LutheranLectionary.org

Series B – Twelfth Sunday of Pentecost – Sunday, August 15, 2021 | 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
0:30	the sixth chapter
0:32	[Music]
0:38	Jesus said i am the living bread that
0:40	came down from heaven if anyone eats of
0:42	this bread he will live forever and the
0:45	bread that i will give for the life of
0:46	the world is my flesh
0:48	the jews then disputed among themselves
0:50	saying how can this man give us his
0:52	flesh to eat so Jesus said to them truly
0:55	truly i say to you unless you eat the
0:56	flesh of the son of man and drink his
0:58	blood you have no life in you whoever
1:00	feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood
1:02	has eternal life i will raise him up on
1:04	the last day for my flesh is true food
1:08	my blood is true drink whoever feeds on
1:10	my flesh and drinks my blood abides in
1:12	me and i in him as the living father
1:14	sent me and i live because of the father
1:16	so whoever feeds on me he also will live
1:19	because of me
1:20	this is the bread that came down from
1:22	heaven not as the father’s aden died
1:25	whoever feeds on this bread will live
1:26	forever
1:28	Jesus said these things in the synagogue
1:29	as he taught at capernaum
1:32	when many of his disciples heard it they
1:34	said this is a hard saying who can
1:36	listen to it but Jesus knowing in
1:39	himself that his disciples were
1:40	grumbling about this said to them do you
1:43	take offense at this what then if you
1:45	were to see the son of man ascending to
1:47	where he was before
1:49	it is the spirit who gives life the
1:51	flesh is of no avail the words that i
1:54	have spoken to
1:55	are spirit and life but there are some
1:58	of you who do not believe for Jesus knew
2:00	from the beginning who those were who
2:02	did not believe
2:04	and who it was who would betray him he
2:06	said this is why i told you that no one
2:08	can come to me unless it is granted to
2:09	him by the father and after this many of
2:12	Jesus disciples turned back and no
2:14	longer walked with him so Jesus said to
2:16	the twelve do you want to go away as
2:18	well
2:19	simon peter answered him lord to whom
2:21	shall we go
2:22	you have the words of eternal life and
2:24	we have believed and come to know that
2:26	you are the holy one of god this is the
2:29	gospel of the lord in the name of Jesus
2:33	can you believe the scandal of our
2:35	gospel tax today
2:37	Jesus offended people
2:40	wait what
2:42	yeah apparently didn’t you know that
2:44	offending people is the worst possible
2:46	thing you can do nowadays i mean it’s as
2:49	if the only dogma that exists is the
2:52	dogma that says there can be no dogma
2:55	right
2:56	you’ll note that when we confess the
2:58	nicene creed today note the specificity
3:01	of all of the things that we confess
3:04	i believe in god the father almighty the
3:06	maker of heaven and earth right in Jesus
3:09	Christ his only son our lord conceived
3:11	by the holy spirit born of the virgin
3:13	mary suffered under pontius pilate
3:16	you’ll you’ll note that in our days all
3:18	of those really specific biblical
3:22	doctrines and teachings have all whoosh
3:25	vanished right what have they been
3:27	replaced with
3:30	vague
3:31	vapid
3:33	nebulous hard to define
3:36	spirituality if you would i remember
3:38	last week i i i think this might be a
3:41	confession of sins i’m not sure i have
3:42	to work this out we played prophecy
3:45	bingo here at uh kongsfinger right
3:47	and uh i always loathe doing prophecy
3:50	bingo segments on the fighting for the
3:51	faith youtube channel and the reason why
3:53	is this it is depressing
3:56	to note that people have exchanged the
3:58	real word of god that we find in
4:01	scripture
4:02	the real doctrines of scripture for
4:04	things that go something like this i
4:06	feel a download from the holy spirit
4:08	he’s telling me that in the coming
4:10	season that god’s going to be releasing
4:12	breakthroughs and suddenlies you know
4:14	every time i have a suddenly i have to
4:16	take kaopectate but that’s a different
4:18	thing altogether right in fact if you
4:21	think about it what does the world
4:22	really want
4:25	vague
4:26	nebulous
4:27	spirituality haven’t you had talked to
4:29	anybody who says you know
4:31	i’m i’m spiritual but i’m not religious
4:35	right
4:36	what exactly does that mean you’re
4:38	spiritual but not religious now we can
4:40	kind of work through history those of us
4:42	old enough to remember the beatles you
4:44	guys remember the beatles i know they’re
4:45	still you know but
4:46	you remember when they did that
4:48	maharishi mahesh yoga thingy and they
4:51	were doing lsd and they were and they
4:53	were the beatles became really
4:55	what spiritual right i consider that
4:58	this particular beatles song written
5:00	during the time of the beatles spiritual
5:03	moments right see if you can make any
5:05	sense of these words
5:07	words are flowing out like endless rain
5:10	into a paper cup
5:11	they slither wildly as they slip away
5:13	across the universe pools of sorrow
5:16	waves of joy are drifting through my
5:18	opened mind
5:19	possessing and caressing me
5:22	jai
5:30	you all know the tune right i’m not
5:31	going to torture you with that
5:34	what exactly does that mean i have no
5:38	clue but man people were eating this
5:40	stuff up going wow the beetles are so
5:44	spiritual right and george harrison he
5:46	was considered to be the super spiritual
5:48	guy of the of the beatles i mean
5:50	even died in this weird nebulous
5:52	esoteric gnostic um spirituality
5:57	but what exactly
5:58	is this
6:00	what it what does it mean
6:02	and see that’s kind of the point you’ll
6:04	note that Jesus in our gospel text he
6:06	says some well you know
6:08	pretty outrageous specific kinds of
6:11	things
6:12	i am the living bread that came down
6:14	from heaven Jesus says if anyone eats of
6:17	this bread he will live forever and the
6:19	bread that i will give for the life of
6:21	the world is my own flesh
6:25	wait Jesus doesn’t think that communion
6:27	is a symbol no he doesn’t
6:31	you’re right
6:32	and of course the jews are sitting there
6:34	going wait what how how can this guy
6:36	give us his flesh to you and Jesus
6:38	doesn’t go whoa whoa whoa whoa i didn’t
6:39	mean that whoa what are you guys
6:41	thinking that’s gross what does Jesus do
6:43	he says truly truly i say to you unless
6:45	you eat the flesh of the son of man and
6:47	drink his blood you have no life in you
6:49	Jesus doubles down on the specificity of
6:52	this dogma
6:54	as it relates to the lord’s supper
6:55	whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my
6:58	blood has eternal life i’ll raise him up
7:01	on the last day my flesh is true food my
7:04	blood is true drink whoever feeds on my
7:07	flesh and drinks my blood abides in me
7:09	and i and him
7:11	wow that’s some really amazing stuff if
7:13	you think about it
7:14	Jesus pointing to himself the fact that
7:17	he’s going to the cross the very body
7:19	and blood of Christ nailed to the cross
7:22	for your sins and mine and all of our
7:24	idolatrous nebulous spiritualities
7:27	right
7:28	that’s part of what Christ died for that
7:31	he then promises the forgiveness of our
7:33	sins and that in the lord’s supper when
7:35	we have the lord’s supper this is one of
7:37	the ways in which we abide in Christ and
7:40	he abides in
7:42	us ah
7:44	kind of nice that we’re having that
7:46	today right yeah so we got that abiding
7:49	thing kind of going for us but here’s
7:51	what happens when many of Jesus
7:53	disciples heard these things
7:56	they said this is a hard saying who can
7:57	listen to it
7:59	this is what we didn’t sign up for this
8:02	you know just the day before you know
8:04	they were ready to make Jesus the bread
8:06	king now now they’re sitting there going
8:10	and Jesus knowing that they were
8:11	grumbling he said to them do you take
8:14	offense at this
8:15	do you take offense
8:17	then then he like goes even more
8:19	specific you know that doctrine talking
8:21	about the ascension of Christ and it’s
8:23	such an important one it says then what
8:24	if you were to see the son of man
8:26	ascending to where he was before oh the
8:29	ascension of Christ is one of those
8:30	things that proclaims him to be king of
8:32	kings lord of lords god in human flesh
8:35	that the exalted glorified risen savior
8:38	right that’s what he’s pointing to it is
8:41	the spirit who gives life
8:43	and the flesh
8:44	is of no
8:46	avail pay attention to those words it is
8:49	the spirit who gives life
8:51	the flesh
8:52	is of no avail the words that i have
8:54	spoken to you they are spirit and they
8:57	are life you need to be listening to the
8:59	words of Jesus not the ramblings of
9:02	weird fleshly spiritual people all
9:05	claiming to be spiritual right and
9:07	you’ll note here that one of the one of
9:09	the major mantras of our time one of the
9:11	major mantras you need to be authentic
9:14	to who you are
9:17	yeah you just need to
9:19	find yourself
9:21	have you ever watched somebody on social
9:23	media kind of journal out for everybody
9:26	to see you know i’m on a quest to find
9:28	myself i’m thinking just look in the
9:30	mirror okay take your right hand touch
9:33	your left arm there you are okay you
9:35	found you
9:36	come out come out wherever you are right
9:38	this is nonsense right but what they’re
9:40	really saying is is that they’re they’re
9:42	they’re struggling with the feelings and
9:45	the passions and the desires that they
9:47	have within themselves and we have those
9:50	same passions and desires
9:52	do you want to be authentic to your
9:54	sinful nature that’s not going to end
9:56	well
9:57	it’s not going to end well at all
10:00	right as Christians we recognize that we
10:02	still have our old sinful nature to
10:04	contend with and what does our old
10:06	sinful nature want all the things that
10:08	god tells us no to
10:10	and all the things that god says yes to
10:13	our sinful nature says no to
10:15	but we have a regenerate will because we
10:18	have been raised from the dead by the
10:20	powerful working of god either in the
10:22	waters of baptism or through the
10:23	preaching of the gospel and that
10:25	regenerate will desires to do the things
10:27	of god and so it feels like you’re just
10:29	kind of at war with yourself being a
10:31	Christian isn’t easy
10:33	because you know what’s right
10:35	and you don’t want to do it
10:37	you know it’s wrong and you want to do
10:39	it
10:40	and every sunday you keep coming to
10:42	church and you say these words i confess
10:44	that i am by nature sinful and unclean
10:47	i remember years ago somebody asked me
10:49	how many sundays in a row are you going
10:50	to tell me i’m a sinner
10:52	well i’ll stop saying that as soon as
10:54	you stop sinning right
10:56	right that’s how that works and the
10:58	thing is is that we don’t want that we
11:01	want some vague spirituality that says
11:04	everything’s gonna be okay and the true
11:08	spiritual enlightenment is just
11:10	embracing your sinful passions and
11:13	saying that’s who i am
11:16	right
11:17	that’s how this goes but Christ doesn’t
11:19	speak in these ways Christ calls us to
11:22	repent
11:23	Christ calls us to be forgiven
11:25	Christ calls us to bear fruit in keeping
11:27	with repentance
11:28	Christ calls us to eat his flesh and
11:30	drink his blood for the forgiveness of
11:32	our sins Christ says some very specific
11:35	things and you’re going to note that
11:36	Jesus has no problem watch how i say
11:40	this hurting our fifis
11:43	right
11:44	our feelings
11:45	in fact you’ll note that when the crowd
11:48	was offended by Jesus Jesus doesn’t sit
11:50	there and go wait
11:52	wait i didn’t mean to upset you i’m so
11:55	sorry
11:56	please give me give me a second chance
11:59	i’ll i’ll tell you a bunch of sweet
12:01	nothings i’ll i’ll just tell you what it
12:03	is that you want to hear please don’t
12:05	leave me
12:06	because everybody knows true success of
12:09	a ministry is gauged by how many
12:11	followers they have and everyone will
12:13	say that i’m a big failure because
12:17	you you left it doesn’t do this right
12:19	you’ll note that
12:20	Christ has no anxiety at this point
12:23	there’s no conflict you want to leave go
12:24	right ahead
12:26	right
12:27	go right ahead
12:29	in fact the text says
12:32	there were some Jesus says there are
12:34	some of you who do not believe for Jesus
12:35	knew from the beginning those who did
12:37	not believe
12:38	and who it was who would betray him and
12:41	note the who would not believe that’s a
12:42	plural that’s a group it’s practically
12:44	the entire crowd he said this is why i
12:47	told you no one can come to me unless
12:49	it’s granted him for the by the father
12:51	and after this many of his disciples
12:53	turned back and no longer walked with
12:57	Jesus
12:59	we’re done with you Jesus
13:01	we’re done with you
13:03	and the thing is is that this still
13:05	happens in the church today
13:07	right
13:08	i don’t want to hear that pastor that
13:10	teaches me that bible stuff
13:13	i’m sick and tired of being made to feel
13:15	like i’m a sinner
13:18	well you are
13:21	and you need to hear this
13:23	but the law isn’t the final word the
13:25	gospel is
13:27	the gospel is the good news that Christ
13:29	has died even for our annoyance
13:31	at the truth
13:33	of the word of god
13:35	and our temptation to say that’s it i’m
13:38	out of here
13:39	i don’t want to hear that bible stuff
13:41	anywhere i know Jesus said his words are
13:43	spirit and life and stuff but they just
13:45	annoy me
13:50	so Jesus
13:51	after this many of his disciples turned
13:52	back
13:53	so Jesus turns to 12.
13:56	and this is almost kind of an invitation
13:57	you want to walk you want to go away too
13:59	you go ahead if you want
14:03	and you get to see them all sitting
14:05	there going
14:06	you were going to be king yesterday and
14:08	now it’s down to just us
14:11	you know
14:12	you’ll note that Jesus wasn’t one of
14:14	these seeker guys secret driven guys
14:17	we’ve got to tailor the message to fit
14:19	so that it has the broadest appeal to a
14:21	bunch of people Jesus doesn’t care
14:22	anything about that
14:25	because that’s not what we need
14:27	and so everyone’s left the 12 or 11
14:28	Jesus said you want to leave two you can
14:30	if you want
14:34	awkward silence
14:36	you can see them kind of kicking their
14:37	sandals going what did we sign up for
14:40	what is this all about
14:43	simon peter said to him lord to whom
14:44	shall we go
14:47	you have the words of eternal life
14:50	everybody else those are not words of
14:52	life
14:54	those are words that bring god’s
14:55	judgment in fact consider our epistle
14:57	text in this context
14:59	listen to that apostle paul have you
15:01	ever noticed that a lot of people really
15:03	really hate paul
15:04	okay
15:05	and they always find these like ad
15:07	hominem attacks to slander him to
15:10	undermine him and make it so he has no
15:12	authority well that apostle paul he just
15:13	hated women he was the official
15:16	first member of the he-man woman haters
15:18	club that’s why he said that women can’t
15:20	be preachers oh and that apostle paul he
15:23	didn’t even walk with Jesus he wasn’t
15:25	even there when our gospel texts took
15:27	place so you really can’t trust him he
15:30	came up with his own version of
15:31	Christianity we’ll call it paulianity
15:34	but real Christians they follow Jesus
15:36	and this is how they talk about trying
15:38	to drive a wedge bellogna
15:40	Christ himself called paul
15:44	in fact when paul was on his way in a
15:46	ship to rome
15:48	Christ appears to him
15:50	and says don’t stop preaching keep
15:53	saying what you’re saying
15:56	Jesus puts his stamp of approval on the
15:58	message of paul
15:59	and so listen to these words boy in our
16:01	post-modern age this is going to ruffle
16:03	some fellers feathers
16:05	let no one deceive you with empty words
16:11	wait what
16:12	you mean
16:14	there are words being preached from
16:15	pulpits and spiritual people and gurus
16:18	around the world that are empty
16:19	oh
16:20	yeah oh well that’s not very loving of
16:23	you
16:24	not very inclusive
16:26	how are we supposed to coexist with you
16:28	having an attitude like that
16:31	right
16:33	you see when people
16:35	say things like this they show that they
16:37	have bought into those empty
16:39	words empty words cannot save you
16:42	Christ’s words are the words of life
16:44	they are spirit and they are truth empty
16:46	words false platitudes vague
16:49	spiritualities these are just empty
16:51	words
16:52	somebody claiming that the lord has told
16:54	me that you’re going to have a suddenly
16:55	that’s just nonsense
16:57	right
16:59	let no one deceive you with empty words
17:01	it’s because of these because of these
17:03	empty words that the wrath of god is
17:06	coming upon the sons of disobedience
17:12	but but those empty words are a lot
17:15	easier to digest
17:18	i don’t feel uncomfortable when somebody
17:20	speaks those empty words
17:23	yeah
17:24	and that’s the problem you need to feel
17:26	uncomfortable
17:27	i need to feel uncomfortable
17:29	what does paul say then regarding what
17:32	our attitude should be regarding those
17:34	who are trafficking in empty words
17:37	don’t associate with him he says
17:39	for at one time you were darkness but
17:41	now you are light in the lord walk as
17:44	children of the light in fact children
17:45	of the light do not associate with those
17:48	who are speaking empty vapid
17:50	nebulous spiritual words
17:53	don’t associate with them
17:56	god’s wrath is coming upon them for
17:58	speaking those words the fruit of light
18:01	is found and all that is good
18:04	all that is right
18:06	all that is true
18:09	when people speak words that are not
18:11	true about god they are blas blaspheming
18:15	they are breaking the second commandment
18:20	these are empty words they cannot save
18:21	you
18:22	Christ is the truth he wants us to hear
18:26	words that are good
18:27	right
18:28	TRUE
18:29	paul then goes on try to discern what is
18:32	pleasing to the lord
18:34	try to discern that well how am i
18:35	supposed to figure that out
18:37	good news he gave us a book
18:39	it’s an open book quiz okay you want to
18:41	know what god’s will is read the book
18:45	hear the book
18:48	god speaks to us through
18:50	the book
18:52	try to discern what is pleasing to the
18:54	lord take no part in the unfruitful
18:56	works of darkness instead expose them
18:58	it’s shameful to speak of the things
19:00	that the unbelievers the those who
19:02	traffic in empty words what they do in
19:04	secret but when anything is exposed by
19:06	the light it becomes visible anything
19:08	that becomes visible is light therefore
19:10	it says a waco sleeper rise from the
19:12	dead Christ will shine on you so look
19:14	carefully then how you walk how you
19:16	conduct your life not as unwise but as
19:19	wise in fact we have to come to grips
19:22	with this each of us because of our
19:24	sinful nature because we were born dead
19:25	in trespasses and sins we were all born
19:29	fools
19:33	and i’m going to take issue with our
19:35	translation of our old testament text
19:37	remember the verse 10 of proverbs 9
19:41	the fear of the lord is the beginning of
19:43	wisdom note that all those
19:45	letters l-o-r-d are capitalized let me
19:48	be more specific the fear of yahweh is
19:51	the beginning of wisdom
19:56	all of this
19:57	counterfeit empty
19:59	vague nebulous spirituality this isn’t
20:02	wisdom
20:04	this isn’t the wisdom from god this
20:06	isn’t the wisdom where wisdom is calling
20:09	to us and saying whoever is simple let
20:11	him turn here to him who lacks sense
20:13	come eat of my bread drink of the wine
20:16	that i have mixed oh you’ll note that
20:17	wisdom says come and what do what right
20:22	eat of the bread drink the wine
20:25	you want to be wise
20:27	fear yahweh the very specific god of the
20:31	old testament who gave us very specific
20:33	words
20:34	in scripture and you’ll note they come
20:37	to us with rigor
20:39	with precision
20:42	they have clear definitions these words
20:46	and we are to turn away as paul says
20:48	from the empty
20:51	so summing it all up
20:55	a whole bunch of people an entire crowd
20:58	Jesus had a mega church right there in
21:01	his hands
21:03	and he speaks the words of truth
21:06	and they don’t want to have anything to
21:07	do with it
21:08	so what do we do well
21:11	Jesus
21:12	says to you
21:13	you’ve heard the truth what do you want
21:14	to do with it you want to walk away with
21:16	the rest of them you go right ahead
21:18	don’t let the door hit your butt on the
21:20	way out
21:24	do you want to leave
21:26	peter says lord to whom shall we go
21:29	you have the words of eternal life and
21:31	we have believed and come to know that
21:33	you are the holy one of god and peter is
21:35	true here
21:36	he’s speaking absolute truth Jesus does
21:39	have the words of eternal life in fact
21:41	you heard them today
21:43	today when you came to church you’ll
21:45	note that we always assume that
21:47	everybody coming here is a sinner
21:48	because you are
21:50	and what’s the first order of business
21:52	Christ is here to care for you
21:54	he’s here to feed you his word feed you
21:56	his body and blood but also to assure
21:58	you of his great love and compassion and
22:01	mercy this same Jesus who is god and
22:04	human son of david son of god he bore
22:07	your sins in his body on the cross
22:11	all of your sins including your idolatry
22:13	your blasphemies all the different ways
22:15	in which you’ve believed falsely and
22:17	even taught others falsely regarding
22:19	Christ and god
22:21	he has died for all of your imprecision
22:24	and your foolishness
22:28	and he wants you to know that he loves
22:30	you and he forgives you
22:33	and so today you will have the body and
22:35	blood of Christ given and shed for the
22:36	forgiveness of your sins but peter says
22:39	lord to whom shall we go you have the
22:40	words of eternal life and those words
22:42	were spoken to you today from Christ not
22:44	me
22:45	and what were those words
22:47	you are forgiven
22:49	those are the words of eternal life
22:51	who else
22:52	can say such words
22:55	nobody else does
22:57	you are forgiven of all of your
22:58	transgressions pardoned reconciled to
23:01	God and because of Jesus you have peace
23:04	with him
23:06	so repent and believe trust in his true
23:09	words
23:11	they are not empty they are not void
23:14	they are the absolute truth
23:16	you are forgiven
23:17	and Christ loves you in the name of
23:19	Jesus amen

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