In the crea\u00adti\u00adon of the world, God was at work as a team (Father, Son, Holy Spi\u00adrit). Jesus is the Word through whom ever\u00ady\u00adthing was crea\u00adted. This Word later beca\u00adme man to res\u00adto\u00adre the ori\u00adgi\u00adnal\u00adly inten\u00added com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adon bet\u00adween God and man. The New Tes\u00adta\u00adment knows two terms for word: logos and rhe\u00adma. Rhe\u00adma stands for oral speech, the spo\u00adken word. A rhe\u00adma of God is still vivid\u00adly effec\u00adti\u00adve and powerful today and crea\u00adtes life.<\/p>\n
At the moment we are reno\u00advat\u00ading our house. A lot of the work that needs to be done can only be done as a team. Someone appli\u00ades the glue to the flo\u00ador, someone else saws the par\u00adquet to the right length and ano\u00adther per\u00adson helps lay the boards. It is also said that TEAM<\/span> means \u00abGre\u00adat, someone else does it\u00bb. What was it like when the uni\u00adver\u00adse was crea\u00adted? At that time the\u00adre was a team con\u00adsis\u00adting of three per\u00adsons: the Father, the Son and the Ruach (Holy Spi\u00adrit). How did the three work tog\u00ade\u00adther? Was one respon\u00adsi\u00adble for the sket\u00adches and the AVOR<\/span>? Did the second pro\u00addu\u00adce the world and the third do the recal\u00adcu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon and invoi\u00adcing? Or did God the Father work alo\u00adne, while the Son and the Holy Spi\u00adrit wat\u00adched Him in ama\u00adze\u00adment? Today we are main\u00adly inte\u00adres\u00adted in the role of Jesus in creation. \tBased on Gene\u00adsis 1:-3, how do you ima\u00adgi\u00adne the three per\u00adsons of the God\u00adhead working tog\u00ade\u00adther? What role did Jesus play in this? In the crea\u00adti\u00adon of the world, God was at work as a team (Father, Son, Holy Spi\u00adrit). Jesus is the Word through whom ever\u00ady\u00adthing was crea\u00adted. This Word later beca\u00adme man to res\u00adto\u00adre the ori\u00adgi\u00adnal\u00adly inten\u00added com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adon bet\u00adween God and man. The New Tes\u00adta\u00adment knows two terms for Word: logos and rhe\u00adma. Rhe\u00adma stands for the\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7032,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[81],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-creatio","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-3879","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nCom\u00adple\u00admen\u00adta\u00adry teamwork
\nAlre\u00ada\u00addy in the first three ver\u00adses of Gene\u00adsis we see that all three work tog\u00ade\u00adther: \u00abIn the begin\u00adning God crea\u00adted the hea\u00advens and the earth. And the earth was deso\u00adla\u00adte and was\u00adte, and dark\u00adness was upon the face of the waters. And the Spi\u00adrit of God hover\u00aded over the face of the waters. Then God said, \u00abLet the\u00adre be light,\u00bb and the\u00adre was light\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 1:1\u20133 NLB<\/span>). The Spi\u00adrit of God did the pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adto\u00adry work, God the Father spo\u00adke and Jesus is the effec\u00adti\u00adve Word. To dis\u00adco\u00adver Jesus in the\u00adse ver\u00adses is admit\u00adted\u00adly some\u00adwhat adven\u00adtur\u00adous. But mil\u00adlen\u00adnia later John will wri\u00adte: \u00abThrough him (Jesus) all that is was crea\u00adted. The\u00adre is not\u00adhing that he, the Word, did not crea\u00adte\u00bb (John 1:3 NLB<\/span>). Paul con\u00adfirms this truth when he says: \u00abChrist is the image of the invi\u00adsi\u00adble God. He was alre\u00ada\u00addy the\u00adre befo\u00adre God crea\u00adted any\u00adthing and is the first of all crea\u00adti\u00adon. Through him (Jesus) God made ever\u00ady\u00adthing that is in hea\u00adven and on earth. He made ever\u00ady\u00adthing that we can see and that which we can\u00adnot see, whe\u00adther kings, king\u00addoms, rulers or powers. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing is crea\u00adted through him and for him. He was the\u00adre befo\u00adre ever\u00ady\u00adthing else began, and he holds all crea\u00adti\u00adon tog\u00ade\u00adther\u00bb (Colos\u00adsi\u00adans 1:15ff NLB<\/span>). Every natu\u00adral sci\u00aden\u00adtist reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00ads\u00ades that the who\u00adle world is inti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly con\u00adnec\u00adted and inter\u00adcon\u00adnec\u00adted. It is Jesus who holds the who\u00adle crea\u00adtio together.
\nLast Sun\u00adday we loo\u00adked at the clo\u00adse inter\u00adplay bet\u00adween the work of the Ruach and the Word. The Ruach enables the crea\u00adti\u00adve Word. God, the Father, speaks it and Jesus is it. So Jesus was alre\u00ada\u00addy pre\u00adsent and acti\u00adve in crea\u00adti\u00adon and He was throug\u00adhout the histo\u00adry of the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel in the First Tes\u00adta\u00adment. Once He appeared to Abra\u00adham at the oak of Mam\u00adre (Gene\u00adsis 18) to announ\u00adce the birth of Isaac, ano\u00adther time as a rock from which water flowed (Gene\u00adsis 20:8; cf. 1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 10:4). Jesus Christ is who is eter\u00adnal, who crea\u00adted ever\u00ady\u00adthing, who is omni\u00adpo\u00adtent and omni\u00adpre\u00adsent, and who also pro\u00advi\u00added for his peo\u00adp\u00adle in Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment times.
\nSpe\u00adci\u00adfic order
\n\u00abOut of love, even befo\u00adre the crea\u00adti\u00adon of the world, God desti\u00adned us in Christ to be holy befo\u00adre him and freed from guilt. From the begin\u00adning it was his unchan\u00adging plan to recei\u00adve us as his child\u00adren through Jesus Christ, and he took gre\u00adat delight in this decis\u00adi\u00adon\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 1:4,5 NLB<\/span>).
\nWhen I have a good idea, I get up from my chair, take a spin around the office or bey\u00adond and rejoice. If I am on my way to work, I shout out the joy. Per\u00adhaps it hap\u00adpen\u00aded to God in a simi\u00adlar way when he had the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing bril\u00adli\u00adant idea befo\u00adre the crea\u00adti\u00adon of the world: human beings! Per\u00adhaps the three per\u00adsons of the God\u00adhead met and raved: We will crea\u00adte a human being in our image. We will take them in as our child\u00adren. They shall be set apart (= holy) from the rest of crea\u00adti\u00adon and live in a com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly care\u00adfree com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty with us! This sta\u00adte of hap\u00adpi\u00adness is to be rea\u00adli\u00adsed through the media\u00adtor, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. In this sta\u00adte of hap\u00adpi\u00adness just descri\u00adbed lies the actu\u00adal mea\u00adning of human life.
\nSo befo\u00adre man made the fatal decis\u00adi\u00adon not to put his trust in God but in some\u00adthing else (= sin), the media\u00adtor bet\u00adween God and man had alre\u00ada\u00addy been deter\u00admi\u00adned. Appar\u00adent\u00adly, God knew of man\u2019s desi\u00adre to be God hims\u00adelf \u2013 and also alre\u00ada\u00addy knew the way out of the mise\u00adry. His name is Jesus Christ. God took the risk becau\u00adse He did not want a pup\u00adpet, but a coun\u00adter\u00adpart who could free\u00adly deci\u00adde for a rela\u00adti\u00adonship with Him.
\nWhen the\u00adre is an inso\u00adlu\u00adb\u00adle con\u00adflict bet\u00adween peo\u00adp\u00adle, a media\u00adtor is nee\u00added. His or her task is to bring the par\u00adties to the point whe\u00adre they can come to an under\u00adstan\u00adding again. If the fac\u00adtions are at fault with each other, they have to make up for it them\u00adsel\u00adves. With Jesus Christ, ever\u00ady\u00adthing is included: the under\u00adstan\u00adding and the debt sett\u00adle\u00adment. \u00abFor God made Christ, who never sin\u00adned, a sacri\u00adfice for our sins, so that through him we might be jus\u00adti\u00adfied befo\u00adre God\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 5:21 NLB<\/span>). Whoe\u00adver accepts this media\u00adto\u00adri\u00adal offer of Jesus for hims\u00adelf per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly is con\u00adside\u00adred holy befo\u00adre God and is cal\u00adled His child! God takes gre\u00adat plea\u00adsu\u00adre in this thought.
\nPowerful effect
\nJesus was the Word through whom ever\u00ady\u00adthing was crea\u00adted. In the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment the\u00adre are two terms for Word: Logos and Rhema.
\nLogos refers to the tota\u00adli\u00adty of the Word of God, the who\u00adle of Holy Scrip\u00adtu\u00adre. Accor\u00adding to John 1:1\u201314, this Word beca\u00adme man in the per\u00adson of Jesus Christ. He, the Son of God, reve\u00adals hims\u00adelf in the Holy Scrip\u00adtures. When we read the Bible, we come into cont\u00adact with Jesus Christ and through him with the Holy Spi\u00adrit and the Father. That is why Ephra\u00admes the Syri\u00adan (306\u2013373) said: \u00abThe Bible is like a field that can never be har\u00adve\u00ads\u00adted and the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre never lies bar\u00adren and emp\u00adty. It is like a spring that flows con\u00adti\u00adnu\u00adal\u00adly and flows all the more abun\u00addant\u00adly the more one draws from it.\u00bb Mar\u00adtin Luther cal\u00adled the Bible a man\u00adger in which the Child Jesus lies; we should not for\u00adget to ado\u00adre the Child Hims\u00adelf for our ama\u00adze\u00adment at the man\u00adger. Howe\u00adver, if we only deal with the Bible in an instinc\u00adti\u00adve and super\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adal way, we will not find the gems. We need to keep our ear to God\u2019s word long enough to hear his heart beating.
\nRhe\u00adma is the Greek word used in the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment for oral speech, the spo\u00adken word. A rhe\u00adma of God is always vivid\u00adly effec\u00adti\u00adve and powerful and crea\u00adtes life. \u00abWith God no word (rhe\u00adma) is wit\u00adhout effect\u00bb (Luke 1:37). When God said, \u00abLet the\u00adre be light!\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 1:3 NLB<\/span>), this was a rhe\u00adma with gre\u00adat effect. A rhe\u00adma has crea\u00adti\u00adve power.
\nA year after our wed\u00adding, Sil\u00advia and I tra\u00advel\u00adled to San Die\u00adgo for a three-month lan\u00adguage stu\u00addy trip. The lea\u00adder\u00adship of the church we belon\u00adged to had been under the impres\u00adsi\u00adon for some time that we should do theo\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adcal trai\u00adning. Short\u00adly befo\u00adre we left, they urged us to pray about it during our stay. When we ope\u00adned the Bible on the first day, we came across the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing sen\u00adtence: \u00abSo faith comes from prea\u00adching, but prea\u00adching comes through the word (rhe\u00adma) of Christ\u00bb (Romans 10:17 NLB<\/span>). This rhe\u00adma struck like light\u00adning. It was clear to us that the ball was now in our court. We were faced with the ques\u00adti\u00adon of whe\u00adther or not to be obe\u00addient to God.
\nJesus took a rhe\u00adma from the Logos and spo\u00adke it into our situa\u00adti\u00adon. One could dis\u00adsect this sen\u00adtence and come to the con\u00adclu\u00adsi\u00adon that Paul was not at all con\u00adcer\u00adned with voca\u00adtio\u00adnal direc\u00adtion. A rhe\u00adma is recei\u00adved per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly. Often peo\u00adp\u00adle make the mista\u00adke of taking the rhe\u00adma that someone else has recei\u00adved and try\u00ading to app\u00adly it like a for\u00admu\u00adla or a patent reme\u00addy for their con\u00adcerns. A rhe\u00adma can\u00adnot sim\u00adply be copied and tur\u00adned into a method.
\nHow do I recei\u00adve a rhe\u00adma? You recei\u00adve it by having fel\u00adlow\u00adship with the Logos (= Word of God). The Bible is our basis of life. Jesus con\u00adfirms this: \u00abMan needs more than bread to live. He also lives on every word (rhe\u00adma) that comes from the mouth of God\u00bb (Matthew 4:4 NLB<\/span>).
\nFaith comes from prea\u00adching, prea\u00adching through the word (rhe\u00adma) of Christ. This alre\u00ada\u00addy chal\u00adlenges me very much. If the pre\u00ada\u00adcher does not recei\u00adve rhe\u00adma, then the prea\u00adching will not be effec\u00adti\u00adve. Paul wro\u00adte: \u00abFor when we brought you the good news, it was not only with words (logos) but also with power, becau\u00adse the Holy Spi\u00adrit gave you assu\u00adrance that we were tel\u00adling you the truth\u00bb (1Thessalonians 1:5 NLB<\/span>). A rhe\u00adma of God is always ali\u00adve, effec\u00adti\u00adve, powerful and crea\u00adtes faith in the heart.
\n
\nJesus Christ, is the crea\u00adti\u00adve Word through whom all things came into being and all crea\u00adti\u00adon is held tog\u00ade\u00adther. This Word beca\u00adme man so that we humans, as child\u00adren of God, could expe\u00adri\u00adence the deep mea\u00adning of life through Jesus Christ. The crea\u00adti\u00adve word is still effec\u00adti\u00adve today. It crea\u00adtes faith and com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly chan\u00adges dead\u00adlo\u00adcked situa\u00adtions. When rea\u00adding and dig\u00adging in the Holy Scrip\u00adtures, Jesus Christ Hims\u00adelf speaks to us through Rhe\u00adma. Through this, our lives are recrea\u00adted accor\u00adding to God\u2019s design. Jesus is the Alpha and the Ome\u00adga, who is, who was and who is to come. He is the begin\u00adning and the end.
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\nQues\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: John 1:1\u20133; Colos\u00adsi\u00adans 1:15\u201317<\/p>\n
\n\tRead Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 1:4,5: What did God delight in? What kind of task is Jesus given? What does this mean for us in con\u00adcre\u00adte terms?
\n\tAre you a per\u00adson who is holy befo\u00adre Him?
\n\tWhat is Logos? What is Rhe\u00adma? Why is the rhe\u00adma so cru\u00adcial for our (faith) life? How can we recei\u00adve a rhema?
\n\tHow important is the Holy Scrip\u00adtu\u00adre in your life? Are you alre\u00ada\u00addy awa\u00adre of the mining rights?
\n\tWhat are your con\u00adcre\u00adte plans for the next two weeks?
\n\t <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"