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Series B – Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost – Sunday, October 11, 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
0:29	the holy Gospel According to Saint Mark
0:31	chapter 10 verses 17-22
0:35	as Jesus started on his way a man ran up
0:38	to him fell on his knees before him good
0:41	teacher he asked what must I do to
0:45	inherit eternal life
0:47	why do you call me good Jesus answered
0:49	no one is good except for God alone you
0:52	know the Commandments do not murder do
0:54	not commit adultery do not steal do not
0:56	give false testimony do not defraud
0:59	honor your father and mother
1:02	teacher he declared all of these I’ve
1:04	kept since I was a boy
1:06	now Jesus looked at him and he loved him
1:08	all right one thing you lack he said go
1:11	sell everything you have give it to the
1:14	poor and you will have treasure in
1:16	heaven then come follow me
1:19	at this the man’s face fell
1:23	he went away sad because he had great
1:26	wealth
1:27	in the name of Jesus
1:30	all right so this is an interesting text
1:32	it’s before us and you’re going to need
1:33	your Pew Bibles we’re going to be in a
1:34	few different spots today
1:37	we’ll begin with our gospel text gospel
1:39	Mark chapter 10 verse 17.
1:42	here’s what it says as Jesus started on
1:44	his way a man ran up to him fell on his
1:46	knees before him and said good teacher
1:49	he asked what must I do to inherit
1:55	eternal life
1:57	let’s stop for a second and analyze the
1:59	question what must I do to inherit
2:02	eternal life all right let’s say that
2:04	grandma has written you into her will
2:06	she’s written you into her her will and
2:08	she’s decided that she’s going to give
2:10	you the whole estate you get the farm
2:11	you get the land you get the implements
2:13	you get even the green combine grandma’s
2:15	being very generous of course she’s not
2:17	going to be here and so what do you have
2:20	to do to inherit all of this
2:22	what work must you do
2:25	answer nothing
2:27	an inheritance is a gift
2:29	in fact if you really want to be
2:32	industrious what you really need to do
2:33	is figure out how to knock off granny
2:35	right but if you get caught you will not
2:39	get the inheritance you’ll spend the
2:40	rest of your life in one of those orange
2:42	jumpsuits and we all know how good those
2:45	look right
2:46	so rather than knock her off what you do
2:49	is you just sit and you wait and when
2:51	Grandma dies you receive the estate
2:55	eternal life in scripture is an
2:57	inheritance this man has it right he
3:00	knows that he’s going to inherit it it’s
3:03	an inheritance but he wrongly thinks
3:05	that he’s got to do something to earn it
3:08	he’s very confused it’s well okay how
3:12	many good works are enough for me to do
3:15	you know how many little old ladies do I
3:17	help have to help across the street how
3:19	many poor people do I need to give money
3:20	to how many homeless people do I need to
3:23	feed let me know what the level is so
3:25	that I know that now now I have eternal
3:29	life because I’ve done certain things
3:31	and this is how we all think we I do
3:34	good works God says good boy and then he
3:36	gives me good he gives me eternal life
3:38	Ah that’s not how it works now watch
3:40	what Jesus Does
3:42	this is not a throwaway question it’s
3:45	the key to unlocking this passage Jesus
3:47	says why do you call me good
3:51	the guy should have stopped right there
3:52	and really taken this question to Heart
3:54	Jesus answered no one is good except for
3:57	God Alone
4:00	not you
4:03	not any of the people in this church not
4:05	me no one is good except for God Alone
4:08	this guy should have taken the hint
4:10	because Jesus was politely in a way
4:13	saying without dishonoring this man
4:15	you’re not good
4:19	no one is good except for God alone all
4:22	right so you know the Commandments do
4:25	not murder do not commit adultery do not
4:28	steal do not give false testimony do not
4:32	defraud honor your father and mother by
4:35	way of a side note here
4:37	you’ll notice that when we read our Ten
4:40	Commandments Commandments 9 and 10 have
4:42	to do with coveting
4:43	you know you don’t covet your neighbor’s
4:45	stuff
4:47	and then you also don’t covet your
4:48	neighbor’s wife or his manservants or
4:51	his maidservants right and Jesus Takes
4:54	the two Commandments regarding coveting
4:55	and sticks them together and says you
4:57	will not defraud defrauding is a form of
5:00	theft and it begins with coveting and
5:02	defrauding basically involves coming up
5:04	with a clever scheme by which you can
5:06	then come into possession of your
5:09	neighbor’s things without actually
5:11	sneaking into his house in the middle of
5:12	the night and taking him while he’s not
5:14	looking defrauding basically it’s a
5:17	wonderful scheme that you’ve come up
5:19	with that technically is legal but it’s
5:21	still a form of theft and it begins with
5:23	covenanting just by way of a note there
5:26	so Jesus here
5:28	he asks the question you know the
5:30	Commandments he lists off the
5:32	Commandments and you’re going to notice
5:33	something about these Commandments they
5:35	all have to do with the second table of
5:37	the law second table of the law is how
5:39	we deal with each other
5:41	and this guy then gives what I would
5:43	consider to be a very foolish answer he
5:46	says teacher I all of these I’ve kept
5:48	since I was a boy
5:50	and all the Norwegians said
5:55	oh boy this guy needs a lot of help all
5:58	right theologically he’s completely
6:00	screwed up he thinks the law is
6:03	basically a ladder that you climb he’s
6:04	climbed the ladder and now he’s earned
6:06	eternal life salvation is not something
6:09	you earn it’s a gift given by God so
6:11	Jesus knowing how to use the law
6:13	properly looked at him and it says he
6:16	loved him Jesus didn’t despise him he
6:18	truly loved this man why because he’s
6:20	going to the Cross to bleed and to die
6:21	for him all right one thing you lack he
6:24	said
6:25	go sell everything you have and give it
6:29	to the poor
6:31	and you’ll have treasure in heaven then
6:32	come follow me
6:34	and the guy’s face
6:36	fell he went away sad because he had
6:39	great wealth
6:42	in other words oh now we’re going to
6:45	deal with the first table of the law
6:47	first commandment you will have no other
6:49	gods before me
6:51	what is this man’s God
6:54	his money
6:55	that is the thing he is trusting in that
6:58	is the thing where he is getting his
7:00	security from money is the thing that he
7:03	worships and oh there’s many people who
7:06	do this today very sad thing and so he
7:09	left Jesus Jesus said come follow me
7:13	Jesus is God in human flesh
7:16	but he left sad because he had great
7:19	wealth now it’s important for us to note
7:22	kind of the interplay that’s going on
7:24	here in order to understand this passage
7:26	you have to get the proper distinction
7:27	of Law and gospel and Jesus is not
7:31	saying oh you can earn your salvation if
7:34	you go and sell everything you have and
7:36	give it to the poor it’s pretty easy
7:38	eternal life
7:40	eternally with God World Without End the
7:43	streets of gold and all I have to do is
7:46	sell everything I have and give it to
7:47	the poor that’s an easy exchange I can
7:49	go do that and now I’ve earned it that’s
7:51	not what Jesus is saying what Jesus is
7:54	doing is using the law to show this man
7:57	that he is not good no one is good
8:00	except for God Alone this man thinks
8:04	he’s good
8:05	and Jesus by pointing out his idolatry
8:07	as revealed to this man that he’s not
8:09	good he’s an idolater he’s not somebody
8:12	who trusts in the one true God he trusts
8:15	in himself
8:18	now I want to compare this text
8:21	to another text from the book of Acts
8:23	you have your few Bibles open to acts
8:25	16. we’re going to start at verse 11.
8:27	we’re going to look at another man who
8:30	asks almost The Identical question
8:33	but it’s under different circumstances
8:34	and you can kind of see the difference
8:36	so that you can see what’s going on here
8:38	acts 16 verse 11 and we’re going to hear
8:43	about Paul and Silas
8:46	and tacitly we’re going to hear about
8:48	Luke the author of Acts and their
8:53	arrival in the town of Philippi
8:55	here’s what it says starting at verse
8:57	11. from troas we put out the sea sailed
9:00	straight for samoth race the next date
9:02	on to neapolis and from there we
9:04	traveled to Philippi a Roman colony and
9:06	the leading city of that District of
9:08	Macedonia and we stayed there several
9:11	days
9:12	on the Sabbath we went outside the city
9:15	gate to the river where we expected to
9:17	find a place of prayer we sat down and
9:20	began to speak to the women who had
9:22	gathered there one of those listening
9:24	was a woman named Lydia
9:26	a dealer in purple cloth from the city
9:29	of thyrotyra she’s a dealer in purple
9:31	cloth she’s making lots of money purple
9:34	is the color of royalty and it is an
9:38	expensive color I think they made it
9:39	using the ink from octopuses you know
9:42	something to that effect very difficult
9:44	to come up come across the stuff to make
9:46	purple
9:47	but it says this she was a worshiper of
9:50	God note to yourself here
9:53	in the New Testament especially in the
9:55	book of Acts when somebody is described
9:57	as a worshiper of God that means that
9:59	they are a gentile learning to become a
10:03	Jew
10:04	they are studying Judaism they’re in
10:06	catechism class all right so a worshiper
10:09	of God is a class of people if we had
10:12	young ones here who were in catechism
10:14	we’d call them our catech humans right
10:15	so they’re studying to become Jews so
10:18	she’s a worshiper of God and here’s what
10:20	it says the Lord opened her heart to
10:24	respond to Paul’s message
10:26	oh
10:27	there goes decision theology right there
10:29	why because it’s the Lord who opens our
10:32	hearts to hear the message of the gospel
10:34	and saving work of Christ and so the
10:37	Lord opened her heart and when she and
10:38	the members of her household were
10:40	baptized she invited us to her home if
10:43	you consider me a believer in the Lord
10:45	she said come and stay at my house and
10:48	she persuaded us you’ll notice that Luke
10:50	here the author of Acts is including
10:52	himself us we he’s part of this
10:55	and notice it says that our entire
10:57	household was baptized everybody in her
11:00	house now in the days before birth
11:02	control
11:04	if an entire household is baptized would
11:07	that include little ones
11:10	oh absolutely everybody
11:13	so then the story continues once when we
11:16	were going to the place of prayer we
11:19	were met by a slave girl who had a
11:22	Spirit by which she predicted the future
11:26	huh she earned a great deal of money for
11:28	her owners by fortune telling now you
11:31	can’t see it in this English translation
11:32	but in the Greek it’s very clear what
11:34	kind of a spirit she had
11:36	the Greek says that she had a spirit of
11:39	puthon
11:41	sounds like a python or snake right well
11:44	by saying that she had a spirit of
11:45	puthon we know exactly where this girl
11:48	spent some time serving and that was at
11:51	a place called The Oracle of Delphi
11:54	if you’ve heard of this if you’ve read
11:56	any of the ancient accounts regarding
11:57	the Oracle Adelphi it was the place you
11:59	would go to ask the gods about your
12:02	future and Fortune and in fact Alexander
12:05	the Great made a stop at the Oracle of
12:07	Delphi and the way this worked by the
12:10	way is that the Oracle Adelphi you can
12:12	visit the the place to this day the
12:14	ruins of the temple are still there it
12:16	was built over a crevice where there was
12:19	volcanic gases that were coming up
12:21	through this crevice and they were
12:23	intoxicating type of gases and the girls
12:26	that served at the Oracle of Delphi they
12:29	would put their face over the crevice
12:31	breathe in the fumes and then go into an
12:34	ecstatic State and speak in tongues the
12:37	men of the Oracle of Delphi would then
12:40	interpret the tongues you know to and as
12:44	if this was an answer so somebody would
12:46	say I’m here to find out my fortune does
12:49	so and so love me will we get married
12:50	and have children and live happily ever
12:52	after and then one of these girls would
12:54	stick her face over the crack and
12:57	breathe it in and start just speaking
12:58	gibberish and then the priesthood
13:01	interpret and say yes no maybe who knows
13:03	you know
13:04	how do you answer a specificity
13:06	something like that but so we know
13:08	because this girl in Philippi had a
13:10	spirit of puthon that puts her as at one
13:14	point working at the Oracle of Delphi
13:17	so she’s demon possessed she’s able to
13:20	predict the future she earned a great
13:22	deal of money for her owners by fortune
13:24	telling and this girl followed Paul and
13:29	the rest of us shouting
13:32	be careful not to shout too loud these
13:34	men are Servants of the most I God who
13:39	are telling you the way to be saved
13:42	always beware when the demons are
13:44	proclaiming Christ
13:46	they never are really quite telling the
13:50	truth
13:52	in a ancient culture in a town like
13:55	Philippi where the people believed in
13:57	the pantheon of the Greco-Roman deities
14:00	of Apollo of Athena Zeus
14:04	to Proclaim that Jesus is the most high
14:08	God
14:09	is to basically say that he’s one of
14:12	many
14:13	now granted Paul was preaching the way
14:16	of salvation
14:17	but he wasn’t preaching that Jesus is
14:20	the most high God he’s proclaiming that
14:23	Jesus is the only true God see the
14:26	difference
14:28	so she kept this up for many days
14:31	had to be a bother so finally Paul
14:34	became so troubled he turned around and
14:36	said to the spirit in the name of Jesus
14:39	Christ I command you to come out of her
14:40	and at that moment the spirit left her
14:43	and when the owners of the slave girl
14:45	realized their hope of making money was
14:47	gone They seized Paul and Silas dragged
14:51	them into the marketplace to face the
14:52	authorities they brought them before the
14:54	magistrates and said these men are Jews
14:56	they’re throwing our city into an uproar
14:58	by advocating Customs unlawful for us
15:01	Romans to accept or to practice and the
15:04	crowd joined in the attack against Paul
15:07	and Silas and the magistrates ordered
15:09	them to be stripped and beaten by the
15:12	way Paul and Silas are both Roman
15:13	citizens they did not have to put up
15:15	with this but they said nothing about
15:17	their rights and the reason for this is
15:19	quite simple because they considered
15:21	this type of reproach this type of
15:24	beating to actually be a blessing
15:27	that they were found worthy to suffer
15:29	shame for the name of Christ they would
15:31	rather have that than exercise their
15:32	rights
15:34	so the mass rates ordered them to be
15:36	stripped and beaten and after they had
15:38	been severely flogged which means
15:41	they’re in need of medical care they
15:43	were thrown into prison and everybody
15:45	knows how clean the prisons were at that
15:48	time
15:50	and the Jailer was commanded to guard
15:51	them carefully upon receiving such
15:53	orders he put them in the Inner Cell
15:55	fasten their feet in the stocks
15:59	I’m worrying about at this point you
16:01	know bacterial infection and things like
16:03	that but here’s what Paul and Silas did
16:05	it says this about midnight Paul and
16:07	Silas were praying and singing hymns to
16:10	God
16:12	and you go what
16:15	these men have just been beaten have
16:16	been just been flogged they are in need
16:19	of medical attention
16:21	their wounds have not even really been
16:22	cared for
16:24	and their
16:26	idea at this point of the thing to be
16:29	doing
16:30	time to have a prayer service
16:33	so they’re praying and they’re singing
16:36	hymns to God and while this is going on
16:38	the other prisoners we’re listening to
16:40	them as well as the Guard the guard was
16:42	hearing this too now if you would like
16:43	an example of one of the hymns that they
16:47	probably sung open up your Bibles to
16:50	Philippians chapter 2 verses 6 through
16:52	11
16:54	let me find the page for some of you
16:56	Philippians chapter 2 6-11 you can find
17:00	this on page 831 and you’ll notice in
17:05	your Pew Bible it’s formatted as if it’s
17:07	a poem
17:09	and there’s a reason for this is because
17:11	when you read it in Greek you can see
17:12	what’s going on these are lyrics
17:15	this is a hymn one of the ancient hymns
17:18	of the first Christians and I like to
17:21	think that since Paul puts this hymn In
17:24	His epistle to the Philippians that this
17:26	may have been one of the hymns that they
17:28	were singing in jail let me read the
17:29	lyrics
17:31	talking about Jesus who being in very
17:34	nature God
17:35	did not consider equality with God
17:38	something to be grasped but made himself
17:40	nothing taking the very nature of a
17:43	servant and being made in human likeness
17:45	and being found in appearance as a man
17:46	he humbled himself and became obedient
17:49	to death even death on a cross therefore
17:52	God exalted him to the highest place and
17:54	gave him the name that is above every
17:56	name the the name of Jesus every knee
17:58	should bow in heaven on Earth and under
18:00	the Earth and every tongue confess that
18:03	Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God
18:06	the Father
18:08	that’s a pretty beefy hymn okay that the
18:12	uh the iambic pentameter doesn’t quite
18:14	come across in the English translation
18:16	let’s just put it that way
18:18	but that’s probably I one of the hymns
18:22	that the prisoners heard that night as
18:25	Paul and Silas were praising God and
18:27	proclaiming Christ and praying and while
18:31	this was going on
18:33	text says this we’re back in Acts
18:35	suddenly there was such a violent
18:39	earthquake that the foundations of the
18:40	prison were shaken at once
18:43	all the prison doors flew open and
18:46	everybody’s chains came loose and we all
18:49	know how that story ends right
18:51	Prison Break
18:52	the guys in the orange jumpsuits come
18:54	pouring out and heading you know this
18:56	way and that while they call up the
18:59	marshals and get the dogs and the
19:00	helicopters out to look for them right
19:02	that’s how that’s supposed to go
19:04	but that’s not what happened this day
19:07	the prison doors were open and the
19:09	unthinkable happened not one prisoner
19:12	left
19:16	and you ask yourself what is going on
19:18	here
19:20	the Jailer woke up and when he saw that
19:22	the prison doors were open he drew his
19:25	sword and was about to kill himself
19:27	because he thought the prisoners had
19:29	escaped he was just going to save the
19:30	Roman Authority’s time because had any
19:32	of those prisoners escaped
19:34	they would have killed him
19:37	that is the price to pay for letting
19:40	prisoners Escape but Paul shouted don’t
19:43	harm yourself
19:45	we’re all here
19:49	so the Jailer called for lights
19:51	and he rushed in and he fell trembling
19:55	before Paul and Silas
19:57	notice
19:59	the parallel this guy comes and falls on
20:01	his knees before Paul and Cyrus remember
20:03	the Rich Young Ruler he come and he fell
20:04	before Jesus right
20:06	but unlike the Rich Young Ruler
20:09	this jailer
20:11	doesn’t think that he’s a good person
20:15	he doesn’t
20:18	he knows he’s heard about Jesus
20:22	and his death on the cross
20:24	and he knows that he’s a sinner in need
20:26	of a savior
20:28	through the preaching through the
20:30	prayers through the hymns that he’s just
20:31	heard
20:33	he says then he brought them out and he
20:36	asked sirs what must I do to be saved
20:42	he’s not expecting to do something in
20:44	order to inherit eternal life he knows
20:46	he needs to be saved similar question
20:49	yet very different
20:51	pointing at kind of the same thing
20:53	really the same thing totally but from
20:56	two different approaches one a man who
20:58	thinks he’s righteous and the other a
21:01	man who knows that he’s not
21:03	what must I do to be saved and they
21:05	replied believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
21:08	and you will be saved you and your whole
21:11	household that includes the babies
21:14	so then they spoke the word of the Lord
21:16	to him and to all the others in his
21:18	house and at that hour of the night the
21:20	Jailer took them and washed their wounds
21:23	and then immediately he and his family
21:25	they were baptized
21:27	the Jailer brought them into his house
21:29	and set a meal before them and he was
21:31	filled with joy because he had come to
21:33	believe in God he and his whole family
21:39	how are we saved
21:42	by trying hard doing good works
21:47	getting our little good works star chart
21:50	out and tracking our progress
21:53	counting up the merits
21:56	holding up our scorecard to God and say
21:58	see I’ve done it
22:01	no
22:03	the purpose of the law is not for you to
22:05	save yourself
22:06	Romans chapter 3 says this we know that
22:09	whatever the law says this is verse 19
22:11	it says to those who are under the law
22:13	so that every mouth may be silenced and
22:15	the whole world held accountable to God
22:17	and that’s what Jesus did with the law
22:19	that day with the Rich Young Ruler
22:22	he used the law to silence that man
22:25	so that he can be held accountable to
22:27	God
22:28	and then Romans says this therefore no
22:30	one not one person will be declared
22:32	righteous in God’s sight by observing
22:34	the law rather through the law
22:38	we become conscious of sin
22:42	that’s the purpose of the law
22:44	so if you’re trying to
22:47	rack up the brownie points and say oh
22:49	I’ve kept all these Commandments God
22:51	from the time I was little
22:53	we say ufta no way
22:57	no you haven’t
23:00	that’s not why the law was given the law
23:02	was given to show that you’re a sinner
23:04	in need of a savior me as well as you
23:07	but then Romans goes on to say this now
23:09	righteousness from God apart from the
23:11	law has been made known to which the law
23:13	and the prophets testify this is the
23:14	righteousness from God that comes
23:16	through faith in Jesus Christ to all who
23:18	believe what must I do to be saved
23:21	believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you
23:23	will be saved
23:25	there’s no difference all have sinned
23:27	and fall short of the glory of God and
23:30	are Justified freely by his grace
23:31	through the Redemption that came by
23:33	Christ Jesus God presented Jesus as a
23:36	sacrifice of atonement through faith in
23:39	his blood he did this to demonstrate his
23:41	Justice because in his forbearance he
23:43	had left the sins committed beforehand
23:45	unpunished he did this to demonstrate
23:47	his Justice at the present time so as to
23:49	be just and the one who justifies those
23:51	who have faith in Jesus
23:54	so where then is boasting
23:57	if you’re not saved by your works but
24:00	you’re saved totally by Grace as a gift
24:03	because Christ died for the ungodly
24:06	there’s absolutely no room for boasting
24:08	what are you going to boast in
24:10	yeah I’m a sinner in need of a savior
24:14	I could boast in that I guess boast in
24:16	the fact that Christ has saved somebody
24:18	even as wretched as me
24:21	there’s no room for boasting it’s
24:23	excluded on what principle on that of
24:25	observing the law no but on that of
24:27	faith for we maintain that a man is
24:29	justified by faith apart from observing
24:33	the law
24:35	so I go back to one of the questions
24:37	what must I do to inherit eternal life
24:40	and I pointed out the fact that eternal
24:43	life
24:43	is an inheritance it truly is
24:47	and Jesus has willed in his last will
24:51	and testament that we inherit the
24:54	kingdom and what’s necessary for us to
24:56	inherit the kingdom is for one to die
24:59	and that one has died
25:02	it’s Jesus
25:04	and it’s through his death
25:06	and through his will last will and
25:09	testament
25:10	that he has chosen to give to us to you
25:13	to me
25:16	the inheritance of eternal life
25:18	he’s willed it to us and he’s gone to
25:21	the cross and bled and died so that we
25:23	might possess it and own it
25:26	and my job
25:28	part of my job Sunday after Sunday is to
25:31	read out the will and let you know
25:35	that you are one of those whom Jesus has
25:39	chosen to receive this inheritance
25:42	not by any work that you’ve done he’s
25:45	only giving this inheritance to sinful
25:47	Wicked and Unholy people
25:50	those who need a savior
25:53	like me and like you
25:57	so rather than leave today sad
26:01	because you have great wealth or sad
26:03	because
26:05	you found out that you’re a sinner leave
26:07	today with great joy like the Philippian
26:09	Jailer
26:10	with the great joy of knowing that God
26:13	has opened your heart has washed away
26:16	your sins has forgiven you by the shed
26:18	blood of Christ
26:20	let your wounds be healed today
26:22	and Trust and Believe
26:25	that as I’m reading out this will
26:28	that you truly have received a glorious
26:31	inheritance by the one who bled and died
26:34	for you
26:36	in the name of Jesus Amen
26:39	[Music]

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