The wil\u00adder\u00adness wan\u00adde\u00adring of the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel bet\u00adween Egypt and the Pro\u00admi\u00adsed Land is an image of the disci\u00adple\u00adship of Jesus. When the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes encoun\u00adte\u00adred the hosti\u00adle Ama\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes, they were able to achie\u00adve vic\u00adto\u00adry through a two-pron\u00adged stra\u00adtegy: Pray\u00ader and attack. With this stra\u00adtegy, a fol\u00adlower of Jesus will also be vic\u00adto\u00adrious in the con\u00adfron\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon with his challenges.<\/p>\n
When the Swiss natio\u00adnal foot\u00adball team was eli\u00admi\u00adna\u00adted in the quar\u00adter-final against Eng\u00adland on pen\u00adal\u00adties, some peo\u00adp\u00adle used the phra\u00adse \u00abYou can\u2019t always win\u00bb. It is a phra\u00adse that we often need when we have expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced dis\u00adap\u00adpoint\u00adment or have not deli\u00adver\u00aded accor\u00adding to expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons. When we march tog\u00ade\u00adther with God, the \u00abnot\u00bb is crossed out. With Him, every per\u00adson is on the win\u00adning side. Win\u00adners run under His ban\u00adner. This bold state\u00adment should be veri\u00adfied by the histo\u00adry of the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel. The 40-year wil\u00adder\u00adness wan\u00adde\u00adring after the exodus from Egypt is an image for fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus. \tOther gods: becau\u00adse what you live for is your god. During UEFA<\/span> EURO<\/span> 24, I once had a con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon about whe\u00adther it is right to orga\u00adni\u00adse a public vie\u00adw\u00ading as a church. I am con\u00advin\u00adced that we should enjoy foot\u00adball throug\u00adhout, but it must not beco\u00adme the top prio\u00adri\u00adty. What do you live for? What deter\u00admi\u00adnes your dai\u00adly rou\u00adti\u00adne, your mood, your thin\u00adking? Foot\u00adball \u2013 like other things \u2013 has the poten\u00adti\u00adal to beco\u00adme our god. Such things allow the evil powers and forces of the invi\u00adsi\u00adble world to exert a des\u00adtruc\u00adti\u00adve influence on a life. Hil\u00adde\u00adgard von Bin\u00adgen (1098\u20131179): \u00abThe art of beco\u00adming human con\u00adsists in trans\u00adforming wounds into pearls.\u00bb This hap\u00adpens through vic\u00adto\u00adries in many batt\u00adles against our \u00abAma\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes\u00bb. The last of the\u00adse must be eradicated. \tWhat kind of \u00abAma\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes\u00bb are hosti\u00adle to you in your succession? The wil\u00adder\u00adness wan\u00adde\u00adring of the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel bet\u00adween Egypt and the Pro\u00admi\u00adsed Land is an image of the disci\u00adple\u00adship of Jesus. When the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes encoun\u00adte\u00adred the hosti\u00adle Ama\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes, they were able to achie\u00adve vic\u00adto\u00adry through a two-pron\u00adged stra\u00adtegy: Pray\u00ader and attack. With this stra\u00adtegy, a fol\u00adlower of Jesus will also be vic\u00adto\u00adrious in the con\u00adfron\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon with his challenges.\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7965,"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-7954","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
\nOur \u00abAma\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes\u00bb
\n\u00abWhile the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes were still cam\u00adped in Refi\u00addim, they were atta\u00adcked by the Ama\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes\u00bb (Exodus 17:8 NLB<\/span>). The Ama\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes were the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes\u00bb worst enemies. They kept pop\u00adping up and wan\u00adted to make life mise\u00adra\u00adble for the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel. This is the reason why God wants to radi\u00adcal\u00adly des\u00adtroy them: \u00abThen the LORD<\/span> ins\u00adtruc\u00adted Moses: \u00abWri\u00adte this down as a memo\u00adri\u00adal and impress it on Joshua: I will des\u00adtroy the Ama\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes so that no one will remem\u00adber them\u00bb \u00bb (Exodus 17:14 NLB<\/span>). Around 400 years later, the Ama\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes beco\u00adme a sna\u00adre for King Saul. Becau\u00adse he had not com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly wiped them out after win\u00adning the batt\u00adle, he was rejec\u00adted as king (1 Samu\u00adel 15).
\nEven in the life of a fol\u00adlower of Jesus the\u00adre are \u00abAma\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes\u00bb, enemies who want to make life mise\u00adra\u00adble. Our \u00abAma\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes\u00bb are not war\u00adri\u00adors with armour, hor\u00adses and cha\u00adri\u00adots. Paul iden\u00adti\u00adfies them as fol\u00adlows: \u00abFor we are not fight\u00ading against fle\u00adsh and blood, but against the evil powers and aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adties of the unseen world, against the powers of dark\u00adness that rule this world and against the evil spi\u00adrits in the hea\u00adven\u00adly realms\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 6:12 NLB<\/span>).
\nThey are enemies who make a follower\u2019s life mise\u00adra\u00adble, take away their joy and some\u00adti\u00admes even make them give up. They can have the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing faces:<\/p>\n
\n\tAddic\u00adti\u00adve beha\u00adviour: Paul says: \u00abAll things are lawful for me. But not ever\u00ady\u00adthing is good. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be con\u00adtrol\u00adled by any\u00adthing\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 6:12 NLB<\/span>). The\u00adre are so many good things that want to con\u00adtrol us: food, wine, film series, social media, etc.
\n\tBur\u00addens from ances\u00adtors: In some fami\u00adly his\u00adto\u00adries, the\u00adre are things that repeat them\u00adsel\u00adves: marital pro\u00adblems, addic\u00adti\u00adve beha\u00adviour, ira\u00adsci\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty, ente\u00adring into unhe\u00adalt\u00adhy rela\u00adti\u00adonships, finan\u00adcial pro\u00adblems, etc.
\n\tUnf\u00ador\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness: Some\u00adti\u00admes peo\u00adp\u00adle sim\u00adply can\u00adnot get over the fact that they have been wron\u00adged. They can\u00adnot for\u00adgi\u00adve and so the\u00adre is no recon\u00adci\u00adlia\u00adti\u00adon. What remains is bit\u00adter\u00adness and a very limi\u00adt\u00aded life.
\n\tExpe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced inju\u00ads\u00adti\u00adce: The\u00adre are peo\u00adp\u00adle who have suf\u00adfe\u00adr\u00aded ter\u00adri\u00adble things such as phy\u00adsi\u00adcal, emo\u00adtio\u00adnal or even ritu\u00adal abu\u00adse. Such trau\u00admas spoil life in the worst pos\u00adsi\u00adble way.
\n\tDeter\u00admi\u00adna\u00adti\u00adons are sen\u00adten\u00adces that we have for\u00admed based on inju\u00adries we have expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced: I have to be bet\u00adter than the others. I can\u2019t do that. It\u2019s too dan\u00adge\u00adrous to show your fee\u00adlings. We can\u2019t afford to do that.<\/p>\n
\nOur fight
\nThe stra\u00adtegy that Moses choo\u00adses in the batt\u00adle against the Ama\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes is a model for a fol\u00adlower of Jesus. He fought on two levels at the same time:
\n\u00abMoses told Joshua: \u00abChoo\u00adse men and fight against the army of Ama\u00adlek. Tomor\u00adrow I will stand on that hill with the staff of God in my hand. Joshua did as Moses had told him. He led his men into batt\u00adle against the Ama\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes. In the mean\u00adti\u00adme, Moses, Aaron and Hur clim\u00adbed the hill. As long as Moses held up his arm, the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes had the advan\u00adta\u00adge. But when\u00adever he lowe\u00adred his arm, the Ama\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes gai\u00adned the upper hand\u00bb (Exodus 17:9\u201311 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe war stra\u00adtegy is: pray and fight. Both are nee\u00added \u2013 at the same time. Pray\u00ader and action are inse\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adble. Mar\u00adtin Luther was right when he said: \u00abOne must pray as if all work is use\u00adl\u00adess and work as if all pray\u00ader is use\u00adl\u00adess.\u00bb The\u00adre are fol\u00adlo\u00adwers with a more tech\u00adno\u00adcra\u00adtic mind\u00adset and others with a more spi\u00adri\u00adtua\u00adli\u00adstic mind\u00adset. Tech\u00adno\u00adcra\u00adtic fol\u00adlo\u00adwers tend to mana\u00adge ever\u00ady\u00adthing on their own. When all else fails, they rea\u00adli\u00adse that they haven\u2019t pray\u00aded at all. Chris\u00adti\u00adans with a spi\u00adri\u00adtua\u00adli\u00adstic mind\u00adset search for the right pray\u00ader tac\u00adtics and do not rea\u00adli\u00adse that steps are required.
\nHow to pray? Moses, Aaron and Hur pray\u00aded on the top of a hill. In the Bible, moun\u00adta\u00adins are places of God\u2019s pre\u00adsence. Away from the hust\u00adle and bust\u00adle of ever\u00ady\u00adday life, in silence and soli\u00adtu\u00adde, peo\u00adp\u00adle encoun\u00adte\u00adred the hea\u00adven\u00adly Father. Suc\u00adcessful disci\u00adple\u00adship requi\u00adres regu\u00adlar\u00adly see\u00adking God in silence.
\nHow to act? If you encoun\u00adter an Ama\u00adle\u00adki\u00adte, start pray\u00ading and take prac\u00adti\u00adcal mea\u00adsu\u00adres at the same time. In accom\u00adpany\u00ading pas\u00adto\u00adral care, this is cal\u00adled beha\u00adviou\u00adral the\u00adra\u00adpy. If you are con\u00adfron\u00adted by the ene\u00admy of por\u00adno\u00adgra\u00adphy, for exam\u00adp\u00adle, in addi\u00adti\u00adon to pray\u00ader, you need to build up a sys\u00adtem that helps us to remain abs\u00adti\u00adnent. In this case, it is pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly an accoun\u00adta\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty rela\u00adti\u00adonship and sub\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adte beha\u00adviour in the face of tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon. If the\u00adre is unf\u00ador\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness in your life, begin to pray and ask God what spe\u00adci\u00adfic steps you can take. Pray\u00ader alo\u00adne is not enough in many cases. It is about plan\u00adning and taking con\u00adcre\u00adte steps.
\n\u00abWhen Moses\u00bb arms beca\u00adme hea\u00advy, Aaron and Hur loo\u00adked for a stone for him to sit on. Then they sup\u00adport\u00aded his arms \u2013 one on the left and the other on the right. In this way, his arms stay\u00aded up until the sun went down. That is why Joshua suc\u00adcee\u00added in defea\u00adting the army of Ama\u00adlek\u00bb (Exodus 17:12\u201313 NLB<\/span>).
\nThis sce\u00adne tea\u00adches us the importance of com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty. We need each other in dif\u00adfi\u00adcult times. It is important that we are the\u00adre for each other, sup\u00adport\u00ading and encou\u00adra\u00adging each other. None of us is strong enough alo\u00adne to over\u00adco\u00adme all of life\u2019s chal\u00adlenges. But tog\u00ade\u00adther we can per\u00adse\u00adve\u00adre and achie\u00adve vic\u00adto\u00adries that would be impos\u00adsi\u00adble for us alo\u00adne. A fol\u00adlower finds such a com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty in his small group or through a pas\u00adto\u00adral coun\u00adsell\u00ador. Nota bene, the pro\u00adblem area here is on the pray\u00ader side and not the prac\u00adti\u00adcal steps. That is pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly significant.
\nFre\u00addy Staub once said: \u00abI do PUSH<\/span>: Pray until some\u00adthing hap\u00adpens.\u00bb Some \u00abAma\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes\u00bb are tough and it takes pati\u00adence and stead\u00adfast\u00adness to defeat them. Here in the desert, the batt\u00adle las\u00adted until sun\u00adset. In situa\u00adtions like this, it\u2019s good to have other peo\u00adp\u00adle to help you hold your arms up.
\nOur banner
\n\u00abMoses built an altar and cal\u00adled it \u00abThe LORD<\/span> is my ban\u00adner\u00bb (Yah\u00adweh Nis\u00adsi)\u00bb (Exodus 17:15 NLB<\/span>).
\nAfter the vic\u00adto\u00adry against the Ama\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes, Moses expres\u00adses his gra\u00adti\u00adtu\u00adde to God. He knows to whom he owes the vic\u00adto\u00adry and wor\u00adships his God with the name Yah\u00adweh Nis\u00adsi, the LORD<\/span> is my banner.
\nA ban\u00adner is a flag atta\u00adched to a pole. In the past, each youth group had its own ban\u00adner, which was plan\u00adted near its tents. All lea\u00adders and child\u00adren iden\u00adti\u00adfied them\u00adsel\u00adves with it. The main task of the night watch at Whits\u00adun camps was to guard this ban\u00adner and pro\u00adtect it from enemies. As long as the ban\u00adner stood by the tents, all was well with the world. It was con\u00adside\u00adred a dis\u00adas\u00adter and a defeat if the ban\u00adner was sto\u00adlen during a night raid. You won and lost under this ban\u00adner. As a child, I con\u00adside\u00adred it an honour to stand under the ban\u00adner of the Romans\u00adhorn boys\u00bb choir. Expe\u00adri\u00adence show\u00aded that the chan\u00adces of suc\u00adcess were quite high. A ban\u00adner shows the affi\u00adlia\u00adti\u00adon, iden\u00adti\u00adty, loyal\u00adty and aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adty of the peo\u00adp\u00adle who gather under it.
\nWhat an honour it is to stand under the Lord, our ban\u00adner! We can take this image with us into the two-pron\u00adged batt\u00adles of our ever\u00ady\u00adday lives (pray\u00ader and action). It helps a fol\u00adlower to be awa\u00adre of his iden\u00adti\u00adty in Christ. Paul descri\u00adbes this as fol\u00adlows: \u00abThis shows that you are no lon\u00adger a slave, but a son. But if you are a son, you are also an heir; God hims\u00adelf has made you such\u00bb (Gala\u00adti\u00adans 4:7 NRSV<\/span>). As a son or daugh\u00adter of God, we are in a posi\u00adti\u00adon to defeat our \u00abAma\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes\u00bb under the ban\u00adner of God. By clai\u00adming the LORD<\/span> as his ban\u00adner, Moses said to the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel: \u00abYah\u00adweh is our iden\u00adti\u00adty.\u00bb And it is to Him that we owe our lives.
\nIs it real\u00adly true that a fol\u00adlower of Jesus can always win? Yes, abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly. But it does\u00adn\u2019t mean that life always feels like vic\u00adto\u00adry, but that you can remain vic\u00adto\u00adrious in hard\u00adship, suf\u00adfe\u00adring, sick\u00adness and even death. As long as we walk under the ban\u00adner of the Lord, we will win. If we \u2013 like Saul \u2013 stop roo\u00adting out the \u00abAma\u00adle\u00adki\u00adtes\u00bb in our lives, they will catch up with us and mas\u00adsacre us. They lure us under a for\u00adeign ban\u00adner that pro\u00admi\u00adses much but deli\u00advers little.
\nJoshua was a talen\u00adted mili\u00adta\u00adry gene\u00adral. He was tas\u00adked with lea\u00adding the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes in batt\u00adle. How fit\u00adting that Joshua\u2019s name is Yes\u00adhua in Hebrew, which means \u00abYah\u00adweh is sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon\u00bb. Some four\u00adteen cen\u00adtu\u00adries later, a baby boy was born in this part of the world. The child\u2019s name? Joshua \u2013 Yes\u00adhua \u2013 or trans\u00adla\u00adted into Greek, Jesus. The par\u00adal\u00adle\u00adlism is no coin\u00adci\u00addence. Just as Joshua led the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel from a rest\u00adless exis\u00adtence to a place of peace and abun\u00addance, so Jesus leads His fol\u00adlo\u00adwers vic\u00adto\u00adrious\u00adly through the chal\u00adlenges of life.
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Gene\u00adsis 17:8\u201316<\/p>\n
\n\tWhich two-pron\u00adged stra\u00adtegy did the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes use to achie\u00adve victory?
\n\tAre you fight\u00ading your enemies with a more spi\u00adri\u00adtua\u00adli\u00adstic or more tech\u00adno\u00adcra\u00adtic mind\u00adset? What is the place of pray\u00ader? Whe\u00adre are you taking con\u00adcre\u00adte steps?
\n\tWhat kind of peo\u00adp\u00adle are you stan\u00adding with so that your arms don\u2019t sink?
\n\tWhat does the name Yah\u00adweh Nis\u00adsi mean to you per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly? How does it show that you fight under this banner?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"