Series A – Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Sunday, October 4, 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 saint |
| 0:30 | matthew the 21st chapter |
| 0:33 | [Music] |
| 0:35 | [Applause] |
| 0:39 | [Music] |
| 0:41 | Jesus said here another parable there |
| 0:43 | was a master of a house who planted a |
| 0:45 | vineyard |
| 0:46 | put a fence around it dug a wine press |
| 0:48 | in it built a tower and leased it to |
| 0:50 | tenants |
| 0:50 | and went into another country when the |
| 0:52 | season for fruit drew near |
| 0:54 | he sent his servants to the tenants to |
| 0:56 | get his fruit and the tenants took his |
| 0:58 | servants and beat one |
| 1:00 | killed another stoned another again he |
| 1:03 | sent |
| 1:03 | other servants more than the first and |
| 1:05 | they did the same to them |
| 1:07 | finally he sent his son to them saying |
| 1:08 | they will respect my son |
| 1:10 | but when the tenants saw the sun they |
| 1:12 | said to themselves |
| 1:13 | this is the heir come let us kill him |
| 1:16 | and have his inheritance |
| 1:17 | and they took him and threw him out of |
| 1:19 | the vineyard and killed him |
| 1:20 | when therefore the owner of the vineyard |
| 1:22 | comes what will he do to those tenants |
| 1:24 | they said to him they will put those |
| 1:26 | wretches to a miserable death |
| 1:28 | and let out the vineyard to other |
| 1:31 | tenants who will give him the fruits in |
| 1:33 | their seasons |
| 1:34 | Jesus said to them have you ever read in |
| 1:36 | the scriptures the stone that the |
| 1:37 | builders rejected has become the |
| 1:39 | cornerstone |
| 1:40 | this was the lord’s doing and it is |
| 1:42 | marvelous in our eyes |
| 1:43 | therefore i tell you the kingdom of god |
| 1:45 | will be taken away from you |
| 1:47 | and given to a people producing its |
| 1:48 | fruits and the one who falls on the |
| 1:50 | stone will be broken into pieces |
| 1:53 | and when it falls on anyway anyone it |
| 1:55 | will crush him |
| 1:56 | and when the chief priests and the |
| 1:57 | pharisees heard this parable they |
| 1:59 | perceived that he was speaking about |
| 2:00 | them |
| 2:01 | and although they were seeking to arrest |
| 2:03 | him they feared the crowds because they |
| 2:05 | held him |
| 2:06 | to be a prophet this is the gospel of |
| 2:08 | the lord |
| 2:09 | in the name of Jesus all right so here |
| 2:12 | are the words again |
| 2:13 | of our epistle text the apostle paul |
| 2:16 | saying forgetting |
| 2:17 | what lies behind and straining forward |
| 2:20 | to what lies ahead a forward focus |
| 2:24 | if you would and a forgetfulness of |
| 2:26 | things in the past |
| 2:28 | now it’s really tempting as you’re |
| 2:30 | reading this passage to think that what |
| 2:32 | paul is talking about forgetting |
| 2:34 | is forgetting his sin but that’s |
| 2:37 | not what he’s talking about think of it |
| 2:41 | this way |
| 2:41 | what he’s really talking about and we’ll |
| 2:43 | see this as a as we work back through |
| 2:45 | the text |
| 2:46 | he’s talking about forgetting what he |
| 2:48 | would consider |
| 2:49 | in the past his meritorious works the |
| 2:52 | stuff that he was doing in order to save |
| 2:54 | himself his own |
| 2:56 | self-righteousness and paul had a great |
| 2:58 | pedigree and so the idea here is |
| 3:00 | Christians |
| 3:01 | we do not live in the glory of our past |
| 3:04 | achievements as if our past |
| 3:06 | achievements somehow can merit something |
| 3:08 | with god in relation to our salvation |
| 3:11 | think of it this way the ultimate |
| 3:13 | example of a person who is |
| 3:15 | living in the past and cannot forget the |
| 3:17 | past or forget what is behind |
| 3:19 | is uh is that character from napoleon |
| 3:21 | dynamite uncle rico |
| 3:23 | okay kind of show i love napoleon |
| 3:25 | dynamite it tells you how bad |
| 3:27 | my uh my taste in comedy is you guys |
| 3:30 | look like you’re in pain |
| 3:31 | this is horrifying there will be a |
| 3:33 | stoning after church |
| 3:36 | but uncle rico if you remember uncle |
| 3:37 | rico and this is a guy who |
| 3:39 | in the present is living the glory of |
| 3:42 | his high school past |
| 3:43 | there he is with a vhs video recorder |
| 3:47 | in his van because he’s living in a van |
| 3:50 | because he |
| 3:51 | he’s living in the past working on his |
| 3:53 | football moves |
| 3:54 | and saying that he can throw this |
| 3:55 | pigskin over that mountain over there |
| 3:57 | this is a guy who’s a washout why |
| 3:59 | because |
| 4:01 | he can’t forget what lies behind but see |
| 4:03 | the thing is we’re a lot like uncle rico |
| 4:05 | when we somehow think that our past |
| 4:07 | achievements the stuff that we put on |
| 4:09 | our resume |
| 4:10 | somehow is going to resonate with god |
| 4:13 | i mean could you imagine on the day of |
| 4:15 | judgment standing before Christ |
| 4:17 | and Christ kind of looking at you and |
| 4:19 | your stroke and his beard going |
| 4:20 | and again could you remind me why i |
| 4:24 | should let you into heaven |
| 4:26 | well you see there was that year uh back |
| 4:28 | in 1994 |
| 4:31 | i joined a gym i joined la fitness and i |
| 4:33 | was faithful |
| 4:35 | to go to the gym four days a week for at |
| 4:38 | least |
| 4:39 | a good six weeks |
| 4:43 | really that’s that’s quite impressive |
| 4:46 | what else have you got well |
| 4:48 | i got a bachelor’s degree in religious |
| 4:50 | studies in biblical languages |
| 4:52 | uh-huh okay and master’s degree |
| 4:56 | yeah and this is the reason why you |
| 4:59 | should be |
| 5:00 | coming to heaven well remember that time |
| 5:02 | when i |
| 5:03 | i i did that thing to help my wife |
| 5:06 | without her even asking me |
| 5:08 | yeah that was quite monumental you know |
| 5:10 | what about all the other times when she |
| 5:12 | had to ask for your help |
| 5:13 | oh boy you see all the things that we |
| 5:17 | would think are like |
| 5:18 | bonuses stuff that goes good on a resume |
| 5:21 | if you think that somehow that’s going |
| 5:23 | to be meritorious |
| 5:25 | when you stand before Christ well that’s |
| 5:27 | what we call |
| 5:30 | self-righteousness |
| 5:32 | self-righteousness and to kind of put it |
| 5:36 | bluntly |
| 5:36 | self-righteousness isn’t going to cut |
| 5:38 | the mustard so |
| 5:40 | that being the case let’s work our way |
| 5:42 | back through our text |
| 5:43 | our epistle text and we’ll see quite |
| 5:46 | clearly that the apostle paul |
| 5:48 | is talking about forgetting what lies |
| 5:51 | behind |
| 5:52 | as far as his resume building |
| 5:54 | self-righteousness |
| 5:56 | philippians 2 we’ll back up just a |
| 5:59 | little bit into the context |
| 6:00 | philippians chapter 3 verse 2 look out |
| 6:03 | for the dogs |
| 6:04 | look out for the evildoers look out for |
| 6:06 | those who mutilate the flesh |
| 6:08 | i always like pointing this out you’ll |
| 6:09 | note that the apostle paul |
| 6:11 | he had some pretty strong rhetoric for |
| 6:14 | the judaizers these were fellows |
| 6:16 | who argued with paul and the apostles |
| 6:19 | and in fact they were so argumentative |
| 6:21 | on their point in their theology |
| 6:23 | that church council had to be called to |
| 6:26 | deal |
| 6:26 | with the issues that they were raising |
| 6:28 | up and the judaizers were the ones who |
| 6:31 | were saying |
| 6:32 | unless you are circumcised according to |
| 6:34 | the mosaic covenant and the custom of |
| 6:36 | moses |
| 6:37 | you cannot be saved |
| 6:40 | paul says of them their dogs and their |
| 6:42 | evildoers and they |
| 6:43 | their circumcision is nothing in fact |
| 6:46 | it’s so nothing that it’s just a |
| 6:47 | mutilation of the flesh and in galatians |
| 6:50 | the apostle paul says you know |
| 6:53 | would they chop the whole thing off |
| 6:57 | if they think that’s the holiness is |
| 6:58 | based on that then go all the way |
| 7:00 | why be half-hearted about it so paul |
| 7:03 | then says this |
| 7:04 | we we Christians who believe that we are |
| 7:07 | saved by grace through faith |
| 7:09 | we are the circumcision we are those who |
| 7:11 | worship by the spirit of god |
| 7:14 | and glory in Christ Jesus and |
| 7:17 | listen to the phrase put no confidence |
| 7:18 | in the flesh and here |
| 7:20 | confidence in the flesh is an idiom it’s |
| 7:22 | a it’s a way of saying i put no |
| 7:24 | confidence in my abilities the things |
| 7:27 | that i can do |
| 7:28 | uh in carrying out and doing good works |
| 7:31 | and then the apostle paul gives us his |
| 7:33 | pedigree and it’s quite |
| 7:35 | the resume though i myself he says have |
| 7:38 | reason for confidence in the flesh |
| 7:40 | also if anyone else thinks he has reason |
| 7:42 | for confidence in the flesh |
| 7:44 | listen i have more and then listen to |
| 7:47 | this list |
| 7:47 | circumcised on the eighth day of the |
| 7:49 | people of israel of the tribe of |
| 7:51 | benjamin |
| 7:51 | a hebrew of the hebrews as to the law of |
| 7:54 | pharisee |
| 7:55 | as to zeal a persecutor of the church as |
| 7:57 | to righteousness |
| 7:58 | unto the torah blameless now that’s |
| 8:02 | a good list you’ll note that the list |
| 8:05 | that |
| 8:05 | Christians try to put together today if |
| 8:07 | they’re under the influence of what we |
| 8:08 | call |
| 8:09 | pietism those lists don’t quite sound as |
| 8:12 | impressive |
| 8:13 | you know for instance let me give you an |
| 8:14 | example kind of a pietistic |
| 8:16 | approach so well i can’t say that i’m a |
| 8:20 | you know that i’m a member of the tribe |
| 8:21 | of benjamin but i can say |
| 8:24 | that i don’t dance drink smoke or chew |
| 8:30 | um my dog luther doesn’t do any of those |
| 8:33 | things either |
| 8:35 | just saying yeah okay so it’s not as |
| 8:38 | impressive it’s not as impressive |
| 8:40 | as as well circumcised on the eighth day |
| 8:44 | of the people of israel of the tribe of |
| 8:46 | benjamin the hebrew of the hebrews as to |
| 8:48 | the law pharisee as the zeal of |
| 8:49 | persecutor of the church it’s |
| 8:50 | yeah it doesn’t have quite the same ring |
| 8:53 | in fact |
| 8:54 | that’s the thing is that you’ll note |
| 8:56 | that paul’s |
| 8:57 | list actually includes requirements |
| 9:01 | of the law of the bible whereas |
| 9:05 | the lists that are put together by the |
| 9:06 | self-righteous by pietas |
| 9:09 | oftentimes is a list that includes good |
| 9:12 | works that they’ve made |
| 9:14 | up that they’ve invented that are not |
| 9:17 | ever listed in scripture as good works |
| 9:20 | so you’ll keep that in mind so paul has |
| 9:23 | a better credential in this |
| 9:24 | area and he says but then whatever gain |
| 9:27 | i had |
| 9:28 | gain i had in being self-righteous i now |
| 9:30 | count as a loss for the sake of Christ |
| 9:33 | indeed i count everything as a loss |
| 9:35 | because of the surpassing worth |
| 9:37 | of knowing Christ Jesus my lord |
| 9:40 | it’s like having the perfect resume |
| 9:44 | the one that you know is supposed to get |
| 9:46 | all the accolades |
| 9:47 | and then taking it crumpling it up |
| 9:52 | throwing it in the trash and saying |
| 9:55 | forget it it’s worthless it’s utterly |
| 9:59 | worthless and that’s what paul is saying |
| 10:02 | so indeed i count everything as a loss |
| 10:04 | because of the surpassing worth of |
| 10:06 | knowing Christ Jesus my lord |
| 10:08 | and then listen to these words for |
| 10:10 | Christ’s |
| 10:11 | sake for his sake i have suffered the |
| 10:13 | loss |
| 10:14 | of all things and there’s the word that |
| 10:18 | shows up for the first time in this text |
| 10:19 | and the word is suffered |
| 10:21 | and you’ll note that the apostle paul in |
| 10:23 | considering his |
| 10:25 | righteousness under the torah as |
| 10:27 | worthless |
| 10:28 | in fact he goes on in just the next part |
| 10:30 | of the sentence and says he counts it as |
| 10:32 | rubbish |
| 10:33 | why so that he can gain Christ in his |
| 10:35 | confession of Christ |
| 10:37 | and denial of his own righteousness and |
| 10:39 | belief |
| 10:40 | that his righteousness is given as a |
| 10:42 | gift from god paul |
| 10:44 | was made to suffer |
| 10:47 | and suffer greatly in fact he considered |
| 10:51 | this |
| 10:52 | life in this old this life that we’re |
| 10:54 | presently living nothing here |
| 10:56 | to be worth grasping for or to be |
| 10:59 | looking |
| 11:00 | out in order to achieve in in in build |
| 11:04 | so he said and i want to be found in |
| 11:06 | Christ |
| 11:08 | not having a righteousness of my |
| 11:11 | own that comes from the law |
| 11:18 | not having a righteousness of my own and |
| 11:21 | when you understand god’s law |
| 11:22 | correctly you recognize that even your |
| 11:26 | best good works |
| 11:28 | are tainted with sin and so the idea of |
| 11:32 | having a righteousness of my own that’s |
| 11:34 | again |
| 11:34 | self-righteousness and paul is having |
| 11:36 | none of it but |
| 11:37 | he says instead i want to have the |
| 11:39 | righteousness that comes through |
| 11:41 | faith in Christ this is the |
| 11:43 | righteousness that is from god |
| 11:45 | and it depends on faith over and again |
| 11:48 | we emphasize the fact |
| 11:49 | that Christ bled and died for our sins |
| 11:52 | god made Jesus to be sin who knew no sin |
| 11:56 | so that we can become the righteousness |
| 11:58 | of god so that we will be clothed in the |
| 12:00 | righteousness of Christ |
| 12:02 | and that comes and is given by grace |
| 12:05 | god’s grace and his mercy |
| 12:07 | through faith and so you’ll understand |
| 12:09 | then that for paul |
| 12:10 | everything is about the cross everything |
| 12:12 | is about Christ in fact he says |
| 12:14 | i chose to know nothing among you except |
| 12:16 | for Christ and him crucified |
| 12:18 | and that’s the point if our great god |
| 12:22 | and savior Jesus Christ |
| 12:24 | has bled and died for all of our sins |
| 12:27 | and |
| 12:27 | our unrighteousness has been imputed to |
| 12:30 | him |
| 12:31 | and it has and by faith his |
| 12:34 | righteousness is imputed to us |
| 12:36 | can you improve upon that |
| 12:39 | i can’t so i would consider any attempt |
| 12:43 | to save myself to resume build to live |
| 12:46 | in the glory of my past |
| 12:48 | as if it’s that glorious anyway and |
| 12:51 | somehow |
| 12:52 | think that that’s going to get me in |
| 12:54 | with god |
| 12:55 | that that’s that’s just being uncle rico |
| 12:58 | it’s just |
| 12:59 | silly and stupid |
| 13:03 | and then he goes on so that i might know |
| 13:05 | Christ |
| 13:07 | so that i might know the power of his |
| 13:09 | resurrection |
| 13:10 | so that i might share his sufferings and |
| 13:13 | again here he’s talking about |
| 13:15 | suffering paul was one of these fellows |
| 13:17 | who was made to suffer |
| 13:18 | greatly in the book of second |
| 13:22 | corinthians chapter 11 |
| 13:24 | paul gives us a different list than the |
| 13:26 | list that we heard |
| 13:28 | at the beginning of philippians 3 and |
| 13:31 | this one is quite fascinating |
| 13:33 | and this is an account of all the |
| 13:34 | sufferings that paul went through |
| 13:36 | because he denied his own righteousness |
| 13:38 | and wanted |
| 13:39 | to know Christ and to share in the |
| 13:42 | sufferings of Christ |
| 13:44 | paul writing to the corinthian church |
| 13:47 | who did something really |
| 13:48 | bizarre all right there was a group of |
| 13:51 | people in the ancient world who called |
| 13:52 | themselves not apostles |
| 13:55 | but they were super apostles |
| 13:58 | super apostles see i’m not just a pastor |
| 14:02 | i’m a super pastor you know |
| 14:05 | you guys aren’t buying it okay but for |
| 14:08 | real |
| 14:09 | there was a group of people who called |
| 14:11 | themselves super apostles yeah see the |
| 14:13 | apostle paul they |
| 14:14 | they denied they thought you know maybe |
| 14:16 | paul isn’t really an apostle |
| 14:18 | peter they said yes for sure he’s an |
| 14:19 | apostle but we we |
| 14:21 | we’re the super apostles and they would |
| 14:23 | charge a lot of money for their |
| 14:25 | uh for their pulpit time you know they |
| 14:27 | were itinerant preachers and they would |
| 14:29 | come in and they would actually mistreat |
| 14:31 | people and treat them poorly and and |
| 14:35 | of course put on heirs as super apostles |
| 14:37 | and here’s the thing |
| 14:38 | the church in corinth went for it |
| 14:42 | you’re a super apostle wow can i have |
| 14:45 | your autograph |
| 14:46 | okay that’s kind of what what happened |
| 14:49 | okay |
| 14:49 | so the apostle paul is doing his best to |
| 14:52 | wake them |
| 14:53 | up it’s like come on guys |
| 14:56 | super apostles really and so paul comes |
| 15:00 | up with this great strategy in second |
| 15:02 | corinthians 11 |
| 15:03 | and he’s going to engage in boasting |
| 15:07 | the way the super apostles boast but the |
| 15:09 | things he’s going to boast about |
| 15:11 | are nothing like what the super apostles |
| 15:13 | boast about super apostles would boast |
| 15:15 | about |
| 15:16 | how much money they could charge a |
| 15:18 | church when they would come and preach |
| 15:20 | super apostles would talk about how good |
| 15:22 | their accommodations were |
| 15:24 | how much money they hauled in last week |
| 15:26 | how many people cried and wept and |
| 15:29 | and all that kind of stuff when they |
| 15:30 | would preach they were super apostles |
| 15:33 | so paul here listen to his list this is |
| 15:35 | from second corinthians chapter 11 |
| 15:38 | and i’ll start halfway through verse 21. |
| 15:43 | so he says this whatever anyone else |
| 15:45 | dares to boast of talking about the |
| 15:46 | super apostles |
| 15:47 | and then he makes a little bit of a |
| 15:49 | commentary note here |
| 15:50 | he listen i want to remind you about |
| 15:52 | right now i’m speaking as a fool |
| 15:55 | so he says i also then will dare to |
| 15:57 | boast of that |
| 15:59 | are the super apostles hebrews |
| 16:02 | paul says yes well so am i are the super |
| 16:06 | apostles israelites you betcha |
| 16:09 | so am i are the super apostles offspring |
| 16:12 | of abraham |
| 16:14 | don’t you know absolutely so am i |
| 16:17 | are they servants of Christ |
| 16:21 | now notice he doesn’t affirm that they |
| 16:22 | are servants of Christ |
| 16:24 | but here’s what he says i’m a better one |
| 16:27 | now he reminds us again i’m talking like |
| 16:29 | a madman |
| 16:30 | now here’s his pedigree here with far |
| 16:33 | greater laborers far more imprisonments |
| 16:37 | with countless beatings often near death |
| 16:40 | five times i received at the hands of |
| 16:43 | the jews the forty lashes left one |
| 16:45 | three times i was beaten with rods once |
| 16:47 | i was stoned |
| 16:48 | three times i was shipwrecked at night |
| 16:51 | and a day and |
| 16:52 | i was adrift at sea on frequent journeys |
| 16:55 | in danger from rivers |
| 16:56 | and danger from robbers danger from my |
| 16:59 | own people |
| 17:00 | danger from the gentiles danger in the |
| 17:03 | city |
| 17:04 | danger in the wilderness danger at sea |
| 17:07 | danger from false brothers |
| 17:09 | in toil and hardship through many a |
| 17:12 | sleepless night |
| 17:13 | in hunger and thirst and often without |
| 17:15 | food in cold |
| 17:17 | and exposure and apart from other things |
| 17:19 | there’s the daily pressure on me |
| 17:22 | of my anxiety for all the churches |
| 17:25 | who is weak and i am not weak who was |
| 17:29 | made to fall |
| 17:30 | and i am not indignant if i must boast |
| 17:34 | i will boast of the things that show my |
| 17:37 | weakness |
| 17:40 | who does that could you imagine putting |
| 17:43 | a resume together and expecting to get a |
| 17:46 | job with it |
| 17:46 | where everything on the list was all the |
| 17:48 | things that you had done |
| 17:50 | that show your weakness |
| 17:54 | no one would take it seriously but |
| 17:58 | there is what paul has done he’s taken |
| 18:00 | his list |
| 18:01 | when he was a self-righteous jew and |
| 18:03 | pharisee it’s in the |
| 18:05 | trash can and now out comes the other |
| 18:07 | list and he boasts of all the things |
| 18:09 | that show his weakness |
| 18:10 | and he boasts of the fact that he has |
| 18:13 | shared |
| 18:14 | in the sufferings of Christ |
| 18:20 | and the reason he does this is because |
| 18:22 | where is his focus |
| 18:24 | on the resurrection |
| 18:28 | now some of you look healthier than |
| 18:29 | others some of you are young |
| 18:32 | i’m old it’s getting worse by the day i |
| 18:35 | just |
| 18:35 | can’t believe you guys are not telling |
| 18:37 | me how bad it is i know that you’re |
| 18:38 | doing that |
| 18:39 | out of kindness to me |
| 18:44 | but the reality is this is whether |
| 18:46 | you’re young or old whether you’re |
| 18:47 | healthy or unhealthy |
| 18:50 | whether you have a gym membership and |
| 18:51 | actually go to the gym or not |
| 18:54 | we are all dying and our hope is not in |
| 18:56 | this life our hope is in the |
| 18:57 | resurrection |
| 18:58 | as Christ has said that anyone who would |
| 19:01 | want to follow him must |
| 19:02 | deny himself that’s deny your |
| 19:05 | self-righteousness |
| 19:07 | deny your ambitions deny anything |
| 19:10 | to do with setting up an empire to |
| 19:13 | yourself or establishing yourself in |
| 19:15 | this world |
| 19:16 | take up your cross consider yourself a |
| 19:18 | dead man walking |
| 19:20 | and follow Jesus participate in his |
| 19:23 | sufferings |
| 19:25 | embrace the fact that we are to |
| 19:29 | be servants of each other count others |
| 19:31 | as more |
| 19:32 | important than ourselves share in the |
| 19:34 | sufferings of Christ |
| 19:36 | for confessing his name and all of this |
| 19:38 | we can do because |
| 19:39 | Christ himself though he was |
| 19:43 | god by nature humbled himself and became |
| 19:46 | obedient |
| 19:47 | even to the point of death even death on |
| 19:49 | the cross |
| 19:50 | and so we too now following Christ have |
| 19:53 | that same mindset that we are |
| 19:55 | armed with it won’t get us very far in |
| 19:58 | this world |
| 20:00 | it won’t establish this as powerful |
| 20:02 | leaders |
| 20:03 | or as great business people or as people |
| 20:06 | that |
| 20:07 | people will end up writing stories about |
| 20:09 | later on |
| 20:11 | but instead we know that what we have |
| 20:14 | awaiting for us is the resurrection of |
| 20:16 | the dead |
| 20:16 | a new life with Christ in a world |
| 20:18 | without sin |
| 20:20 | so that i might share in his sufferings |
| 20:21 | become like him in his death |
| 20:24 | so that by any means possible i may |
| 20:26 | attain |
| 20:27 | the resurrection from the dead paul says |
| 20:30 | and not that i’ve already obtained it or |
| 20:32 | am already perfect you know the the |
| 20:34 | apostle paul is he’s getting close to |
| 20:36 | the end of his life |
| 20:37 | philippians not is not early in his |
| 20:38 | ministry philippians is written |
| 20:40 | close to the end of paul’s life and paul |
| 20:43 | has |
| 20:43 | clearly stated he’s not already perfect |
| 20:47 | not even close |
| 20:50 | and that’s kind of the thing the thing |
| 20:53 | we’re looking for |
| 20:54 | is the perfection of the resurrection |
| 20:58 | but can you imagine a world without sin |
| 21:05 | i’m having a hard time picturing it i |
| 21:07 | have no idea what that would be like |
| 21:09 | in fact think of it this way we’re |
| 21:11 | suspicious we’re suspicious of the |
| 21:13 | concept |
| 21:13 | of a perfect world of perfect society a |
| 21:16 | world without sin |
| 21:18 | always and again when a movie starts |
| 21:21 | where |
| 21:21 | everybody’s lawns are manicured all the |
| 21:24 | white picket fences |
| 21:25 | are up and perfect and people dress |
| 21:28 | impeccably |
| 21:29 | and all the kids say yes sir and no sir |
| 21:31 | and yes ma’am and no ma’am |
| 21:33 | and people say hey neighbor how’s it |
| 21:35 | going it’s a great day |
| 21:37 | we know what kind of movie we’re |
| 21:38 | watching it’s a horror movie |
| 21:40 | okay that’s the setup |
| 21:44 | okay because it’s not perfect |
| 21:48 | okay but the thing is is that |
| 21:51 | as sinners we can’t imagine |
| 21:54 | a perfect world so much so that if |
| 21:58 | any hint of that shows up we know that |
| 22:00 | something is terribly wrong |
| 22:02 | as the old robot would say danger will |
| 22:04 | robinson danger |
| 22:05 | right that’s the idea but paul is |
| 22:09 | talking that |
| 22:09 | there is a world coming where we will be |
| 22:12 | made perfect in Christ |
| 22:14 | as a gift by grace through faith and so |
| 22:16 | he says then i press |
| 22:18 | forward then to make this my own |
| 22:21 | and here’s the reason why because Christ |
| 22:24 | Jesus |
| 22:24 | has made me his own and this is |
| 22:27 | wonderful for us this is |
| 22:28 | an actual great hook into the good news |
| 22:31 | of the gospel of Christ |
| 22:32 | because we know that it is not by our |
| 22:36 | own reasoning by our own decisions by |
| 22:38 | our own |
| 22:39 | merits that we are Christ’s own |
| 22:42 | it’s because Christ himself he is the |
| 22:45 | one who has made us his own |
| 22:47 | he has done this through the preaching |
| 22:49 | of the gospel |
| 22:50 | or in the waters of baptism Christ has |
| 22:52 | made us his |
| 22:54 | own so he says this then brothers i |
| 22:56 | don’t consider that i’ve made it my own |
| 22:59 | but one thing i do forgetting what lies |
| 23:02 | behind |
| 23:03 | and straining forward to what lies ahead |
| 23:06 | forgetting all the self-righteousness |
| 23:07 | the resume building and keeping your |
| 23:09 | eyes |
| 23:10 | on the forward prize the prize of the |
| 23:13 | upward call of god in Christ Jesus |
| 23:16 | of the resurrection of the dead a |
| 23:17 | perfect life to come |
| 23:19 | and a world without sin and paul then |
| 23:22 | kind of finishes his thought when he |
| 23:24 | says this let those of you who are |
| 23:26 | mature |
| 23:27 | think this way and if any anything you |
| 23:30 | think other any of you think otherwise |
| 23:32 | god will reveal also to you only let us |
| 23:35 | hold true to what we have attained |
| 23:37 | so brothers and sisters on the occasion |
| 23:40 | of this text again showing up in our |
| 23:42 | lectionary |
| 23:43 | let us again repent of our |
| 23:45 | self-righteousness |
| 23:46 | let us again repent of our resume |
| 23:50 | building regarding the day of judgment |
| 23:52 | thinking that somehow we can have |
| 23:54 | confidence in the things that we’ve |
| 23:55 | achieved in our flesh |
| 23:56 | and hold them up to Christ as the |
| 23:59 | currency by which we can purchase |
| 24:01 | salvation from him because we can’t let |
| 24:04 | us as paul has said forget |
| 24:06 | what lies behind and strain forward to |
| 24:09 | what lies ahead |
| 24:11 | a new world a world without sin face to |
| 24:14 | face |
| 24:14 | meeting with Christ in fact next sunday |
| 24:17 | with a little bit of a note here next |
| 24:19 | sunday in our old testament text |
| 24:21 | there’s going to be a little bit of a |
| 24:22 | preview of the menu of the wedding feast |
| 24:24 | of the lamb |
| 24:25 | and i got to tell you this wedding this |
| 24:27 | meant the things that are on the menu |
| 24:29 | are not going to make pita happy |
| 24:30 | it’s not vegan and it’s not keto and |
| 24:33 | there’s |
| 24:34 | wine i’m just saying so all of that |
| 24:37 | given as a gift so again let us repent |
| 24:40 | of our self-righteousness and embrace |
| 24:43 | what Christ has done for us and count |
| 24:46 | all of that other stuff |
| 24:47 | as rubbish so that we might have the |
| 24:50 | TRUE |
| 24:50 | thing the meritorious one the one who’s |
| 24:54 | done all the work for us |
| 24:55 | Jesus Christ our lord in the name of |
| 24:58 | Jesus |
| 24:59 | 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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