The resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of Jesus Christ is the ulti\u00adma\u00adte key moment in world histo\u00adry. If this did not real\u00adly hap\u00adpen, faith in Jesus Christ makes no sen\u00adse. Through the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of Christ, disci\u00adple\u00adship recei\u00adved a huge boost, a new depth and a tran\u00ads\u00adcen\u00addent ori\u00aden\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon. The resur\u00adrec\u00adted Christ is the cor\u00adner\u00adstone to which ever\u00ady\u00adthing should be ori\u00aden\u00adta\u00adted. But \u2013 belief in the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion is also objec\u00adtionable and pro\u00advo\u00adkes resistance.<\/p>\n
I recent\u00adly read the obitua\u00adry of a pastor\u2019s wife and was invi\u00adted to a resur\u00adrec\u00adtion cele\u00adbra\u00adti\u00adon. This per\u00adspec\u00adti\u00adve at the end of an extre\u00adme\u00adly pain\u00adful life impres\u00adses me. Every year at Eas\u00adter we cele\u00adbra\u00adte the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion. The resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of Jesus has given the who\u00adle histo\u00adry of the world a new direc\u00adtion. Today we lis\u00adten to a ser\u00admon by Peter, which he could only preach in this way against the back\u00adground of Christ\u2019s resur\u00adrec\u00adtion. It was pre\u00adce\u00added by Peter\u2019s heal\u00ading of a para\u00adly\u00adsed beggar. \u00abThen Peter was fil\u00adled with the Holy Spi\u00adrit and said to them, \u00abLea\u00adding men and elders of our peo\u00adp\u00adle, are we being ques\u00adtio\u00adned becau\u00adse we did good to a para\u00adly\u00adsed man? Do you want to know how he was hea\u00adled? I decla\u00adre befo\u00adre you and all the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel that he was hea\u00adled in the name of Jesus Christ of Naza\u00adreth, the man whom you cru\u00adci\u00adfied but whom God rai\u00adsed from the dead. For Jesus is \u00abthe stone which you buil\u00adders rejec\u00adted, but which has now beco\u00adme the cor\u00adner\u00adstone\u00bb. In him alo\u00adne the\u00adre is sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon! The\u00adre is no other name in all hea\u00adven that peo\u00adp\u00adle can call on to be saved\u00bb \u00bb (Acts 4:8\u201312 NLB<\/span>). \tWhat is the dif\u00adfe\u00adrence bet\u00adween whe\u00adther Jesus was tru\u00adly phy\u00adsi\u00adcal\u00adly resur\u00adrec\u00adted or not? Why is this the cru\u00adcial pie\u00adce of the puzzle? The resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of Jesus Christ is the ulti\u00adma\u00adte key moment in world histo\u00adry. If this did not real\u00adly hap\u00adpen, faith in Jesus Christ makes no sen\u00adse. Through the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of Christ, disci\u00adple\u00adship recei\u00adved a huge boost, a new depth and a tran\u00ads\u00adcen\u00addent ori\u00aden\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon. The resur\u00adrec\u00adted Christ is the cor\u00adner\u00adstone to which ever\u00ady\u00adthing should be ori\u00aden\u00adta\u00adted. But\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7809,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[98],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-folge-du-mir-nach","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7787","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
\nNew message
\nThe resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of Jesus Christ is the abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly cru\u00adcial pie\u00adce of the puz\u00adzle in the Chris\u00adti\u00adan pro\u00adcla\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon. It is the legi\u00adti\u00admi\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon for ever\u00ady\u00adthing that has been said befo\u00adre. \u00abBut if Christ has not been rai\u00adsed, then your faith is use\u00adl\u00adess and you are still trap\u00adped in your sins\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 15:17 NLB<\/span>).
\nWe can cla\u00adim that a height of 6 met\u00adres in the pole vault can\u00adnot be mas\u00adte\u00adred until someone comes along and does it. It is the same with the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion. As soon as someone has gone befo\u00adre us, we know that the\u00adre is resur\u00adrec\u00adtion to eter\u00adnal life. This is why Paul argues: \u00abBut now Christ has risen first from the dead\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 15:20 NLB<\/span>). Through this event, the pre\u00advious laws of natu\u00adre have been sus\u00adpen\u00added and a new age has begun. And then: \u00ab[\u2026] Christ first, and when he returns, then tho\u00adse who belong to him\u00bb (v. 23 NLB<\/span>). Resur\u00adrec\u00adtion is a rea\u00adli\u00adstic future sce\u00adna\u00adrio for tho\u00adse who belong to Him. The\u00adre is a major dif\u00adfe\u00adrence bet\u00adween a pole vault over 6 met\u00adres and the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion to eter\u00adnal life: no one has to rise from the dead in their own strength, but mere\u00adly belong to Him and cling to Jesus. Meta\u00adpho\u00adri\u00adcal\u00adly spea\u00adking, Jesus is the head and His fol\u00adlo\u00adwers are the body. Once the head has pas\u00adsed through the birth canal, the rest hap\u00adpens effortlessly.
\nSome\u00adti\u00admes Chris\u00adti\u00adans share the gos\u00adpel in short bursts and say: \u00abJesus Christ died for our sins\u2026\u00bb Yes, that is true! But we must not igno\u00adre the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion. It is not just about for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness, but about a new life. Paul\u2019s pro\u00adcla\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon focu\u00adses on the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of Christ: \u00ab[\u2026] the man whom you cru\u00adci\u00adfied, but whom God rai\u00adsed from the dead [\u2026]\u00bb The fruit of the life of peo\u00adp\u00adle who belong to God is resur\u00adrec\u00adtion life. Peter then explains to all his lis\u00adten\u00aders how they too can beco\u00adme poten\u00adti\u00adal can\u00addi\u00adda\u00adtes for resur\u00adrec\u00adtion: \u00abIn him (Jesus Christ!) alo\u00adne the\u00adre is sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon! The\u00adre is no other name in all hea\u00adven that peo\u00adp\u00adle can call on to be saved\u00bb (Acts 4:12 NLB<\/span>).
\nNew successor
\nWhen Jesus lived on earth, it was quite clear to his fri\u00adends what it meant to fol\u00adlow him. They wal\u00adked live with Jesus through the streets, lis\u00adten\u00aded to His ser\u00admons, wit\u00adnessed how He hea\u00adled the sick and cast out demons. The lon\u00adger He went on, the more He ins\u00adtruc\u00adted them to do the\u00adse things them\u00adsel\u00adves. All clear so far. But how do you fol\u00adlow the resur\u00adrec\u00adted Jesus, who is no lon\u00adger phy\u00adsi\u00adcal\u00adly pre\u00adsent? Peter gives us a clue in his ser\u00admon: \u00abFor Jesus is the stone that you buil\u00adders rejec\u00adted, which has now beco\u00adme the cor\u00adner\u00adstone\u00bb (Acts 4:11 NLB<\/span>). The buil\u00adders of that time were the peo\u00adp\u00adle of the high coun\u00adcil. They wan\u00adted to get Jesus out of the way. But now this \u2019stone\u00bb of all things turns out to be the cor\u00adner\u00adstone, the refe\u00adrence point on which the who\u00adle order of the new world, the king\u00addom of God, is to be based.
\nAnyo\u00adne who wants to fol\u00adlow Jesus must ori\u00aden\u00adta\u00adte their thoughts, actions, words and fee\u00adlings towards the cor\u00adner\u00adstone. It should be the undis\u00adpu\u00adted fixed point. \u00ab[\u2026] We want to run the race to the end for which we are desti\u00adned. We do this by kee\u00adping our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from begin\u00adning to end [\u2026]\u00bb (Hebrews 12:1f NLB<\/span>). Recent\u00adly I heard a pas\u00adtor say very cle\u00adar\u00adly that a Chris\u00adti\u00adan must read at least one chap\u00adter from the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment and one from the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment every day. The Word of God is ali\u00adve and allows us to keep our eyes on the cor\u00adner\u00adstone. Howe\u00adver, it is no sub\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adte for per\u00adsis\u00adtent sear\u00adching and being inti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly with Jesus wit\u00adhout pur\u00adpo\u00adse. We need to ori\u00aden\u00adta\u00adte our\u00adsel\u00adves on the cor\u00adner\u00adstone of the risen Jesus. In medi\u00adci\u00adne, the\u00adre is the exter\u00adnal fix\u00ada\u00adtor and the inter\u00adnal fix\u00ada\u00adtor. Jesus Christ is not only an exter\u00adnal fixed star, but also an inter\u00adnal one. It is said of Peter that he was fil\u00adled with the Holy Spi\u00adrit. The Holy Spi\u00adrit is Christ in us. The Spi\u00adrit of God is the decisi\u00adve fac\u00adtor in discipleship.
\nTho\u00adse who fol\u00adlow the risen Christ expe\u00adri\u00adence pro\u00adfound chan\u00adge. Until his encoun\u00adter with the risen Christ on the Sea of Gali\u00adlee, Peter was a cho\u00adle\u00adric coward. But after his encoun\u00adter with the risen Christ and the sub\u00adse\u00adquent ful\u00adfilm\u00adent by the Holy Spi\u00adrit, he was like a \u00abglove tur\u00adned insi\u00adde out\u00bb. He fol\u00adlo\u00adwed Jesus with cou\u00adra\u00adge, fearless\u00adness, power and strength. Peo\u00adp\u00adle were hea\u00adled becau\u00adse Peter\u2019s shadow fell on them (Acts 5:15). In Peter\u2019s case, the\u00adre is a clear dif\u00adfe\u00adrence bet\u00adween the time when he fol\u00adlo\u00adwed the his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adcal Christ and the time when he fol\u00adlo\u00adwed the risen Christ. When we include the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of Christ in our ever\u00ady\u00adday disci\u00adple\u00adship, we rea\u00adli\u00adse that ever\u00ady\u00adthing beco\u00admes pos\u00adsi\u00adble. Hea\u00adven and earth meet, pre\u00advious\u00adly super\u00adna\u00adtu\u00adral things are trans\u00adfor\u00admed into natu\u00adral things.
\nAt the same time, such a belief also crea\u00adtes fric\u00adtion: \u00abWhen they heard Peter and John tea\u00adching that the\u00adre was a resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of the dead and poin\u00adting to Jesus as pro\u00adof of this, they were great\u00adly dis\u00adtur\u00adbed. They had them both arres\u00adted [\u2026]\u00bb (Acts 4:2f NLB<\/span>). Such a cra\u00adzy idea as the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of the dead is not soci\u00adal\u00adly accep\u00adta\u00adble and gene\u00adra\u00adtes resis\u00adtance. Jesus pre\u00addic\u00adted that His fol\u00adlo\u00adwers would be per\u00adse\u00adcu\u00adted just as He was. In my dai\u00adly pray\u00ader time, I also use the Open Doors pray\u00ader calen\u00addar as a gui\u00adde. On 19 March, for exam\u00adp\u00adle, it said: \u00abLaos: Let us pray for Many\u00adseng, who\u00adse hus\u00adband divorced her becau\u00adse of her faith. As she has no work, she can bare\u00adly pro\u00advi\u00adde for hers\u00adelf and her child\u00adren. Some Chris\u00adti\u00adan fami\u00adlies are hel\u00adping them with food, but that is still not enough.\u00bb When this hap\u00adpens, belief in the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion is all the more important. The grea\u00adtest con\u00adceiva\u00adble power in the uni\u00adver\u00adse is on our side. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre: \u00abDo not be afraid of tho\u00adse who can kill the body \u2013 they can\u00adnot kill the soul\u00bb (Matthew 10:28a New Tes\u00adta\u00adment). Fol\u00adlo\u00adwing the risen Christ has its pri\u00adce. And not only in Laos, but Jesus gene\u00adra\u00adli\u00adses: \u00ab[\u2026] A ser\u00advant is not grea\u00adter than his mas\u00adter. Sin\u00adce they per\u00adse\u00adcu\u00adted me, they will also per\u00adse\u00adcu\u00adte you [\u2026]\u00bb (John 15:20 NLB<\/span>).
\nNew identity
\nThe Bible makes it clear that at the end of days the\u00adre will be a new hea\u00adven and a new earth in this world. In its natu\u00adre and qua\u00adli\u00adty, the resur\u00adrec\u00adted Jesus is a har\u00adbin\u00adger of the new crea\u00adti\u00adon. When the disci\u00adples encoun\u00adte\u00adred the risen Christ and pla\u00adced their fin\u00adgers in his scars, they touch\u00aded the new crea\u00adti\u00adon for the first time. And we see \u2013 the new crea\u00adti\u00adon is both con\u00adti\u00adnui\u00adty and dis\u00adcon\u00adti\u00adnui\u00adty. On the one hand, the sto\u00adry con\u00adti\u00adnues (Jesus was reco\u00adg\u00adnis\u00aded, bore the scars of the cru\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adxi\u00adon), on the other hand, it is crea\u00adted in a new dimen\u00adsi\u00adon (Jesus could sud\u00adden\u00adly appear in a room wit\u00adhout pas\u00adsing through the door). This is the future sce\u00adna\u00adrio for the who\u00adle of creation.
\nIt says about Peter, the fol\u00adlower of Jesus, that he was fil\u00adled with the Holy Spi\u00adrit. What does this mean? Paul gives the ans\u00adwer: \u00abGod hims\u00adelf has pre\u00adpared us for this new life by giving us his Spi\u00adrit as a pledge and down pay\u00adment\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 5:5 New Tes\u00adta\u00adment). The gift of God\u2019s Spi\u00adrit is the pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon, pledge and down pay\u00adment for the new hea\u00adven and the new earth. Every fol\u00adlower beco\u00admes a new crea\u00adtu\u00adre through the Holy Spi\u00adrit. The future beg\u00adins today. It is not about us going to hea\u00adven, but about hea\u00adven coming to earth through us. This is pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly the aim of the dis\u00adpo\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adve, Jesus as the cor\u00adner\u00adstone and the Holy Spi\u00adrit within. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Christ means iden\u00adti\u00adfy\u00ading with the new world and anti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adting it. It can\u00adnot be empha\u00adsis\u00aded enough that fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus alre\u00ada\u00addy have the new hea\u00adven and the new earth within them. Com\u00adple\u00adti\u00adon in the image of Jesus Christ will take place when Jesus returns and estab\u00adlishes his king\u00addom in this world.
\nAt the same time \u2013 and this is the mes\u00adsa\u00adge against all stressful busyn\u00adess \u2013 the effects of the Holy Spi\u00adrit are descri\u00adbed with the Greek word dyna\u00admis. It is the same power \u2013 by far the stron\u00adgest in the enti\u00adre uni\u00adver\u00adse \u2013 that resur\u00adrec\u00adted Jesus. So it is this divi\u00adne dyna\u00admi\u00adte that brings us for\u00adwards on our jour\u00adney with Jesus.
\nThe resur\u00adrec\u00adtion cerem\u00ado\u00adny for the vicar\u2019s wife is over. But she has not yet been resur\u00adrec\u00adted. At the moment, she is still in para\u00addi\u00adse, just like the co-cru\u00adci\u00adfied Jesus and many others. Para\u00addi\u00adse is a place of bliss. The phy\u00adsi\u00adcal resur\u00adrec\u00adtion will fol\u00adlow when Jesus returns and crea\u00adtes the new hea\u00adven and the new earth. Today we cele\u00adbra\u00adte that the head is alre\u00ada\u00addy through and we can know with con\u00adfi\u00addence that the\u00adre real\u00adly is a resurrection!
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Acts 4:1\u201315<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat is the dif\u00adfe\u00adrence bet\u00adween fol\u00adlo\u00adwing only the his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adcal Christ or the actual\u00adly risen Christ?
\n\tThe resur\u00adrec\u00adted Christ is the bridge to the new hea\u00adven and the new earth. How can a per\u00adson cross this bridge?
\n\tWhat does it mean to be fil\u00adled with the Holy Spi\u00adrit? What is chan\u00adged by it? Whe\u00adre is the\u00adre a con\u00adnec\u00adtion to the new crea\u00adtu\u00adre from 2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 5:17?
\n\tTo what ext\u00adent have you expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced resis\u00adtance when fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus? How do you deal with it?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"