Series A – Seventh Sunday After Pentecost – Sunday, July 27, 2014 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough
| Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough: |
| Time Stamp | Transcript |
| 0:27 | The holy Gospel |
| 0:29 | According to Saint Matthew chapter 13 |
| 0:31 | verses 44 through 52. |
| 0:35 | the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure |
| 0:38 | hidden in the field |
| 0:40 | when a man found it he hid it again and |
| 0:42 | then in his Joy he went and sold all |
| 0:45 | that he had and he bought that field |
| 0:47 | again the Kingdom of Heaven is like a |
| 0:49 | merchant looking for fine pearls when he |
| 0:52 | found one of Great Value he went away |
| 0:54 | and sold everything that he had and |
| 0:55 | bought it |
| 0:57 | once again the Kingdom of Heaven is like |
| 0:59 | a net that was let down into the lake |
| 1:01 | and it caught all kinds of fish and when |
| 1:04 | it was full the fisherman pulled it up |
| 1:06 | on the shore then they sat down and |
| 1:09 | collected the good fish in baskets but |
| 1:10 | threw the bat away this will be how it |
| 1:13 | will be at the End of the Age the angels |
| 1:15 | will come and separate the wicked from |
| 1:16 | the righteous and throw them into the |
| 1:18 | fiery furnace where they’ll be weeping a |
| 1:20 | gnashing of teeth |
| 1:21 | have you understood all these things |
| 1:23 | Jesus asked yes they replied he said to |
| 1:28 | them therefore every teacher of the law |
| 1:30 | who has been instructed about the |
| 1:32 | Kingdom of Heaven is like the owner of a |
| 1:33 | house who brings out of his storeroom |
| 1:35 | new Treasures as well as old |
| 1:39 | in the name of Jesus |
| 1:43 | have you ever heard of the word |
| 1:44 | eucatastrophe |
| 1:46 | you think oh no there he goes he’s |
| 1:47 | throwing out some highfalutin words yeah |
| 1:50 | it’s quite a word actually you |
| 1:52 | catastrophe J.R.R Tolkien is the author |
| 1:56 | of The Lord of the Rings he’s the one |
| 1:57 | who coined the word and according to |
| 1:59 | Tolkien euchatastrophe is that sudden |
| 2:02 | joyous turn in a story a u catastrophe |
| 2:06 | denies Universal final defeat and gives |
| 2:09 | a fleeting glimpse of Joy a joy that is |
| 2:11 | beyond the walls of the world and it’s |
| 2:14 | poignant as grief |
| 2:16 | Now The Parables from today’s Gospel |
| 2:18 | reading are radical and may best be |
| 2:21 | understood through the lens of you |
| 2:23 | catastrophe now I’ll explain so just you |
| 2:26 | know don’t panic |
| 2:27 | so let me kind of work this out here |
| 2:29 | when you watch the news and read the |
| 2:31 | newspaper every day you are left with a |
| 2:34 | sense that the world is a dark and evil |
| 2:36 | place |
| 2:36 | daily our eyes consume images and |
| 2:40 | stories of Wars death pestilence murder |
| 2:45 | Scandal right over and again we see that |
| 2:49 | human life is cheap |
| 2:51 | from those whose lives are lost in |
| 2:53 | random accidents to those who are gunned |
| 2:55 | down in gas station robberies and |
| 2:58 | drive-by shootings to those who lose |
| 2:59 | their lives because they were too close |
| 3:02 | to a Muslim boy who strapped explosives |
| 3:04 | onto his body in order to barter himself |
| 3:07 | for Allah or those who lost their lives |
| 3:10 | because their passenger jet was shot |
| 3:12 | down |
| 3:14 | life is cheap |
| 3:16 | and we’ve all wondered at times if we’re |
| 3:18 | going to be next |
| 3:19 | right |
| 3:21 | so then you look at your own life |
| 3:24 | and you see that it is anything but |
| 3:25 | blissful |
| 3:27 | you sin daily and that sin takes a toll |
| 3:30 | it strains your relationships with |
| 3:32 | others and their sins strain their |
| 3:35 | relationship with you |
| 3:37 | turmoil |
| 3:39 | iness and an abject sense of meaningless |
| 3:43 | oftentimes crash upon the shores of our |
| 3:45 | minds |
| 3:47 | let’s face it this life is dark it’s |
| 3:49 | mean |
| 3:50 | and it’s hard for many of us |
| 3:52 | yeah and for many of us our life is |
| 3:55 | already half spent or more |
| 3:57 | this is the plot the The Plight we find |
| 4:00 | ourselves in |
| 4:01 | and if you’re not convinced of that look |
| 4:03 | in the mirror you’re going to find your |
| 4:05 | body doesn’t work the way that it should |
| 4:07 | illnesses rock you at regular intervals |
| 4:09 | and each one seems a bit worse than the |
| 4:11 | one that preceded it and when you see |
| 4:13 | the headstones in the church graveyard |
| 4:15 | have you ever wondered where yours will |
| 4:18 | be |
| 4:21 | I haven’t been here that long and I’m |
| 4:23 | wondering I’m wondering will there be a |
| 4:25 | headstone with my name on it someday |
| 4:26 | there right |
| 4:28 | born as slaves to sin |
| 4:31 | slaves to death slaves to the devil |
| 4:35 | our lot in life is toil taxes suffering |
| 4:39 | and then finally death |
| 4:42 | the sun is on the horizon and despite |
| 4:44 | the fact that some poor fools can try to |
| 4:46 | convince themselves that they’re looking |
| 4:48 | at a sunrise we all know that we’re |
| 4:50 | looking at a Sunset and any minute now |
| 4:52 | the sun will disappear |
| 4:54 | and there will only be Darkness |
| 4:56 | and the cold of death |
| 4:59 | and so into all of this comes a story |
| 5:02 | from Jesus about a Man Who Sold |
| 5:05 | everything I mean who does that |
| 5:08 | he sold everything in order to buy a |
| 5:10 | field with hidden treasure in it and |
| 5:13 | then he also tells a story about a |
| 5:14 | merchant who finds an Exquisite perfect |
| 5:17 | Pearl and sells everything |
| 5:21 | in order in order that he can purchase |
| 5:23 | this perfect Pearl |
| 5:25 | in fact these parables are like opera |
| 5:29 | music being played on loudspeakers over |
| 5:31 | a demilitarized zone these stories come |
| 5:34 | to us out of left field and were left |
| 5:35 | blinking with bewilderment it’s like |
| 5:38 | receiving a certified letter informing |
| 5:40 | you that your Rich uncle has died and |
| 5:42 | left you the entire estate and all the |
| 5:45 | while you had no idea that you even had |
| 5:46 | an uncle yet alone that he was rich |
| 5:49 | right |
| 5:51 | so consider the radical nature of these |
| 5:52 | parables |
| 5:54 | who do you know who would sell |
| 5:57 | everything in order to possess a hidden |
| 6:00 | treasure or a single Pearl yet that is |
| 6:02 | exactly what Jesus has done for us in |
| 6:05 | fact it’s Unthinkable it’s over the top |
| 6:07 | it’s truly radical when you think about |
| 6:09 | it love is his motivation and we can |
| 6:12 | barely comprehend a love like that A |
| 6:15 | Love that is willing to forsake all |
| 6:19 | in order to save rescue and purchase |
| 6:24 | us |
| 6:25 | Philippians puts it this way |
| 6:28 | Jesus who being in the very nature of |
| 6:30 | God did not consider equality with God |
| 6:32 | something to be grasped instead he made |
| 6:35 | himself nothing taking the very nature |
| 6:38 | of a servant and being made in human |
| 6:40 | likeness and being found in appearance |
| 6:43 | as a man he humbled himself and became |
| 6:45 | obedient to death |
| 6:47 | even death on a cross |
| 6:50 | he did this for you |
| 6:52 | and he did this for me |
| 6:54 | Romans says it this way you see at just |
| 6:59 | the right time |
| 7:00 | when we were powerless |
| 7:04 | Christ died for the ungodly |
| 7:09 | that’s us |
| 7:11 | when we were powerless Christ died for |
| 7:14 | the ungodly now very rarely will anyone |
| 7:17 | die for a righteous man |
| 7:19 | though for a good man someone might |
| 7:21 | possibly Dare To Die |
| 7:23 | but God demonstrates his own love for us |
| 7:27 | in this while we were still sinners |
| 7:31 | Christ |
| 7:33 | died |
| 7:34 | for us |
| 7:36 | the prophet Isaiah says this |
| 7:39 | who has believed our message and to whom |
| 7:42 | has the arm of the Lord been revealed |
| 7:45 | he grew up before him like a tender |
| 7:47 | shoot and like a root out of dry ground |
| 7:49 | he had no beauty or Majesty to attract |
| 7:52 | us to him nothing in his appearance that |
| 7:54 | we should desire him |
| 7:55 | he was despised and rejected by men he |
| 8:00 | was a Man of Sorrows and familiar with |
| 8:02 | suffering like one from whom men hid |
| 8:05 | their faces he was despised |
| 8:07 | and we esteemed him not |
| 8:10 | surely he took up our infirmities and |
| 8:13 | carried our sorrows yet we considered |
| 8:15 | him stricken by God Smitten by him and |
| 8:19 | afflicted |
| 8:20 | but |
| 8:21 | he was pierced for our transgressions he |
| 8:25 | was crushed for our iniquities the |
| 8:28 | punishment that brought us peace was |
| 8:30 | upon him and by his wounds we are healed |
| 8:33 | all we like sheep have gone astray |
| 8:36 | each of us has turned to his own way |
| 8:39 | and the lord has laid on him the |
| 8:41 | iniquity of us all |
| 8:42 | he was oppressed and Afflicted yet he |
| 8:45 | did not open his mouth he was led like a |
| 8:47 | lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep |
| 8:49 | before his her shearers is silent so he |
| 8:52 | did not open his mouth |
| 8:54 | by oppression and judgment he was taken |
| 8:56 | away and who can speak of his |
| 8:58 | descendants for he was cut off from the |
| 9:00 | land of the living for the transgression |
| 9:02 | of my people he was stricken he was |
| 9:05 | assigned a grave of the wicked and with |
| 9:07 | the rich in his death though he had done |
| 9:09 | no violence nor was any deceit in his |
| 9:12 | mouth yet it was the Lord’s will to |
| 9:14 | crush him and cause him to suffer and |
| 9:17 | though the Lord makes his life a guilt |
| 9:19 | offering he will see his offspring and |
| 9:21 | prolong his days and the will of the |
| 9:24 | Lord will prosper in his hand why |
| 9:27 | because in all of that suffering and |
| 9:29 | affliction he was purchasing and |
| 9:30 | redeeming Us From Slavery to sin right |
| 9:34 | so he will prosper |
| 9:36 | after the suffering of his soul he will |
| 9:38 | see the light of light and be satisfied |
| 9:40 | by his knowledge my righteous servant |
| 9:43 | will justify many and he will bear their |
| 9:45 | iniquities therefore I will give him a |
| 9:48 | portion among the great and he will |
| 9:50 | divide the spoils with the strong |
| 9:51 | because he poured out his life unto |
| 9:53 | death and he was numbered with the |
| 9:55 | transgressors for he bore the sin of |
| 9:57 | many and he made intercession for the |
| 10:01 | transgressors |
| 10:02 | that’s you |
| 10:04 | and that’s me |
| 10:06 | yes this begs the question why |
| 10:09 | why would Jesus do this for us |
| 10:15 | well |
| 10:16 | you are a people |
| 10:19 | who are holy to the Lord your God |
| 10:22 | the Lord your God has chosen you |
| 10:25 | out of all the peoples on the face of |
| 10:26 | the Earth to be his people |
| 10:29 | the Lord has chosen each and every one |
| 10:31 | of you to be his treasured possession |
| 10:36 | that’s what our Old Testament text says |
| 10:38 | does it not |
| 10:39 | the Lord did not set his affection on |
| 10:41 | you and choose you because you were more |
| 10:43 | affluent likable or successful than |
| 10:46 | others but it was because the Lord loved |
| 10:48 | you that he brought you out with a |
| 10:50 | mighty hand and redeemed you from the |
| 10:52 | hand of the devil From Slavery to the |
| 10:55 | devil power of the devil |
| 10:58 | he saved you through a mighty hand and |
| 11:00 | how did he do this by bringing you to |
| 11:02 | penance and faith in Christ for the |
| 11:04 | Forgiveness of your sins washing away |
| 11:06 | your sins in the waters of your baptism |
| 11:08 | feeding you with his body and blood here |
| 11:12 | at this table |
| 11:14 | right |
| 11:16 | yeah it’s dark out there it is dark out |
| 11:19 | there but and here’s the eucatastrophe |
| 11:22 | part it’s really dark out there |
| 11:24 | but remember butt always kind of erases |
| 11:27 | the thing in front of it right it’s dark |
| 11:29 | out there but we know that in all things |
| 11:33 | God works for the good of those who love |
| 11:37 | him |
| 11:39 | and we love him because he first loved |
| 11:42 | us |
| 11:43 | you are in Christ and all things even |
| 11:47 | your own death |
| 11:49 | will work together for good |
| 11:52 | who because you you’ve been called |
| 11:54 | according to God’s purpose for those God |
| 11:57 | foreknew he also predestined to be |
| 11:59 | conformed to the likeness of his son |
| 12:01 | that he might be the firstborn among |
| 12:03 | many brothers and those he predestined |
| 12:05 | you and me he also called and those he |
| 12:09 | called he also Justified Justified he’s |
| 12:12 | declared us righteous in Christ and |
| 12:15 | Those whom he’s declared righteous |
| 12:18 | he will also glorify |
| 12:20 | So What then shall we say in response to |
| 12:23 | all of this this gratuitous |
| 12:25 | unmerited over the top loved |
| 12:29 | for sinners like you and like me |
| 12:33 | if God is for us |
| 12:35 | who can be against us |
| 12:39 | do you get it |
| 12:42 | he who did not spare his own son but |
| 12:45 | gave him up for us all |
| 12:50 | how will he not also along with him |
| 12:53 | graciously give us all things |
| 12:55 | who will bring any charge against Those |
| 12:57 | whom God has chosen no one can not even |
| 13:00 | the devil |
| 13:02 | it is God who declares righteous and |
| 13:05 | he’s done that to you |
| 13:06 | so who is it that condemns |
| 13:10 | Christ Jesus who died more than that who |
| 13:13 | was raised to life he is seated at the |
| 13:15 | right hand of God the father and he is |
| 13:18 | now interceding for us |
| 13:22 | nothing can stand against you |
| 13:25 | because of what Christ has done for you |
| 13:27 | and continues to do for you right |
| 13:30 | so who shall separate us from the love |
| 13:32 | of Christ who can do such a thing no |
| 13:36 | shall trouble nope |
| 13:39 | hardship not even close persecution you |
| 13:43 | got to be kidding me famine nakedness |
| 13:45 | danger or sword ha |
| 13:48 | as it is written for your sake we Face |
| 13:50 | death all day long and we are considered |
| 13:53 | as sheep to be slaughtered no in all of |
| 13:55 | these things we are more than conquerors |
| 13:57 | through him |
| 13:59 | Who Loved Us |
| 14:01 | right |
| 14:02 | I am convinced that neither death nor |
| 14:06 | life neither angels nor demons neither |
| 14:09 | the present nor the future nor any |
| 14:12 | powers neither height nor depth nor |
| 14:14 | anything else in all of creation will be |
| 14:17 | able to separate us from the love of God |
| 14:20 | that is in Christ Jesus our lord |
| 14:23 | nothing |
| 14:25 | so let us then fix our eyes on Jesus the |
| 14:28 | author and the Perfecter of our faith |
| 14:30 | who for the joy set before him the joy |
| 14:33 | of losing everything in order to |
| 14:35 | purchase and redeem us as his treasure |
| 14:38 | he endured the cross scorning its shame |
| 14:42 | or as the words of our sermon hymn said |
| 14:44 | let me close with these again o love how |
| 14:48 | deep how broad how high beyond all |
| 14:51 | thought and fantasy that God the Son of |
| 14:54 | God should take our mortal frame for |
| 14:57 | mortal’s sake |
| 14:58 | he sent No Angel to our race of higher |
| 15:01 | or of lower place but he wore the robe |
| 15:03 | of human frame and to this world himself |
| 15:06 | he came and for us baptized for us he |
| 15:10 | bore his holy fast and he hungered sore |
| 15:12 | for us Temptation sharp he knew and for |
| 15:15 | us the tempter he overthrew |
| 15:17 | for us he prayed for us he taught for us |
| 15:21 | his daily Works he wrought by words and |
| 15:24 | signs and actions thus still seeking not |
| 15:27 | himself |
| 15:29 | seeking us |
| 15:32 | for us |
| 15:34 | he was by wicked men betrayed |
| 15:40 | for us |
| 15:42 | in a crown of thorns he was arrayed |
| 15:47 | he bore the shameful cross and death and |
| 15:50 | for us |
| 15:51 | he gave his dying breath |
| 15:55 | for us he rose from Death again |
| 15:57 | for us he went on high to Reign for us |
| 16:01 | he sent his Spirit here to guide to |
| 16:03 | strengthen and cheer |
| 16:05 | therefore all glory be to God our lord |
| 16:09 | for love so deep so high so Broad |
| 16:13 | the Trinity whom we adore |
| 16:16 | forever |
| 16:17 | and forevermore |
| 16:19 | in the name of Jesus |
| 16:21 | amen |
| 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. |
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