun\u00adt\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly, but becau\u00adse of the tze\u00adde\u00adkah. The reli\u00adgious lea\u00adders at that time, the Pha\u00adri\u00adsees, the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre had to set a good exam\u00adp\u00adle in this area of reli\u00adgious life as well.
\nIt was not uncom\u00admon for the\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle to want to dis\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adte their good deeds to as many peo\u00adp\u00adle as pos\u00adsi\u00adble, as they were con\u00adside\u00adred to be very God-fea\u00adring peo\u00adp\u00adle. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, as soon as they star\u00adted dis\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adting money or food, some would sound the trumpets. On the one hand, this was a sign to the nee\u00addy that they could now come, but on the other hand, it always attrac\u00adted many other onloo\u00adkers who obser\u00adved the good deeds of the Pha\u00adri\u00adsees. It would cer\u00adtain\u00adly be wrong to lump them all tog\u00ade\u00adther, but for many the moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon cer\u00adtain\u00adly lay in the cor\u00adrect ful\u00adfilm\u00adent of the Zedekah.
\nThe fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ were also cal\u00adled to do good. \u00abIn the same way, let your good deeds shi\u00adne befo\u00adre men, so that all may see them and prai\u00adse your Father in hea\u00adven for them\u00bb (Matthew 5:16 NLB<\/span>). Today, fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus are still cal\u00adled to do good. Through the\u00adse deeds, God in hea\u00adven is poin\u00adted to and all glo\u00adry is given to him. Thus, doing good deeds is part of the life of a Chris\u00adti\u00adan. At first glan\u00adce, the\u00adse two bibli\u00adcal pas\u00adsa\u00adges seem to con\u00adtra\u00addict each other. On the one hand, it is not to be spo\u00adken of and on the other hand, good deeds are to be done in order to point to God in hea\u00adven. This leads to a cer\u00adtain ten\u00adsi\u00adon. But on clo\u00adser exami\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon, this ten\u00adsi\u00adon dis\u00adsol\u00adves. Not only are the\u00adse two state\u00adments in the same ser\u00admon of Jesus Christ, but they also address two dif\u00adfe\u00adrent things. One is about moti\u00adves, the other is about fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ being reco\u00adg\u00adnis\u00aded by their good deeds. Good deeds should be an inse\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adble part of life, but not in order to be prai\u00adsed through them.
\nWe see an exam\u00adp\u00adle of a wrong moti\u00adve for giving in the ear\u00adly church. In Acts 5:1\u201311 is the sto\u00adry of Hana\u00adni\u00adas and Sap\u00adp\u00adhi\u00adra. For me, this sto\u00adry remains one of the stran\u00adgest sto\u00adries in the enti\u00adre New Tes\u00adta\u00adment. In the ear\u00adly church it was com\u00admon for church mem\u00adbers to sell some of their pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons to help others in the church. This was not a con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon for belon\u00adging to the church. Even after a sale, ever\u00adyo\u00adne was free to dona\u00adte how much they wan\u00adted to the church. Hana\u00adni\u00adas and Sap\u00adp\u00adhi\u00adra acted as if they had dona\u00adted all the pro\u00adceeds to the church. But this was not so, they kept a part for them\u00adsel\u00adves. For this, they were both punis\u00adhed by God with death, becau\u00adse they had not told the truth. They were not pri\u00adma\u00adri\u00adly con\u00adcer\u00adned with doing good, but wan\u00adted to look good in front of ever\u00adyo\u00adne and be hono\u00adu\u00adred. Their moti\u00adve was sel\u00adfi\u00adsh and not out of love for God and their neighbour.
\nDri\u00adven by love
\nHow can we check why others are being sup\u00adport\u00aded? How can the inner moti\u00adve be che\u00adcked? What is the ori\u00aden\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon of this giving? I am deep\u00adly con\u00advin\u00adced that ever\u00ady\u00adthing we do should be dri\u00adven by love! \u00abIf I gave ever\u00ady\u00adthing I own to the poor and even sacri\u00adfi\u00adced my body so that I would be hono\u00adu\u00adred, but had no love, ever\u00ady\u00adthing would be wort\u00adhl\u00adess\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 13:3 NLB<\/span>). Love is what mat\u00adters. All the other moti\u00adves may not seem so bad at first glan\u00adce eit\u00adher. But a clo\u00adser look reve\u00adals that they are not real\u00adly about the neigh\u00adbour and his suf\u00adfe\u00adring, even if the moti\u00adves do not seem so self-centred.
\nMany peo\u00adp\u00adle are invol\u00adved in a wide varie\u00adty of things, be it asyl\u00adum, emer\u00adgen\u00adcy aid, envi\u00adron\u00admen\u00adtal pro\u00adtec\u00adtion or wha\u00adte\u00adver else the\u00adre is. They do this in a very exem\u00adpla\u00adry way and con\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adte a lot of time and money. This is very admi\u00adra\u00adble. But here, too, the moti\u00adve is not neces\u00ads\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly dri\u00adven by love for peo\u00adp\u00adle. Often such com\u00admit\u00adment is done becau\u00adse it makes one feel bet\u00adter about ones\u00adelf. But the call of Jesus Christ that not even the left hand should know from the right hand what one is doing shows that the moti\u00adve of \u00abfee\u00adling bet\u00adter\u00bb is not in demand either.
\nLove should dri\u00adve us to do good. But what love is meant here. The word love can be unders\u00adtood in many ways. I love my wife. But I also love Coca-Cola Zero and I love India. It is imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly clear to all of us that this is not the same qua\u00adli\u00adty of love. But what kind of love should we show when it comes to doing good to others? Greek has seve\u00adral words, all of which are trans\u00adla\u00adted as love in Ger\u00adman. They all mean love, but with a dif\u00adfe\u00adrent empha\u00adsis. In 1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 13:3 aga\u00adpe stands for love. Aga\u00adpe means sel\u00adfless love. The love that is meant by God\u2019s love for us humans, the love of our neigh\u00adbour and the love of our enemies.
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\nThis love should be the moti\u00adve for our actions. God in hea\u00adven is an exam\u00adp\u00adle for us. He gave us a gift full of devo\u00adti\u00adon. \u00abGod did not even spa\u00adre his own Son, but gave him for us all. And if God gave us Christ, won\u2019t he also give us ever\u00ady\u00adthing else with him?\u00bb (Romans 8:32 NLB<\/span>). Tho\u00adse who have a living rela\u00adti\u00adonship with Jesus Christ are chal\u00adlen\u00adged by this ver\u00adse. How do we view our pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons? As a merit or as a gift? If pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons are seen as merit, then it is also clear that the honour for all that man does with them is also his.
\nFol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ, howe\u00adver, who see their wealth as a gift from God, are free to use it. Then it is not important whe\u00adther they recei\u00adve reco\u00adgni\u00adti\u00adon for their good deeds. Becau\u00adse ever\u00ady\u00adthing was given to them out of grace and out of love they let others share in their pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons. Then reco\u00adgni\u00adti\u00adon on earth is no lon\u00adger neces\u00adsa\u00adry, but it is enough to know that God knows about this deed. But this does not mean that we are saved becau\u00adse of our deeds. This we are by grace alo\u00adne, but this in turn leads us to act gra\u00adcious\u00adly ourselves.
\nGiving as a lifestyle
\nIn kee\u00adping with the the\u00adme of the year, Meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis, the the\u00adme of good deeds is also about being trans\u00adfor\u00admed into joyful givers. \u00abEach of you must deci\u00adde for your\u00adsel\u00adves how much you want to give. But do not give grud\u00adgin\u00adgly or under com\u00adpul\u00adsi\u00adon, for God loves the per\u00adson who gives glad\u00adly\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 5:7 NLB<\/span>). Not that we give becau\u00adse we have to give, but becau\u00adse we enjoy it. Not out of wrong moti\u00adves, but out of love for our neigh\u00adbour and for God. This also rai\u00adses the ques\u00adti\u00adon of how we envi\u00adsi\u00adon this chan\u00adge. When it comes to beco\u00adming more like Jesus Christ, I often wish that it could hap\u00adpen from one moment to the next. Of cour\u00adse this is also pos\u00adsi\u00adble. Nevert\u00adhel\u00adess, the same appli\u00ades to a pro\u00adcess of chan\u00adge as appli\u00ades, for exam\u00adp\u00adle, to a cour\u00adse of study.
\nI stu\u00addi\u00aded for a total of six years, repea\u00adting things over and over again. If we want to chan\u00adge things in our lives, time and repe\u00adti\u00adti\u00adon are usual\u00adly indis\u00adpensable. It is the same with today\u2019s topic. The more we prac\u00adti\u00adse a gene\u00adrous life\u00adstyle, the more natu\u00adral it beco\u00admes. Alre\u00ada\u00addy five hundred years ago Mar\u00adtin Luther gave the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing advice \u00abWhoe\u00adver wants to do good must do it lavish\u00adly!\u00bb (Mar\u00adtin Luther). The more good deeds we do, the less the indi\u00advi\u00addu\u00adal deed mat\u00adters and the less we talk about it.
\nDo good and keep silent about it. That is the invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon that today\u2019s ser\u00admon also sends to you. It is important to rise to this chall\u00adenge. For Jesus Christ, the amount of money given is not important. It is pri\u00adma\u00adri\u00adly about the inner atti\u00adtu\u00adde of the one who gives. \u00abWhile Jesus was in the temp\u00adle, he wat\u00adched the rich peo\u00adp\u00adle put their offe\u00adrings into the offe\u00adring box. Then a poor widow came and put in two small coins. \u00abI assu\u00adre you,\u00bb he said, \u00abthis poor widow gave more than all the others. For tho\u00adse gave only a frac\u00adtion of their abun\u00addance, but she, poor as she is, gave all that she had\u00bb (Luke 21:1\u20134 NLB<\/span>). It is about a chan\u00adge of atti\u00adtu\u00adde towards all pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons. Not about demo\u00adni\u00ads\u00ading pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons, but about put\u00adting pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons in the right light.
\nI would like to clo\u00adse this ser\u00admon with a sto\u00adry that Jesus Christ told. Giving should beco\u00adme so natu\u00adral for a fol\u00adlower of Jesus that giving is no lon\u00adger per\u00adcei\u00adved as such. So may\u00adbe one day some of us will be saved by God with the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing reasoning.
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\n\u00abFor I was hun\u00adgry and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stran\u00adger, and you invi\u00adted me into your house. I was naked, and you clo\u00adthed me. I was sick, and you nur\u00adsed me. I was in pri\u00adson, and you visi\u00adted me.\u00bb Then the\u00adse righ\u00adteous ones will ask: \u00abLord, when did we ever see you hun\u00adgry and feed you? When did we see you thirsty and give you drink? When were you a stran\u00adger and we gave you hos\u00adpi\u00adta\u00adli\u00adty? Or when were you naked and we clo\u00adthed you? When did we ever see you sick or in pri\u00adson and visit you?\u00bb And the king will ans\u00adwer them, \u00abI assu\u00adre you: Wha\u00adte\u00adver you did for one of the least of the\u00adse brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters of mine, you did for me!\u00bb (Matthew 25:35\u201340 NLB<\/span>).
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead Bible text: Matthew 6:1\u20134; 1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 13:3<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat are your moti\u00adves for giving? Whe\u00adre do you find it more dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to do good wit\u00adhout recognition?
\n\tAre your actions dri\u00adven by love? How do you expe\u00adri\u00adence the love of God in and on your life? How can you learn to act out of this love?
\n\tDo you see your pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons as ear\u00adnings or as gifts? How does this show in the way you deal with it?
\n\tIs your life cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adri\u00adsed by a gene\u00adrous life\u00adstyle? What can you do con\u00adcre\u00adte\u00adly to train such a lifestyle?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"