2014.12.21 Fourth Advent
The Glory of God
Isaiah 9:1 Luke
2: 8- end
Isaiah 9: 1 NLT
2 The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who
live in a land of deep darkness,
a light will shine.
Isaiah 9: 1 Neues
Leben
1 Denn das
Volk, das in der Dunkelheit lebt, sieht ein helles Licht. Und über den Menschen
in einem vom Tode überschatteten Land strahlt ein heller Schein.
......those who live in a land of deep darkness,
a light will shine.... His
name is Jesus!
The Bible is full of real ... ordinary people..... people like us.... people
like you and me ...... sinners saved by
Grace...... I love the fact that Our Heavenly father sent the Good news to
ordinary people.....even to sinners.......even to the lowest parts of
society......Today we continue to look at
the birth of Jesus......
JESUS was not born in a palace..... ......He was not born in the presence
of the rich and powerful.... rather he was born in a place very familiar to
shepherds.......... He was born in a stable....... a strange place for the KING
OF KINGS and the LORD of LORDS to be born........ animals and shepherds were
His first visitors.... Shepherds..... Shepherds were on the bottom of the
society….. They were important and necessary…. But they were generally poor and
not held in high regard…. They were not allowed to testify in court because
they were considered to be very untrustworthy… These were the first to hear the
Good News!....
Let´s read the news of the birth of Jesus again !......
Luke 2: 8-12 NLT
8 That night there were shepherds
staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an
angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory
surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t
be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all
people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in
Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You
will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:
8-12 Neues Leben
8 In jener
Nacht hatten ein paar Hirten auf den Feldern vor dem Dorf ihr Lager aufgeschlagen,
um ihre Schafe zu hüten.
9 Plötzlich
erschien ein Engel des Herrn in ihrer Mitte. Der Glanz des Herrn umstrahlte
sie. Die Hirten erschraken,
10 aber der
Engel beruhigte sie. Habt keine Angst!, sagte er. Ich bringe eine gute
Botschaft für alle Menschen!
11 Der Retter
- ja, Christus, der Herr - ist heute Nacht in Bethlehem, der Stadt Davids,
geboren worden!
12 Und daran
könnt ihr ihn erkennen: Ihr werdet ein Kind finden, das in Windeln gewickelt in
einer Futterkrippe liegt!
v9,10… suddenly the Heavens are opened and an Angel of the LORD appeared ….. THE brightness of GLORY OF GOD Appeared….. The
Glory of God exposes the thoughts and intents of our hearts…… It
exposes us for who we are….. We might pretend to be men and women of god to
each other…… But when we know we are in the presence of God…… In this case His
heavenly messengers….. we are instantly reminded of the truth….. Sinners
in need of a Savior….. That´s what we are…. That´s who I am…..
That´s why the shepherds were very
afraid….. Their hearts were laid open….. They saw their sin clearly in
the Glorious presence of these representatives of Almighty God…. Angels are
awesome warriors in appearance…..
You see…. Instead of pronouncing judgment on them…. The angel said don´t be afraid….. You are not
going to die…… There is a way out of your sin and rebellion…… The long promised
Redeemer is come….
v10-12…. for
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all
people……. You could say that the Angels preached the Glorious Good News of
the Gospel to them…. The greek word here is εὐαγγελίζω (euaggelizō)…
to evangelize…
The GLORY of GOD…. Is the Grace of God….. Grace and forgiveness and
mercy…. Poured out to people who did not deserve it….. People like me…. What is
so Glorious about Christmas…..
God´s grace to a lost and dying world…… For
God so loved the World…. Turn with me to John 3:16….
John 3:16,17
NKJV sch2000
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God
did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world
through Him might be saved.
16 Denn so
[sehr] hat Gott die Welt geliebt, daß er seinen eingeborenen Sohn gab, damit
jeder, der an ihn glaubt, nicht verlorengeht, sondern ewiges Leben hat.
17 Denn Gott
hat seinen Sohn nicht in die Welt gesandt, damit er die Welt richte, sondern
damit die Welt durch ihn gerettet werde.
What is so Glorious about Christmas….. It´s Jesus….. He is come to seek
and to save the lost…..
The Savior… the Messiah…. The Lord…. Is born… But there´s more….v13…
Luke 2: 13-20 NLT
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined
by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest
heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
15 When the angels had returned
to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see
this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 They hurried to the village
and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17
After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the
angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story
were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought
about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and
praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told
them.
Luke 2: 13-20 Neues Leben
13 Auf einmal
war der Engel von den himmlischen Heerscharen umgeben, und sie alle priesen
Gott mit den Worten:
14 Ehre sei
Gott im höchsten Himmel und Frieden auf Erden für alle Menschen, an denen Gott
Gefallen hat.
15 Als die
Engel in den Himmel zurückgekehrt waren, sagten die Hirten zueinander: Kommt,
gehen wir nach Bethlehem! Wir wollen das Wunder, von dem der Herr uns erzählen
ließ, mit eigenen Augen sehen.
16 Sie liefen
so schnell sie konnten ins Dorf und fanden Maria und Josef und das Kind in der
Futterkrippe.
17 Da
erzählten die Hirten allen, was geschehen war und was der Engel ihnen über
dieses Kind gesagt hatte.
18 Alle
Leute, die den Bericht der Hirten hörten, waren voller Staunen.
19 Maria aber
bewahrte alle diese Dinge in ihrem Herzen und dachte oft darüber nach.
20 Die Hirten
kehrten zu ihren Herden auf den Feldern zurück; sie priesen und lobten Gott für
das, was der Engel ihnen gesagt hatte und was sie gesehen hatten. Alles war so,
wie es ihnen angekündigt worden war.
v13,14..... the armies of
heaven......a Heavenly army of mighty warriors..... They often appear as mighty Warriors…. no wonder that most people who
saw an Angel were afraid..... They brought the GOOD NEWS..... they were proclaiming Peace on Earth........ good will to men From Almighty
God....
Good news of the Gospel produces great joy…… because we are not
condemned…… We should be condemned because of our sin and rebellion…… Here´s
the Glory of God…… A Savoir has been born to you….
v15,16….. Let´s go and see what the Lord has done… They believed the
Angels report….. Filled with hope and faith….. They leave the flocks and go to see with their
own eyes…. These poor shepherds are deeply
moved by the events of this night…… By faith they leave their flocks…. What
do they see?... It is just as the Angels said…. The baby is born in Bethlehem…….
This baby is the Messiah….. He is the long promised salvation of the LORD….
v17,18…. They told everyone what had happened…..
Here´s what the Glory of God does….. The Glory of God changes us…. It changes our attitude….. It fills us with
hope…. It gives us the willingness to proclaim the Good News of the
Gospel….. even if no one believes us….. These men are still the same on the
outside…. Shepherds…. Dirty…. Not to be trusted….. not able to testify in
court…
And even though they were shepherds….. the
people believed them…. They were astonished….
v20...... these shepherds went home glorifying and
praising God for all they had heard
and seen........ It was exactly as the Angel had told them….
The appearance of the GLORY OF GOD Changed
their lives….. They will never be the same again…. They went back to
being shepherds…… True….. But now they were thankful…. Grateful shepherds….
Because they had heard and believed the Good
News proclaimed by these heavenly messengers….
The GLORY OF GOD…. which we see in the Lord Jesus…. fills our lives with gratitude and
thankfulness….. At least it should….. When we as believers….. Learn to be
grateful and thankful…… When we live grateful thankful lives….
Let´s continue on in the Text....beginning at Luke 2: 21.........
Luke 2: 21- 24 NLT
21 Eight days later, when the
baby was circumcised, he was named JESUS, the name given him by the angel even
before he was conceived.
22 Then it was time for their
purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a
child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The
law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated
to the Lord.” 24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the
Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Luke 2: 21-
24 Neues Leben
21 Als das
Kind acht Tage später beschnitten wurde, gab man ihm den Namen Jesus - so wie
der Engel ihn schon genannt hatte, bevor Maria schwanger wurde.
22 Dann kam
die Zeit des Reinigungsopfers, das im Gesetz Moses nach der Geburt eines Kindes
vorgeschrieben ist. Maria und Josef gingen mit ihm nach Jerusalem, um ihn dem
Herrn zu weihen.
23 Denn im
Gesetz des Herrn steht: Alle erstgeborenen Söhne müssen dem Herrn geweiht
werden.
24 Sie
brachten das Reinigungsopfer dar, wie es das Gesetz vorschrieb: »Ein Paar
Turteltauben oder zwei junge Tauben.
v21… He was named Jesus….
v22.....purification offering....These offerings
are also found in Lev 12......
"These circumcision and purification ceremonies were necessary.....They
remind us that we are all born in
sin.......
In the case of Jesus and Mary…. 2 doves were sacrificed because they
were poor..... not rich....... Jesus was not rich during his life on earth.....
In fact Paul reminds us that he became poor.... for us...... 2 Cor 8: 9….
Luke 2…v.23…
Luke 2: 23, 24 NLT
23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must
be dedicated to the Lord.”
24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
23 Denn im
Gesetz des Herrn steht: Alle erstgeborenen Söhne müssen dem Herrn geweiht
werden.
24 Sie
brachten das Reinigungsopfer dar, wie es das Gesetz vorschrieb: »Ein Paar
Turteltauben oder zwei junge Tauben.
v23- 24..... Mary and Joseph were following the command to Dedicate the
first born son to the LORD.....
This comes from the principle that everything
we have….. our families and our children all are gifts from the Lord….. We are
reminded that we have been redeemed by the LORD…… Exodus 13: 11-16…..
Last week we spent time looking at John the Baptists parents….. Zacharias
and Elizabeth……. Two wonderful old saints who waited patiently for the Lord to
send His promised Messiah…….. They trusted the Lord´s HESED….. His unfailing
love……..even though they struggled in their daily lives….. They waited for
decades until the Lord took away Elizabeth’s shame and gave them a son…. They were
ordinary genuine believers….. They waited for the promise of God….
Now I would like for us to take a look at two more
ordinary……. but wonderful people……. They were some of the first to see the
Lord……… To see the redeemer….. THE LORD JESUS…… first Simeon….. Luke 2: 25-28…
Luke 2: 25 – 28 NLT
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and
this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the
Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not
see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents
brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,
28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
Luke 2: 25 –
28 Luther 1984
25 Und siehe,
ein Mann war in Jerusalem, mit Namen Simeon; und dieser Mann war fromm und
gottesfürchtig und wartete auf den Trost Israels, und der Heilige Geist war mit
ihm.
26 Und ihm
war ein Wort zuteil geworden von dem Heiligen Geist, er solle den Tod nicht
sehen, er habe denn zuvor den Christus des Herrn gesehen.
27 Und er kam
auf Anregen des Geistes in den Tempel. Und als die Eltern das Kind Jesus in den
Tempel brachten, um mit ihm zu tun, wie es Brauch ist nach dem Gesetz,
28 da nahm er
ihn auf seine Arme und lobte Gott und sprach:
v25.... a God fearer..... righteous and devout ….. He eagerly
waited for the… KJV…. Consolation
(comfort) of Israel..... ( Trost Israels)
It was a special name for the Messiah! Comforter and deliverer..... 2
Cor 1 tells us that our great God is the God of all comfort…..
v25b… The Holy Spirit was upon him…. He was filled with and led by the holy Spirit……..
v26…… He will live to see the Salvation of God….. He will live to see the Messiah!.... That promise was a
great comfort to Him ……he was a God fearer…..he wanted Israel to be redeemed….. he prayed for the redemption of
Israel he cried out for mercy for the people….. he prayed for the consolation
of Israel…..
v27, 28…. The Holy Spirit led
him to the temple that day…….. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
Let´s continue on and see what Simeon did when
he finally saw the Messiah…..
Luke 2: 29 - 35 NLT
29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have
promised.
30 I have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared for all people.
32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of
your people Israel!”
33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then
Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is
destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others.
He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result,
the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce
your very soul.”
Luke 2: 29 - 35 Neues
Leben
29 »Herr, nun
kann ich in Frieden sterben! Wie du es mir versprochen hast,
30 habe ich
den Retter gesehen,
31 den du
allen Menschen geschenkt hast.
32 Er ist ein
Licht, das den Völkern Gott offenbaren wird, und er ist die Herrlichkeit deines
Volkes Israel!«
33 Josef und
Maria staunten, als sie hörten, was Simeon über Jesus sagte.
34 Simeon
aber segnete sie und sagte zu Maria: »Dieses Kind wird von vielen in Israel
abgelehnt werden, und das wird ihren Untergang bedeuten. Für viele andere
Menschen aber wird er die höchste Freude sein.
35 Auf diese
Weise wird an den Tag kommen, was viele im Innersten bewegt. Doch auch durch
deine Seele wird ein Schwert dringen.«
v29… “Thank you Lord….. I´m ready
to come home now….
v30… I have seen your
salvation…. I have seen your salvation ….Simeon said…..
We who have repented and believed
the Gospel…. have also seen His Salvation.... we have also been comforted.....
We are sent into the World to tell
the Good News..... There is hope....! There is forgiveness…… There is
comfort and redemption.... The light of the World is here…….. He has turned
back the darkness……… forever…… Simeon goes on to tell Mary that not everyone
will receive the Advent of the Messiah with Gladness and joy…. Some will hate
Him….. Because he shows them the deepest thoughts of their hearts…. He is also
prepareing her for the death and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus….
Let´s look again at the text….. We will meet Anna next…. Luke 2…v….36…
Luke 2: 36 - 40 NLT
36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter
of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when
they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age
of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night,
worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking
with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to
everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of
the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. 40 There the child grew up
healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.
Luke 2: 36 -
40 Neues Leben
36 Im Tempel
befand sich auch Hanna, eine Prophetin. Sie war eine Tochter Phanuëls aus dem
Stamm Asser und schon sehr alt. Hanna war Witwe. Ihr Mann war nach nur sieben
Jahren Ehe gestorben.
37 Jetzt war
sie vierundachtzig Jahre alt und verließ den Tempel nie mehr, sondern diente
Gott dort Tag und Nacht mit Fasten und Beten.
38 Als Simeon
mit Maria und Josef sprach, ging sie vorbei und begann, Gott zu loben. Allen,
die auf die verheißene Erlösung Israels warteten, erzählte sie von Jesus.
39 Als Maria
und Josef alles erfüllt hatten, was nach dem Gesetz des Herrn vorgeschrieben
ist, kehrten sie nach Nazareth in Galiläa zurück.
40 Dort wuchs
Jesus heran und wurde groß und kräftig. Er war mit Weisheit erfüllt, und Gottes
besondere Gnade ruhte auf ihm.
v 36 - 37........Anna....she was very old.... 84...and a widow..... she was probably
childless.... a curse to the Jews way of thinking.... she was very
ordinary...... not royalty....
and yet she gets to meet the KING OF KINGS and LORD of LORD`S…..
She was not related to the High Priestly family.... the fact that she
was a widowed a such a young age was not considered to be a blessing.... but
she was not bitter..... she was a great example to those around her.... she
devoted herself to serving and worshipping the LORD....
v37....KJV......who did not depart from the temple, but served God with
fastings and prayers night and day.....
Anna was an active
participant in the life of the temple.....a godly woman..... a true
worshiper.... she was not bitter..... she
looked for the redeemer...The LORD was her whole life.... she was not missing
something in her life....
her life was full and blessed...... She
was totally focused on the only thing that mattered.... The LORD GOD..... At
long last she as she trusted the LORD with her life.... she got to see the
Messiah......
Close
We have seen and heard Jesus......we have been redeemed.....
We should tell everyone the Good News.......We should be constantly
praising and glorifying God in everything that we say and do...... even when
our lives are not exactly what we expected……. Even when we don´t understand His
plan for our lives……
We are here on Earth for a purpose.....Jesus said all authority in
Heaven and Earth is given to me.....Go into all the World.....make
disciples......
We are here in the body for a purpose...... we are members of one
another...we belong to each other.... we are here in the church so that we
can love and encourage each other....pray for each other...... cover each
others sins with love..... and mercy and forgiveness...... we have the blessing
of bearing one another’s burdens...... we can lighten each others load.....
Even though we are ordinary people..... sinners saved by Grace..... because of
His unfailing LOVE...... we have a savior.....
We are celebrating the birth of the Savior....Jesus the Messiah!!!
but we must remember ..... The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of
the Whole world was born to die.....
we need to look forward to the Cross to understand what Simeon said to
Mary......
Our redeemer came to suffer and to die.....as Isaiah prophesied so long
ago......
To die to redeem us.....He came to die so that we could live with Him
forever......What unfailing LOVE..... What Mercy......
David understood this so very well..... He was a real person…… ordinary.....
not perfect... a sinner saved by grace.... Do you remember another of
Jesus´great.... great.....great.... great..... grandmother´s.....
Bathsheba..... David committed adultery with her….. then David murdered her
husband…… Real human sinfulness…….
He cried out to God for forgiveness..... He remembered God´s Unfailing
Love and Mercy..... He repented and became a man after God´s own heart………
That´s mercy friends……… whatever you have hidden away in your heart……… the
stuff that we can´t see…..God see´s it all……. He calls out to each of us to
repent…….to confess our sins…..because if we confess our sins…. He will forgive
us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness….
1 John 1 : 9….
You know what is Glorious about
this season?
It´s that we who have repented
and believed the Gospel…… We who did not deserve Mercy have received the greatest
gift…. Mercy and forgiveness for our
sins…..
The Light of the World has come……
The Glorious light of the Gospel has shone into our
hearts…. And we have cried out for forgiveness…. And…. What a
Miracle…. He has forgiven us…. And it should change every relationship in
our lives…. Let´s close with Paul’s words to the church at Corinth…2 Cor ch 4…v…1…
2 Corinthians 4:1-7
NLT
Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never
give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try
to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and
all who are honest know this.
3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only
from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has
blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the
glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the
glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that
Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For
God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine
in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of
Jesus Christ.
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are
like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that
our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
2 Cor 4:1-7 Neues Leben
1 Da Gott uns
in seiner Gnade diese Aufgabe anvertraut hat, verlieren wir nicht den Mut.
2 Wir lehnen
alle skrupellosen Methoden der Verkündigung ab. Wir versuchen nicht, jemanden
zu überlisten, und wir verfälschen Gottes Wort nicht, sondern wir sprechen die
Wahrheit vor Gott. Das wissen alle, die aufrichtige Herzen haben.
3 Wenn die
gute Botschaft, die wir verkünden, für jemanden wie hinter einem Schleier
erscheint, zeigt das nur, dass er verloren ist.
4 Der Satan,
der Gott dieser Welt, hat die Gedanken der Ungläubigen so verblendet, dass sie
das herrliche Licht der Botschaft nicht wahrnehmen können. Damit bleibt ihnen
unsere Botschaft über die Herrlichkeit von Christus, der das Ebenbild Gottes
ist, unverständlich.
5 Wir ziehen
nicht umher und verkünden uns selbst; wir verkünden Christus Jesus, den Herrn.
Wenn wir etwas über uns selbst sagen, dann allenfalls, dass wir durch das, was
Christus für uns getan hat, zu euren Dienern wurden.
6 Denn Gott,
der sprach: »Es werde Licht in der Finsternis«, hat uns in unseren Herzen
erkennen lassen, dass dieses Licht der Glanz der Herrlichkeit Gottes ist, die
uns im Angesicht von Jesus Christus sichtbar wird.
7 Doch diesen
kostbaren Schatz tragen wir in zerbrechlichen Gefäßen, nämlich in unseren
schwachen Körpern.1 So kann jeder sehen, dass unsere Kraft ganz von Gott kommt
und nicht unsere eigene ist.
2 Cor 4:
8-18 NLT
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We
are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never
abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through
suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life
of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in
the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the
psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” 14 We know that God,
who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to
himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s
grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God
will receive more and more glory.
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our
spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and
won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs
them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now;
rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see
now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
2 Cor 4:
8-18 Neues Leben
8 Von allen
Seiten werden wir von Schwierigkeiten bedrängt, aber nicht erdrückt. Wir sind
ratlos, aber wir verzweifeln nicht.
9 Wir werden
verfolgt, aber Gott lässt uns nie im Stich. Wir werden zu Boden geworfen, aber
wir stehen wieder auf und machen weiter.
10 Durch das
Leiden erfahren wir am eigenen Leib ständig den Tod von Christus, damit auch
sein Leben an unserem Körper sichtbar wird.
11 Es ist
wahr: Weil wir Jesus dienen, leben wir in ständiger Todesgefahr, damit sein
Leben an unserem sterblichen Körper sichtbar wird.
12 So leben
wir im Angesicht des Todes, und das hat euch das Leben gebracht.
13 Dennoch
hören wir nicht auf zu predigen, weil wir denselben Glauben haben wie der
Psalmist, der sagte: »Ich glaube an Gott, deshalb rede ich.
14 Wir
wissen, dass derselbe Gott, der Jesus, unseren Herrn, auferweckt hat, auch uns
mit Jesus auferwecken wird und uns zusammen mit euch vor sich hintreten lassen
wird.
15 Das alles
ist zu eurem Besten. Und wenn Gottes Gnade immer mehr Menschen zu Christus
führt, wird auch der Chor derer, die ihm danken, immer lauter, und Gott wird
immer mehr Ehre erwiesen.
16 Deshalb
geben wir nie auf. Unser Körper mag sterben, doch unser Geist3 wird jeden Tag
erneuert.
17 Denn
unsere jetzigen Sorgen und Schwierigkeiten sind nur gering und von kurzer
Dauer, doch sie bewirken in uns eine unermesslich große Herrlichkeit, die ewig
andauern wird!
18 So sind
wir nicht auf das Schwere fixiert, das wir jetzt sehen, sondern blicken nach
vorn auf das, was wir noch nicht gesehen haben. Denn die Sorgen, die wir jetzt
vor uns sehen, werden bald vorüber sein, aber die Freude, die wir noch nicht
gesehen haben, wird ewig dauern.
Let´s
pray......
No comments:
Post a Comment