Crea\u00adtio \u2013 Hope and Respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty; this is our cur\u00adrent the\u00adme for the year. Tog\u00ade\u00adther with faith and love, hope is one of the most important cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristics of living Chris\u00adtia\u00adni\u00adty. Faith streng\u00adthens us. Hope car\u00adri\u00ades us. Love holds us. Faith, hope, love \u2013 the\u00adse three remain. We are invi\u00adted, by streng\u00adthening the\u00adse qua\u00adli\u00adties, to get the full sound of a per\u00adson who is on the way with Jesus.<\/p>\n
\tWhat makes a per\u00adson who lives with Jesus? Crea\u00adtio \u2013 Hope and Respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty; this is our cur\u00adrent the\u00adme for the year. Tog\u00ade\u00adther with faith and love, hope is one of the most important cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristics of living Chris\u00adtia\u00adni\u00adty. Faith streng\u00adthens us. Hope car\u00adri\u00ades us. Love holds us. Faith, hope, love \u2013 the\u00adse three remain. We are invi\u00adted, by streng\u00adthening the\u00adse qua\u00adli\u00adties, to expe\u00adri\u00adence the full sound of a per\u00adson who\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7058,"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-6897","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
\nThe Queen and with her the Roy\u00adal Fami\u00adly of Eng\u00adland are on everyone\u2019s lips right now. What are actual\u00adly the qua\u00adli\u00adties of a king? A repre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adti\u00adve of the roy\u00adal house must dis\u00adplay excel\u00adlent man\u00adners, she must know the pro\u00adto\u00adcol for the instal\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon of a prime minis\u00adter, deli\u00adver the Speech from the Thro\u00adne, rule wit\u00adhout ruling, recei\u00adve guests of sta\u00adte, etc. What distin\u00adgu\u00adis\u00adhes a Chris\u00adti\u00adan? Recent\u00adly I was in a con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon whe\u00adre a young woman, just befo\u00adre deci\u00adding to live with Jesus, asked me what it meant to be a Christian.
\nPaul, the foun\u00adder of the church in the first cen\u00adtu\u00adry, gives an ans\u00adwer to this. First he explains what it is not; name\u00adly, know\u00adledge. Our momen\u00adta\u00adry know\u00adledge is pie\u00adce\u00adme\u00adal, which will only be com\u00adple\u00adted in the future imme\u00addia\u00adte com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adon with God. Ins\u00adtead of know\u00adledge, the\u00adre are three things: \u00abFaith, hope and love, the\u00adse three remain. But love is grea\u00adtest\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 13:13 NLB<\/span>). The\u00adse three ingre\u00addi\u00adents tog\u00ade\u00adther make up the full sound of a per\u00adson who is on the way with Jesus. Faith, hope and love \u2013 the\u00adse three appear again at least seven times in the Bible bes\u00adi\u00addes this pas\u00adsa\u00adge (1Thessalonians 1:3; 5:8; Romans 5:2\u20135; Gala\u00adti\u00adans 5:5f; Colos\u00adsi\u00adans 1:4f; Hebrews 6:10\u201312; 1 Peter 1:21f).
\nIn the eulo\u00adgy of the church in Thes\u00adsa\u00adlo\u00adni\u00adans it says: \u00abWe thank God always for all of you when we men\u00adti\u00adon you in our pray\u00aders, remem\u00adbe\u00adring con\u00adti\u00adnu\u00adal\u00adly your work in faith and your labour of love and your stead\u00adfast per\u00adse\u00adver\u00adance in hope in our Lord Jesus Christ befo\u00adre our God and Father\u00bb (1Thessalonians 1:2f SLT<\/span>).
\nWork in faith
\nSomeone once distin\u00adgu\u00adis\u00adhed bet\u00adween an \u00abaspi\u00adrin faith\u00bb and a \u00abyeti faith\u00bb. \u00abAspi\u00adrin belief\u00bb: I belie\u00adve that aspi\u00adrin does some\u00adthing. \u00abYeti belief\u00bb: I belie\u00adve that the\u00adre is a yeti. The bibli\u00adcal faith is an \u00abaspi\u00adrin faith\u00bb. The faith that the Bible speaks of is not mere\u00adly a \u00abhol\u00adding true\u00bb of the his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adcal figu\u00adre of Jesus, but the faith that Jesus Christ is ali\u00adve and makes a dif\u00adfe\u00adrence in our lives.
\nThe mis\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adry John Pat\u00adten work\u00aded on a group of islands in the Sou\u00adthwest Paci\u00adfic in the 19th cen\u00adtu\u00adry. The mem\u00adbers of the tri\u00adbes the\u00adre were can\u00adni\u00adbals, so his life was con\u00adstant\u00adly in dan\u00adger. During his work, Pat\u00adten noti\u00adced that the peo\u00adp\u00adle the\u00adre did not know a word for belie\u00adve or trust; no won\u00adder, becau\u00adse no one trus\u00adted anyo\u00adne else. One day, when a local came to see him, Pat\u00adten lea\u00adned back in his chair, lifted his feet off the flo\u00ador and asked, \u00abWhat am I doing?\u00bb The ans\u00adwer was a word that meant some\u00adthing like lea\u00adning on some\u00adthing with all your weight. He then used this term for the word faith. Faith is when we put the who\u00adle weight of our life on Jesus Christ.
\n\u00abWhat then is faith? It is the con\u00adfi\u00addence that what we hope for will come to pass, and the con\u00advic\u00adtion that what is not seen exists\u00bb (Hebrews 11:1 NLB<\/span>). Faith, then, reli\u00ades on the exis\u00adtence of invi\u00adsi\u00adble things and trusts that this will have con\u00adcre\u00adte and mira\u00adcu\u00adlous effects on one\u2019s life. A per\u00adson who has ent\u00adrus\u00adted his life to Jesus Christ belie\u00adves in the holy Crea\u00adtor who made the who\u00adle uni\u00adver\u00adse and man. We live by his breath, the Holy Spi\u00adrit. He belie\u00adves in God who sent his Son Jesus Christ to earth so that we might be washed clean by his blood, unde\u00adfi\u00adled, and stand befo\u00adre God. He belie\u00adves in the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion and that through Christ alo\u00adne we may have rela\u00adti\u00adonship with our Lord. He belie\u00adves that Christ will one day come again and we will live with him in eter\u00adni\u00adty. Alt\u00adhough the belie\u00adver does not see, he is con\u00advin\u00adced that Christ exists and that he is His child, adopted into the eter\u00adnal and hea\u00adven\u00adly family.
\n\u00abYou love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him, you belie\u00adve in him; and even now you are fil\u00adled with glo\u00adrious, inex\u00adpres\u00adsi\u00adble joy. You are rea\u00adching the goal of your faith, the sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon of your souls\u00bb (1 Peter 1:8f NLB<\/span>).
\nWhy does Paul speak of the \u00abwork of faith\u00bb? Are\u00adn\u2019t the\u00adse terms just the total oppo\u00adsi\u00adte? After all, we are not saved becau\u00adse of our good deeds, but becau\u00adse of faith. Sola fide \u2013 only faith. Even if good works as such are not means of sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon, they are con\u00adco\u00admi\u00adtants of genui\u00adne faith, which is dead wit\u00adhout works (James 2:17\u201326). Just as aspi\u00adrin works against a hea\u00adda\u00adche, faith in Jesus Christ must have effects in our lives. Faith cau\u00adses the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing fruit to grow in a per\u00adson: love, joy, peace, pati\u00adence, kind\u00adness, good\u00adness, faithful\u00adness, gent\u00adle\u00adness and self-con\u00adtrol (Gala\u00adti\u00adans 5:22f). Faith has posi\u00adti\u00adve effects on all are\u00adas of life, be it work, fami\u00adly or neighbourhood.
\nStead\u00adfast per\u00adse\u00adver\u00adance in hope
\nFaith is based on events that have alre\u00ada\u00addy hap\u00adpen\u00aded. Hope looks ahead to things to come. A per\u00adson of hope has the extra\u00ador\u00addi\u00adna\u00adry abili\u00adty to see through the hori\u00adzon. This is not easy.
\nIf coun\u00adted cor\u00adrect\u00adly, the phra\u00adse \u00abLook, I am crea\u00adting some\u00adthing new, alre\u00ada\u00addy it is sprou\u00adting\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 43:19a NLB<\/span>) has been heard 66 times this year in see\u00adtal chi\u00adle. It is spo\u00adken twice in the teaser. In the Bible text it is fol\u00adlo\u00adwed by the ques\u00adti\u00adon, \u00abDon\u2019t you see it?\u00bb Hope means see\u00ading the new sprouts. A few days ago our lawn was resee\u00added. If you loo\u00adked very clo\u00adse\u00adly, one mor\u00adning the\u00adre were tiny litt\u00adle gras\u00adses. They were not seen by everyone.
\nWhe\u00adre are the tiny seed\u00adlings of the new crea\u00adti\u00adon? The clea\u00adrest sign is the bodi\u00adly resur\u00adrec\u00adted Jesus Christ. On the third day after his cru\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adxi\u00adon he left his tomb and was seen in a new body with new abili\u00adties by over 500 eye\u00adwit\u00adnesses. The new crea\u00adti\u00adon has begun. Do you not see it? \u00abBut if Christ has not been rai\u00adsed, your faith is use\u00adl\u00adess [\u2026]\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 15:17 NLB<\/span>). Whoe\u00adver is united with Christ dies and rises with Him to new life. This is the basis and con\u00adtent of a living Chris\u00adti\u00adan hope. This is not a spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal expe\u00adri\u00adence that leads to an incor\u00adpo\u00adre\u00adal hope for the future. Real hope is not that our soul will go to hea\u00adven, but that we will live tog\u00ade\u00adther with Jesus \u2013 also phy\u00adsi\u00adcal\u00adly in a new body \u2013 in the new\u00adly crea\u00adted world. With this qua\u00adli\u00adty of hope in our hearts, we can go through the cri\u00adses of life posi\u00adtively and con\u00adfi\u00addent\u00adly. Only becau\u00adse of this hope can Paul say, \u00abBut I am con\u00advin\u00adced that our pre\u00adsent suf\u00adfe\u00adrings are insi\u00adgni\u00adfi\u00adcant com\u00adpared to the glo\u00adry he will give us later\u00bb (Romans 8:18 NLB<\/span>). Such hope does not make us despon\u00addent and cor\u00adne\u00adred in the face of a virus cal\u00adled coro\u00adna. Do you see the seed\u00adlings? The king\u00addom of God, the new crea\u00adti\u00adon, is pop\u00adping up whe\u00adre\u00adver peo\u00adp\u00adle live accor\u00adding to the will of God. Do you not see it? It has been found that in devas\u00adta\u00adting times of cri\u00adsis, such as the Holo\u00adcaust, only tho\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle sur\u00advi\u00adved who had hope. Dani\u00adel Bie\u00adri told us a fort\u00adnight ago about the rat expe\u00adri\u00adment. Alt\u00adhough rats can swim for two to three days, they died within minu\u00adtes in a can\u00adning jar fil\u00adled with water. After the rats were picked up from time to time and given hope, they sur\u00advi\u00adved for many days.
\nPaul speaks of \u00abstead\u00adfast per\u00adse\u00adver\u00adance in hope\u00bb. Hope has not\u00adhing to do with enthu\u00adsi\u00adasm or a \u00abspi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal over\u00adbi\u00adte\u00bb. We should neither mini\u00admi\u00adse nor sup\u00adpress the pre\u00adsent with its tasks and needs. That is why stead\u00adfast per\u00adse\u00adver\u00adance (Greek hypo\u00admon\u00adae = to remain under, to per\u00adse\u00adve\u00adre even under the grea\u00adtest tri\u00adals and suf\u00adfe\u00adrings) is important. \u00abHoping\u00bb rus\u00adhes for\u00adward; \u00abstead\u00adfast endu\u00adrance\u00bb remains firm\u00adly in the pre\u00adsent place. Hoping in the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion power of God allows us to pati\u00adent\u00adly endu\u00adre today\u2019s struggles.
\nHope is the abili\u00adty to hear the music of the future. Faith is the cou\u00adra\u00adge to dance to it in the pre\u00adsent. \u00abThe\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre I pray that God, who gives you hope, may fill you with joy and peace in your faith, so that your hope may grow ever grea\u00adter through the power of the Holy Spi\u00adrit\u00bb (Romans 15:13 NLB<\/span>).
\nEffort in love
\n\u00abFaith, hope and love, the\u00adse three remain. But the grea\u00adtest is love\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 13:13 NLB<\/span>). The last and grea\u00adtest cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristic of true Chris\u00adtia\u00adni\u00adty is love. And this is grea\u00adtest becau\u00adse God hims\u00adelf is love. \u00abWe have rea\u00adli\u00adsed how much God loves us, and we belie\u00adve in his love. God is love, and whoe\u00adver lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him\u00bb (1 John 4:16 NLB<\/span>). Becau\u00adse love comes from God, we can love one ano\u00adther. Would our work col\u00adle\u00adagues use the term \u00ablove\u00bb to descri\u00adbe us?
\n\u00abLove\u00bb with us is often a warm fee\u00adling that wells up towards the other. It repres\u00adents a chan\u00adging mood that can quick\u00adly burn out. One then speaks of living apart. In Greek, aga\u00adpe is divi\u00adne, self-sacri\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adng love. Paul com\u00adbi\u00adnes love with effort (Greek kopos). Kopos means inten\u00adse, effortful to the point of exhaus\u00adti\u00adon. The\u00adre is a dif\u00adfe\u00adrent under\u00adstan\u00adding behind this than is gene\u00adral\u00adly accept\u00aded and assu\u00admed today. Yes, love may cost us some\u00adthing. The bill is paid by love its\u00adelf, name\u00adly God.
\nWhen a cou\u00adple pro\u00admi\u00adses love to each other at the altar, that is what it is all about. And I won\u00adder how our mar\u00adria\u00adges, fami\u00adlies and team situa\u00adtions at work would be if we were shaped by this love of God. No, we don\u2019t have to strugg\u00adle to find the effort in love, it is a gift from the one who is love, the crea\u00adtor of the who\u00adle uni\u00adver\u00adse. The dance of faith in the pre\u00adsent should be mark\u00aded by \u00abeffort in love\u00bb.
\n
\nSo this is what being a true Chris\u00adti\u00adan is all about: faith, hope and love. Faith streng\u00adthens us. Hope car\u00adri\u00ades us. Love holds us. And I ask mys\u00adelf whe\u00adther we Chris\u00adti\u00adans stand out becau\u00adse of the\u00adse qua\u00adli\u00adties. On the win\u00addow front bet\u00adween the church and the parish hall in Seon, the\u00adse three terms are pas\u00adted up in lar\u00adge let\u00adters. The peo\u00adp\u00adle of Seon have been given the ing\u00adlo\u00adrious label of god\u00adless See\u00adner. Let us work to exch\u00adan\u00adge this label with the three words faith, hope and love.
\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: 1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 13:13; 1 Thes\u00adsa\u00adlo\u00adni\u00adans 1:3<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat do you think of the bibli\u00adcal sum\u00adma\u00adry with the three terms faith, hope, love?
\n\tHow would you descri\u00adbe the term faith? How would you descri\u00adbe the terms hope and love?
\n\tWhe\u00adre do you see sprouts, mes\u00adsen\u00adgers of hope? Do you see it?
\n\tPray for each other that faith, hope and love may grow!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"