LutheranLectionary.org

Series B – Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost – Sunday, September 27, 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
0:29	According to Saint Mark chapter 9 verses
0:32	38 through 50.
0:34	teacher said John
0:36	we saw a man driving out demons in your
0:39	name and we told him to stop because he
0:42	was not one of us
0:44	do not stop him Jesus said no one who
0:47	does a miracle in my name can in the
0:49	next moment say anything bad about me
0:52	for whoever is not against us is for us
0:55	I tell you the truth anyone who gives
0:57	you a cup of water in my name because
0:59	you belong to Christ will certainly not
1:02	lose his reward and if anyone causes one
1:05	of these little ones who believe in me
1:06	to sin it would be better for him to be
1:09	thrown into the sea with a large
1:10	Millstone tied around his neck if your
1:13	hand causes you to sin cut it off it’s
1:16	better for you to enter life maimed than
1:18	with two hands to go into hell where the
1:21	fire never goes out and if your foot
1:24	causes you to sin cut it off
1:26	it’s better for you to enter life
1:27	crippled than to have two feet and be
1:29	thrown into hell and if your eye causes
1:31	you to sin pluck it out it’s better for
1:34	you to enter the kingdom of God with one
1:36	eye than to have two eyes and be thrown
1:39	into hell where their worm does not die
1:41	and the fire is not quenched everyone
1:44	will be salted with fire salt is good
1:48	but if it loses its saltiness how can
1:50	you make it salty again have salt in
1:52	yourselves and be at peace with one
1:55	another
1:57	in the name of Jesus
2:01	are you guys awake
2:02	[Music]
2:04	let’s try that again this way yes I want
2:06	to make sure we’re all here in the name
2:08	of Jesus
2:10	oh so much better okay I had to say that
2:14	so this is an interesting text
2:17	um in fact this is just one of those
2:19	bizarre texts I mean you we all know
2:21	it’s kind of the major feast days in in
2:23	Christianity as far as our our church
2:26	year goes we got Easter we’ve got
2:29	Christmas we got Good Friday I’m
2:31	thinking that we need to adopt the
2:32	amputation Sunday that’s what today
2:35	should be apparently this is all about
2:36	cutting off particular portions of your
2:39	body and entering life maimed rather
2:42	than going to hell well there’s a
2:44	context in which that appears and no we
2:46	will not be pulling out the hedge
2:48	clippers at the end of the service just
2:49	want to make it make you aware of that
2:51	let’s take a look at what’s going on
2:53	here it’s easy to kind of miss this
2:55	our text begins John says to Jesus
2:59	teacher we saw someone casting out
3:01	demons in your name we tried to stop him
3:05	because he was not following us or not
3:08	one of us now I don’t know what it is
3:11	with the disciples the casting out of
3:13	demons thing is all of a sudden become
3:15	like a football game okay now if you
3:17	remember the last time the disciples
3:18	tried to score with the Demonic football
3:20	they well fumbled on the one yard line
3:22	and weren’t able to score okay remember
3:24	they went to cast out the demon and the
3:26	demon said no I’m not going anywhere and
3:30	of course Jesus had to step in and get
3:31	rid of that one and said that one only
3:33	goes out by prayer so now demons are
3:35	once again the issue but now we’ve got
3:38	something interesting going on
3:40	we have a man an unnamed man at that who
3:44	has cast out demons in the name of Jesus
3:48	and he’s not been to Seminary
3:51	nope
3:52	he’s not one of the twelve he’s not one
3:55	of the 70s who’s authorized this guy to
3:58	go around casting out demons in the name
4:00	of Jesus
4:02	he hasn’t appeared before the synodical
4:04	bureaucracy
4:06	he has not been examined
4:09	how on Earth is he doing this and so we
4:11	told him to stop
4:13	okay and notice that Jesus does not say
4:16	good job boys how dare that guy step out
4:20	in faith trusting in my name without
4:23	authorization from headquarters or the
4:26	pope and cast out demons that’s not what
4:28	Jesus said is it now by the way
4:31	there is another story in the Bible in
4:35	Acts chapter 19 of people who tried to
4:38	cast out demons in Jesus name but they
4:40	didn’t have faith and which is kind of
4:42	an important thing how did this guy cast
4:44	out these demons well he had Faith he
4:46	had simple
4:48	childlike faith in Jesus
4:51	and that’s how he was able to cast out
4:53	the demon he did it by faith Jesus did
4:54	it but Jesus did it through him because
4:56	the guy had Faith now let me recount for
4:58	you the story from Acts chapter 19
5:00	starting at verse 11 of some people who
5:03	tried exorcism
5:05	without actually believing in Jesus that
5:07	will never go well for anybody by the
5:09	way and so the context begins at verse
5:11	11. here’s what it says God was doing
5:13	extraordinary Miracles by the hand of
5:15	Paul
5:16	so that even handkerchiefs or aprons
5:18	that had touched his skin were carried
5:19	away to the sick and their diseases left
5:22	them and evil spirits came out of them
5:24	now a little aside here there are
5:28	televangelists today who will sell you a
5:31	prayer hanky if you send them a seed
5:33	offering
5:34	don’t buy that you know they say see
5:37	what could happen right here so the
5:39	Apostle Paul did this that means I can
5:40	do it yeah they’re not the Apostle Paul
5:42	you know prayer hankies are not some
5:44	kind of a Sacrament some kind of an
5:46	ongoing thing so the person saying that
5:49	they’ll send you a prayer hanky that
5:50	they’ve prayed over yeah save your money
5:53	because the theology there is is that
5:55	God’s going to bless you if you send
5:58	them a seed offering see the problem
6:00	nowhere in scripture we told that God’s
6:02	going to bless us if we send a seed
6:03	offering to a televangelist that’s what
6:05	we call a Ponzi scheme all right back to
6:08	our text
6:09	so here’s what it says next then some
6:12	itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to
6:16	invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over
6:19	those who had evil spirits now notice it
6:21	says they’re Jewish exorcists doesn’t
6:22	say they’re Jewish converts they’re
6:25	still
6:26	guys who don’t believe Jesus is the
6:28	messiah
6:29	so they’ve run into a problem they have
6:31	somebody who needs to have a demon
6:33	exercise from them and so they decided
6:36	Well you know nothing that we’re trying
6:37	is working why don’t we try casting out
6:40	this demon in the name of Jesus and
6:43	here’s what happens
6:45	they undertook to invoke the name of
6:48	Jesus over the those who had the evil
6:49	spirits and they said I adjure you by
6:52	the name of Jesus whom Paul proclaims
6:54	this is what they said get out of this
6:57	guy so seven sons of a Jewish high
6:59	priest named skiva were doing this
7:02	but the evil spirit answered them and
7:05	this is the big uh-oh moment
7:07	Jesus I know Paul I recognize
7:10	but who are you
7:14	and you can hear the air leaving the
7:16	room
7:17	and now here’s what happens so the man
7:19	in whom was the evil spirit leaped on
7:22	them mastered all of them overpowered
7:25	them so that they fled out of that house
7:27	naked and wounded
7:29	seven guys just got a licking by a
7:32	demon-possessed dude and this became
7:34	known to all the residents of Ephesus
7:36	both Jews and Greeks and fear fell upon
7:39	all of them and the name of the Lord was
7:41	extolled so notice here
7:43	we have
7:45	well people who don’t believe in Jesus
7:48	trying to cast out demons and that’s not
7:50	going to go well because they don’t have
7:52	faith but here we hear from our texts
7:55	that there was a guy casting out demons
7:58	without authorization at that and what’s
8:01	successful in doing so which tells us
8:03	this he has faith in Christ
8:09	that’s it so you know what that makes
8:11	him it makes him your brother it makes
8:15	him one of us and so Jesus then goes on
8:19	say this he says don’t stop him
8:23	for no one who does a mighty work in my
8:25	name will be able soon afterward to
8:28	speak evil of me for the one who is not
8:31	against us is for us
8:34	now this requires some careful exegesis
8:39	Jesus is not here saying that doesn’t
8:42	matter what church you go to What
8:44	doctrine they teach as long as somebody
8:47	says the name of Jesus somewhere that
8:49	that’s all that matters that’s not what
8:50	Jesus is saying here notice he’s saying
8:52	whoever is not against us
8:54	all right and let me give you a cross
8:57	reference then a cross reference to this
8:59	would be luke 11 23 where Jesus says
9:02	whoever is not with me is against me
9:06	whoever does not gather with me scatters
9:11	so here’s the idea and this is one that
9:15	helps us in understanding how do we
9:17	relate to our Christian brothers and
9:18	sisters who attend other churches
9:21	right if they have true faith in Christ
9:25	for the Forgiveness of their sins
9:28	and they trust that Jesus alone saves
9:32	them not their works but Jesus only they
9:35	truly believe in him
9:37	they’re your brother and sister in
9:39	Christ we are to be at peace with them
9:42	in that sense we’re not to be against
9:44	them as long as they’re not against us
9:46	so the idea here is is that this is
9:49	calling for kind of an expansive view of
9:51	Christian Unity but that also does not
9:54	negate the importance of sound Doctrine
9:56	does that make sense so this guy he’s
10:00	you just have to think of him as a baby
10:02	Christian has he been trained in all the
10:04	finer points of Christian doctrine
10:06	absolutely not
10:08	but he trusts in Christ and Jesus even
10:11	goes on to state that he says this
10:14	whoever for truly I say to you whoever
10:16	gives you a cup of water to drink
10:18	because you belong to Christ will by no
10:20	means lose his reward whoever causes one
10:24	of these little ones who believe in me
10:27	to sin it would be better for him if a
10:29	great Millstone were hung around his
10:31	neck and he were thrown into the sea
10:33	notice that that’s in the context
10:35	Jesus’s statement there whoever causes
10:38	one of these little ones who believe in
10:39	me to sin that’s in the context of
10:41	should we stop this guy from casting out
10:44	demons
10:46	so notice the sin there that’s then
10:48	being referred to the sin that Jesus is
10:51	immediately thinking about is the sin of
10:55	telling a Christian brother or sister
10:56	what you’re doing is not the work of God
11:01	stop what you’re doing you need our
11:03	permission
11:05	you see what I’m saying
11:07	that would be to make this guy start to
11:10	question and doubt his own faith in
11:12	Christ
11:13	as if somehow well I didn’t realize I
11:15	had to be worthy to believe in Jesus and
11:19	to exercise Authority or do a good work
11:20	in his name
11:22	you see you don’t want to do that in
11:25	fact
11:26	Jesus makes that very clear here when he
11:29	makes it clear that those whoever
11:31	believes in him is one of his little
11:33	ones and by the way that’s you and me
11:35	we’re all his little ones and notice how
11:38	jealously Jesus
11:40	guards and protects and threatens those
11:43	who would cause his little ones to sin
11:45	important thing for us to keep in mind
11:48	now this does not negate the importance
11:51	of sound Doctrine this does not negate
11:53	what scripture also teaches that we are
11:56	to not welcome
11:58	those who preach false Doctrine
12:01	scripture is very clear on this and let
12:03	me give you a couple of passages to kind
12:04	of back this up so the idea here is this
12:06	is not saying well that means it doesn’t
12:08	matter what anybody believes no no no
12:10	that’s not what Jesus is saying okay
12:13	second John
12:15	second John verses 1 through 11.
12:19	the Apostle John writes to a lady who is
12:23	called to the Elder and to the elect
12:25	lady and her children elect lady here
12:28	would be um this is a lady who has a
12:32	church that meets in her home now back
12:35	before Christianity was legal
12:37	back in the early days of Christianity
12:39	when the apostles were still on the
12:41	earth the Roman authorities kind of
12:42	thought that Christianity was a sect of
12:44	Judaism but they didn’t have property
12:46	they didn’t have churches like we have
12:48	today they’d have facilities they can go
12:51	to that were permanent specifically
12:53	dedicated for worship space and so the
12:56	church would meet in the catacombs they
12:58	would meet in off places they would
13:00	oftentimes if there was a wealthy
13:02	benefactor who had a home who had a
13:04	courtyard or a big enough place where a
13:06	few people can gather they would meet in
13:07	their home and so John is writing to a
13:10	lady who’s where a church meets in her
13:13	home and he says this to the Elder to
13:16	the elect lady and her children whom I
13:18	love in the truth and not only I but
13:20	also all those who know the truth
13:21	because of the truth that abides in us
13:24	and will be with us forever grace mercy
13:27	and peace will be with us from God the
13:28	father and from Jesus Christ the father
13:31	son and true love
13:32	I Rejoice greatly to find some of your
13:35	children walking in the truth just as as
13:38	we were commanded by the father and now
13:41	I ask you dear lady not as though I were
13:43	writing to you a new commandment but the
13:45	one we have had from the beginning that
13:47	we love one another
13:48	and this is love that we walk according
13:51	to his Commandments this is the
13:52	Commandment just as you have heard from
13:54	the beginning so that you should walk in
13:56	it for many deceivers have gone out into
13:59	the world those who do not confess the
14:02	coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh such
14:05	a one is the deceiver and the AntiChrist
14:09	watch yourselves so that you may not
14:11	lose what we have worked for but may win
14:14	a full reward everyone who goes on ahead
14:17	and does not abide in the teaching of
14:20	Christ does not have God whoever abides
14:24	in the teaching has both the father and
14:27	the son if anyone comes to you and does
14:29	not bring this teaching do not receive
14:31	him into your house in this context
14:33	that’s referring to the church if
14:34	somebody does not believe this Doctrine
14:36	you don’t receive them in the church
14:37	don’t give him a greeting in the church
14:39	for whoever greets him takes part in his
14:42	Wicked works
14:45	so the idea is this Doctrine matters
14:48	those who are bringing false Doctrine we
14:50	don’t welcome them here at our church we
14:52	don’t give them the pulpit
14:55	and we have to oppose false Doctrine and
14:59	so you’ll notice here that Jesus in Luke
15:01	11 like I said whoever is not with me is
15:04	against me whoever does not gather with
15:06	me scatters so the one who is against
15:09	Christ is the one who is against the
15:11	teaching of Christ for Jesus says if you
15:14	love me you will keep and guard my word
15:18	the one who is against Jesus doesn’t
15:21	keep doesn’t guard Jesus’s words but
15:23	throws it off to the side and replaces
15:26	it with their own words we are to be
15:28	careful about these people
15:30	but that does not mean that we do not
15:32	recognize that outside of this
15:35	congregation outside of the aalc outside
15:38	of confessional Lutheranism that there
15:40	are Christians everywhere
15:42	in all kinds of churches
15:45	and oftentimes we refer to those who are
15:49	Christians who attend a church where the
15:51	truth is not clearly taught we call that
15:54	we the term we use is we call it the
15:57	felicitous inconsistency
15:59	they go to church and they’ll say well
16:01	you know I didn’t necessarily agree with
16:03	what the pastor said I just believe that
16:06	Jesus bled and died for my sins that’s
16:08	all I know I don’t know what he was
16:10	talking about it’s this weird thing and
16:12	some of you come out of churches that
16:14	you spent some time in where the truth
16:16	was not taught no ultimately you needed
16:18	to leave
16:20	and for us to say you weren’t Christians
16:22	when you were there would have been
16:23	unChristian of us
16:25	because you simply trusted Christ even
16:29	in the midst of all the false Doctrine
16:31	you were being taught you simply taught
16:33	trusted Christ so the idea here is we
16:35	must recognize that Christians are
16:37	everywhere
16:38	attending good churches bad churches and
16:41	Truth matters and Truth divides so on
16:44	the one hand paradoxically we are to
16:47	preach the truth rebuke those who teach
16:49	false Doctrine and at the same time that
16:52	rebuke should not
16:54	make that person question whether they
16:56	are a Christian if they’re truly
16:58	trusting Christ that’s to cause a little
17:01	one of Christ to stumble and we don’t
17:02	want to do that so our rebukes and our
17:05	Corrections and our challenges
17:07	doctrinally must be salted with the
17:10	gospel and that’s what Jesus is talking
17:13	about when he gets to the psalm but I’m
17:14	getting ahead of myself so Watch What
17:16	Happens Jesus gives kind of a four-fold
17:18	warning about causing a Believer to
17:21	stumble
17:22	he said it would be better for him if a
17:25	millstone were hung around his neck and
17:26	he were thrown into the sea Jesus
17:29	understood how the mafia would operate
17:30	long before the mafia was around okay
17:34	and if your hand causes you to sin
17:36	cut it off it’s better for you to enter
17:38	life crippled and with two hands to go
17:40	into hell to the unquenchable fire now
17:43	notice that the context in which Jesus
17:45	is saying this
17:47	right so here’s the idea if you want to
17:50	get to it the sin that’s being talked
17:52	about here is control freakinish you
17:55	know our our sinful Adam we’re all
17:57	control freaks we want to be in control
17:59	and we want to even control those who
18:03	are all claiming to be Christians we
18:04	want to have control over them and what
18:06	they’re doing and they have to come to
18:08	seek our approval to do what they’re
18:10	doing Jesus said
18:12	right that’s causing them to stumble
18:13	it’d be better if you were had the mafia
18:16	kill you in the river it would be better
18:18	for you to cut off your hands or your
18:21	feet or gouge out your eyes which by the
18:24	way cutting off members of your body
18:26	isn’t going to solve the problem
18:28	it really isn’t and Jesus is really not
18:31	literally telling you to do this
18:33	there was a Church Father by the name of
18:35	origin and he had well a problem with
18:39	lust
18:40	he lusted after women that were well not
18:43	his wife
18:44	and so his solution to the problem was
18:47	to take this passage literally and he
18:49	made himself into a eunuch
18:52	and shock of all shocks it didn’t solve
18:55	the problem
18:57	and here’s the reason why because sin
18:59	doesn’t start in your hand doesn’t start
19:01	in your feet sin doesn’t begin in your
19:03	eyeballs
19:05	sin begins in your heart
19:07	that’s the seed of sin
19:10	and so each of us
19:12	Jesus says everyone will be salted with
19:14	fire and what is the salt that he’s
19:17	talking about there it’s the salt of the
19:18	Gospel
19:20	and the fire hears the fire of the Holy
19:22	Spirit
19:23	it is the gospel that teaches us despite
19:26	the fact that our sinful heart causes
19:28	our hands and feet and eyes to sin
19:31	that Christ has bled and died for all of
19:33	our sins
19:34	he calls us to repent to recognize our
19:37	weakness to recognize our Tendencies
19:39	towards being a control freak
19:42	to try to control even the spirit of God
19:44	to repent to be forgiven and to see
19:48	ourselves and all those who confess
19:50	Christ as Lord and Savior who believe
19:53	that they are saved by grace through
19:55	faith alone to see them as Christ’s
19:58	precious little ones those who believe
20:01	in him we are Christ’s precious little
20:03	ones and so are they even if their
20:06	theology is a little
20:07	off and still instead we are to love
20:10	them and correct them and teach them the
20:13	truth but everyone will be salted with
20:16	fire and that’s the gospel salt is good
20:18	but if the salt is lost it’s saltiness
20:20	how will you make it salty again and the
20:22	answer is you can’t saltless salt I
20:25	think God likes salt by the way
20:27	you’ll notice that salt makes everything
20:29	good
20:30	have you ever tried mashed potatoes
20:32	without salt
20:34	what a boring experience that is right
20:38	I’ve ever tried a hamburger without salt
20:40	a salt is an amazing thing even God
20:43	likes salt by the way because you read
20:45	regarding the Old Testament sacrifices
20:47	all of those animals after they were
20:49	killed and before they were put on the
20:50	fire you know what they had put on them
20:52	salt God like salt you know there’s
20:55	something going on there
20:57	so salt is good but if the salt has lost
21:00	its saltiness how will you make it salty
21:02	so how are we as Christians salty
21:07	it’s because of the Gospel the
21:10	Forgiveness of sins
21:12	Christians taste like no other people
21:16	who are religious
21:18	not because
21:20	of our judgmentalism judgmentalism
21:22	doesn’t make you salty
21:24	what is it that makes you salty
21:26	you forgive because you are forgiven
21:29	That’s What Makes You salty
21:31	and this is through the holy spirit that
21:33	makes you salty so Jesus says have salt
21:35	in yourselves
21:37	and says be at peace with one another
21:40	which is further proof that this is all
21:41	about the gospel because how is it that
21:43	we can have peace with other people
21:45	quite simply because we have peace with
21:47	God because of everything that Christ
21:49	has done for us bleeding and dying for
21:51	us being pierced for our transgressions
21:53	bruised for our iniquities
21:56	that is what makes us Salty The Gospel
21:59	and makes it possible for us to be at
22:01	peace with one another even those who
22:04	haven’t been to our Seminary even those
22:07	who don’t exactly believe the way we do
22:10	even those who have simple childlike
22:14	faith in Christ and say I don’t know
22:17	about all that other stuff I just
22:18	believe in Jesus
22:20	somebody who understands the gospel
22:21	believes the Christ is bled and died for
22:24	them is not trying to earn their way to
22:26	heaven or believing in a false gospel or
22:28	a false Christ or a false god
22:32	they’re your brother and sister
22:33	regardless of which house of worship
22:35	they’re in in the name of Jesus Amen
22:38	[Music]

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