LutheranLectionary.org

Series B – Second Sunday of Advent – Sunday, December 7, 2014 | 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 Mark chapter 1 verses
0:31	1 through 8.
0:34	the beginning of the Gospel about Jesus
0:37	Christ the son of God
0:39	it is written in Isaiah the prophet I
0:42	will send my messenger ahead of you who
0:44	will prepare your way a voice of one
0:47	calling in the desert prepare the way
0:50	for the Lord and make straight paths for
0:52	him
0:53	and so John came baptizing in the desert
0:55	region and preaching a baptism of
0:57	repentance for the Forgiveness of sins
1:00	the whole Judean Countryside and all the
1:03	people of Jerusalem went out to him
1:04	confessing their sins they were baptized
1:07	by him in the River Jordan John wore
1:10	clothing made of camel’s hair and a
1:11	leather belt around his waist and he ate
1:14	locusts and wild honey and this was his
1:16	message after me will come one more
1:19	powerful than I the thongs of who
1:21	sandals I am not worthy to stoop down
1:23	and untie I baptize you with water but
1:27	he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
1:29	In The Name of Jesus
1:32	so how do you prepare for Christmas how
1:36	do you prepare for the arrival of Jesus
1:37	well we all know the American traditions
1:41	starting about the Fourth of July or the
1:43	5th because you got to get right after
1:45	the 5th of July you know you put away
1:47	the fireworks and then you start getting
1:49	out the Christmas stuff and then by the
1:50	time Thanksgiving rolls around out come
1:53	the Christmas carols letting you put the
1:55	radio on and you know like the Ella
1:57	Fitzgerald Channel and you got this
1:58	really cool Vibe you know semi-jazz
2:01	Christmasy things going on it’s always
2:03	in the background and you sing along and
2:05	and you put up the lights and the tinsel
2:08	and The Holly And and you put out the
2:10	little nativity scene and and and if
2:12	you’re really industrious you put out
2:15	the Christmas Town you know what I’m
2:16	talking about the little tiny Christmas
2:17	time with little cars in the snow and
2:19	stuff like that and it’s just so cute so
2:23	ah yeah and we just sit there and go
2:25	yeah well
2:27	scripture doesn’t prepare us for
2:30	Christmas in that way the Advent season
2:33	historically has John the Baptist and
2:36	John the Baptist is quite the character
2:38	it says of him that he wore
2:43	camel’s hair a leather belt around his
2:46	waist and he ate locusts and wild honey
2:51	and his message was repentance what kind
2:54	of unruly character is this I mean how
2:57	many people do you know that you know if
2:59	their a vacancy comes open in their
3:01	Church they’re saying you know we got to
3:03	get somebody just like that John the
3:05	Baptist guy now to show you just how
3:07	unpopular he is too how many Christian
3:10	booksellers right now are selling the
3:12	John the Baptist diet book I don’t know
3:14	of any how many of the major retailers
3:18	in New York you know Macy’s or whatever
3:20	are they do they have the John the
3:22	Baptist line of clothing
3:25	no there’s nothing practical about this
3:27	guy there’s nothing that we can use
3:28	about him that is going to make us money
3:31	in fact this guy has like absolutely no
3:36	tact whatsoever I mean he is not
3:39	politically correct he doesn’t abide by
3:41	all the nice ways in which we’re
3:43	supposed to be diplomatic in fact listen
3:46	to this
3:47	from uh from the gospel of Matthew we
3:50	have a cross-reference to this text that
3:53	tells us what happened when the
3:55	Pharisees came out to John the Baptist
3:57	baptism now remember our text says that
3:59	the whole Judean Countryside came out
4:01	but let’s take a look at this character
4:03	so he says in this says this in Matthew
4:05	when he saw many of the Pharisees and
4:07	Sadducees coming to his baptism he said
4:10	to them you brood of vipers who won you
4:14	to flee the Wrath to come
4:16	well this is not a way to grow a church
4:18	you know
4:20	yeah and it gets worse it gets worse
4:23	okay he says to the Pharisees you bear
4:26	fruit in keeping with repentance and
4:27	don’t presume to say to yourselves we
4:30	have Abraham as our father I tell you
4:32	God is able from these stones to raise
4:34	up children for Abraham even now the ax
4:37	is laid to the root of the trees every
4:40	tree therefore that does
4:41	good fruit is
4:46	wow
4:49	I mean if this were happening today
4:51	whoever the equivalent of the Pharisees
4:53	were this would be all over Twitter and
4:55	Facebook I mean this this story would go
4:58	viral I mean the headlines on Fox News
5:01	and MSNBC would be saying is it time for
5:04	John the Baptist to retire
5:07	clearly he’s off his rocker can’t we all
5:10	just get along right you know hasn’t he
5:13	seen everybody out there has those
5:15	coexist bumper stickers on their cars
5:17	right now and you’re out there telling
5:19	the Pharisees that their moms are snakes
5:21	which is kind of a rough translation of
5:23	brutal vipers your mom is a snake
5:27	well so much for the soft preparations
5:30	for Christmas right this guy is quite
5:33	the character
5:34	now if we go back into our text here
5:36	that’s kind of a little bit of what’s
5:38	coming but here’s what it says let me
5:40	reread our text the beginning of the
5:42	Gospel gospel you angelian good news
5:45	this is the beginning of the good news
5:47	about Jesus Christ the son of God it is
5:50	written in Isaiah the prophet I will
5:52	send my messenger ahead of you who will
5:54	prepare your way a voice of one calling
5:57	in the desert prepare the way for the
6:00	Lord make straight paths for him
6:03	so how is the way of the Lord prepared
6:06	how is the way of the Lord are the paths
6:08	made straight well what’s funny is is
6:11	the way the Greek picks this up and I
6:13	think the ESV has a has a better way of
6:15	doing this it it Mark starts off if you
6:18	haven’t read the gospel of Mark cover to
6:19	cover it’s a really quick read it’s uh
6:22	oftentimes believe that this is the
6:24	gospel associated with the preaching of
6:26	the Apostle Peter and this is the gospel
6:28	of Action Man I mean this this reads
6:31	like a comic book graphic novel it just
6:33	has this great Pace to it so the way it
6:35	kind of reads in the Greek and the ESV
6:36	picks this up and it’s translation when
6:38	it says that he appeared so it says it’s
6:39	written in Isaiah the prophet I’ll send
6:41	my messenger ahead of you who will
6:42	prepare your way a voice of one calling
6:44	in the desert and then verse four and so
6:46	John appeared is the kind of the Greek
6:50	reads it’s like so Isaiah writes this
6:52	down and the the way that Mark writes it
6:54	says the way Isaiah writes this prophecy
6:56	down about the one who’s going to
6:58	precede the Lord and then poof he shows
7:01	up right and which is I think the reason
7:04	why the people who put the lectionary
7:06	together gave us that second Peter
7:08	reading today here’s what it says do not
7:10	overlook this one fact beloved that the
7:12	Lord with the Lord one day is like a
7:14	thousand years and a thousand years like
7:15	one day
7:16	and this tells us something about the
7:18	surety of God’s word Isaiah wrote his
7:21	prophecy hundreds of years before John
7:24	the Baptist ever came onto the scene but
7:27	God never forgets his word and God’s
7:29	word always accomplishes what he sets it
7:31	out to do and so God through the prophet
7:33	Isaiah said that he will send a
7:35	messenger ahead of the Messiah who will
7:37	prepare his way and that Messenger will
7:39	be a voice of one calling in the desert
7:41	prepare for the Lord make straight his
7:44	paths and then poof John appeared
7:47	it’s kind of like that God says and then
7:50	it happens now in this particular case
7:52	it was a little bit of a delay by our
7:54	chronology but in God’s way of thinking
7:55	it happened as soon as he said it was
7:57	going to happen because God’s word
7:58	accomplishes what it sets out to do so
8:01	John came baptizing in the desert region
8:04	and preaching a baptism of repentance
8:07	for the Forgiveness of sins
8:10	how is the way of the Lord prepared how
8:13	were the Crooked paths straightened well
8:16	it’s real simple repent repent repent
8:20	you are a dirty rotten Sinner and John
8:23	the Baptist says and while he’s saying
8:25	it he spits a grasshopper leg in your
8:27	face
8:29	sure his teeth were black and he’s
8:31	probably smelled bad too what kind of
8:33	preacher is this well he’s the right
8:35	kind of preacher for the right job and
8:37	then if you think about it what is John
8:39	the Baptist something to consider here
8:41	is he a prophet
8:43	well not exactly
8:44	uh he’s kind of this guy who sits with
8:47	one foot in the Old Testament and one
8:51	foot in the New Testament he’s retro
8:54	dressed kind of like the old prophets of
8:56	old he comes in the spirit of Elijah so
8:58	he’s kind of like a prophet in that
9:00	sense but see all of the prophets of the
9:02	Old Testament they told us about God is
9:06	going to someday send the Messiah
9:09	but John the Baptist isn’t saying God is
9:11	someday going to send them aside so he’s
9:12	not acting like a prophet in that sense
9:14	now let me give you a metaphor here we
9:17	all believe that we’re living in the
9:18	last days and truly we are but there are
9:20	some people who think we’re actually
9:21	living in the last last last last last
9:22	last last days okay that you know Jesus
9:26	is literally you know got his foot out
9:27	the door he’s about to show up well
9:29	that’s the case every now and then you
9:31	always run across somebody who’s popular
9:33	in the Christian church who likes to
9:34	play that proverbial game of pin the
9:36	tail on the Antichrist yeah this is
9:38	always a fun game to uh to play and I
9:40	remember I told you a few months ago
9:42	there was a guy when I used to work at a
9:44	bank in Seattle who was a Vietnam vet
9:47	he’d been injured in Vietnam and and so
9:49	you know he was in a wheelchair and
9:51	every month he would get his disability
9:53	check from the government and he would
9:54	come in to cash it and I remember one
9:56	time he comes up to me says you know
9:58	Chris I’m wondering if Nancy Reagan is
10:01	the Antichrist
10:02	you know he just said there you go all
10:04	right but here’s the idea in the same
10:07	way that we’re all kind of thinking
10:08	could this be it could we be at the end
10:11	could that person be the man of
10:13	lawlessness is the man of lawlessness
10:14	right now breathing where does he live
10:17	is he in Vienna maybe he’s living in
10:19	London in a flat maybe he’s hiding out
10:22	in Liberia who knows where he is but
10:25	right now he’s could be breathing right
10:26	yeah we’re just waiting for him to show
10:28	up on the scene we all kind of
10:30	understand the sense of expectation
10:31	regarding the end and the appearance of
10:33	the man of lawlessness well
10:36	cross out the man of lawlessness here
10:38	and put Jesus in place and Christ the
10:41	Messiah the one promised in the Old
10:42	Testament hasn’t shown up yet but
10:44	everybody knows it’s got to be now it’s
10:46	got to be soon it’s got to be really
10:48	really soon well John the Baptist shows
10:51	up and he’s not like the prophet saying
10:53	yeah he’s gonna come John the Baptist is
10:55	like the guy who’s the MC at well at you
10:59	know a huge event and the curtain is
11:01	drawn and he shows up the spotlight’s on
11:03	him he’s out you know it’s dark all
11:05	around except for the spotlight and Now
11:07	ladies and gentlemen I’d like to
11:09	introduce you to Jesus Christ and the
11:11	curtain Rises up and here comes Jesus
11:13	that’s John’s role so he’s not like a
11:16	prophet in that sense he’s he already
11:18	knows that the Messiah is on the planet
11:20	breathing has been around for 30 years
11:22	and so he’s there to reveal him but
11:26	reveal him in this sense by Preparing
11:29	People for his now soon to be appearing
11:33	publicly that’s John the Baptist’s job
11:36	right
11:37	so he does this and the way to prepare
11:40	for the arrival of the Messiah is to
11:44	tell everybody
11:46	you’re a sinner
11:49	you’re a sinner you don’t measure up
11:51	let’s take a look at those Ten
11:52	Commandments how well are you keeping
11:54	them you’re not you’re Wicked in your
11:57	paths are crooked
11:59	straighten them out repent
12:01	this is what he preaches and you think
12:03	well this isn’t very nice I don’t like
12:06	this message
12:07	this is the only way to prepare for the
12:09	arrival of the Lord because Christ has
12:12	come to take away your sins and so John
12:15	the Baptist in preaching the law and
12:17	preaching repentance it says he was
12:19	baptizing people for the Forgiveness of
12:22	your sins in a true sense John isn’t a
12:26	prophet he’s the First Gospel preacher
12:29	and you’ll notice that after he’s
12:31	arrested Jesus what does he preach
12:34	repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at
12:36	hand Jesus picks up John’s preaching and
12:38	preaches it to prepare for himself he
12:41	preaches repentance and you know what
12:43	the apostles preach they preach repent
12:46	repent
12:48	this is what they do
12:50	and so the way you prepare the way of
12:52	the Lord is not with cute little tinsel
12:54	and Holly and songs and little twinkly
12:57	lights
12:57	you know the way you prepare for the
12:59	arrival of the Lord is to examine your
13:01	life in light of the Ten Commandments
13:03	and see that you should you come up
13:04	short I come up short each and every one
13:07	of us does and you see the reason why
13:10	the Pharisees didn’t really accept the
13:12	baptism of John is because they didn’t
13:15	think they needed to repent
13:17	this is why he said your moms are snakes
13:19	because they were holy they were
13:22	righteous they were good they tied all
13:24	the way down to 10 percent of the herbs
13:27	that are growing in their little gardens
13:30	oh they were so they didn’t need to
13:32	repent
13:34	and that’s why John got in their face
13:37	and said who warned you to flee the
13:39	Wrath to come you don’t really believe
13:41	you need my baptism now do you
13:44	but the reality is we all need to repent
13:47	we all need to be forgiven we all need
13:49	our sins washed away and before you
13:51	think for a second the John the Baptist
13:53	was some kind of arrogant jerk
13:56	listen again to his words his message
13:58	was this after me will come one more
14:02	powerful than I and here’s the important
14:05	part the thongs of whose sandals I am
14:07	not worthy to stoop down and untie
14:11	there’s always that saying pastor do you
14:13	practice what you preach
14:16	well John the Baptist did
14:18	he practiced what he preached
14:21	he had been brought to repentance he
14:23	understood that he was in need of
14:24	forgiveness and he understood that the
14:27	one who came after him was mightier than
14:29	himself and he understood that because
14:31	of his own sin he was not worthy to
14:33	stoop down and even untie Jesus’s
14:35	sandals
14:36	this man practiced what he preached he
14:39	believed that he needed repentance and
14:42	the reality is is that each and every
14:43	one of us needs to repent repent daily
14:46	repentance is the way of life of the
14:48	Christian
14:49	it’s the way of life this is why we pray
14:51	at the end of the day
14:53	the Lord’s Prayers he taught us to pray
14:56	Our Father Who Art in Heaven
14:58	holy hallowed is your name
15:01	your kingdom come your will be done on
15:03	Earth as it is in heaven and then you
15:05	ask God give us this day our daily bread
15:07	and forgive us our trespasses
15:11	as we forgive those who trespass against
15:13	us you’ll notice this is a daily prayer
15:16	give us this day our daily bread if you
15:19	ask for your daily bread today do you
15:20	need to pray again for it tomorrow
15:23	and we’re not praying for a stockpile
15:25	and Lord give us this year our
15:29	stockpiled of Y2K survivalist Goods that
15:33	we can keep in our basement no this is
15:35	not what we’re paying we’re paying for
15:36	Daily Bread so if you’re praying for
15:37	daily bread
15:38	daily sustenance everything that you
15:40	need for today you’re going to need to
15:42	pray this prayer again tomorrow
15:44	and that’s what God promises you that’s
15:46	what he gave the children of Israel out
15:48	in the wilderness daily Manna daily
15:51	bread and so because we’re praying for
15:53	Daily Bread we daily pray forgive us our
15:57	trespasses
15:59	and that reveals that the entire
16:02	Christian Life
16:03	here on this side of the true Promised
16:06	Land
16:08	it’s daily repentance the message of
16:10	John the Baptist never goes out of style
16:12	even though his clothing line never will
16:15	be in style even though his diet will
16:18	never be a bestseller
16:20	his message never goes out of style and
16:22	it applies to each and every one of us
16:25	and so he John the Baptist realized his
16:27	on his own unworthiness his own
16:30	sinfulness and even confessed he was not
16:32	worthy to untie
16:35	the straps of the sandals of Jesus and
16:38	so he baptizes with water but when Jesus
16:41	appears he said Jesus Will baptize you
16:43	with the Holy Spirit now a little bit of
16:46	confusion about this let’s clear it up
16:48	there’s a lot of confusion especially in
16:49	the past Century as if somehow baptism
16:51	in the baptism of the Holy Spirit are
16:53	two different things scripture teaches
16:55	they go together in Acts chapter 2
16:58	on the great day of Pentecost we read
17:01	that Peter preached the gospel and it
17:03	cut people to the quick verse 37 says
17:06	this now when they heard this Peter’s
17:08	preaching they were cut to the heart and
17:09	said to Peter and the rest of the
17:10	Apostles Brothers what shall we do and
17:14	Peter said to them listen to this repent
17:18	he sounds just like John the Baptist
17:19	repent
17:21	and be baptized be baptized there is in
17:24	the passive voice it’s something that
17:26	happens to you not something you do be
17:29	baptized every one of you in the name of
17:31	Jesus Christ for the Forgiveness of your
17:34	sins and you will receive the gift of
17:36	the Holy Spirit
17:37	according to this text the Holy Spirit
17:39	and baptism go together
17:42	and so they do so on the day you were
17:45	baptized your sins were washed away and
17:47	God gave you the Holy Spirit and so you
17:50	have received this promise that John the
17:53	Baptist foretold would happen that when
17:56	he comes Jesus would baptize them not
17:59	just with water but also with the Holy
18:01	Spirit and so you have been baptized you
18:03	have the Holy Spirit and Christ keeps
18:06	you and he sustains you so how do you
18:08	prepare again for Jesus’s arrival well
18:12	tinsel and twinkly lights are cute and
18:14	there’s nothing wrong with them but the
18:16	way we always prepare and the way we
18:18	prepare to receive Jesus every Sunday
18:20	and even every day when we read his word
18:22	is by confessing that we are sinners in
18:24	need of a savior and believing and
18:27	trusting that Jesus Christ as John the
18:29	Baptist said is truly the Lamb of God
18:31	who takes away the sin of the world you
18:33	don’t take away your own sin you
18:35	couldn’t pay for even the simplest of
18:38	your sins if you tried Christ bled and
18:40	died for all of them so stop striving to
18:44	be righteous on your own trust in the
18:46	one who clothe you in his righteousness
18:48	the one whose sandals you are not worthy
18:51	to stoop down and untie but the one who
18:53	makes you worthy by his shed blood for
18:55	you on the cross in the name of Jesus
18:58	Amen
18:59	[Music]

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