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Series B – Seventh Sunday of Easter – Sunday, May 17, 2015 | 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
0:30	the holy Gospel According to Saint John
0:32	chapter 17 verses 11 through 19.
0:36	they are still in the world I’m coming
0:38	to you Holy Father protect them by the
0:41	power of your name the name that you
0:42	gave me so that they may be one as we
0:45	are one while I was with them I
0:47	protected them and kept them safe by the
0:49	name that you gave me none has been lost
0:52	except for the one doomed to destruction
0:54	so that the scripture would be fulfilled
0:56	I am coming to you now but I say these
1:00	things while I am still in the world so
1:02	that they may have the full measure of
1:04	my joy within them I have given them
1:07	your word and the world has hated them
1:09	for they are not of the world anymore
1:10	that I am of the world my prayer is not
1:13	that you take them out of the world but
1:15	that you protect them from the evil one
1:16	they are not of the world even as I am
1:19	not of it sanctify them by the truth
1:21	your word is truth as you sent me into
1:24	the world I have sent them into the
1:26	world for them I sanctify myself that
1:29	they too may be truly sanctified
1:33	in the name of Jesus
1:37	in our day and age we apparently live in
1:40	a post-modern age and in post-modernity
1:43	in the way of thinking in post-modernity
1:44	institutions are bad institutions are
1:48	really awful we got to get it’s down
1:49	with the institutions in fact we gotta
1:52	show it to the man that’s what we got to
1:54	do we got to stick it right to them down
1:56	with the institution I’m a free spirit
1:57	stop slapping down your rules on me
2:01	all right this is how we think oh and by
2:04	the way there’s another part of this too
2:05	if you are overly confident if you’re
2:08	absolutely certain that Jesus Christ is
2:11	truly the only way of Salvation well
2:14	then you are an arrogant nerd
2:17	you need to repent and you need to get
2:19	with the program as they say there are
2:21	many ways to climb Mount Fuji right this
2:24	is how this goes well in our texts today
2:28	these are the how should I put the
2:31	antidote to this post-modern nonsense
2:33	and so we’ll spend a little bit of time
2:35	taking a look at this and we will make
2:37	you thoroughly Politically Incorrect at
2:39	the end of the sermon okay so let’s
2:42	let’s go back to our first reading from
2:46	the book of Acts and part way through
2:48	and it begins with in those days Peter
2:50	stood up among the brothers the company
2:53	of the persons was an all about 120. so
2:56	this is Jesus has been raised from the
2:58	grave bodily appeared to his disciples
3:01	he’s ascended into heaven and well Judas
3:05	if you remember things did not go so
3:07	well to the one who betrayed Jesus
3:09	Christ he went and hung himself and then
3:12	we find out what happens to his corpse
3:14	and the details are quite graphic so
3:17	Peter said Brothers the scripture had to
3:20	be fulfilled
3:21	oh by the way that’s a very important
3:24	statement the scriptures had to be
3:25	fulfilled God never lies
3:28	scripture will always be fulfilled
3:31	so the scripture had to be fulfilled
3:33	which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand
3:35	by the mouth of David concerning Judas
3:38	who became a guide to those who arrested
3:40	Jesus for he was numbered Among Us and
3:43	was allotted his share in this ministry
3:45	now this man acquired a field with the
3:47	reward of his wickedness you almost see
3:49	the air quotes the reward of his
3:51	wickedness remember those 30 pieces of
3:53	silver
3:54	right he ended up being so grief
3:57	stricken that he ended up throwing the
3:59	silver back into the temple tried to be
4:02	absolved of his sins and of course the
4:05	high priest said what are we to you know
4:06	this is between you and God we can’t
4:09	help you out here so he threw the money
4:11	back they kept it but they knew they
4:13	couldn’t put it into the treasury
4:14	because it was blood money yet they’re
4:17	the ones who paid him to yeah you see
4:19	piety has a funny way of being
4:21	hypocritical so this man acquired a
4:24	field with the reward of his wickedness
4:26	falling headlong he burst open in the
4:29	middle and all of his bowels gushed out
4:31	and everybody said ooh
4:34	became known to all the inhabitants of
4:37	Jerusalem so that the field was called
4:38	in their own language
4:40	that is the field of blood
4:43	now watch what Peter does here
4:46	for it is written in the Book of Psalms
4:50	now how many when you read through the
4:52	Psalms do you think the Psalms are just
4:53	chock full of Prophecy well they are and
4:56	here like a good Jewish man Peter knows
5:00	his Psalms and knows under the
5:02	inspiration of the holy spirit that
5:04	there are prophecies in the Psalms
5:06	regarding Judas of all people and here’s
5:08	the prophecy Psalm 69 verse 25 May his
5:11	Camp become desolate and let there be no
5:14	one to dwell in it and Psalm 109 verse 8
5:18	let another take his
5:21	office
5:23	office
5:25	we all know what an office is right you
5:27	know we here in the United States of
5:29	America we have the Office of the
5:31	President of the United States of
5:33	America and the current office holder
5:36	some people like and some people don’t
5:38	like and after the election there’ll be
5:39	a new office holder and some people will
5:41	like that office holder and some people
5:42	won’t like his office that office holder
5:44	and everybody for the next well as long
5:47	as the United States continues to endure
5:49	will either Rejoice or weep and Nash
5:52	teeth depending on who’s in the office
5:54	right but everybody knows that the
5:57	constitution lays out particular
5:59	authorities and duties of the office
6:04	right so the idea then is is that the
6:07	government of the United States is not a
6:09	movement it’s an institution
6:13	right well a lot of people today like to
6:16	think that the church is a movement and
6:19	I would say oh contraire it is an
6:21	institution and here we learn of one of
6:25	the church’s offices and it’s the
6:27	apostolic office and this office by the
6:30	way is completely empty because Peter
6:34	here lays out if you would the
6:36	qualifications to be one of the people
6:39	filling the office of apostle
6:42	and this is an important thing
6:44	there are technically 12 office holders
6:47	Judas vacated his office the son of
6:50	Destruction and now it’s time to fill
6:52	his office
6:54	now if you’re really a student you know
6:56	your Bible you’re gonna we’ll figure
6:59	something out along the way here that in
7:00	the end there’s not 12 disciples there’s
7:02	13 but we’ll explain that in a minute
7:06	so Peter then says so one of the men all
7:09	right here are the qualifications for
7:11	the office one of the men who have
7:13	accompanied US during all the time that
7:14	Jesus went in and out Among Us beginning
7:17	from the baptism of John until the day
7:19	that he was taken up from us one of
7:21	these men must become with us a witness
7:23	of his resurrection ah okay so it’s got
7:27	to be a dude a dude who’s been with
7:29	Jesus from the time of Jesus’s baptism
7:32	by John the Baptist as a witness of
7:35	Jesus’s death and Resurrection those are
7:38	the qualifications anyone here meet
7:40	those I know there’s some old people in
7:42	here yeah Dean you you remember yeah you
7:44	had a pet T-Rex right
7:47	okay all right all right so I know Don
7:50	can tell us about Noah and so but yeah
7:54	but so the idea here is is that unless
7:56	you’re you have these qualifications you
7:59	don’t get to be an apostle now in the
8:02	wide church today there are people
8:04	running around claiming to be Apostles
8:06	and you know this you know I’ll know
8:09	that it’s an office that these are the
8:11	qualifications so if anyone comes up to
8:13	you and says hi I’m Apostle so and so
8:15	you can say back to them goodbye I know
8:18	you’re a heretic yeah it’s just just be
8:20	polite that way I mean it’s you know you
8:22	know that this is somebody who’s not
8:23	speaking to you the truth all right so
8:26	here’s what they did they put forward
8:28	two men Joseph called barsabas who was
8:31	also called Justice and Matthias and
8:33	they prayed you Lord you who know the
8:36	hearts of all show which one of these
8:39	two you have chosen to take the place in
8:42	this ministry so Jesus gets to do the
8:45	picking and the apostleship from which
8:47	Judas is turned aside to go into his own
8:49	place and then they took some dice
8:52	rolled them up through room
8:55	Matthias came up winner winner chicken
8:57	dinner that’s how it was chosen
8:59	no joke
9:01	all right
9:02	so that doesn’t sound very holy does it
9:07	they prayed through Dyson Mathias came
9:10	up winter and then we never hear from
9:12	Matthias again
9:13	we never hear from him again now we hear
9:16	from him in church history just a little
9:17	bit but
9:19	um so you kind of get the idea now this
9:21	is all important what is the role and
9:24	the responsibility of one who is an
9:27	apostle they are eyewitnesses of the
9:29	resurrection of Jesus Christ and they
9:31	are to go and Proclaim to the world that
9:34	Christ was crucified for our sins call
9:36	people to repent and to be forgiven and
9:38	they are the eyewitnesses in fact in our
9:41	day and age if you’ve ever watched like
9:43	the History Channel or CNN or any of
9:45	those channels during like Christmas and
9:47	Easter they always have these
9:48	documentaries can we find the real
9:51	historical Jesus and so when somebody
9:54	starts talking like that and you know
9:55	they they have a documentary you know
9:57	let’s get to the heart of the who this
9:58	who was Jesus really right well the
10:01	reason why they’re doing it is because
10:03	of course we live in a post-modern age
10:05	and everybody knows that
10:08	people don’t have the ability to you
10:09	know like raise the dead you know give
10:12	sight to the Blind and you know heal the
10:14	sick and stuff like that miraculously so
10:16	that can’t possibly be the real Jesus
10:19	right so we’ve had to get to the
10:21	historical Jesus and the historical
10:23	Jesus is pretty much a Galilean Boy
10:25	Scout who like to help little old ladies
10:27	across the Sea of Galilee that’s pretty
10:29	much what they’re looking for but see
10:30	the thing is is that how many books did
10:32	Jesus write
10:34	he didn’t write any
10:36	not one
10:38	hmm that’s kind of weird so how is it
10:41	that we know all this about Jesus
10:43	Through the apostles and see Jesus in
10:45	Luke 10 16 says this about the apostles
10:48	the one who hears you you Apostles
10:51	here’s me the one who rejects you you
10:54	Apostles they well they end up rejecting
10:57	me and the one who sent me
11:01	the only way we know anything about
11:02	Jesus is through the eyewitnesses Jesus
11:05	wrote nothing we do know that he wrote
11:07	something in the sand with that whole
11:09	ordeal with a woman caught in the act of
11:11	adultery but that’s a different story
11:12	altogether that didn’t seem to survive
11:14	it’s not extant anymore now let’s talk
11:17	about this so we have 12 disciples of 12
11:20	Apostles now right the twelve well if
11:22	you all sit there and do your math
11:24	you’re all familiar with the fact that
11:25	the Apostle Paul he was an apostle
11:28	everybody refers to him as you know the
11:31	Apostle Paul how can this be that equals
11:35	13. now let me give you a historical
11:38	side note
11:39	any of you know your Good Old Testament
11:41	history how many tribes were there
11:44	12 tribes there were 12 tribes of Israel
11:47	yet if you were to count them up the
11:49	number would come to what 13.
11:52	why is that
11:54	well one of the tribes was comprised of
11:57	two half tribes the half tribe of
11:59	Manasseh and the half tribe of Ephraim
12:02	these were the sons of Joseph so there
12:04	were 12 tribes and one tribe was two
12:07	half tribes which comes to the number
12:09	13. and remember the Old Testament is
12:13	type and Shadow of the Fulfillment and
12:16	the Fulfillment is in the New Testament
12:18	so it’s not a coincidence that there
12:21	were 12 tribes of Israel and 12 Apostles
12:27	that numbered 13.
12:30	it’s not a coincidence at all and here’s
12:33	the outlier it’s the Apostle Paul First
12:35	Corinthians chapter 15. I’ll start in
12:38	verse 1. Paul explains how he came to be
12:41	an apostle because he’s kind of the odd
12:43	man out if you would
12:45	Paul says this now I would remind you
12:48	Brothers of the Gospel that I preached
12:50	to You gospel is fantastically great
12:53	news which you received in which you
12:55	stand by which you are being saved Well
12:58	I this has got my attention
13:00	I need good news I need to hear from God
13:02	that I’m being saved he says if you hold
13:04	fast to the word I preach to you unless
13:06	you believed in vain and then he says
13:08	this for I delivered as of first
13:09	importance what I also received and he
13:13	received this from Jesus himself and
13:15	here’s what he received that Christ died
13:17	for our sins in accordance with the
13:20	scriptures
13:22	that word from the Psalms comes to mind
13:25	here Selah let that sink in Christ died
13:29	for our sins oh let me not go too fast
13:32	over this every single one of your
13:35	transgressions every time you have not
13:37	loved the Lord your God with all your
13:39	heart soul mind and strength every time
13:41	you have failed to love your neighbor as
13:43	yourself in thought word and deed by the
13:46	things you did by the things you didn’t
13:47	do every time you came up short and you
13:51	know you didn’t measure up
13:53	Christ died for our sins
13:56	they’re all accounted for every single
13:59	one of them
14:00	so it says Christ died for our sins in
14:02	accordance with the scriptures he was
14:04	buried he was raised on the third day in
14:06	accordance with the scriptures and then
14:08	he appeared to cephas and then the
14:11	twelve see what it says there
14:15	then he appeared to more than 500
14:17	Brothers at one time and oh yes the
14:19	early Christian Church kept track of all
14:21	of the eyewitnesses of the Resurrection
14:25	um he says most of them are still alive
14:26	though some have fallen asleep then he
14:29	appeared to James and to all the
14:31	apostles and watch this last of all is
14:33	to one untimely born the ESV translated
14:37	I think the Greek is better translated
14:39	as abnormally born
14:42	yeah he has an abnormal birth as an
14:44	apostle he says this last of all as to
14:46	one abnormally born he appeared also to
14:48	me
14:49	for I am the least of the Apostles
14:51	unworthy to be called an apostle because
14:54	I persecuted the Church of God
14:57	and yes he did
14:59	he held the cloaks of The Men Who stoned
15:02	Stephen well Stephen proclaimed Christ
15:06	basically giving a sense to his unjust
15:08	murder
15:10	he says he’s the least of the Apostles
15:12	unworthy to be called an apostle because
15:15	I persecuted the Church of God but watch
15:17	this but the grace of God by the grace
15:20	of God I am what I am and his grace
15:23	towards me was not in vain on the
15:26	contrary I worked harder than any of
15:28	them that was not I but the grace of God
15:30	that is in me
15:32	whether than it was I or they so we
15:35	preach and so you believed and see
15:37	here’s the thing we’re all like the
15:39	Apostle Paul each and every one of us
15:41	born dead and trespasses and sins and At
15:43	War With God we sin against God we sin
15:45	against neighbor we’re a pernicious
15:47	bunch and yet because of the grace of
15:50	God we are not called Apostles we are
15:53	given the name of Christ
15:55	we are called Christians
15:57	forgiven sinners
15:59	all saved by the mercy and grace of God
16:03	as a gift and we have all heard the
16:06	preaching of the Apostles and that’s
16:07	what they did they preached and we
16:10	believed remember Jesus told the
16:12	disciples if you really want to be super
16:14	technical about that Great Commission in
16:17	Matthew 28 Go Make Disciples of all
16:19	Nations baptizing and teaching right
16:22	in a very real way Christ commissioned
16:25	the apostles to make disciples of all
16:28	Nations and you think well how are they
16:30	going to do that they don’t even live in
16:32	an age when there was you know 21st
16:33	century internet technology they didn’t
16:35	have smartphones they didn’t have Smart
16:37	rocks how are they going to pull this
16:39	off right well they did have parchment
16:42	in pen and they wrote their message and
16:45	eyewitness testimony and the good news
16:47	down and it’s now in our Bibles and each
16:50	and every one of us we are disciples
16:52	today because of their preaching they
16:54	are still discipling the Nations and the
16:57	best part of it is that we get to
17:00	participate in their discipling because
17:02	when we take their words up into our
17:04	mouths and we tell our neighbors about
17:06	the good news of Jesus
17:09	the disciples and God himself
17:12	are speaking in our mouths
17:15	we are partners with them in this Great
17:18	Commission let us never forget that we
17:21	have good news to Proclaim and so the
17:22	apostles do their work now through us
17:25	through the written word taken up in our
17:27	mouths and so let me remind you of a
17:30	couple of passages one from our gospel
17:32	text one from our epistle text Our
17:34	Gospel text Jesus is this is as high
17:37	Priestly prayer on the night that he was
17:39	betrayed it says this I have given them
17:41	your word he’s praying to the Father the
17:43	world has hated them because they are
17:44	not of the world just as I am not of the
17:47	world that’s right each and every one of
17:49	us Christians we who believe in Christ
17:51	we are no longer of this world we’ve
17:53	overcome it because Christ has overcome
17:55	it and so he says I do not ask that you
17:58	to take them out of the world but that
18:00	you keep them from the evil one and is
18:02	this not what we pray in the Lord’s
18:03	Prayer
18:04	lead us not into temptation but Deliver
18:06	Us from the evil one
18:09	they are not of the world just as I am
18:11	not of the world so sanctify them in the
18:13	truth
18:15	and your word is truth
18:18	God never lies he speaks the truth and
18:21	so as you sent me into the world so I
18:23	have sent them into the world those
18:25	Apostles of Jesus Peter James and John
18:29	Jesus sent them and he wants us to
18:32	listen to them to reject them is to
18:35	reject him
18:37	scripture says and so our epistle text
18:40	says this if we receive the testimony of
18:42	men the testimony of God is greater for
18:44	this is the testimony of God that he has
18:47	borne concerning his son whoever
18:50	believes in the Son of God has the
18:54	testimony in himself whoever does not
18:56	believe God has made God a liar
18:59	and God never lies because he is not
19:02	because he has not believed in the
19:04	testimony that God has borne concerning
19:05	his son and this is the testimony
19:07	God gave us
19:10	eternal life
19:12	doesn’t say God paid you for your good
19:15	works and all those times when you
19:18	actually were really successful at
19:20	living up to your New Year’s resolutions
19:22	for a week
19:23	um all right four days I’m sorry two
19:27	um right
19:28	God’s not paying you for being good with
19:32	eternal life it says he gave
19:35	gave it’s a gift it’s Christmas that
19:39	kind of thing God gave us an eternal
19:41	life and this life is in his son Jesus
19:44	Whoever has the son has life whoever
19:48	does not have the son does not have life
19:50	this is most certainly true God never
19:52	lies and so he says I write these things
19:55	to you the Apostle John is writing these
19:58	things to you who believe in the name of
20:01	the son of God do you believe in the
20:02	name of the son of God
20:04	then he’s writing this to you and watch
20:07	this here’s the Arrogant anti-postmodern
20:09	part so that you may know that you have
20:13	eternal life oh that’s arrogant oh
20:17	that’s ridiculous you can’t possibly
20:20	know that you have eternal life who Do
20:23	You Think You Are
20:27	I don’t think I’m anybody
20:29	I think I’m a sinner
20:31	and I think the Apostle John who was
20:33	sent by Jesus just said that God gave me
20:36	a gift
20:38	and I know I have it
20:41	you have it dear Saints you have this
20:44	gift you don’t have to earn eternal life
20:46	God has given it to you is a free gift
20:48	believe this trust this word because
20:52	Jesus sent this man and had him write
20:55	this to you for you to hang on to and to
20:58	believe and God never lies you can take
21:01	this to the bank
21:03	when you die and your eyes close here
21:06	and they open up in eternity you’re
21:08	going to see Jesus
21:10	and oh he’s got some major things to
21:13	show you because he loves you so much
21:16	you think Renee’s
21:18	meeting with her daughter
21:22	was amazing that’s a foretaste of what
21:25	is coming because each and every one of
21:28	you are children of God and you have yet
21:31	to see him and he can’t wait to see you
21:36	and the joy that you will have for
21:39	eternity is yours forever
21:42	it’s a gift and John wants you to know
21:45	this with absolute certainty
21:49	trust and believe you are saved you have
21:53	been given eternal life you have a right
21:56	standing with God and nobody can take
21:59	this gift away from you nobody your
22:02	father in Heaven is mightier than all in
22:05	the name of Jesus Amen
22:07	[Music]

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