Abra\u00adham was loo\u00adking for a new home in hea\u00adven. He put his trust in God. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ also hope for a new home in hea\u00adven. Through their new crea\u00adti\u00adon, they alre\u00ada\u00addy have a share in it, but still live on earth with pain, suf\u00adfe\u00adring and death. Howe\u00adver, they have the pro\u00ads\u00adpect of a pro\u00admi\u00adsed land. This is the new earth and the new hea\u00adven. Hea\u00adven and earth come tog\u00ade\u00adther the\u00adre. The old has pas\u00adsed away, so the\u00adre are no more tears, no more death, no more mour\u00adning, no more wee\u00adping and no more pain.<\/p>\n
When my wife and I moved to Aar\u00adgau when we got mar\u00adried, I won\u00adde\u00adred whe\u00adther I would ever feel at home here in Aar\u00adgau. But I soon rea\u00adli\u00adsed that even when we were visi\u00adting Bern or Schaff\u00adhau\u00adsen, I was quick\u00adly drawn back to Seen\u00adgen. The reason for this is our bed. I rea\u00adli\u00adsed very quick\u00adly that I feel at home whe\u00adre my bed is. So I could say that my home is whe\u00adre my bed is. Whe\u00adre is your home? \tWe can learn three things from Abraham\u2019s sto\u00adry. Lis\u00adtening to God, set\u00adting out for new ter\u00adri\u00adto\u00adry and the pro\u00ads\u00adpect of the pro\u00admi\u00adsed land. He left his coun\u00adtry, his kin\u00adship (home) and his fami\u00adly (Gene\u00adsis 12:1). How would you out\u00adline the\u00adse three con\u00adcepts for you personally? Abra\u00adham was loo\u00adking for a new home in hea\u00adven. He put his trust in God. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ also hope for a new home in hea\u00adven. Through their new crea\u00adti\u00adon, they alre\u00ada\u00addy have a share in it, but still live on earth with pain, suf\u00adfe\u00adring and death. Howe\u00adver, they have the pro\u00ads\u00adpect of a pro\u00admi\u00adsed land.\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":7764,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[79],"wpfc_sermon_series":[98],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-cedric-bruegger","wpfc_sermon_series-folge-du-mir-nach","wpfc-sermon-single","post-7757","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nAbra\u00adham \u2013 guest and stran\u00adger on earth with a hea\u00adven\u00adly home
\nWe have been loo\u00adking at Abra\u00adham for some time now. Today we want to look at the pro\u00admi\u00adsed land. At the very begin\u00adning of God\u2019s sto\u00adry with Abra\u00adham, it says: \u00abThen the LORD<\/span> com\u00adman\u00added Abram, \u00abLea\u00adve your home\u00adland, your rela\u00adti\u00adves and your father\u2019s fami\u00adly and go to the land I will show you\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 12:1 NLB<\/span>). (Gene\u00adsis 12:1 NLB<\/span>). Abra\u00adham lea\u00adves three things. First\u00adly, he lea\u00adves the land whe\u00adre he grew up. Second\u00adly, he lea\u00adves behind his rela\u00adti\u00adves, i.e. peo\u00adp\u00adle who are fami\u00adli\u00adar to him and stand by him. Third\u00adly, he lea\u00adves his father\u2019s house, i.e. his clo\u00adsest fami\u00adly. Howe\u00adver, he does not lea\u00adve it for not\u00adhing, but is given a new coun\u00adtry and a new fami\u00adly. He does not yet own the land, but it is pro\u00admi\u00adsed to him. He has off\u00adspring in old age. Abra\u00adham left three things, but only recei\u00adved two pro\u00admi\u00adses, land and fami\u00adly. But he does not yet find a new home. Abra\u00adham and many others in the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment belie\u00adved wit\u00adhout having recei\u00adved all that God had pro\u00admi\u00adsed them: \u00abAll the\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle belie\u00adved until they died wit\u00adhout having recei\u00adved what God had pro\u00admi\u00adsed them. Yet they saw what had been pro\u00admi\u00adsed to them from afar and rejoi\u00adced in it, for they had reco\u00adg\u00adnis\u00aded and testi\u00adfied that they were only sojour\u00adners and stran\u00adgers here on earth\u00bb (Hebrews 11:13 NLB<\/span>). Abra\u00adham and others reco\u00adg\u00adnis\u00aded that they were only guests and stran\u00adgers in this world. And this rea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon led to a momen\u00adtous con\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adon. \u00abAnd they con\u00adfes\u00adsed that they were loo\u00adking for a land to call home. If they had meant the coun\u00adtry they came from, they would have found a way to return the\u00adre. But they were loo\u00adking for a bet\u00adter place, a home in hea\u00adven. That is why God is not asha\u00admed to be cal\u00adled their God, for he has built them a city in hea\u00adven\u00bb (Hebrews 11:14\u201316 NLB<\/span>).
\nWhen the Epist\u00adle to the Hebrews speaks of the home\u00adland, the Greek word \u00abpatris\u00bb is used. This has the mea\u00adning of fat\u00adher\u00adland or home\u00adland. The New Tes\u00adta\u00adment was writ\u00adten in Greek, the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment main\u00adly in Hebrew. Howe\u00adver, the\u00adre is a trans\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon of the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment into Greek. It is always inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading to see which word was trans\u00adla\u00adted from Hebrew and how it is used in the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment. As I said, Abra\u00adham left his rela\u00adti\u00adves. The Hebrew word \u00abmole\u00addet\u00bb means kin\u00adship, fat\u00adher\u00adland, ori\u00adgin, birth, home\u00adland. This is trans\u00adla\u00adted as \u00abpatris\u00bb in five out of eight cases \u2013 alt\u00adhough not here in Gene\u00adsis 12:1. The word cho\u00adsen here focu\u00adses only on kin\u00adship. But I think that the mea\u00adning of kin\u00adship is also home. Hope for All also trans\u00adla\u00adtes with home.
\nNow comes the cru\u00adcial point. Abra\u00adham had left his land, home and fami\u00adly and two of the\u00adse things were pro\u00admi\u00adsed to him on earth. But he had not found a home on this earth. \u00abAbra\u00adham was able to do this becau\u00adse he was wai\u00adting for a city with a firm foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon, who\u00adse buil\u00adder and crea\u00adtor is God hims\u00adelf\u00bb (Hebrews 11:10 NLB<\/span>). Like Abra\u00adham, fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ do not have their home on this earth, but they have a hea\u00adven\u00adly home. \u00abFor this world is not our home; we await our future city only in hea\u00adven\u00bb (Hebrews 13:14 NLB<\/span>).
\nNew crea\u00adti\u00adon in the old creation
\nFol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ are God\u2019s child\u00adren. Hea\u00adven is the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre their fat\u00adher\u00adland in the truest sen\u00adse of the word. They alre\u00ada\u00addy have a share in the hea\u00adven\u00adly fat\u00adher\u00adland \u2013 through the new crea\u00adti\u00adon that hap\u00adpens in and to them the moment they con\u00adfess Jesus Christ as their Lord. They expe\u00adri\u00adence cer\u00adtain things that have their ori\u00adgin in this divi\u00adne home\u00adland. Nevert\u00adhel\u00adess, the old crea\u00adti\u00adon spills over again and again. But they are his new crea\u00adti\u00adon. \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>). But the\u00adre are still tears, death, mour\u00adning, wee\u00adping and pain. The let\u00adter to the Romans also wri\u00adtes about this ten\u00adsi\u00adon. \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. For all crea\u00adti\u00adon eager\u00adly awaits that day when God will reve\u00adal who tru\u00adly belongs to his child\u00adren. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing on earth was sub\u00adjec\u00adted to tran\u00adsi\u00adence. This was done against their will by the one who sub\u00adjec\u00adted them. But the who\u00adle of crea\u00adti\u00adon hopes for the day when it will be freed from death and cor\u00adrup\u00adti\u00adon to the glo\u00adrious free\u00addom of the child\u00adren of God. For we know that the who\u00adle crea\u00adti\u00adon gro\u00adans with us until that moment, as with the pains of child\u00adbirth. And even we, though we have recei\u00adved in the Holy Spi\u00adrit a fore\u00adtas\u00adte of the coming glo\u00adry, gro\u00adan, eager\u00adly awai\u00adting the day when God will estab\u00adlish us in our full rights as his child\u00adren and give us the new body he has pro\u00admi\u00adsed us\u00bb (Romans 8:18\u201323 NLB<\/span>).
\nEver\u00ady\u00adthing that is hap\u00adpe\u00adning now is not\u00adhing com\u00adpared to what awaits fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ in the new home. Not only peo\u00adp\u00adle, but the who\u00adle of crea\u00adti\u00adon is suf\u00adfe\u00adring. But the new crea\u00adti\u00adon is a fore\u00adtas\u00adte in the Holy Spi\u00adrit of the new home. For the new crea\u00adti\u00adon hap\u00adpens in the old world. What will we recei\u00adve? Full rights as child\u00adren in our fat\u00adher\u00adland and new bodies.
\nPro\u00admi\u00adsed Land \u2013 New Hea\u00adven and New Earth
\nThe pro\u00admi\u00adsed land for Chris\u00adti\u00adans is the new hea\u00adven and the new earth. But what does the new land look like? Let\u2019s del\u00adve into the Book of Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon tog\u00ade\u00adther. \u00abThen I saw a new hea\u00adven and a new earth, for the old hea\u00adven and the old earth had dis\u00adap\u00adpeared. And the sea was also gone\u00bb (Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 21:1 NLB<\/span>). A new hea\u00adven and a new earth are descri\u00adbed here. The old has dis\u00adap\u00adpeared. New here means some\u00adthing that did not exist befo\u00adre, but is now being brought into being. It is not abs\u00adtract, but some\u00adthing that is fami\u00adli\u00adar to us: the divi\u00adne sphe\u00adre of hea\u00adven and the human sphe\u00adre of life, the earth. The two were only spo\u00adra\u00addi\u00adcal\u00adly inter\u00admingled in the past. The\u00adre was a human intru\u00adsi\u00adon into hea\u00adven, for exam\u00adp\u00adle through pray\u00aders or prai\u00adse. The divi\u00adne intru\u00adsi\u00adon mani\u00adfests its\u00adelf, for exam\u00adp\u00adle, through mira\u00adcles. It is about a real, new, beau\u00adtiful world. Inward\u00adly and out\u00adward\u00adly, geo\u00adgra\u00adphi\u00adcal\u00adly and spiritually.
\nFol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ are a new crea\u00adti\u00adon, but still on earth. \u00abFor you died when Christ died, and your true life is hid\u00adden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, beco\u00admes known to the who\u00adle world, then it will also beco\u00adme clear that you share his glo\u00adry\u00bb (Colos\u00adsi\u00adans 3:4 NLB<\/span>). Through the new crea\u00adti\u00adon, they share in this glo\u00adry, which is yet to ful\u00adly unfold. What is also new is that the\u00adre is no lon\u00adger a divi\u00adsi\u00adon. Hea\u00adven and earth are no lon\u00adger divi\u00added. It is easy to over\u00adlook the fact that the sea has dis\u00adap\u00adpeared. But the\u00adre is a lot behind it. For the sea is a sign of thre\u00adat and a chao\u00adtic force that threa\u00adtens God\u2019s plans and his peo\u00adp\u00adle. The sea is con\u00adtai\u00adned in the old hea\u00adven and is allo\u00adwed to wreak havoc within limits. In the new crea\u00adti\u00adon, the\u00adre is no more sea. So the\u00adre is no cha\u00ados and no place whe\u00adre evil can wreak its havoc.
\nIt con\u00adti\u00adnues: \u00abAnd I saw the holy city, the new Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem, coming down from God out of hea\u00adven like a beau\u00adtiful bri\u00adde ador\u00adned for her bri\u00adde\u00adg\u00adroom. I heard a loud voice cal\u00adling from the thro\u00adne: \u00abBehold, the dwel\u00adling place of God is now with men! He will dwell with them and they will be his peo\u00adp\u00adle, and God hims\u00adelf will be with them\u00bb \u00bb (Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 21:2\u20133 NLB<\/span>). God hims\u00adelf speaks here to John, who recei\u00adved the reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, I can\u00adnot go into all the details of the\u00adse ver\u00adses, they are so den\u00adse and full of con\u00adtent. Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem is the city that God has cho\u00adsen here on earth to dwell in the temp\u00adle and meet peo\u00adp\u00adle. Hea\u00adven meets earth in the temp\u00adle. But sin\u00adce the new hea\u00adven and the new earth are undi\u00advi\u00added, the\u00adre is no lon\u00adger any need for a temp\u00adle. For God hims\u00adelf then dwells with peo\u00adp\u00adle. What does it mean when God has his dwel\u00adling place with peo\u00adp\u00adle? This is a radi\u00adcal rever\u00adsal of today\u2019s con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons. Today the\u00adre is a sepa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon bet\u00adween God and man, bey\u00adond and on this side, visi\u00adble and invi\u00adsi\u00adble. Here the\u00adre is a rever\u00adsal of what hap\u00adpen\u00aded in Gene\u00adsis 3 at the fall of man. The sepa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon is can\u00adcel\u00adled. Man and God live tog\u00ade\u00adther again. Even clo\u00adser than was the case in para\u00addi\u00adse. God beco\u00admes visi\u00adble among peo\u00adp\u00adle. The pro\u00admi\u00adsed land towards which fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ are tra\u00advel\u00adling is the new hea\u00adven and the new earth. It is the place whe\u00adre God dwells in the midst of mankind.
\nThe who\u00adle thing final\u00adly ends in ver\u00adse four. \u00abHe will wipe away all their tears, and the\u00adre will be no more death or mour\u00adning or wee\u00adping or pain. For the first world and all its cala\u00admi\u00adties are gone fore\u00adver\u00bb (Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 21:4 NLB<\/span>). This list is based on num\u00ade\u00adrous Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment pro\u00adphe\u00adci\u00ades. The wiping away of tears expres\u00adses care\u00adfree joy and the rem\u00adoval of all humi\u00adlia\u00adti\u00adon for God\u2019s peo\u00adp\u00adle (Isai\u00adah 25:8). Death no lon\u00adger has a place. No more dying. No gro\u00adwing old. No sick\u00adness. No end to life (Hosea 13:14). Pain and grief will not affect peo\u00adp\u00adle or crea\u00adti\u00adon. Hence no wee\u00adping (Isai\u00adah 35:10; Isai\u00adah 51:11). This is also the ful\u00adfilm\u00adent of Jesus Christ\u2019s words from the intro\u00adduc\u00adtion to the Ser\u00admon on the Mount. \u00abHap\u00adpy are tho\u00adse who mourn, for they will be com\u00adfor\u00adted\u00bb (Matthew 5:4 NLB<\/span>). When it is writ\u00adten about pain in Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon, this is to be unders\u00adtood much more com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly than sim\u00adply phy\u00adsi\u00adcal pain. Pain here stands for the over\u00adall effects of the fall of man. Thorns and thist\u00adles are a cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristic of human labour on this earth. It is labo\u00adrious, dif\u00adfi\u00adcult and also an end\u00adless toil. But now the\u00adre is basi\u00adcal\u00adly not\u00adhing left that can cau\u00adse pain. The first world has pas\u00adsed away. For good! The old crea\u00adti\u00adon can then never come back.
\nThe ques\u00adti\u00adon right\u00adly ari\u00adses as to whe\u00adther this per\u00adspec\u00adti\u00adve of the new hea\u00adven and the new earth is not mere\u00adly a post\u00adpo\u00adne\u00adment until later? How would you ans\u00adwer? I mean both and. It is a con\u00adso\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon in that the glo\u00adry of God is yet to come in its full\u00adness with the new hea\u00adven and the new earth. At the moment, we are all still living in the old crea\u00adti\u00adon. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, from this point of view, it can only remain a con\u00adso\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon. But it is also not a con\u00adso\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon, becau\u00adse fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ alre\u00ada\u00addy have a share in it through their per\u00adso\u00adnal new crea\u00adti\u00adon. I think that what Abra\u00adham reco\u00adg\u00adnis\u00aded was that if the home is in hea\u00adven, storms may come, but they will pass. The hea\u00adven\u00adly home remains and will be fulfilled.
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Hebrews 11:13\u201316; Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 21:1\u20134<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat impact did hol\u00adding on to the hea\u00adven\u00adly home have on Abraham\u2019s life? How is this reflec\u00adted in his actions?
\n\tWould you descri\u00adbe yours\u00adelf as a fol\u00adlower of Jesus Christ? If so, then you are a new crea\u00adti\u00adon. How do you expe\u00adri\u00adence the ten\u00adsi\u00adon bet\u00adween being a new crea\u00adti\u00adon and at the same time living in this old creation?
\n\tDo you under\u00adstand the radi\u00adcal dif\u00adfe\u00adrence bet\u00adween the pre\u00adsent hea\u00adven and earth and the future new hea\u00adven and earth? That hea\u00adven and earth are no lon\u00adger divi\u00added, but will come together?
\n\tIn Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 21:4 we read God\u2019s pro\u00admi\u00adse of what it will be like one day. Does this awa\u00adken a lon\u00adging in you? It says that the first\/old earth has pas\u00adsed away. What does this trig\u00adger in you? What do you cling to in this old earth?
\n\tWhat impact could it have if we recei\u00adve this per\u00adspec\u00adti\u00adve of the hea\u00adven\u00adly home? If we see our\u00adsel\u00adves as a new crea\u00adti\u00adon and know that the new hea\u00adven and the new earth are coming? What does this chan\u00adge about your being on this earth?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"