LutheranLectionary.org

Series B – First Wednesday in Lent – Thursday, February 22, 2018 | 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
0:29	in the name of Jesus
0:32	golden eras
0:34	the Golden Era of jazz or swing the
0:37	Golden Era of the United States the
0:39	Golden Era of the medieval period we
0:42	talk about Golden eras high water marks
0:45	if you would in human history where
0:48	something has kind of hit its Pinnacle
0:50	and it just doesn’t get any better than
0:55	that of course I remember the 1981
0:58	Dodgers it just doesn’t get any better
1:02	than that and so the idea here is what
1:05	we’re going to look at in the book of
1:06	Lamentations which many believe was
1:09	written by the Prophet Jeremiah himself
1:12	if you’ve ever read Jeremiah he is
1:14	considered to be the weeping prophet and
1:17	this is the fellow who had the
1:18	unenviable job of prophesying to
1:22	obstinate Israel
1:24	particularly Judah
1:26	calling her to repent of her idolatry
1:30	and her sin and the Lord promised
1:34	Jeremiah they weren’t gonna listen
1:39	now I don’t know how many of you have
1:41	ever had an awful job or worked for a
1:43	difficult employer but I don’t think
1:46	it’s a winning proposition when you tell
1:48	somebody at the outset of a new career
1:50	you’re going to be really working super
1:52	hard
1:54	and everything you’re going to do is
1:56	going to result in nothing
1:59	because the people of Israel are heading
2:02	off into captivity
2:05	not a very good job but you’re going to
2:07	note that what we’re going to do is
2:09	we’re going to catch now Israel
2:13	at the tail end of Jeremiah’s work as a
2:16	prophet
2:16	and Nebuchadnezzar has already attacked
2:21	and we know from the historical
2:23	narratives that 90 percent of the Jews
2:28	living in Israel at that time were
2:33	killed
2:35	only a remnant survived
2:39	so this is if you would post apocalyptic
2:43	Israel
2:44	and the apocalypse was brought on by
2:48	their sin
2:49	which is what sin does
2:53	it destroys people
2:56	it absolutely obliterates them what was
3:00	once magnificent powerful and beautiful
3:05	Israel under King David was known by all
3:09	the nations of the earth Israel under
3:11	King Solomon High Watermark the building
3:14	of the temple itself this ultimate man
3:17	of wisdom like nobody has ever had
3:19	before the people from around the world
3:22	came to hear his wisdom and they
3:24	marveled because well it Israel was so
3:28	wealthy under this man
3:30	that silver was treated like it was ten
3:35	and gold practically flowed through the
3:37	streets it was so wealthy
3:40	but the picture we see here in
3:42	post-apocalyptic Israel after the
3:45	sacking of Jerusalem is the exact
3:47	opposite
3:49	a city that once was beautiful
3:52	filled with people
3:53	is now been brought to complete ruin and
3:57	desolation the wall has been destroyed
4:00	the people are gone into captivity and
4:05	this is a picture of the Fall
4:07	this is a picture of our sin this is a
4:10	picture of the consequences of sin fall
4:13	After Fall After Fall since the Great
4:16	Fall In the Garden of Eden
4:18	so if you would follow along with me
4:20	Lamentations chapter one is what we will
4:23	be looking at today
4:25	post-apocalyptic Israel
4:27	how lonely
4:30	sits the city
4:31	that was full of people
4:34	how like a widow has she become she who
4:38	was great among the Nations she who was
4:41	a princess among the provinces
4:44	has become a slave
4:47	a little bit of a pause here
4:49	this is what happens to us in our sin
4:52	and notice we’re using feminine pronouns
4:54	feminine feminine imagery if you would
4:58	the bride of Christ which is the church
5:00	is described in feminine imagery and so
5:04	this is if you would a precursor to the
5:07	concept of the bride of Christ hear
5:09	Israel she who was a princess
5:13	who was the apple of God’s eye
5:16	persisted in sin and unbelief and
5:18	idolatry and now she who was so
5:21	beautiful
5:23	at all of the balls with her Tiara and
5:26	the wonderful dresses
5:28	is now wearing a slave shackle
5:32	she weeps bitterly in the night with
5:34	tears on her cheeks
5:36	among all her lovers she has none
5:40	to comfort her
5:41	all her friends they have dealt
5:43	treacherously with her
5:45	they have become her enemies
5:47	Judah has gone into Exile because of
5:50	Affliction and hard servitude she dwells
5:53	now among the Nations but finds no
5:56	resting place
5:57	her pursuers have all overtaken her in
6:01	the midst of her distress
6:03	the roads to Zion mourn
6:06	for none come to the festival all her
6:09	gates are desolate her priests groan her
6:13	virgins have been Afflicted and she
6:15	herself suffers bitterly
6:18	her foes have become the head her
6:21	enemies Prosper because Yahweh has
6:25	Afflicted her for the multitude of her
6:29	transgressions yeah you read that right
6:33	you read that right and when God
6:36	afflicts us
6:38	and disciplines us and causes us to
6:42	drink a bitter draft
6:45	oftentimes that may be a result because
6:48	of our transgressions sometimes God has
6:52	to give us a strong drink of his
6:55	discipline in order that we would lose
6:59	our taste for sin
7:01	and so God has Afflicted her
7:04	because of her transgressions her
7:06	impenitance giving her what she deserves
7:09	But ultimately the goal here is to
7:12	preserve a Remnant and keep in mind in
7:15	preserving that remnant
7:17	we’re preserving the line of the Messiah
7:19	so that all of us can be forgiven her
7:21	children have gone away captives before
7:23	the foe from the daughter of Zion all
7:26	her majesty has departed her princes
7:28	have become like deer that find no
7:30	pasture they fled without strength
7:32	before the pursuer Jerusalem remembers
7:34	in the days of her Affliction and
7:36	wandering
7:38	all the precious things that were hers
7:40	from Days of old when her people fell
7:43	into the hand of the foe there was none
7:47	to help her
7:48	her foes gloated over her they mocked at
7:51	her downfall
7:53	Jerusalem sinned grievously
7:57	therefore she became filthy
8:01	all who honored her despised her for
8:04	they have seen her nakedness she herself
8:07	groans and turns her face away here in
8:12	discussing Jerusalem’s nakedness it
8:14	Harkens back to the Garden of Eden
8:17	prior to the fall Adam and Eve
8:20	they were walking naked and they had no
8:22	shame
8:23	but after their sin they realized that
8:26	they were naked and they felt nothing
8:29	but shame and so the imagery is
8:31	consistent this is the type of nakedness
8:34	that is brought about as a result of
8:36	Shame and guilt because of sin
8:39	for uncleanness was in her skirts she
8:41	took no thought of her future therefore
8:43	her fall is terrible
8:45	and isn’t that the way of sin
8:47	isn’t that the way of sin so many times
8:51	sin tempts you or the devil tempts you
8:53	with sin and the only thing you can
8:55	think about is what you’re going to
8:57	experience in the present with no regard
9:01	for the consequences of the long-term
9:03	impact that that sin may have on you
9:07	same with Israel she took no thought of
9:11	her future therefore her fall is
9:13	terrible she has no comforter
9:15	a little bit of a prayer here
9:17	oh Lord
9:19	behold my Affliction for the enemy
9:21	has triumphed I would say the enemy here
9:24	spoken of is none other than Satan
9:26	himself again this is a picture of what
9:29	it’s like to be under the Dominion of
9:31	Darkness to fall into grief as Sin that
9:35	the enemy himself Satan has triumphed
9:38	and has won and has enslaved over and
9:41	again scripture makes it clear sin is
9:43	slavery it is not freedom the enemy is
9:46	stretched out his hands over all of her
9:49	precious things for she has seen the
9:51	Nations enter her Sanctuary Those whom
9:53	you forbade to enter your congregation
9:55	those are the idolaters the the
9:59	Gentiles who brought their false
10:01	idolatry into the temple itself all her
10:04	people groan as they search for bread
10:06	they trade their Treasures for food to
10:09	revive their strength
10:11	and here’s another little Mini’s prayer
10:14	look O Lord
10:16	and see
10:18	for I am despised
10:20	and so you’ll note
10:22	that even in the midst of this distress
10:24	and the sure consequences of sin
10:28	there are pleas for mercy
10:31	please for God to hear please for God to
10:35	act please for God to rescue
10:38	the enemy is triumphed Lord look and see
10:41	I am despised Lord do you hear me
10:44	it is nothing to you all you who pass by
10:47	look and see if there is any sorrow like
10:49	my sorrow which was brought upon me
10:52	which the Lord inflicted on the days of
10:55	his Fierce anger
10:57	there are consequences for sin
11:00	from on high God sent fire into my bones
11:04	and he made it descend he spread a net
11:07	from my feet he turned me back he has
11:10	left me stunned faint all the day long
11:14	my transgressions were bound into a yoke
11:17	by his hand they were fastened together
11:20	they were set upon my neck he caused my
11:25	strength to fail the lord gave me into
11:28	the hands of Those whom I cannot
11:30	withstand
11:33	fascinating picture there verse 14 is
11:36	because you can almost read it like a
11:38	double entender
11:40	let me explain
11:41	here we see the consequences of sin
11:44	where our sin is made into a yoke and
11:47	thrown upon our neck and the Lord gives
11:51	you into the hands of Those whom you
11:52	cannot withstand but this is exactly the
11:55	picture that we see of Christ who God
11:59	made our sins into a yoke and that yoke
12:02	is the cross and put that on his back
12:06	and fastened him to it and caused his
12:11	strength to fail and the lord gave
12:13	Christ into the hands of Those whom he
12:16	could not withstand
12:18	isn’t it fascinating that this picture
12:20	here hearkens to the Cross itself and
12:23	it’s in this picture of God’s Wrath
12:26	against sin that we begin to see a
12:30	little bit of a picture of the Cross
12:31	itself because God’s solution for this
12:35	type of discipline is to not just
12:38	dismiss it and say oh I didn’t mean it
12:40	anyway or it’s no big deal instead God
12:43	never saves us from his wrath by just
12:46	making it disappear he saves us from his
12:49	wrath by satisfying it
12:52	and so we see The Logical moral
12:57	implications of sin it is slavery of us
13:00	being bound up under it like a yoke and
13:04	not being able to withstand those to
13:06	whom we have been enslaved to
13:08	and that’s exactly what Christ does for
13:11	us in coming to Earth and taking our
13:14	sins upon himself and he goes to the
13:17	cross and does not withstand them but
13:19	dies
13:20	text continues the Lord rejected all my
13:24	mighty men and my midst to summon an
13:25	assembly against me to crush my young
13:27	men the Lord is trodden as in a wine
13:30	press the virgin daughter of Judah yeah
13:33	the wine press of God big biblical
13:35	imagery here
13:37	over and again God’s Wrath is likened to
13:39	a wine press you take Humanity into the
13:41	wine present God
13:43	cranks that thing down
13:46	for those for these things I weep my
13:49	eyes flow with tears for a comforter is
13:52	far from me one to revive my spirit my
13:55	children are desolate for the enemy has
13:56	prevailed
13:58	Zion stretches out her hands but there
14:00	is none to comfort to her the Lord is
14:03	commanded against Jacob that his
14:04	neighbors should be his foes Jerusalem
14:06	has become a filthy thing among them
14:11	has the saying go oh how the mighty have
14:15	fallen
14:16	and this is what sin does
14:19	this is what it does to us
14:22	but listen to this next part
14:25	Verse 18 is a wonderful depiction of
14:29	what a prayer of repentance sounds like
14:33	repent by the way the word metanoia
14:36	means to change your mind
14:38	and oftentimes that’s a really great way
14:40	to kind of think about it you’re heading
14:43	this way down the path of Destruction
14:45	people are saying don’t do that that’s
14:48	wrong that’s sinful you’re heading the
14:51	wrong way
14:53	remember the movie Planes Trains and
14:55	Automobiles there’s Del Griffith driving
14:59	down the highway the wrong way after
15:01	being spun around after singing that
15:03	song doing the mess around
15:06	he’s driving down the highway and
15:08	somebody comes up on the other side of
15:10	the highway they’re driving the right
15:11	way he’s driving the wrong way they roll
15:12	down the road you’re going the wrong way
15:15	see our sin gets us turned around like
15:17	that so that we’re heading the wrong way
15:19	and people try to speak to us this is
15:21	what Jeremiah did to Israel
15:23	repent return to the Lord your God he’s
15:26	gracious he’s merciful he will forgive
15:29	you turn from your sin and they wouldn’t
15:31	turn
15:34	repent change your mind
15:38	changing your mind says Lord God I was
15:41	foolish
15:42	I was selfish I was wrong you were right
15:47	I was wrong that’s a good prayer of
15:50	repentance and listen to this prayer
15:52	then verse 18. the Lord is in the right
15:55	this is repentance God you’re right
15:58	you were in the right I have rebelled
16:00	against your word
16:02	and is that not always how it goes
16:06	but hear all you peoples and see my
16:10	suffering my young women and my young
16:12	men have gone into captivity I called to
16:15	my lovers but they deceive me my priests
16:17	and the elders they perished in the city
16:18	while they sought food to revive their
16:20	strength
16:22	look O Lord
16:24	for I am in distress
16:27	my stomach
16:29	churns
16:31	my heart
16:32	is wrong Within Me
16:35	because I have been very rebellious
16:38	in the street the sword bereaves
16:41	in the house
16:43	is like death
16:45	a terrible picture
16:47	but you’re going to note this each and
16:49	every one of us I think if we’re honest
16:52	can think about times when our heart has
16:55	been rung within us
16:57	or we have been so stressed out that our
16:59	stomach has churned inside of us or
17:02	we’ve seen the consequences of our sin
17:05	full come full circle
17:08	and we are in one of those situations
17:09	where
17:11	you just know you’re caught there’s no
17:13	way out
17:14	what are you going to do
17:16	sleep
17:17	even fleas from you in moments like that
17:21	they heard my groaning yet there’s no
17:23	one to comfort me all my enemies have
17:25	heard of my trouble they are glad that
17:28	you have done it you have brought the
17:30	day you announced and now let them be as
17:33	I am let all their evil doing come
17:35	before you and deal with them as you
17:37	have dealt with me because all of my
17:39	transgressions
17:40	for my groans are many
17:43	in my heart
17:45	is faint
17:47	it’s a terrible picture to paint is it
17:49	not
17:50	and yet each and every one of us knows
17:53	that as terrible as that picture is of
17:56	the consequences and the result of sin
17:59	that it is absolutely accurate
18:03	we see it in our own lives we see it
18:05	when people foolishly chase after their
18:08	own sinful desires and their lives come
18:10	to ruin
18:12	we understand
18:13	that this picture is not something
18:16	that’s abstract this is a picture that
18:19	is something that is raw and it’s
18:21	accuracy
18:23	sobering in its description
18:26	turn with me to Nehemiah chapter one
18:29	I want you to consider
18:31	nehemiah’s assessment regarding
18:35	Jerusalem at this time this is a little
18:38	bit later but Jerusalem sits
18:41	vacant destroyed desolate
18:45	post-apocalyptic for 70 years just as
18:50	the Prophet Jeremiah had prophesied
18:53	according to the word of the Lord
18:54	Nehemiah chapter 1 reads thus the words
18:57	of Nehemiah the son of hakalaya now it
19:01	happened in the month of in the 20th
19:04	year I was in Susa The Citadel and
19:07	hanani one of my brothers came with
19:09	certain men from Judah and I asked them
19:12	concerning the Jews who escaped who had
19:14	survived the Exile in concerning
19:15	Jerusalem
19:17	and they said to me
19:19	The Remnant there in the prom Province
19:21	who have survived the Exile is in great
19:24	trouble and shame
19:26	the wall of Jerusalem is broken down its
19:29	gates are destroyed by fire this is 70
19:32	years later almost a century has gone by
19:36	and as soon as I heard these words I sat
19:38	down and I wept and I mourned for days
19:41	and I continued fasting and prayer
19:43	before the god of Heaven
19:44	and this is a good prayer
19:46	and I said
19:48	oh Yahweh Elohim of Heaven
19:52	the great and awesome God who keeps
19:55	Covenant and steadfast love with those
19:57	who love him and keep his Commandments
19:59	please let your ear be attentive in your
20:02	eyes open to hear the prayer of your
20:05	servant that I now pray before you day
20:07	and night for the people of Israel your
20:09	servants
20:10	confessing the sins of the people of
20:13	Israel which we have sinned against you
20:15	even as I in my father’s house have
20:18	sinned we have acted very corruptly
20:21	against you and have not kept the
20:23	Commandments the statutes and the rules
20:25	that you commanded your servant Moses
20:28	remember the word that you commanded
20:31	your servant Moses saying if you are
20:33	Unfaithful I will scatter you among the
20:36	peoples
20:37	but if you return to me and keep my
20:40	Commandments and do them though your
20:43	outcasts are in the uttermost parts of
20:46	the Heaven from there I will gather them
20:48	and bring them to the place that I have
20:50	chosen to make my name to dwell there
20:54	they are your servants and your people
20:56	whom you have Redeemed by your great
20:58	power and by your strong hand
21:01	oh Lord let your ear be attentive to the
21:04	prayer of your servant and to the prayer
21:07	of your servants who Delight to fear
21:09	your name and give success to your
21:12	servant today
21:13	and Grant him Mercy in the sight of this
21:16	man
21:18	that’s a good prayer
21:21	so then following
21:23	what our texts teach us our texts teach
21:26	us that sin is nothing to be trifled
21:28	with
21:30	the truly the wages of sin is death and
21:33	that even flirting a little bit with sin
21:35	could get you in all kinds of distress
21:38	that you had never bargained for
21:42	sin is slavery
21:45	Flint sin is to be under the Dominion of
21:48	that terrible Tyrant himself the devil
21:51	and the reason why we die the reason why
21:55	we suffer the reason why there’s so much
21:57	misery in this planet the reason why
22:00	this planet I don’t know if you’ve
22:02	noticed is going crazy
22:05	from school shooting after school
22:07	shooting after school shooting to
22:10	terrorist attack politicians who can’t
22:13	even seem to treat each other like basic
22:15	human beings
22:17	to the rhetoric that we see the gossip
22:19	that we hear
22:21	are dealings with each other locally and
22:25	internationally are abysmal and it’s
22:28	only getting worse
22:31	we’re seeing if you would the undoing of
22:35	creation the undoing of society and this
22:39	world is on a collision course with
22:42	itself and it’s about to boil over take
22:46	photographs now so that you could
22:49	remember what this world was like before
22:52	what’s coming but what’s coming is the
22:55	consequence of our Collective sin and in
22:57	order to not get what we all deserve
23:01	what is called for is for us to
23:03	acknowledge our sin to recognize that
23:06	all of this is our doing
23:08	and that God is the one who brings
23:11	Calamity on those who persist in sin and
23:13	unbelief and that we all deserve this
23:16	the solution
23:17	then is forgiveness for us to repent to
23:22	call upon the god whose Glory it is to
23:24	forgive sinners
23:26	to Pardon them
23:28	to have mercy on them and don’t think
23:30	for a second that the problems in this
23:31	world are out there
23:33	everything that is wrong in this world
23:37	is in your own heart because you do the
23:41	same things
23:43	I do the same things
23:46	the things that you see and you gawk at
23:49	and think that’s terrible you’ve thought
23:51	all those thoughts already inside of
23:54	your heart
23:55	and that’s where sin begins so pray like
23:58	Nehemiah
24:00	the God would have mercy
24:02	pray that prayer that Jeremiah put in
24:06	there in our first chapter of
24:07	Lamentations Lord you are in the right
24:10	repent change your mind about your sins
24:14	even the ones you think are no big deal
24:18	because they are it only took one bite
24:22	of one fruit to plunge us into the
24:25	misery that we are all in
24:27	eating
24:29	something that you were forbidden from
24:31	eating
24:32	seems like chump change compared to the
24:34	egregiousness that we see happening in
24:36	our lifetime and in human history
24:39	but
24:40	all the sins that we see in this world
24:43	even the ones in your own life flow from
24:46	that one
24:48	small
24:49	little sin
24:51	this teaches us that there are no small
24:53	sins trust his word
24:56	repent God is in the right you and I are
25:00	in the wrong
25:01	and God has taken our sins and woven
25:04	them into the Yoke of the Cross and put
25:06	them on Christ
25:07	so that we can be forgiven
25:11	all of those cries for Mercy that we
25:13	heard in Lamentations please for God to
25:16	see that we are in despair that our
25:18	enemy has triumphed over us that those
25:21	who hate us are gloating
25:24	those are our prayers
25:26	and God hears and he has heard and he
25:30	has acted and he is sent for us a savior
25:34	who was born our sins
25:36	bled and died and suffered in our place
25:38	instead of you instead of me so that we
25:43	can again
25:44	see if you would
25:47	the real golden age that is coming
25:51	you haven’t seen anything yet the golden
25:55	age that is coming is a World Without
25:57	End existence without sin in a city
26:01	whose streets are literally made of gold
26:05	so that we can be restored to the glory
26:09	that we once had
26:10	reflecting perfectly the image of God in
26:14	whose image we were originally made you
26:17	see the princess who becomes the slave
26:21	is you
26:22	it’s me
26:24	we’ll pray that the story doesn’t end
26:27	with the princess dying in slavery
26:31	for that you have to come back next week
26:35	in the name of Jesus
26:37	[Music]

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