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Series A – First Wednesday in Lent – Wednesday, March 1, 2017 | 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
0:28	the holy Gospel According to Saint
0:30	Matthew chapter 6 verses 1 through 6 and
0:33	16-21
0:36	beware of practicing your righteousness
0:39	before other people in order to be seen
0:41	by them
0:42	for then you will have no reward from
0:44	your father who is in heaven
0:47	thus when you give to the needy sound no
0:49	trumpet before you as the Hypocrites do
0:52	in the synagogues and in the streets
0:54	that they may be praised by others truly
0:57	I say to you they have received their
0:58	reward
0:59	but when you give to the needy do not
1:02	let your left hand know what your right
1:03	hand is doing
1:05	so that you’re giving may be in secret
1:06	in your father who sees in secret will
1:09	reward you and when you pray you must
1:12	not be like the Hypocrites for they love
1:14	to stand and pray in the synagogues and
1:18	at the street corners that they may be
1:20	seen by others truly I say to you they
1:22	have received their reward but when you
1:25	pray go into your room shut the door and
1:28	pray to your father who is in secret
1:31	your father who sees in secret will
1:34	reward you and when you fast
1:36	do not look gloomy like the Hypocrites
1:39	for they disfigure their faces that
1:41	their fasting may be seen by others
1:43	truly I say to you they have received
1:45	their reward but when you fast anoint
1:48	your head wash your face that your
1:50	fasting may not be seen by others but by
1:53	your father who is in secret and your
1:55	father who is in secret will reward you
1:59	do not lay up for yourselves Treasures
2:01	on Earth where moth and rust destroy
2:03	where thieves break in and steal but lay
2:06	it for yourselves Treasures in Heaven
2:08	where neither Moss moth nor rust
2:11	destroys and where thieves do not break
2:13	in and steal for where your treasure is
2:15	there your heart will be also
2:18	this is the gospel of the Lord in the
2:20	name of Jesus
2:22	years ago my family took a family
2:25	vacation we hopped into the FJ Cruiser
2:28	and we traveled from Southern California
2:30	to well Estes Park Colorado we were
2:34	camping we were roughing it well not
2:36	really but it was a lot of fun and then
2:39	the kids came up with this wonderful
2:41	idea why don’t we go on one of those
2:43	horseback riding excursions and they can
2:47	climb up a trail and so we thought well
2:49	why not let’s go horseback riding so we
2:53	got there and we waited in line we paid
2:55	the money and then they eventually kind
2:57	of shuttle this out to the Corral area
3:00	and the lady who ran the place took one
3:03	look at me and kind of sized me up and
3:05	says
3:06	I think I know the horse for you and she
3:09	did that kind of horse whistle thing and
3:12	they called out Big Gus
3:15	and Big Gus came on out
3:18	and I proceeded to get on Gus and I am
3:21	not joking as soon as I mounted him I
3:23	heard Gus go
3:27	and then we proceeded up the trail and
3:32	one of the things I notice about
3:33	horseback riding is that I’m awful at it
3:35	and there’s this thing called balance
3:38	that you need to have and so while
3:40	writing on the trail I noticed that
3:42	sometimes I would lean this way and that
3:44	was not a good way to lean and I would
3:46	over correct and then I would lead this
3:48	way and that’s not a good way to lean
3:49	either and kind of staying centered was
3:51	really hard
3:54	being a Christian is a lot like riding
3:57	gusts when you don’t know what you’re
3:59	doing
4:00	yeah I have a tendency as Christians we
4:03	have Tendencies to like fall over to the
4:05	side of legalism over correct to the
4:08	side of license one time we’re really
4:11	prideful and then we’re well you get the
4:14	idea we can never seem to get it
4:16	straight
4:18	what an interesting text that Jesus has
4:20	to remind people and how silly is this
4:23	to not practice their good works in
4:26	front of everybody so that they can be
4:27	seen it’s not that good works are a bad
4:30	thing they’re not do you think that
4:33	fasting’s bad no fasting is a good thing
4:35	do you think the praying’s bad no
4:38	praying is a good thing we ought to be
4:40	praying right you notice these should we
4:42	be giving to the poor of course we
4:45	should but isn’t it like us
4:48	that well even when we’re doing the
4:52	right thing we have found a way to do it
4:55	for the wrong reason
4:57	it’s just absolutely aggravating
5:03	in fact
5:04	it’s downright frightening if you
5:06	consider just how sinful and wicked that
5:11	is
5:12	hmm
5:14	and then as a pastor
5:17	nobody prepared me
5:20	for one of the more difficult parts of
5:22	this job
5:24	and that is the task
5:26	of sitting bedside with somebody who is
5:30	literally dazed away from dying
5:35	kind of shocks you
5:37	into reality
5:40	when you hear their final confession
5:44	as the end of their course
5:47	literally you can see the Finish Line
5:49	approaching
5:52	and you hear the things that they wish
5:54	that they had done
5:56	the things that they wish that they
5:58	hadn’t done
5:59	and you realize just how vain
6:03	and ridiculously foolish we can be in
6:06	our sinful state
6:09	it’s a mess
6:11	and so as we begin this Lenten tide
6:15	keep this in mind
6:17	this is a good thing for us
6:21	to reflect on our lives
6:25	to reflect on God’s law
6:28	but also on Christ’s suffering
6:31	to reflect on God’s law
6:34	and pay attention to those ways in which
6:37	we come short
6:39	and if you are like any red-blooded
6:42	Christian who still also has a sinful
6:45	flesh
6:46	there are times in your life when you
6:49	really truly desire
6:52	to do better than you’re doing
6:55	and there are many other times
6:58	that there is feeble desire
7:02	desire that is pathetic
7:05	distracted
7:07	too busy to consider the depths and the
7:10	magnitude
7:11	of what it is that Christ has called us
7:14	to do
7:15	and as a result of that
7:18	let us use lent as a time to consider
7:22	these things
7:23	and what’s very helpful what’s very
7:26	helpful
7:28	is to reflect back not just on your own
7:32	shortcomings because there’s many
7:34	different ways in which you and I all
7:35	fall short
7:37	consider the Ten Commandments to love
7:39	the Lord your God with all your heart
7:40	soul mind strength
7:44	to not take God’s name in vain
7:46	to not despise his word by keeping the
7:49	Sabbath day holy
7:52	to honor your father and mother which
7:54	also means your boss
7:55	or your husband or those in authority
7:58	over you
8:00	do not murder to not steal
8:03	do not lie commit adultery
8:06	covet
8:10	we all fall short
8:13	so badly
8:16	and this is a time to confess our sins
8:19	this is a time to fast and to Lament
8:24	this is a time to say God I am truly
8:27	sorry
8:28	and a time to say I really desire to do
8:30	better
8:31	because I know that you will
8:34	that I do better
8:37	please Lord in your spirit give me the
8:40	strength
8:41	to do better
8:43	not for me
8:45	not for my glory not for my ego
8:49	but to do better
8:51	for those who need me to do better
8:53	whom you have given me to love and to
8:57	serve for their sake not mine
9:01	so with these opening thoughts Let Us
9:04	return again to our epistle text second
9:06	Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 20.
9:12	therefore
9:14	we
9:15	that’s all of us brothers and sisters we
9:17	it’s a big word we
9:20	we are ambassadors
9:23	for Christ
9:29	sometimes we’re really awful ambassadors
9:33	sometimes
9:35	I feel like Jesus gets complaint letters
9:39	that Ambassador you’ve chosen for that
9:41	Kong’s Winger place do you know what
9:44	that Ambassador is doing
9:46	but we are ambassadors for Christ
9:49	keep this in mind God is making his
9:51	appeal his appeal to the whole world
9:54	through us
9:56	so we implore you on behalf of Christ
10:00	to be reconciled to God
10:05	and that reconciliation Was Won by
10:08	Christ
10:09	and that’s what he says next for our
10:11	sake God made Jesus
10:15	to be sin
10:17	who knew no sin
10:19	so that in him
10:21	we might become
10:23	the righteousness
10:25	of God
10:27	see our reconciliation
10:28	with God as one by Christ
10:31	and now that we are reconciled God is
10:35	making his appeal
10:37	to your neighbors
10:40	to the people of Oslo
10:42	Alvarado
10:44	Warren
10:45	East Grand Forks
10:47	Grand Forks Devils Lake
10:52	he’s making his appeal to them
10:55	to be reconciled to God
10:57	through
10:58	us
11:00	so working together with him then
11:04	we appeal to you
11:05	to not receive the grace of God in vain
11:10	for he says in a favorable time I have
11:12	listened to you
11:14	in a day of salvation
11:16	I have helped you and behold now is the
11:20	favorable time behold now
11:23	today
11:24	is the day
11:26	of Salvation And this is a Stern warning
11:29	for Christians
11:30	a Stern warning
11:32	to not despise the grace of God
11:35	to not turn it into a license to sin
11:39	to not squander the day of salvation
11:42	and basically thumb our nose
11:45	at God
11:48	and go about our merry way
11:50	still in bondage to sin death in the
11:52	devil
11:53	the grace of God is the thing that set
11:55	us free from that and God is calling us
11:58	to walk in Freedom
12:00	so today today is the favorable day
12:02	today is the day of baptism of the
12:06	Lord’s Supper of the Absolution of the
12:09	word of God
12:10	today is the day of our Wilderness
12:12	wanderings towards the promised land of
12:15	being fed Heavenly manna
12:18	today is the day that God is leading Us
12:20	by faith and not by sight
12:24	because of that we put no obstacle in
12:27	anyone’s way so that no fault may be
12:30	found with our ministry
12:32	and yet the reality of the situation is
12:34	is that if we’re honest
12:37	then we’ll tell you the truth that
12:40	sometimes our own sin our own
12:42	selfishness our own behavior our own
12:44	vanity our own fill in the blank
12:49	does put an obstacle in the way of God’s
12:52	grace
12:53	there are plenty of pagans out there who
12:57	are all too happy to point out our
13:00	hypocrisies
13:01	that’s an obstacle
13:05	but a Servants of God
13:07	we commend ourselves in every way
13:09	we commend ourselves in every way by
13:12	great endurance
13:13	and afflictions hardships calamities
13:16	beatings imprisonments riots labors
13:21	sleepless nights hunger
13:24	that’s just one verse of this list
13:29	and which of us
13:31	if the if this verse verse 5 were to be
13:35	the description of our lives would think
13:38	that we had done something wrong
13:42	that we had somehow misstepped
13:48	made a big mistake
13:51	maybe was being punished by God
13:55	was the true Christian sanctification
13:59	is that process by which our old sinful
14:02	flesh is mortified
14:04	mortified by the word of God mortified
14:07	by the sacraments mortified by the
14:09	Absolution mortified by our striving
14:12	against it taking our old sinful Adam
14:15	and holding him under the waters of our
14:18	baptism until the bubbles stop
14:25	and in that process
14:27	God brings forth the Fruit of the Spirit
14:32	and the Fruit of the Spirit
14:34	is love joy peace patience kindness
14:40	gentleness
14:41	self-control
14:45	no says the fruit of the spirit not the
14:47	fruit of you
14:48	this is the fruit that the spirit bears
14:50	in US
14:51	and that fruit of the spirit
14:54	gives us
14:57	the strength
14:59	to Bear up under afflictions to Bear up
15:01	under hardships and calamities and
15:04	beatings and imprisonments and riots and
15:07	labors and sleepless nights and hunger
15:10	because the Fruit of the Spirit
15:13	teaches us to not look for our to
15:15	ourselves
15:16	but to look
15:18	and do everything we do for the sake of
15:21	our neighbor
15:26	by Purity knowledge patience kindness
15:30	the Holy Spirit genuine love
15:33	by truthful speech
15:36	and the power of God
15:38	with the weapons of righteousness for
15:40	the right hand
15:41	and for the left
15:43	and yet how many of us do not wield the
15:46	weapons of righteousness that have
15:48	become quite skilled
15:51	in wielding the daggers of the devil
15:55	which we foolishly cut ourselves with
16:01	through honor dishonor through slander
16:04	and praise
16:05	we are treated as imposters and yet are
16:07	true as unknown and yet well known as
16:11	dying and behold we live
16:13	is punished
16:15	and yet not killed
16:16	as sorrowful yet always rejoicing as
16:19	poor yet making many rich as having
16:23	nothing
16:24	yet
16:26	possessing
16:27	everything
16:29	and how can that be
16:31	how can we have nothing and yet possess
16:33	everything
16:36	to have nothing is to admit that you are
16:39	a creature
16:40	that you brought nothing into this world
16:42	you will take nothing out of it when you
16:44	leave
16:45	I assure you of that
16:48	and yet by having Christ
16:51	or even better yet by him having you
16:54	you have everything
16:59	as Joel said in his prophecy
17:03	even now declares the Lord
17:06	return to me with your whole heart
17:09	return to me with fasting and with
17:11	weeping with Mourning
17:13	Rend your hearts Notch your garments
17:17	return to the Lord your God and here’s
17:19	the reason why
17:21	because he’s gracious
17:23	and he’s merciful
17:26	he’s slow to anger
17:29	and he’s abounding
17:31	and steadfast love
17:33	and he relents over disaster
17:37	and that’s indeed what he does
17:40	you see the reason he relents over
17:42	disaster
17:44	and the greatest disaster that you will
17:46	ever face to the fires of hell
17:48	and this is what we have all learned by
17:50	our Rebellion against God
17:52	by going Our Own Way thinking only of
17:55	ourselves
17:57	this is what we have earned
17:59	but our God who is gracious merciful
18:02	slow to anger abounding and steadfast
18:04	love
18:07	he stepped in
18:09	and took our place
18:11	took our punishment
18:14	so that God May relent to the disaster
18:17	intended for us
18:19	the fires of hell
18:23	and that’s the way you keep from
18:26	slipping off the horse
18:29	either to the left or to the right
18:32	and self-righteousness or self-denial
18:35	all designed to make yourself look holy
18:39	is by again considering
18:42	the scourging of Christ
18:45	him being strapped
18:48	so that he couldn’t move
18:50	while they opened his back with a cat
18:52	and nine tails
18:54	him being punched in the face
18:57	and spat on
18:59	each of those punches each of those
19:00	whips
19:02	was for your sin
19:04	and mine
19:07	and then marching him out to Golgotha
19:10	and nailing him to the cross
19:14	while he was pinned Between Heaven and
19:17	Earth
19:18	straining with each breath
19:21	to continue to live
19:25	all the while while bleeding for your
19:27	sins and mine
19:29	for all of our sins of Old Mission the
19:32	things we ought to have done that we
19:33	didn’t
19:34	all of our sins of commission
19:37	that we knew was wrong and yet we just
19:40	jumped headlong into it
19:42	and then wallowed in it like a pig and
19:44	flop
19:46	not just for a day or an hour
19:49	but for a whole season of our life
19:53	that’s what it cost
19:56	to save us was his death
20:02	and then finally on the cross as the
20:05	darkness fell and the father turned his
20:07	face away
20:09	and Christ cries out my God my God why
20:12	have you forsaken me
20:14	knowing that he was forsaken
20:16	so that you would not be
20:19	so the God would relent of the disaster
20:23	knowing that this is what it cost
20:27	save us to forgive us
20:29	kind of rules out that vanity does it
20:31	not
20:34	what on Earth do I have to boast about
20:40	when he
20:42	took it all
20:44	for me
20:47	I don’t understand that kind of love
20:51	that kind of love
20:54	compels me to want to be better
20:58	that kind of love
21:00	compels me to deny myself
21:05	that kind of love compels me to tell the
21:07	world
21:09	about the God who is slow to anger
21:13	and abounding steadfast love and
21:15	relenting over disaster
21:24	these are good thoughts
21:26	to consider as we begin
21:29	now 40 days
21:32	40 days and you don’t count Sundays
21:35	40 days of fasting 40 days
21:38	of pondering 40 days of repenting
21:43	40 days of thinking on Christ’s
21:46	sufferings and death
21:47	and what it cost him to save and redeem
21:52	for sinful beings like me
21:55	and like you
21:57	in the name of Jesus
21:59	amen

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