Through Jesus Christ, hea\u00adven on earth has daw\u00adned. But this King\u00addom of God is very dif\u00adfe\u00adrent from what we would expect. It is a king\u00addom that con\u00adsists of the weak\u00adne\u00adss of us humans. God choo\u00adses that which is weak and not that which is strong. God calls men and women into his ser\u00advice who would not be cho\u00adsen by the stan\u00addards of the world. In this way, God shows that he has the power to make some\u00adthing out of hope\u00adl\u00adess cases. Sin\u00adce we humans often rely on our\u00adsel\u00adves and our strengths, the good news, the gos\u00adpel, is a thorn in our side. Nevert\u00adhel\u00adess, part of fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus Christ is giving up on mys\u00adelf and rea\u00adli\u00adsing that it is not my strength that mat\u00adters, but God\u2019s grace.<\/p>\n
Hea\u00adven on earth \tHow do you ima\u00adgi\u00adne the king\u00addom of God? What is dif\u00adfe\u00adrent from the world that sur\u00adrounds you? Through Jesus Christ, hea\u00adven on earth has daw\u00adned. But this King\u00addom of God is very dif\u00adfe\u00adrent from what we would expect. It is a king\u00addom that con\u00adsists of the weak\u00adne\u00adss of us humans. God choo\u00adses that which is weak and not that which is strong. God calls men and women into his ser\u00advice who\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":7057,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[79],"wpfc_sermon_series":[81],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-cedric-bruegger","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-creatio","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-6891","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
\nThrough Jesus Christ, the king\u00addom of God, hea\u00adven on earth, has begun. This king\u00addom is mani\u00adfes\u00adted in many places and shows its\u00adelf to us humans every now and then whe\u00adre some\u00adthing posi\u00adti\u00adve hap\u00adpens that we can\u00adnot explain. But this king\u00addom of God here on earth is imper\u00adfect. It con\u00adsists of the ten\u00adsi\u00adon of alre\u00ada\u00addy now and yet not yet. On the one hand, fan\u00adta\u00adstic things hap\u00adpen, on the other hand, the\u00adre is still a lot of dis\u00adas\u00adter, suf\u00adfe\u00adring and dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adties in this world. We humans wish for a life wit\u00adhout dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adties. Many find it dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to belie\u00adve in a God becau\u00adse of all the evil in the world. Becau\u00adse if the\u00adre is a God, then ever\u00ady\u00adthing should be good, then hea\u00adven on earth should alre\u00ada\u00addy be ful\u00adly unfol\u00adding. But the king\u00addom of God is quite dif\u00adfe\u00adrent. Jesus repli\u00aded: \u00abMy king\u00addom is not of this world. If it were, my ser\u00advants would have fought for me when I was arres\u00adted. But my king\u00addom is not of this world\u00bb (John 18:36 NLB<\/span>). The king\u00addom of God does not show its\u00adelf pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly by the strong, the good, the per\u00adfect coming forth. Rather, it shows its\u00adelf through weak\u00adne\u00adss. God builds his king\u00addom of hea\u00adven not in spi\u00adte of weak\u00adne\u00adss, but through weak\u00adne\u00adss. More on this in the second sec\u00adtion of the sermon.
\nFirst, let us ask our\u00adsel\u00adves who belongs to this king\u00addom of God on this earth. Ano\u00adther word for king\u00addom would be sta\u00adte. A sta\u00adte is cle\u00adar\u00adly demar\u00adca\u00adted and the\u00adre are clear gui\u00adde\u00adlines as to who belongs and who does not. Not ever\u00adyo\u00adne who lives or stays in the coun\u00adtry is auto\u00adma\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly a citi\u00adzen of the coun\u00adtry. It is the same with the King\u00addom of God on earth. This unfolds on the who\u00adle earth, but not ever\u00adyo\u00adne is a citi\u00adzen of this king\u00addom. The\u00adre are clear requi\u00adre\u00adments as to who belongs and who does not. Belon\u00adging to God\u2019s king\u00addom of hea\u00adven, howe\u00adver, is not based on any earth\u00adly demar\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristics. The decisi\u00adve fac\u00adtor is being born again as a fol\u00adlower of Jesus Christ. We would like it to be other\u00adwi\u00adse, but Jesus Christ hims\u00adelf speaks unequi\u00advo\u00adcal\u00adly. \u00abJesus repli\u00aded: I assu\u00adre you, unless someone is born again, he can\u00adnot see the king\u00addom of God\u00bb (John 3:3 NLB<\/span>). This is pre\u00adce\u00added by tur\u00adning from one\u2019s ways. It is no lon\u00adger a mat\u00adter of rely\u00ading on one\u2019s strengths and thus on ones\u00adelf, but of admit\u00adting to ones\u00adelf that one\u2019s strength is not enough. This is cal\u00adled rep\u00aden\u00adtance. Admit\u00adting to ones\u00adelf and to God that one is depen\u00addent on Him and no lon\u00adger wants to rely on one\u2019s strengths. The rebirth then also beco\u00admes clear through bap\u00adtism. Through immersi\u00adon in water, a dead\u00adly area for us humans, it beco\u00admes clear that our old self has died and we are a new per\u00adson in Jesus Christ.
\nA king\u00addom of weakness
\nThe Bible is full of sto\u00adries in which the King\u00addom of God beco\u00admes visi\u00adble on this earth. Yet the\u00adse sto\u00adries are often quite dif\u00adfe\u00adrent from what we would expect. Per\u00adhaps they no lon\u00adger seem so spe\u00adcial to one or the other, sin\u00adce they are alre\u00ada\u00addy known. But when the\u00adse sto\u00adries are exami\u00adned more clo\u00adse\u00adly and any pri\u00ador know\u00adledge is put asi\u00adde, it beco\u00admes appa\u00adrent that the nar\u00adra\u00adti\u00adve does not cor\u00adre\u00adspond to what is gene\u00adral\u00adly expected.
\nGod choo\u00adses men whom no one would have chosen
\nIn the cul\u00adtu\u00adre and time in which the bibli\u00adcal sto\u00adries took place, the\u00adre were very clear social struc\u00adtures. This was not only patri\u00adar\u00adchal, but also ori\u00aden\u00adted towards the first\u00adborn son. He had extre\u00adme prio\u00adri\u00adties, for exam\u00adp\u00adle, he inhe\u00adri\u00adted almost all the pro\u00adper\u00adty. But God often does not choo\u00adse the first\u00adborn for his tasks. He choo\u00adses men who are at the bot\u00adtom of the cul\u00adtu\u00adral and fami\u00adly hier\u00adar\u00adchy. Nor does he choo\u00adse the best men who have ever\u00ady\u00adthing under con\u00adtrol. Ins\u00adtead, the dif\u00adfe\u00adrent cha\u00adrac\u00adters are descri\u00adbed again and again with their faults and weak\u00adne\u00ads\u00adses. The bibli\u00adcal text does not try to gloss over or cover up things. Jacob could not begrudge his older brot\u00adher Esau the pri\u00advi\u00adle\u00adged posi\u00adti\u00adon in the fami\u00adly. So he sto\u00adle the pri\u00advi\u00adle\u00adges of the first\u00adborn from him and chea\u00adted Esau out of his bles\u00adsing. Moses, who led the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel out of Egypt, had a speech impe\u00addi\u00adment. David, who was cho\u00adsen by God to be king, got a mar\u00adried woman pregnant.
\nGod includes women in his plan that no one wan\u00adted to have
\nThe value of a woman at that time was mea\u00adsu\u00adred by whe\u00adther or not she could bear her hus\u00adband an off\u00adspring. That was her most important mis\u00adsi\u00adon. A woman wit\u00adhout a hus\u00adband or child\u00adren could not sur\u00advi\u00adve. But here too, God turns to tho\u00adse women whom no one wan\u00adted. Four out of five women in the fami\u00adly tree of Jesus Christ have a rather ing\u00adlo\u00adrious histo\u00adry. They are out\u00adsi\u00adders. They are women who were con\u00adside\u00adred weak and unlo\u00adva\u00adble. Tamar sedu\u00adced her own father-in-law into sexu\u00adal inter\u00adcour\u00adse. Rahab was a pro\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adte and betray\u00aded her own peo\u00adp\u00adle to the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes. Ruth beca\u00adme the gre\u00adat-grand\u00admo\u00adther of King David, even though she came from a peo\u00adp\u00adle des\u00adpi\u00adsed by the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes. Baths\u00adhe\u00adba was forced into adul\u00adtery by King David.
\nBible not a book of heroes
\nThe Bible is a book full of sto\u00adries that bring us clo\u00adser to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spi\u00adrit. But it is also a book full of sto\u00adries about peo\u00adp\u00adle that no one would want to expe\u00adri\u00adence in this way. The sto\u00adries are full of para\u00addo\u00adxes. It is about life through death. It is about peo\u00adp\u00adle tri\u00adum\u00adphing through their weak\u00adne\u00adss. The Bible is full of sto\u00adries that ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly show only one thing. God has the power to turn hope\u00adl\u00adess cases into some\u00adthing posi\u00adti\u00adve. He does this not in spi\u00adte of all the weak\u00adne\u00ads\u00adses the\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle have, but through the\u00adse weak\u00adne\u00ads\u00adses. The apost\u00adle Paul was instru\u00admen\u00adtal in foun\u00adding and spre\u00ada\u00adding the Chris\u00adti\u00adan faith in the 1st cen\u00adtu\u00adry AD<\/span>. Seve\u00adral let\u00adters from him are pre\u00adser\u00adved in the Bible, in which he pas\u00adses on beliefs and tea\u00adchings of Jesus Christ. He reco\u00adg\u00adnis\u00aded that the king\u00addom of God has dif\u00adfe\u00adrent stan\u00addards. \u00abEach time he [God] said: \u00abMy grace is all you need. My power is shown in your weak\u00adne\u00adss.\u00bb And now I am con\u00adtent with my weak\u00adne\u00adss so that the power of Christ can work through me\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 12:9 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe unwan\u00adted good news
\nI come back again to hea\u00adven on earth. With God it is quite dif\u00adfe\u00adrent from what we would expect. God\u2019s king\u00addom is not for the strong, but for the weak. Tho\u00adse who trust most in their own wealth, power and abili\u00adty and cla\u00adim to live righ\u00adteous\u00adly do not belong to God\u2019s king\u00addom. \u00abGod has cho\u00adsen what is low\u00adly in the eyes of the world, so as to shame tho\u00adse who think them\u00adsel\u00adves wise. He has cho\u00adsen what is weak in order to humi\u00adlia\u00adte what is strong. He cho\u00adse what is des\u00adpi\u00adsed and held in low esteem by the world, and used it to nul\u00adli\u00adfy what is important in the world, so that no man may ever boast befo\u00adre God. God alo\u00adne has made it pos\u00adsi\u00adble for you to be in Christ Jesus. He has made him our wis\u00addom. Through him we are jus\u00adti\u00adfied befo\u00adre God and our lives are sanc\u00adti\u00adfied through him. Through him we are rede\u00ade\u00admed. Scrip\u00adtu\u00adre says, \u00abIf anyo\u00adne wants to be proud, let him be proud of what the Lord has done\u00bb \u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 1:27\u201331 NLB<\/span>). It is an abso\u00adlu\u00adte rever\u00adsal. It\u2019s so out of step with how we would like things to be. We are so anxious to arri\u00adve well and to con\u00adce\u00adal ever\u00ady\u00adthing in order to look as good as pos\u00adsi\u00adble with peo\u00adp\u00adle. The mes\u00adsa\u00adge of the ticket for the king\u00addom of God, the gos\u00adpel, is the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre an unde\u00adsi\u00adra\u00adble mes\u00adsa\u00adge. Becau\u00adse it empha\u00adsi\u00ads\u00ades our weak\u00adne\u00ads\u00adses and not our strengths.
\nTimo\u00adthy Kel\u00adler is a theo\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adan in New York City. Some of the thoughts in today\u2019s ser\u00admon are inspi\u00adred by him. He sum\u00adma\u00adri\u00adses the Gos\u00adpel mes\u00adsa\u00adge as fol\u00adlows: \u00abYou are a lost sin\u00adner. You have done much wrong, and the good you have done, you have done main\u00adly from sel\u00adfi\u00adsh moti\u00adves. With all your endea\u00advours, even the reli\u00adgious ones, you have actual\u00adly only wan\u00adted to mani\u00adpu\u00adla\u00adte God to put him in a posi\u00adti\u00adon whe\u00adre he has to ser\u00adve your inte\u00adrests. In rea\u00adli\u00adty, ever\u00ady\u00adthing you have is a gift from God. You should love Him and live com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly for Him and you don\u2019t and you can\u2019t do that. But you can be saved if you rep\u00adent to him, and that sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon is then by his unme\u00adri\u00adted grace alo\u00adne\u00bb (Timo\u00adthy Kel\u00adler). What does this quo\u00adte trig\u00adger in you? The more powerful, wealt\u00adhy, edu\u00adca\u00adted and secu\u00adre a per\u00adson is, the more they feel atta\u00adcked by the gos\u00adpel. The more con\u00advin\u00adced I am that man can do any\u00adthing, the more the gos\u00adpel hits me and is not good news, but an affront, back\u00adwoods or a direct attack on modern man.
\nToday is the Fede\u00adral Day of Thanks\u00adgi\u00adving, Rep\u00aden\u00adtance and Pray\u00ader in Switz\u00ader\u00adland. The\u00adse three terms have much to do with the Gos\u00adpel. The Gos\u00adpel, unwan\u00adted by us humans, calls us to rep\u00aden\u00adtance. This means to rea\u00adli\u00adse that I can\u00adnot and not only can\u00adnot do it on my own, but that I have made a mess of things, becau\u00adse I nevert\u00adhel\u00adess wan\u00adted to attain hea\u00adven on earth mys\u00adelf. One could also ask what is good about the Gos\u00adpel. It is the fact that I stand befo\u00adre God full of weak\u00adne\u00adss and yet he accepts me. The Bible calls this grace. God accepts me even though I do not deser\u00adve it. Pray\u00ader is the logi\u00adcal respon\u00adse of a per\u00adson who has rea\u00adli\u00adsed that he is depen\u00addent on God. It is a con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon with God and a trust that our words will not go unhe\u00adard by him.
\nI would like to con\u00adclude this ser\u00admon with a Bible pas\u00adsa\u00adge from the Let\u00adter to the Hebrews. I have empha\u00adsis\u00aded many times today that God works through the weak\u00adne\u00adss of peo\u00adp\u00adle. But this does not mean that the\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle remain\u00aded weak. Through their faith they accom\u00adplished the uni\u00adma\u00adgi\u00adnable, but not out of their sup\u00adpo\u00adsed strength. But out of the insight that God accepts them in their weak\u00adne\u00adss and helps them.
\n\u00abHow many other examp\u00adles could be men\u00adtio\u00adned! I do not have time to men\u00adti\u00adon Gideon and Barak, Sam\u00adson and Jift\u00adach, David and Samu\u00adel and the pro\u00adphe\u00adts. What have peo\u00adp\u00adle like them not achie\u00adved through their faith! They brought down king\u00addoms, they ensu\u00adred jus\u00adti\u00adce and righ\u00adteous\u00adness, they expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced the ful\u00adfilm\u00adent of pro\u00admi\u00adses made to them by God, they shut the mouths of lions, they remain\u00aded untouch\u00aded by fla\u00admes in the midst of fire, they escaped the dead\u00adly sword, they were streng\u00adthe\u00adned by God whe\u00adre they lacked strength, they pro\u00adved to be heroes in batt\u00adle, they put ene\u00admy armies to flight. It even hap\u00adpen\u00aded that women who trus\u00adted God recei\u00adved their decea\u00adsed rela\u00adti\u00adves back becau\u00adse God made them ali\u00adve again. Others, who also trus\u00adted God, pre\u00adfer\u00adred to be tor\u00adtu\u00adred to death rather than renoun\u00adce God, even though this would have set them free. They were wil\u00adling to lose their earth\u00adly life in order to recei\u00adve a bet\u00adter life through the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion\u00bb (Hebrews 11:32\u201335 NG\u00dc<\/span>).
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nBible text rea\u00adding: 1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 1:27\u201331; Hebrews 11:32\u201335<\/p>\n
\n\tHow does one beco\u00adme a \u00abciti\u00adzen\u00bb of this hea\u00adven on earth? Is it wort\u00adhwhile to belong?
\n\tWhich bibli\u00adcal sto\u00adry makes it clea\u00adrest to you that God builds his king\u00addom through weak\u00adne\u00adss and not in spi\u00adte of weakness?
\n\tWhe\u00adre yours\u00adelf are you in dan\u00adger of puf\u00adfing up your strength against a weak\u00adne\u00adss? What is your weakness?
\n\tWhat ele\u00adment of the good news (gos\u00adpel) do you strugg\u00adle with? What is an unwan\u00adted mes\u00adsa\u00adge for you?
\n\tRefe\u00adrence to the Day of Thanks\u00adgi\u00adving and Pray\u00ader: What are you gra\u00adteful for? Whe\u00adre is it time to rep\u00adent, to offer some\u00adthing to God? How about pray\u00ading to him right now and than\u00adking him and repenting?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"