Jesus leads tho\u00adse who fol\u00adlow him into a bet\u00adter world, the king\u00addom of God (John 14:2). It is a place of peace, joy, jus\u00adti\u00adce and love. As fol\u00adlo\u00adwers, we are given the task of taking as many peo\u00adp\u00adle as pos\u00adsi\u00adble with us into this bet\u00adter world. As his disci\u00adples, with our posi\u00adti\u00adon in Jesus, we have the tools to make this king\u00addom of God a rea\u00adli\u00adty in this world. He gives us a new heart, the Holy Spi\u00adrit and his authority.<\/p>\n
We long for a bet\u00adter country \tCan you under\u00adstand why Jesus was cele\u00adbra\u00adted when he ente\u00adred Jerusalem? Jesus leads tho\u00adse who fol\u00adlow him into a bet\u00adter world, the king\u00addom of God (John 14:2). It is a place of peace, joy, jus\u00adti\u00adce and love. As fol\u00adlo\u00adwers, we are given the task of taking as many peo\u00adp\u00adle as pos\u00adsi\u00adble with us into this bet\u00adter world. As his disci\u00adples, with our posi\u00adti\u00adon in Jesus, we have the tools to bring this king\u00addom of God\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7786,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[73],"wpfc_sermon_series":[98],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-daniel-bieri","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-folge-du-mir-nach","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7775","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
\nOn Satur\u00adday, 30 May 1992, I was allo\u00adwed to finish my recruit school. Two days later, on 1 June, I was alre\u00ada\u00addy tra\u00advel\u00adling by pla\u00adne to my holi\u00adday desti\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon. I was real\u00adly loo\u00adking for\u00adward to dis\u00adco\u00adve\u00adring a new coun\u00adtry and tra\u00advel\u00adling by pla\u00adne for the third time. I tra\u00advel\u00adled from Zurich to Frank\u00adfurt. The tas\u00adte of par\u00adaf\u00adfin gave me a fee\u00adling of adven\u00adture and holi\u00addays. In Frank\u00adfurt, I board\u00aded a huge Luft\u00adhan\u00adsa air\u00adcraft bound for Cana\u00adda. To my sur\u00adpri\u00adse, I was given a 1st class ticket and a win\u00addow seat. Very quick\u00adly I was fasci\u00adna\u00adted by the natu\u00adre, the huge forests, the moun\u00adta\u00adins and all the free\u00addoms this coun\u00adtry had to offer. I imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly rea\u00adli\u00adsed that I wan\u00adted to live in this coun\u00adtry one day. Back home, I drea\u00admed of a bet\u00adter, freer, more beau\u00adtiful country.
\nI\u2019m not the only drea\u00admer who dreams of a bet\u00adter place. We Euro\u00adpeans tra\u00advel a lot to dis\u00adco\u00adver some\u00adthing new or to immer\u00adse our\u00adsel\u00adves for a short time in a more inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading and beau\u00adtiful coun\u00adtry. Accor\u00adding to sta\u00adtis\u00adtics from the World Tou\u00adrism Orga\u00adni\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon, Euro\u00adpe is the abso\u00adlu\u00adte lea\u00adder in tra\u00advel. In 2010, Euro\u00adpeans tra\u00advel\u00adled more than the rest of the world (Euro\u00adpe 52.8%). We are not only the best when it comes to fly\u00ading, but also when it comes to tra\u00advel\u00adling by car. I don\u2019t even want to know how long the Eas\u00adter traf\u00adfic jam in front of the Gott\u00adhard will be this year.
\nWe all long for a per\u00adfect coun\u00adtry that is burs\u00adt\u00ading with beau\u00adty. It should be plea\u00adsant\u00adly warm, a place whe\u00adre peace, jus\u00adti\u00adce and love reign. We are loo\u00adking for a more attrac\u00adti\u00adve place, a coun\u00adtry with more free\u00addoms and a bet\u00adter govern\u00adment. We are not the only ones: 2000 years ago, it was the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes who lon\u00adged for a bet\u00adter coun\u00adtry. They hoped that they would have peace, free\u00addom and self-deter\u00admi\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon in their coun\u00adtry again. They lon\u00adged for a libera\u00adtor who would dri\u00adve out the occu\u00adpy\u00ading power with the sword.
\nToday is Palm Sun\u00adday, the day on which we remem\u00adber Jesus\u00bb tri\u00adum\u00adphal ent\u00adry into Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. The poor peo\u00adp\u00adle lon\u00adged for the king who would free them from Roman oppres\u00adsi\u00adon with the sword. The Saviour pro\u00admi\u00adsed in Scrip\u00adtu\u00adre, who would rule them like King David. They lon\u00adged for a land of peace, free\u00addom and pro\u00adspe\u00adri\u00adty. Tens of thou\u00adsands made a pil\u00adgrimage to Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem on this day to cele\u00adbra\u00adte the upco\u00adming Passover.
\n\u00abAnd they brought the colt to Jesus and laid their clo\u00adthes on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their clo\u00adthes on the road, while others spread green bran\u00adches that they had cut down in the fields. And tho\u00adse who went befo\u00adre and tho\u00adse who fol\u00adlo\u00adwed cried out: Hosan\u00adna! Bles\u00adsed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! (John 12:13: King of Isra\u00adel.) Bles\u00adsed is the king\u00addom of our father David that is coming! Hosan\u00adna in the hig\u00adhest!\u00bb (Mark 11:7\u201310 LUT<\/span>).
\nThe fol\u00adlo\u00adwers cele\u00adbra\u00adted Jesus pro\u00adper\u00adly becau\u00adse they hono\u00adu\u00adred Him as the new king of the king\u00addom of our father David. The disci\u00adples had a visi\u00adon of the future for Jesus: He was to beco\u00adme the new king of the old king\u00addom of David. They drea\u00admed of the glo\u00adrious years they had in the days of King David.
\nThey had cor\u00adrect\u00adly reco\u00adg\u00adnis\u00aded that Jesus was a king, but he had a dif\u00adfe\u00adrent visi\u00adon of the future. He was the king of the king\u00addom of God. Alt\u00adhough he explai\u00adned his goals many times, they had dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adty under\u00adstan\u00adding them. It was\u00adn\u2019t just the disci\u00adples who could\u00adn\u2019t grasp it, Pila\u00adte also had a pro\u00adblem under\u00adstan\u00adding. He asked Jesus if he was the new king, to which he repli\u00aded: \u00abIf I were a world\u00adly ruler, my peo\u00adp\u00adle would have fought for me so that I would not fall into the hands of the Jews. But my king\u00addom is of a com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent kind. Then Pila\u00adte asked him: \u00abThen you are a king after all? Jesus repli\u00aded: \u00abYes, you are right. I am a king. And that is why I beca\u00adme man and came into this world, to bear wit\u00adness to the truth. Whoe\u00adver lets hims\u00adelf be gover\u00adned by the truth lis\u00adtens to me.\u00bb (John 18:36\u201337 HFA<\/span>). Jesus made it clear that he is not a world\u00adly ruler who brings his king\u00addom with wea\u00adpons, but that God has cho\u00adsen a dif\u00adfe\u00adrent way to estab\u00adlish his kingdom.
\nA fol\u00adlower has the visi\u00adon of the king\u00addom of God
\nJesus taught a lot about the new king\u00addom of God. Many of his para\u00adbles refer to the king\u00addom of hea\u00adven. He explai\u00adned to the disci\u00adples whe\u00adre he was going and whe\u00adre they would go if they fol\u00adlo\u00adwed him. \u00abIn my Father\u2019s house are many man\u00adsi\u00adons. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going ahead now to prepa\u00adre a place for you the\u00adre\u00bb (John 14: 2 New Tes\u00adta\u00adment). Jesus has pre\u00adpared a place for his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers in the Father\u2019s king\u00addom. He calls them and us: \u00abFol\u00adlow me and I will lead you into the lon\u00adged-for king\u00addom of heaven.\u00bb
\n The land we all long for so much is the King\u00addom of God. It is the won\u00adderful place whe\u00adre peace, jus\u00adti\u00adce and love reign. The Bible says that the\u00adre will be no more tears, pain and death (Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 21:4). What a won\u00adderful pro\u00admi\u00adse, what a future. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus is not in vain. Our gre\u00adat goal is to fol\u00adlow Jesus into the king\u00addom of hea\u00adven. We need this visi\u00adon of the future becau\u00adse it is an encou\u00adra\u00adge\u00adment for dif\u00adfi\u00adcult times.
\nA suc\u00adces\u00adsor has a mission
\nJesus cal\u00adled the belie\u00advers to pass on the hope and rea\u00adli\u00adty of the new king\u00addom of hea\u00adven. \u00abThen Jesus cal\u00adled them: \u00abCome, fol\u00adlow me! I will make you into peo\u00adp\u00adle who will win others for God (and his king\u00addom)\u00bb (Matthew 4:19 HFA<\/span>). The Luther Bible trans\u00adla\u00adtes this as: \u00abI will make you fishers of men.\u00bb We are cal\u00adled to win others as fol\u00adlo\u00adwers. We are to take as many peo\u00adp\u00adle as pos\u00adsi\u00adble with us on the way to hea\u00adven. We can look for\u00adward to the future, but the best thing is that this new king\u00addom of God can alre\u00ada\u00addy be a rea\u00adli\u00adty on earth today (Luke 11:20; 17:21 Matthew 12:28). In disci\u00adple\u00adship, we are chan\u00adged into peo\u00adp\u00adle who car\u00adry the values of the pro\u00admi\u00adsed king\u00addom of hea\u00adven within them. Through peace, joy, jus\u00adti\u00adce and love, we bring a pie\u00adce of hea\u00adven into this world. We win peo\u00adp\u00adle who long for this new world.
\nA suc\u00adces\u00adsor is a new per\u00adson with a new position
\nHow do we mana\u00adge to ful\u00adfil our visi\u00adon and mis\u00adsi\u00adon? Jesus set very high stan\u00addards for his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers. They should all have the good qua\u00adli\u00adties of cha\u00adri\u00adty, hones\u00adty, jus\u00adti\u00adce and gene\u00adro\u00adsi\u00adty for the poor in order to be saved. The disci\u00adples were honest with them\u00adsel\u00adves and knew that they could never live up to this. That is why they asked: \u00abWho then can be saved at all? Jesus loo\u00adked at them and said, \u00abWith men this is impos\u00adsi\u00adble, but with God all things are pos\u00adsi\u00adble\u00bb (Matthew 19:25\u201326 NRSV<\/span>). Jesus\u00bb ans\u00adwer was clear in that they could never reach their goal on their own. \u00abI am the door; if anyo\u00adne enters through me, he will be saved\u00bb (John 10:9 ELB<\/span>). We can only reach the king\u00addom of hea\u00adven and the mis\u00adsi\u00adon given to us through Jesus. Becau\u00adse He is in our place, we are righ\u00adteous befo\u00adre God. Through Jesus we have a new posi\u00adti\u00adon. Through Him we can achie\u00adve what no other per\u00adson has ever achie\u00adved befo\u00adre. Jesus lives in us, which is why the apost\u00adle Paul wro\u00adte the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Bible text: \u00abI live, yet no lon\u00adger I mys\u00adelf, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earth\u00adly body by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and sacri\u00adfi\u00adced hims\u00adelf for me\u00bb (Gala\u00adti\u00adans 2:20 NLB<\/span>).
\nIn Jesus we are a new per\u00adson and this per\u00adson has a new posi\u00adti\u00adon. In this posi\u00adti\u00adon, we are empowered to ful\u00adfil our mis\u00adsi\u00adon. Through Jesus we have a new heart. \u00abWhen the Lord (Jesus) saw the woman, he was moved with com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon. \u00abDo not weep,\u00bb he said to her. He step\u00adped clo\u00adser and touch\u00aded the stret\u00adcher. The bea\u00adrers stop\u00adped and Jesus said to the dead man: \u00abYoung man, I com\u00admand you to get up!\u00bb Then the dead man got up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother\u00bb (Luke 7:13\u201315 NKJV<\/span>). In this text we read that Jesus was so moved in His heart that He wan\u00adted to do some\u00adthing. It is not enough for us to see some\u00adthing bad on tele\u00advi\u00adsi\u00adon and want to help. Wan\u00adting is not enough, it moves not\u00adhing. It is only when we are moved in our inner\u00admost heart that some\u00adthing is set in moti\u00adon. Jesus pro\u00admi\u00adses us this new heart, a heart not made of stone, but a living, loving heart. The apost\u00adle Paul descri\u00adbed this truth in his let\u00adter to the Romans: \u00abA true Jew is one who is inward\u00adly, and true cir\u00adcumcis\u00adi\u00adon is that which is done in the heart. It does not come about through the \u00abexact obser\u00advan\u00adce of\u00bb the rule, but through \u00abGod\u2019s\u00bb Spi\u00adrit. Such a per\u00adson does not recei\u00adve prai\u00adse from men, but from God\u00bb (Romans 2:29 New Testament).
\nFol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus learn that all the strength we need comes from him. It is a gift of grace \u2013 the Holy Spi\u00adrit \u2013 a gift from God. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing we are and can do comes from this new posi\u00adti\u00adon in Jesus. Our new posi\u00adti\u00adon chan\u00adges our moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus is radi\u00adcal\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent from the reli\u00adgi\u00adons of the world. In most reli\u00adgi\u00adons, the moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon is to gain accep\u00adtance with God through works righ\u00adteous\u00adness and to achie\u00adve this through our own efforts. A fol\u00adlower of Jesus, on the other hand, is alre\u00ada\u00addy accept\u00aded, so the moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon comes from the new heart that has been given to us. The\u00adre are basi\u00adcal\u00adly two dif\u00adfe\u00adrent moti\u00adva\u00adtions. Zig Ziglar, one of the grea\u00adtest moti\u00adva\u00adtio\u00adnal spea\u00adk\u00aders in Ame\u00adri\u00adca, explai\u00adned this as fol\u00adlows: \u00abThe\u00adre is a huge dif\u00adfe\u00adrence bet\u00adween a work\u00adaho\u00adlic and a peak per\u00adfor\u00admer. The work\u00adaho\u00adlic is dri\u00adven by fear and greed. The peak per\u00adfor\u00admer is dri\u00adven by love and pas\u00adsi\u00adon.\u00bb This is how it is with peo\u00adp\u00adle who want to fol\u00adlow Jesus. They are not dri\u00adven by fear and greed. Our moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon is not anxious work and self-righ\u00adteous\u00adness in order to plea\u00adse God. We plea\u00adse God and are loved by Him. Becau\u00adse Jesus lives in us, we ful\u00adfil our mis\u00adsi\u00adon with love and passion.
\nOur posi\u00adti\u00adon in Jesus gives us aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adty. When we accept Jesus, ever\u00ady\u00adthing in the invi\u00adsi\u00adble world chan\u00adges. We belong to God\u2019s fami\u00adly. Satan no lon\u00adger has a cla\u00adim on us and he loses aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adty over us. We are free to choo\u00adse God\u2019s aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adty. We are freed from the shack\u00adles of cap\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty and are now free to fol\u00adlow the right paths. We may and should car\u00adry out our mis\u00adsi\u00adon in the aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adty of Jesus.
\nIn order to fol\u00adlow Jesus, we must never lose sight of the visi\u00adon. \u00abBecau\u00adse Jesus knew the joy that awai\u00adted him, he took the death of the cross upon hims\u00adelf, and even the shame asso\u00adcia\u00adted with it could not deter him. That is why he now sits on the thro\u00adne in hea\u00adven at God\u2019s right hand. So when you are in dan\u00adger of gro\u00adwing wea\u00adry, remem\u00adber Jesus!\u00bb (Hebrews 12:2\u20133 NRSV<\/span>). Jesus had a visi\u00adon of what would hap\u00adpen if He went the hard way. Jesus never lost sight of the visi\u00adon that we will be saved. This gave Him the strength to per\u00adse\u00adve\u00adre. We all long for the new land, the king\u00addom of God. It is our mis\u00adsi\u00adon to take as many peo\u00adp\u00adle as pos\u00adsi\u00adble with us on our jour\u00adney to hea\u00adven. As his disci\u00adples and thus the posi\u00adti\u00adon in Jesus, we have the tools to make the king\u00addom of God a rea\u00adli\u00adty today. Jesus gives us the new heart, the power of the Holy Spi\u00adrit and the aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adty of the visi\u00adble and invi\u00adsi\u00adble world. With the visi\u00adon, mis\u00adsi\u00adon and posi\u00adti\u00adon befo\u00adre our eyes, we now start this new week.
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Mark 11:7\u201310; John 12:12\u201319<\/p>\n
\n\tHow do you under\u00adstand Jesus as King?
\n\tTo what ext\u00adent can we alre\u00ada\u00addy bring hea\u00adven to earth?
\n\tWhat kind of \u00abcul\u00adtu\u00adre\u00bb pre\u00advails in the king\u00addom of heaven?
\n\tWhat is your moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon in life? Are you a work\u00adaho\u00adlic, a peak per\u00adfor\u00admer or are you curr\u00adent\u00adly lack\u00ading motivation?
\n\tWhat is your moti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon to fol\u00adlow Jesus?
\n\tWhat is your new posi\u00adti\u00adon as a fol\u00adlower of Jesus?
\n\tHow do you under\u00adstand the new aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adty in Jesus?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"