Fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus Christ is com\u00adpared to a race for a valuable pri\u00adze. Ever\u00adyo\u00adne should run in such a way that they win. The pro\u00admi\u00adsed goal, the pri\u00adze, is eter\u00adnal life in the pre\u00adsence of God. This image makes it clear that our living body is of gre\u00adat importance. The body shows to whom a per\u00adson belongs.<\/p>\n
I was recent\u00adly on Face\u00adbook again after a long time. The\u00adre I saw a com\u00adment on a pro\u00adfi\u00adle of a for\u00admer youth choir kid that fits in well with today\u2019s ser\u00admon. This young man is now in his ear\u00adly twen\u00adties and invests a lot of time and ener\u00adgy in boxing. In this post, he made the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing state\u00adment in Eng\u00adlish \u00abWhy are you always busy? \u2013 I have a dream to finish! \u00bb \u00abWhy are you always so busy? \u2013 Becau\u00adse I have a dream to ful\u00adfil!\u00bb. I inter\u00adpret this state\u00adment to mean that he puts so much time into his goal of ful\u00adfil\u00adling this dream that ever\u00ady\u00adthing else has to take a back seat. \tWhat is your first reac\u00adtion when you hear the com\u00adpa\u00adri\u00adson of suc\u00adces\u00adsi\u00adon to a race or competition? Fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus Christ is com\u00adpared to a race for a valuable pri\u00adze. Ever\u00adyo\u00adne should run in such a way that they win. The pro\u00admi\u00adsed goal, the pri\u00adze, is eter\u00adnal life in the pre\u00adsence of God. This image makes it clear that our living body is of gre\u00adat importance. The body shows to whom a person\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":7908,"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-7900","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nToday\u2019s ser\u00admon is about Paul describ\u00ading disci\u00adple\u00adship as a race and a boxing match. Paul wri\u00adtes about this in his first let\u00adter to the Corinthians.
\nRun\u00adning, like in a race
\nSo that we can clas\u00adsi\u00adfy the ver\u00adses cor\u00adrect\u00adly, I would like to brief\u00adly explain the con\u00adtext of the let\u00adter. In the pre\u00advious chap\u00adter, Paul talks about eating meat sacri\u00adfi\u00adced to idols. At that time, an ani\u00admal was usual\u00adly slaugh\u00adte\u00adred in a cerem\u00ado\u00adny and so often only meat sacri\u00adfi\u00adced to idols was available to eat. He says that eating this meat can\u00adnot harm them. Nevert\u00adhel\u00adess, he calls on them to abs\u00adtain becau\u00adse this can put peo\u00adp\u00adle with a weak con\u00adsci\u00adence in a dif\u00adfi\u00adcult posi\u00adti\u00adon. To fur\u00adther empha\u00adsise this point, he speaks of his own free\u00addom in the few ver\u00adses befo\u00adre and con\u00adcludes with the state\u00adment \u00abI do all this to spread God\u2019s good news, so that I too may share in its bles\u00adsings\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 9:23 NLB<\/span>). He renoun\u00adces some things. For exam\u00adp\u00adle, paid accom\u00admo\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon and food. On having a wife with him. On the other hand, he works for his own living. He adapts hims\u00adelf. He abides by the law, even though he is free from it. With non-Jews he con\u00adforms as much as pos\u00adsi\u00adble and with peo\u00adp\u00adle who are weak, he makes hims\u00adelf weak. But he always keeps the law that Jesus gave him. He sub\u00ador\u00addi\u00adna\u00adtes ever\u00ady\u00adthing to his cau\u00adse: To fol\u00adlow Jesus and invi\u00adte others to fol\u00adlow him. Paul led many peo\u00adp\u00adle to fol\u00adlow Jesus Christ. We can learn a lot from him about what disci\u00adple\u00adship looks like. He shows this here using an exam\u00adp\u00adle from sport.
\n\u00abRemem\u00adber that ever\u00adyo\u00adne runs like in a race, but only one per\u00adson gets the pri\u00adze. Run so that you win it! Every ath\u00adle\u00adte prac\u00adti\u00adses strict self-disci\u00adpli\u00adne. Howe\u00adver, he does this to win a pri\u00adze who\u00adse value will fade \u2013 but we do it for an eter\u00adnal pri\u00adze. So I always keep the goal in mind and run towards it with every step. I fight like a boxer, but not like someone who hits not\u00adhing. With the iron disci\u00adpli\u00adne of an ath\u00adle\u00adte, I con\u00adquer my body so that it obeys me. Other\u00adwi\u00adse I would have to fear that alt\u00adhough I have pre\u00ada\u00adched to others, I might dis\u00adqua\u00adli\u00adfy mys\u00adelf after\u00adwards\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 9:24\u201327 NLB<\/span>). So how should fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ behave? They should run like win\u00adners. Focus\u00adsed on their goal. Accor\u00adding to the intro\u00adduc\u00adto\u00adry sto\u00adry \u00abWhy are you always busy? \u2013 I have a dream to finish!\u00bb This includes good pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon. Howe\u00adver, in con\u00adtrast to the com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adti\u00adon, he empha\u00adsi\u00ads\u00ades that not just one per\u00adson can win, but ever\u00adyo\u00adne can win. The image of a com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adti\u00adon or race is used by Paul a few times for the life of a fol\u00adlower of Jesus (2 Timo\u00adthy 4:7 and Phil\u00adip\u00adpians 3:14)
\nIn this exam\u00adp\u00adle from the world of sport, Paul refers to some\u00adthing fami\u00adli\u00adar. The Isth\u00admi\u00adan Games were held near Corinth. The\u00adre it was cus\u00adto\u00adma\u00adry for the win\u00adner to recei\u00adve a wreath made from a plant. The ath\u00adle\u00adtes the\u00adre used all their strength to win. But in the end, only one per\u00adson could win. The suc\u00adces\u00adsi\u00adon is dif\u00adfe\u00adrent. Here, ever\u00adyo\u00adne can win. Ever\u00adyo\u00adne runs towards a goal, but it\u2019s not just about being in the race, it\u2019s about rea\u00adching the goal.
\nThe pro\u00admi\u00adsed destination
\nWhat is wai\u00adting the\u00adre at the finish line and what is the finish line? \u00abAnd when the Chief She\u00adp\u00adherd returns, you will be reward\u00aded with his unli\u00admi\u00adt\u00aded glo\u00adry\u00bb (1 Peter 5:4 NLB<\/span>). The reward will be unli\u00admi\u00adt\u00aded glo\u00adry. In the Greek it says vic\u00adto\u00adry wreath \u2013 which was also the pri\u00adze in most games. This is also the case with the Isth\u00admi\u00adans, for exam\u00adp\u00adle. This sym\u00adbo\u00adli\u00adses the acquit\u00adtal by God. It is a two-part vic\u00adto\u00adry wreath. On the one hand, it is the vic\u00adto\u00adry wreath of jus\u00adti\u00adce. \u00abNow the pri\u00adze awaits me \u2013 the vic\u00adto\u00adry wreath of righ\u00adteous\u00adness, which the Lord, the righ\u00adteous judge, will give me on the gre\u00adat day of his return. But he will give this pri\u00adze not only to me, but to all who long for his return\u00bb (2 Timo\u00adthy 4:8 NLB<\/span>). This pri\u00adze is for all who long for the return of Jesus Christ. The fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of him are in this race and the pri\u00adze is given to all who have this lon\u00adging. On the other hand, all recei\u00adve the vic\u00adto\u00adry crown of life. \u00abHap\u00adpy is he who pati\u00adent\u00adly endu\u00adres the tri\u00adals of faith. When he has pro\u00adved hims\u00adelf, he will recei\u00adve the eter\u00adnal life [Greek: crown of life] that God has pro\u00admi\u00adsed to tho\u00adse who love him\u00bb (James 1:12 NLB<\/span>).
\nWe are tal\u00adking about tests of faith here. What are the\u00adse? This can be the post\u00adpo\u00adne\u00adment of a desi\u00adre. Per\u00adse\u00adver\u00adance in a cer\u00adtain situa\u00adti\u00adon. Or dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adties that make me doubt the exis\u00adtence of God. Would\u00adn\u2019t a life wit\u00adhout fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus Christ be bet\u00adter becau\u00adse the\u00adre would be no tri\u00adals? Tri\u00adal gene\u00adral\u00adly means a tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon, offence or chall\u00adenge. Paul con\u00adtra\u00addicts this: \u00abDo not for\u00adget that the tri\u00adals you are expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adcing are the same as tho\u00adse faced by all peo\u00adp\u00adle. But God is faithful. He will not let the tri\u00adal beco\u00adme so strong that you can no lon\u00adger resist it. When you are put to the test, he will imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly pro\u00advi\u00adde a way out so that you can stand firm\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 10:13 NLB<\/span>). The chal\u00adlenges are usual\u00adly no dif\u00adfe\u00adrent. You can\u2019t have ever\u00ady\u00adthing you want. Fru\u00adga\u00adli\u00adty is not just a phe\u00adno\u00adme\u00adnon and requi\u00adre\u00adment of the Bible. Ven\u00adture rese\u00adar\u00adcher Sieg\u00adbert A. War\u00adwitz also sees the trend towards mode\u00ads\u00adty in the cur\u00adrent need for trek\u00adking and survival.
\nSuc\u00adces\u00adsi\u00adon is deci\u00added by the body
\nPaul\u2019s words about the race are to be seen in the wider con\u00adtext of eating meat sacri\u00adfi\u00adced to idols. Paul is covert\u00adly tel\u00adling them to abs\u00adtain from the meat. Here abs\u00adti\u00adnence means renoun\u00adcing the right to eat this meat. Theo\u00adre\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly, they have the right and also the free\u00addom to do so. \u00abEver\u00ady\u00adthing is allo\u00adwed, but not ever\u00ady\u00adthing is hel\u00adpful. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing is per\u00admit\u00adted, but not ever\u00ady\u00adthing is good\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 10:23 NLB<\/span>). Paul renoun\u00adces things in order to make room for the needs of fol\u00adlo\u00adwing the gos\u00adpel. Gos\u00adpel means good news. It is the good news of a life in abun\u00addance. The mes\u00adsa\u00adge of ren\u00adun\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon and self-disci\u00adpli\u00adne was pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly as well recei\u00adved then as it is today \u2013 not at all. N.T. Wright sum\u00adma\u00adri\u00adses Paul\u2019s state\u00adment as fol\u00adlows: \u00abThe gos\u00adpel demands that you give up some of your \u00abrights\u00bb and \u00abfree\u00addoms\u00bb, even if it feels like you are under\u00adgo\u00ading hard ath\u00adle\u00adtic trai\u00adning\u00bb (N.T. Wright). Peo\u00adp\u00adle who took part in races did\u00adn\u2019t just want to be the\u00adre, they wan\u00adted to win. This means bet\u00adting on ever\u00ady\u00adthing you need to win. The\u00adre is no point in taking part in a race if you don\u2019t want to win!
\nFol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus Christ can cost me a lot. The\u00adre is an inci\u00addent in which Jesus seems to want to talk us out of fol\u00adlo\u00adwing him. \u00abOn the way, one of the disci\u00adples said to Jesus, \u00abI will go with you whe\u00adre\u00adver you go. But Jesus said to him, \u00abFoxes have their dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest. To ano\u00adther he said, \u00abCome, fol\u00adlow me. But he repli\u00aded, \u00abLord, first let me go home and bury my father. Jesus repli\u00aded: \u00abLet the peo\u00adp\u00adle who do not ask for God take care of their dead. Your task is to go and pro\u00adcla\u00adim the coming of the king\u00addom of God. Ano\u00adther said, \u00abYes, Lord, I want to go with you, but first let me say good\u00adbye to my fami\u00adly. But Jesus said, \u00abAnyo\u00adne who puts a hand to the plough and then looks back is not fit for the king\u00addom of God\u00bb.\u00bb (Luke 9:57\u201362 NLB<\/span>). To put it in the lan\u00adguage Paul uses, if I want to reach the goal, I have to lea\u00adve ever\u00ady\u00adthing that dis\u00adturbs me behind.
\nThe ath\u00adle\u00adtes at the games at that time had to affirm that they had abs\u00adtained from wine, meat and sexu\u00adal inter\u00adcour\u00adse during the ten-month pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon peri\u00adod. Self-con\u00adtrol is an important skill not only for ath\u00adle\u00adtes, but also for fol\u00adlo\u00adwers, and for Paul this is part of the fruit of the Holy Spi\u00adrit (Gala\u00adti\u00adans 5:23). In addi\u00adti\u00adon to his descrip\u00adti\u00adon of the com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adti\u00adon, Paul uses the image of a boxer. This was a tough pro\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adon in tho\u00adse days. Boxers were quite dis\u00adfi\u00adgu\u00adred in the face \u2013 but high\u00adly respec\u00adted in socie\u00adty. Like a boxer, Paul fights with full com\u00admit\u00adment and pur\u00adpo\u00adse. He tre\u00adats his own body with iron disci\u00adpli\u00adne, just like an ath\u00adle\u00adte does, so that it obeys him. This is Paul\u2019s core mes\u00adsa\u00adge. A person\u2019s own living body deter\u00admi\u00adnes to whom he actual\u00adly belongs and by whom he is gover\u00adned. Paul\u2019s beha\u00adviour makes this clear. But it is not the case that Paul is against the body and regards it as bad. It is rather the oppo\u00adsi\u00adte. \u00abOr do you not know that your body is a temp\u00adle of the Holy Spi\u00adrit who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to your\u00adsel\u00adves, for God has paid a high pri\u00adce for you. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre honour God with your body\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 6:19\u201320 NLB<\/span>). He is con\u00adcer\u00adned with glo\u00adri\u00adfy\u00ading and hono\u00adu\u00adring God in the body. What could this mean for you and how you tre\u00adat your living body?
\nPaul\u2019s inten\u00adti\u00adon is for fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ to prepa\u00adre their earth\u00adly bodies for their true desti\u00adny. This is uni\u00adon with him in the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion. \u00abFor our peri\u00ads\u00adha\u00adble earth\u00adly body must be trans\u00adfor\u00admed into a hea\u00adven\u00adly body that will die no more. When this hap\u00adpens \u2013 when our peri\u00ads\u00adha\u00adble, earth\u00adly bodies are trans\u00adfor\u00admed into impe\u00adris\u00adha\u00adble, hea\u00adven\u00adly bodies \u2013 then the scrip\u00adtu\u00adre will be ful\u00adfil\u00adled: \u00abDeath has been swal\u00adlo\u00adwed up in vic\u00adto\u00adry\u00bb \u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 15:53\u201354 NLB<\/span>). This hea\u00adven\u00adly eter\u00adnal body is the eter\u00adnal pri\u00adze at sta\u00adke in the race. It is about eter\u00adnal fel\u00adlow\u00adship with God. The crown of vic\u00adto\u00adry for fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus is eter\u00adnal life. Spe\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adcal\u00adly, the bodi\u00adly resurrection.
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: 1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 9:24\u201327<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat is the goal of your suc\u00adces\u00adsi\u00adon? What do you have in mind?
\n\tIn which area do you expe\u00adri\u00adence the most temptations\/challenges\/trials? How do you deal with them?
\n\tWhat does the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing state\u00adment do to you? A person\u2019s own living body deter\u00admi\u00adnes who they actual\u00adly belong to and who deter\u00admi\u00adnes them.
\n\tHow do you glo\u00adri\u00adfy God with your living body? Whe\u00adre are you doing the oppo\u00adsi\u00adte and not giving him the honour?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"