It is remar\u00adkab\u00adle and not coin\u00adci\u00adden\u00adtal that Pen\u00adte\u00adcost fell exact\u00adly on the day when the Jews cele\u00adbra\u00adted Shavuot. God wan\u00adted to make it easy for the Jews and help them to reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse the con\u00adnec\u00adtion bet\u00adween the gift of the Holy Spi\u00adrit and Shavuot. Shavuot is the feast of the first\u00adfruits and the word of God. On this day, the peo\u00adp\u00adle cele\u00adbra\u00adted the fact that the Torah was given to them at Sinai. Through the Holy Spi\u00adrit, the Torah was writ\u00adten into the hearts of Jesus\u00bb fol\u00adlo\u00adwers on Pen\u00adte\u00adcost. It is the sign of the new covenant.<\/p>\n
In his ser\u00admon on Pen\u00adte\u00adcost, the priest descri\u00adbes how the Holy Spi\u00adrit sett\u00adled on the heads of tho\u00adse gathe\u00adred in the form of a fiery ton\u00adgue. Hans whis\u00adpers to Emil: \u00abNow I know why the mon\u00adks wear tonsures.\u00bb \tWhat did the Jews cele\u00adbra\u00adte on Shavuot (his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adcal and natu\u00adral refe\u00adren\u00adces)? Why did the out\u00adpou\u00adring of the Holy Spi\u00adrit take place pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly during this festival? It is remar\u00adkab\u00adle and no coin\u00adci\u00addence that Pen\u00adte\u00adcost fell exact\u00adly on the day when the Jews cele\u00adbra\u00adted Shavuot. God wan\u00adted to make it easy for the Jews and help them to reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse the con\u00adnec\u00adtion bet\u00adween the gift of the Holy Spi\u00adrit and Shavuot. Shavuot is the feast of the first\u00adfruits and the word of God. The peo\u00adp\u00adle celebrated\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7882,"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":["wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","wpfc_sermon_series-folge-du-mir-nach","wpfc-sermon-single","post-7866","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nIt is fasci\u00adna\u00adting and no coin\u00adci\u00addence that Jews from many dif\u00adfe\u00adrent count\u00adries gathe\u00adred in Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem for the feast of Pen\u00adte\u00adcost. This was alre\u00ada\u00addy the case at the death and resur\u00adrec\u00adtion of Jesus. Both events took place at the same time as one of the gre\u00adat Jewish pil\u00adgrimage festivals.
\nOn Pas\u00adso\u00adver, the Jews cele\u00adbra\u00adte their libe\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon from Egyp\u00adti\u00adan slavery. Jesus\u00bb death and resur\u00adrec\u00adtion crea\u00adte the con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons for us all to be freed from our per\u00adso\u00adnal cap\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty. Through Moses, God ins\u00adtruc\u00adted the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel to count seven weeks plus one day after the Pas\u00adso\u00adver (Exodus 23:15\u201322) and then cele\u00adbra\u00adte Shavuot (Feast of Weeks). The name Shavuot comes from the fact that the date is based on the coun\u00adting of the weeks after Pas\u00adso\u00adver and not on the calendar.
\nIn the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment, which was writ\u00adten in Greek, the feast is cal\u00adled Pen\u00adte\u00adkos\u00adtos (fif\u00adty, also Pen\u00adte\u00adcost). Fif\u00adty days after the Pas\u00adso\u00adver, the\u00adre were once again gre\u00adat cele\u00adbra\u00adti\u00adons in Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. Shavuot. The who\u00adle city was full of life. The second pil\u00adgrimage fes\u00adti\u00adval has a natu\u00adral and his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adcal signi\u00adfi\u00adcan\u00adce. The Jews cele\u00adbra\u00adted the grain har\u00adve\u00adst, the recep\u00adti\u00adon of the Torah at Sinai and the coven\u00adant that God made with Isra\u00adel. In the midst of the\u00adse cele\u00adbra\u00adti\u00adons, God pou\u00adred out the Holy Spi\u00adrit on his followers.
\nFeast of first fruits
\nGod has given his peo\u00adp\u00adle a land flowing with milk and honey, but also many dif\u00adfe\u00adrent types of fruit, vege\u00adta\u00adbles, fruit and grain. Shavuot is a time to thank God for the first har\u00adve\u00adst. A fes\u00adti\u00adval against for\u00adget\u00adting the good\u00adness of God. The\u00adre has always been a gre\u00adat dan\u00adger that, when things are going well for man, he for\u00adgets God, who makes ever\u00ady\u00adthing grow and flou\u00adrish (Deu\u00adte\u00adro\u00adno\u00admy 6:10\u201312). God crea\u00adtes every basis for life. Man can sow and reap, but only God can make things grow (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 3:6).
\nIt is exact\u00adly the same in disci\u00adple\u00adship. We can open our hearts to God, seek Him, but the fruit is given by the Spi\u00adrit of God. \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\u00bb (Gala\u00adti\u00adans 5:22 NLB<\/span>). Pen\u00adte\u00adcost is a day against for\u00adget\u00adting that the\u00adse things can\u00adnot be taken for gran\u00adted, but are a gift from God.
\nAccor\u00adding to Jewish tra\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon, an enti\u00adre night is dedi\u00adca\u00adted to the stu\u00addy of scrip\u00adtu\u00adre during this fes\u00adti\u00adval. Among other things, the book of Ruth is read aloud becau\u00adse this sto\u00adry takes place during the har\u00adve\u00adst. The con\u00adscious tur\u00adning of the Moa\u00adbi\u00adte Ruth to the God of Isra\u00adel (Ruth 1:16+17) is a first fruit among the many Gen\u00adti\u00adles who fol\u00adlo\u00adwed her exam\u00adp\u00adle in the cen\u00adtu\u00adries that followed.
\nBefo\u00adre Jesus retur\u00adned to his Father, he gave the ins\u00adtruc\u00adtion that the disci\u00adples should remain in Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem until the Spi\u00adrit of God comes. Only then should they go out into the world and bring the good news to all peo\u00adp\u00adle (Acts 1:4+8). The reason is that wit\u00adhout the Holy Spi\u00adrit, the chan\u00adces of suc\u00adcess are zero. Every fol\u00adlower of Jesus Christ is included in the mis\u00adsi\u00adon to explain the gos\u00adpel, the good news, to other peo\u00adp\u00adle. The wil\u00adling\u00adness to do this in a tactful and loving way is our part. The Spi\u00adrit of God is respon\u00adsi\u00adble for suc\u00adcess and open hearts. Not\u00adhing works wit\u00adhout Him. It would be like kno\u00adcking down a brick wall with our bare hands, wit\u00adhout a sled\u00adge\u00adham\u00admer, or try\u00ading to roast meat in a gas bar\u00adbe\u00adcue with an emp\u00adty gas cylinder.
\nFeast of the Word of God
\nAt Shavuot, the Jews ori\u00adgi\u00adnal\u00adly offe\u00adred two loaves of bread as a wave offe\u00adring. Howe\u00adver, \u00abman needs more than bread to live. He also lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord\u00bb (Deu\u00adte\u00adro\u00adno\u00admy 8:3 NLB<\/span>). That is why Shavuot, as the Feast of First\u00adfruits, is also a feast of the Word of God. On this day, the Jewish peo\u00adp\u00adle cele\u00adbra\u00adte the fact that the Torah was given to them at Sinai (Exodus 19). Even the cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances were simi\u00adlar. At Sinai the\u00adre was fire, storm and smo\u00adke. At the Pen\u00adte\u00adcost event in Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem, the\u00adre is talk of a roar like the roar of a migh\u00adty storm and of flames.
\nCoun\u00adting the days bet\u00adween Pas\u00adso\u00adver and Shavout, the so-cal\u00adled coun\u00adting of the omer, is a con\u00adscious ritu\u00adal for the Jews. This time pri\u00adma\u00adri\u00adly tea\u00adches that the free\u00addom given and the ins\u00adtruc\u00adtions given by God are deep\u00adly and inex\u00adtri\u00adca\u00adbly lin\u00adked. Leo Trepp (1913\u20132010), a rab\u00adbi, says: \u00abFree\u00addom wit\u00adhout com\u00admit\u00adment leads to nihi\u00adlism. This is what coun\u00adting tells us.\u00bb And a say\u00ading of the sages is: \u00abThe more Torah, the more life. The more lear\u00adning, the more wisdom.\u00bb
\nWe are in dan\u00adger of thin\u00adking that God is a spoil\u00adsport who rest\u00adricts our free\u00addom. God\u2019s Word pro\u00advi\u00addes the right frame\u00adwork for the free\u00addom we have been given. It is life-enhan\u00adcing and leads us into the open. In a coun\u00adtry wit\u00adhout a fede\u00adral con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adti\u00adon, arbi\u00adtrar\u00adi\u00adne\u00adss and anar\u00adchy reign. The Torah is the con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adti\u00adon that pro\u00advi\u00addes a foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon for the coven\u00adant bet\u00adween God and his peo\u00adp\u00adle. Free\u00addom wit\u00adhout God\u2019s word is like an art pain\u00adting on can\u00advas wit\u00adhout a pic\u00adtu\u00adre frame. The Torah can be unders\u00adtood as a mani\u00adfesto of human digni\u00adty, as a mar\u00adker of how peo\u00adp\u00adle should tre\u00adat each other, natu\u00adre and other people\u2019s lives.
\nThe first Pen\u00adte\u00adcost was also a mira\u00adcle of hea\u00adring. For\u00adeign Jews who did not speak Hebrew exclai\u00admed: \u00ab[\u2026] How can this be? The\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle are all from Gali\u00adlee, and yet we hear them spea\u00adking in the lan\u00adguages of the count\u00adries whe\u00adre we were born!\u00bb (Acts 2:7\u20138 NLB<\/span>). Thanks to the Holy Spi\u00adrit, they unders\u00adtood unknown lan\u00adguages. In the same way, the Holy Spi\u00adrit deci\u00adphers God\u2019s Word for us so that we can under\u00adstand more and more of it.
\n\u00abTo the Jews who now belie\u00adved in him, Jesus said: \u00abIf you abide in my word, you are tru\u00adly my disci\u00adples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free\u00bb \u00bb (John 8: 31\u201332 NRSV<\/span>).
\nFol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus remain in his word. God\u2019s Word and the Holy Spi\u00adrit belong inse\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adb\u00adly tog\u00ade\u00adther. They are mutual\u00adly depen\u00addent. The Spi\u00adrit of God does not make us free spi\u00adrits, but binds us to God\u2019s word. That is why the Jews stu\u00addy the Scrip\u00adtures for one night on Shavuot.
\nFeast of the Holy Spirit
\nThrough the Holy Spi\u00adrit, the Torah is writ\u00adten into the heart of a fol\u00adlower of Jesus. Jere\u00admi\u00adah gives us a pro\u00adphe\u00adtic out\u00adlook on Pen\u00adte\u00adcost: \u00ab \u00abYet this is the new coven\u00adant I will make with the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel on that day,\u00bb decla\u00adres the LORD<\/span>. \u00abI will fill their minds with my law (Torah), and I will wri\u00adte it on their hearts. And I will be their God and they will be my peo\u00adp\u00adle\u00bb \u00bb (Jere\u00admi\u00adah 31:33 NLB<\/span>). Pen\u00adte\u00adcost marks the begin\u00adning of a coven\u00adant in which God lives in and with the fol\u00adlo\u00adwers through his Spirit.
\nThrough the Holy Spi\u00adrit, the Torah is writ\u00adten into the heart of a fol\u00adlower of Jesus. The same pro\u00adcess is descri\u00adbed else\u00adwhe\u00adre as repla\u00adcing the heart of stone with a heart of fle\u00adsh (Eze\u00adkiel 36:26). This means that the Holy Spi\u00adrit not only brings the let\u00adter into our hearts, but also mer\u00adcy and the abili\u00adty to ful\u00adfil God\u2019s ins\u00adtruc\u00adtions. An important aspect of this new coven\u00adant is the new begin\u00adning through for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness (Jere\u00admi\u00adah 31:34). This is why Paul wri\u00adtes: \u00abHe has enab\u00adled us to be ser\u00advants of his new coven\u00adant, a coven\u00adant that is not based on writ\u00adten laws but on the Spi\u00adrit of God. The old way leads to death, but in the new way the Holy Spi\u00adrit gives life\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 3:6 NLB<\/span>).
\nFol\u00adlo\u00adwing Christ is not pos\u00adsi\u00adble wit\u00adhout the Holy Spi\u00adrit. The Spi\u00adrit of God is also cal\u00adled para\u00adkle\u00adtos in Greek. This means \u00abto be cal\u00adled to the side of ano\u00adther to help him\u00bb. The Holy Spi\u00adrit is the gua\u00adran\u00adtor of suc\u00adcess in disci\u00adple\u00adship against all fail\u00adure and is at work around the clock. The\u00adre are peo\u00adp\u00adle in need of care who hire a per\u00adson from Pol\u00adand to be with them 24<\/sup>\u20447<\/sub> and sup\u00adport them in all situa\u00adtions. The advan\u00adta\u00adge of the Holy Spi\u00adrit is that he never sleeps and per\u00adforms super\u00adna\u00adtu\u00adral miracles.
\nThe book of Ruth ends with the wed\u00adding of Boaz and Ruth. The Holy Spi\u00adrit is the seal that con\u00adfirms a fol\u00adlower as God\u2019s own and thus assu\u00adres them that they belong to the bri\u00adde with whom the bri\u00adde\u00adg\u00adroom Jesus will cele\u00adbra\u00adte the wed\u00adding after his return. \u00abThrough Christ you too have now heard the truth, the good news that God saves you. You have belie\u00adved in Christ, and he has con\u00adfirm\u00aded you as his own with the seal of his Holy Spi\u00adrit, whom he pro\u00admi\u00adsed long ago\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 1:3 NLB<\/span>). A seal for par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adti\u00adon in the new coven\u00adant that was estab\u00adlished through Jesus Christ.
\n
\nIn the account of the Omer, the Jews remem\u00adbe\u00adred that free\u00addom wit\u00adhout com\u00admit\u00adment leads to not\u00adhing\u00adness. God\u2019s good ins\u00adtruc\u00adtions in the Torah pro\u00advi\u00added the frame\u00adwork for the peo\u00adp\u00adle who were final\u00adly free after a long cap\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty. Through the Holy Spi\u00adrit, the Torah is writ\u00adten into the heart of a fol\u00adlower of Jesus. The con\u00adse\u00adquence of this is also free\u00addom. Paul descri\u00adbes the con\u00adnec\u00adtion bet\u00adween free\u00addom and the Spi\u00adrit of God: \u00abBut the Lord is the Spi\u00adrit, and whe\u00adre\u00adver the Spi\u00adrit of the Lord is, the\u00adre is free\u00addom\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 3:17 NLB<\/span>). Pen\u00adte\u00adcost enables a free\u00addom that does not lead to not\u00adhing\u00adness, but into the eter\u00adnal coven\u00adant with God. A free\u00addom that neither cuts down nor exploits its neigh\u00adbour, but values and hono\u00adurs them.
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Acts 2:1\u201313; Jere\u00admi\u00adah 31:33\u201334<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat is the con\u00adnec\u00adtion bet\u00adween the Holy Spi\u00adrit and har\u00adve\u00adst? What is the fruit of the Holy Spirit?
\n\tWhat is the con\u00adnec\u00adtion bet\u00adween the Holy Spi\u00adrit and the Torah? What does it mean that the Torah is writ\u00adten in a heart?
\n\tWhy is the Holy Spi\u00adrit indis\u00adpensable in fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus?
\n\tWhe\u00adre the Spi\u00adrit of God is, the\u00adre is free\u00addom. How do you under\u00adstand this connection?
\n\tPray for one ano\u00adther for fresh ful\u00adfilm\u00adent through the Holy Spirit!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"