The gap bet\u00adween hea\u00adring and doing is a gene\u00adral human phe\u00adno\u00adme\u00adnon. When God beca\u00adme man in the per\u00adson of Jesus Christ, he impres\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly over\u00adca\u00adme this gap. John descri\u00adbes this with the words: \u00abAnd the Word beca\u00adme fle\u00adsh and dwelt among us\u00bb. In the life of a fol\u00adlower of Jesus, too, the Word is to beco\u00adme fle\u00adsh and take form. Such a per\u00adson is like one who builds his house of life on a rock. The storms of ever\u00ady\u00adday life can\u00adnot harm him.<\/p>\n
Some time ago, the\u00adre was an inci\u00addent in the under\u00adground in Colo\u00adgne. In broad day\u00adlight, a young girl was sexu\u00adal\u00adly haras\u00adsed by seve\u00adral men. Her distress could not be over\u00adloo\u00adked, the under\u00adground was full. But none of the pas\u00adsen\u00adgers came to the young girl\u2019s aid. Apart from the under\u00adground as a crime sce\u00adne, some\u00adthing like this could also hap\u00adpen in any Swiss city. I think that if you had asked the pas\u00adsen\u00adgers in the under\u00adground, none of them would have said: \u00abI think it\u2019s okay that young girls are mole\u00adsted in public trans\u00adport.\u00bb But no one acted on that opi\u00adni\u00adon. Ins\u00adtead, through their pas\u00adsi\u00advi\u00adty, ever\u00adyo\u00adne con\u00addo\u00adned the men\u2019s outrages. \tThe others should once. I see in others the defi\u00adcit that I actual\u00adly per\u00adcei\u00adve in mys\u00adelf but can\u00adnot admit to mys\u00adelf (Matthew 7:1\u20135). The pro\u00adblem with this is that our house of life can\u00adnot with\u00adstand the storms of ever\u00ady\u00adday life. No soo\u00adner do pro\u00adblems ari\u00adse than our lives come apart at the seams. Last sum\u00admer, we were eye\u00adwit\u00adnesses to a huge flood dis\u00adas\u00adter in Rhi\u00adne\u00adland-Pala\u00adti\u00adna\u00adte. Who\u00adle hou\u00adses were sim\u00adply swept away. Recent\u00adly, the same thing hap\u00adpen\u00aded in Bri\u00adtish Colum\u00adbia in Cana\u00adda. Could it be that even in the\u00adse flood cata\u00adstro\u00adphes, the gap bet\u00adween word and deed is the pro\u00adblem. The Word of God ins\u00adtructs us to care for crea\u00adti\u00adon, but for sel\u00adfi\u00adsh reasons we exploit it. \tJesus demands that we should not be angry and not take reven\u00adge when someone harms me. I should seek balan\u00adce and peace, even if it harms me. Yes, I should even love my enemies. It is the doing that is decisi\u00adve and not the kno\u00adwing or dis\u00adcus\u00adsing. James is also con\u00advin\u00adced of this: \u00abBut it is not enough to lis\u00adten to the mes\u00adsa\u00adge \u2013 you must also act on it! Other\u00adwi\u00adse you will only decei\u00adve your\u00adsel\u00adves\u00bb (James 1:22 NLB<\/span>). To bring lis\u00adtening and acting tog\u00ade\u00adther, see\u00adtal chi\u00adle has the small groups. The idea is that the last third of each mee\u00adting looks at the ques\u00adti\u00adon, \u00abWhat is God put\u00adting on my heart to act on in the next two weeks?\u00bb We can\u2019t just eat, we have to uti\u00adli\u00adse the food, other\u00adwi\u00adse we get sick in self-deception. \tWhat is the dif\u00adfe\u00adrence bet\u00adween a theo\u00adre\u00adti\u00adcal reli\u00adgi\u00adon and God beco\u00adming fle\u00adsh in the per\u00adson of Jesus Christ? The gap bet\u00adween hea\u00adring and doing is a gene\u00adral human phe\u00adno\u00adme\u00adnon. When God beca\u00adme man in the per\u00adson of Jesus Christ, he impres\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly over\u00adca\u00adme this gap. John descri\u00adbes this with the words: \u00abAnd the Word beca\u00adme fle\u00adsh and dwelt among us\u00bb. In the life of a fol\u00adlower of Jesus, too, the Word is to beco\u00adme fle\u00adsh and\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"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-3786","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
\nThe gap bet\u00adween what we hear or think and what we do is a gene\u00adral human phe\u00adno\u00adme\u00adnon. If vio\u00adlence is beco\u00adming more and more wide\u00adspread in our midst, then it is also a con\u00adse\u00adquence of the fact that too many of us have a gap bet\u00adween thin\u00adking and doing. That we can call inju\u00ads\u00adti\u00adce by its name \u2013 but do not\u00adhing about it. The gre\u00adat con\u00adcern of the Ser\u00admon on the Mount is to bring word and deed together.
\nThe Word beco\u00admes flesh
\nJohn descri\u00adbes the Christ\u00admas event suc\u00adcinct\u00adly: \u00abAnd the Word beca\u00adme fle\u00adsh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glo\u00adry, a glo\u00adry as of the only begot\u00adten Son from the Father, full of grace and truth\u00bb (John 1:14 LUT<\/span>).
\nWith God the\u00adre is no diver\u00adgence bet\u00adween word and deed. Jesus, the Word of God, beca\u00adme fle\u00adsh. Christ\u00admas is the incar\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon (beco\u00adming fle\u00adsh) of God. Many meat pro\u00adces\u00adsing plants have car\u00adna in their name: Deli\u00adcar\u00adna, Micar\u00adna, Car\u00adna Cen\u00adter. The\u00adse help to ensu\u00adre that gril\u00adling does not remain a theo\u00adre\u00adti\u00adcal mind game, but that the deli\u00adcious entre\u00adc\u00f4te actual\u00adly cau\u00adses a tas\u00adte explo\u00adsi\u00adon on the palate.
\nThe Word beca\u00adme fle\u00adsh. This shows that Jesus is not only an inter\u00adpre\u00adter of the Holy Scrip\u00adtures, but in him God hims\u00adelf comes to the peo\u00adp\u00adle. God is pre\u00adsent in Jesus, which is why the\u00adre are impres\u00adsi\u00adve \u00abtas\u00adte explo\u00adsi\u00adons\u00bb. With Jesus the new world, World 2.0, the city on the moun\u00adtain, has daw\u00adned. His life is a won\u00adderful tas\u00adte of the King\u00addom of God. I know of no one in whom word and work, thought and action cor\u00adre\u00adspond as much as in Jesus Christ. In the Ser\u00admon on the Mount he deman\u00added: \u00abLove your enemies and pray for tho\u00adse who per\u00adse\u00adcu\u00adte you\u00bb (Matthew 5:44 NLB<\/span>). Later, Jesus beha\u00adves exact\u00adly as he pre\u00ada\u00adched befo\u00adre. He does not fight back at his cap\u00adtu\u00adre. He heals the ser\u00advant of the high priest who has had his ear kno\u00adcked off by one of his disci\u00adples. He prays for his enemies. His life is a uni\u00adque sam\u00adple for the new world.
\nInci\u00adden\u00adtal\u00adly, the phra\u00adse \u00abthe word of the Lord came to pass\u00bb is found over a hundred times in the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment. The verb to God\u2019s word is not to think, speak or hear, but to happen.
\nMany hel\u00adpers for a \u00abnot
\n\u00abThe\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, whoe\u00adver hears the\u00adse words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. And when the rain fell, and the waters came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, it fell not: for it was foun\u00added upon the rock. And whos\u00adoe\u00adver hea\u00adreth the\u00adse sayings of mine, and doeth them not, is like a foo\u00adlish man that built his house upon the sand. So when the rain fell and the waters came and the winds blew and struck the house, it col\u00adlap\u00adsed and its fall was gre\u00adat\u00bb (Matthew 7:24\u201327 NLB<\/span>).
\nJesus descri\u00adbes two kinds of peo\u00adp\u00adle in his para\u00adble: tho\u00adse who hear his word and do it, and tho\u00adse who hear his words and do not. The incon\u00adspi\u00adcuous word not makes the signi\u00adfi\u00adcant dif\u00adfe\u00adrence bet\u00adween a house on sand and a house on a rock.
\nThis dar\u00adned \u00abnot\u00bb has many hel\u00adpers. Jesus is lis\u00adted below:<\/p>\n
\n\tI can\u2019t do it. Tho\u00adse who want the vir\u00adtu\u00ades of the King\u00addom of Hea\u00adven to take shape in their lives are not thrown back on their abili\u00adty or ina\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty, but are encou\u00adra\u00adged to ask for God\u2019s trans\u00adforming power (Matthew 7:7\u201311).
\n\tIt\u2019s all far too com\u00adplex and com\u00adpli\u00adca\u00adted. I can no lon\u00adger see the forest for the trees. In this case, Jesus offers us a simp\u00adle gui\u00adding ques\u00adti\u00adon: Do I tre\u00adat others as I would like to be trea\u00adted? (Matthew 7:12).
\n\tBut that does get me into trou\u00adble. Doing God\u2019s word can actual\u00adly get us into trou\u00adble. Are we wil\u00adling to pay the pri\u00adce of disci\u00adple\u00adship? (Matthew 7:13\u201314).
\n\tYes, but this one says\u2026 and that one says\u2026 At all times the\u00adre have been peo\u00adp\u00adle who have appeared in the name of God. By the fruits we can expo\u00adse fal\u00adse pro\u00adphe\u00adts, wol\u00adves in sheep\u2019s clot\u00adhing (Matthew 7:15\u201320).
\n\tChrist is Lord. Christ is Lord. Do not be bluf\u00adfed by pious words in songs and pray\u00aders, in con\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adons and spee\u00adches. What counts is not the steep con\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adons, but the doing (Matthew 7:21\u201323).
\n\tBut I do read the Bible and lis\u00adten to the ser\u00admon every Sun\u00adday. This brings us to the basic mes\u00adsa\u00adge of today\u2019s ser\u00admon. Start doing what you have heard!<\/p>\n
\nThe word beco\u00admes a rock
\nDuring the con\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adon of our house, load-bea\u00adring walls will be demo\u00adlished. In this con\u00adtext, we obtai\u00adned cal\u00adcu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adons and tips from a struc\u00adtu\u00adral engi\u00adneer. We want to make sure that the house can with\u00adstand storms and snow loads. The tip of the chief struc\u00adtu\u00adral engi\u00adneer regar\u00adding the sta\u00adtics of our lives is: If we do the word of God, it will beco\u00adme a rock for us. Wil\u00adly Brandt is said to have said in 1989 at the uni\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon of East and West Ger\u00adma\u00adny: \u00abWhat belongs tog\u00ade\u00adther grows tog\u00ade\u00adther.\u00bb In the same way, accor\u00adding to Jesus, word and deed belong tog\u00ade\u00adther. That is the quint\u00adessence of the who\u00adle Ser\u00admon on the Mount. When we are on the way with Jesus, we should not stop at lis\u00adtening, theo\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adsing and dis\u00adcus\u00adsing, but act.<\/p>\n
\n\tJesus demands that we should not let our eyes wan\u00adder cove\u00adtous\u00adly after the wife (or even the hus\u00adband) of ano\u00adther. We are to be faithful to our spou\u00adse and not dis\u00adsol\u00adve the mar\u00adria\u00adge vows.
\n\tJesus asks us not to secu\u00adre our lives by stri\u00adving for money and good and not to worry about our future.
\n\tJesus calls us to sub\u00admit first to his lord\u00adship and to do what is accor\u00adding to him.<\/p>\n
\nIn ano\u00adther place Jesus said: \u00abWhoe\u00adver wants to do the will of God will know whe\u00adther my tea\u00adching comes from God or whe\u00adther I speak from mys\u00adelf\u00bb (John 7:17 NLB<\/span>). The moment we beco\u00adme doers of the Word, we will know Jesus. Per\u00adhaps you are faced with the decis\u00adi\u00adon whe\u00adther to ent\u00adrust your life com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly to Jesus. Accor\u00adding to this state\u00adment of Jesus, it takes the cou\u00adra\u00adge\u00adous step to start living accor\u00adding to his words. Only then will you have the cer\u00adtain\u00adty and know\u00adledge that Jesus is abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly trustworthy.
\nOur brain has the abili\u00adty to habi\u00adtua\u00adte. We are con\u00adstant\u00adly expo\u00adsed to a multi\u00adtu\u00adde of sti\u00admu\u00adli. If we paid atten\u00adti\u00adon to all of them, we would be hope\u00adl\u00adess\u00adly over\u00adwhel\u00admed and ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly unable to act. So our brain lear\u00adns to tune out weak sti\u00admu\u00adli that turn out to be insi\u00adgni\u00adfi\u00adcant. Habi\u00adtua\u00adti\u00adon also exists in our spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal life. We lis\u00adten to ser\u00admons, but we don\u2019t put into prac\u00adti\u00adce what we have heard, or we can\u2019t put it into prac\u00adti\u00adce and prac\u00adti\u00adse it, becau\u00adse we are con\u00adstant\u00adly being ser\u00adved a cumu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adve load of new things that are impos\u00adsi\u00adble to put into prac\u00adti\u00adce. Now our brain rea\u00adli\u00adses that not\u00adhing actual\u00adly hap\u00adpens when we dis\u00adre\u00adgard what we have heard. Our brain lear\u00adns to clas\u00adsi\u00adfy a ser\u00admon as non-essen\u00adti\u00adal, we beco\u00adme more and more numb and imple\u00adment less and less the more we have heard that has remain\u00aded incon\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adti\u00adal and are ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly no lon\u00adger acces\u00adsi\u00adble at all. The Bible uses the expres\u00adsi\u00adon \u00abclog\u00adged ears\u00bb for this.
\nWhen we do God\u2019s Word beco\u00admes the rock of our house of life. David wro\u00adte: \u00abHe is my rock and my help, my fort\u00adress, in which not\u00adhing can hap\u00adpen to me\u00bb (Psalm 62:7 NLB<\/span>). When we beco\u00adme doers of the Word, resi\u00adli\u00adence (psy\u00adcho\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adcal resis\u00adtance) enters our lives. Even strong storms can\u00adnot harm us. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, the best advice for your life is: Build your house of life on the rock. Put into prac\u00adti\u00adce what you know about God through the Bible.
\nToday we con\u00adclude the the\u00adme of meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis. \u00abBe trans\u00adfor\u00admed in your being!\u00bb (Romans 12:2 SLT<\/span>). We must want, but can\u00adnot bring about the chan\u00adge our\u00adsel\u00adves. We initia\u00adli\u00adse our per\u00adso\u00adnal chan\u00adge into the image of Jesus by pur\u00adpo\u00adseful\u00adly put\u00adting into prac\u00adti\u00adce what we have come to know from God. When we do God\u2019s word, the rock comes into our lives \u2013 and that is Jesus Christ hims\u00adelf. When Jesus beco\u00admes our rock, ever\u00ady\u00adthing beco\u00admes much easier and the trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon of our cha\u00adrac\u00adter hap\u00adpens through him and for us as if automatically.
\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: Matthew 7:24\u201329<\/p>\n
\n\tHow can God\u2019s Word beco\u00adme fle\u00adsh in your life? What does this say\u00ading mean?
\n\tThe \u00abnot\u00bb has many hel\u00adpers. Which of them is at work most stron\u00adgly with you?
\n\tWhat does it mean when the doing of the Word beco\u00admes the rock under our house of life? In what wea\u00adther con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons is this relevant?
\n\tThe meta\u00admor\u00adpho\u00adsis the\u00adme is coming to an end. What do you take away from it? What has chan\u00adged in your life as a result?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"