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Series B – Fourth Sunday in Lent – Sunday, March 15, 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
0:28	the holy Gospel According to Saint John
0:31	chapter 3 verses 14-21
0:34	just as Moses lifted up the snake in the
0:37	desert so the son of man must be lifted
0:39	up that everyone who believes in Him may
0:41	have eternal life
0:43	for God so loved the world that he gave
0:45	his only son that whoever believes in
0:48	him should not perish but have eternal
0:50	life for God did not send his son into
0:53	the world to condemn the world but to
0:56	save the world through him whoever
0:58	believes in him is not condemned but
1:01	whoever does not believe stands
1:03	condemned already because he has not
1:05	believed in the name of God’s one and
1:08	only son this is the verdict light has
1:11	come into the world but men love
1:13	Darkness instead of light because their
1:15	deeds were evil everyone who does evil
1:18	hates the light and will not come into
1:20	the light for fear that his deeds will
1:22	be exposed but whoever lives by the
1:24	truth comes into the light so that it
1:27	may be seen plainly that what he has
1:29	done has been done through God
1:33	in the name of Jesus
1:37	three wonderful texts
1:40	I was saying to somebody earlier this
1:43	morning if I cannot preach the gospel
1:45	from these texts you need to find
1:47	another Pastor I mean this is these
1:49	texts literally preach themselves but
1:51	let’s take a look and we’d see if we can
1:54	weave them all together we’ll start by
1:56	looking at numbers 21 4-9 and we’ve
1:59	talked about this in Sunday school class
2:00	so for some of you this is going to be
2:02	review so and that’s good because that
2:05	means you’ll pass the test and the final
2:07	at the end of the the school year right
2:09	so here’s what it says they who’s the
2:13	they here the they is the children of
2:14	Israel notice we’re in the Book of
2:16	Numbers we’re not in the book of Exodus
2:17	so it’s been a long time since the
2:20	children of Israel have been out of
2:21	Egypt and remember God delivered them by
2:24	a mighty hand through acts of judgment
2:26	the ten plagues against pharaoh and
2:28	Egypt then save them mightily by having
2:30	them walk through the Red Sea as on dry
2:33	ground and then when the Egyptian armies
2:35	came to you know to destroy them God
2:37	ended up letting the water come right
2:39	back over pharaoh Army and destroyed
2:42	Pharaoh’s Army and mightily brought them
2:44	out of slavery you would think that
2:47	after all of that the children of Israel
2:49	might get the hint God loves them cares
2:52	for them and means well for them right
2:54	so here we are in numbers 21
2:57	and they traveled from Mount hore along
2:59	the route to the Red Sea to go around to
3:01	Edom
3:02	but the people grew impatient on the way
3:05	they spoke against God and against Moses
3:09	poor Moses
3:11	what a tough job and they said why have
3:14	you brought us out of Egypt to die in
3:16	the desert and there’s no bread there’s
3:17	no water and we need to touch this
3:19	miserable food
3:23	you could just hear it right you know
3:25	that’s how they’re talking and I the
3:27	reason why we all know this is because
3:29	we’ve done this right yeah this is way
3:32	worse than the kids in the back of the
3:34	car saying are we there yet are we there
3:36	yet no and don’t ask me again thank God
3:40	for GPS’s so they can watch the number
3:42	go down right
3:44	so okay now notice this is a sin
3:48	okay why they’re not trusting God
3:51	they’re not believing that God loves
3:52	them they’re not believing that God
3:53	cares for them
3:55	so here’s what happens Lord sent
3:57	venomous snakes
3:59	yeah
4:00	um that’s a little weak uh it’s the
4:03	sheen seraphim these are bronze fiery
4:06	serpents it’s the way the Hebrew reads
4:08	sent them among them and by the way the
4:10	reason why they called fiery serpents is
4:12	because if you get by get bit by one of
4:14	these things it pretty much feels like
4:16	you’ve caught on fire from the inside
4:17	out and then you die so this is like
4:20	being burned alive without Flames this
4:22	is kind of how this goes so the people
4:24	came to Moses and they said well we’ve
4:27	sinned so God sends the venomous snakes
4:29	people get bit they die and they realize
4:31	whoops now we’re in trouble but we see
4:34	progress at this point we see a
4:36	confession of sins we have sinned when
4:39	we spoke against the Lord and against
4:40	you pray that the Lord will take the
4:43	snakes away from us so Moses prayed for
4:46	the people
4:48	so they’ve confessed their sins Moses
4:50	prays and Watch What Happens the Lord
4:52	said to Moses make a snake put it on a
4:55	pole anyone who is bitten can look at it
4:57	and live now theologically this is
5:00	important God doesn’t remove the curse
5:01	instead he gives them a way to actually
5:03	survive through it does that make sense
5:06	okay and in the front of your bulletin
5:08	we have this nasty icky sneaky thing
5:11	right now what is this snake now if we
5:15	were if Luther were around he would ask
5:18	the catechetical question vasastas what
5:20	is this how can snakes do such great
5:22	things
5:24	bronze serpent said that right well the
5:26	answer is what bronze serpents don’t do
5:29	such great things this is the bronze
5:31	serpent attached with Promises of God
5:33	right
5:34	so in other words this snakey thing
5:38	is one of the first sacraments
5:41	in a very real way
5:43	we have and that’s what a Sacrament is
5:44	Sacrament means mystery it’s a great
5:47	word mystery Sacrament and so what we
5:50	have we have Earthly matter
5:52	that in and of itself can’t do these
5:54	amazing things attached with a sure and
5:57	certain promise of God so the important
5:59	thing is is that God’s words attach to
6:01	that serpent right because if Moses just
6:04	on his own decide I was going to make a
6:06	bronze Serpent and hang it on a stick
6:07	everyone would still die but in this
6:11	particular case God said in fashion this
6:13	bronze serpent this nekashim seraphim
6:15	hang it on a pole and anybody who looks
6:18	to it will live now real quick I have a
6:22	prop today I don’t normally do this so
6:25	does this look familiar
6:27	let’s see if there’s anything in there
6:29	there’s stuff in here I haven’t all
6:30	right hang on
6:32	so remember we have some sacraments this
6:37	is one of them right
6:39	in here I’m not going to perform a magic
6:41	trick by the way in here we have
6:43	ordinary tap water you could drink this
6:45	and it’s refreshing okay now this in and
6:49	of itself is nothing
6:51	at all it’s water we need it to live it
6:54	helps you know veg our vegetable gardens
6:56	grow with this stuff helps the crops
6:58	grow out there in the fields but when
7:01	this water
7:03	foreign
7:08	and then somebody is brought and the
7:11	pastor says these words I baptize you in
7:14	the name of the father and the Son and
7:18	the Holy Spirit
7:21	this is no longer just water
7:23	the reason why it’s not just water is
7:26	because it’s water and the word of God
7:28	and what does God’s word say now is
7:32	happening here well in Acts chapter 2
7:35	verse you know 40 41 42 remember the
7:40	great day of Pentecost Peter preaches
7:42	that amazing sermon and in that amazing
7:44	sermon the people are cut to the quick
7:46	it tells them they’re they’re guilty of
7:48	killing the Messiah and so Peter you
7:51	know is out there preaching the holy
7:53	spirit’s fallen and they’re cut to the
7:55	heart and they say Brothers what shall
7:56	we do and what does Peter say repent and
7:59	be baptized
8:01	for the Forgiveness of sins
8:06	for the Forgiveness of sins when we
8:08	confess the words in the Nicene Creed
8:09	this is what we say one baptism for
8:13	giveness of sins
8:15	that’s no longer just water
8:18	that’s water and the word and what God’s
8:21	word says that water is doing with the
8:24	word is what it does it washes away sins
8:27	it forgives sins you are buried with
8:29	Christ you are raised with Christ your
8:32	heart is circumcised by Christ This Is
8:34	What scripture says all of these
8:36	promises from the word of God attached
8:39	to ordinary tap water
8:41	right
8:42	so when we see in this text that Moses
8:46	was commanded to make a bronze serpent
8:49	hang it on a pole and anybody who looked
8:52	to it shall live we understand that this
8:55	is a Sacrament material attached with
8:58	God’s word and God’s words doing its
9:00	thing so if you were one of the children
9:03	of Israel at this time wandering through
9:04	the Wilderness and grumbling against God
9:07	and you woke up and there was one of
9:09	those nekashim seraphim in your tent and
9:11	it bit you
9:14	do you have to die
9:17	no all you have to do is look
9:22	at that snakey thing
9:24	that’s all you have to do
9:26	and you will live
9:28	now all of this we learned from Jesus
9:31	from our gospel text from The Book of
9:33	Numbers is type and Shadow pointing us
9:35	to the reality and Our Gospel text
9:37	begins with these words just as Moses
9:39	lifted up the snake in the desert so the
9:42	son of man must be lifted up that
9:44	everyone who believes in him might have
9:47	eternal life
9:49	so that snakey thing
9:52	kind of looks like a cross in a way
9:54	right
9:55	well that’s on purpose it points to
9:57	Jesus the Old Testament type and Shadow
10:00	gives way to the reality Christ then is
10:04	the one who is hung on a pole so that we
10:08	who believe and look to him will not
10:11	perish but have eternal life and the
10:13	reason why this is so is because each
10:15	and every one of us according to
10:16	scripture we were born snake bit
10:19	we have the Venom of the serpent from
10:22	the Garden of Eden coursing through our
10:24	veins from the moment we’re conceived
10:26	we’re born dead in trespasses and sins
10:29	as we heard in our epistle text and so
10:31	because we are born snake bit we are in
10:34	danger of not losing our temporal life
10:36	but being thrown into the fires of Hell
10:39	fiery serpent indeed but Christ saves Us
10:43	by becoming a curse for us because it
10:45	says cursed is anyone who is hung on a
10:47	tree and so he takes your sin upon
10:50	himself and he bleeds and dies in your
10:53	stead and now Jesus is the one whom we
10:56	look to and we don’t perish we lived he
11:00	doesn’t save us from the curse he saves
11:03	us through it just like the children of
11:05	Israel
11:06	and so Jesus teaches us in John 3 that
11:09	this serpent in numbers points us to him
11:12	and then in a pit in our Ephesians text
11:15	we learn how all of this cashes out and
11:18	it’s wonderful think of it this way have
11:20	you ever watched one of those television
11:21	shows where somebody who has a home that
11:25	really needs to be repaired badly I mean
11:28	the kitchen appliances are falling apart
11:30	the cabinet doors are they’re off the
11:32	hinges and and there’s cockroaches and
11:34	spiders and the yard looks like it’s you
11:37	know you know gopher Kingdom you know
11:38	what I’m talking about we’ve all seen
11:39	these television programs and so what
11:41	they do is they come up with some kind
11:43	of a ruse right so what we’re going to
11:45	do is we’re gonna we’re gonna send you
11:47	on a vacation somewhere oh thank you
11:50	that’s great and while they’re gone in
11:53	come the contractors and they take this
11:56	dilapidated house bring everything up to
11:58	code bring new appliances in and then
12:01	when they come home
12:03	they collapse
12:06	why because they’re so overcome by such
12:10	unexpected generosity
12:12	such unexpected
12:15	love and concern right and we love
12:18	watching those shows when the reveal
12:20	happens as we see their eyes light up
12:22	and their jaws hitting the floor and
12:24	they seeing for the first time what they
12:27	never even saw coming
12:29	and that’s what God’s grace is like
12:31	because when we look into each and of
12:33	each one of our hearts we know that we
12:36	stand condemned before God
12:38	God does the unexpected out of nowhere
12:42	Christ is born of the Virgin Mary he
12:46	lives a sinless life for you and your
12:48	place he then takes your sin upon
12:51	himself and goes to the cross and then
12:53	he bleeds dies rises again
12:57	and then announces to you
13:01	you are forgiven
13:03	all of your debt every last penny of it
13:06	paid in full
13:10	not a thing you have to do to earn it
13:12	it’s all by God’s grace and to this we
13:15	just collapse how can this be how can I
13:19	a sinner
13:21	really have eternal life and receive
13:25	this incredible gift and that’s what it
13:28	is it’s an Incredible Gift and so we
13:30	read in Ephesians 2. as for you
13:33	you were dead in your transgressions and
13:36	your sins in which you used to live when
13:39	you followed the ways of this world and
13:40	the ruler of the kingdom of the air the
13:42	spirit who is now at work and those who
13:44	are disobedient this is all of us all of
13:47	us were born dead in our sins all of us
13:50	the text says lived among them at one
13:52	time
13:53	gratifying the Cravings of our sinful
13:55	nature following its desires and
13:57	thoughts and like the rest we were by
14:00	nature objects of Wrath
14:02	but now here’s the big reveal
14:04	but ah I love this butt because it
14:07	erases all the other stuff but because
14:10	of his great love for us
14:15	wow God who is rich in Mercy he has made
14:19	us alive with Christ even when we were
14:22	dead in transgressions It Is by Grace
14:26	you have been saved and God raised us up
14:30	with Christ and seated us with him in
14:33	the Heavenly Realms in Christ Jesus did
14:35	you catch that oh it’s way better than
14:38	those you know surprise remodeling
14:40	programs because you’re the one who’s
14:42	been remodeled
14:44	from the tips of your toes to the top of
14:47	your head if you still have some hair
14:49	even all the way out to the rest of the
14:50	of your hair right
14:52	Christ has forgiven you made you alive
14:55	in him washed away all of your sins in
14:58	the waters of your baptism God has
15:01	raised us up with Christ and seated us
15:03	with him in the Heavenly Realms in order
15:05	that in the coming ages he might show
15:08	the incomparable Riches of his grace
15:12	wow
15:14	this sounds way too good to be true but
15:18	it’s not and wait there’s more we even
15:20	get Ginsu knives in here right I’m
15:23	joking about the knives if you have to
15:24	read the fine print
15:26	so God raised us up in order that in the
15:29	coming ages he might show the
15:30	incomparable Riches of his grace
15:32	expressed in his kindness to us in
15:35	Christ Jesus for it is by Grace you have
15:38	been saved notice it doesn’t say will be
15:42	it says you have been
15:44	I’m preaching to Christians you have
15:46	been you are you are saved saved saved
15:50	do be do be saved and ain’t nobody going
15:52	to take that from you
15:54	I’m not going to preach to you in the
15:56	hopes that someday you might attain
15:58	christianhood uh you are a Christian you
16:02	are in Christ you are forgiven you are
16:04	redeemed you are on your way to eternal
16:07	life face to face with Christ no shame
16:10	all Grace all love all mercy and when
16:13	you see his eyes on the mo the moment
16:16	you close your eyes in this world
16:18	because you’ve drawn your last breath
16:21	when you open your eyes in eternity the
16:23	first person’s eyes you’re going to see
16:25	our christs and they are not Angry Eyes
16:27	they are deep loving eyes of pure grace
16:32	and mercy and you are going to get the
16:34	hug of your life
16:36	that’s how much God loves you that’s how
16:39	much he has saved you that is going to
16:42	be a glorious day and that is what you
16:45	Christians have to look forward to not
16:47	wrath but Mercy Grace kindness love it’s
16:52	all for you and you have it now
16:58	for by Grace you have been saved through
17:02	faith it’s not from yourselves it is the
17:05	gift of God it is not by works so that
17:09	no one can boast for we are God’s
17:12	workmanship and we are created in Christ
17:14	Jesus to do good works which God has
17:17	prepared in advance for us to do
17:20	as our gospel text says
17:22	for God so loved the world that he gave
17:24	his only son that whoever believes in
17:27	him will not perish and that’s you but
17:30	you have eternal life for God did not
17:33	send his son into the world to condemn
17:35	the world but to save the world through
17:37	him whoever believes in him is not
17:42	condemned
17:44	and that’s you
17:46	you are not condemned
17:48	God so loved you
17:50	that he gave his son to die for you
17:53	you are not condemned you are in Christ
17:55	you have eternity to look forward to and
17:59	the grace and this generosity of God is
18:01	so overwhelming it puts every single
18:04	surprise television show to shame but
18:07	each and every one of those little shows
18:08	in a way point us to the outrageous
18:12	grace and mercy of Christ that he can
18:14	save Sinners as awful as me
18:16	and as sinful as you in the name of
18:19	Jesus Amen

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