Hi. I thought I'll give you something to read current, which me in the past Days, even brought to the very thought. My sermon from yesterday.
Tony Campolo, a minister from America told in his book party at Room 210 "the following story: He was with his wife on the way back to a preaching tour. You had a stopover in Honolulu for five hours and wanted to do a beach walk. On the promenade they discovered a strange looking man in one hand he held a Bible and with the other he pointed to the people passing by. He was barefoot, his shirt was dirty and his pants were worn. Each of the past was threatening the court of God, if this could hardly write his life right with God. Tony then said to his Woman: "types such as are but a disgrace for the kingdom of God! Anybody who sees a madman who is rather put off yet. I always find something pretty embarrassing! "An hour later they came back again to this man. They were amazed when they were at this crazy two normal-looking, neatly dressed men. The man had placed his hands on them. So Tony and his wife passed they heard it said a sinner's prayer. Tony's wife looked at him and said, "And? how many people do you have today already led to Jesus? "
How many people did you do today, or out in the last week of Jesus? Maybe this question sounds
something violent in our ears. As one might say, I'm not an evangelist or preacher.
But who is suitable to preach? Only as a crazy, apparently completely unsuitable person? Or send a part of the television evangelist, for whom everything is OK? Are there more people notice them? Or is it perhaps more people like you and me?
The question is: What definition do you have in mind when you hear the word of preaching? Saint Francis of Assisi once said, "Preach the gospel all day long - if necessary, with words!"
Would not that be a more appropriate way of "preaching" to think? It means nothing other than this: Live your Christian in this world.
I would like Joseph, the son of Jacob, call us today in memory to illustrate my point. Many of you know his history. However, I would like to get some details in our memory.
Joseph is born as one of 12 sons of Jacob. It is the second youngest. He has done in his youth is nothing but spying on the brothers after his father, and squeal all he had seen. Whether Jacob was the good is not known, yet his favorite son Joseph. And Joseph, this seems to not only know but also to enjoy. In addition, he also has dreams that make him seem a little arrogant. Sun dreams of Joseph from the fact that he and his brothers bow combine grain sheaves together and the sheaves of his brothers were raised by the sheaf of Joseph and to her. Another dream goes something like that. There, the sun and moon and 11 stars bowing before him. All this went far to the brothers and they wanted to get rid of him. Kill? No, Ruben has made protecting against Joseph. Finally, the 10 other brothers, Joseph decided by a horse caravan to Egypt to sell ( 1.Mose 37)
In 1.Mose 39, 1-6 reads: 1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the bodyguard, a Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had him taken down there. 2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a man for whom everything gelang1, and he remained in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 And when his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord all he did to prosper in his hand, had found favor 4 da Joseph in his eyes, and he served him personally. And he appointed him to his house and everything he had, he was in his hand. 5 And it came to pass, since he had ordered him to his house and everything he owned, because the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake, and the blessing of the LORD was on everything he had in the house and the field. 6 And he left everything he had, the hand of Joseph and cared for him for nothing, except to the Brot2, which he ate. Joseph was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance.
What a trip! It is about 450km, which must cover the travel group. On foot you would run for nearly a week, if you could run 24 hours a day. However, the Sinai desert, not just life-friendly. Let us rather assume that it took almost a month, until the caravan reaches its destination.
Joseph had much time to wonder. You can also eat right when you get a bad month incessantly about their own Conditions of the head is broken. Even to the point where you want to plunk down everything.
But what does Joseph? Joseph had every reason to life, I'll even put a little sloppy, to show the finger. If one do not feel should have on the whole, but then Joseph. Once loved, then hated, and finally sold and declared before his father's death. But something is in time, was deported to Egypt where Joseph happened to him. It has let him be humble. Now he was no longer the favorite son. He was torn from its pedestal. Now he was a slave, a servant. People were able to have him. And yet Joseph is apparently not. Why? Because the Lord is with him. This is the information we get in verse 2. The Lord was with Joseph.
Joseph received from God the chance to become dependent on him. And it was clear that the Lord was with Joseph, because he succeeded in everything he did. He had skill but could manage and organize well. The tasks in Potiphar he could do well. He was a man whom all succeeded. And he was a handsome man of beautiful appearance and shape.
Here, however, there is a BUT: ". The Lord was with Joseph"
Not because Joseph himself was such a great property manager is a success it all. God was with Joseph. This is the first crucial point. And the second key point is: Joseph has accepted his situation.
Accepting a situation is very different but to accept a situation as it is. accept a situation is passive! I will do all I can not change anything anyway! accept a situation has a passive character. Accepting a situation is, however, an active, positive attitude. I accept my current situation and make it more actively. I take advantage of the opportunities available to me in this situation. Joseph accepts his place, his situation as a servant. And as servants doing everything in his power. Josef it is believed to be a servant.
in current Narnia film, The Voyage of the Dawn, are it end of an exciting realization of King Caspian, whose father was murdered. All his life he was looking for his father. He is about to be again united with his father, but for that he needs his life, his kingdom and his friends behind. He then decides not to go to his father. For a long time he has tried to get what was taken from him. Now he wants to turn to what is entrusted to him.
Joseph has also chosen not to regret what was taken from him, but to turn to what is entrusted to him. He is faithful in little. And he has with God.
I want to take my place, where God has placed me. For me that means that God has sent me to Wolfsburg. And my service is to want to accompany you on the path to God go with us. I am a servant of the community. And I want to be actively involved and see the possibilities and opportunities to break out in the community.
At which place God has put you? In what situation you find yourself in person again? Are you employed by VW, or retired, you're part of a great family or annoy the relatives? Are you a student, you're neighbors, you're child, you are father, mother, grandparents? Are you member of the community?
At which place God has put you?
the sermon text, there is a sentence that is actually a subordinate clause, which is become my main set. Verse 5 reads: And it came to pass, since he had ordered him to his house and everything he owned, because the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake, and the blessing of the LORD was on everything he had, in house and the field.
you hear hers? there is: because the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake! This is something very crucial. Joseph accepts his situation and making them more actively. That is because he is faithful to God and because He is faithful in small things. Namely, about what he entrusted to the Egyptians. "Since the blessed LORD the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake, "God bless the Egyptians because he has a loyal disciple of God is in the house.
transferred to us, it means: My active living out a Christian has an impact on my environment. God bless our environment, simply because we are there. Perhaps this is not. But he blesses our environment because we are committed to Christ. What can there be more impressive?
alternate times before now you know what that means in your situation. God bless your department, every individual, because you are a professing Christian, faithful in little, there are working. What this means in your situation with your family? God bless your family, because you are faithful to God want to be. God bless your neighbors or the people you visit, simply because you're there. God bless, for your sake. It's not that much you are working or Christmas for the whole family have great gifts. No. God bless, because you've decided on Jesus. Even if you think you can not preach, think of Francis of Assisi. If you wherever you are, you confess to Jesus and are faithful in little is a lot more said than it could have done all the sermons from the front for ever. Preach the gospel all day long - if necessary, with words. That's what Joseph has done good to the Egyptians. He was faithful to him.
A little story I found that the summarizes all good.
John Kenneth Galbraith, a consultant of several presidents in the U.S. wrote in his autobiography, an episode of his housekeeper. John Galbraith had a hard day's work behind him and asked his housekeeper, if you could take the whole phone call, and align, that he was not talking at the moment, he would like to take a nap. Shortly thereafter the phone rang. Lyndon Johnson, then president, called directly from the White House and said, "Give me Ken Galbraith. Here is Lyndon Johnson. "" He just sleeps Mr. President. He said he did not want to be disturbed. "" Well, then you just wake him, I have to talk to him! "" No, Mr. President, I work for him, not for you! "When John heard about it afterwards Galbraith said he immediately returned to the President and wanted to apologize for the audacity of his housekeeper . But the President could hardly conceal his delight and said, "Who is this woman? Tell her, I would like here in the White House! "
The housekeeper was faithful in the small. And would have been called to the Great.
At which place God has put you? What tasks you meet there. A place I can call you schonmal. God has put you in the community. We can accept the situation and say, indeed so isses and there's not going forward and there it stuck. But if we accept Joseph as the situation, we recognize the tasks and make our community life active.
I'm curious what discoveries we make when we are really clear that God wants to bless our environment and us, simply because we accept our different situations and live in them. As Christ followers. God bless our colleagues, our neighbors, our families, our friends, simply to accept for love of us and because of our situation and our decision to be faithful to him.
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