The peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel joyful\u00adly made a coven\u00adant with God. But just a few weeks later, they renoun\u00adced their God. Their initi\u00adal enthu\u00adsi\u00adasm did not pro\u00adtect them from a dis\u00adagree\u00adment. They exch\u00adan\u00adged God for some\u00adthing much worse. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus are also in dan\u00adger of exchan\u00adging a life of abun\u00addance and free\u00addom for a life that is domi\u00adna\u00adted by a few things. But God for\u00adgi\u00adves us for such missteps. Howe\u00adver, we may have to bear the con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces \u2013 that\u2019s how serious\u00adly God takes our decisions.<\/p>\n
Enthu\u00adsi\u00adasm does not pro\u00adtect against mistakes! \tWhat do you think about the ten\u00adsi\u00adon bet\u00adween \u00abGod is God regard\u00adless of whe\u00adther he shows hims\u00adelf\u00bb and \u00abGod is only God when he shows hims\u00adelf\u00bb? How do you deal with peo\u00adp\u00adle who see it dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly? What could be wrong with their position? The peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel joyful\u00adly made a coven\u00adant with God. But just a few weeks later, they renoun\u00adced their God. Their initi\u00adal enthu\u00adsi\u00adasm did not pro\u00adtect them from a dis\u00adagree\u00adment. They exch\u00adan\u00adged God for some\u00adthing much worse. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus are also in dan\u00adger of losing a life of abun\u00addance and freedom\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":8000,"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":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-cedric-bruegger","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-folge-du-mir-nach","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7986","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
\nGod made a coven\u00adant with Isra\u00adel on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24). The peo\u00adp\u00adle agreed to this coven\u00adant twice and said that they would abide by it. After the coven\u00adant was made, Moses went up the moun\u00adtain with over seven\u00adty other lea\u00adders. The\u00adre they ate in the pre\u00adsence of God and saw him! It was a very inti\u00adma\u00adte moment. After a while, ever\u00adyo\u00adne went back down the moun\u00adtain, except Moses and his ser\u00advant Joshua stay\u00aded behind. The\u00adre Moses encoun\u00adte\u00adred God for 40 days. \u00abThe glo\u00adry of the LORD<\/span> sett\u00adled on Mount Sinai and the cloud cover\u00aded it for six days. On the seventh day, the LORD<\/span> cal\u00adled Moses out of the cloud. The glo\u00adry of the LORD<\/span> loo\u00adked to the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes like a bla\u00adzing fire on the moun\u00adtain\u00adtop. Moses went straight into the cloud and clim\u00adbed fur\u00adther up the moun\u00adtain. He stay\u00aded on the moun\u00adtain for 40 days and 40 nights\u00bb (Exodus 24:16\u201318 NLB<\/span>). During the time Moses stay\u00aded on the moun\u00adtain, he appoin\u00adted Aaron and Hur as his repre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adti\u00adves for the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes. Here I would like to brief\u00adly note the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing again: The peo\u00adp\u00adle saw the glo\u00adry of God on the moun\u00adtain\u00adtop from below. Seven\u00adty lea\u00adding men of the peo\u00adp\u00adle met God on the moun\u00adtain. The peo\u00adp\u00adle had made a coven\u00adant with God almost for\u00adty days ago and were cer\u00adtain\u00adly enthu\u00adsi\u00ada\u00adstic about it. But they could not stand the ten\u00adsi\u00adon of Moses\u00bb absence. \u00abWhen Moses did not come down from the moun\u00adtain for a long time, the peo\u00adp\u00adle went tog\u00ade\u00adther to Aaron. \u00abUp! Make us a god to lead us,\u00bb they urged him. \u00abWe don\u2019t know what hap\u00adpen\u00aded to this Moses who brought us here from Egypt\u00bb \u00bb (Exodus 32:1 NLB<\/span>). The\u00adre is a gre\u00adat dif\u00adfe\u00adrence bet\u00adween the God of Isra\u00adel, inclu\u00adding our God, and other dei\u00adties. This dif\u00adfe\u00adrence is in the second of the ten words\/commandments. This comes right after the ins\u00adtruc\u00adtion that the peo\u00adp\u00adle should have no other gods and says that they should not make images of God. That is how it is: We don\u2019t know what God looks like. Howe\u00adver, this was not the case in the envi\u00adron\u00adment of the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes. The Egyp\u00adti\u00adans and the peo\u00adp\u00adles living in the wil\u00adder\u00adness had gods they could touch. They were made of earth\u00adly mate\u00adri\u00adals. Sin\u00adce the peo\u00adp\u00adle came from Egypt, they knew the\u00adse gods that could be touch\u00aded and loo\u00adked at. So they also wan\u00adted to have such a god. For\u00adt\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, the lea\u00adders of the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes had been on the moun\u00adtain short\u00adly befo\u00adre and met God. So they were able to stand firm \u2013 unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly No. We don\u2019t know why, but Aaron caved in to the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes\u00bb demands. Aaron and Hur were put in char\u00adge of the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes by Moses. From this moment onwards, Hur is no lon\u00adger men\u00adtio\u00adned. The\u00adre is a reason for this in Jewish, extra-bibli\u00adcal tra\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon. The\u00adre is the idea that Hur refu\u00adsed to do this and was the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre kil\u00adled by the peo\u00adp\u00adle. Sin\u00adce Aaron wan\u00adted to save his skin, he final\u00adly agreed to this wish of the people.
\nA ten\u00adsi\u00adon ari\u00adses here that still plays out in our lives today. It is about the rela\u00adti\u00adonship bet\u00adween expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adcing God and the posi\u00adti\u00adon that God is God and the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre does not have to show himself\/be expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced. One posi\u00adti\u00adon says that God is an expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adceable, real God and the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre he shows hims\u00adelf to me \u2013 if the\u00adre is a God, then a real expe\u00adri\u00adence is indis\u00adpensable. The other posi\u00adti\u00adon sta\u00adtes in the extre\u00adme that God does not show hims\u00adelf becau\u00adse he is God \u2013 but he is nevert\u00adhel\u00adess real. Howe\u00adver, the\u00adre is also a midd\u00adle way in this ten\u00adsi\u00adon. Yes, God is God and does not have to show hims\u00adelf. But he wan\u00adted to show hims\u00adelf in Jesus Christ. Nevert\u00adhel\u00adess, he remains God even when I do not expe\u00adri\u00adence him. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, we have to endu\u00adre this ten\u00adsi\u00adon. But we also see in this sto\u00adry that the encoun\u00adter with God does not make us more steadfast.
\nBad bartering
\nAaron final\u00adly agreed and told the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes to coll\u00adect their gold ear\u00adrings \u00abAaron took the gold from them, mel\u00adted it down and used it to make an idol in the shape of a calf. Then the peo\u00adp\u00adle shou\u00adted: \u00abThis is your God, Isra\u00adel, who brought you out of Egypt! When Aaron saw this, he erec\u00adted an altar in front of the calf and pro\u00adclai\u00admed: \u00abTomor\u00adrow we will cele\u00adbra\u00adte a feast to the LORD<\/span> here! The next mor\u00adning, the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes got up ear\u00adly to offer burnt offe\u00adrings and peace offe\u00adrings. Then they sat down to eat and drink and cele\u00adbra\u00adted a lavish feast\u00bb (Exodus 32:4\u20136 NLB<\/span>). The Israe\u00adli\u00adtes wor\u00adship\u00adped this calf. But in doing so, they made a bad bar\u00adgain. They wan\u00adted to wor\u00adship God, but they also wan\u00adted to have an image of him. The psal\u00admist takes a retro\u00adper\u00adspec\u00adti\u00adve on this bad bar\u00adter. \u00abAt Mount Sinai, the peo\u00adp\u00adle made them\u00adsel\u00adves a calf and bowed down to a gol\u00adden idol. They exch\u00adan\u00adged their glo\u00adrious God for the image of a grass-eating ox!\u00bb (Psalm 106:19\u201320 NLB<\/span>). Just ima\u00adgi\u00adne. They had a coven\u00adant with God that was big\u00adger, more powerful and also more incom\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adble than any\u00adthing they knew. But they wan\u00adted a calf. They knew that and they even owned it. This is an image for us humans. We would like to have a god, but we have to be able to con\u00adtrol it and hold it in our hands. But in the end, this is a bad trade-off. Becau\u00adse only some\u00adthing that is out\u00adside of us is able to sup\u00adport us in dif\u00adfi\u00adcult times.
\nFol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus say that he is their most important thing. But they often make a bad trade. Ins\u00adtead of a life of free\u00addom, they allow them\u00adsel\u00adves to be ruled by things. Ins\u00adtead of a life of abun\u00addance, they cling to a few things on this earth. The Israe\u00adli\u00adtes would have had the pre\u00adsence of God. But they exch\u00adan\u00adged it for some\u00adthing they knew. Name\u00adly against gods as they knew them from Egypt and their envi\u00adron\u00adment. This again shows what is empha\u00adsis\u00aded in the quo\u00adte that has alre\u00ada\u00addy been quo\u00adted a lot in this year\u2019s the\u00adme. \u00abIt took one night to bring Isra\u00adel out of Egypt. But it took 40 years to bring Egypt out of Isra\u00adel\u00bb (quo\u00adte unknown). The same appli\u00ades to fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ. It only takes a moment to get out of the old life into a new one with Jesus Christ. But it often takes years (if not until death) to bring the old habits out of the fol\u00adlower of Jesus. Even later, Isra\u00adel repea\u00adted\u00adly fails at this point. Name\u00adly, that they for\u00admed an image of God. When Isra\u00adel was divi\u00added in two, the kings of the nor\u00adt\u00adhern king\u00addom repea\u00adted\u00adly made an image of God. This was their favou\u00adri\u00adte mista\u00adke. We too have such habits, which we seem to find dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to break.
\nGod for\u00adgi\u00adves \u2013 the con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces can remain
\nWhen God made his coven\u00adant with the peo\u00adp\u00adle, the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes agreed that fol\u00adlo\u00adwing and dis\u00ado\u00adbey\u00ading their actions would have con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces. At this point, Moses was still on the moun\u00adtain in the pre\u00adsence of God. God made him awa\u00adre of what was hap\u00adpe\u00adning down in the val\u00adley. Moses made his way into the val\u00adley with the tablets of the coven\u00adant, on which were the ten words. \u00abAs they approa\u00adched the camp, Moses saw the calf and the peo\u00adp\u00adle dancing around it. Enra\u00adged, he threw the tablets of stone to the ground and smas\u00adhed them at the foot of the moun\u00adtain\u00bb (Exodus 32:19 NLB<\/span>). Moses was so angry that he threw the stone tablets on the ground. This cla\u00adri\u00adfies and empha\u00adsi\u00ads\u00ades what had just hap\u00adpen\u00aded. The tablets sym\u00adbo\u00adli\u00adse God\u2019s coven\u00adant with the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes. But after just a few weeks, the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes bro\u00adke this coven\u00adant becau\u00adse they had made an image of God. They vio\u00adla\u00adted the second com\u00admandment and this had con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces. \u00abMoses took the calf they had made, bur\u00adned it in the fire and poun\u00added the ashes into dust. He scat\u00adte\u00adred the dust in the water and then gave it to the peo\u00adp\u00adle to drink\u00bb (Exodus 32:20 NLB<\/span>). The peo\u00adp\u00adle had to watch as the gol\u00adden calf was des\u00adtroy\u00aded. They also had to drink this water. They the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre suf\u00adfe\u00adr\u00aded the con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces in their own bodies. At first the apo\u00adsta\u00adsy was out\u00adward, but by drin\u00adking it, it is a pic\u00adtu\u00adre of the fact that their inner sel\u00adves had also fal\u00adlen away from the coven\u00adant with God. It also had dead\u00adly con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces. Moses cal\u00adled on tho\u00adse who had remain\u00aded faithful to God to march through the camp and take reven\u00adge on tho\u00adse who had taken part in the calf (Exodus 32:26\u201329). Three thousand men died in the process.
\nFol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ say that he is the most important thing in their lives. They orga\u00adni\u00adse their lives accor\u00adding to him. If they do not live accor\u00adding to his ins\u00adtruc\u00adtions, this has con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces. But the\u00adre is always the pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty of for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness. \u00abBut if we con\u00adfess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to for\u00adgi\u00adve us and cle\u00adan\u00adse us from all evil\u00bb (1 John 1:9 NLB<\/span>). Sin means an action that does not cor\u00adre\u00adspond to God\u2019s ins\u00adtruc\u00adtions. Every action that I do or fail to do has con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces. Not every action is in con\u00adtra\u00addic\u00adtion to God\u2019s ordi\u00adnan\u00adces, but it does have con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces. The pur\u00adpo\u00adse of God\u2019s ordi\u00adnan\u00adces of life is to offer us a life in abun\u00addance and free\u00addom. God wants to pro\u00adtect us from dif\u00adfi\u00adcult con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces. God for\u00adgi\u00adves us in Jesus Christ, but I may have to drink the bit\u00adter water. This is not becau\u00adse God is evil, but becau\u00adse God takes my decis\u00adi\u00adon serious\u00adly! Whe\u00adre in your life have you bar\u00adte\u00adred God for some\u00adthing else? Today the\u00adre is an invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon to you to rever\u00adse this bar\u00adter \u2013 this may be a lon\u00adger jour\u00adney. But it beg\u00adins by reco\u00adg\u00adnis\u00ading that you have made a bad trade and asking God for forgiveness.
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Exodus 32:1\u20136. 19\u201320<\/p>\n
\n\tWhe\u00adre are you in dan\u00adger of making an image of God so that he beco\u00admes more tan\u00adgi\u00adble for you?
\n\tWhat does the sen\u00adtence \u00abIt only takes a moment to give your life to Jesus Christ, but a life\u00adtime to chan\u00adge your old habits\u00bb trig\u00adger in you?
\n\tWhe\u00adre have you exch\u00adan\u00adged God for some\u00adthing bad in your life? Why do you find it dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to undo this exchange?
\n\tWhe\u00adre do you still bear the con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces of an action? What trig\u00adgers the state\u00adment in you that this is so \u00abbecau\u00adse God takes our decis\u00adi\u00adon seriously!\u00bb?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"