Series B – First Sunday in Lent – Sunday, February 22, 2015 | 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 Mark chapter 1 verses 9 through |
| 0:32 | 15. at that time Jesus came from |
| 0:35 | Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by |
| 0:38 | John in the Jordan as Jesus was coming |
| 0:40 | up out of the water he saw heaven being |
| 0:42 | torn open in the spirit descending on |
| 0:44 | him like a dove and a voice Came From |
| 0:46 | Heaven you are my son whom I love with |
| 0:48 | you I am well pleased |
| 0:51 | at once the spirit sent him into the |
| 0:53 | desert and he was in the desert 40 days |
| 0:55 | being tempted by Satan he was with the |
| 0:58 | wild animals and Angels attended him |
| 1:00 | after John was put in prison Jesus went |
| 1:03 | to into Galilee proclaiming the good |
| 1:05 | news the time has come he said the |
| 1:07 | kingdom of God is near repent and |
| 1:10 | believe the good news |
| 1:12 | in the name of Jesus |
| 1:15 | our text this morning for my sermon is |
| 1:17 | taken from our Old Testament reading |
| 1:19 | from Genesis chapter 22 1-18 begins |
| 1:23 | sometime later God tested Abraham and |
| 1:26 | said to him Abraham |
| 1:28 | here I am he replied then God said take |
| 1:31 | your son your only son Isaac whom you |
| 1:35 | love and go to the region of Moriah |
| 1:37 | sacrifice him there as a burnt offering |
| 1:39 | on one of the mountains I will tell you |
| 1:42 | about |
| 1:45 | so if you’ve ever heard anyone preach on |
| 1:48 | this text then chances are you may have |
| 1:50 | heard a message that goes something like |
| 1:53 | this |
| 1:54 | see Abraham was tested by God to see |
| 1:57 | whether or not he loved the gift More |
| 1:59 | Than The Giver of the gift Abraham |
| 2:01 | passed the test and because of his |
| 2:03 | obedience God blessed him even more so |
| 2:07 | what is the thing in your life that God |
| 2:09 | is asking you to lay on the altar what |
| 2:12 | is the thing that you need to sacrifice |
| 2:14 | so that God can bless you even more |
| 2:18 | if you’ve ever heard a sermon like that |
| 2:20 | then I apologize |
| 2:22 | I apologize because that is not what |
| 2:24 | this text is saying |
| 2:25 | that is not what this text means and |
| 2:28 | that is not how God wants you to apply |
| 2:30 | this text to your life |
| 2:32 | in fact if I can be blunt and I pray |
| 2:33 | that you will not think me rude for |
| 2:35 | being so this text is not about you |
| 2:40 | nope this text is not asking you to |
| 2:43 | sacrifice anything |
| 2:45 | it’s pointing to the one true sacrifice |
| 2:47 | this text is from beginning to end is |
| 2:49 | about Jesus and his sacrifice for you so |
| 2:54 | let’s take a look at the text now by the |
| 2:57 | way how do I know this text is about |
| 2:59 | Jesus well because Jesus said so you |
| 3:01 | know there’s a passage in the Gospel of |
| 3:03 | John chapter 5 verses 39-40 where Jesus |
| 3:06 | kind of challenges the scribes and the |
| 3:08 | Pharisees and he says you diligently |
| 3:10 | search the scriptures because you think |
| 3:12 | that in them you possess |
| 3:13 | eternal life if these are the very |
| 3:15 | scriptures that testify about me yet you |
| 3:19 | refuse to come to me to have life |
| 3:23 | Jesus makes it clear the Bible’s about |
| 3:25 | him it’s not about you it’s about what |
| 3:27 | he has done for you so this story this |
| 3:31 | is a thorny story God asking Abraham to |
| 3:34 | sacrifice his son |
| 3:36 | I think a good way to think of this |
| 3:39 | is to think of it well it’s like a movie |
| 3:42 | preview in the days before film existed |
| 3:45 | okay so when you go to the theater you |
| 3:48 | know and before the movie starts before |
| 3:50 | the you know the thing you went to go |
| 3:52 | see begins they always have those |
| 3:53 | previews of coming attractions well |
| 3:56 | that’s what’s going on in this text in a |
| 4:00 | sense it’s a very real preview of Coming |
| 4:02 | Attractions so this text continues it |
| 4:05 | says this early the next morning so |
| 4:07 | after God told him to sacrifice his son |
| 4:10 | his only son and that’s kind of a weird |
| 4:13 | phrase and the reason why it’s weird is |
| 4:15 | because how many sons does Abraham have |
| 4:17 | at this time |
| 4:19 | too |
| 4:21 | your son your only son |
| 4:24 | well Ishmael was born first in Ishmael |
| 4:26 | is clearly alive at this time and Isaac |
| 4:29 | the son of Promise is finally born if we |
| 4:32 | follow that Scarlet thread through the |
| 4:34 | Old Testament the genealogy leading to |
| 4:37 | the Messiah well it’s come to Isaac at |
| 4:39 | this point so where is the Messiah right |
| 4:42 | now |
| 4:44 | he’s in the he’s The Unborn great great |
| 4:46 | great great great grandson of Isaac |
| 4:50 | the bloodline has come to there so who |
| 4:53 | in this story is the stand-in for the |
| 4:56 | Messiah |
| 4:57 | Isaac is so this is a preview so take |
| 5:01 | your son your only son Isaac only son |
| 5:04 | whom you love and go to the region of |
| 5:06 | Moriah sacrifice in there is a burnt |
| 5:08 | offering on one of the mountains I will |
| 5:10 | tell you about Hebrew word by the way |
| 5:11 | for burnt offering is Holocaust |
| 5:15 | fascinating little feature Mount Moriah |
| 5:17 | by the way you all know where it is you |
| 5:20 | may not know that’s what it’s called if |
| 5:22 | you’ve ever seen pictures of the holy |
| 5:24 | city of Jerusalem the Temple Mount caps |
| 5:27 | Mountain |
| 5:28 | and Jesus was crucified just outside the |
| 5:31 | city Gates of Jerusalem on the slopes of |
| 5:34 | Mount Moriah Golgotha itself is part of |
| 5:37 | the edifice of Mount Moriah |
| 5:40 | this is important information |
| 5:43 | so early the next morning Abraham got up |
| 5:45 | saddled his donkey he took with him two |
| 5:48 | of his servants and his son Isaac when |
| 5:51 | he had cut enough wood for the burnt |
| 5:53 | offering he set out for the place God |
| 5:56 | had told him about on the third day |
| 5:59 | Abraham looked up third day you know |
| 6:01 | like I always pay attention that Third |
| 6:03 | Day stuff going on in scripture third |
| 6:05 | day on the third day he saw the place in |
| 6:09 | the distance he said to his servants |
| 6:11 | stay here with the donkey while I and |
| 6:13 | the boy go over there we will worship |
| 6:15 | and then we will come back to you |
| 6:16 | Abraham took the wood for the burnt |
| 6:19 | offering placed it on his son Isaac and |
| 6:23 | he himself carried the fire and the |
| 6:26 | knife as the two of them went on |
| 6:28 | together |
| 6:29 | who is the sacrifice Isaac what’s he |
| 6:32 | doing carrying the wood the thing that |
| 6:36 | he’s supposed to be sacrificed with |
| 6:40 | does that hearken to Jesus’s March the |
| 6:43 | streets of Jerusalem carrying his own |
| 6:46 | cross |
| 6:47 | they placed the wood on Christ too as he |
| 6:50 | ascended or descended you know to go to |
| 6:53 | Mount Moriah and be crucified now you |
| 6:56 | begin to see what’s going on this is |
| 6:58 | almost like a time portal in a sense |
| 7:00 | type and Shadow everything’s aligning |
| 7:03 | and you can see into the future what’s |
| 7:06 | coming |
| 7:08 | so Isaac spoke up and said to his father |
| 7:11 | Abraham father |
| 7:13 | yes my son Abraham replied the fire and |
| 7:17 | the wood are here Isaac said where is |
| 7:20 | the Lamb the burnt offering |
| 7:24 | and here is one of the best prophetic |
| 7:26 | statements in all of scripture Abraham |
| 7:29 | answered God himself will provide the |
| 7:32 | lamb for the burnt offering my son |
| 7:37 | he will |
| 7:39 | and he did |
| 7:41 | and the two of them went on together |
| 7:43 | when they reached the place that God had |
| 7:46 | told him about Abraham built an altar |
| 7:48 | there arranged the wood on it |
| 7:52 | he bound his son Isaac and laid him on |
| 7:55 | the altar |
| 7:57 | on top of the wood |
| 8:01 | years later |
| 8:03 | on that same Mountain |
| 8:04 | Jesus would be laid down onto the cross |
| 8:09 | have his hands nailed into it and his |
| 8:11 | feet nailed into it before he was raised |
| 8:14 | up suspended Between Heaven and Earth |
| 8:19 | this all prefigures that |
| 8:22 | laid him on the altar on top of the wood |
| 8:25 | then he reached out his hand and took |
| 8:29 | the knife to slay his son |
| 8:32 | but the angel the Lord called to him |
| 8:34 | from Heaven Abraham |
| 8:36 | Abraham here I am he replied do not lay |
| 8:40 | a hand on the boy he said do not do |
| 8:43 | anything to him now I know that you fear |
| 8:45 | God because you have not withheld from |
| 8:47 | me you are son |
| 8:49 | your only son |
| 8:51 | Abraham looked up |
| 8:53 | and there in a Thicket he saw a ram |
| 8:56 | caught by its horns |
| 9:01 | and now the substitute comes |
| 9:03 | that’s what Christ is he’s our |
| 9:05 | substitute on that day Isaac wasn’t |
| 9:08 | sacrificed but Jesus hiding in the form |
| 9:12 | of a ram if you would caught by his |
| 9:15 | horns |
| 9:17 | in the Thorns of a Thicket |
| 9:19 | prefiguring Christ’s thorn crown of |
| 9:22 | thorns to be placed upon his head that |
| 9:24 | day God did provide the sacrifice the |
| 9:27 | but that was not the ultimate sacrifice |
| 9:29 | because Jesus eventually on that same |
| 9:34 | Mountain |
| 9:35 | with a crown of thorns pressed into his |
| 9:37 | head he became that Ram caught in the |
| 9:40 | thicket for real |
| 9:42 | so Abraham went over took the RAM and |
| 9:45 | sacrificed it as a holocaust instead of |
| 9:48 | his son so Abraham called that place |
| 9:52 | Yahweh will provide |
| 9:55 | and back before Jesus was ever born of |
| 9:58 | the Virgin Mary |
| 10:00 | long before we knew what his name was |
| 10:02 | going to be |
| 10:03 | it was said of that place |
| 10:06 | on the mountain of the Lord Mount Moriah |
| 10:09 | it will be provided |
| 10:13 | and it was |
| 10:15 | for centuries the Jews read this text |
| 10:19 | knowing that on Mount Moriah it will be |
| 10:22 | provided of course that begs the |
| 10:24 | question what’s the it |
| 10:25 | the lamb God himself will provide the |
| 10:29 | lamb for the sacrifice it will be |
| 10:31 | provided on the Mount of the Lord for |
| 10:33 | centuries this prophecy sat there |
| 10:36 | waiting for its fulfillment and finally |
| 10:39 | it was fulfilled it was fulfilled when |
| 10:42 | Jesus took your sins upon himself |
| 10:45 | was marched away |
| 10:47 | scourged beaten |
| 10:49 | at on mocked |
| 10:51 | nailed to the cross |
| 10:53 | and bled and died for your sins |
| 10:57 | on that day it was provided this |
| 11:00 | prophecy is no longer not fulfilled it’s |
| 11:03 | been fulfilled for nearly two thousand |
| 11:05 | years because God has provided the lamb |
| 11:09 | now here’s the important part after this |
| 11:11 | this is where people will mess it up |
| 11:15 | the angel of the Lord called Abraham |
| 11:17 | from Heaven a second time and said I |
| 11:19 | swear by myself and see that’s the thing |
| 11:21 | about God you know when people swear you |
| 11:24 | know they take an oath I swear by God or |
| 11:28 | the Bible or whatever right well there’s |
| 11:30 | no none greater than God himself so when |
| 11:32 | God swears he has to swear by himself |
| 11:34 | that’s just what goes along with deity I |
| 11:37 | swear by myself declares the Lord that |
| 11:40 | because you have done this and have not |
| 11:41 | withheld your son your only son there’s |
| 11:45 | that only son talk there pointing us to |
| 11:47 | Jesus I will surely bless you and make |
| 11:49 | your descendants as numerous as the |
| 11:51 | stars in the sky and the sand on the |
| 11:53 | seashore your descendants will take |
| 11:55 | possession of the cities of their |
| 11:57 | enemies and through your Offspring All |
| 11:59 | Nations on Earth will be blessed and |
| 12:03 | then the NIV has what I would consider |
| 12:05 | to be a very bad translation |
| 12:08 | we’ll clean it up a little bit the NIV |
| 12:10 | reads because you have obeyed me |
| 12:14 | not quite what’s going on there because |
| 12:17 | if you think about it is the reason why |
| 12:20 | all of the Nations on the Earth are |
| 12:22 | blessed is because Abraham was obedient |
| 12:26 | that means we’re not saved by grace |
| 12:28 | through faith or The Obedience of Jesus |
| 12:31 | we’re Saved By The Obedience of Abraham |
| 12:33 | and the Hebrew word here for obey is |
| 12:36 | Shema and obey |
| 12:38 | is kind of the white way to read it but |
| 12:43 | it’s not quite right it’s there’s |
| 12:46 | there’s not an English equivalent in |
| 12:48 | fact what’s fascinating is is that when |
| 12:50 | you read the King James version often |
| 12:53 | times when it comes to the Hebrew word |
| 12:55 | shama and it’s put in a context like |
| 12:58 | this they they kind of created their own |
| 13:00 | word the word was hearken |
| 13:02 | hearken and so the ESV gets a little bit |
| 13:06 | better and here’s what it says and I’ll |
| 13:07 | tell you why I like it slightly better |
| 13:09 | and verse 18 says and in your Offspring |
| 13:12 | shall all the nations of the earth be |
| 13:14 | blessed because you have obeyed my voice |
| 13:16 | now we’re getting closer |
| 13:18 | but I think that the better way of |
| 13:20 | putting it is is that all the nations on |
| 13:21 | the earth will be blessed because you |
| 13:23 | have hearkened to my voice |
| 13:27 | hearkened |
| 13:28 | assumes greatly faith |
| 13:32 | it’s to hear God’s voice and to believe |
| 13:37 | and when you believe and you have faith |
| 13:42 | and you trust in that word of God you |
| 13:45 | can’t help but respond in action does |
| 13:49 | that make sense and that’s the better |
| 13:51 | understanding of Shema to just translate |
| 13:54 | it obey makes it sound like Works |
| 13:57 | righteousness and that’s not the gist of |
| 13:59 | this word hearken is better so because |
| 14:02 | you have hearkened to my voice all the |
| 14:05 | nations of the earth will be blessed |
| 14:07 | because you have believed what I have |
| 14:09 | said and if you think that’s a crazy |
| 14:11 | translation well remember scripture |
| 14:13 | interprets scripture in Hebrews chapter |
| 14:16 | 11 gives us the exact theological |
| 14:19 | correct understanding of this event |
| 14:21 | Hebrews 11 17-19 reads by faith Abraham |
| 14:27 | notice it says by Faith by faith Abraham |
| 14:30 | when God tests offered Isaac as a |
| 14:34 | sacrifice so notice his actions are the |
| 14:38 | result of his faith |
| 14:40 | and remember scripture earlier in |
| 14:43 | Genesis said that Abraham believed God |
| 14:45 | and it was credited to him as |
| 14:48 | righteousness so you can’t go back now |
| 14:51 | in chapter 22 and renegotiate Abraham’s |
| 14:55 | righteousness his righteousness is by |
| 14:57 | faith his actions showing that his faith |
| 15:01 | is there Hebrews 11 says by faith |
| 15:04 | Abraham when tested by God offered Isaac |
| 15:07 | as a sacrifice he did this because he |
| 15:10 | hearkened to the voice of the Lord |
| 15:13 | he who had received the promises was |
| 15:16 | about to sacrifice his |
| 15:19 | one and only son |
| 15:23 | even Hebrews picks this up but he had |
| 15:25 | two right |
| 15:28 | right even though God had said to him it |
| 15:31 | is through Isaac that your Offspring |
| 15:33 | will be reckoned and then Hebrews |
| 15:35 | reveals to us what was going on in |
| 15:37 | Abraham’s mind it says Abraham reasoned |
| 15:40 | within himself that God could raise the |
| 15:43 | dead and figuratively speaking he did |
| 15:45 | receive Isaac back from Death in other |
| 15:48 | words he hearkened to the voice of the |
| 15:51 | Lord and he believed God he believed God |
| 15:54 | that his promise that the whole world |
| 15:57 | would be blessed through this child |
| 15:59 | Isaac his only son |
| 16:02 | he believed that |
| 16:04 | so much so that he basically figured |
| 16:07 | well God has told me to sacrifice Isaac |
| 16:10 | well then that means that God is true to |
| 16:14 | his word he would not lie if the whole |
| 16:17 | world is to be blessed through Isaac and |
| 16:20 | my descendants will be as numerous as |
| 16:22 | the sands on the seashore well then the |
| 16:25 | only solution is is that God’s going to |
| 16:27 | raise him from the dead |
| 16:29 | that was Abraham’s reasoning and Hebrews |
| 16:31 | reveals this to us without the New |
| 16:34 | Testament you can’t know what’s going on |
| 16:35 | there in this text |
| 16:37 | and the thing is is that in a sense |
| 16:39 | that’s what happened so Isaac truly was |
| 16:43 | dead and he was raised again because of |
| 16:47 | the sacrifice the substitutionary |
| 16:51 | sacrifice figuratively speaking raised |
| 16:53 | from the dead but all of this Jesus’s |
| 16:55 | death and his resurrection then are |
| 16:58 | prefigured in this text and this is good |
| 17:00 | news for us this is not about you |
| 17:03 | sacrificing anything this is the good |
| 17:06 | news that God looks at you and even |
| 17:10 | though you were dead in trespasses and |
| 17:12 | sins he says I love you and I’m going to |
| 17:17 | come to Earth and I’m going to live |
| 17:19 | perfectly in your place and I am going |
| 17:23 | to bleed and die and take the penalty |
| 17:25 | for your sin upon myself |
| 17:29 | so that you can go free |
| 17:32 | God himself provided the lamb and the |
| 17:37 | lamb is Jesus and this text is all about |
| 17:42 | that |
| 17:43 | as we in Lent |
| 17:46 | meditate on and prepare for Holy Week |
| 17:49 | when Christ is crucified for our sins |
| 17:52 | this text focuses us this first week of |
| 17:55 | Lent at that event and makes us Ponder |
| 17:59 | and meditate Anew on the mercies and the |
| 18:01 | love of God who could save and would |
| 18:04 | save Sinners as wretched as myself |
| 18:08 | as wretched as you |
| 18:09 | what a great gift we’ve received from |
| 18:12 | God in Jesus he has provided the lamb |
| 18:15 | and the lamb is Jesus |
| 18:18 | in the name of Jesus Amen |
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