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Series A – Fourth Sunday After Epiphany – Sunday, January 29, 2023 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough

Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough:

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:27	The holy Gospel
0:29	According to Saint Matthew the fifth
0:31	chapter
0:33	foreign
0:37	Jesus went up on the mountain and when
0:40	he sat down his disciples came to him he
0:42	opened his mouth and he taught them
0:44	saying blessed are the poor in spirit
0:46	for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven
0:48	blessed are those who mourn for they
0:51	shall be comforted blessed are the meek
0:53	for they shall inherit the earth blessed
0:55	are those who hunger and thirst for
0:57	righteousness for they shall be
0:59	satisfied blessed are the merciful for
1:02	they shall receive Mercy blessed are the
1:05	pure in heart for they shall see God
1:07	blessed are the peacemakers for they
1:09	shall be called sons of God and blessed
1:12	are those who are persecuted for
1:14	righteousness sake for theirs is the
1:16	kingdom of heaven and blessed are you
1:18	when others revile you and persecute you
1:20	and utter all kinds of evil against you
1:22	falsely on my account rejoice and be
1:25	glad for your reward is great in heaven
1:27	for so they persecuted the prophets who
1:29	were before you this is the gospel of
1:32	the Lord in the name of Jesus
1:34	all right you guys remember recent
1:36	history recent history we saw the
1:38	launching of the Artemis rocket sent
1:40	capsule around the Moon it was kind of a
1:43	big deal right but did you notice that
1:45	the rocket did it Blast Off the first
1:48	time that was on the launch pad no no
1:50	there were problems right you know I
1:52	remember kind of tuning in to see
1:54	whether or not it would be launching iOS
1:56	these are the kinds of things that nerds
1:58	like so you know you have to kind of pay
1:59	attention to these things I’m thinking
2:01	man I haven’t seen a moon launch since I
2:03	was a kid I remember in I was in was I
2:06	in kindergarten or first grade was one
2:09	or the other it was in the early 70s but
2:12	we were gathered around our television
2:14	set this whole black and white thing in
2:16	a class that I was and we were watching
2:18	Neil Armstrong walking on the moon and
2:21	it was a big deal right so with the
2:23	Artemis launch it was like one of these
2:25	things where I gotta tune in and the
2:27	countdown is going going going stop
2:31	ah
2:33	all right what’s wrong and so they start
2:36	talking in rocket speak okay and in this
2:40	particular case based on what they were
2:41	saying was wrong I knew it would require
2:44	a rocket surgeon to fix it okay yep this
2:47	this is actual rocket science and it
2:49	requires a rocket surgeon and what they
2:53	have to do they had to scrub the launch
2:55	now you’ll note that at that point we
2:58	can say the Artemis rocket was broken
3:01	and it needed to be fixed and some
3:04	people who were really smart needed to
3:06	get together and work the problem and
3:08	fix what was wrong with it and
3:09	eventually they did and they sent that
3:11	thing and they sent that capsule up and
3:14	it went around the moon and boy this is
3:16	an interesting day that we’re living in
3:18	in very near future we’ll see other
3:20	human beings walking on the moon haven’t
3:22	seen that in a while but all that being
3:24	said I want you to think about this when
3:26	the Artemis rocket was broken and wasn’t
3:28	wasn’t going to be fixed you’ll note
3:30	that they had a crack team of people
3:32	working on the problem in order to get
3:34	this thing up safely and it took some
3:37	time now have you ever stopped to
3:39	consider that the world itself is broken
3:42	and it is broken by
3:44	sin now here’s the question who’s gonna
3:48	fix it have you noticed that all the
3:50	crack teams that we’ve put together they
3:52	never seem to really solve the problem
3:54	do they right and so the world the world
3:57	history is littered with the remains of
4:01	teams that were assembled to solve the
4:04	problems of humanity right and the thing
4:07	is is that you can’t solve this problem
4:09	I would note that back in the ancient
4:12	world you had the philosophers and the
4:13	philosophers were saying things like we
4:16	just need to be moral we need to build a
4:18	moral Society how do you build a moral
4:21	society when the gods you worship or the
4:23	deities you worship are even false I
4:25	mean how does one do that and so well
4:27	you’ve got Plato that was followed by
4:29	Aristotle and the philosophers all the
4:31	way down to our age have any of them
4:33	solved the problems
4:35	okay how about those politicians are
4:38	they any good at solving this
4:40	[Laughter]
4:42	nope I would note that the current crop
4:46	of potions do not look to me like
4:49	they’re going to be able to solve
4:50	anything right I I have zero hope that
4:54	the problems of humanity are going to be
4:55	solved and as for worldly wisdom
4:58	nowadays you’re going to note that I
5:00	have zero faith in worldly wisdom
5:02	because at the moment they can’t even
5:03	figure out the difference between a boy
5:05	and a girl so this is a this is a
5:08	problem and that is is that worldly
5:10	wisdom doesn’t seem to be able to solve
5:13	the problem of sin and Jill no why is
5:16	there poverty in the world sin why do
5:19	people die sin why do people get sick
5:21	and have to go to hospitals and rack up
5:23	huge hospital bills sin right the wages
5:26	of sin is death why do we not get along
5:29	so well with each other have you noticed
5:31	that the ranker and the acrimony that
5:34	just just dries rising and Rising why
5:37	why is there all this violence and
5:39	people who literally legitimately hate
5:41	other people based on skin color and
5:43	things like this you know why it’s
5:44	because of sin right and so assemble the
5:47	crack team that you that you want none
5:50	of them are going to solve the problem
5:51	because even if you were to find a way
5:53	to kind of keep it at Bay which is by
5:55	the way the job of the government the
5:58	government exists God is instituted for
6:00	the purpose of what punishing the evil
6:02	doer right God’s solution is to
6:05	basically keep it under wraps by
6:08	punishing evil but that doesn’t even
6:11	solve the problem does it nope not even
6:14	close so what is it that’s going to
6:17	solve the problem answer Christ and him
6:19	crucified for our sins
6:22	that’s the solution
6:24	and I know that people are listening
6:25	going come on it’s got to be something
6:27	different than that really that’s all
6:29	you’ve got yep that’s all I got so we
6:32	can just wrap up this sermon right here
6:34	and you’ve got you’ve now know the
6:35	solution to the problem right
6:37	but the point is this is that God has
6:39	chosen listen to this the word of the
6:42	Cross which the world considers to be
6:44	Folly let me give you a different word
6:47	moronic that’s a little closer to what
6:49	the Greek is is getting at the the word
6:51	of the Cross is moronic but who is it
6:54	moronic to those who are perishing but
6:57	to us who are being saved the word of
7:00	the Cross is the power of God what does
7:04	Paul say in Romans 1 I am not ashamed of
7:07	the gospel for it the gospel is the
7:09	power of God unto salvation right so the
7:13	solution to our problem is a message
7:16	that the world considers to be utterly
7:19	moronic this by the way is the real
7:21	reason why the well the unbelieving
7:24	world is going to think that the church
7:26	is irrelevant because they think the
7:28	word of the Cross is folly so all those
7:31	people out there who are trying to
7:32	figure out how to make Christianity
7:34	relevant so that pagans are interested
7:36	in it
7:37	you’ll know what they end up having to
7:39	do they kind of have to take that gospel
7:41	message and find a way to um well let’s
7:44	put it over here and we’ll only pull
7:45	this out a few times a year and we don’t
7:47	want to draw too much attention to it
7:49	because the world thinks it’s Folly what
7:52	is the world looking for today they want
7:54	influencers to help them make their
7:56	lives better to help them find you know
7:59	success in their chosen well field of
8:02	study or interests or things like this
8:04	they want to be powerful they want to be
8:06	successful oh and by the way people
8:08	don’t want to be religious they want to
8:11	be spiritual right this is what the
8:13	world wants people want to be spiritual
8:15	they don’t want to be religious I mean
8:18	so we’re never ever going to be loved by
8:22	the world or considered relevant but
8:24	note here the word of the cross the good
8:26	news that Christ has bled and died for
8:29	our sins this is the word that is the
8:32	power of God that saves us you know I
8:36	was thinking about an analogy I one of
8:39	the things I do is I teach International
8:40	men men who are internationally studying
8:43	for the Pastoral office and I’ve been
8:45	teaching him how to preach recently and
8:48	one of my students I had him prepare a
8:50	sermon on this particular text and he
8:52	made a great analogy and I’m thinking I
8:56	want to steal it but no I’m going to
8:57	give him credit it was so good though he
9:00	likened it to the Beatles song The Fool
9:02	on a hill
9:04	and boy have you ever listened and kind
9:07	of read out the lyrics to The Beatles
9:08	song The Fool on the Hill it’s about
9:10	somebody who’s wise that this that the
9:13	people in his town think is stupid and
9:15	he’s actually the one that’s the smart
9:17	one he’s the wise one and that’s a great
9:19	way of talking about Jesus because if
9:21	you think about it here’s God in human
9:24	flesh what does he come to do he’s come
9:27	to save us he’s come to Deliver Us From
9:30	Slavery to sin death and the devil he is
9:33	the one who’s going to finally finally
9:36	set us free so that we’re no longer
9:38	under the bondage of sin and what does
9:41	he do
9:42	he climbs a hill with a cross and allows
9:45	himself to be nailed to it
9:48	hmm Jesus is the Fool on the Hill is he
9:52	not
9:54	at least by the world standards he is
9:56	but note here Jesus climbing Mount
10:00	Moriah
10:01	going up Golgotha being nailed to a
10:04	cross so that you and I can be forgiven
10:07	is the only solution that there is for
10:10	the sin problem that you and I all
10:12	experience in our lives
10:15	and note God chose to do this for a
10:18	reason the goal was to destroy the
10:22	wisdom of the wise the goal was to
10:25	destroy the discernment of the
10:27	Discerning and to thwart it that’s part
10:30	of what he was up to a good way to think
10:31	of it is this way is that when we talk
10:34	about salvation by grace through faith
10:36	apart from Works Paul asked the question
10:39	where then is there room for boasting
10:41	the answer is that there is no room for
10:43	boasting but when I was a self-righteous
10:46	legalist man was I good at boasting
10:50	right I was just the smug arrogant idiot
10:55	who really legitimately thought that he
10:57	had his Christian life together and that
10:59	others should model their Christian
11:01	lives after my great example right
11:05	boy the thing is is I was deluding
11:07	myself when I spoke this way and you’ll
11:10	note that if salvation were by works
11:12	then we would have something to boast
11:14	about right
11:16	and that would make us exactly like the
11:19	devil
11:20	and so there is no boasting allowed in
11:23	ourselves when it comes to God not in
11:26	our righteousness not in our wisdom not
11:30	in our discernment not in our
11:32	spirituality
11:33	all of that is out we all come to God as
11:38	Christ describes in The Sermon on the
11:41	Mount when he says this blessed are the
11:43	poor in spirit theirs is the kingdom of
11:46	heaven
11:48	poor in spirit I always like to say the
11:50	rose bro paraphrase of this is blessed
11:52	are the spiritually bankrupt
11:55	and until you recognize that God’s law
11:59	has not come to give you ten easy steps
12:03	ten easy principles if you just apply
12:05	them to your life you are going to be
12:07	righteous the purpose of the law is to
12:10	condemn you and to show you your sin and
12:12	when the law has done its killing work
12:14	at the end of it you say I got nothing
12:17	and that’s the point blessed are those
12:20	who mourn and lament and I would note
12:22	this is the morning and lamenting over
12:24	your own sin and blessed are the meek
12:27	The Humble who say to them say to God
12:30	Lord have mercy on me a sinner right
12:33	so you’ll note then that God knows what
12:37	he’s doing he chose the message of the
12:40	Cross he troves the good news that
12:42	Christ died for our sins this foolish
12:45	moronic message for the purpose of
12:48	furthering the the task of destroying
12:51	the self-righteousness and the wisdom in
12:53	man’s propensity to boast like the devil
12:56	when somebody sits there and goes really
12:59	you think that Jesus and him crucified
13:01	for our sins is the solution to the
13:03	world’s problems and you sit there and
13:04	go yup and then they despise and loathe
13:07	you and they no longer invite you to
13:09	their Christmas parties what do you know
13:11	about them
13:12	right they’re buying into the world’s
13:15	wisdom and here’s the thing
13:17	here’s where we have to really be honest
13:20	and that is is that these words were not
13:23	written for the Pagan world
13:26	these worlds these words were written to
13:28	a Christian church the church at Corinth
13:30	why because we’re always being tempted
13:34	to abandon the Folly of the cross in
13:38	order to embrace the wisdom of the
13:41	current age do you notice that the world
13:44	is not satisfied to leave the church
13:46	alone but the world is absolutely
13:49	hell-bent on getting the church to
13:51	capitulate to its way of thinking
13:54	and every time you turn on the
13:57	television and you’re watching
13:59	television you’re being bombarded with
14:02	these messages and worldly wisdom I can
14:05	barely watch television anymore I have
14:07	to be careful what what programs I put
14:10	on part of the reason why is because
14:12	have you noticed that they’ll that
14:15	television programs that seem kind of
14:17	generic and safe and stuff like this
14:19	what are they doing they’re well they
14:22	have love interests that are of the same
14:24	sex and they show these things this is
14:27	all an affront to God
14:29	and it’s designed to catechize you into
14:32	the world’s way of thinking you and your
14:35	children this past summer I had to stop
14:38	literally stop watching one of my
14:40	favorite summer programs America’s Got
14:43	Talent how can there any be anything
14:45	wrong with America’s Got Talent right
14:48	well worldly wisdom showed up when
14:51	somebody got well made it through and
14:53	was and they got all four votes from the
14:55	judges and when they were asking him
14:57	about his personal life he brought his
15:00	wife and his girlfriend on stage because
15:03	they were a polyamorous couple
15:05	not even a couple of thrupple I mean
15:07	what do you call that thing right
15:09	so you’ll note that we are being
15:12	bombarded with the world’s wisdom
15:13	constantly
15:16	and over and again we are feeling the
15:19	pressure to give up on that old biblical
15:23	way of thinking and that old dusty story
15:26	about some guy bleeding and dying for
15:29	our sins and stop calling people to
15:31	repent and can’t we all just get along
15:34	as the prophet Rodney King said right
15:41	but God says I will destroy the wisdom
15:43	of the wise the discernment of the
15:45	Discerning Eye will throw it so where
15:47	then is the one who’s wise where is the
15:50	Scribe where is the debater of this age
15:53	has not God made foolish the wisdom of
15:55	the world yes he has and I would note
15:58	that the delusion that our current
16:00	worldly wisdom is under where they
16:03	legitimately think that men can can
16:05	actually get pregnant and give birth
16:07	okay that is God’s judgment making their
16:11	discernment their wisdom look like
16:13	complete and utter Folly which is what
16:16	it is
16:17	for since in the wisdom of God the world
16:19	didn’t know God through wisdom it
16:21	pleased God through the Folly of what we
16:23	preach to save those who believe Jews
16:25	demand signs so to charismatics by the
16:28	way Greeks seek wisdom but we preach
16:32	Christ crucified a stumbling block to
16:35	Jews and Folly to Gentiles no in order
16:37	to get along with people of these of
16:39	this mindset of a worldly mindset or a
16:41	spiritual mindset like the Jews of the
16:43	past in order to get along we’d have to
16:46	get rid of the Gospel
16:48	right
16:51	but that’s not negotiable
16:55	you get rid of the Gospel you get rid of
16:56	Jesus you get rid of Jesus you don’t
16:58	have salvation
17:00	all you have is a moralizing religion
17:03	but to those who are called both Jews
17:06	and Greeks Christ is the power of God
17:09	and he is the wisdom of God for the
17:12	foolishness of God by the way is wiser
17:15	than men God knows what he’s doing have
17:17	you noticed that he really legitimately
17:19	knows what he’s doing in fact for us to
17:21	sit here and say that we know better how
17:23	to run the universe and how we should be
17:26	what messages we should hear would be
17:28	like a bunch of rednecks sitting in
17:30	their driveway drinking slits okay
17:33	because rednecks do stuff like this
17:35	drinking slits looking at their
17:37	television going you know I could fix
17:38	that Artemis rocket just give me a
17:40	wrench it’s it couldn’t be any harder
17:42	than fixing a carburetor on a 64 Impala
17:46	right you have any hope of that ever
17:49	happening no okay so believe me when I
17:52	tell you when we all say we know better
17:54	than God how to run the world and what
17:57	needs to happen you sound like those
17:58	rednecks thinking that they can fix the
18:00	Artemis rocket good luck on that right
18:03	they’re not even going to let you on the
18:04	property let alone let you touch it with
18:06	a wrench
18:07	so note the foolishness of God God at
18:11	his most foolish is still wiser than all
18:13	men in humanity and the weakness of God
18:16	it’s stronger than men
18:18	so consider your calling brothers
18:20	sisters not many of you were wise
18:23	according to worldly standards I can
18:25	look at Kong’s finger and say yeah
18:26	that’s true of all of us you know I
18:28	think Paul’s being polite here right not
18:31	many of you were powerful not many of
18:33	you were of noble birth yeah not me
18:36	either but God you see he chose what’s
18:39	foolish in the world in order to shame
18:42	the wise
18:44	because God’s not going to allow anybody
18:46	to stand in his presence and boast
18:49	if the wise could figure out how to
18:51	solve the problems of this world they
18:53	would be intolerable in eternity but God
18:57	chose what is low and despised in the
18:59	world even the things that are not in
19:00	order to bring to nothing the things
19:02	that are so that no human being might
19:04	boast In God’s Presence he is the source
19:08	of your life in Christ Jesus God is not
19:10	you whom God made our wisdom our
19:13	righteousness and sanctification and
19:15	Redemption therefore as it is written
19:17	let the one who boasts boast in the Lord
19:21	so brothers and sisters we all feel the
19:23	tug we all feel the pressure we all feel
19:26	the pressure to shut up just adopt the
19:28	world’s wisdom and to no longer start
19:32	keep talking about Jesus and him
19:34	crucified for our sins and note here to
19:38	every degree in which you’ve capitulated
19:40	to the wisdom of the world you have
19:42	sinned grievously against God and
19:44	committed idolatry
19:46	and every time you’ve been tempted to
19:49	say you know what the word the church
19:50	just needs to stop talking like this and
19:53	stop being so biblical and we just need
19:55	to figure out how to get along with
19:57	everybody and be more affirming well
19:59	you’ve again you’ve committed the sin of
20:01	idolatry note here this is temp this
20:04	temptation faces us all
20:08	each and every one of us this is a call
20:11	back to repentance a call back to the
20:15	foolishness of the Gospel itself a call
20:18	back for us to recognize that God knows
20:20	exactly what he’s doing and for us
20:22	rather than to despise being despised
20:26	instead what are we to do we are to
20:29	embrace what Christ has told us in our
20:32	gospel text blessed are those who are
20:35	persecuted for righteousness sake theirs
20:38	is the kingdom of heaven and blessed are
20:41	you when others revile you and persecute
20:44	you and utter all kinds of evil against
20:45	you falsely on my account rejoice and be
20:49	glad your reward is great in heaven for
20:51	so they persecuted the prophets who were
20:54	before you you see the world sits there
20:56	and says you guys are idiots you’re
20:58	stupid you’re foolish you’re backwards
21:00	you’re a bunch of bigoted people who
21:02	hate Humanity right you’re nothing but a
21:05	hate religion
21:07	when they start talking like this
21:10	listen to the one who is wise Jesus your
21:14	Messiah your savior your God when they
21:17	speak this way of us we’re not moronic
21:20	nor are we cursed no when they start
21:22	saying these things against us and they
21:25	already are we are truly blessed
21:28	right
21:30	so this is a call for us to not have our
21:32	knees knocking not to worry about our
21:35	reputation believe me your reputation
21:37	before human beings is nothing the
21:39	reputation you need to keep in mind is
21:41	what does Christ think of you
21:43	right and you’ll note then in the Book
21:46	of Revelation when it talks about those
21:48	who are thrown into the Lake of Fire
21:50	cowards are near the top of the list
21:54	right
21:55	and we all face that temptation
21:58	to cower we all want to be liked we
22:02	don’t like being despised we don’t like
22:04	being treated like fools but note God
22:07	has chosen the foolish things in the
22:09	world to shame the wise that’s where the
22:11	gospel is such an offense so brothers
22:13	and sisters
22:15	we need to continue to repent repent of
22:18	our own idolatry our own desire to save
22:21	our own reputations are we got to repent
22:24	of refusing to be branded as idiots for
22:27	Jesus
22:29	and embrace it instead and see that we
22:31	are blessed but when it comes to knowing
22:34	this where do we go then where do we go
22:37	then for forgiveness because each of us
22:39	have broken these Commandments each of
22:40	us are guilty of being tempted in this
22:42	way and not only that in some degree or
22:44	another giving in to those Temptations
22:46	well remember the question that Micah
22:49	asks what will please the Lord
22:52	shall I give the Lord ten thousand Rams
22:55	or rivers of oil shall I give my
22:58	firstborn for my transgression and the
23:00	fruit of my body for the sin of my soul
23:02	it’s a great question that Micah asked
23:04	the reality is is that neither your
23:07	children nor your own body are
23:09	sufficient to atone for your sins so
23:11	think back to the Fool on the Hill Jesus
23:14	your lord and savior the one who took
23:16	your sin upon himself and by the way he
23:19	chose to rescue you was to lay down his
23:22	life
23:23	and die in your place on the cross so
23:26	that you can be forgiven even forgiven
23:28	of the idolatry of self and your refusal
23:31	to be branded as a fool for believing
23:33	Jesus in the name of Jesus Amen

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