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Series A – Second Sunday After Pentecost – Sunday, June 11, 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 chapter 9
0:31	verses 9 to 13. Glory To You O Lord
0:37	as Jesus passed on from there he saw a
0:41	man called Matthew sitting at the tax
0:43	booth and he said to him follow me and
0:46	he rose and followed him
0:48	and as Jesus reclined at table in the
0:51	house behold many tax collectors and
0:53	sinners came and were reclining with
0:55	Jesus and his disciples
0:58	and when the Pharisees saw this they
1:00	said to his disciples why does your
1:02	teacher eat with tax collectors and
1:05	sinners
1:06	but when he heard it he said those who
1:09	are well have no need of a physician but
1:12	those who are sick go and learn what
1:15	this means I desire mercy and not
1:18	sacrifice
1:19	for I came not to call the righteous but
1:22	Sinners this is the gospel of the Lord
1:25	Grace and peace to you from God our
1:28	Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus
1:30	Christ Our sermon this morning will wend
1:32	its way through our three readings but
1:35	we’ll take the particular saying of
1:36	Jesus to be the Cornerstone Jesus said
1:40	those who are well have no need of a
1:42	physician but those who are sick go and
1:45	learn what this means I desire mercy and
1:48	not sacrifice for I came not to call the
1:51	righteous but Sinners let’s pray
1:54	God our Father you have called us to be
1:57	righteous though we are sinners and so
1:59	we pray as we hear your word you would
2:02	sanctify us with your word your word is
2:04	truth amen
2:07	I don’t know about you but I have a
2:10	certain liking for the figures of
2:12	History
2:14	I love those men who have gone before us
2:16	I I love the great things that they have
2:19	done I love to contemplate the reality
2:22	that we walk in shoes well in footsteps
2:25	well trod as scripture says in
2:27	Ecclesiastes there is indeed nothing new
2:31	Under the Sun
2:33	I particularly uh have a a strong liking
2:36	for Winston Churchill perhaps because he
2:38	has a a sharp wit and tongue as I myself
2:41	and somehow sometimes uh admonished for
2:45	I also enjoy the the teachings of
2:49	Bonhoeffer and I was pleased when I I
2:51	got up from my bed this evening it’s
2:54	it’s 1am here so when I got up at about
2:56	11 30 the classic radio station had some
2:59	chanted prayers that Bonhoeffer wrote
3:02	from his cell in Nazi Germany and they
3:05	were absolutely beautiful I love these
3:08	men of history who stood so tall men and
3:10	women mind you of course who can forget
3:13	those those uh those towering figures
3:16	that have gone before us we well we
3:19	can’t and we shouldn’t forget them
3:20	because they provide for us a grand
3:23	example especially those in the faith
3:26	the grand a grand example
3:28	that we can follow
3:30	and it perhaps might not be in the
3:32	common way that Humanity thinks of it
3:35	you see if we look to these figures of
3:37	History to look for an example well
3:40	constantly and consistently especially
3:42	in our Western culture we look upon
3:45	these for with well particularly
3:47	rose-colored glasses
3:50	when we consider Winston Churchill for
3:52	example we think of his wartime speeches
3:55	we think of his Goods standing across
3:57	Europe and how he rallied the troops at
4:00	the same time of course C.S Lewis was
4:01	coming up and we we think of as many
4:03	lectures over the radio we think of the
4:06	strong leadership that Churchill
4:08	provided and we perhaps might also think
4:09	of some quips when he was challenged
4:11	some things that do not bear repeating
4:13	in a Christian sermon perhaps but we see
4:16	a man who is in fine form in mind and in
4:19	will and wit toward a good end for the
4:22	people of England during the war and
4:25	Australia was in fact considered a part
4:27	of the Kingdom back at that time
4:30	but what we didn’t see was a weak and
4:33	faltering man
4:35	we didn’t see his deep hours of dark
4:37	depression his sleepless nights the
4:41	endless hopelessness that Witnesses say
4:44	he fell into
4:46	don’t see his great fall when he was
4:49	finally removed from office and the
4:53	overarching despair that he fell into
4:56	you see a towering figure
4:59	but we don’t see the man of weakness
5:02	in the same way our reading begins well
5:05	we really begin today that Abraham is
5:09	the grand figure in our history
5:12	and so as it so often happens throughout
5:15	scripture we are not alone as we
5:17	consider his legacy in fact when Jesus
5:20	was confronted by the Pharisees so often
5:23	they would say Abraham is our father as
5:26	though this towering figure was the
5:28	perfect example of humanity that well
5:30	the Pharisees believed Jesus couldn’t
5:32	add up to
5:34	but like so many figures of History
5:38	Abraham’s feet
5:40	are of a particular soft brand of clay
5:45	consider our text in Romans and let’s
5:48	think about Abraham for a moment before
5:50	we look at how he might be an example to
5:53	us
5:55	so the scripture says God says in fact
5:58	by the holy spirit this faith that we
6:01	have this promise depends on faith in
6:04	order that the promise May rest on Grace
6:06	and be guaranteed to all his offspring
6:08	Jesus as it is written I have made you
6:11	the father of many nations in the
6:13	presence of God in whom he believed we
6:16	move into Verse 18 we hear something
6:18	confounding
6:19	in Hope
6:21	Abraham believed against hope that he
6:24	should be the father of many nations as
6:26	he had been told so shall your Offspring
6:28	be be and in verse 19 he did not weaken
6:32	in faith when he considered his own body
6:34	which was good as good as dead and in
6:37	verse 20 no unbelief made him waver
6:41	concerning the promise of God but he
6:44	grew strong in his faith as he gave
6:46	glory to God fully convinced that God
6:49	was able to do what he had promised
6:52	that is why Faith was counted to him as
6:54	righteousness
6:56	let’s think about this for a moment
6:58	Abraham really
7:01	no unbelief made him waver concerning
7:03	the promise of God
7:05	Abraham believed against hope even when
7:09	he considered his old life and the well
7:12	apparently Baron state of his wife
7:15	is this the same Abraham that we read of
7:17	in the Old Testament
7:20	surely not
7:22	surely not Abraham was far more
7:25	scandalous
7:27	Abraham was a man
7:29	of deep flaw and weakness
7:33	he was yet the father of what would be
7:36	the Christian faith of course this was
7:39	the man the focal point the Inception of
7:42	God’s word being bound to his people
7:45	this is where he began the culture and
7:48	the practice of his word going into all
7:51	the nations in initially of course bound
7:54	to the people of Israel that would come
7:56	under the Mosaic Covenant and now we who
7:59	have been grafted in have Abraham as his
8:02	father an important man no doubt in
8:04	history
8:05	but unwavering in faith
8:08	a towering figure of righteousness this
8:11	Abraham who passed off his wife as his
8:14	sister
8:16	so that he would not be beaten and have
8:18	her stolen from him
8:20	this Abraham who trusted God so little
8:23	that he would try and manipulate powers
8:26	that be into giving him a good and safe
8:29	ride through their lands
8:31	this Abraham who heard the promise of
8:34	God while his wife mocked mocked God in
8:39	the tent next door and he himself
8:41	finally
8:44	came to the notion that he might make
8:48	God’s promise come to pass that he would
8:51	be the one to do the work of God that he
8:53	would be the one to make it happen
8:56	and so he took in sin a woman that was
8:59	not his wife
9:01	and she bore a child that Abraham
9:03	figured would be the promised one of God
9:08	Abraham this towering faith and father
9:10	of us all we must not forget was also
9:14	the father of Ishmael
9:16	and the result of that sinful Union
9:20	was an evil Legacy that is felt right
9:22	down to this day
9:24	that’s what happens when Humanity
9:26	assumes righteousness for itself that’s
9:28	what happens when we think that we would
9:31	be the Arbiters of God’s will that we
9:33	would somehow read our own mindset our
9:36	own understanding our finite place in
9:40	this long-standing history of God with
9:43	his people and determine what his will
9:45	for us is quite outside of what he has
9:49	spoken and revealed it to be
9:51	evil always ensues
9:55	Israel of course and his people that
9:58	came from that lineage harassed and
10:01	harried Israel throughout all their
10:03	history and Abraham himself would never
10:06	see the promised land in its fullness in
10:09	the same way that David with the entire
10:11	same sin who well not only took a woman
10:14	that was not his own but murdered his
10:16	mate to do so
10:18	well these men stand as towering
10:21	examples of faith and they’re put
10:23	forward for us here
10:25	to well look at look to as examples
10:29	but in what way
10:31	in what way
10:33	these men who have perfect self-control
10:36	these men who never utter a word in
10:39	Anger never stray from God’s word never
10:41	fail in prayer never deviate from the
10:44	promise given well surely no that is no
10:48	example that They Carried for us we see
10:51	so clearly that their existence their
10:54	best works on their best day is no
10:58	example for us to follow
11:00	so God is rightly exacerbated when he
11:03	considers his people as we turn to our
11:05	test in Hosea
11:07	this is the purpose of the prophets it’s
11:09	outlined in this text in fact that God’s
11:12	word
11:13	would well Hugh us would cut us
11:17	it would tear us down of any notion of
11:20	righteousness
11:22	that it would reveal to us in fact God’s
11:25	glory we here at the end of chapter 5
11:28	verse 15 I will return again to my place
11:31	God says until they acknowledge their
11:34	guilt and seek my face and in their
11:37	distress
11:38	earnestly seek me
11:41	here is the key to all of this and we
11:44	will see it in summary in Our Gospel
11:45	reading but first let’s consider God’s
11:48	well his kind of despairing tone that he
11:51	takes here
11:53	this is much like when you’re raising a
11:55	toddler you have children right you’ve
11:57	had a toddler who’s no doubt has said to
12:00	you I’ll never do it again Daddy and of
12:03	course at 2AM you step in a puddle of
12:05	pee in the toilet and you realize that
12:06	for the toddler’s best efforts and uh
12:09	desire to please you well they do mess
12:11	it up and these might be innocuous
12:14	things but if of course these things are
12:16	frustrating to us as parents how much
12:18	more so is God’s frustration with his
12:21	children we hear it in these exacerbated
12:24	tones written for us in Hosea these poor
12:28	prophets had to bear this to an
12:29	ungrateful people that would not stand
12:31	for correction like so many toddlers
12:34	beating their hands against the wall
12:36	screaming I want it
12:39	God’s despair is evident well well it’s
12:42	not his despair but his
12:44	um his Wonder at his people is quite
12:46	evident what shall I do with you Ephraim
12:48	what shall I do with you oh Judah your
12:51	love is like a morning cloud like the
12:53	Jew that goes early away
12:57	truly this is the this is what how we
12:59	are this is well God’s exacerbation is
13:02	warranted against all his people in all
13:05	history
13:06	one moment I will serve you Lord I will
13:10	never fall into sin again I will obey
13:13	all your Commandments I will speak your
13:15	name before Nations I will not fear
13:18	those who will destroy with the sword
13:20	and well let’s face it by the time we
13:23	get through this service in some way
13:25	we’ll betray the confession we’ve
13:26	already made we sinned against you and
13:28	what thought word and deed perhaps even
13:30	now your mind’s turning to the cold beer
13:33	and football game that might be on the
13:34	television after service uh let’s face
13:36	it none of us
13:38	can say that how steadfast love is
13:41	turned always and inexorably toward God
13:46	this is certainly not the case
13:49	and so this then is no example that we
13:52	might follow in any other man of history
13:55	or of myth
13:57	God’s exacerbation proves our weakness
14:01	and points us ever toward
14:04	well something greater
14:06	something greater than ourselves we see
14:09	what happens when we look to ourselves
14:11	for sufficiency we saw what happened
14:14	with Abraham we saw what happened with
14:16	King David he would not be able to
14:18	fulfill the temple and my goodness were
14:21	his sons a merry mess
14:24	we soared with Churchill as England fell
14:27	into the depression following the war
14:31	you’ve seen it with ourselves as we
14:34	leave
14:35	various relationships or as we argue
14:38	with spouses or deal with teenagers or
14:41	bosses or employees or any other
14:45	situation that we face in this life so
14:47	constantly tainted by sin that hangs
14:50	around our necks like a smelly odor we
14:54	can never say that we are steadfast in
14:57	love toward God or that we have a
15:00	righteousness
15:01	that exceeds the prophets and the
15:04	scribes we
15:06	can no more say we are sufficient then
15:09	we can say we are the king of England
15:12	because there’s only one of those
15:14	and it’s not you and it’s not me
15:17	fortunately I don’t think I think that
15:20	would be a blessed office these days
15:23	we are not righteous creatures deserving
15:26	of God’s favor
15:28	we are not righteous creatures
15:30	throughout history deserving of the
15:32	admiration of nation of of generations
15:36	to come
15:38	what we are though
15:40	are people who have a god
15:43	we are a creation made to be in
15:48	relationship to this God
15:50	we were created to be without sin to be
15:54	righteous
15:55	to know God and to know him as father
15:59	not in fear which is actually warranted
16:03	by our own sin to be in the presence of
16:06	God should be for us a contemplation of
16:09	knees knocking at Hearts faltering for
16:12	the darkness of our own desires
16:15	but this is not God’s desire for us
16:19	this is what we have deserved for our
16:21	actions Abraham David
16:24	Bonhoeffer and
16:26	and Churchill and me and everybody else
16:29	throughout all history
16:31	if we contemplate our lives and our
16:33	worthiness before God should consider
16:36	ourselves to be in a positioned warrant
16:38	in great fear
16:40	we have earned this
16:43	and it is a way far outside of God’s
16:46	desire for us way outside of God’s
16:50	intention for us from the very dawn of
16:52	creation and we hear this in the words
16:54	of Hosea and also in the words of Christ
16:57	in Our Gospel reading God puts down his
17:00	desire here bookended by their guilt
17:04	bookended by his desire for them to
17:06	acknowledge guilt and in distress seek
17:09	his face
17:10	he desires steadfast love and not
17:13	sacrifice
17:15	God desires for us the knowledge of him
17:18	not burnt offerings
17:22	this is such a fortunate Affair for us
17:26	you see wherever we have turned our mind
17:28	towards what we think God’s desire would
17:31	be well it would be what faithful and
17:34	enduring service would be many acts of
17:38	good-natured giving to those around us
17:42	giving with the left of the right
17:43	doesn’t know what it’s doing right to be
17:46	unflappable in the face of persecution
17:48	perhaps to be a perfect father perfect
17:51	mother
17:52	I’m a school teacher loved by children
17:54	and bold and confessing Christ perhaps
17:57	to be a pastor who never wavers in the
17:59	word of God and looks after his people
18:01	without faltering and it never finds any
18:04	reason to be grumpy with those that God
18:07	has charged him with
18:09	to be the organist that never misses a
18:12	note I’ve had a lovely lady organist who
18:15	would get so upset after church she
18:18	would weep in the Vestry when she got a
18:20	note wrong
18:22	in all of our lives there are ways that
18:24	we know and they’re only known to us
18:27	inside us that we hide that we know is
18:31	just perfect weakness
18:33	know that we are sick
18:35	know that we’re not worthy
18:38	we know that God’s desire is for us
18:41	to be worthy to be righteous to never
18:45	know the paying of guilt to never know
18:48	what it is to shame or to be shamed to
18:52	never know hatred
18:54	never no anger
18:56	this week for the Cleveland Family
18:58	to never know sorrow so many of us have
19:02	known it over the years
19:04	to never know death finally
19:07	to never know Darkness
19:10	but the reality of Our Lives is that
19:12	that is the focal point from which we
19:14	come
19:15	we were born in darkness and sin we were
19:18	born with death and shrouding us with
19:21	its final note of hopelessness we were
19:24	born with the devil Desiring for us to
19:26	be bound eternally in a place where
19:29	there is only sorrow only hatred only
19:32	Darkness only death
19:34	this is the foundation of all of our
19:37	World Views whether we like it or not
19:39	what comes from us comes from the fall
19:44	and can never be counted as
19:46	righteousness before God
19:48	and so if God desired sacrifice it
19:51	wouldn’t be
19:52	your best efforts to help the poor that
19:54	would make you worthy wouldn’t be the
19:56	best sermon I’ve ever preached that
19:59	would make his word efficacious in your
20:01	life
20:02	it wouldn’t be uh your your best moments
20:06	with your children that they cherish
20:08	forever it makes you worthy before God
20:11	to be a a a father or mother
20:14	it wouldn’t be the best words you ever
20:17	said to your dad I love you that made
20:19	you a worthy child
20:21	none of this would ever count for
20:23	righteousness
20:25	but what counts is lack
20:29	unfortunately what counts his sacrifice
20:33	and if we were to prove ourselves by
20:36	sacrifice it wouldn’t be of works or
20:37	offering
20:38	but it would be with our own lives
20:42	that is what righteousness demands of
20:44	sin
20:45	demands that sin be destroyed
20:49	it demands that this body of death
20:52	be dealt with
20:54	be dealt with forever and for all ways
20:57	and entirely
20:58	so that not one Speck of unrighteousness
21:01	remains this is the only way in which
21:04	the righteous can stand
21:06	and for us this must be done from
21:08	without
21:10	if God desired sacrifice it would be of
21:12	our very lives for our sin
21:15	and that would be a hopelessness too
21:18	dark
21:20	too miserable to contemplate though well
21:22	deserved
21:25	but this is not God’s desire
21:27	this is not why he gave his law in fact
21:30	his law was given that we would know his
21:33	righteousness it’s inevitable that where
21:34	we don’t stand in it we would bring upon
21:37	ourselves Darkness light will show you a
21:39	Shadows well
21:41	but we were given his loss that we would
21:43	know what light is
21:46	we would know what it is to live in
21:48	perfection
21:50	how to serve neighbor perfectly to have
21:53	no other gods to love our God with all
21:56	our heart mind and soul
21:59	and to do so without compulsion to do so
22:02	without guilt or shame
22:04	to love perfectly to live perfectly
22:08	well as Adam and Eve did the walk in the
22:12	garden
22:13	unbridled by darkness in the perfect
22:16	light of God’s presence this is God’s
22:19	desire for us in the giving of his law
22:21	sadly our fall and our shadow proves his
22:25	light in Stark relief
22:28	and yet God desires for us
22:32	not to be destroyed by it
22:35	not considered not to consider ourselves
22:38	the Shadows that must be obliterated
22:41	but to know in ourselves that which is
22:45	alien to God’s creation
22:47	that which has come in unbidden by God’s
22:50	Will and against his desire to seek to
22:53	kill and to destroy that is what needs
22:56	to be God dealt with once and for all
22:59	God desires mercy and not sacrifice and
23:03	so he has purposed for you a will and a
23:06	way
23:07	that the darkness of your sin that
23:10	entangles would be dealt with
23:13	that you’ll be called to follow him
23:16	you’ll be called into His Marvelous
23:18	Light and finally called to stand in a
23:21	righteousness of your own having passed
23:24	through the veil of this Mortal life
23:26	God’s desire is for you to stand and
23:30	Stark relief against that alien thing
23:32	that bounds you to humanity the darkness
23:35	of death and to know the righteousness
23:38	as your hope
23:40	to know the righteousness of Christ
23:42	imparted to you as the light that brings
23:46	life that the darkness cannot overcome
23:49	he has come to you
23:52	the sick
23:54	the bound with the disease that no one
23:56	can overcome by Will desire or
24:00	self-control
24:01	is come into this world of darkness and
24:04	sin our great physician to heal this the
24:07	sick
24:09	while God did not desire sacrifice it
24:12	was necessary to fulfill all
24:14	righteousness and so it was given then
24:18	to you that his death would be
24:20	sufficient
24:22	that his sacrifice would be once for all
24:25	the payment made in your name writ large
24:29	in blood in the Lamb’s Book of Life you
24:32	are under a merciful god whose sacrifice
24:36	has purchased righteousness for you
24:40	so you’re called to live in this hope
24:44	to know your sin as God rightly says in
24:47	Hosea
24:48	to know your sin and acknowledge your
24:51	guilt and in distress for it seek his
24:54	face but not do so with knees knocking
24:58	knocking in a trembling heart but doing
25:01	so like Matthew
25:03	doing so like all the disciples
25:06	who got up
25:08	who were terrible men like Abraham David
25:12	a tax collector stealing from his own
25:14	people I bet he stole the money out of
25:16	his mum’s purse when he wanted a packet
25:18	of smokes when he was young if you get
25:19	my adrift this was not a good man
25:22	Matthew but God called him and said
25:24	follow me
25:26	you were not God good people I was not a
25:29	good person no one was righteous no not
25:31	even one the scripture says and yet
25:33	Jesus came to us
25:36	we didn’t come to him we would have
25:38	nothing to come to him with we’d have no
25:40	righteousness no gift no desire no will
25:44	that God would think is pleasing or
25:46	worthy of of his presence
25:49	he came to us
25:51	for and despite
25:53	our afflictions
25:55	to heal and to restore
25:58	to make righteous what was made sinful
26:01	by Humanity’s desire to usurp God and
26:04	place ourselves in the seat of power and
26:07	authority
26:09	to be harried then as Ishmael has done
26:11	to all Israel to be hurried by our sin
26:14	born out of our our lust for power
26:16	riches and whatever else binds Humanity
26:19	to the evil that that so often entangles
26:22	our hearts Jesus comes to us in the
26:25	midst of it grabs Us by the Scruff of
26:29	the neck
26:30	drags us Kicking and Screaming to his
26:32	Mains of Grace To The Marvelous Light
26:35	that burns out the unrighteousness of
26:38	sin and replaces it with the only source
26:41	of righteousness
26:43	Jesus who is our light
26:45	Jesus who is our life
26:48	Jesus who is Our Hope
26:51	thanks be to God Amen

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