Jere\u00admi\u00adah pres\u00adents two opti\u00adons: to beco\u00adme like a scraw\u00adny bunch of juni\u00adpers in the desert or like a stur\u00addy tree by the water. Which way we go depends on who we rely on. Do we trust in our\u00adsel\u00adves or in other peo\u00adp\u00adle or do we trust in the Lord? We can\u00adnot beco\u00adme a strong tree by our own strength, but with the strength of our decisions.<\/p>\n
\tBio\u00adcli\u00adma\u00adtic sys\u00adtem: Other peo\u00adp\u00adle like to be in its pre\u00adsence, the\u00adre is a plea\u00adsant cli\u00adma\u00adte. Espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly peo\u00adp\u00adle mark\u00aded by suf\u00adfe\u00adring are attrac\u00adted and find peace for their souls. A per\u00adson as strong as a tree is not frigh\u00adten\u00aded in the face of death, but approa\u00adches it con\u00adfi\u00addent\u00adly, calm\u00adly and trus\u00adtingly. I was recent\u00adly able to expe\u00adri\u00adence this with a per\u00adson who knows that her life is only han\u00adging by a thin thread. \tWhe\u00adre do you see the dif\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adces bet\u00adween a scraw\u00adny shrub and a strong tree \u2013 in a direct and figu\u00adra\u00adti\u00adve sense? Jere\u00admi\u00adah pres\u00adents two opti\u00adons: to beco\u00adme like a scraw\u00adny bunch of juni\u00adpers in the desert or like a stur\u00addy tree by the water. Which way we go depends on who we rely on. Do we trust in our\u00adsel\u00adves or in other peo\u00adp\u00adle or do we trust in the Lord? We can\u00adnot by our own strength beco\u00adme a strong\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7049,"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":["wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","wpfc_sermon_series-creatio","wpfc-sermon-single","post-6801","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nLast Sun\u00adday evening we once again sat under our wide\u00adly bran\u00adched cher\u00adry tree. Alt\u00adhough the sun stung a litt\u00adle poi\u00adso\u00adno\u00adus\u00adly, it was very plea\u00adsant under the cher\u00adry tree bio air con\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adner. The tree also pro\u00adtects our house from unp\u00adlea\u00adsant over\u00adhea\u00adting. Moreo\u00adver, it was hea\u00advi\u00adly hung with fruit. All you had to do was open your mouth and you would have had your fill. The tree pro\u00adtects our house and makes our sea\u00adting area to the west opaque. The tree is a visu\u00adal eye-cat\u00adcher and worth its weight in gold in useful terms.
\nGod\u2019s crea\u00adti\u00adon pro\u00advi\u00addes images for our spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal life. We are invi\u00adted to beco\u00adme such a tree as our cher\u00adry tree.
\nDuerr shrub
\n\u00abThis is what the Lord says: Cur\u00adsed be the one who turns away from me and reli\u00ades only on peo\u00adp\u00adle or his own strength. He is like a puny juni\u00adper bush in the desert, try\u00ading to grow on sal\u00adty, bar\u00adren ground \u2013 he will not have much luck\u00bb (Jere\u00admi\u00adah 17:5\u20136 NLB<\/span>).
\nA person\u2019s decis\u00adi\u00adons in life have an influence on whe\u00adther he beco\u00admes a puny juni\u00adper bush in the desert or a strong tree on the shore. The cau\u00adse of such a puny exis\u00adtence is to turn away from God and rely only on peo\u00adp\u00adle or one\u2019s own strength. Sin\u00adce para\u00addi\u00adse, this has been the pri\u00adme\u00adval tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon of man. Adam and Eve alre\u00ada\u00addy dis\u00adtrus\u00adted God and trus\u00adted more in their own ways to hap\u00adpi\u00adness. This is cal\u00adled sin; put\u00adting one\u2019s trust in some\u00adthing other than God.
\nMany rely on peo\u00adp\u00adle. The say\u00ading goes: whoe\u00adver reli\u00ades on other peo\u00adp\u00adle is aban\u00addo\u00adned. Such peo\u00adp\u00adle base their lives on the opi\u00adni\u00adons and phi\u00adlo\u00adso\u00adphies of men. When peo\u00adp\u00adle have a grea\u00adter influence than God on my life, it shows in fear of man. What do my col\u00adle\u00adagues at work think when they find out that I am on a first-name basis with Jesus? You throw your con\u00advic\u00adtions over\u00adboard just to look good with peo\u00adp\u00adle. You com\u00adpro\u00admi\u00adse so as not to be side\u00adlined by your friends.
\nOthers rely on their own strength. For many years of life you think you are invul\u00adnerable. A week and a half ago I got a call from a woman who\u00adse hus\u00adband had a car\u00addiac arrest. At the latest in such moments, you rea\u00adli\u00adse that lite\u00adral\u00adly every breath we take is given by God. \u00abWhen you take their breath, they die and return to dust\u00bb (Psalm 104:29b NLB<\/span>). Our lives are much more fra\u00adgi\u00adle than we think.
\nHe who trusts hims\u00adelf or other peo\u00adp\u00adle more than God will have a mise\u00adra\u00adble exis\u00adtence spi\u00adri\u00adtual\u00adly spea\u00adking. He \u00abtri\u00ades to grow on sal\u00adty, bar\u00adren ground \u2013 he will not have much luck\u00bb. Such a per\u00adson absorbs ever\u00ady\u00adthing that pro\u00admi\u00adses hap\u00adpi\u00adness. It melts bet\u00adween his fin\u00adgers. At the core, he is very self-cent\u00adred. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing such a per\u00adson can get, he needs for hims\u00adelf. Not\u00adhing is left for others. She has to see how she can sur\u00advi\u00adve in the bar\u00adren desert. Nar\u00adcis\u00adsism is a varie\u00adty of this mise\u00adra\u00adble existence.
\nStrong tree
\n\u00abBut bles\u00adsing shall come upon him who puts all his hope in the Lord and trusts him com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly. This man is like a tree plan\u00adted on the bank. Its roots are deep\u00adly roo\u00adted in the stream\u00adbed: even in scor\u00adching heat and months of drought, its lea\u00adves remain green. Year after year he bears abun\u00addant fruit\u00bb (Jere\u00admi\u00adah 17:7\u20138 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe wret\u00adched litt\u00adle bush is con\u00adtras\u00adted with a vigo\u00adrous healt\u00adhy tree. One opti\u00adon for our life is to beco\u00adme a vigo\u00adrous tree. Such a tree has reser\u00adves and does not need all the sap of life to keep its\u00adelf afloat. Its lea\u00adves are green. Year after year it bears abun\u00addant fruit.
\nA per\u00adson who has beco\u00adme a powerful tree spi\u00adri\u00adtual\u00adly offers ever\u00ady\u00adthing that our cher\u00adry tree is:<\/p>\n
\n\tNou\u00adris\u00adhers: Trees by the water are not end users, but have left self-encir\u00adcle\u00adment behind. Thus they them\u00adsel\u00adves beco\u00adme the source for other peo\u00adp\u00adle. Jesus descri\u00adbes this: \u00ab[\u2026] If anyo\u00adne thirsts, let him come to me and drink! Whoe\u00adver belie\u00adves in me, from within him will flow rivers of living water [\u2026]\u00bb (John 7:37\u201338 NLB<\/span>).
\n\tOpaque: They do not flaunt the weak\u00adne\u00ads\u00adses of others through iro\u00adny, but are tactful and cover other people\u2019s shame, gran\u00adting them honour and dignity.
\n\tBeau\u00adty: A per\u00adson who has beco\u00adme such a tree radia\u00adtes beau\u00adty. Not becau\u00adse he has the right mass, clear facial fea\u00adtures or sex appeal, no, he radia\u00adtes a deeper and purer beauty.<\/p>\n
\nYou can decide
\n\u00abBut bles\u00adsing shall come upon the one who puts all his hope in the Lord and trusts him com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly\u00bb (Jere\u00admi\u00adah 17:7 NLB<\/span>). The con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons for a per\u00adson to stand like a vital tree are: to put one\u2019s hope in the Lord and trust him completely.
\nMany years ago, I was in tow of my moun\u00adtain gui\u00adde col\u00adle\u00adague Mar\u00adtin in Ber\u00adgell on a deman\u00adding clim\u00adbing tour. When I loo\u00adked at mys\u00adelf, every step was too much of a chall\u00adenge. Left and right, it felt like hundreds of met\u00adres of almost ver\u00adti\u00adcal des\u00adcent. My hope was that I could secu\u00adre mys\u00adelf with Mar\u00adtin and that he would give me cou\u00adra\u00adge with his calm, cer\u00adtain and com\u00adpe\u00adtent man\u00adner. His expe\u00adri\u00adence was based on the fact that he had alre\u00ada\u00addy led dozens of guests safe\u00adly to the sum\u00admits and back to the valley.
\nThe Hebrew word for trust means to secu\u00adre ones\u00adelf in. To trust the Lord com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly means to secu\u00adre one\u2019s life with Him. He is com\u00adpe\u00adtent, good, knows us and knows what He can expect of us. Life with God is an adven\u00adture like clim\u00adbing a moun\u00adtain. Secu\u00adred in God, we can climb rocks wit\u00adhout fear that we would never mana\u00adge on our own. And God is good. He has alre\u00ada\u00addy led thou\u00adsands of peo\u00adp\u00adle safe\u00adly through life.
\nWe can\u00adnot beco\u00adme a healt\u00adhy and strong tree by our own power, but with the power of our choices. \u00abToday I pre\u00adsent you with a choice bet\u00adween life and death, bet\u00adween bles\u00adsing and cur\u00adse. Hea\u00adven and earth are my wit\u00adnesses. Why don\u2019t you choo\u00adse life, so that you and your des\u00adcen\u00addants may live?\u00bb (Deut. 30:19 NLB<\/span>). We have a choice. Do I want to put my trust in God or in peo\u00adp\u00adle? Trust can\u00adnot be deman\u00added, it has to be given to someone. In a mar\u00adria\u00adge, when trust is bro\u00adken by unfaithful\u00adness, it takes a very long time and many good expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces to rebuild it. Jere\u00admi\u00adah says in the name of the Lord, \u00abCur\u00adsed be he who turns away from me and reli\u00ades only on men or his own strength.\u00bb The oppo\u00adsi\u00adte is to turn to God. Again and again. That is how trust grows.
\nHow can we beco\u00adme peo\u00adp\u00adle who put all their trust in God? The Psalms also out\u00adline the way in which a per\u00adson can beco\u00adme a tree by the water. \u00abHap\u00adpy is he who desi\u00adres the law of the LORD<\/span>, and medi\u00adta\u00adtes on it day and night\u00bb (Psalm 1:2 NG\u00dc<\/span>). In the Bible we see and expe\u00adri\u00adence how trust\u00adwor\u00adt\u00adhy God is. In Him the\u00adre are no shadows, only light. No one else in this world is so faithful, so good, so full of inte\u00adgri\u00adty. Put\u00adting your trust in this won\u00adderful God invol\u00adves no risk. The gain is gre\u00adat: beco\u00adming like a tree plan\u00adted by streams of water. In rea\u00adding and medi\u00adta\u00adting on God\u2019s Word, our trust in God grows. If you wash a red sock tog\u00ade\u00adther with a white shirt, the shirt takes on a red hue. In the same way, when we read and chew God\u2019s Word, God rubs off on us.
\nPeter Hah\u00adne wri\u00adtes: \u00abHe who kne\u00adels befo\u00adre God can stand upright befo\u00adre men.\u00bb Whoe\u00adver reli\u00ades on God beco\u00admes a strong tree that does not bend so easi\u00adly befo\u00adre peo\u00adp\u00adle. We can\u00adnot beco\u00adme a strong tree by our own strength, but with the strength of our decis\u00adi\u00adons. The con\u00adse\u00adquence of rely\u00ading on peo\u00adp\u00adle is fear of man. John Beve\u00adre says: \u00abYou will ser\u00adve what you fear. If you fear God, you will ser\u00adve Him. If you fear men, you will ser\u00adve men. You have to deci\u00adde.\u00bb The choice is ours.
\nNext to the cher\u00adry tree, the\u00adre is a spring in our gar\u00adden. Crys\u00adtal clear water runs con\u00adti\u00adnuous\u00adly. Befo\u00adre every meal we fill a jug and enjoy it. In the visi\u00adon pic\u00adtu\u00adre of see\u00adtal chi\u00adle, a spring is also the cent\u00adre. Jesus invi\u00adtes us: \u00ab[\u2026] If anyo\u00adne is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!\u00bb (John 7:37 NLB<\/span>). The decis\u00adi\u00adon whe\u00adther we want to drink from Jesus\u00bb spring is ours. The water is a sym\u00adbol of the Holy Spi\u00adrit (v.39), which all who trust Jesus Christ recei\u00adve. And this Spi\u00adrit brings about in us what we can\u00adnot do our\u00adsel\u00adves: to beco\u00adme a vigo\u00adrous tree!
\n
\n
\nQues\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: Jere\u00admi\u00adah 17:5\u20138; John 7:37\u201339<\/p>\n
\n\tIn what does it show that I rely on mys\u00adelf or on other people?
\n\tWhat does it mean con\u00adcre\u00adte\u00adly in ever\u00ady\u00adday life to rely com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly on the Lord and to put one\u2019s hope in Him?
\n\tWhat are the con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces of such a life?
\n\tDo you know peo\u00adp\u00adle who you would say have the qua\u00adli\u00adties of a strong tree? Whe\u00adre do you see your own beginnings?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"