LutheranLectionary.org

1 Year Lectionary – Pentecost Sunday – Sunday, June 5, 2022 | 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 according
0:30	to saint john the 14th chapter
0:33	[Music]
0:40	jesus answered him if anyone loves me he
0:42	will keep my word and my father will
0:44	love him and we will come to him and
0:46	make our home with him whoever does not
0:49	love me does not keep my words and the
0:51	word that you hear is not mine but the
0:53	fathers who sent me these things i have
0:55	spoken to you while i am still with you
0:57	but the helper the holy spirit whom the
0:59	father will send in my name he will
1:01	teach you all things and bring to your
1:03	remembrance all that i have said to you
1:05	peace i leave with you my peace i give
1:07	to you not as the world gives do i give
1:09	to you let not your hearts be troubled
1:12	neither let them be afraid you heard me
1:14	say to you i am going away and i will
1:16	come to you if you loved me you would
1:18	have rejoiced because i am going to the
1:20	father for the father is greater than i
1:22	and now i have told you before it takes
1:24	place so that when it does take place
1:26	you may believe i will no longer talk
1:29	much with you for the ruler of this
1:31	world is coming he has no claim on me
1:33	but as i do but i do as the father has
1:36	commanded me so that the world may know
1:38	that i love the father rise let us go
1:41	from here this is the gospel of the lord
1:44	in the name of Jesus oh man amen you’ve
1:47	you’ve all heard the saying 50 is the
1:49	new 30. it’s it’s a lie it’s just not
1:51	true it is absolutely false i think 50
1:54	is the new 60. you know or maybe 50 is
1:57	50. you know but it ain’t the 30. i can
2:00	tell you that you’ll note that the world
2:02	that we live in is falling apart
2:04	christ spoke to us in our gospel text
2:07	about peace and the world seems to be
2:09	having a supreme lack of peace
2:13	need i remind you of what’s happening in
2:15	ukraine
2:16	maybe what’s happening in your own
2:18	family right or with your colleagues at
2:21	work
2:22	you know you get the idea conflict is
2:25	one of these things that we have here
2:26	and don’t forget the shootings down in
2:29	texas the world we live in seems to be
2:32	winding up for something it’s not
2:34	getting better things continue to get
2:36	worse and so this pentecost this
2:38	observance of the feast of pentecost
2:40	we’re going to note
2:42	for those who are pentecostals and
2:43	charismatics it’s going to sound like
2:45	i’m woefully off topic today shouldn’t i
2:48	be talking about the need for us to all
2:49	be receiving a second baptism of the
2:51	holy spirit as evidenced by speaking in
2:53	tongues answer no because that’s not
2:55	what pentecost is about and there is
2:57	only one baptism there’s not a second
3:00	one
3:00	instead we’re going to focus in on the
3:02	themes that we hear christ telling us
3:05	about his word best way i can put it
3:08	is that jesus in our gospel text says
3:11	these words if anyone loves me he will
3:14	keep
3:15	te reo in greek he will guard my word
3:19	and you’ll note there are a lot of
3:21	people claiming to be christians today
3:24	who are basically giving lip service to
3:25	jesus oh i’m a christ follower i follow
3:29	jesus and you know how much his word
3:31	they actually abide or keep or think is
3:33	true like about this much right and
3:37	you’ll note that examples of
3:39	ever-growing rebellion against christ
3:41	and his words well they are aplenty in
3:44	our world today i’ll just give you one
3:46	example
3:47	when i was growing up when i was growing
3:50	up and i was attending a christian high
3:52	school there in arcadia california where
3:55	i lived there was a christian bookstore
3:57	i like to go there from time to time and
3:59	kind of look at the books and things
4:00	that were there and one of the most
4:02	famous of all christian book publishers
4:04	erdmann’s you guys have heard of
4:06	erdman’s right
4:08	well erdmann’s as of this month june
4:12	they’ve decided that on their website
4:14	they’re going to visibly give homage to
4:16	and celebrate pride month
4:21	that is an example of not keeping or
4:24	guarding god’s word remember pride comes
4:27	before a fall
4:29	indeed in fact we would note we need to
4:31	pay close attention to christ’s
4:34	words jesus says if anyone loves me he
4:37	will keep my word my father will love
4:39	him and we will come to him and make our
4:41	home with him whoever does not love me
4:43	does not keep my words and the word that
4:46	you hear is not mine but the fathers who
4:49	sent me you might want to pay attention
4:51	to the words of christ and over and
4:53	again i’m always amazed kind of
4:55	slack-jawed
4:57	about how creative people are in in
5:00	manufacturing their own doctrines right
5:03	you know from people who celebrate pride
5:06	month in the name of jesus to those who
5:08	just wholeheartedly make up false
5:11	doctrines like you can go up into the
5:13	heavenly courts and file lawsuits in
5:15	heaven you strange things like this or
5:18	one of my favorite from recent times was
5:20	in elca pastrix who announced to the
5:22	world that jesus had screwed up right
5:25	these are people who do not understand
5:28	the word and by rejecting the words of
5:31	christ they are instead filling the
5:33	world with their own
5:35	words
5:36	and over and again it surprises me how
5:39	they think that that somehow
5:41	their words supersede or are better than
5:44	the words of christ and as if they even
5:46	have a more even appealing good news
5:49	than the good news found in scripture
5:53	and so you’ll note there’s false gospels
5:56	false words aplenty people assuring
5:59	sinners who are
6:00	steeped in sin
6:02	oh no worry there’s no judgment you just
6:05	need to do you you need to be you and
6:08	all in the name of jesus and stuff like
6:10	this this is not the gospel
6:12	but instead the gospel is even way
6:15	better than that and it gives us real
6:17	comfort because these are the words of
6:19	christ
6:20	these are the words that the father gave
6:22	him to give and these are the words that
6:24	the disciples having given them by jesus
6:26	has proclaimed to us in the written
6:28	words of god and so
6:31	at the risk of sounding off topic let us
6:34	consider our plight in light of the
6:36	assigned psalm for today
6:39	psalm 143 is the assigned psalm for
6:43	pentecost sunday and again it’s going to
6:45	seem like i’m off topic but believe me
6:47	i’m not here in psalm 143
6:50	we are
6:52	subjected to a prayer by the psalmist
6:55	one that i recommend you soar away into
6:58	your personal repertoire of prayers to
7:00	pray this is one i’ve prayed many times
7:03	and listen to what the psalmist says
7:06	hear my prayer o yahweh and give ear to
7:10	my pleas
7:11	for mercy
7:15	you’ll note that
7:16	we all need to pray this
7:19	daily
7:21	over and over again that god would give
7:24	ear to our pleas for mercy and then he
7:26	says in your faithfulness answer me
7:29	in your righteousness
7:31	enter not into judgment with your
7:33	servant for no one living is righteous
7:34	before you this is a plea for god to say
7:38	to god it’s like yeah don’t look at
7:40	those sins of mine
7:42	because if you do you’re going to come
7:44	to judgment with your servant but no one
7:46	living is righteous this is most
7:48	certainly true this is why we confess
7:50	today that we are by nature sinful and
7:52	unclean the psalmist then prays and
7:54	confesses the enemy has pursued my soul
7:57	he’s crushed my life to the ground he
8:00	has made me sit in darkness like those
8:03	who are long dead therefore my spirit
8:05	faints within me and my heart within me
8:08	is appalled
8:09	in other words he’s praying here i i
8:11	haven’t been the head
8:14	i’ve rather been the tail rather than
8:16	victoriously conquering satan satan has
8:20	well exercised dominion and authority
8:22	over me and has smooshed me like a used
8:25	up cigarette
8:27	but he says this
8:29	remember the days of old i meditate on
8:31	all that you have done i ponder the work
8:34	of your hands i stretch out my hands to
8:36	you my soul thirsts for you like a
8:38	parched
8:39	land
8:41	so answer me quickly o yahweh my spirit
8:45	fails
8:46	hide not your face from me lest i be
8:48	like those who go down to the pit this
8:50	is a prayer of despair from somebody
8:53	who’s been defeated this is a prayer of
8:55	crying out for help it’s almost ill
8:58	pardon the pun it’s like a hail mary
9:01	pass
9:02	all right we’re losing the game we’re
9:04	down by what six touchdowns here there’s
9:06	only two minutes left there’s no way
9:09	we’re going to win this lord help
9:12	remember let me hear in the morning of
9:14	your steadfast love for in you i trust
9:17	make me to know the way that i should go
9:19	for to you i lift up my soul deliver me
9:21	from my enemies o yahweh for i have fled
9:25	to you for refuge
9:27	teach me to do your will
9:29	for you are my god and so you’ll note
9:31	this fellow has really messed up i mean
9:33	he’s asking for god to not look at his
9:35	sins to deliver him from his enemies has
9:38	confessed that the devil has won the day
9:40	and is even by saying teach me your will
9:43	recognizing that he doesn’t rightly
9:45	understand what god’s will is let your
9:47	good spirit please lead me on level
9:50	ground and for your name’s sake o yahweh
9:53	preserve my life in your righteousness
9:56	bring my soul out of trouble and in your
9:58	steadfast love you will cut off my
10:00	enemies and you will destroy all the
10:02	adversaries of my soul for i am your
10:05	servant
10:06	that’s a good prayer
10:08	how do you think god would answer such a
10:09	prayer
10:11	nothing bold about it completely humble
10:13	if you think about it
10:15	quite honest and not holding anything
10:18	back
10:19	as far as the failures of the fellow who
10:21	prayed that prayer and yet we are
10:24	encouraged by christ to pray back god’s
10:26	words to him psalm 143 is a prayer that
10:29	should be on our own lips so jesus
10:33	says if anyone loves me he will keep my
10:36	word the father will love him now we get
10:38	to the point here where we have to
10:40	recognize this the real reason why
10:42	we have been done over by the devil why
10:45	we have experienced defeat in our lives
10:47	while we are languishing why we are
10:49	practically living in a parched land
10:52	while our well the story of our lives is
10:55	not victory to victory on in on on into
10:58	glory into glory instead it just seems
11:00	like it’s misery suffering and all this
11:02	kind of stuff it’s because of sin in the
11:04	world
11:05	and so you’ll note christ says
11:08	that the reason why people don’t believe
11:11	him
11:11	is because they do not hear the words of
11:15	god
11:16	jesus says in john 8 if god were your
11:18	father you would love me i came from god
11:20	i’m here i came not of my own accord but
11:23	god sent me
11:24	so why do you not understand what i say
11:27	that’s because you cannot bear my word
11:29	and if you think for a second this is
11:31	only to people who don’t believe in
11:32	jesus you’re going to note this that you
11:34	have a sinful nature that does not
11:36	really enjoy god’s word it kind of gets
11:39	annoyed when you’re reading it or
11:41	hearing it and you’ll note that each and
11:43	every one of us have this amazing
11:45	ability to take the words of god and go
11:49	toss it behind our back and get on to
11:52	the thing that we really enjoy doing
11:54	which is sin
11:55	you are of your father the devil your
11:57	wills to do your father’s desires he was
11:59	a murderer from the beginning he doesn’t
12:01	stand in the truth have you noticed that
12:03	truth is kind of a rare commodity today
12:05	you know you think that you know food
12:07	shortages are a big thing how about
12:09	truth shortages we’ve been having those
12:12	for many years now a truth shortage
12:15	right because there is no truth in the
12:17	devil when he lies he speaks out of his
12:20	own character he’s a liar and he’s the
12:21	father of lies but because i tell you
12:23	the truth
12:26	you don’t believe me
12:28	that’s the problem
12:30	we all by nature
12:32	desire lies we love the darkness we
12:36	don’t want our sin to be exposed and
12:39	notice i’m not talking about people out
12:41	there i’m talking about myself i’m
12:43	talking about you i’m talking about me
12:45	all of that being said then what is the
12:48	solution in all this we need to hear the
12:50	words of god this pentecost
12:52	and you know you barking like a duck
12:55	does that work no clucking like a duck
12:57	barking like a dog or speaking gibberish
13:00	isn’t going to solve your problem i i
13:02	was i’m fascinated by people putting the
13:04	complete emphasis on the wrong side
13:06	label when it comes to pentecost it’s
13:09	not about the speaking in tongues it’s
13:10	about the hearing of the words of christ
13:13	the message that jesus had given the
13:15	apostles to preach to the world this is
13:18	the inauguration the holy spirit has now
13:20	come and the holy spirit is present to
13:23	convict people of their sin and their
13:25	unbelief to indwell them from the waters
13:27	of baptism to guide them into all truth
13:30	christ has promised these things we’ve
13:32	heard these promises over these past few
13:34	years and so maybe we need to pay a
13:37	little closer attention to the words of
13:39	christ
13:40	and the word of god
13:42	so with that being said consider then
13:45	pentecost what does the word even mean
13:50	pentecost means
13:52	50
13:54	50. now if 50 isn’t the new 30 then i
13:58	want you to think of it this way 50 in
14:00	the word of god is the new world
14:03	here’s what i mean here’s what i mean
14:06	two kind of important old testament
14:08	types and shadows have now come into
14:10	sharp focus on the fulfillment in the
14:13	day of pentecost this from our
14:15	book of acts chapter 2 reading but that
14:18	being the case the year 50 50 years
14:21	think back with me for a second to the
14:23	old testament
14:24	every seven days was a sabbath
14:27	right
14:29	every seven years
14:31	was a sabbath year
14:33	every seven seven years 49 years you
14:37	have a big
14:38	you have a big celebration
14:41	and then you enter into the 50th year
14:44	the 50th year what is that all about
14:47	you’ve probably heard the name before
14:48	it’s the year of jubilee
14:51	and it’s an important year because in
14:53	the types and shadows it is strong
14:55	the year of jubilee
14:57	involved
14:58	an entire year of release from
15:02	all debts
15:03	and all types of bondage all prisoners
15:07	all captives were set free all slaves
15:09	were released all debts were forgiven
15:12	all property that they lost was returned
15:15	to its original owners in addition all
15:18	labor was to cease for the entire year
15:20	and those bound by labor contracts were
15:22	released from them one of the benefits
15:24	of the jubilee was that both the land
15:26	and the people were finally able to rest
15:29	the jubilee then presents a beautiful
15:32	picture of the new testament themes of
15:34	redemption and forgiveness christ is the
15:37	redeemer who came to set free those who
15:39	are slaves and prisoners to sin
15:43	the debt of sin that we owe to god was
15:45	paid by christ by his shed blood on the
15:48	cross and on his behalf therefore we are
15:52	forgiven of that debt forever we are no
15:56	longer in bondage no longer slaves to
15:58	sin having been freed by christ we can
16:01	truly now enter into the rest that god
16:04	provides as we cease laboring to make
16:07	ourselves acceptable to god by our own
16:10	works
16:12	50 is a big number
16:14	right
16:15	and then you think also
16:17	this also is the fulfillment of the
16:20	feast of wheats leviticus 23 explains
16:23	that after passover you shall count
16:27	seven full weeks from the day of the
16:28	sabbath from the day that you brought
16:30	the sheave of the wave offering you
16:32	shall count fifty days to the day after
16:34	the seventh sabbath and then you shall
16:36	present a grain offering of new grain to
16:39	yahweh you shall bring from your
16:41	dwelling places two loaves of bread to
16:43	be waived two tenths of an ephah and
16:45	they shall be a fine flower they shall
16:47	be baked with leaven as first fruits to
16:49	the lord and you shall present with the
16:51	bread seven lambs a year old without
16:53	blemish one bull from the herd two rams
16:56	and they shall be a burnt offering to
16:58	yahweh with the grain offering and the
17:00	drink offering a food offering as a
17:02	pleasing aroma to yahweh
17:05	in other words think of it this way the
17:07	feast of weeks which is the feast of
17:09	pentecost is the celebration of the
17:13	first fruits of the harvest
17:16	you bring in the first fruits and they
17:18	are waved before the lord and there’s a
17:21	little bit of a sacrifice involved in
17:23	all of this in other words it’s the
17:25	kicking off of the harvest season
17:28	and isn’t that exactly what
17:31	we are in right now
17:33	christ says the harvest is plenty the
17:36	workers are few and so christ has sent
17:40	his workers out into the harvest field
17:43	proclaiming the good news of the
17:45	forgiveness of sins in jesus christ with
17:47	the kicking off of the day of pentecost
17:50	and the
17:51	the up and running of the church the
17:53	inaugural day of the church now the
17:55	harvest has begun
17:58	and we are harvesting souls to bring
18:01	them into the rest of the great jubilee
18:04	of god which is well the promise of
18:06	eternal life in jesus christ 50s a big
18:10	deal and so you’ll note then that peter
18:12	on the great day of pentecost he quotes
18:15	from the prophet joel from joel he
18:18	quotes he says in the last days it shall
18:20	be that god declares that i will pour
18:23	out my spirit on all flesh
18:27	and with the inauguration of the church
18:29	the holy spirit is no longer the
18:31	exclusive thing
18:33	for prophets of old or patriarchs of old
18:36	now god indiscriminately pours out his
18:39	spirit on every human being sons
18:43	daughters young old male servants female
18:47	servants
18:48	those in high authority those who are
18:50	the lowest of the low
18:52	joel prophesied that the holy spirit
18:54	will be for all and that’s exactly what
18:56	takes place because while peter is
18:58	preaching the people there are cut to
19:00	the heart and they cry out to the
19:01	apostles brothers what shall we do
19:04	and what does peter say repent be
19:06	baptized every one of you in the name of
19:08	jesus for the forgiveness of your sins
19:10	and you will receive the holy spirit and
19:12	the promise is for you it’s for your
19:14	children and all who are far off and all
19:17	whom the lord god will call to himself
19:20	and so the holy spirit now being
19:22	outpoured it is on
19:24	everybody who is a believer in christ
19:28	but then peter goes on to say i will
19:30	show wonders in the heavens above still
19:32	quoting joel signs on the earth blow
19:35	blood fire vapor of smoke the sun shall
19:39	be turned to darkness and the moon to
19:40	blood don’t let that pass you by
19:43	because 50 days prior to pentecost
19:47	christ was hanging on a cross
19:49	on that great sabbath day that passover
19:52	day christ was hanging on a cross and
19:55	what happened at noon
19:57	the sun stopped giving its light
20:00	the moon
20:01	no longer shone
20:03	it became darkness from
20:05	twelve in the afternoon until three in
20:07	the afternoon and you’ll note that with
20:09	the sun going dark and the moon no
20:11	longer giving its light these are signs
20:14	of god’s judgment
20:16	and indeed christ was judged in your
20:19	place and he was the one who was found
20:21	guilty of your sins
20:23	and god punished christ and jesus bore
20:27	the wrath and the judgment of god in
20:29	your place so that you can be forgiven
20:32	and those who are there at that first
20:34	pentecost could easily remember that day
20:38	50 days ago when the sun stopped giving
20:41	its light
20:43	and hearing then the words the prophet
20:45	joel go ah
20:47	ah this is true i i remember this this
20:49	was just a few weeks ago
20:52	so the sun will be turned to darkness
20:53	the moon to blood before the day of the
20:55	lord comes the great and magnificent day
20:58	and then it shall come to pass
21:00	listen to these words that everyone who
21:02	calls on the name of the lord shall be
21:07	saved
21:08	the name of the lord well joel 2 32 says
21:11	the name of yahweh
21:13	but peter is preaching about christ
21:15	which means that that is exactly who he
21:17	is and this is the good news of
21:19	pentecost these are the words that
21:21	christ wants us to hear and to keep
21:24	you’ll note that in no other religion in
21:27	no other self-made
21:29	man-made schema of religious activity do
21:33	you ever hear that god is the one who
21:36	gives salvation completely by grace
21:38	through faith as a gift
21:41	in all the other religions you have to
21:42	earn it you have to mean it you have to
21:44	show god that you intend to do what’s
21:46	good and what’s right and god has to
21:48	give you brownie points along the way
21:51	when you are the one earning your
21:53	salvation but the word of god teaches us
21:56	that everyone who calls on the name of
21:58	jesus will be saved as a gift because of
22:01	god’s love and his great mercy
22:04	so that being said
22:06	the assigned
22:08	psalm for pentecost psalm 143
22:12	it is quite appropriate because we see
22:15	that in our
22:16	text today from the feast of pentecost
22:19	in acts chapter 2
22:21	that in acts chapter 2 god has heard the
22:24	prayer of the psalmist and answered
22:26	you see the lord has heard our prayer
22:29	and heard our pleas for mercy by sending
22:32	christ who bled and died for your sins
22:34	and mine in faithfulness god has
22:36	answered us and in his faithfulness he
22:39	has given us as a gift the righteousness
22:42	of god that comes by faith god has not
22:45	entered into judgment with you nor nor
22:49	nor has he
22:50	held you accountable for your sins for
22:52	it is true that no one living is
22:54	righteous before god therefore god has
22:56	had mercy and sent his son to bleed and
22:59	die for the sins of the world and though
23:01	it is true that the enemy the devil has
23:03	pursued our souls he’s crushed our lives
23:05	to the ground he’s made us to sit in
23:08	darkness like those who are long dead
23:10	and even though our spirits have fainted
23:12	within us and our hearts were appalled
23:14	by our own sin god has remembered us
23:18	sent us a savior who has suffered under
23:22	pontius pilate crucified died buried
23:24	descended into hell risen from the grave
23:27	and ascended
23:28	to heaven and he and the father are the
23:30	ones who sent the holy spirit to bring
23:32	us these glad tidings of god’s mercy and
23:35	his grace
23:37	so we remember the days of old we
23:39	meditate on all the works that christ
23:41	has done and we ponder the works of
23:42	god’s hands and we who have stretched
23:45	out our hands to god because our
23:48	souls were thirsty like a parched land
23:50	god has now quenched us with the gospel
23:54	and poured into our hearts his holy
23:56	spirit
23:57	god has answered us quickly and even
23:59	though our spirits have failed god has
24:01	not hidden his face from us we are not
24:03	like those who go down to the pit
24:06	because christ has bled and died we are
24:08	those who when we die we will be present
24:10	with the lord in heaven
24:12	so let me hear in the morning then of
24:15	god’s steadfast love
24:17	it is in christ that we trust make us to
24:19	know the ways that we should go god and
24:21	god has given us the holy spirit in
24:24	order to help us to know the way that we
24:26	should go he has delivered us from satan
24:29	from the world from our own sinful flesh
24:31	and we have fled to god for our refuge
24:34	he has taught us his will and his holy
24:36	spirit guides us into all truth for he
24:39	is god
24:41	and so you’ll note and all of this god
24:43	has done for his name’s sake in order to
24:46	preserve your life and mine and in his
24:49	righteousness god has brought our souls
24:51	out of the trouble of sin and the
24:54	festering
24:55	well
24:56	difficulties that we go through because
24:59	of our being joined with the devil so in
25:01	your steadfast love cut off our enemies
25:04	god and he has and he has destroyed our
25:07	adversaries on the cross and if those
25:09	who have waged war against our souls and
25:12	because of what christ has done we are
25:14	no longer slaves to sin instead we are
25:18	now children of god and the holy spirit
25:20	within us cries out abba
25:22	father
25:24	it doesn’t sound like a pentecost sermon
25:26	does it
25:28	but it is
25:30	it is and the reason why it is is
25:33	because these are the words of christ
25:35	this is the message that he wants you to
25:37	hear this is the message that the
25:40	prophets foretold this is the message
25:42	that christ christ preached this is the
25:44	message that the apostles gave on
25:46	pentecost
25:48	whoever does not love christ
25:50	doesn’t keep his words
25:52	but you are not of that group you are
25:54	those who have been brought by the holy
25:55	spirit to the regenerative work of the
25:57	waters of baptism you have had the holy
26:00	spirit poured into your hearts your sins
26:02	forgiven today you will feast on the
26:04	body and blood of christ so listen to
26:07	his words hold them keep them learn them
26:10	mark them keep them sacred in your heart
26:13	do not let somebody take them away from
26:15	you and do not listen to other words
26:16	that contradict these words focus in on
26:19	the words of christ because if anyone
26:21	loves christ he does keep his words and
26:24	how could we not love him because the
26:26	words that he give us are words of peace
26:29	of forgiveness
26:30	mercy and love and his words are true in
26:34	the name of jesus
26:36	amen

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