{"id":7667,"date":"2023-12-31T09:45:03","date_gmt":"2023-12-31T08:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sermons.seetal-chile.ch\/?post_type=wpfc_sermon&p=7667"},"modified":"2024-02-01T14:46:48","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T13:46:48","slug":"liebe-groesser-als-spektakulaere-wunder","status":"publish","type":"wpfc_sermon","link":"https:\/\/sermons.seetal-chile.ch\/en\/sermons\/liebe-groesser-als-spektakulaere-wunder\/","title":{"rendered":"Love \u2013 grea\u00adter than spec\u00adta\u00adcu\u00adlar miracles"},"content":{"rendered":"

The mot\u00adto for 2024 was ori\u00adgi\u00adnal\u00adly said to the Church of Corinth: \u00abEver\u00ady\u00adthing you do should be done in love\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 16:14 NLB<\/span>). In the con\u00adtext of the cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances at the time, the\u00adse words take on gre\u00adat poignan\u00adcy. The much grea\u00adter mira\u00adcle than spec\u00adta\u00adcu\u00adlar spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal gifts is love. Spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal gifts do not neces\u00ads\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly grow on the soil of the gos\u00adpel, but love does. Wit\u00adhout love, faith suf\u00adfo\u00adca\u00adtes \u2013 it is the breathing air of faith.<\/p>\n

The mot\u00adto for 2024 seems suc\u00adcinct: \u00abEver\u00ady\u00adthing you do should be done in love\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 16:14 NLB<\/span>). \u00abThat\u2019s obvious!\u00bb, most peo\u00adp\u00adle will agree. We also like to say to quar\u00adrel\u00adling child\u00adren: \u00abBe kind to each other!\u00bb A sen\u00adtence like this is easy to say. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing you do should be done in love, not by cove\u00adring up all con\u00adflicts with a cloak of love. And \u00abIt\u2019s clear!\u00bb does\u00adn\u2019t mean: \u00abGo for it!\u00bb The\u00adre are worlds in bet\u00adween. Paul wri\u00adtes this chal\u00adlen\u00adging sen\u00adtence at the end of 1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans. It is pre\u00adce\u00added by 15 chap\u00adters, inclu\u00adding the world-famous Song of Songs.
\nThe story
\nCorinth is a city on a 7 km wide isth\u00admus in the cent\u00adre of Greece. The upper pro\u00advin\u00adces are con\u00adnec\u00adted to the lower ones by this isth\u00admus. Corinth was a tra\u00adding cent\u00adre and the ide\u00adal place to earn money. Corinth was also a tran\u00adsit point for sea\u00adfa\u00adrers. Anyo\u00adne tra\u00advel\u00adling by ship from east to west could load their goods onto ano\u00adther ship in Corinth after a short land trans\u00adport and con\u00adti\u00adnue their jour\u00adney. Alter\u00adna\u00adtively, they had to tra\u00advel hundreds of kilo\u00adme\u00adt\u00adres around the sou\u00adthern end of Greece. Anyo\u00adne tra\u00adding in goods could not avo\u00adid Corinth.
\nBecau\u00adse Corinth had rebel\u00adled against the Roman Empire, the city was des\u00adtroy\u00aded by the Romans in 146 BC<\/span> and razed to the ground. Nobo\u00addy lived here for the next 100 years. Then Juli\u00adus Cae\u00adsar pla\u00adced a Roman gar\u00adri\u00adson in Corinth and deci\u00added to found a Roman colo\u00adny. Ano\u00adther 100 years pas\u00adsed befo\u00adre Paul wro\u00adte his let\u00adter to the Corin\u00adthi\u00adans. During this time, Corinth explo\u00added from not\u00adhing into one of the lar\u00adgest cities in the world at the time. What was uni\u00adque was that the\u00adre was no ori\u00adgi\u00adnal popu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon and the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre no aris\u00adto\u00adcra\u00adcy or tra\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon. The peo\u00adp\u00adle who came to Corinth wan\u00adted to be suc\u00adcessful and make money. Abo\u00adve Corinth the\u00adre was a moun\u00adtain on which the temp\u00adle of Aphro\u00addi\u00adte stood. Every night, 1000 pro\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtes came down to the city to offer them\u00adsel\u00adves. The city was den\u00adse\u00adly popu\u00adla\u00adted, diver\u00adse, mul\u00adti-eth\u00adnic, suc\u00adcess-ori\u00aden\u00adta\u00adted and sex-obses\u00adsed. The verb to corin\u00adthise was coin\u00aded at that time. It means to live in com\u00adple\u00adte moral depra\u00advi\u00adty wit\u00adhout adhe\u00adring to rules.
\nCorinth is the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre the last place whe\u00adre we think peo\u00adp\u00adle will turn back to God. Yet God pro\u00admi\u00adsed Paul that he would plant a church here of all places (Acts 18:9). This church was uni\u00adque for Paul becau\u00adse it was a sign for him that the gos\u00adpel real\u00adly can chan\u00adge ever\u00adyo\u00adne. He lists the kind of peo\u00adp\u00adle who were here: \u00ab[\u2026] peo\u00adp\u00adle who enga\u00adge in for\u00adni\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon, ido\u00adla\u00adters, adul\u00adte\u00adrers, pro\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtes, homo\u00adse\u00adxu\u00adals, thie\u00adves, cove\u00adtous, drun\u00adkards, blas\u00adphemers, rob\u00adbers [\u2026] Form\u00ader\u00adly this was true of some of you, but now your sins have been washed away and you have been set apart for God. You have been jus\u00adti\u00adfied befo\u00adre God by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spi\u00adrit of God\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 6:9\u201311 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle did not have a good midd\u00adle-class back\u00adground. They did ever\u00ady\u00adthing that God for\u00adbids. But at the same time, it was the most gifted church ever. The\u00adse Chris\u00adti\u00adans were able to make a dif\u00adfe\u00adrence, had gre\u00adat elo\u00adquence and insight, per\u00adfor\u00admed gre\u00adat mira\u00adcles and were powerful visio\u00adna\u00adries. The Corin\u00adthi\u00adans were the most bril\u00adli\u00adant and at the same time the most chal\u00adlen\u00adging church.
\nThe bomb
\nIt is pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly into this geni\u00adus that Paul deto\u00adna\u00adtes a bomb: \u00abIf I could speak with the ton\u00adgues of the world or with the ton\u00adgues of angels, but have not love, my speech would be as a sound\u00adless noi\u00adse, like a gong or a tin\u00adk\u00adling bell. If I had the gift of pro\u00adphe\u00adcy and knew all mys\u00adte\u00adries and had all know\u00adledge, and if I had a faith that could move moun\u00adta\u00adins but had no love, I would be not\u00adhing. If I gave ever\u00ady\u00adthing I own to the poor and even sacri\u00adfi\u00adced my body so that I might be hono\u00adu\u00adred, but had no love, ever\u00ady\u00adthing would be wort\u00adhl\u00adess\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 13:1\u20133 NLB<\/span>).
\nWe can have a lot of gene\u00adral and even mira\u00adcu\u00adlous gifts and at the same time have no love. And that means that someone is not even just spi\u00adri\u00adtual\u00adly imma\u00adtu\u00adre, but spi\u00adri\u00adtual\u00adly non-exis\u00adtent. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing we do wit\u00adhout love is noi\u00adse to God. It is pos\u00adsi\u00adble to do the same mira\u00adcles as Jesus wit\u00adhout having expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced the saving grace of God in our hearts. It is not the spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal gifts that are the pro\u00adblem, but the lack of love. Paul men\u00adti\u00adons a few sen\u00adten\u00adces later that he speaks in ton\u00adgues more than the Corin\u00adthi\u00adans (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 14:18).
\nDon\u2019t we all dream of being in a church whe\u00adre signs, won\u00adders and healings hap\u00adpen? Would\u00adn\u2019t it be won\u00adderful to be a mem\u00adber of the church in Corinth? Paul dia\u00adme\u00adtri\u00adcal\u00adly oppo\u00adses such thin\u00adking. The Holy Spi\u00adrit can use gifts in peo\u00adp\u00adle who have never given their heart to the Lord. Aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adty in the name of Jesus Christ alo\u00adne is not a sign of genui\u00adne disci\u00adple\u00adship to Jesus. Out\u00adward spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal suc\u00adcess is no pro\u00adof that a per\u00adson has been born again and has the right to call hims\u00adelf a child of God.
\nInci\u00adden\u00adtal\u00adly, Jesus alre\u00ada\u00addy held the same opi\u00adni\u00adon. He said to peo\u00adp\u00adle who had pro\u00adphe\u00adsied, cast out demons and per\u00adfor\u00admed mira\u00adcles in his name: \u00abI never knew you. Away with you. You are not living accor\u00adding to God\u2019s com\u00admandment\u00bb (Matthew 7:23 NLB<\/span>). This is a fron\u00adtal attack against the wide\u00adspread opi\u00adni\u00adon that only Chris\u00adti\u00adans can per\u00adform mira\u00adcles. Many think that when secu\u00adlar peo\u00adp\u00adle per\u00adform mira\u00adcles, they are cau\u00adsed by Satan. No, the Holy Spi\u00adrit can work mira\u00adcu\u00adlous gifts through a per\u00adson in gene\u00adral and in par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar wit\u00adhout neces\u00ads\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly having to have saving grace in their heart.
\nGifts, inclu\u00adding spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal gifts, are not neces\u00ads\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly based on the gos\u00adpel and the grace of God. But spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal fruit needs this soil. Love belongs to the so-cal\u00adled fruit of the Spi\u00adrit (Gala\u00adti\u00adans 5:22f), which is why it is more mira\u00adcu\u00adlous than a mira\u00adcle. The distin\u00adgu\u00adis\u00adhing fea\u00adture of a genui\u00adne Chris\u00adti\u00adan life is love. Jesus says: \u00abI give you a new com\u00admandment: love one ano\u00adther. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one ano\u00adther. Your love for one ano\u00adther will show the world that you are my disci\u00adples\u00bb (John 13:34f NLB<\/span>). Wit\u00adhout love, faith suf\u00adfo\u00adca\u00adtes \u2013 it is the breath of faith.
\nThe love
\n\u00abEver\u00ady\u00adthing you do should be done in love\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 16:14 NLB<\/span>). What could this mean for us?
\nThe church in Corinth was more bril\u00adli\u00adant, but also more worry\u00ading for Paul than all the others. The Song of Songs addres\u00adses the pro\u00adblem are\u00adas in Corinth: \u00abLove is pati\u00adent and kind. It is not envious or arro\u00adgant, proud or offen\u00adsi\u00adve. Love is not self-see\u00adking. It does not allow its\u00adelf to be pro\u00advo\u00adked, and if it is wron\u00adged, it does not bear a grudge. It never rejoices in inju\u00ads\u00adti\u00adce, but always rejoices in the truth. Love endu\u00adres ever\u00ady\u00adthing, never loses faith, always pre\u00adser\u00adves hope and per\u00adse\u00adve\u00adres no mat\u00adter what hap\u00adpens. Love will never cea\u00adse [\u2026]\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 13:4\u20138 NLB<\/span>). Love over\u00adco\u00admes and replaces every moral and cha\u00adrac\u00adter fail\u00adure. This is pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly why St Peter says that love covers many sins (1 Peter 4:8). In our world, it is nor\u00admal for peo\u00adp\u00adle with dif\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adces of opi\u00adni\u00adon to avo\u00adid each other. It should be dif\u00adfe\u00adrent in the church. \u00abI pray for them all to be one, just as you and I are one, Father \u2013 so that they may be one in us, just as you are in me and I am in you, and the world may belie\u00adve that you sent me\u00bb (John 17:21 NLB<\/span>). Love alo\u00adne can over\u00adco\u00adme our dif\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adces. And our tog\u00ade\u00adther\u00adness should ser\u00adve as pro\u00adof that God is at work.
\nSome of us think that we are not gifted and can\u00adnot arti\u00adcu\u00adla\u00adte our\u00adsel\u00adves well. May\u00adbe you are frus\u00adtra\u00adted becau\u00adse you are not cho\u00adsen and asked to do this or that. If this is the case for you, you need to know that gifts are not a mea\u00adsu\u00adre of the qua\u00adli\u00adty of being a Chris\u00adti\u00adan. Gifts are limi\u00adt\u00aded, the\u00adre are always peo\u00adp\u00adle who are even more gifted. But the grace in your heart has unli\u00admi\u00adt\u00aded poten\u00adti\u00adal. Not ever\u00adyo\u00adne in this room can be a good spea\u00adk\u00ader. But as a fol\u00adlower of Jesus, with his saving grace in your heart, you can beco\u00adme the most loving, hum\u00adble and gra\u00adcious per\u00adson. And this is exact\u00adly what will chan\u00adge the world. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre: focus on love and not on gifts.
\nOthers of us are gifted team lea\u00adders, speak in front of peo\u00adp\u00adle, she\u00adp\u00adherd a small group or lead a Bible stu\u00addy. You can do all of the\u00adse things and still be not\u00adhing. The dan\u00adger of being gifted for Christ is that you defi\u00adne your Chris\u00adtia\u00adni\u00adty and your iden\u00adti\u00adty by your suc\u00adcess. My call to pas\u00adtor see\u00adtal chi\u00adle 17 years ago was quite con\u00adtro\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adal. I cle\u00adar\u00adly remem\u00adber how an older, respec\u00adted per\u00adson in the con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adti\u00adon sup\u00adport\u00aded me with the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing words: \u00abHe has work\u00aded suc\u00adcessful\u00adly with the youth move\u00adment JMS<\/span>. It can\u2019t be com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly wrong.\u00bb Today, when I am some\u00adti\u00admes ques\u00adtio\u00adned, I find mys\u00adelf thin\u00adking or say\u00ading, \u00abI belie\u00adve God is with me. Look at my suc\u00adcess. Look at the peo\u00adp\u00adle I\u2019ve hel\u00adped. Look at my gifted\u00adness.\u00bb I can be cold in my heart toward God, full of self-pity, per\u00adhaps bit\u00adter and angry toward peo\u00adp\u00adle, fil\u00adled with self-cent\u00adred\u00adness, and still preach a powerful ser\u00admon. This is a gre\u00adat dan\u00adger. If we think that our gifted\u00adness, our suc\u00adcess in the church is an indi\u00adca\u00adtor of what is real\u00adly hap\u00adpe\u00adning in the heart, we are wrong. It\u2019s so easy as a Chris\u00adti\u00adan lea\u00adder or worker to take iden\u00adti\u00adty out of minis\u00adtry ins\u00adtead of Jesus. God says, \u00abI love you, not becau\u00adse of your acti\u00advi\u00adty, but becau\u00adse of my grace.\u00bb That is the bright sound of the gospel!
\n 
\nThe secret of love is that Christ loved us first (1 John 4:19). It was not his power or his holi\u00adne\u00adss, but his love that brought Jesus to earth. The core of being a Chris\u00adti\u00adan is not power, but love, not gifts, but grace. When Jesus hung on the cross, He lost His Father\u2019s love becau\u00adse of His love for us. \u00abMy God, my God, why have you for\u00adsa\u00adken me?\u00bb (Matthew 27:46 NLB<\/span>). How bad must it be when your most important carer lea\u00adves you? If we look at the love that sent Him to us and the love that He lost out of love for us, we will give Him our hearts. The more we see the love He show\u00aded, the more we will see love grow in our lives. This keeps us from being just a dro\u00adning gong or a rin\u00adging bell.
\n 
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: 1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 16:14; 1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 13<\/p>\n

\tCompa\u00adre the church in Corinth with the see\u00adtal chi\u00adle. What are the dif\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adces? Would you like it if we had more Corin\u00adthi\u00adans among us? What would be the consequences?
\n\tDo you agree that someone can per\u00adform mira\u00adcles \u2013 even spec\u00adta\u00adcu\u00adlar heal\u00ading mira\u00adcles \u2013 wit\u00adhout the grace of God in their heart?
\n\tWhat are your natu\u00adral or spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal gifts? How and when do you exer\u00adcise them?
\n\t\u00abEver\u00ady\u00adthing you do should be done in love.\u00bb Are the\u00adre any spe\u00adci\u00adfic situa\u00adtions or peo\u00adp\u00adle you want to live by in the new year?
\n\tHow can you pro\u00admo\u00adte the growth of love in your heart?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The mot\u00adto for 2024 was ori\u00adgi\u00adnal\u00adly said to the Church of Corinth: \u00abEver\u00ady\u00adthing you do should be done in love\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 16:14 NLB<\/span>). In the con\u00adtext of the cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances at the time, the\u00adse words take on gre\u00adat poignan\u00adcy. The much grea\u00adter mira\u00adcle than spec\u00adta\u00adcu\u00adlar spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal gifts is love. Spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal gifts do not neces\u00ads\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly grow on the basis of the gos\u00adpel, but love does\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7674,"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-7667","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

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