Sanc\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon means that Christ takes shape in us and incre\u00adasing\u00adly cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adri\u00adses our lives. A new way of being leads to a new way of doing. Chris\u00adti\u00adans tend to shor\u00adten this pro\u00adcess by acting on their own initia\u00adti\u00adve. The result is sobering. It is our con\u00adcern that we as a church do not defi\u00adne our\u00adsel\u00adves by our pro\u00adgram\u00adme, but by the qua\u00adli\u00adty of sanc\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon among the people.<\/p>\n
When I was a litt\u00adle boy, I had many exci\u00adting adven\u00adtures with the gang in our neigh\u00adbour\u00adhood. Hun\u00adting foxes, shoo\u00adting spar\u00adrows, batt\u00adles with the \u00ablower vil\u00adla\u00adgers\u00bb, play\u00ading Indi\u00adans in the feed store of a pig fat\u00adtening farm, foot\u00adball on the main road, etc. On Sun\u00adday, on the other hand, we had to get into our creased trou\u00adsers, put on the white turt\u00adlen\u00adeck jum\u00adper with the knit\u00adted slee\u00adve\u00adl\u00adess jum\u00adper and step into our polished shoes. Our big\u00adgest task now was to keep our Sun\u00adday clo\u00adthes within the per\u00admit\u00adted cle\u00adan\u00adli\u00adne\u00adss tole\u00adrance. Can you ima\u00adgi\u00adne how tedious that was for wild boys? Our hearts were still the same, but our out\u00adward appearance was trim\u00admed for Sun\u00adday school. Labo\u00adrious, half-hear\u00adted \u2013 for us and for our friends. \tWhy is it so easy for Chris\u00adti\u00adans to beco\u00adme legalistic? Sanc\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon means that Christ takes shape in us and incre\u00adasing\u00adly cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adri\u00adses our lives. A new way of being leads to a new way of doing. Chris\u00adti\u00adans tend to shor\u00adten this pro\u00adcess by acting on their own initia\u00adti\u00adve. The result is sobering. It is our con\u00adcern that we as a church do not defi\u00adne our\u00adsel\u00adves by our pro\u00adgram\u00adme, but by the quality\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7631,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[90],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-heilig-heilig-heilig","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7609","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
\nA church in Gala\u00adtia had a simi\u00adlar pro\u00adblem. After the good news of Jesus rea\u00adched them, they expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced deep chan\u00adge from the insi\u00adde out. The peo\u00adp\u00adle were sanc\u00adti\u00adfied, trans\u00adfor\u00admed into the image of Jesus. For some reason, their good cour\u00adse was stop\u00adped. They beca\u00adme lega\u00adli\u00adstic and self-righ\u00adteous, which led to the ter\u00adri\u00adble dise\u00ada\u00adse of reli\u00adgious self-righ\u00adteous\u00adness. Sun\u00adday clo\u00adthes wit\u00adhout a chan\u00adged heart. This sta\u00adte of affairs led Paul to dig in and try to wake up the church with harsh words. He expres\u00adsed his con\u00adcern very meta\u00adpho\u00adri\u00adcal\u00adly: \u00abMy child\u00adren, it is as if I had to give birth to you a second time. I am suf\u00adfe\u00adring labour pains once more until Christ takes shape in your lives\u00bb (Gala\u00adti\u00adans 4:19 NRSV<\/span>).
\nChrist in us \u2013 that is the foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon of all sanc\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, we Chris\u00adti\u00adans tend to be satis\u00adfied with a sur\u00adface polish after a good start. Christ wants to take shape in our lives. Labour pains are no child\u2019s play and vary from seve\u00adre to very seve\u00adre. The ten\u00adden\u00adcy towards lega\u00adlism is so deep-sea\u00adted that redi\u00adrec\u00adting it demands ever\u00ady\u00adthing from Paul and is painful.
\nWhat does it mean to be trans\u00adfor\u00admed from the way of the world to the way of Jesus? How can Jesus take shape in us so that our thoughts and actions are cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adri\u00adsed by grace and love and not by pres\u00adsu\u00adre and reli\u00adgious prin\u00adci\u00adples? Three move\u00adments lead to a healt\u00adhy sanc\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon that exu\u00addes joy and freedom.
\nFrom doing to being
\nOne of the most obvious cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristics of dai\u00adly life is that we are busy. Our days are fil\u00adled with duties, mee\u00adtings and pro\u00adjects \u2013 like over\u00ads\u00adtuf\u00adfed suit\u00adca\u00adses threa\u00adtening to burst. The\u00adre is always some\u00adthing unfi\u00adnis\u00adhed that we need to do. When we stop doing, we stop being. During my sab\u00adba\u00adti\u00adcal, I pain\u00adful\u00adly expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced how deep\u00adly this has beco\u00adme con\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adned in my life.
\nA big pro\u00adblem is that fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus \u2013 influen\u00adced by the world \u2013 do things for Jesus, but do not beco\u00adme like Jesus. We tend to work for Jesus wit\u00adhout the heart of Jesus. It is pos\u00adsi\u00adble to do the things of the church wit\u00adhout Christ in us. We can enjoy the fel\u00adlow\u00adship at church, be touch\u00aded by the music, the light and may\u00adbe even the ser\u00admon and eat the piz\u00adza from the bis\u00adtro wit\u00adhout a deep encoun\u00adter with Christ. The Gala\u00adti\u00adans do a lot, but fail to be shaped by Christ from within. Sim\u00adply being part of a church does not lead to sanc\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon. We want to be a church that is not defi\u00adned by the qua\u00adli\u00adty of its music, wel\u00adco\u00adming cul\u00adtu\u00adre or prea\u00adching, but by the qua\u00adli\u00adty of the peo\u00adp\u00adle who belong to it. Nevert\u00adhel\u00adess, we work hard on appe\u00adal\u00ading pro\u00adgram\u00admes becau\u00adse you can\u00adnot honour God with half-heartedness.
\nPaul names the test cri\u00adter\u00adion for true Chris\u00adtia\u00adni\u00adty: \u00abExami\u00adne your\u00adsel\u00adves to see whe\u00adther you are in the faith; test your\u00adsel\u00adves! Or do you not reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse in your\u00adsel\u00adves that Jesus Christ is in you? If not, you would not be pro\u00adven\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 13: 5 LUT<\/span>).
\nPeo\u00adp\u00adle who only enjoy the bene\u00adfits of the pro\u00adgram\u00adme run away from God when things get dif\u00adfi\u00adcult in life. On the other hand, tho\u00adse who have tru\u00adly encoun\u00adte\u00adred God and his grace grow in the face of dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adties. When we have deep encoun\u00adters with Christ in us and his grace, not\u00adhing can sepa\u00adra\u00adte us from the love of God.
\nKing David pro\u00advi\u00added an inten\u00adsi\u00adve divi\u00adne pro\u00adgram\u00adme. He brought the tent of God\u2019s pre\u00adsence to Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem and set up 24<\/sup>\u20447<\/sub> wor\u00adship. His moral fail\u00adure with adul\u00adtery and the respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty of the mur\u00adder of Uriah, the decei\u00adved man, hap\u00adpen\u00aded when the pray\u00ader room was in full ope\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon. The out\u00adward pro\u00adgram\u00adme was per\u00adfect, but not his heart. In Psalm 51, he deals with his fail\u00adure: \u00abYou are not satis\u00adfied with sacri\u00adfices, other\u00adwi\u00adse I would have brought them to you, and you would not accept burnt offe\u00adrings eit\u00adher. The sacri\u00adfice that plea\u00adses you is a bro\u00adken spi\u00adrit. You, God, will not reject a con\u00adtri\u00adte, rep\u00aden\u00adtant heart\u00bb (Psalm 51:18f NLB<\/span>). And: \u00abGod, crea\u00adte in me a clean heart and give me a new, sin\u00adce\u00adre spi\u00adrit\u00bb (v.12 NLB<\/span>). It is not the pious pro\u00adgram\u00adme that chan\u00adges us, but a heart trans\u00adplant. Our being and not our doing is the basis of sanctification.
\nFrom the sur\u00adface to the depths
\nIn Matthew\u2019s Gos\u00adpel in par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar, Jesus repea\u00adted\u00adly calls on us not to limit our\u00adsel\u00adves to out\u00adward appearan\u00adces, but to do the stre\u00adnuous work on the heart. He con\u00adfronts the scri\u00adbes and Pha\u00adri\u00adsees: \u00abYou hypo\u00adcri\u00adtes! You are careful to keep your cups and pla\u00adtes clean on the out\u00adside, but on the insi\u00adde you are cor\u00adrupt through and through \u2013 full of envy and excess!\u00bb (Matthew 23:25 NLB<\/span>). The Ser\u00admon on the Mount is an invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon to focus on our hearts and not just on \u00abdoing the right thing\u00bb. It is not mur\u00adder that is wrong, but anger in the heart; it is not adul\u00adtery that is to be con\u00addem\u00adned, but cove\u00adtous\u00adness, etc.
\nOne aut\u00adhor of spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal books has divi\u00added the human heart into three are\u00adas, ana\u00adlog\u00adous to a body of water: The shal\u00adlows, the midd\u00adle ground and the deep. The shal\u00adlows are con\u00adcer\u00adned with tri\u00advi\u00adal mat\u00adters such as sports results or the wea\u00adther. The midd\u00adle depth deals with our per\u00adso\u00adnal situa\u00adti\u00adon, the chall\u00adenge of being alo\u00adne or mar\u00adria\u00adge. The deep end is about the ques\u00adti\u00adon of who we real\u00adly are, whe\u00adre we real\u00adly belong. Most of what hap\u00adpens in the church lies bet\u00adween the shal\u00adlows and the midd\u00adle ground. The gos\u00adpel, on the other hand, is fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtal and ans\u00adwers the ques\u00adti\u00adon of who we are. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, we are so dis\u00adtrac\u00adted in our busy lives that it is dif\u00adfi\u00adcult for the good news to reach our deepest places.
\nHow does God move from the sur\u00adface to the depths of our hearts? David has alre\u00ada\u00addy ans\u00adwe\u00adred the ques\u00adti\u00adon in Psalm 51 and is con\u00adfirm\u00aded by Isai\u00adah: \u00abFor thus says the High and Lof\u00adty One who dwells in eter\u00adni\u00adty, the One who\u00adse name is the Holy One: I dwell in the high and holy place and with tho\u00adse who have a bro\u00adken and humi\u00adlia\u00adted spi\u00adrit, to revi\u00adve the humi\u00adlia\u00adted, and to revi\u00adve the bro\u00adken\u00adhe\u00adar\u00adted\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 57:15 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe key words are humi\u00adli\u00adty and bro\u00adken\u00adness. We need to dis\u00adcard any proud self-righ\u00adteous\u00adness and capi\u00adtu\u00adla\u00adte. We need a new heart, a new iden\u00adti\u00adty, a new sen\u00adse of belon\u00adging out of the rea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon that we can\u00adnot do it our\u00adsel\u00adves. True sanc\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon can only grow out of a new iden\u00adti\u00adty. The Israe\u00adli foot\u00adball team depict bro\u00adken hearts as a sign of com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon and grief when play\u00ading their anthem. A bro\u00adken heart suf\u00adfers from the ina\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty to make it on its own. The water\u00adtight shell beco\u00admes per\u00admeable so that Christ can take shape in us: \u00abBut this means that whoe\u00adver lives with Christ beco\u00admes a new per\u00adson. He is no lon\u00adger the same, becau\u00adse his old life is over. A new life has begun!\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 5:17 NLB<\/span>). Someone shared how he lost two adult child\u00adren, one to sui\u00adci\u00adde. \u00abThis expe\u00adri\u00adence brought me the grea\u00adtest pain I have ever suf\u00adfe\u00adr\u00aded. I knew my pain had gre\u00adat ener\u00adgy, so I asked God to use it for my heal\u00ading. Gre\u00adat suf\u00adfe\u00adring and gre\u00adat love are paths to trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon \u2013 that was the case for me.\u00bb
\nWe need an awa\u00adre\u00adness of God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss, His righ\u00adteous\u00adness and His love and at the same time an awa\u00adre\u00adness of my sin\u00adful\u00adness. Phil\u00adip Melan\u00adchthon said: \u00abHe who has never shed tears over hims\u00adelf must see whe\u00adther he has unders\u00adtood any\u00adthing about the new life.\u00bb Sin means that I trust in some\u00adthing other than God, e.g. in my actions for Jesus.
\nHas the gos\u00adpel alre\u00ada\u00addy rea\u00adched the depths of your life?
\nFrom bon\u00adda\u00adge to freedom
\nSanc\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon means that you are free from the power of sin and the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre have the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to beco\u00adme a new per\u00adson. A new iden\u00adti\u00adty results in new beha\u00adviour, com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly free from a world\u00adly, defor\u00admed iden\u00adti\u00adty. We die to that which kills us and rise to that which heals us. This hap\u00adpens in the rebirth. To be holy means to be set apart, who\u00adle, who\u00adle and with inte\u00adgri\u00adty. Insi\u00adde and out\u00adside are the same. Our actions do not have to be per\u00adfect, but more and more in harm\u00ado\u00adny with Christ within us. We must stop try\u00ading to com\u00adpen\u00adsa\u00adte for inner defi\u00adci\u00adts through out\u00adward beha\u00adviour. Sanc\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon means that Christ takes shape in us more and more. The goal of this is life in free\u00addom. This is the aim of the enti\u00adre let\u00adter to the Gala\u00adti\u00adans. \u00abChrist has set us free! Stand firm, the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, and do not let the yoke of slavery be put on you again!\u00bb (Gala\u00adti\u00adans 5:1 LUT<\/span>). Free\u00addom is an over\u00adflow of life from Christ in us into our lives.
\nUnder pres\u00adsu\u00adre, what is pre\u00adsent within us comes out of us. Under maxi\u00admum ima\u00adgi\u00adnable pres\u00adsu\u00adre, dying on the cross, Jesus pours out pure love. He for\u00adgi\u00adves his enemies and takes care of his mother. Christ in us cau\u00adses us to expe\u00adri\u00adence such a deep trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon. When Christ takes shape in us, this is reflec\u00adted in the fruit of the Holy Spi\u00adrit \u00abIf, on the other hand, the Holy Spi\u00adrit rules our lives, he will cau\u00adse com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent fruit to grow in us: Love, joy, peace, pati\u00adence, kind\u00adness, good\u00adness, faithful\u00adness, gent\u00adle\u00adness and self-con\u00adtrol. [\u2026]\u00bb (Gala\u00adti\u00adans 5:22 NLB<\/span>).
\nChrist in us \u2013 that is the key to sanc\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon. Tho\u00adse who live with Christ do not have some\u00adthing spe\u00adcial about them, but some\u00adthing mar\u00advell\u00adous within them. In Ger\u00adman, it is not usu\u00adal to descri\u00adbe the uni\u00adon of two peo\u00adp\u00adle as if one is in the other. I am mar\u00adried to Sil\u00advia, but not in her. The\u00adre is one excep\u00adti\u00adon: when a woman falls in love, she is not in love with the man, but with him. That\u2019s signi\u00adfi\u00adcant. This love rela\u00adti\u00adonship needs to be nur\u00adtu\u00adred. The one who knows me best loves me the most! In this inti\u00adma\u00adte rela\u00adti\u00adonship, Christ takes shape in us and chan\u00adges us into his image.
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Psalm 51<\/p>\n
\n\tWhy is being more important than doing in sanc\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon? Whe\u00adre and how does the gos\u00adpel begin?
\n\tWhich levels of the heart (shal\u00adlow, midd\u00adle, deep) do you talk about in the small group?
\n\tUnder pres\u00adsu\u00adre, what we real\u00adly have in our hearts comes out of our hearts. What expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces do you have with this truth?
\n\tHow can Christ take shape in us? How can we encou\u00adra\u00adge this?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"