LutheranLectionary.org

1 Year Lectionary – Fifteenth Sunday After Trinity – Sunday, September 25, 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
0:29	According to Saint Matthew the sixth
0:31	chapter
0:32	foreign
0:39	Jesus said no one can serve two masters
0:42	either he will hate the one and love the
0:44	other or he will be devoted to the one
0:47	and despise the other you cannot serve
0:50	God in money therefore I tell you do not
0:52	be anxious about your life what you will
0:55	eat what you will drink nor about your
0:57	body what you will put on is not life
0:59	more than food and the body more than
1:02	clothing look at the birds of the air
1:04	they neither sown or reap nor gather
1:06	into Barns and yet your heavenly father
1:08	feeds them are you of not more value
1:11	than they and which of you by being
1:13	anxious can add a single hour to his
1:15	span of life and why are you anxious
1:17	about clothing consider the lilies of
1:19	the field how they grow they neither
1:21	toil nor spin yet I tell you even
1:23	Solomon in all of his glory was not
1:25	arrayed like one of these but if God so
1:27	closed the grass of the field which
1:29	today is alive and tomorrow is thrown
1:32	into the oven will he not much more
1:34	clothe you o you of little faith
1:36	therefore do not be anxious saying what
1:39	shall we eat what shall we drink what
1:41	shall we wear for the Gentiles seek
1:44	after these things and your heavenly
1:45	father knows that they need them all but
1:47	seek first the kingdom of God and his
1:49	righteousness and all these things will
1:51	be added to you therefore do not be
1:53	anxious about tomorrow for tomorrow
1:54	we’ll be anxious for itself sufficient
1:57	for the day is its own trouble this is
2:00	the gospel of the Lord in the name of
2:02	Jesus
2:03	all right I got to warn you it’s a
2:05	sermon about money right and I assure
2:08	you that we will not be sowing a seed
2:10	offering at the end of this so that you
2:12	can enhance my personal bank account
2:14	that’s not what this is about in fact
2:16	you’ll note that Jesus here is trying to
2:19	get us to note that when it comes to
2:22	money there’s kind of two ditches you
2:25	know out here in the middle of nowhere
2:27	you’ll note that it’s completely flat so
2:30	flat like like I said before you can
2:32	watch your dog run away for two weeks
2:33	out here and uh yep he’s still going but
2:36	uh but all that being said you don’t
2:39	want to end up in any of the ditches you
2:42	got to stay on the road I remember one
2:44	time when I was coming to Arden Lin’s
2:46	funeral do you guys remember that it was
2:48	in a it was a December funeral and right
2:51	before his funeral we had like one of
2:53	those light dustings of of like frost on
2:57	the road right and so Barb and I were on
3:00	our way to the funeral we had just made
3:02	the turn and we were heading down down
3:04	the highway and we hit that patch of
3:06	like stuff and I I couldn’t control the
3:09	truck I tried steering to the right
3:12	steering to the left and then the more I
3:14	tried the worse it got and then we did
3:16	like a whole 360 and then we ended up in
3:18	one of the ditches
3:21	right and it was it was miserable but
3:24	thankfully you know things had you know
3:26	there wasn’t a lot of water in there and
3:28	we hadn’t gotten into the water bit so
3:30	we were able to kind of collect
3:32	ourselves and then drive away
3:35	so when it comes to money in our gospel
3:37	text here if you really pay attention
3:40	Christ is talking really in two
3:42	different directions the the danger of
3:45	when you have money which thankfully I
3:47	don’t have that problem and then the
3:49	danger of well when you don’t quite have
3:52	enough or you have to like everybody
3:54	else work really hard and toil so that
3:58	you can pay your bills and then the next
4:00	month you got to work hard and toil so
4:03	that you can pay your bills and it just
4:05	seems like you’re just eeking out your
4:07	existence and never really quite getting
4:10	ahead in both of those cases you are
4:13	well in danger if you don’t keep your
4:16	eyes focused on Christ properly so the
4:20	first danger Jesus says no one can serve
4:23	two masters either he will hate the one
4:25	and love the other or he will be devoted
4:29	to the one and despise the other you
4:31	cannot serve God and money
4:35	and so you’ll note those who have
4:37	resources you have to think of it as a
4:40	tool yeah yeah like if you were a
4:42	carpenter or a guy who was a day laborer
4:45	and you had a tool belt you don’t
4:47	worship your tape measure you don’t
4:49	worship your Hammer no you use these
4:52	tools properly but you’ll know always
4:54	with money is there there is that
4:55	Temptation and it’s here where I would
4:58	again point out you can’t take any of it
5:01	with you and this past week I don’t know
5:03	if you guys watched the funeral for
5:05	Queen Elizabeth II I did I have this
5:09	really difficult time like if history is
5:11	happening in real time I have a hard
5:13	time turning off the television and so I
5:16	woke up at 4 30 on Monday morning to
5:18	watch the funeral and I gotta admit I
5:20	was quite impressed it was spectacular
5:22	it was overtly Christian it was kind of
5:25	in your face with the gospel and the
5:28	fact that the resurrection of the Dead
5:30	is the thing that we were all looking
5:32	for and what was really kind of funny
5:34	I’m digressing myself in my digression
5:37	here so we’re like two levels down in in
5:39	bunny trail at this point but one of the
5:41	things I found very interesting is that
5:43	how overt they preached Christ and then
5:47	the hope that that Elizabeth had and has
5:51	in the resurrection and so afterwards
5:54	while the her casket where her coffin
5:56	was processing uh through the Streets of
5:59	London one of the the color commentators
6:02	they’d gathered a few people to kind of
6:04	comment on things that were going on one
6:06	of the women she said
6:08	I I’ve never heard anything like that
6:11	before is did she sincerely believe that
6:15	that she was going to rise from the dead
6:17	and one of the commentators said yep
6:21	it was just so awesome but you’ll note
6:24	that on her coffin there were three
6:27	symbols of her royal power they had an
6:30	orb otherwise known as The Holy Hand
6:32	Grenade of Antioch they had a scepter
6:35	and they had her crown and her those
6:39	emblems stayed on her coffin through her
6:42	funeral service and as they processed
6:45	her coffin all the way out and then
6:47	transferred her into a hearse and drove
6:49	her out to Windsor Castle where Saint
6:51	George’s Chapel is where the finals part
6:54	of the service was her committal and
6:56	that the very very very end of this
7:01	committal service in a very solemn
7:04	ceremony They removed the orb from her
7:06	coffin They removed the scepter from her
7:09	coffin and they removed the crown from
7:12	her coffin and the co the commentator
7:14	that I was listening to while I was
7:16	watching this says and thus Queen
7:18	Elizabeth is no longer Queen Elizabeth
7:20	these the symbols of her power are now
7:24	taken from her and she returns to being
7:26	Elizabeth Windsor
7:29	that was brilliant it was absolutely
7:31	brilliant but you’ll note that in her
7:32	lifetime she arguably was probably one
7:36	of the wealthiest women on planet Earth
7:38	if not the wealthiest woman on planet
7:40	Earth and as far as powerful women go
7:42	she was the most powerful woman on
7:45	planet Earth and yet despite all of that
7:47	Elizabeth had a very Christian way in
7:51	which she looked at the things that she
7:53	was responsible to do and as she when
7:56	she became Queen Elizabeth after her
7:58	father died she made a radio address
8:00	where she said where she I solemnly
8:03	promise that I will use my time as as as
8:08	Queen to serve the people and even the
8:12	Archbishop of Canterbury noted that few
8:14	people in human history have better
8:17	fulfilled their promises than Queen
8:19	Elizabeth and so she understood money
8:22	and power were not things to be sought
8:25	after or worshiped or trusted in and she
8:28	used all of those things in order to
8:31	serve the people she was called to as
8:33	their as their Sovereign as their Queen
8:36	and Royal and so we have a good example
8:38	of the right way of approaching it in
8:41	Psalm 62 King David who was also a royal
8:44	he has an interesting uh this is an
8:47	interesting Psalm that kind of gets at
8:49	the heart of where where Christ would
8:51	take us with a proper understanding of
8:53	the things of this Earth and so David in
8:56	Psalm 62 writes for God Alone my soul
9:00	waits in silence
9:03	from him comes my salvation
9:06	he alone is my rock and my salvation he
9:09	alone is my Fortress and I shall not be
9:12	greatly shaken and this is the right
9:15	attitude that we need to have as we
9:16	journey through this life everything
9:18	that you see including your own body
9:19	right now is temporal nothing nothing
9:22	that you see smell taste or touch is
9:25	going to last including you and so
9:28	you’ll note that in the Silence of the
9:30	darkness of sin and the suffering that
9:33	we find ourselves in that we all are
9:36	called to patiently endure to wait and
9:39	silence and for our focus and our faith
9:42	and our hope to be on Christ he alone is
9:46	our Rock he alone is our Salvation he is
9:48	our Fortress I would note that um I I’m
9:52	I’m not really a royal like not even
9:55	close I don’t think there’s any Royal
9:56	Blood in me if if there were it would it
9:59	would probably blow up but all of that
10:01	being said I don’t have a castle either
10:04	you know I haven’t named my house Castle
10:06	Roseboro or like this castles are for
10:08	people are for kings and folks like that
10:10	but Jesus is our Fortress he is our
10:14	castle and because of that we are not
10:16	greatly shaken in this world but that
10:18	doesn’t mean that we do not experience
10:20	shakings we do so how long will all of
10:23	you attack a man and batter him like a
10:26	leaning wall a tottering fence and
10:28	you’ll note that Christians oftentimes
10:30	they’re slandered and ridiculed and
10:32	reviled and made to suffer and then that
10:36	well this is the lot that we have
10:38	because we are in Christ so people will
10:41	try to batter us and attack us and tear
10:44	us down they only plan to thrust him
10:47	down from his high position they take
10:49	pleasure and falsehood they bless with
10:50	their mouths inwardly they curse but for
10:53	God Alone O my soul wait in silence for
10:57	my hope is from him he only is my rock
11:00	and my salvation my Fortress and I will
11:02	not be shaken on God rests my salvation
11:05	and my glory my Mighty rock my refuge is
11:09	God so trust in him at all times o
11:12	people pour out your heart before him
11:15	God is a refuge for us those of Lois
11:19	State verse 9 of Psalm 62 those of Lois
11:23	state are but of breath and those of
11:25	high estate that’s a delusion in the
11:29	balances they all go up they are
11:31	together lighter than a breath so put no
11:33	trust and extortion set no vain hopes on
11:37	robbery and if riches increase set not
11:40	your heart on them once God has spoken
11:44	twice have I heard this that power
11:46	belongs to God and that To You O Lord
11:51	belongs steadfast love for you will
11:53	render to man according to his work so
11:56	if riches increased do not set your
11:59	heart on them they have a tendency to
12:01	fly away like birds in in different
12:04	seasons so note that but then the other
12:06	ditch the other ditch this is where
12:09	probably the vast number of of us all
12:12	fit the bigger percentage of humanity
12:15	falls into this category the people who
12:17	have to toil the people who well live
12:20	from day to day and you’ll note that
12:22	Christ taught us to pray in the Lord’s
12:24	Prayer give us this day our daily bread
12:27	so have you have you gone with have you
12:30	gone a day without eating lately any of
12:33	you not not me I not me I God still
12:35	continues to give me daily bread even
12:37	though my wife usually buys a week worth
12:39	of worth of groceries we’re good you
12:42	know but he daily gives us what we need
12:44	so Christ tells us therefore I tell you
12:46	do not be anxious about your life what
12:50	you will eat what you will drink or
12:52	about your body what you will put on
12:53	yeah but you’ll know we all know this
12:56	anxiety the whole world knows this
12:58	anxiety this seems to be the entire
13:00	focus of like the entire worldly system
13:03	it’s all about food clothing which you
13:07	put on
13:08	then you know in Rich circles oh man
13:11	they determined the worth of a human
13:13	being based upon the car that they drive
13:16	the watch that they wear the the logo on
13:19	their handbag if you don’t have the
13:21	right logo or anything like this you’re
13:23	considered to be less of a person and
13:25	Everybody Plays the game to try to make
13:28	their lives so that they go from the
13:29	bottom to having the best that this
13:31	world has to offer and they stress the
13:34	entire time
13:36	got to get to that next level gotta
13:38	climb gotta climb gotta get yeah
13:40	Jesus is now in the midst of all of that
13:42	anxiety starts asking some pretty
13:45	logical questions is not life more than
13:48	food
13:49	and the body more than clothing hey
13:52	Jesus stop talking sense to me here this
13:54	is just I I’m having an anxiety attack
13:57	right now you know the fall fashion has
13:59	just been released and I I don’t know
14:01	how I’m going to be able to afford
14:02	getting that next thing oh Apple just
14:05	had their event and I’ve got to get the
14:07	new iPhone 14 15 Max thingy and right
14:14	is not life more than food and the body
14:17	more than clothing
14:19	look at the birds of the air Jesus says
14:22	they neither sow nor reap nor gather
14:24	into Barns and yet your heavenly father
14:26	feeds them have you ever had that
14:29	experience where you’ve kind of looked
14:30	at Wildlife that lives in town or in the
14:33	cities and thought man they got a good
14:35	life you know when I when I traveled to
14:37	large cities I always take a look at the
14:39	pigeons and go man they’re fat you know
14:41	like you go to New York City or you go
14:42	to London London man those pigeons they
14:45	they look like you can probably take a
14:47	shotgun and shoot it and then it’d make
14:50	good eating that’s how big they are or
14:52	have you ever seen how the how well the
14:54	seagulls do in Seaside towns yeah don’t
14:57	go outside with your French fries when
14:59	they’re seagulls around they will attack
15:01	you and Rob you blind right you’ll note
15:05	Christ says the heavenly father feeds
15:07	the birds I always have to ask God after
15:09	a seagull is stolen one of my meals why
15:12	did you have to feed him with my meal
15:14	right but here Jesus again is talking
15:17	sense and we have a tendency to look and
15:20	see that even some animals they do
15:22	better than human beings but note here
15:24	Jesus’s point is that God is the one who
15:29	feeds them
15:30	and which of you by being anxious can
15:32	add a single hour to his lifespan
15:37	yeah anxiety doesn’t lengthen your life
15:39	it shortens it you’ll note those with
15:41	anxiety disorders often have major
15:43	medical issues including a high risk for
15:46	cancer
15:47	and Jesus says why are you anxious about
15:49	your clothing you consider the lilies of
15:52	the field how they grow they neither
15:54	toil nor spin yet I tell you even
15:57	Solomon in all of his glory was not
15:59	arrayed like one of these yeah and yeah
16:01	I hate to say this you can tell summer’s
16:04	gone the cool days are here I’m
16:06	expecting our first snow in about what
16:08	three weeks is that it yeah yeah yeah
16:10	yeah all right but all that being said
16:12	when the warm weather arrived in May and
16:15	and the warm months through June and
16:17	July Barbara and I would go on walks and
16:19	we were walking through town here and
16:20	I’ve noticed that some of my neighbors
16:22	they have an amazing ability to put
16:26	together a gorgeous flower garden we
16:29	tried growing flowers a couple years ago
16:31	we even bought bulbs
16:33	they all died okay they all died
16:37	but we vicariously enjoy a good flower
16:41	garden you love the smell love the way
16:43	it looks and it’s just so impressive and
16:46	Christ points out the fact that not even
16:48	Solomon in this great king of the
16:51	ancient past he was never arrayed like
16:54	the flowers of the field and then he
16:57	says
16:58	if God so closed the grass of the field
17:00	which today is alive tomorrow is thrown
17:03	into the oven
17:04	will he not much more clothe you
17:07	o you of little faith and there’s the
17:10	problem whereas those who have money
17:13	they’re tempted to turn money into an
17:15	idol and to worship and look to it as
17:17	the thing that’s going to supply Supply
17:19	their need When we struggle and toil
17:22	under the curse which is what we’re all
17:23	doing and we have to well by the sweat
17:27	of our brow put bread on the table that
17:30	the tendency is to think that somehow
17:32	God doesn’t care
17:34	but he does that’s the point he’d
17:38	absolutely cares and you’ll note that
17:40	the reason why we toil is because of our
17:43	Rebellion against God and here’s where I
17:46	think it would be who of me to remind us
17:48	all
17:50	that Jesus is king of kings and Lord of
17:53	lords and Philippians 2 makes it very
17:55	clear that even though he was by Nature
17:57	God he did not consider equality with
18:00	God a thing to be grasped and instead he
18:02	humbled himself and was found in the
18:04	form of a slave think about the the
18:06	details of Jesus’s birth who every year
18:08	at Christmas time we know that Jesus was
18:10	born in very humble circumstances wasn’t
18:13	born in a palace born in a barn his
18:16	first well his first crib was a feeding
18:18	trough
18:19	right why why is that important it’s the
18:23	reason it’s important is because Jesus
18:26	knows what it’s like to eke out an
18:29	existence in this life
18:31	if you think about it even his parents
18:34	they couldn’t afford the Full Sacrifice
18:37	that was required by the Mosaic Covenant
18:39	as Jesus was the firstborn of his mother
18:42	who opened her womb and so they could
18:46	only afford the poverty sacrifice the
18:48	two turtle doves and Jesus grew up in a
18:51	really obscure small town called
18:53	Nazareth and his dad yes you can say
18:56	that he was a carpenter but the Greek
18:59	word for Carpenter there probably means
19:02	he was a blue-collar construction guy
19:04	rather than a cabinet maker
19:07	and you’ll know something and that is
19:09	that blue collar construction guys they
19:12	work really hard
19:15	they work really hard
19:17	and they wear their bodies out doing
19:19	that job is it any wonder that Joseph
19:22	wasn’t even alive by the time Jesus
19:25	begins his Earthly Ministry
19:27	so Jesus knows a thing or two about all
19:29	of this but he basically divested
19:33	himself of all of his power and His
19:36	glory and the wealth of Heaven and Earth
19:38	so that we can be forgiven so that we
19:42	can be pardoned if that is not a
19:44	demonstration of how much God cares for
19:47	us then I don’t know what is and it’s
19:50	absolutely true that Christ cares about
19:52	birds he cares about lilies but he cares
19:56	about us God so loved the world that he
19:59	gave his only begotten son that whoever
20:00	believes in him should not perish but
20:02	have eternal life Christ then took your
20:05	sin upon himself the penalty and the
20:07	iniquity of sin he bore that in his body
20:10	bled and died in your place and he has
20:13	promised you the riches of Heaven
20:18	you’ll note that um right now King
20:22	Charles III is the king of the United
20:25	Kingdom but has he been coronated yet
20:30	no he hasn’t
20:31	but he’s already King right but he
20:34	hasn’t been coronated yet
20:36	here’s the thing
20:39	Christ has promised us
20:42	he’s promised us an inheritance in the
20:46	world to come in the end of the book of
20:48	Revelation Jesus says behold I make all
20:51	things new when Jesus returns in glory
20:54	to judge the living and the dead the
20:56	curse that we find ourselves under right
20:58	now will be lifted we will be
21:01	transformed into new bodies we will be
21:04	raised from the dead those who’ve passed
21:06	by the time Christ returns and Christ
21:09	has promised us in eternity in the world
21:12	to come that we will rule and reign with
21:15	him
21:16	we are sons of God and we will even
21:19	receive from Christ crowns
21:24	that being the case
21:28	what are we complaining about
21:33	yeah this life is difficult yeah we’re
21:35	currently walking through the valley of
21:37	the shadow of death
21:38	but why on Earth would we be worried
21:40	about anything
21:42	we have been promised that we will
21:44	inherit the new Earth and in the new
21:47	Earth
21:48	food doesn’t cost money
21:50	the streets are paved with gold
21:54	there is not a thing we need to to
21:56	concern ourselves with
21:58	we have it now but not yet
22:02	and it’s coming
22:04	it’s as good as in our hands now because
22:07	Christ has died and risen from the grave
22:10	and you have been baptized into his
22:12	death and his resurrection your sins
22:13	have been washed away and everything
22:16	that Christ has promised he will make
22:18	good on
22:19	so note then Christ admonishes us do not
22:24	be anxious saying what shall we eat what
22:25	shall we drink what shall we wear
22:28	the Gentiles seek after these things
22:30	but your heavenly father knows that you
22:32	need them all so instead seek first the
22:35	kingdom of God
22:37	and seek his righteousness and all these
22:40	things will be added to you the kingdom
22:42	of God is the kingdom where Christ rules
22:45	and Reigns and we come into that Kingdom
22:47	through repentant faith in Christ and
22:50	trusting in Him and you’ll note we are
22:51	to seek his kingdom and we are to seek
22:54	his righteousness his kingdom is an
22:57	eternal Kingdom and his righteousness is
23:00	imputed and given to us
23:02	freely as a gift by grace through faith
23:06	and note then seeking first God’s
23:09	kingdom his righteousness God promises
23:11	all these things will be added to you
23:16	so therefore do not be anxious about
23:18	tomorrow tomorrow will be anxious for
23:20	itself sufficient for the day is its own
23:22	trouble brothers and sisters you already
23:25	have the kingdom
23:27	you have it now you have the promises of
23:30	Christ and you’ve been given the Holy
23:31	Spirit as a deposit that guarantees your
23:34	inheritance when he returns so don’t be
23:38	anxious about anything nor put your
23:40	trust in riches our faith is in Christ
23:43	Our king of kings and Lord of lords he
23:45	currently rules and Reigns and he will
23:47	return you already are wealthy in him so
23:51	patiently endure this short short season
23:54	where we still have to Toil and suffer
23:56	in the Valley of the shadow of death
23:59	this soon shall pass in the name of
24:02	Jesus Amen

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