Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ have a firm hope. A hope that gives secu\u00adri\u00adty and sup\u00adport in times of uncer\u00adtain\u00adty and fear. No mat\u00adter how mise\u00adra\u00adble and frigh\u00adtening the per\u00adso\u00adnal and social cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances, hope has the poten\u00adti\u00adal to car\u00adry us through such times. But the\u00adre is not only a hope, but also a respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty. This is to bear wit\u00adness to hope \u2013 not fear. Chris\u00adti\u00adans are to be bea\u00adrers of hope and per\u00adform acts of hope, ther\u00adeby poin\u00adting to Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
For today\u2019s ser\u00admon, we will dive tog\u00ade\u00adther into the sto\u00adry of the pro\u00adphet Jere\u00admi\u00adah. At a spe\u00adci\u00adfic stage in his life, his hope in times of fear is per\u00adfect\u00adly expres\u00adsed. Diving into his sto\u00adry should open our eyes to how we can come to such hope in dif\u00adfi\u00adcult and chal\u00adlen\u00adging times. Tho\u00adse who wish to read the sto\u00adry can do so in Jere\u00admi\u00adah, chap\u00adter 32. \tWhat do you know about the pro\u00adphet Jere\u00admi\u00adah? What impres\u00adses you most about his personality? Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ have a firm hope. A hope that gives secu\u00adri\u00adty and sup\u00adport in times of uncer\u00adtain\u00adty and fear. No mat\u00adter how mise\u00adra\u00adble and frigh\u00adtening per\u00adso\u00adnal and social cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances may be, hope has the poten\u00adti\u00adal to car\u00adry us through such times. But the\u00adre is not only hope, but also\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":7060,"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":["wpfc_preacher-cedric-bruegger","wpfc_sermon_series-creatio","wpfc-sermon-single","post-6915","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nJere\u00admi\u00adah lived and work\u00aded in the King\u00addom of Isra\u00adel in the 7th and 6th cen\u00adtu\u00adries BC<\/span>. He was a pro\u00adphet of God. Pro\u00adphe\u00adts were peo\u00adp\u00adle cho\u00adsen by God to bring his mes\u00adsa\u00adge to the peo\u00adp\u00adle. This task was not very popu\u00adlar and most pro\u00adphe\u00adts would have lik\u00aded to have a dif\u00adfe\u00adrent task. For the deli\u00advery of God\u2019s words was often con\u00adnec\u00adted with per\u00adso\u00adnal rest\u00adric\u00adtions. Moreo\u00adver, the words of the pro\u00adphe\u00adts were not glad\u00adly heard. Thus, the pro\u00adphet was often at the bot\u00adtom of the rulers\u00bb and people\u2019s favour. Jeremiah\u2019s life is also mark\u00aded by suf\u00adfe\u00adring. He suf\u00adfers in many ways and he had the unp\u00adlea\u00adsant task of repea\u00adted\u00adly pro\u00adclai\u00adming to the kings who sat on the thro\u00adne in Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem that becau\u00adse of their dis\u00ado\u00adbe\u00addience to God, the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel would be atta\u00adcked and defea\u00adted by hosti\u00adle nations.
\nChap\u00adter 32 is also set in just such a situa\u00adti\u00adon. As Jere\u00admi\u00adah had pre\u00addic\u00adted, the Baby\u00adlo\u00adni\u00adans atta\u00adcked Isra\u00adel. In this sie\u00adge, he cal\u00adled on the peo\u00adp\u00adle to sur\u00adren\u00adder in the name of God in order to at least save their lives and to suf\u00adfer only minor dama\u00adge, so he was taken pri\u00adsoner. After near\u00adly star\u00adving to death in a well, he was now held in the cour\u00adty\u00adard of the king\u2019s palace. The sto\u00adry from Jere\u00admi\u00adah 32 takes place just at this stage of the batt\u00adle. Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem is under sie\u00adge and Jere\u00admi\u00adah is cer\u00adtain of defeat.
\nHide circumstances
\nDuring this time, Jere\u00admi\u00adah recei\u00adves a mes\u00adsa\u00adge from God. He pre\u00addicts that his uncle will come to him and want to sell him a field. Sure enough, his uncle came and offe\u00adred him the field for sale. Sin\u00adce Jere\u00admi\u00adah was rela\u00adted to him, he had the right of first refu\u00adsal. But the spe\u00adcial thing about this land purcha\u00adse is the fact that the field, alt\u00adhough not far away, is still out\u00adside the city walls of Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. It is thus also in ter\u00adri\u00adto\u00adry alre\u00ada\u00addy taken by the hosti\u00adle Baby\u00adlo\u00adni\u00adans. Jere\u00admi\u00adah does not know when and whe\u00adther he will sur\u00advi\u00adve the cap\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty, whe\u00adther he will sur\u00advi\u00adve the sie\u00adge and whe\u00adther the future rulers will let him live. Sure\u00adly he could have used his money more effi\u00adci\u00adent\u00adly in the besie\u00adged city than to buy a pie\u00adce of land with it. Jere\u00admi\u00adah finds hims\u00adelf in times of fear and uncer\u00adtain\u00adty. In the cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances sur\u00adroun\u00adding him, buy\u00ading land makes abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly no sen\u00adse, yet he deci\u00addes to take this cou\u00adra\u00adge\u00adous, per\u00adhaps even reck\u00adless step. What makes this purcha\u00adse even more abstru\u00adse is the fact that he hims\u00adelf pre\u00addic\u00adted the defeat and down\u00adfall of their king\u00addom to the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. Jere\u00admi\u00adah was by no means na\u00ef\u00adve, we read: \u00abYou see how the sie\u00adge ramps of the enemies alre\u00ada\u00addy reach the city walls. It will not be long befo\u00adre they have taken the city. It is at the mer\u00adcy of the sword of the Baby\u00adlo\u00adni\u00adans who fight against it; fami\u00adne and pesti\u00adlence do the rest. Yes, all that you have threa\u00adten\u00aded us has come to pass, you see it yours\u00adelf. And yet, LORD<\/span> Almigh\u00adty, though the city is soon in the hands of the Baby\u00adlo\u00adni\u00adans, you have com\u00adman\u00added me to buy this field befo\u00adre wit\u00adnesses\u00bb (Jere\u00admi\u00adah 32:24\u201325 NLB<\/span>). No, Jere\u00admi\u00adah was any\u00adthing but a day\u00add\u00adrea\u00admer, but he was also not an ensign in the wind who was too easi\u00adly swayed.
\nThis is the first thing we can learn from Jere\u00admi\u00adah. Not to let our\u00adsel\u00adves be influen\u00adced by exter\u00adnal cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances, per\u00adhaps even to con\u00adscious\u00adly block them out and not to let them deter\u00admi\u00adne all our actions. This does not mean that the\u00adse are not dif\u00adfi\u00adcult. It does not mean that they do not take a lot of time and ener\u00adgy. But it does mean tur\u00adning one\u2019s gaze away from what can\u00adnot be chan\u00adged to some\u00adthing that is in one\u2019s hands. The\u00adse cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances can be eit\u00adher per\u00adso\u00adnal or external.
\nThe\u00adre is enough to occu\u00adpy us at the moment. Be it loneli\u00adne\u00adss, which is so over\u00adwhel\u00adming that life beco\u00admes pure tor\u00adtu\u00adre. Chal\u00adlen\u00adging fami\u00adly situa\u00adtions in which fami\u00adli\u00adar peo\u00adp\u00adle sud\u00adden\u00adly turn into enemies and the who\u00adle envi\u00adron\u00adment suf\u00adfers from this situa\u00adti\u00adon. Neigh\u00adbours who have lite\u00adral\u00adly bro\u00adken off a quar\u00adrel. New or long-las\u00adting finan\u00adcial hard\u00adships that cut off the air to life. Health that no lon\u00adger plays along as plan\u00adned and repres\u00adents a major loss of the qua\u00adli\u00adty of life to which we are accus\u00adto\u00admed. While per\u00adso\u00adnal cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances can pos\u00adsi\u00adbly be chan\u00adged through one\u2019s own efforts, this is usual\u00adly not the case with exter\u00adnal cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances. Right now, we are see\u00ading that war is once again taking place in the imme\u00addia\u00adte vici\u00adni\u00adty and that it is spre\u00ada\u00adding ever wider in eco\u00adno\u00admic and poli\u00adti\u00adcal cir\u00adcles. Peo\u00adp\u00adle all over the world have to lea\u00adve their home count\u00adries and are forced to sett\u00adle in new places whe\u00adre they have to fight for their sur\u00advi\u00adval. The cau\u00adses can be dif\u00adfe\u00adrent, such as war, but also envi\u00adron\u00admen\u00adtal influen\u00adces. Infla\u00adti\u00adon is hig\u00adher than in other years. When exami\u00adning the fund shares, one is sho\u00adcked to see that the value has drop\u00adped seve\u00adral per\u00adcen\u00adta\u00adge points within a very short time. Alt\u00adhough the Chris\u00adti\u00adan faith had a decisi\u00adve influence on Euro\u00adpe for cen\u00adtu\u00adries, socie\u00adty is incre\u00adasing\u00adly moving away from Chris\u00adti\u00adan values. In gene\u00adral, after a pan\u00adde\u00admic and in the midst of an armed con\u00adflict in the imme\u00addia\u00adte vici\u00adni\u00adty, the pro\u00adgno\u00adsis for the future is not very rosy.
\nIn the face of all the\u00adse things that also threa\u00adten our exis\u00adtence, des\u00adpair is not far away. But actual\u00adly it would be up to us to fol\u00adlow the path of Jere\u00admi\u00adah and hand them over to God. In other words, to block them out so that they no lon\u00adger domi\u00adna\u00adte us. \u00abGive all your worries to God, for he is con\u00adcer\u00adned about ever\u00ady\u00adthing that con\u00adcerns you!\u00bb (1 Peter 5:7 NLB<\/span>).
\nTaking responsibility
\nSo Jere\u00admi\u00adah bought the field in this uncer\u00adtain time and thus took respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty. For not only did he have the right of first refu\u00adsal, but it was also his duty to help his uncle. \u00abIf one of your coun\u00adtry\u00admen beco\u00admes impo\u00adve\u00adris\u00adhed and the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre has to sell part of his inhe\u00adri\u00adted land, his clo\u00adsest rela\u00adti\u00adve should buy it back for him\u00bb (Deu\u00adte\u00adro\u00adno\u00admy 25:25 NLB<\/span>). Sure\u00adly ever\u00adyo\u00adne would have unders\u00adtood if Jere\u00admi\u00adah did not want to buy the field in the occu\u00adp\u00adied land. Espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly sin\u00adce most of the inha\u00adbi\u00adtants of Isra\u00adel no lon\u00adger obey\u00aded the laws any\u00adway. But he took respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty and hand\u00adled the sale pro\u00adper\u00adly and did not try to extra\u00adct any profit.
\nAlt\u00adhough all the cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances would have sug\u00adgested other\u00adwi\u00adse, Jere\u00admi\u00adah bought the field becau\u00adse he was awa\u00adre of his respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty befo\u00adre God. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ are still cal\u00adled to take respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty today. This may look com\u00adplex depen\u00adding on the situa\u00adti\u00adon. The Let\u00adter of Peter gives us a direc\u00adti\u00adve on how to act in times of fear. \u00abMake Christ the Lord of your life. And if anyo\u00adne asks you about your hope, always be rea\u00addy to give infor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon about it, but be kind and respectful of others\u00bb (1 Peter 3:15\u201316a NLB<\/span>). In Jere\u00admi\u00adah, hope was God\u2019s pro\u00admi\u00adse that the time would come again when God would bring his peo\u00adp\u00adle back to Isra\u00adel (Jere\u00admi\u00adah 32:37\u201338). Today, this hope is based in Jesus Christ. It is based on the fact that no mat\u00adter what comes, he holds the who\u00adle world in his hand and is with his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers. He hims\u00adelf says: \u00abAnd I assu\u00adre you: I am with you always, to the end of the age\u00bb (Matthew 28:20b NLB<\/span>). Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ can say: \u00abI am con\u00advin\u00adced: Not\u00adhing can sepa\u00adra\u00adte us from his love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor powers, neither our fears in the pre\u00adsent nor our worries about the future, not even the powers of hell can sepa\u00adra\u00adte us from God\u2019s love\u00bb (Romans 8:38 NLB<\/span>). This is the hope that sus\u00adta\u00adins and dri\u00adves us. Infor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon about this hope is to be given. But not impo\u00adsed, but when it is asked for. Fri\u00adend\u00adly and full of love and respect for the other per\u00adson. This then also hap\u00adpens from the cent\u00adre of life and not out of reli\u00adgious zeal.
\nIt is this hope that sus\u00adta\u00adins and shapes us. Howe\u00adver, the\u00adre is a dan\u00adger that fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Christ eit\u00adher shirk respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty or get too caught up in a zeal and ther\u00adeby also fail to live up to their mis\u00adsi\u00adon. To ensu\u00adre that neither the one nor the other hap\u00adpens, 1 Peter 3:15\u201316a ser\u00adves as a good basis. It is first about Jesus Christ, i.e. the fading out of all cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances, and then about a rea\u00addi\u00adness to give infor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon at any time, not forced, but fri\u00adend\u00adly. This is the second thing we can learn from Jere\u00admi\u00adah: Taking respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty for what has been ent\u00adrus\u00adted to us.
\nBeco\u00adming a bea\u00adrer of hope
\nThrough his purcha\u00adse, Jere\u00admi\u00adah beca\u00adme a bea\u00adcon of hope. He set a sign of hope. A sign that goes bey\u00adond the pre\u00adsent moment and points to the one who holds ever\u00ady\u00adthing in his hand. For Jeremiah\u2019s future was very uncer\u00adtain and he was bles\u00adsed by what hap\u00adpen\u00aded to many inha\u00adbi\u00adtants of Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem a few years ear\u00adlier. Alre\u00ada\u00addy at that time Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem was taken by the Baby\u00adlo\u00adni\u00adans and part of the eli\u00adte was taken into exi\u00adle to Baby\u00adlon. So he had no assump\u00adti\u00adon that no other fate awai\u00adted him eit\u00adher. Jeremiah\u2019s life was mark\u00aded by suf\u00adfe\u00adring. Yet he remain\u00aded faithful to God, even when all around him beca\u00adme unfaithful. Jeremiah\u2019s faithful\u00adness was shown by the fact that he pla\u00adced his hope in God, that is, he left his worries to God.
\nBut what distin\u00adgu\u00adis\u00adhes Jere\u00admi\u00adah as a bea\u00adrer of hope? Despi\u00adte his mes\u00adsa\u00adge and calls to rep\u00aden\u00adtance, he could not chan\u00adge the cour\u00adse of histo\u00adry. This would only have been pos\u00adsi\u00adble if the peo\u00adp\u00adle lis\u00adten\u00aded to him and his mes\u00adsa\u00adge, eit\u00adher you sur\u00adren\u00adder and live or you fight and die. Jere\u00admi\u00adah beca\u00adme a bea\u00adrer of hope by always spea\u00adking of this hope. He also did this to tho\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle who were pre\u00adsent at the first depor\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon. He told them the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing words of God: \u00abFor I know the plans I have made for you,\u00bb says the Lord. My plan is to give you sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon and not suf\u00adfe\u00adring. I will give you a future and hope\u00bb \u00bb (Jere\u00admi\u00adah 29:11 NLB<\/span>). This in a two\u00adfold sen\u00adse. On the one hand earth\u00adly, on the other spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal. The\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle found a new home in Baby\u00adlon. But home and hope can also be found with God.
\nThis is the third thing that can be lear\u00adned from Jere\u00admi\u00adah. Name\u00adly that fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ should be bea\u00adrers of hope by natu\u00adre. For they point away from all earth\u00adly solu\u00adti\u00adons and all worry\u00ading to Jesus Christ, who took all suf\u00adfe\u00adring, all pain upon hims\u00adelf and threw it into the deepest sea (Micah 7:19).
\nThus, fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ beco\u00adme bea\u00adrers of hope when they remain faithful to God in dif\u00adfi\u00adcult times. \u00abWe rejoice even when worries and pro\u00adblems beset us, becau\u00adse we know that in doing so we learn to beco\u00adme pati\u00adent. But pati\u00adence makes us strong insi\u00adde, and that in turn makes us con\u00adfi\u00addent in the hope of sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon\u00bb (Romans 5:3\u20134 NLB<\/span>). Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ beco\u00adme hop\u00adeful when they con\u00adsider world\u00adly pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons and fame not so important and say, \u00abMy soul says, \u00abThe LORD<\/span> is my por\u00adti\u00adon; in him I will hope\u00bb \u00bb (Lamen\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons 3:24 NLB<\/span>). Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers beco\u00adme bea\u00adrers of hope when they tell of what Jesus Christ has done for them. \u00abPrai\u00adse be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for in his gre\u00adat mer\u00adcy he has given us new birth. Now we have a living hope becau\u00adse Jesus Christ has risen from the dead\u00bb (1 Peter 1:3 NLB<\/span>). Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers are then bea\u00adrers of hope when they rea\u00adli\u00adse that they do not have to be in con\u00adtrol of ever\u00ady\u00adthing and can\u00adnot bear ever\u00ady\u00adthing alo\u00adne. \u00abThen Jesus said, \u00abCome to me, all you who are wea\u00adry and car\u00adry hea\u00advy bur\u00addens, and I will give you rest\u00bb \u00bb (Matthew 11:28 NLB<\/span>).
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Jere\u00admi\u00adah 32<\/p>\n
\n\tHow do you clas\u00adsi\u00adfy the purcha\u00adse of Jere\u00admi\u00adah? What cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtance occu\u00adp\u00adies you per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly very much and has the dan\u00adger of taking up all your time and ener\u00adgy? What pre\u00advents you from igno\u00adring this circumstance?
\n\tDo you under\u00adstand Jeremiah\u2019s duty, why he had to buy this field?
\n\tHow do you feel about your respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty to bear wit\u00adness to your hope? How would you descri\u00adbe this hope?
\n\tDo you find it easy to talk to others about faith in a respectful, fri\u00adend\u00adly and respectful way?
\n\tWhich per\u00adson is a bea\u00adcon of hope for you? What inspi\u00adres you about this person?
\n\tWhat pre\u00advents you per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly from being a bea\u00adrer of hope? What could you do to beco\u00adme a bea\u00adrer of hope?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"