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Series A – Third Sunday in Lent – Sunday, March 15, 2020 | 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 st. John
0:30	the fourth chapter Jesus came to a town
0:33	of Samaria called Sychar near the field
0:36	that Jacob had given to his son Joseph
0:38	Jacob’s Well was there so Jesus wearied
0:42	as he was from his journey was sitting
0:43	beside the well it was about the sixth
0:45	hour there came a woman of Samaria to
0:47	draw water jesus said to her give me a
0:50	drink
0:50	for the for his disciples had gone away
0:52	into the city to buy food the Samaritan
0:55	woman said to him how is it that you a
0:56	Jew asked for a drink for me a woman of
0:59	Samaria for Jews have no dealings with
1:01	Samaritans jesus answered her if you
1:04	knew the gift of God and who it is that
1:06	is saying to you give me a drink you
1:08	would have asked him and he would have
1:09	given you living water the woman said to
1:12	him sir you have nothing to draw water
1:13	with and the well is deep where do you
1:15	get that living water are you greater
1:17	than our Father Jacob so he get he gave
1:20	us the well and drank from it himself as
1:22	did his sons and his livestock and jesus
1:24	said to her everyone who drinks of this
1:26	water will be thirsty again whoever
1:27	drinks of the water that I will give him
1:29	will never be thirsty forever the water
1:32	that I will give him will become in him
1:34	a spring of water welling up to eternal
1:35	life the woman said to him Sir give me
1:38	this water so that I will not be thirsty
1:41	or have to come here to draw water jesus
1:43	said to her go call your husband and
1:45	come here the woman answered him I have
1:48	no husband
1:48	jesus said to her well you’re right and
1:50	saying you have no husband for you have
1:52	had five husbands and the one you have
1:54	now is not your husband what you have
1:56	said is true
1:57	the woman said him sir I perceive you
2:00	are a prophet our fathers worshiped on
2:02	this mountain but you say that in
2:03	Jerusalem is the place where the people
2:05	ought to worship jesus said to her woman
2:07	believe me the hour is coming when
2:08	neither on this mountain nor in
2:10	Jerusalem will you worship the father
2:11	you worship what you do not know
2:13	we worship what we know for salvation is
2:16	from the Jews but the hour is coming and
2:18	is now here when true worshipers will
2:21	worship the father in spirit and in
2:23	truth for the father is seeking such
2:25	people to worship him God is spirit and
2:27	those who worship Him must worship Him
2:29	in spirit and in truth and the woman
2:31	said to him I know that the Messiah is
2:33	coming he who is called Christ when he
2:35	comes he will tell us all things jesus
2:38	said to her I who speak to you a.m. he
2:40	this is the gospel of the Lord in the
2:43	name of Jesus all right I cannot help
2:48	but make mention of the fact that the
2:50	world has gone nuts
2:52	it’s lost its collective mind and
2:55	there’s fear and there’s panic I mean if
2:59	you were to watch the zombie movies you
3:01	were expecting something different than
3:03	this but what did we get we got fear
3:05	panic and no toilet paper I’m a little
3:11	bit upset about that but what is driving
3:14	all of this what on earth is driving all
3:18	of this the answer is actually simple
3:20	what’s driving all of this is fear of
3:22	death but it’s a little bit deeper than
3:25	that if you want to kind of push just a
3:28	little bit past the fear of death the
3:30	thing that everyone’s afraid of it’s not
3:32	dying
3:33	it’s standing before Christ on the day
3:35	of judgment it’s see every one of us
3:36	scripture tells we all know that God
3:39	exists we all do we have the law written
3:41	on our hearts and we know for a fact
3:44	that we have woefully fallen short that
3:47	we have transgressed God’s holy commands
3:49	and that each and every one of us we
3:51	deserve God’s wrath and so the thing is
3:54	is that how’s the phrase go Yolo you
3:56	only live once that’s not exactly true
3:59	you actually if those who die in
4:01	trespasses and sins they die twice and
4:04	that’s the thing that everyone’s afraid
4:06	of everyone is afraid of God’s justice
4:08	God’s judgment they all know they’re
4:10	guilty and as a result of it they’ve
4:12	stolen all the toilet paper
4:16	all of that being said I want to take
4:20	into consideration our text today that
4:23	shows us and gives us comfort I would
4:27	remind all of us have a very important
4:29	text in the Gospel of John chapter 8
4:32	verse 51 Jesus says these words amen
4:36	amen I say to you if anyone keeps keeps
4:39	toretto means to guard to hold sacred –
4:42	you know – actually it’s not a matter of
4:45	obeying it’s a matter of listening to
4:47	Jesus’s words and saying these are the
4:49	words of God this is most certainly true
4:51	hanging on these if anyone keeps my word
4:53	he will never see death now wait a
5:01	second here wait a sec there’s people
5:03	dying all over the world I heard today
5:05	that that the in Italy the obituaries
5:08	are running ten pages long because of
5:10	how many people are dying as a result of
5:12	the coronavirus are you saying pastor
5:14	that we will never see death no I’m not
5:18	saying it jesus said and why is it
5:21	because we’re all already dead we’ve
5:24	been baptized into Christ death in his
5:26	resurrection we don’t get to die twice
5:28	you get to die once and so you’ve
5:31	already died so live like you are free
5:34	because you’ve already died all of that
5:37	being said I would note that over and
5:40	again the Gospels have good news to
5:43	proclaim to us we who live in the valley
5:45	of the shadow of death who have well the
5:48	fear of death hanging over us we might
5:51	want to consider just how kind Jesus is
5:54	to sinners because in his first Advent
5:57	did Jesus didn’t come to condemn the
5:59	world he came so that the world might be
6:02	saved through him and so our gospel text
6:05	today is amazing a little bit of the
6:08	historical setup you heard it in our
6:10	gospel text Jews and Samaritans don’t
6:13	talk to each other all right
6:16	the people in the Northern Kingdom of
6:18	Israel in the time of the Old Testament
6:19	went into rank idolatry remember that’s
6:22	that bronze serpent that Moses had made
6:25	they ended up worshiping that
6:27	thing they set up their own temple
6:29	complex on the top of Mount Gerizim
6:32	near a Sai car or the O the ancient city
6:35	of Shechem and they well they were
6:38	idolaters straight up straight up they
6:41	they had come up with some weird
6:43	synchronistic idolatry mixed with some
6:46	remembrance of Yahweh and the patriarchs
6:48	and it was just a theological mess and
6:52	so the Jews responded by basically
6:54	saying we’re gonna not have anything to
6:56	do with you and so they stopped talking
6:58	altogether in fact during Christmas and
7:00	Thanksgiving religion was off the table
7:02	to discuss alright because nobody was
7:05	getting along nobody was talking to each
7:06	other so you got the idea in fact it was
7:08	so bad that when Jews would travel
7:10	through Samaria which they tried to
7:12	avoid like the plague they would well
7:16	after they got through Samaria they
7:19	shake the dust of Samaria off their
7:21	sandals so they wouldn’t be tracking
7:22	Samaritan dirt into the Holy Land itself
7:26	that’s how things had gone and so it
7:30	says that Jesus had to pass through
7:32	Samaria that’s what John chapter 4 verse
7:36	4 says he had to pass through Samaria
7:38	and anybody who knows the history is
7:40	gonna sit there and go well this ought
7:41	to be interesting right because the
7:44	expectation is Jesus is going to show up
7:46	he’s gonna overturn the Samaritan tables
7:50	he’s gonna call down curses on the false
7:53	worship taking place on Mount Gerizim
7:55	he’s gonna nuke the site from orbit like
7:58	he did Sodom and Gomorrah that’s the
8:00	expectations I got here comes the
8:02	Messiah meets the Samaritans and it’s
8:05	just gonna be well it didn’t go
8:07	according to plan
8:09	you see so the text says he came to a
8:11	town of Samaria called Sychar now this
8:13	is right between Mount Gerizim and Mount
8:15	Ebal
8:16	oh we’re old Shechem used to be in that
8:19	region and Jacob’s Well was near and we
8:22	know exactly where that is Jacob’s Well
8:24	was there so Jesus wearied as he was
8:27	from his journey what God gets tired
8:31	well the Incarnation kind of changes a
8:33	few things up you’ll note that Jesus is
8:35	truly human and he well he gets tired
8:38	you know and it’s noon
8:40	it’s not a good day to travel a good
8:42	time to travel and so he was wearied
8:45	from his journey he was sitting beside
8:46	the well it was about the sixth hour
8:48	that’s noon and we’re gonna note a woman
8:51	from Samaria came to draw water which is
8:53	a weird time to draw water usually in
8:54	the ancient world you draw water either
8:56	in the morning or in the evening right
8:58	before the Sun sets why because it’s a
9:00	lot cooler in fact you can say this
9:03	woman is engaging in social distancing
9:05	why well we’ve already heard that her
9:08	morals are a wee bit loose wee bit loose
9:12	shall we say even loose for by Samaritan
9:15	standards so coming at noon makes it a
9:18	lot easier for her to draw her water and
9:21	not have to be exposed to other people
9:24	and the ridicule their scorn their
9:25	self-righteousness and things like that
9:27	now granted she’s a ranked sinner but
9:29	the text says a woman from Samaria came
9:32	to draw water jesus said to her give me
9:34	a drink his disciples had gone into town
9:36	to buy some food and the Samaritan woman
9:38	said to him how is it that you would you
9:40	asked for a drink for me a woman of
9:43	Samaria Jews have no dealings with
9:45	Samaritans how is it you’re talking to
9:49	me like this you know aren’t you aware
9:51	we’re having a cold war here
9:53	negotiations have broken down there is
9:56	no communication jesus said to her and
9:58	listened to the first words out of his
10:00	mouth if he knew the gift of God the
10:04	gift of God Jesus is bringing her a gift
10:07	from God if you knew the gift of God and
10:09	who it is that is saying to you give me
10:10	a drink you would have asked him and he
10:12	would have given you living water no
10:16	Jesus here is basically saying I’ve got
10:18	a gift to give you it’s from God ask of
10:21	me and I’ll give it to you huh so the
10:26	woman said to him sir you have nothing
10:28	to draw with the well is deep where do
10:30	you get that and you could almost hear
10:32	it living water right where do you get
10:35	that living water are you greater than
10:37	our Father Jacob he gave us the well and
10:39	drank from it himself as did his sons
10:42	and his livestock and so you’ll note
10:44	here Jesus here is talking about living
10:46	water and it
10:47	akin to what we heard with regarding
10:50	Nicodemus remember Nicodemus comes to
10:52	Jesus at night and says we know you’re
10:54	from God nobody can do these signs
10:55	unless God were with him and so Jesus
10:58	says I’m in I’m in truly I say to you
10:59	unless one is born on othon that’s
11:02	either from above or again that’s those
11:04	are your two optional s one is born on
11:06	earth and he will not see the kingdom of
11:07	God and what is Nicodemus – he thinks
11:10	again how can the guy be born once he’s
11:14	old that doesn’t make any sense same
11:16	things going on here Jesus now is
11:18	talking about living water and this
11:20	woman is still thinking you know water
11:23	water and but Jesus is talking about
11:26	something different because he’s really
11:27	talking about himself so Jesus says
11:30	everyone who drinks of this water will
11:33	be thirsty again whoever drinks of the
11:35	water that I will give not earned give
11:40	to him will never thirst again the water
11:43	I will give him will become in him a
11:46	spring of water welling up to eternal
11:48	life she’s still not quite getting it
11:52	she’s still thinking some kind of
11:54	natural water maybe it’s some kind of
11:56	water that has a spell cast on it
11:58	this seems pretty good by the idea of me
12:01	actually drinking water that will make
12:02	it so that I’m never thirsty again I
12:04	won’t have to come out here at noon
12:05	every day in order to get my supply of
12:07	water so the woman said to him Sir give
12:09	me this water so that I will not have to
12:10	be thirsty or have to come here to draw
12:12	water and Jesus then at this point kind
12:17	of changes the subject he says all right
12:19	go call your husband and come I’ll give
12:22	you this living water call your husband
12:24	so you can have it – and now the woman
12:27	is caught she’s stuck but she gives an
12:31	extremely perfectly accurate answer she
12:35	just doesn’t elaborate the sentence is
12:37	technically true so the woman says I
12:39	don’t have a husband oh okay Jesus said
12:43	all right you’re right you’re right and
12:45	saying I don’t have a husband you’ve had
12:47	five husbands and the guy you’re
12:49	shacking up with right now he’s not your
12:51	husband what you said is true
12:56	okay so Jesus took all of her sin just
12:59	threw it right out on the table no
13:02	condemnation just spoke the truth about
13:04	her and now the conversation takes on a
13:09	completely different tone the religion
13:13	card is now on the table so the woman
13:16	said sir I perceived her a prophet how
13:19	did you possibly know all of that and
13:21	then she goes to the big bone of
13:23	contention between the Samaritans and
13:25	Jews and she says our fathers are some
13:27	American fathers they worshiped on this
13:29	mountain Mount Gerizim but you say in
13:31	Jerusalem is the place where people
13:34	ought to worship and Jesus’s answer is
13:37	actually quite fascinating jesus said to
13:40	her woman believe me the hour is coming
13:42	when neither on this mountain nor in
13:44	Jerusalem will you worship the father
13:46	and now watch what Jesus says he does
13:49	not in any way condone the religion of
13:52	the Samaritans he says you worship what
13:54	you don’t know there is no true
13:57	knowledge of God in your inner religion
13:59	and we Jews we worship what we know and
14:02	then he says for salvation is from the
14:04	Jews notice he doesn’t say that
14:07	salvation is in Judaism he says
14:09	salvation is from the Jews and that is
14:11	absolutely correct salvation is from the
14:14	Jews Jesus is of the tribe of juda
14:18	salvation truly is from the Jews then he
14:21	says but the hour is coming and it is
14:23	now here presently the clock has struck
14:26	something’s changed and the time is
14:29	coming and is now here when true
14:31	worshipers will worship the father in
14:33	spirit and in truth
14:37	note the two go together where you’re
14:42	claiming to worship God in spirit and
14:44	there is no truth you got a problem or
14:46	there’s a mixing of truth with a lot of
14:49	bad air that’s a problem
14:51	in fact the evangelicals today they sit
14:53	there and go doctrine doesn’t really
14:55	matter it just doesn’t really matter
14:57	they’ve come to church and listen to
14:58	what the Spirit is saying and learn how
15:01	to spit out the bones and chew the meat
15:03	they say no Jesus says spirit and
15:07	in truth the two go together because the
15:09	Spirit is the Spirit of Truth for the
15:12	wash this so the father is looking for
15:15	true worshipers they will worship the
15:17	father in spirit and truth the father is
15:20	seeking such people to worship Him God
15:22	is spirit and those who worship Him must
15:24	worship Him in spirit and in truth
15:29	not the exact answer we were expecting
15:32	from Jesus you know you would have
15:34	thought he was said yeah you guys need
15:35	to pack up and start heading to
15:37	Jerusalem and worship on Mount Moriah
15:39	but he doesn’t say that he says no the
15:42	times coming in is now when it doesn’t
15:44	matter where you worship God this is why
15:47	the church historically understood
15:49	itself to be Catholic Universal not
15:53	don’t think Rome I did it I don’t every
15:55	time I say the word even goes my okay no
15:58	the idea here is is that this is a
16:00	universal religion we are able to
16:02	worship God in spirit and truth in Oslo
16:05	Minnesota Grand Forks North Dakota you
16:08	could do it in the twin cities in
16:10	Minneapolis say Paul or you can do it in
16:13	Texas you can do it anywhere you are you
16:16	can worship the Lord God in spirit and
16:18	truth you don’t have to pack up and head
16:21	to Jerusalem to do so so now the woman
16:24	hearing Jesus’s answer she notes that
16:27	she has heard something about the
16:29	Messiah the woman said to him I know
16:32	that Messiah is coming he who is called
16:34	Christ and when he comes he will tell us
16:38	all things what Jesus does next is
16:43	stunning because you’ll note in chapters
16:46	that follow when Jesus is confronted by
16:50	the Pharisees and the scribes they say
16:51	things like this to Jesus how long are
16:53	you gonna keep us in suspense Jesus if
16:55	you’re the Messiah tell us plainly and
16:57	Jesus says I did and you wouldn’t listen
17:00	to me but the works that I do they bear
17:03	witness about me he is so you’ll note
17:05	there’s always this a little bit of
17:07	Jesus doesn’t quite come out and say it
17:10	directly but he says it in a way that if
17:13	you listen to his words he is saying it
17:15	but watch what he does with the
17:16	Samaritan woman so that she says I know
17:19	that Messiah is coming in
17:20	when he comes he’s gonna tell us all
17:21	things and Jesus said to her I who speak
17:24	to you a.m. he
17:27	what – a adulterous sinful idolatrous
17:35	Samaritan woman Jesus just puts all the
17:41	defenses down and just comes right out
17:43	and saying I’m the Messiah what is going
17:48	on here this is not what we expected we
17:52	expected Jesus to flex some judgement
17:54	muscles here to tell this woman off he’s
17:57	laid all her sins out right before her
17:59	and what is he doing his intention is
18:04	not to kill her to judge her he’s going
18:07	to the cross to bleed and to die for her
18:09	so that she can be forgiven not just her
18:14	but all of the town of Sychar and the
18:17	Samaritans all the nations of the earth
18:19	that they might be saved through him his
18:24	intention is pardon forgiveness mercy
18:29	grace now if this doesn’t tell us
18:32	something about Jesus then I don’t know
18:34	what does because again the reason why
18:37	there’s no toilet paper in town is
18:38	because people fear God’s judgment but
18:41	the good news is that in Christ there is
18:43	mercy and forgiveness pardon and peace
18:45	with God and therefore we have nothing
18:47	to fear from him so put the toilet paper
18:49	back that’s the idea so the text goes on
18:55	to say that this woman went out and hid
19:01	and she went into town so that just then
19:04	his disciples came back they marveled
19:06	that Jesus was talking with a woman but
19:08	no one said what do you seek or why you
19:10	talking with her so the woman left her
19:12	jar went away into town and said to the
19:15	people come see a man who told me
19:18	everything that I’ve ever done can this
19:22	be the Messiah huh so they went out of
19:27	town and they were coming to him I
19:30	almost like to cynically think that
19:31	there’s somebody in town upon hearing
19:33	this woman’s
19:34	and carrying on you got to come see he
19:35	told me everything I’ve ever done we all
19:37	know about that already what he talking
19:39	about all right
19:41	haven’t seen you at the well for a while
19:44	have you been sneaking there at noon
19:45	yeah but so she’s now just come he told
19:48	me all my sins man this is the Messiah
19:51	so the verse 39 says many Samaritans
19:54	from that town came from that town
19:58	believed in him because of the woman’s
20:00	testimony he had told me all that I ever
20:01	did so when the Samaritans came to him
20:04	they asked Jesus to stay with them and
20:07	he stayed there for two days and many
20:11	more believed because of his word and so
20:15	they said to the woman it is no longer
20:17	because of what you said that we believe
20:19	for we have heard for ourselves and we
20:22	know that this is indeed the savior of
20:25	the world and so no the Samaritans and
20:29	Psyche are confessed Christ to be the
20:32	savior of the world Jesus is our Savior
20:36	from the Dominion of darkness from sin
20:38	death in the devil he has not come to
20:40	earth incarnate of the Holy Spirit of
20:43	the Virgin Mary in order to condemn us
20:46	or to wage war with us presently instead
20:49	he’s come to save us he’s come to save
20:55	us and it’s in that context then that we
20:57	hear the words of our epistle text where
20:59	Paul writes we have been justified by
21:02	faith and therefore we have peace with
21:06	God through our Lord Jesus Christ and if
21:11	we have peace with God through our Lord
21:13	Jesus Christ then we should not fear
21:16	death we should not fear his wrath or
21:19	his judgments because if Christ has
21:21	truly died for every one of our
21:23	transgressions and sins and he has and
21:26	they’re all accounted for then we do not
21:29	have Christ sternness anger or wrath to
21:33	look forward to but instead we have
21:36	everything to look forward to in a face
21:39	to face restored relationship with God
21:41	that comes when Jesus returns and that
21:44	peace will last through all eternity in
21:46	a world without end
21:47	new heaven and a new earth where there
21:49	is no disease coronavirus and there I’ve
21:51	heard there’s plenty of toilet paper to
21:53	write so because we have peace with God
21:56	through our Lord Jesus Christ through
21:58	him then we have obtained access by
22:00	faith into this grace
22:02	just like the sinful woman of Samaria
22:04	and Psyche are we to have obtained
22:06	access by faith into this grace in which
22:08	we now stand and we rejoice in the hope
22:11	of the glory of God for while we were
22:15	still weak the text says at the right
22:18	time Christ died for the ungodly he died
22:21	for the ungodly woman of Sychar
22:23	he died for the ungodly here in this
22:26	congregation he died for your ungodly
22:29	pastor at the right time Christ died for
22:33	the ungodly one will scarcely die for a
22:35	righteous person perhaps for a good
22:37	person one would dare to die but God
22:39	demonstrates his love for us in that
22:41	while we were still sinners Christ died
22:44	for us and is it now this makes sense
22:48	the reason why Jesus didn’t get in her
22:50	face and condemn her and call down
22:52	sulfur from heaven to destroy Sai car
22:54	and the temple complex at Mount Gerizim
22:56	is because he himself was taking the
22:59	wrath of God on him suffering in her
23:03	place which she deserved for her
23:05	adultery and her idolatry for your sins
23:08	and mine so that rather than to be
23:10	condemned we have peace forgiveness
23:13	mercy Grace and those are words that
23:17	quell anxiety those are words that make
23:21	it so that we do not have to fear death
23:23	we do not have to fear the coronavirus
23:26	even if one of us gets it or if we all
23:29	get it and die and there’s no Kong’s
23:31	finger in a month you know we will never
23:35	see death Jesus doesn’t lie so relax you
23:40	are forgiven you have peace with God we
23:43	have more important things to worry
23:44	about now like where to find the toilet
23:46	paper in the name of Jesus amen

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