Deep in our hearts we long very much for a bet\u00adter world. Jesus came to us to show us this bet\u00adter world, His King\u00addom. If we fol\u00adlow Him, we will bring His King\u00addom (World 2.0) into this world.<\/p>\n
I have fond memo\u00adries of the first time I flew to Cana\u00adda. And it was dou\u00adbly won\u00adderful becau\u00adse it was right after my recruit school. I was imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly fasci\u00adna\u00adted by the natu\u00adre, the vast\u00adness, the pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties and free\u00addom that this huge coun\u00adtry has to offer. This visit gave me the big dream of living and working in Cana\u00adda for a while. It was my gre\u00adat desi\u00adre to move to a coun\u00adtry that was more fasci\u00adna\u00adting than the one I grew up in. For\u00adt\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, I had the pri\u00advi\u00adle\u00adge of living in the coun\u00adtry of my dreams for almost twen\u00adty years. At about this moment, my wife Joce\u00adlyn boards a pla\u00adne in Klo\u00adten to take her to Canada. \tAt what moments do I want to escape into ano\u00adther world? With mista\u00adkes, dis\u00adap\u00adpoint\u00adments, rejection \u2026 Deep in our hearts we long very much for a bet\u00adter world. Jesus came to us to show us this bet\u00adter world, His King\u00addom. If we fol\u00adlow Him, we will bring His King\u00addom (World 2.0) into this world. I like to remem\u00adber the moment when I flew to Cana\u00adda for the first time.\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[73],"wpfc_sermon_series":[72],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-daniel-bieri","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-metamorphose","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-3765","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
\nI am not the only one who dreams. We all dream of some\u00adthing bet\u00adter, big\u00adger or more beau\u00adtiful. For some, this is a nicer house, a bet\u00adter car, a bril\u00adli\u00adant job or sim\u00adply a life wit\u00adhout worries. Sta\u00adtis\u00adtics show that many peo\u00adp\u00adle are sim\u00adply not hap\u00adpy with their cur\u00adrent lives. Many are not satis\u00adfied with their body, what they have achie\u00adved or how they have been trea\u00adted. Last week I read a gruel\u00adling report in a news\u00adpa\u00adper: The USA<\/span> has a new sad record \u2013 in twel\u00adve months more than 100,000 peo\u00adp\u00adle have died from drugs. The\u00adse 100,000 and the hundreds of thou\u00adsands or even mil\u00adli\u00adons who use drugs are not satis\u00adfied with them\u00adsel\u00adves or their envi\u00adron\u00adment. With drugs they could escape for a short time into ano\u00adther world and for\u00adget ever\u00ady\u00adthing. Fur\u00adther\u00admo\u00adre, we have cer\u00adtain\u00adly all noti\u00adced that in this world, or in the skin we are in, not ever\u00ady\u00adthing is per\u00adfect. The many Coro\u00adna dis\u00adcus\u00adsions con\u00adfirm this: Our world is any\u00adthing but flawless.
\nLon\u00adging for a new world
\nI would now like to use the Bible to dis\u00adco\u00adver what this world we long for looks like. In the second chap\u00adter of the first book of Moses, we hear what this per\u00adfect world loo\u00adked like. In the begin\u00adning, Adam and Eve lived in harm\u00ado\u00adny with God. In this clo\u00adse rela\u00adti\u00adonship, God ent\u00adrus\u00adted them with his pro\u00adper\u00adty. We read: \u00abSo the Lord God took man and put him in the gar\u00adden of Eden to till it and keep it\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 2:15 EU<\/span>). At that time, peo\u00adp\u00adle lived in harm\u00ado\u00adny with God, natu\u00adre and them\u00adsel\u00adves. They cul\u00adti\u00adva\u00adted with joy what was ent\u00adrus\u00adted to them. For Adam and Eve, this was cer\u00adtain\u00adly not a job for which they clo\u00adcked in at seven in the mor\u00adning and could hard\u00adly wait until five in the evening. No, they were given a voca\u00adti\u00adon with which they che\u00adris\u00adhed and cared for what had been ent\u00adrus\u00adted to them with joy and crea\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty. But only for a short time did they live in this per\u00adfect world. Many will now remem\u00adber the fall of huma\u00adni\u00adty at this point. Adam and Eve were banis\u00adhed from this beau\u00adtiful land. They now had to work hard for their dai\u00adly bread and morals suf\u00adfe\u00adr\u00aded ship\u00adw\u00adreck. In the next chap\u00adter we read how Cain kil\u00adled his brot\u00adher Abel. Two pages later we learn how man\u2019s wicked\u00adness beca\u00adme so gre\u00adat that God had to send a flood to stop this down\u00adward spi\u00adral. Even after the flood, coexis\u00adtence was any\u00adthing but harmonious.
\nFrom the begin\u00adning we now make a gre\u00adat leap to the last book of the Bible. In Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon, the book about the future, we read about the city on the moun\u00adtain. In this won\u00adderful place, whe\u00adre God wipes away the tears of all his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers, the\u00adre is com\u00adple\u00adte heal\u00ading. It will be a won\u00adderful place. In a reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon John sees this new city whe\u00adre all peo\u00adp\u00adle live tog\u00ade\u00adther in per\u00adfect harm\u00ado\u00adny with God. \u00abThe thro\u00adne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city (the city on the moun\u00adtain), and all its inha\u00adbi\u00adtants will ser\u00adve and wor\u00adship God\u00bb (Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 22:3 NG\u00dc<\/span>). In this new world, as the city on the moun\u00adtain is cal\u00adled, we will ser\u00adve and wor\u00adship God. Wor\u00adship does not only invol\u00adve words, it is much greater.
\nWor\u00adship is ever\u00ady\u00adthing we do to honour God. We can work in such a way that we give Him the glo\u00adry or not. In the new king\u00addom of hea\u00adven we will work and be crea\u00adti\u00adve. We will enjoy and crea\u00adtively use with joy all that is ent\u00adrus\u00adted to us. We will ser\u00adve God and fel\u00adlow human beings with enthu\u00adsi\u00adasm and crea\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty. This new city will be a very inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading place whe\u00adre we will live tog\u00ade\u00adther in joy and harm\u00ado\u00adny. Deep in our hearts we are eager\u00adly wai\u00adting for this place, we are bur\u00adning to expe\u00adri\u00adence this city on the mountain.
\nThat\u2019s all very well, but what does it mean for us today? Do Chris\u00adti\u00adans now all have to wait eager\u00adly for death to expe\u00adri\u00adence this fan\u00adta\u00adstic city on the moun\u00adtain? Cer\u00adtain\u00adly we can look for\u00adward to it, but God\u2019s plan is that we alre\u00ada\u00addy expe\u00adri\u00adence a fore\u00adtas\u00adte of this city today. God sent his Son Jesus to earth with a mis\u00adsi\u00adon. As a thir\u00adty year old he had the honour of rea\u00adding the Scrip\u00adtures and he was given the book of Isai\u00adah. He ope\u00adned it at the place whe\u00adre it is writ\u00adten: \u00abThe Spi\u00adrit of the Lord is upon me, becau\u00adse he has cal\u00adled me and empowered me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor. I pro\u00adcla\u00adim liber\u00adty to the cap\u00adti\u00adves, to the blind I say that they shall see, and to the oppres\u00adsed that they shall be freed from all vio\u00adlence. I pro\u00adcla\u00adim to them a year in which the Lord will show his mer\u00adcy. Jesus rol\u00adled up the scroll, gave it back to the syn\u00adago\u00adgue ser\u00advant and sat down. Ever\u00adyo\u00adne loo\u00adked at him expec\u00adtant\u00adly. He began: Today, as you hear the\u00adse words, the prophet\u2019s pre\u00addic\u00adtion has been ful\u00adfil\u00adled.\u00bb (Luke 4:18\u201321 HfA). In the book of Isai\u00adah was the pro\u00admi\u00adse of a king who would bring good news and heal\u00ading. Jesus said after the lec\u00adtu\u00adre in the syn\u00adago\u00adgue that He is that per\u00adson. After this lec\u00adtu\u00adre He began His offi\u00adci\u00adal mis\u00adsi\u00adon and brought the good news with heal\u00ading to all. Jesus spo\u00adke again and again of this city on the moun\u00adtain, as can be heard seve\u00adral times in the Ser\u00admon on the Mount. For\u00adt\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, He not only spo\u00adke of it, but also brought a fore\u00adtas\u00adte of this city on the mountain.
\nBefo\u00adre dying on the cross, Jesus told His disci\u00adples that it was good for Him to go. He pro\u00admi\u00adsed the disci\u00adples to ask the Father to send the Hel\u00adper so that they could con\u00adti\u00adnue His mis\u00adsi\u00adon. God com\u00adpli\u00aded with the request when He sent the Holy Spi\u00adrit at Pen\u00adte\u00adcost. All who fol\u00adlow Jesus recei\u00adve this Spi\u00adrit to expe\u00adri\u00adence heal\u00ading. Jesus came with the mis\u00adsi\u00adon to bring hea\u00adven to earth. He pas\u00adsed this mis\u00adsi\u00adon on to us and empowered us with the Spi\u00adrit. How exact\u00adly does this work? In the para\u00adble of the sower, Jesus explains how we are empowered.
\nThe new world in our midst
\nThis para\u00adble is about the seed that falls into four dif\u00adfe\u00adrent hearts. The seed is \u00abIf anyo\u00adne hears the mes\u00adsa\u00adge of the king\u00addom of hea\u00adven\u00bb (Matthew 13:19 NG\u00dc<\/span>). The word of the new king\u00addom of hea\u00adven is scat\u00adte\u00adred in our hearts. This seed is like a new DNA<\/span> that chan\u00adges our heart (meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis). In a healt\u00adhy heart, this seed grows and pro\u00addu\u00adces the vir\u00adtu\u00ades that will reign in the city on the moun\u00adtain. This plant con\u00adti\u00adnues to grow and bear abun\u00addant fruit.
\nJesus had descri\u00adbed the fruit in the Ser\u00admon on the Mount. Fur\u00adther\u00admo\u00adre, we find a list of the fruits of the Spi\u00adrit in Gala\u00adti\u00adans. The Fran\u00adciscan pray\u00ader that we hear in the trai\u00adler befo\u00adre the ser\u00admon also speaks of this fruit. At the end of this pray\u00ader we hear some\u00adthing very pro\u00adfound: \u00abHe who gives recei\u00adves, he who for\u00adgi\u00adves is for\u00adgi\u00adven. He who dies is born to eter\u00adnal life.\u00bb For us humans, this does not sound logi\u00adcal. If you give, you have less, if you for\u00adgi\u00adve, you lose some\u00adthing and if you die, you are dead. At first sight, the\u00adse new values do not seem to make sen\u00adse. But in the King\u00addom of God, other laws app\u00adly. I call this \u00abthe upsi\u00adde down king\u00addom\u00bb. The Holy Spi\u00adrit helps us to under\u00adstand and grow in the\u00adse new values. A small exam\u00adp\u00adle about the upsi\u00adde down values: In this world you have to be beau\u00adtiful, super smart or work per\u00adfect\u00adly to be loved. You have to work for \u00abbeing loved\u00bb. In the King\u00addom of God, we are loved first and only from this love does the fruit spring.
\nSome\u00adti\u00admes, when we hear about bea\u00adring fruit, we imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly feel stres\u00adsed: \u00abAgain, I\u2019m being asked to do some\u00adthing that I\u2019ve never done befo\u00adre in my life. The fasci\u00adna\u00adting thing about Chris\u00adtia\u00adni\u00adty is that it is not about fol\u00adlo\u00adwing rules in our own strength, but that God helps us. Jesus pre\u00adpared the way and the Father sent the Holy Spi\u00adrit to help us. We read in the Scrip\u00adtures: \u00abIt is the Spi\u00adrit who makes ali\u00adve; the fle\u00adsh is not able to do this. The words that I have spo\u00adken to you are spi\u00adrit and are life\u00bb (John 6:63 NG\u00dc<\/span>). Jesus declared that his words, tog\u00ade\u00adther with the Holy Spi\u00adrit, make us ali\u00adve. In Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans we read how this seed sent into our hearts chan\u00adges us: \u00abFor what we are is God\u2019s work; he crea\u00adted us through Jesus Christ to do what is good and right. God has pre\u00adpared ever\u00ady\u00adthing we are to do; it is now up to us to car\u00adry out what has been pre\u00adpared\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 2:10 NG\u00dc<\/span>). We must rely on His power, our will fails us and we will be exhaus\u00adted. We must not con\u00adstant\u00adly compa\u00adre our fruit with that of others, other\u00adwi\u00adse we also run the risk of beco\u00adming eit\u00adher arro\u00adgant or depres\u00adsed. God does not expect us to be the best, but to give our best. He has crea\u00adted us dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly and given us dif\u00adfe\u00adrent tasks. With His help, we ful\u00adly rea\u00adli\u00adse the poten\u00adti\u00adal given to us.
\nIn con\u00adclu\u00adsi\u00adon, I would like to sum\u00adma\u00adri\u00adse: God brings his King\u00addom of Hea\u00adven into this world through our hearts. God is plan\u00adting a seed, a new DNA<\/span>, in our hearts that will grow and bring the king\u00addom cul\u00adtu\u00adre into this world. God wants to express his love through us. Over the next few days we can think about what that might look like. We can dream crea\u00adtively how God, through us, wants to bring his king\u00addom into this world.
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead the Bible text: Luke 4:18\u201321<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat do you wish God would chan\u00adge in you?
\n\tWhich vir\u00adtue comes easie\u00adst to you? Joy, pati\u00adence, generosity \u2026
\n\tWith which vir\u00adtue do you best repre\u00adsent God?
\n\tHave you thought (drea\u00admed) about how God wants to bring His King\u00addom into this world through you?
\n\t10 years after your death, what do you want to be remem\u00adbe\u00adred for? A sin\u00adgle memory.
\n\tIf our crea\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty con\u00adti\u00adnues in hea\u00adven, how would you like to serve\/worship God through your crea\u00adti\u00adve work?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"