LutheranLectionary.org

Series B – Twenty-Fifth Sunday After Pentecost – Sunday, November 15, 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
0:29	the holy Gospel According to Saint Mark
0:31	chapter 13 verses 1 through 13.
0:34	as Jesus was leaving the temple one of
0:36	his disciples said to him look teacher
0:38	what massive Stones what magnificent
0:41	buildings
0:42	do you see all these great buildings
0:44	Jesus replied
0:45	not one stone here will be left on
0:48	another everyone will be thrown down
0:50	and as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of
0:52	Olives opposite the temple Peter James
0:55	and John and Andrew asked him privately
0:57	tell us when will these things happen
0:59	and what would be the sign that they are
1:01	about to be fulfilled
1:03	Jesus said to them watch out that no one
1:06	deceives you many will come in my name
1:08	claiming I am he and will deceive many
1:11	when you hear of wars and rumors of wars
1:14	don’t be alarmed such things must happen
1:17	that the end is still to come Nation
1:19	will rise against Nation Kingdom against
1:21	Kingdom there will be earthquakes in
1:24	various places and famines these are the
1:26	beginning of birth pains you must be on
1:29	your guard you will be handed over to
1:31	the local councils and flogged in the
1:34	synagogues on account of me you will
1:36	stand before Governors and Kings as
1:38	witnesses to them and the gospel must
1:40	first be preached to All Nations
1:42	whenever you are arrested and brought to
1:44	trial do not worry beforehand about what
1:47	to say just say what is given you at the
1:49	time for it is not you speaking but the
1:50	Holy Spirit brother will betray brother
1:53	to death father his child children will
1:55	rebel against their parents and have
1:57	them put to death
1:58	all men will hate you because of me but
2:01	he who stands firm to the end will be
2:03	saved in the name of Jesus
2:07	the one who endures to the end will be
2:11	saved now a little bit of a side note
2:13	before we dive into our text and that is
2:16	is that you’ll notice that we’re going
2:19	to spend two weeks on the end of the
2:22	world it’s the end of the world as we
2:24	know it and I feel quite fine thank you
2:27	but there is a lot of speculation in the
2:30	fact there’s a morbid fascination with
2:32	the end times and as much as we all
2:35	chuckle at the man with the bullhorn who
2:36	wears a sandwich boards saying that the
2:38	end is near deep down inside we all know
2:40	that that guy’s right and the thought of
2:42	it actually sends shivers down our
2:44	spines and one doesn’t have to watch the
2:46	evening news for long before realizing
2:48	that these birth pangs that Jesus was
2:51	talking about that they seem to be upon
2:52	us in fact a good way to think about it
2:54	is as the Titanic has already struck the
2:56	iceberg and we know the ship is sinking
2:59	it’s only a matter of time before the
3:01	lazy list of the ship will give way to a
3:03	steep list while the bow begins to
3:05	disappear Beneath the Sea and the stern
3:07	races to catch up and the chaos that
3:09	will ensue between those two times is
3:11	going to be well rough you can think of
3:13	it this way
3:15	we’re all doomed and we already know it
3:16	and Friday night the world felt one of
3:19	those strong birth pangs as Isis
3:21	terrorists murdered hundreds in Paris in
3:24	Cold Blood
3:25	so we know there’s something deeply
3:27	wrong with the world but I want to point
3:28	something out and that is is that if you
3:30	understand biblical eschatology
3:32	correctly it should be comforting not
3:35	frightening and unfortunately there’s a
3:37	lot of people today who make a buck you
3:40	know out there preaching and teaching on
3:42	the eschaton and one of the reasons why
3:44	they make so much money is because they
3:46	do a lot of fear-mongering they really
3:48	do they Don’t Preach Christ to him
3:50	crucified and the comforting words that
3:53	are taught regarding the end of the
3:55	world and as a result of it there’s a
3:57	lot of people who have well a lot of
3:59	fear and anxiety about these things and
4:02	you’ll notice here that Jesus is
4:04	comforting us he’s telling us ahead of
4:06	time what to expect so for us it’s kind
4:08	of like no big deal and you’re thinking
4:10	no big deal the world’s coming to end
4:12	yeah I know we’ll talk about that so
4:14	let’s return to our text we’re in the
4:16	gospel of Mark chapter one and with your
4:19	permission I will be reading from my
4:21	translation
4:22	he says this while Jesus is proceeding
4:25	out of the temple one of his disciples
4:27	say to him teacher look what magnificent
4:29	stones and what great buildings
4:33	yeah that’s kind of the thing
4:35	everything in this world just seems so
4:37	marvelous I mean look at our Washington
4:40	Monument look at the White House look at
4:44	all the things that we’ve made aren’t
4:46	they just magnificent they’re amazing
4:49	and Jesus here is going to say something
4:51	that’s Unthinkable and that is is that
4:53	the very temple of God with its
4:55	magnificent stones and amazing buildings
4:56	is not going to endure
4:59	in fact you can kind of put this text
5:01	kind of into two categories what endures
5:04	and what doesn’t right
5:07	so Jesus said to him all right do you
5:09	see these great buildings
5:11	not one stone will be no by no means
5:13	left here which will by any means not be
5:16	torn down all this is coming down none
5:18	of this is perfect the temple isn’t
5:20	going to endure it’s Jesus was is what
5:22	he’s saying and by the way this kind of
5:24	talk in Jesus time and where he was it
5:26	could get you arrested could get you
5:28	killed
5:29	to preach and speak against the temple
5:31	as a Blasphemous thing the destruction
5:34	of the temple in the minds of the Jews
5:36	at the time could only mean one thing
5:39	the end of the world
5:42	there’s no Temple there’s no forgiveness
5:43	of sins it has to be the end of the
5:46	world then
5:47	verse 3. so while he was sitting on the
5:50	Mount of Olives opposite the temple
5:51	Peter and James and John and Andrew now
5:55	we got the inner core of the fishermen
5:57	right
5:58	we’re gonna have to have a chat with
6:00	Jesus it’s like all right so they came
6:03	to him privately this is not for
6:05	everyone to hear tell us when will these
6:08	things happen What will be the sign when
6:10	all these things are about to be
6:12	accomplished we want to put together an
6:13	algorithm some kind of a code that we
6:15	can crack so we can figure we can have
6:17	the inside skinny and no one when you’re
6:18	going to come and so rather than give
6:20	them a specific date in a specific time
6:24	Jesus didn’t say I’m coming back in
6:26	October of 2015 on the fourth blood moon
6:31	yeah that kind of came and went without
6:32	any events didn’t it right he didn’t say
6:35	anything like that instead he kind of
6:36	gives us a pattern of things to look for
6:39	he says be watching out that no one may
6:43	deceive you
6:45	first thing out of his mouth
6:47	you want to know why because in second
6:50	Thessalonians the Holy Spirit prophesies
6:53	through the Apostle Paul that in the
6:55	times of the end immediately before
6:57	Jesus returned there would be a great
6:59	apostasy a rebellion against God within
7:02	the visible church and as a result of it
7:05	first thing you got to know about the
7:07	end times is you better know your Bible
7:11	you better have that catechism memorized
7:13	you better understand what’s going on in
7:16	those Creeds and our confessions because
7:19	that’s sound Doctrine the end times is
7:22	marked with all kinds of crazy false
7:26	doctrines so first thing don’t let
7:28	anyone deceive you
7:29	he says this many will come on the basis
7:32	of my name oh there you go
7:35	you see it would be really nice if the
7:38	false teachers in the church would well
7:41	they would say I come in the name of
7:43	Lucifer it would just make it a lot
7:45	easier for us to spot them right but no
7:48	deceivers they are always coming to us
7:50	in the name of Jesus and they will say I
7:53	am the one
7:54	and Jesus says this they will deceive
7:58	many
8:02	the time of the ends will be marked with
8:04	all kinds of deceptions and a whole lot
8:07	of people who call themselves Christians
8:09	being deceived and listening to the
8:12	deceivers
8:14	in other words you can kind of think of
8:16	it this way if you believe the truth if
8:18	you actually know your Bible and you
8:19	stand firm on the word of God you say
8:21	well this is what the word says and that
8:22	guy’s saying something different there’s
8:24	going to be a whole lot of people who’ve
8:25	been deceived and saying what’s wrong
8:27	with you
8:30	right this is what Jesus is describing
8:33	then comes the fun part you’ll hear of
8:36	wars and rumors of wars
8:38	now this part Jesus said don’t be
8:40	alarmed yeah this kind of stuff must
8:41	take place remember the 20th century any
8:43	of you remember that hopefully everyone
8:45	was here for that
8:46	um that was the bloodiest history in all
8:48	uh Century in all of human history
8:51	hundreds of millions of people killed in
8:53	Wars conflicts he had the rise of the
8:56	Nazi party at World War one you have the
8:58	rise of Bolshevik communism and all of
9:01	the different Wars in Asia and Southeast
9:03	Asia as a result of that right and
9:04	remember all that that was not a
9:06	good century
9:08	this one looks like it’s warm enough to
9:11	try to outdo
9:12	the 20th century that’s what I fear but
9:14	Jesus says all that stuff don’t be
9:16	alarmed about that they must take place
9:19	the end is not yet
9:21	so the end is not marked by some World
9:24	conflict here’s what he says for nation
9:26	will rise against Nation Kingdom against
9:28	Kingdom and oh by the way there’s going
9:30	to be earthquakes in various places
9:31	there will be famine
9:34	these things are well I’ll get this the
9:36	beginning of what
9:38	birth pains
9:41	now all of you women who’ve gone through
9:43	this ordeal
9:44	right
9:45	yeah Jesus’s description of the end
9:48	times he’s describing the turmoil as
9:51	birth pangs
9:53	here’s a good way to think about it this
9:55	present creation is pregnant
9:58	it’s pregnant with the new creation it’s
10:01	pregnant with the kingdom of God and in
10:03	fact the kingdom is already present it’s
10:05	here right now you just kind of can’t
10:07	really see it but also it’s not here in
10:10	kind of the same way when a woman is
10:12	pregnant her baby is present
10:15	but not yet
10:17	all right
10:19	so the Earth the creation is pregnant
10:22	so when my wife was pregnant with our
10:24	children each time we both could not
10:26	wait until that day when we could see
10:28	the faces of our babies we could not
10:30	wait to hold them we could not wait to
10:32	touch them and to hear their voices in
10:34	their first cries right but at the same
10:36	time we dreaded that whole ordeal of
10:39	Labor
10:40	and worse having heard and read Horror
10:44	Stories We feared that something
10:46	terrible would happen during labor
10:48	there’s always that risk you always hear
10:50	of the story of the woman who doesn’t
10:52	make it through right so Jesus here is
10:57	telling us that the end of the world
10:59	would will be as bad and worse than any
11:03	labor that any woman has experienced and
11:06	though the world is pregnant with the
11:08	kingdom of God
11:09	the world’s not going to survive
11:12	the labor
11:14	the world’s going to die in The
11:15	Experience
11:16	so keep that in mind
11:18	so Jesus says but you
11:20	be watching yourselves
11:22	and here comes the fun part are you
11:24	ready
11:25	they are going to hand you over to
11:27	councils you’re going to be beaten in
11:30	synagogues you know every time I read
11:32	that sentence you’re going to be beaten
11:33	and sitting guys I think what kind of
11:35	church is that
11:36	you know
11:38	you’re going to be beaten in a synagogue
11:40	wonderful I mean where’s our flogging
11:42	pole in here yeah those of you who
11:45	aren’t tithing you know I’m joking I
11:47	really am sure
11:49	all right I mean seriously in the name
11:52	of God we’re going to beat you in church
11:54	yeah I don’t get that so you’re going to
11:56	be beaten in synagogues and you’re going
11:59	to be stood before Governors and Kings
12:01	for my sake for a testimony to them and
12:04	the good news must first be proclaimed
12:07	to all nations in other words the
12:10	kingdom of God remember the creation is
12:12	pregnant with the kingdom it’s here but
12:14	not yet right well Jesus is telling us
12:17	that the kingdom of God must come to
12:19	term it must fully develop and will only
12:22	be given birth to once it develops for
12:24	the full nine months the kingdom will
12:27	not be born prematurely and there’s some
12:29	reasons for this okay so it says good
12:32	news must be first proclaimed to All
12:33	Nations we read in the back of the book
12:35	in The Book of Revelation chapter 5
12:37	verses 8 through 10 says this and when
12:39	he had taken the scroll the four living
12:41	creatures and the 24 Elders fell down
12:43	before the lamb each holding a harp
12:46	and golden bowls full of incense which
12:49	are the prayers of the Saints and they
12:51	sang a new song listen to the lyrics of
12:52	this song worthy are you to take the
12:55	scroll and to open its seals for you
12:57	were slain and by your blood you Ransom
12:59	people for God from every tribe and
13:03	language and people and nation and you
13:06	have made them a kingdom and priest to
13:08	our God and they shall reign on the
13:10	earth or Revelation chapter 7 verses 9
13:13	through 12 after this I looked and
13:14	behold a great multitude that no one
13:16	could number from every nation from all
13:20	tribes and peoples and languages
13:22	standing Before the Throne and before
13:25	the lamb clothed in white robes with
13:28	palm branches in their hands and crying
13:30	out in a loud voice salvation Belongs To
13:33	Our God who sits on the throne and to
13:35	the lamb and all the Angels were
13:37	standing around the throne and around
13:39	the elders and the four living creatures
13:40	and they fell on their faces Before the
13:43	Throne they worshiped God saying amen
13:44	blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks
13:46	giving an honor and power it might be to
13:48	our god forever and ever amen so the
13:52	Earth is pregnant the creation is
13:54	pregnant with the new creation it’s here
13:55	but not yet
13:57	the creation is not going to survive the
13:59	labor folks
14:01	and we’re going to go to full term that
14:03	means people from every nation is going
14:04	to hear the saving message of the
14:07	Forgiveness of sins one by Christ in his
14:09	crucifixion for us on the cross
14:12	that’s the term
14:14	so
14:15	in the meantime
14:17	so whenever they lead you
14:19	while handing you over don’t be anxious
14:21	beforehand as to what you should speak
14:23	in other words you notice here that
14:25	Jesus is kind of anticipating hey you
14:27	know being a Christian is kind of a
14:28	dicey business proclaiming me in the
14:31	midst of such Darkness among a whole
14:32	world of Sinners could get you in a lot
14:34	of trouble and when that happens and you
14:36	go on trial don’t even worry about what
14:38	it is that you’re going to say
14:40	don’t sit down and work at this out with
14:42	your attorney what your defense is going
14:44	to be
14:45	in that moment the holy spirit will
14:47	speak through you so that you can
14:48	testify to Christ even if at the end of
14:51	the trial they’d Lop your head off right
14:54	which is not a bad thing it really isn’t
14:58	for it’s not you who are speaking it is
15:00	the Holy Spirit
15:02	and then describing the end of days
15:03	brother will hand over brother to death
15:06	father his child children will rise up
15:08	in Rebellion against parents and they
15:11	will put them to death whole families
15:13	whole families will be at Con in
15:16	conflict with each other as a result of
15:18	Christ a complete collapse of the fourth
15:21	Commandment
15:22	is how the last days will be sounds
15:24	treacherous does it not but these are
15:27	all the birth pangs all of you women
15:29	who’ve been in labor can testify it’s
15:32	quite the ordeal right so it’s going to
15:35	get stronger and stronger and stronger
15:37	and stronger and more intense
15:40	and then Jesus says this and you
15:43	will be being hated you know present
15:46	tense you are going to be hated by all
15:49	because of my name
15:51	there we go so we’ll never really be
15:54	friends with the world not because we
15:56	don’t love them
15:58	but because they hate us because of
16:01	Jesus in other words don’t take it
16:03	personally when people in your own
16:05	family or your neighbors Mock and curse
16:08	you and hate you because if you you
16:11	Proclaim Christ it it it’s you don’t
16:14	take these things personally because
16:15	we’re just servants we’re just The
16:17	Messengers we’re ambassadors of the king
16:19	of kings and it’s not you that they
16:22	actually hate
16:23	it’s Jesus that they hate
16:26	right
16:28	and so that you don’t lose heart in all
16:31	of this let me remind you what Hebrews
16:33	11 says that Great Hall of Faith passage
16:36	I’ll read two portions of it
16:39	and notice here the great things that
16:40	the people who had Faith did and also
16:43	their hope they all kept their eye past
16:46	the labor pains to the kingdom that is
16:49	coming by faith Abraham this is verse 8
16:52	chapter 11. by faith Abraham obeyed when
16:54	he was called out to a place that he was
16:56	to receive as an inheritance and he went
16:58	out not knowing where he was going
17:00	by faith he went to live in the land of
17:03	promise as in a foreign land living in
17:05	tents with Isaac and Jacob heirs with
17:07	him of the same promise
17:09	for he was looking forward to the city
17:11	that housed foundations whose designer
17:14	and Builder is God
17:18	Abraham did the things he did looking
17:21	forward to the city whose Builder is God
17:26	and we are as well
17:28	by faith Sarah herself received power to
17:31	conceive even when she was past the age
17:33	since she considered him faithful who
17:35	had promised therefore from one man and
17:37	him as good as dead were born
17:38	descendants as many as the stars of
17:40	heaven and as many as the innumerable
17:42	grains of sand by the seashore these all
17:45	died in faith not having received the
17:48	things promised that they died in faith
17:51	not having received the things promised
17:52	but having seen them and greeted them
17:54	from afar and having acknowledged that
17:56	they were strangers and Exiles on the
17:58	earth and so are we for people who speak
18:01	thus make it clear that they are seeking
18:03	a Homeland if they had been thinking of
18:05	that land from which they had gone out
18:06	they would have had opportunity to
18:09	return but as it is they desire a better
18:11	country that is a Heavenly one therefore
18:13	God is not ashamed to be called their
18:14	God for he has prepared for them a city
18:18	you see our homeland is not Norway
18:21	I’m German anyway but
18:23	right our homeland is the Heavenly
18:26	Kingdom right which will come to Earth
18:29	and then moving forward to verse 32
18:31	listen to this and what more shall I say
18:32	for time would fail me to tell if Gideon
18:34	Barrack Samson jephthah and David and
18:37	Samuel and the prophets who through
18:39	faith they conquered kingdoms enforced
18:41	Justice obtained promises stop the
18:43	mouths of lions quench the power of fire
18:45	escape the edge of the sword they were
18:48	made strong out of weakness became
18:49	Mighty in war put foreign armies to
18:51	flight women received back their dead by
18:54	Resurrection
18:56	pause there
18:58	you’re sitting there going well I
19:00	haven’t stopped the mouths of any Lions
19:01	you know I haven’t seen any
19:03	resurrections right okay but now watch
19:06	this next part
19:07	they were stoned
19:09	they were sawn into
19:11	they were killed with the sword
19:14	they went about and skins of sheep and
19:16	goats destitute Afflicted and mistreated
19:18	of whom the world was not worthy
19:20	wandering about in deserts and mountains
19:23	and dens and caves of the Earth
19:25	in other words the persecutions and
19:27	afflictions that we face as Christians
19:29	as a result of proclaiming and trusting
19:31	and confessing Christ and the
19:33	Forgiveness of our sins
19:36	that Affliction is every bit as mighty
19:38	as stopping the mouth of a lion or
19:41	raising somebody from the dead it’s in
19:43	the same list you see and all of this is
19:46	done not by our greatness but done by
19:50	faith because we trust in the promises
19:53	of God in the kingdom and the city that
19:55	is to come
19:56	all of these though commended through
19:58	their faith they did not receive what
20:00	was promised
20:01	since God had provided something better
20:03	for us so that apart from us they should
20:06	not be made perfect you see when Jesus
20:09	returns in glory to judge the living and
20:11	the dead all of the people in their
20:13	graves are raised from the grave that
20:15	would be you and me if we’re dead at
20:17	that time right
20:18	and so so is Abraham so is Moses so is
20:23	Isaac
20:24	so is King David they’re all raised from
20:26	the grave on the same day in the New
20:29	Kingdom in the new Earth when the new
20:30	creation arrives after the labor and the
20:33	birth pains we’re all going to have the
20:35	same birthday as Moses
20:38	David the prophets
20:40	because God has chosen that they are not
20:42	going to be perfected apart from us God
20:45	wants us to be perfected with them too
20:47	on the same day
20:49	coming back then to Our Gospel text
20:51	then Jesus says this but the one having
20:53	endured to the end this one will be
20:56	saved we all hear this and go
21:00	I better get busy enduring
21:03	kind of the wrong way to think about it
21:04	these are not words of a threat these
21:06	are words of a promise in other words
21:07	Jesus is saying this take heart the one
21:10	who endures to the end will be saved
21:12	there’s salvation at the end of this
21:14	road the sufferings of this present time
21:16	whatever they might be do not compare
21:18	with the glory that will be revealed on
21:21	the day of Jesus is coming
21:24	okay think of it this way on a Friday
21:27	afternoon the sun failed the moon was
21:30	turned to blood and just outside the
21:32	Gates of Jerusalem there was Jesus
21:34	nailed to a cross
21:36	suffering in the darkness of God’s Wrath
21:38	bleeding dying while suspended Between
21:41	Heaven and Earth
21:46	Jesus endured to the end
21:50	and he endured for you
21:54	remember that
21:55	there he was
21:57	hanging on the cross
21:59	and he cries out it is finished
22:03	let me read again from the gospel of
22:04	Mark chapter 15. when the sixth hour had
22:07	come there was Darkness over the whole
22:09	land until the ninth hour and at the
22:11	ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud
22:13	voice Eloy Eloy lamasthani which means
22:16	my God my God why have you forsaken me
22:18	and some of the bystanders hearing it
22:21	said behold he’s calling Elijah someone
22:23	ran and filled a sponge with sour wine
22:25	put it on a reed and gave it to him to
22:27	drink saying wait let’s see if whether
22:29	Elijah will come and take him down and
22:31	Jesus uttered a loud cry John tells us
22:34	what that loud cry was to tell us die it
22:37	is finished and then he breathed his
22:39	last and then the curtain of the temple
22:41	was torn into from top to bottom
22:45	think of it this way
22:47	what was going on at Jesus’s crucifixion
22:52	it was the end of the world
22:55	all of the signs at the end of the world
22:56	were there present
22:58	the darkening of the Sun
23:00	the Moon turning to blood
23:02	the destruction of the Temple
23:05	Jesus’s death on the cross was a mini
23:08	end of the world
23:11	and so because you brothers and sisters
23:14	are in Christ
23:16	remember when you were baptized
23:19	you were baptized into Christ’s death
23:21	and into his resurrection
23:23	you are tucked into him he’s already
23:27	gone through the end of the world for
23:30	you he has endured to the end for you
23:34	if you are in him and you believe
23:39	then you will endure to the end because
23:41	he has already endured
23:43	and so think of it this way the
23:46	destruction of the temple is the end of
23:47	the world
23:50	typologically when well the temple was
23:53	destroyed it truly was the end of the
23:55	world
23:56	and then it all then points to the real
23:59	eschaton to the end of days Jesus is the
24:02	first fruits of the new creation
24:04	scripture says so the end of the world
24:07	and the new creation have already come
24:08	this is why the kingdom is present and
24:12	yet not yet
24:13	just like a pregnant woman can say my
24:15	baby is here but not yet
24:18	you’ve already gone through the end of
24:20	the world because you are in Christ you
24:22	are forgiven your sins are washed away
24:26	you’ve already endured
24:28	because Christ has endured for you in
24:31	fact your life is now hidden in Christ
24:33	so the temple the curtain of the temple
24:35	was torn into from top to bottom the
24:38	temple and the world were destroyed in
24:40	Christ’s death
24:42	and then we come back we’ll end with
24:44	these words from Hebrews 10.
24:46	from our epistle text
24:48	talking about well that old Temple that
24:51	that used to be there every priest
24:53	stands daily at his service offering
24:55	repeatedly the same sacrifice which can
24:58	never take away sins
25:00	but when Christ had offered for all time
25:03	a single sacrifice for sins he sat down
25:07	at the right hand of God waiting from
25:09	that time until his enemy should be made
25:11	a footstool for his feet for by a single
25:14	offering he has perfected for all time
25:16	those who are being Sanctified and
25:19	that’s you
25:21	his death has perfected you
25:24	and the Holy Spirit also Bears witness
25:26	to us after the saying this is the
25:29	Covenant that I will make with them
25:30	after those days declare this the Lord I
25:33	will put my law on their hearts and
25:34	write them in their minds and then he
25:36	adds I will remember their sins and
25:38	their Lawless Deeds no more
25:43	your sins are lost now in the sea of
25:47	God’s forgetfulness in a watery grave
25:50	where God never goes fishing
25:53	ever
25:55	so enduring to the end is not trying
25:58	hard to make yourself worthy so that you
26:00	can survive
26:02	enduring to the end is simply believing
26:05	and receiving these amazing promises
26:07	that you are already perfected that you
26:09	are forgiven that God no longer
26:11	remembers any of your Lawless Deeds
26:14	and where there is forgiveness of these
26:16	there’s no longer any offering for sin
26:18	therefore Brothers since we have
26:20	confidence
26:22	catch that word confidence
26:25	that’s the word that we’re looking for
26:26	confidence
26:28	you have the ability to say I have
26:32	confidence I’m forgiven I have
26:35	confidence I’m saved I have confidence
26:40	that I will endure to the end because
26:41	Christ has endured
26:45	that’s big difference from that other
26:47	word that we all like to kick around
26:49	doubt
26:51	well I doubt
26:53	I look at my life I look at my life and
26:55	I go I don’t measure up will I Endure to
26:58	the end ah
27:00	stop looking at yourself
27:03	you’re the problem
27:05	Jesus is the solution
27:07	believe have confidence he’s done this
27:11	all for you
27:12	trust him
27:14	he doesn’t want to let you go therefore
27:16	we have confidence to enter the holy
27:18	places by the blood of Jesus by the New
27:21	and Living Way that he opened for us
27:22	through the curtain that is through his
27:24	flesh and since we have a great priest
27:27	over the house of God let us draw near
27:30	with a True Heart in full Assurance of
27:33	Faith oh that’s right you can approach
27:35	God in full assurance and in great
27:37	confidence you are forgiven you are
27:38	beloved
27:40	you are redeemed
27:42	he has you
27:44	in full Assurance with our hearts
27:46	sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
27:48	and with our bodies washed with pure
27:50	water talking about baptism so then let
27:53	us hold fast to the confession of Our
27:55	Hope without wavering
27:57	and why can we not waver here’s the last
28:00	words for he who promised is faithful
28:04	the reason why we can approach with hope
28:06	and confidence
28:08	is because well not because you are so
28:11	great but because the one who made the
28:13	promise Jesus
28:15	he is faithful
28:17	he went all the way to the end and
28:20	endured for you trust believe have
28:24	confidence you are in him he’s got you
28:27	and so you don’t need to fear the end of
28:29	days even if it requires you to be hated
28:32	by others despised by your own children
28:34	or beheaded by ISIS
28:37	none of that means anything because all
28:40	of that is nothing compared to the
28:42	surpassing worth and greatness of our
28:44	crucified and Risen Savior in the name
28:46	of Jesus Amen
28:49	[Music]

If you would like to support the teaching ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church, you can do so by sending a tax-free donation to: Kongsvinger Lutheran Church 15950 470th Ave NW, Oslo, MN 56744 We thank you for your support. All of our teaching messages may be freely distributed as long as you do not edit or change the content of the message, and, again, thank you for listening.