What is the signi\u00adfi\u00adcan\u00adce and importance of infra\u00adstruc\u00adtu\u00adre for church life? In anci\u00adent Isra\u00adel, the temp\u00adle was the place of God\u2019s pre\u00adsence. God dwelt among the peo\u00adp\u00adle. His pre\u00adsence was bound to a house. Sin\u00adce Jesus, his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers tog\u00ade\u00adther form the house in which God dwells. Buil\u00addings and infra\u00adstruc\u00adtu\u00adre have lost their indis\u00adpensable importance, but con\u00adti\u00adnue to ser\u00adve the cur\u00adrent house of God, the church, as hel\u00adpful accom\u00admo\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon to pro\u00advi\u00adde a space for their life tog\u00ade\u00adther befo\u00adre and with God.<\/p>\n
The offi\u00adci\u00adal ope\u00adning cerem\u00ado\u00adny of the foot\u00adball sta\u00addi\u00adum in St.Gallen, then still known as the \u00abAFG<\/span> Are\u00adna\u00bb, took place on 5 July 2008. Despi\u00adte the attrac\u00adti\u00adve, atmo\u00adsphe\u00adric sta\u00addi\u00adum, FC<\/span> St.Gallen\u2019s defeat in the bar\u00adra\u00adge against Bel\u00adlin\u00adzo\u00adna in the same sum\u00admer sea\u00adled their fall into the second divi\u00adsi\u00adon. As in sport, buil\u00addings are also important in the church, but the main thing is always life. Today we are cele\u00adbra\u00adting the 10th anni\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adry of our main buil\u00adding, 119 years of the youth cent\u00adre with a gent\u00adle adapt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon to cur\u00adrent cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances, the inau\u00adgu\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon of our new stage and the launch of our Live\u00adstream 500(0) pro\u00adject. What is the signi\u00adfi\u00adcan\u00adce and importance of infra\u00adstruc\u00adtu\u00adre for church life? \tWhat was it that made the temp\u00adle so important in anci\u00adent Israel? What is the signi\u00adfi\u00adcan\u00adce and importance of infra\u00adstruc\u00adtu\u00adre for church life? In anci\u00adent Isra\u00adel, the temp\u00adle was the place of God\u2019s pre\u00adsence. God dwelt among the peo\u00adp\u00adle. His pre\u00adsence was bound to a house. Sin\u00adce Jesus, his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers tog\u00ade\u00adther form the house in which God dwells. Buil\u00addings and infra\u00adstruc\u00adtu\u00adre lost their indis\u00adpensable significance,\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":8056,"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-8049","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nJust like in the temp\u00adle back then
\nWhen the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel had sett\u00adled down in the Pro\u00admi\u00adsed Land and had estab\u00adlished them\u00adsel\u00adves some\u00adwhat, the gre\u00adat desi\u00adre aro\u00adse to build a house in which God could dwell among them. After a long peri\u00adod of pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon, Solo\u00admon was allo\u00adwed to build the house on Mount Moriah accor\u00adding to God\u2019s plans. The result was a magni\u00adfi\u00adcent buil\u00adding; very aes\u00adthe\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly plea\u00adsing and fur\u00adnis\u00adhed with the most valuable buil\u00adding mate\u00adri\u00adals. The\u00adre are striking par\u00adal\u00adlels to the con\u00ads\u00adtruc\u00adtion of our centre.
\nGod is greater
\nBefo\u00adre the buil\u00adding was han\u00added over to the cul\u00adtic life of the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes, the\u00adre was a lar\u00adge inau\u00adgu\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon cerem\u00ado\u00adny. The enti\u00adre popu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon of the land met at the temp\u00adle in Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. Solo\u00admon pre\u00adsi\u00added over the cerem\u00ado\u00adny. He began by say\u00ading: \u00abBut does God real\u00adly dwell with men on earth? Behold, the hea\u00advens and the ski\u00ades can\u00adnot con\u00adtain you; how then can this house that I have built?\u00bb (2 Chro\u00adnic\u00adles 6:18 SLT<\/span>). The book of the pro\u00adphet Isai\u00adah says that the hem of His gar\u00adment fil\u00adled the who\u00adle temp\u00adle (Isai\u00adah 6:1). What a rea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon! God is much grea\u00adter than He can be gras\u00adped by a house, by a church or by our minds. Becau\u00adse of the vast\u00adness of His being, God is incom\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adble. Becau\u00adse of our limi\u00adt\u00aded visi\u00adon, it is easy for us humans to ques\u00adti\u00adon God, to cri\u00adti\u00adcise Him, to com\u00adplain about His lack of action and to ask whe\u00adther He acts at all. The tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon is gre\u00adat to make up a God that fits on a car sti\u00adcker or in our trou\u00adser pocket. We would like to have Him under con\u00adtrol so that we can use Him for our own pur\u00adpo\u00adses. But hand on heart: do you real\u00adly want a God who can be gras\u00adped by our limi\u00adt\u00aded ratio\u00adna\u00adli\u00adty? If that were the case, we would be big\u00adger than God and He could mere\u00adly take on the role of a mas\u00adcot. No thanks, we don\u2019t need a God like that. Becau\u00adse God is the crea\u00adtor and sus\u00adtai\u00adner of the enti\u00adre cos\u00admos: \u00ab \u00abMy thoughts are not your thoughts,\u00bb says the LORD<\/span>, \u00aband my ways are not your ways. For as much as the hea\u00advens are hig\u00adher than the earth, so much hig\u00adher are my ways than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts\u00bb \u00bb (Isai\u00adah 55:8\u20139 NLB<\/span>). Our view of the world and our lives is a frog\u2019s\u2011eye view. He has a bird\u2019s eye view. His thoughts and actions are per\u00adfect, even if we often don\u2019t under\u00adstand them.
\nIt is our desi\u00adre that we speak about God in our homes with humi\u00adli\u00adty and won\u00adder, that we do not approach Him over\u00adbea\u00adrin\u00adgly, but rather with rever\u00adence and respect \u2013 in the know\u00adledge that our know\u00adledge can never, ever com\u00adpre\u00adhend God.
\nPlace of worship
\nAnyo\u00adne who lets the incom\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adble great\u00adness and majes\u00adty of God melt in their mouth can only sur\u00adren\u00adder and hum\u00adbly wor\u00adship. This is exact\u00adly what the temp\u00adle in Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem was meant for. The temp\u00adle stood on Mount Moriah. This is the same moun\u00adtain on which Abra\u00adham should have sacri\u00adfi\u00adced his long-awai\u00adted son Isaac 800 years ear\u00adlier. At the very last moment, he was pre\u00adven\u00adted from doing so by an angel. It was dif\u00adfe\u00adrent later with Jesus. When he was cru\u00adci\u00adfied, no one came to call off the exe\u00adcu\u00adtors. Thank God for that! In any case, Abraham\u2019s uncon\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adnal trust in God\u2019s ways was the pro\u00adto\u00adty\u00adpe of all wor\u00adship. It is signi\u00adfi\u00adcant that Abra\u00adham said to his ser\u00advants on the way:
\n\u00ab \u00abWait for us here with the don\u00adkey,\u00bb he ins\u00adtruc\u00adted his two ser\u00advants. \u00abThe boy and I will go a litt\u00adle fur\u00adther. We\u2019ll wor\u00adship God up the\u00adre and then come back to you\u00bb \u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 22:5 NLB<\/span>).
\nThis is the first time the word wor\u00adship appears in the Bible. This is no coin\u00adci\u00addence, but has a deep mea\u00adning. Wor\u00adship is, in its very essence, ent\u00adrus\u00adting our\u00adsel\u00adves to God, even if we do not under\u00adstand Him at all. The very fact that I can\u00adnot under\u00adstand God is the basis of all wor\u00adship. We wor\u00adship God in our homes with beau\u00adtiful music and cosy emo\u00adti\u00adons. That is good, but let us never for\u00adget that it is about the devo\u00adti\u00adon of our who\u00adle life.
\nA place of pray\u00ader and encoun\u00adter with God
\nThe temp\u00adle was a place of pray\u00ader and encoun\u00adter with the pre\u00adsence of God. The order of Solomon\u2019s pray\u00ader is reve\u00adal\u00ading: first he asks for rep\u00aden\u00adtance and for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness, which is the basis for fur\u00adther bles\u00adsings. A cle\u00adan\u00adsed rela\u00adti\u00adonship is the basis for an encoun\u00adter with God and brings a per\u00adson back to the ori\u00adgi\u00adnal design. The\u00adre is no place that does a per\u00adson more good or gives more mea\u00adning than in the pre\u00adsence of God. Solo\u00admon then prays for ever\u00ady\u00adday con\u00adcerns such as poli\u00adti\u00adcal secu\u00adri\u00adty, rain and food and con\u00adcludes by pray\u00ading for the well-being of peo\u00adp\u00adle from other nations.
\nsee\u00adtal chi\u00adle is first and fore\u00admost about hel\u00adping peo\u00adp\u00adle to find their ori\u00adgi\u00adnal design. From this iden\u00adti\u00adty, bles\u00adsings should flow out into the neigh\u00adbour\u00adhood and the who\u00adle world. Inter\u00adces\u00adso\u00adry pray\u00ader helps us not to lose this focus.
\nAnd yet com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly different
\nDuring my acti\u00adve time as a youth group lea\u00adder, we had the auda\u00adci\u00adty to set up a minia\u00adtu\u00adre golf cour\u00adse in the wor\u00adship room of our church. The tee of one lane was posi\u00adtio\u00adned in the gal\u00adlery and we hit towards the stage. We were repri\u00adman\u00added and repri\u00adman\u00added by the church lea\u00adder\u00adship. Wit\u00adhout inten\u00adding to do so, we strai\u00adned the reli\u00adgious sen\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties of the\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle. My ques\u00adti\u00adon is: should a church buil\u00adding be trea\u00adted dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly to a secu\u00adlar buil\u00adding? Is a church holy nowa\u00addays? Does God dwell spe\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adcal\u00adly in churches?
\nJesus Christ came to this earth almost a thousand years after the con\u00adse\u00adcra\u00adti\u00adon of the temp\u00adle. His death and resur\u00adrec\u00adtion chan\u00adged almost ever\u00ady\u00adthing, not least the rela\u00adti\u00adonship bet\u00adween disci\u00adple\u00adship and infra\u00adstruc\u00adtu\u00adre. Paul wri\u00adtes: \u00abThe\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre you are no lon\u00adger stran\u00adgers and wit\u00adhout citi\u00adzen\u00adship, but you belong to the faithful, to God\u2019s fami\u00adly. We are his house, built on the foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon of the apost\u00adles and pro\u00adphe\u00adts, with Christ Jesus hims\u00adelf as the cor\u00adner\u00adstone. This cor\u00adner\u00adstone joins the who\u00adle buil\u00adding tog\u00ade\u00adther to form a holy temp\u00adle for the Lord. Through Christ, the cor\u00adner\u00adstone, you too will be incor\u00adpo\u00adra\u00adted and beco\u00adme a dwel\u00adling place in which God lives by his Spi\u00adrit\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 2:19\u201322 NLB<\/span>).
\nIt was not in vain that the years at the time of Jesus were set to zero; it was inde\u00aded a tur\u00adning point. Also in terms of disci\u00adple\u00adship and infra\u00adstruc\u00adtu\u00adre. From now on, the house of God is no lon\u00adger built with dead stones, but with peo\u00adp\u00adle. Jesus is the cor\u00adner\u00adstone, the refe\u00adrence point on which the enti\u00adre buil\u00adding is ori\u00aden\u00adta\u00adted. This cor\u00adner\u00adstone adds living peo\u00adp\u00adle to the buil\u00adding. By ent\u00adrus\u00adting them\u00adsel\u00adves to Jesus and allo\u00adwing them\u00adsel\u00adves to be ori\u00aden\u00adta\u00adted by Him, a per\u00adson beco\u00admes part of the temp\u00adle in which God is present.
\nFrom now on, the\u00adre is no lon\u00adger a spe\u00adci\u00adfic place, but God is pre\u00adsent whe\u00adre\u00adver his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers are. St Ber\u00adnard of Clairvaux: \u00abYou don\u2019t have to tra\u00advel across the seas, you don\u2019t have to climb up to hea\u00adven, you don\u2019t have to cross the Alps. The way is not far. You only have to go as far as yours\u00adelf towards God.\u00bb
\nWhen the LORD<\/span> intro\u00addu\u00adced hims\u00adelf to Moses by name, he said: \u00abI am who I am\u00bb (Exodus 3:14). God intro\u00addu\u00adces hims\u00adelf as the one who is the\u00adre. His pre\u00adsence is here. This pre\u00adsent moment, the pre\u00adsent, is the only moment, the only place whe\u00adre you can encoun\u00adter God. The only place whe\u00adre rela\u00adti\u00adonship can take place. If our thoughts are in the past or in the future and we worry, we are auto\u00adma\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly away from the pre\u00adsent. The only one who is always in the here and now is God. HE<\/span> is the\u00adre right now in this moment. HE<\/span> dwells in tho\u00adse who fol\u00adlow Jesus. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, we are usual\u00adly too busy to meet Him there.
\nGod dwells in the house that con\u00adsists of living peo\u00adp\u00adle. But He also dwells in every sin\u00adgle per\u00adson who has ali\u00adgned their life with the cor\u00adner\u00adstone Jesus: \u00abDo you not rea\u00adli\u00adse that you are the temp\u00adle of God and that the Spi\u00adrit of God dwells in you?\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 3:16 NLB<\/span>).
\nSo we don\u2019t have to make an effort in pray\u00ader and try to work our way up to God. That\u2019s not true. It works the other way round: we don\u2019t have to work our way up to God, but God has made hims\u00adelf small in order to meet me down here. My body is the temp\u00adle of the Holy Spi\u00adrit. The\u00adre\u00adsa of Avila wri\u00adtes about this fact: \u00abIf I had rea\u00adli\u00adsed ear\u00adlier that the tiny palace of my soul housed such a gre\u00adat king, I would not have left him alo\u00adne in it so often.\u00bb
\nThe foot\u00adball are\u00adna in St.Gallen offers a super infra\u00adstruc\u00adtu\u00adre. It is a bul\u00adwark for every oppo\u00adnent. The archi\u00adtec\u00adtu\u00adre sup\u00adports the fans\u00bb chants and pro\u00admo\u00adtes a good atmo\u00adsphe\u00adre. The St.Gallen foot\u00adbal\u00adlers regu\u00adlar\u00adly sur\u00adpass them\u00adsel\u00adves. It\u2019s the same with our cent\u00adre with the new stage and the rede\u00adsi\u00adgned youth cent\u00adre. It is an aes\u00adthe\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly won\u00adderful home with beau\u00adtiful archi\u00adtec\u00adtu\u00adre and prac\u00adti\u00adcal rooms. But \u2013 our cent\u00adre is neither mys\u00adti\u00adcal nor magi\u00adcal. Sin\u00adce God has not bound Hims\u00adelf to our infra\u00adstruc\u00adtu\u00adre, it\u2019s okay to hit a mini\u00adgolf ball from time to time. Nevert\u00adhel\u00adess, we are very hap\u00adpy and gra\u00adteful that as a house of God \u2013 con\u00adsis\u00adting of living buil\u00adding blocks \u2013 we can meet here, encoun\u00adter Him, wor\u00adship Him and car\u00adry His love out into the world. And \u2013 the\u00adre is still ple\u00adnty of room for more people!
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead the Bible text: Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 2:19\u201322; 2 Chro\u00adnic\u00adles 6:18 (or who\u00adle chapter)<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat func\u00adtion did the temp\u00adle have in the cul\u00adtic life of the Israelites?
\n\tWhat does it mean that all fol\u00adlo\u00adwers tog\u00ade\u00adther are the house of God, of which Jesus is the cor\u00adner\u00adstone? Is it now allo\u00adwed to play mini\u00adgolf in the church? \ud83d\ude09
\n\tHow can we encoun\u00adter God in his pre\u00adsence today? How can we be in the here and now?
\n\tWhat role does silence befo\u00adre God play in this?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"