With the year 2023, God gives us time again that we can invest. We look to Jesus, who used his time in an exem\u00adpla\u00adry way (Heb. 12:2). He had a goal, prio\u00adri\u00adties and a part\u00adner\u00adship that hel\u00adped him suc\u00adceed. The goal gives us the direc\u00adtion to take. The prio\u00adri\u00adties, the way to reach the goal, the part\u00adner\u00adship with God and other Chris\u00adti\u00adans the strength to go this way. <\/p>\n
\tWhat do you think God has cal\u00adled you to do? (care\u00ader \u2013 fami\u00adly \u2013 talents \u2013 etc.) With the year 2023, God is once again giving us time that we can invest. We turn our atten\u00adti\u00adon to Jesus, who used his time in an exem\u00adpla\u00adry way (Heb. 12:2). He had a goal, prio\u00adri\u00adties and a part\u00adner\u00adship that hel\u00adped him to suc\u00adceed. The goal gives us the direc\u00adtion we should take. The prio\u00adri\u00adties, the path to\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7068,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[73],"wpfc_sermon_series":[81],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-daniel-bieri","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-creatio","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7008","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
\nTime can\u00adnot be stopped
\n2023 \u2013 Wow \u2013 ano\u00adther new year. I have fond memo\u00adries of New Year\u2019s Eve 1978. We set off a table bomb to cele\u00adbra\u00adte the new year. Only then did we rea\u00adli\u00adse that it had been pla\u00adced under the table\u2019s cei\u00adling light. The bomb went off and our par\u00adlour was dark after\u00adwards. I also remem\u00adber the big fuss about the new mill\u00aden\u00adni\u00adum. The\u00adre were sup\u00adpo\u00adsed to be power cuts, com\u00adpu\u00adters and aero\u00adpla\u00adnes cras\u00adhing, all becau\u00adse of a pro\u00adgramming error. And now it\u2019s alre\u00ada\u00addy the year 2023. Is it just me or do you yours\u00adelf feel that time is fly\u00ading by at breakneck speed? It can\u2019t be stop\u00adped and is slip\u00adping out of our hands. Our earth\u00adly life is like an hour\u00adglass and one day it will run out.
\nPer\u00adhaps we some\u00adti\u00admes ask our\u00adsel\u00adves how wise\u00adly we are using the time we have been given? As fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus, it is good to eva\u00adlua\u00adte our lives occa\u00adsio\u00adnal\u00adly and cor\u00adrect them if neces\u00adsa\u00adry. I look back at 2022 and ask mys\u00adelf if I have used my time and ener\u00adgies in the right place? Am I in the place I want to be? One of the worst things that can hap\u00adpen in life is when we let time go to was\u00adte. Bet\u00adter than reg\u00adret\u00adting our past is to be able to look back at the end of our lives and be satis\u00adfied. But I think this is only pos\u00adsi\u00adble if we have a clear pic\u00adtu\u00adre in advan\u00adce of what we want to achieve.
\nJesus our role model
\nIn our faith, Jesus is our role model. He had a clear pic\u00adtu\u00adre of his mis\u00adsi\u00adon in life. When Jesus was about thir\u00adty years old, he was given the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to read the Scrip\u00adtures. He cho\u00adse the pro\u00adphe\u00adcy of Isai\u00adah, which descri\u00adbes the coming Saviour: \u00abThe Spi\u00adrit of the Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anoin\u00adted me. He has sent me with a com\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adon to bring good news to the poor, to pro\u00adcla\u00adim liber\u00adty to the cap\u00adti\u00adves and reco\u00advery of sight to the blind, to bring free\u00addom to the oppres\u00adsed, and to pro\u00adcla\u00adim a year of favour from the Lord\u00bb (Luke 4:18\u201319 NKJV<\/span>). He then sat down. Many theo\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adans take this point in time as the begin\u00adning of his public minis\u00adtry and preaching.
\nJesus had a pre\u00adcise visi\u00adon of his voca\u00adti\u00adon. But even more than that, he rea\u00adched the goal by set\u00adting the right prio\u00adri\u00adties. He knew what was important to achie\u00adve the goal. One of his prio\u00adri\u00adties see\u00admed to be in con\u00adtra\u00addic\u00adtion with his cal\u00adling. The disci\u00adples were frus\u00adtra\u00adted seve\u00adral times when Jesus bro\u00adke away to be in silence with the Father. His fri\u00adends could not under\u00adstand why he elu\u00added so many in need when they despera\u00adte\u00adly nee\u00added his help. Jesus knew that wit\u00adhout the Father he could achie\u00adve not\u00adhing (John 8:28). His rela\u00adti\u00adonship with his Father see\u00admed to get in the way of his work, but Jesus knew what was more important.
\nIt is the same with us. We also need a visi\u00adon befo\u00adre our eyes. But even this cal\u00adling does not over\u00adri\u00adde bibli\u00adcal prio\u00adri\u00adties. In the book of Hebrews, we read that we must run towards the goal with per\u00adse\u00adver\u00adance like a com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtor. In doing so, we should \u00abfix our eyes on Jesus\u00bb (Hebrews 12:2 New Tes\u00adta\u00adment). I like the word judge. I ima\u00adgi\u00adne how a came\u00adra\u00adman sets up his came\u00adra and fol\u00adlows the actor. The Hope for All Bible trans\u00adla\u00adtes it a litt\u00adle dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly: \u00abLet us not look to the left or to the right, but only to Jesus.\u00bb This ver\u00adse descri\u00adbes what must take prio\u00adri\u00adty in our lives in order to arri\u00adve at our desti\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon. The ver\u00adse takes us even fur\u00adther: \u00abHe has given us faith and will keep it until we reach our goal.\u00bb This sen\u00adtence descri\u00adbes the part\u00adner\u00adship we need in order to reach our desti\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon. We can only reach the goal if we walk the path with His strength.
\nThen in the next part: \u00abHe took upon hims\u00adelf the death of the cross in view of the unsur\u00adpas\u00adsa\u00adble joy (visi\u00adon) that lies ahead of him. He paid no atten\u00adti\u00adon to the shame asso\u00adcia\u00adted with it\u00bb (Hebrews 12:2 DBU<\/span>). This ver\u00adse descri\u00adbes his moti\u00adve in suf\u00adfe\u00adring. Jesus had a visi\u00adon of what his going to the cross would bring about. I am con\u00advin\u00adced that Jesus had a reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon in advan\u00adce. He saw how the peo\u00adp\u00adle He loved would be with Him in the king\u00addom of hea\u00adven. Tog\u00ade\u00adther with the Father and the Spi\u00adrit, they have a super com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty. This joyful sight moved him to take upon hims\u00adelf the hor\u00adren\u00addous death on the cross. Jesus saw the for\u00adsa\u00adken\u00adness of Tho\u00admas or Ursi, of you and me, that he accept\u00aded the most bru\u00adtal pain.
\nJesus was pre\u00adpared to suf\u00adfer in order to achie\u00adve this joy. In the Ger\u00adman lan\u00adguage the\u00adre is a word for this, it is cal\u00adled Lei\u00adden\u00adschaft. We use the word in ever\u00ady\u00adday speech. It is the wil\u00adling\u00adness to suf\u00adfer in order to achie\u00adve some\u00adthing. We say: He is a pas\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adte artist, musi\u00adci\u00adan, gar\u00adde\u00adner or sports\u00adman. Most peo\u00adp\u00adle have one or more pas\u00adsi\u00adons. I like cycling and have rea\u00adli\u00adsed that cycling is not always downhill. The\u00adre are the steep, swea\u00adty, pain\u00adful, heart-pum\u00adping, lung-bur\u00adning clim\u00adbs under a bru\u00adt\u00adally scor\u00adching sun. But I\u2019m hap\u00adpy to put up with the suf\u00adfe\u00adring, I\u2019m alre\u00ada\u00addy thin\u00adking about the joy I\u2019ll have on the pass, on the cool downhill ride or after the shower.
\nIn life, hop\u00adeful\u00adly, the\u00adre are other goals bes\u00adi\u00addes hob\u00adbies that we are pas\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adte about. The begin\u00adning of the year is a good oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to think about what is important. It\u2019s a new year, which gives us a new chan\u00adce to get it right.
\nThe gift of time
\nInci\u00adden\u00adtal\u00adly, while I am tal\u00adking here in front, sand con\u00adti\u00adnues to run through the hour\u00adglass. It repres\u00adents the pas\u00adsing of time. The beau\u00adty of an hour\u00adglass is that you can turn it around. In real life, unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, you can\u2019t turn back time. The posi\u00adti\u00adve thing, howe\u00adver, is that in many cases you are given more time again. We won\u2019t get 2022 back, but hop\u00adeful\u00adly we will expe\u00adri\u00adence the who\u00adle of 2023. Hop\u00adeful\u00adly God will give us ano\u00adther year.
\nWhat will the year 2023 bring us? It\u2019s 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days \u2013 8760 hours or 525,600 minu\u00adtes. For tho\u00adse of you who haven\u2019t alre\u00ada\u00addy lost count by hea\u00adring all the\u00adse num\u00adbers, I have a few extra num\u00adbers rea\u00addy. For this year, we have been given around 7 mil\u00adli\u00adon breaths and 37 mil\u00adli\u00adon heart\u00adbeats. And each one could be the last. Under the deno\u00admi\u00adna\u00adtor, the\u00adse num\u00adbers repre\u00adsent time. God gives us this time.
\nUse time wisely
\nNow I would like to beco\u00adme more figu\u00adra\u00adti\u00adve again. God has given us a cer\u00adtain amount of time on earth. This glass con\u00adtai\u00adner sym\u00adbo\u00adli\u00adses the time we have at our dis\u00adpo\u00adsal. In our dai\u00adly lives, a day \/ week \/ month fills up quick\u00adly. The small grains of sand in the hour\u00adglass sym\u00adbo\u00adli\u00adse how time pas\u00adses. If we are not proac\u00adti\u00adve, the who\u00adle con\u00adtai\u00adner fills up with things we don\u2019t want. Let\u2019s assu\u00adme our goal is a fami\u00adly that fol\u00adlows Jesus. Start\u00ading a fami\u00adly requi\u00adres money and usual\u00adly we have to work for it. This big stone in the con\u00adtai\u00adner sym\u00adbo\u00adli\u00adses the time we need to work. Working is important: the Bible tea\u00adches us that we can and must pro\u00advi\u00adde for our fami\u00adlies (1 Timo\u00adthy 5:8). Child\u00adren take up a lot of time: you need enough time to help with home\u00adwork, watch films, go shop\u00adping, chauf\u00adfeur them to sports events or music les\u00adsons and much more. Per\u00adhaps we still have a litt\u00adle time for our part\u00adner. As Chris\u00adti\u00adans, we need time for our rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God. This still has half a chan\u00adce. Then we should still help our neigh\u00adbour \u2026 but \u2026 as we can see, the\u00adre is no more room for that. And yes, hel\u00adping out at church would also be good\u2026
\nYes, this time manage\u00adment did\u00adn\u2019t quite work out. Let\u2019s start again and set the right prio\u00adri\u00adties right at the begin\u00adning. The most important thing is our rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God. Work is also very important. As alre\u00ada\u00addy men\u00adtio\u00adned, it is extre\u00adme\u00adly important that we take care of our fami\u00adlies. Fur\u00adther\u00admo\u00adre, our life part\u00adner, the child\u00adren, our voca\u00adti\u00adon, and lo and behold: with the right prio\u00adri\u00adties, much more fits in.
\nTo sum\u00adma\u00adri\u00adse: in life, we have to prio\u00adri\u00adti\u00adse, other\u00adwi\u00adse we will never get to whe\u00adre we want to be. If you don\u2019t plan, you\u2019ll end up being plan\u00adned and not whe\u00adre you want to be or should be. Visi\u00adons, prio\u00adri\u00adties &<\/span> part\u00adner\u00adships get us whe\u00adre we want to go. The visi\u00adon gives us the direc\u00adtion, the prio\u00adri\u00adties the path to get the\u00adre. Part\u00adner\u00adships give us the strength to fol\u00adlow this path.
\nFinal\u00adly, I would like to be spe\u00adci\u00adfic. I read recent\u00adly that one of the main reasons we don\u2019t suc\u00adcessful\u00adly mana\u00adge chan\u00adge in life is that we often take on too much at once. I think it\u2019s good if we focus on one prio\u00adri\u00adty. I belie\u00adve that during pray\u00ader and wor\u00adship God speaks to us. He will show us for which prio\u00adri\u00adty we should call on his strength.
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat are gene\u00adral\u00adly valid prio\u00adri\u00adties for Jesus followers?
\n\tDo you still remem\u00adber your reso\u00adlu\u00adti\u00adons for 2022? Which ones did you have?
\n\tAre you satis\u00adfied with the year 2022?
\n\tWhe\u00adre do you think God wants to set a prio\u00adri\u00adty in 2023?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"