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Series C – Second Sunday After Pentecost – Sunday, May 29, 2016 | 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 Luke
0:31	chapter 7 verses 1 through 10.
0:35	after he had finished all his sayings in
0:37	the hearing of the people he entered
0:39	Capernaum
0:40	now a centurion had a servant who was
0:43	sick at the point of death who was
0:45	highly valued by him when the Centurion
0:47	heard about Jesus he sent to him Elders
0:50	of the Jews asking him to come and heal
0:52	his servant and when they came to Jesus
0:56	they pleaded with him earnestly saying
0:58	he is worthy to have you do this for him
1:02	for he loves our nation and he is the
1:05	one who built us our synagogue and Jesus
1:08	went with them
1:09	when he was not far from the house the
1:11	Centurion sent friends saying to him
1:13	Lord do not trouble yourself
1:16	for I am not worthy to have you come
1:18	under my roof therefore I do not presume
1:20	to come to you but say the word and let
1:23	my servant be healed for I too am a man
1:26	said under Authority with soldiers under
1:28	me and I say to one go and he goes I say
1:31	to another come he comes and to my
1:35	servant do this and he does it when
1:38	Jesus heard these things he marveled at
1:39	him and turning to the crowd that
1:41	followed him said I tell you not even in
1:43	Israel have I found such faith and when
1:46	those who had been sent returned to the
1:48	house they found the servant well
1:52	in the name of Jesus
1:54	all right today we begin to walk our way
1:57	through a large swath of the Gospel of
1:59	Luke and for those of you who are really
2:01	fans of paraments and the color green
2:03	Green’s going to be here for a long time
2:07	just want to point that out I think it
2:09	goes all the way to Advent Navin isn’t
2:10	until when
2:12	all right we’ll see if we can mix it up
2:14	a little bit as we go with maybe some
2:16	good feast days or something like that
2:17	we have an excuse to pull out our red
2:19	now because of the way the lectionary
2:23	Works we’re beginning our walk through
2:25	the Gospel of Luke in chapter seven yeah
2:28	so I encourage you strongly go back and
2:31	read chapters one through six especially
2:34	six in that chapter is Luke’s version of
2:36	The Sermon on the Mount and it’s
2:38	absolutely magnificent so for our
2:40	context today simply keep in mind that
2:43	this is early in Jesus’s Ministry Jesus
2:46	has been born circumcised he went
2:49	missing for three days at the age of 12.
2:52	poor Mary and Joseph they lost the Son
2:55	of God had to be stressful right
2:58	he was baptized by John the Baptist he
3:01	healed a paralytic forgave his sins to
3:04	healed a man with a withered hand on the
3:06	Sabbath great story and he’s chosen his
3:09	disciples and he’s preached The Sermon
3:12	on the Mount that where we are right now
3:14	in our text so with that we’re going to
3:16	return to Our Gospel text and for
3:18	today’s sermon
3:19	I’m going to be reading from my
3:21	translation of this text now the reason
3:23	for that is not because my translation
3:24	is superior instead the reason is
3:27	because I’m going to give you a literal
3:29	reading I’m not going to polish up the
3:32	translation there are several steps when
3:33	you’re translating first is kind of like
3:35	the first block through where everything
3:38	gets kind of stiff and wooden and it
3:39	doesn’t make good English sense we’re
3:41	going to go with that one we’re gonna go
3:43	with that one I haven’t polished this up
3:45	and there’s a reason for that because I
3:47	think that the idioms are going to help
3:49	draw a few things out that you wouldn’t
3:51	see in a well-polished translation like
3:53	the ESV so think of this as that If This
3:55	Were a painting project you know the
3:57	translation we’re at the primer stage
4:00	okay we haven’t put all the fancy stuff
4:02	on it in our translation so with that
4:04	let’s return to Our Gospel text Luke
4:07	chapter 7 verse 1. here’s what it says
4:09	after he completed all of his words in
4:11	the hearing of the people he entered
4:13	into Capernaum and a certain centurion’s
4:16	slave who was
4:19	now in the ESV it says valuable
4:22	that’s what it says it says valuable
4:24	all right the Greek word there is a
4:26	little stronger than that it means
4:29	something of considerable worth
4:31	considerable I would push that and make
4:35	it just a little stronger and say a
4:37	centurion whose slave was precious to
4:40	him
4:41	being ill was about to come to an end
4:44	the Greek says so in this text we’re
4:46	confronted with a desperate situation
4:49	time is running out for a slave of a
4:52	centurion
4:54	and by the way centurions are not
4:56	exactly known to be the good friends of
4:59	the Jews remember they’re occupying
5:01	soldiers have you heard of the zealots
5:03	yeah all right think about think about
5:07	um our experience as Americans and our
5:09	soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan they
5:11	are considered to be well occupying
5:14	soldiers and what happens to occupying
5:16	soldiers well if they’re not careful
5:18	they’re going to find themselves dead
5:20	right and nowadays the terrorists the
5:22	way they work they hide IEDs improvised
5:25	explosive devices in order to take out
5:27	enemy troops right well they didn’t have
5:29	IEDs back then and the Jews of Jesus’s
5:32	day there was a whole group of them
5:34	called zealots who made it their mission
5:37	in life to make life miserable for Roman
5:39	soldiers and if you read the disciples
5:41	list really quick you know go back and
5:43	look at Jesus’s disciples there’s one
5:46	Simon the Zealot among Jesus’s disciples
5:50	you can translate that as Simon the
5:52	terrorist or maybe Simon the former
5:54	terrorist right so here we’ve got this
5:57	guy who’s a Roman soldier and a
6:00	centurion to boot I’ll explain that in a
6:02	minute time is running out for his
6:05	precious slave but having heard about
6:07	Jesus he’s heard about Jesus he sent
6:11	Elders of the Jews to him asking him so
6:15	that having come he might
6:18	I know your translation says heal
6:20	so he might heal his slave
6:23	not the best translation
6:25	this is where I want you to learn a
6:27	Greek word today all right so here’s our
6:29	Greek word you can write this down for
6:31	further use then the word is Dia sodzo
6:37	diasodzo I won’t spell it because it’s
6:39	like Delta Yoda Alpha it doesn’t work
6:42	that way right okay dsodzo and here’s
6:45	what it literally means to rescue
6:47	to deliver from a hazard or a danger or
6:50	to bring someone safely through
6:53	it’s not really talking about healing
6:55	here it’s come and rescue my slave he’s
6:58	in dire danger he’s about to die bring
7:02	him safely through that’s what this word
7:04	is about keep that word in mind I’m
7:06	going to refer back to it later in the
7:09	sermon so having heard about Jesus he
7:11	sends Elders of the Jews come rescue his
7:14	slave they say
7:16	so the ones having come to Jesus were
7:19	appealing to him earnestly saying he for
7:22	whom you will grant this is worthy he’s
7:25	deserving he loves our nation he built
7:29	the synagogue for us
7:31	now note here’s something here
7:33	the Centurion doesn’t come meet Jesus
7:35	face to face he sends others
7:38	think of this as a prayer
7:42	right how many of you have seen Jesus
7:44	face to face anybody no me either I
7:46	haven’t seen him face to face every time
7:48	I invite him to Starbucks for a Bible
7:50	study he never shows up
7:53	so I haven’t seen him so when we’re in
7:55	need or dire danger or we have something
7:58	that has come up in our life that
7:59	requires prayer we pray to Jesus but we
8:03	also have others pray on our behalf
8:05	right so think of this as a prayer it’s
8:07	kind of like that but this wasn’t a very
8:10	good prayer
8:11	some problems with this prayer
8:14	so
8:16	what do you pray when you are in need
8:19	I’ll just kind of throw that out as a
8:21	question in the middle of the sermon
8:22	here so this is a prayer what do you
8:24	pray when you’re in need all right so
8:25	Lord Jesus I’m having trouble with my
8:27	family
8:28	my relationships are a mess I’m having
8:31	difficulty with my body I’m not healthy
8:34	there’s pain or maybe finances are not
8:37	going so well or the farm is
8:39	experiencing difficulty what do you pray
8:42	in a situation like that now these are
8:44	common areas where things go badly in
8:46	our lives all of this is a consequence
8:48	of our sin and this is where the
8:51	televangelists and the parasite
8:53	preachers teach us to make ourselves
8:55	worthy of a miracle and deserving of
8:57	God’s blessings by sending in our best
9:00	seed offerings right send in your best
9:03	seed offering and God will heal you
9:06	he’ll repair your marriage he’ll bring
9:09	peace to your finances he’ll make you
9:10	healthy wealthy and wise and all of this
9:13	is blasphemy and you know this right
9:16	God’s gifts and His blessings are not
9:19	purchased with American currency
9:22	or any other currency for that matter no
9:26	God does not
9:28	and will not
9:30	help you financially or in your marriage
9:33	or other ways because you’ve sent him
9:35	money or put money in the plate
9:37	and a little bit of a side note God does
9:40	not will for you to send your money to a
9:43	televangelist either
9:45	they’re false teachers we do not support
9:47	them all right so many of you know this
9:51	but even if you’re not tempted to send
9:53	your money to a TV huckster you actually
9:56	are still tempted to think this way
9:59	about God
10:00	God I’m in need
10:02	but I haven’t missed Church in almost
10:04	six months
10:05	right I’ve been faithful to put my tithe
10:08	in the plate on every payday therefore
10:11	Jesus I’m worthy to have you solve my
10:15	problem
10:18	I’m guilty of doing this
10:21	we all are
10:23	this is not how God operates
10:27	let’s go back to our text
10:30	so he’s worthy he’s deserving he loves
10:32	our nation he built the synagogue for us
10:36	a little bit of a note here
10:38	it’s an interesting statement
10:40	the fact that they note that this
10:42	Centurion has built their synagogue for
10:44	them well this means the Centurion has
10:47	heard the law of Moses
10:50	he has he has more than a cursory
10:52	introduction to the word of God
10:55	and by the way God’s word never returns
10:59	to him void
11:00	keep that in mind
11:02	so the text then says this now Jesus was
11:04	proceeding with them and he already
11:06	being not far distant from the house the
11:09	Centurion sent friends saying to him
11:11	notice now these are not Elders of the
11:13	Jews these are the friends of the
11:15	Centurion and here’s what they say
11:17	master
11:20	don’t be troubling yourself
11:22	for I am not worthy that you should come
11:25	under my roof
11:27	for this reason I did not even consider
11:29	myself worthy to come to you
11:32	ah so now
11:34	the truth comes out he’s heard the law
11:37	of Moses he knows he’s not worthy being
11:40	kind to the Jews and building their
11:42	synagogue does not tip the scales in his
11:45	favor regarding his sinful Condition
11:47	it’s not enough
11:49	it’s not sufficient
11:51	it does not put God in his debt
11:56	by the way your good works your money
12:00	your good behavior cannot and does not
12:04	earn God’s favor
12:06	doesn’t earn his blessings either and if
12:08	you think they do then it’s time for you
12:11	to say this prayer along with the
12:13	Centurion repeat after him
12:16	I am not worthy
12:19	right
12:21	I am not
12:24	and then the centurion’s prayer now
12:26	changed says this
12:29	but Lord speak in a word
12:31	and let my servant be healed
12:35	so with no bargaining power no chips to
12:37	cash in no special favors that he can
12:40	call in he ends up throwing himself
12:42	completely on the mercy of Christ
12:46	and this is where it gets interesting
12:47	because remember he’s built their
12:48	synagogue for them that means he’s heard
12:50	the law of Moses let me remind you of
12:53	what was said in our Old Testament text
12:54	all right at the tail end of it here’s
12:58	what it says in sec in First Kings
13:00	chapter 8 41-43 likewise when a
13:04	foreigner who is not of your People
13:06	Israel comes from a far country for your
13:08	name’s sake for they shall hear of your
13:10	great name and your Mighty hand and of
13:13	your outstretched armed when he comes
13:15	and prays toward this house here in
13:18	heaven your dwelling place and do
13:20	according to all for which The Foreigner
13:22	calls to you
13:23	in order that all the peoples of the
13:25	earth may know your name and fear you as
13:28	do your People Israel that they may know
13:31	that this house that I have built is
13:33	called by your name
13:36	Solomon at the dedication of the temple
13:38	prays for the Nations and those who
13:41	would come to Israel and hear the great
13:43	name of God and here this Roman
13:46	Centurion
13:48	he’s not only heard the law of Moses
13:50	surely in his dealings with the Jews
13:53	he’s somewhere heard about how great
13:57	Yahweh of Israel is he must have heard
14:01	that Yahweh is merciful and gracious
14:04	slow to anger and abounding and
14:07	steadfast love he truly must have heard
14:10	that he will not always chide nor will
14:12	he keep his anger forever
14:15	he also must have heard that Yahweh does
14:17	not deal with us according to our sins
14:19	nor repay us according to our iniquities
14:23	surely he must have heard for as high as
14:25	the heavens are above the Earth so great
14:27	is God’s steadfast love towards those
14:30	who fear Him as far as the East is from
14:33	the West so far does God remove our
14:36	transgressions from us
14:39	that’s psalm 103.
14:41	surely he must have heard that if the
14:44	Lord should keep or Mark iniquities no
14:48	one could stand but with Yahweh there is
14:50	forgiveness therefore he is feared
14:53	psalm 130.
14:56	so the Centurion now confessing his
14:59	unworthiness throws himself completely
15:01	on the mercy of Christ
15:04	this unworthy sinful Centurion
15:08	is now praying a totally different kind
15:11	of Prayer
15:13	and here’s what he says
15:15	but speak it in a word
15:17	and let my servant be healed
15:19	for I also am a man being placed under
15:22	Authority having soldiers under myself
15:24	and I say to this one go and he goes
15:27	into another come and he comes into my
15:29	slave do this and he does it
15:32	here’s what the Centurion is praying
15:35	Jesus
15:36	I believe that you have authority to
15:38	heal my precious servant I believe that
15:41	you have authority from God
15:44	my faith is in you is not misplaced and
15:48	I know that all you have to do is say
15:51	the word and my precious servant will be
15:54	healed
15:55	please Lord Jesus
15:57	say the word
15:59	I’m not worthy to have you do this I’m
16:02	not even worthy to see your face but I
16:04	have heard of the god of Israel and his
16:06	mercy and his kindness and his great
16:08	love and his grace so please have mercy
16:11	on me Lord Jesus
16:13	and say the word
16:16	it’s a good way to paraphrase his prayer
16:19	one has to wonder
16:21	at this point what the Jewish Elders
16:23	must have thought
16:25	about the centurion’s confession of
16:28	being unworthy
16:30	they were there bargaining with Jesus
16:32	based upon this man’s worthiness to
16:34	receive this miracle and now the
16:36	Centurion has just cut the legs out from
16:38	the negotiation
16:40	they have no chips to bargain with he
16:42	has to wonder what they must have
16:44	thought of that
16:47	having heard these things
16:49	Jesus marveled at him
16:52	and having turned to the crowd following
16:54	him he said I say to you not even in
16:57	Israel did I find so great of faith
17:01	and then having returned to the house
17:03	the ones having been sent found the
17:05	slave
17:06	being healthy
17:09	great
17:10	faith
17:12	we are not saved by our worthiness
17:16	our prayers are not answered by God
17:19	because of our worthiness
17:21	we as the scripture say are saved by
17:23	God’s grace through faith it is not the
17:26	result of our works and here we see in
17:28	graphic and Vivid detail what that
17:30	Doctrine looks like in action
17:33	what must the Pharisees have thought of
17:35	Jesus marveling and praising the
17:38	centurion’s faith they were very
17:41	religious
17:43	but in all of Jesus is dealing with the
17:45	Pharisees and those who were taught
17:47	their brand of self-righteousness all
17:49	throughout Israel Jesus had never found
17:53	such faith
17:56	and without faith it’s impossible to
17:58	please God Hebrews 11 6 says
18:01	the Jews had to have been stunned by
18:03	this outcome stunned by Jesus’s High
18:06	Praise for the faith of this Gentile
18:08	Centurion yeah sure he built their
18:11	synagogue but he’s still a gentile
18:14	he still eats bacon
18:16	right
18:18	oh don’t get me started on bacon
18:25	so he’s still a gentile
18:27	and they had to also be stinging
18:29	from Jesus’s tacit rebuke of their
18:32	belief that their Works make them worthy
18:35	of God’s gifts and Grace
18:39	Jesus didn’t say it explicitly but he
18:42	did say it
18:44	so now the story comes full circle for
18:47	us
18:48	in the beginning of this account we are
18:50	told about a slave who was precious to
18:53	his master a master who was one who was
18:56	put in authority over others in this
18:59	case the one in Authority is a centurion
19:01	and they are men put in authority over
19:03	100 Roman soldiers hence the word
19:06	Centurion
19:07	the original prayer of the Centurion was
19:10	that Jesus might
19:12	rescue
19:14	rescue deliver
19:16	safely through his precious servant now
19:20	if we stop to think about this very
19:22	carefully then we as Christians will
19:25	find ourselves in a very similar
19:28	situation consider this passage from
19:30	Ephesians chapter 1 verses 11 through
19:32	14. Paul writes he says in him we were
19:36	chosen having been predestined according
19:40	to the plan of him who works out
19:42	everything in Conformity with the
19:45	purpose of his will in order that we who
19:48	were the first to Hope in Christ might
19:50	be for the praise of his glory
19:53	and you also were included in Christ
19:55	when you heard the word of Truth The
19:57	Gospel of your salvation having believed
20:00	you were marked in him with a seal the
20:03	promised Holy Spirit who was a deposit
20:05	guaranteeing our inheritance until the
20:08	Redemption of those who are
20:10	God’s possession
20:14	I revealed
20:15	to the praise of his glory
20:18	scripture says we
20:20	Christians are God’s possession
20:24	Peter says this in First Peter 2 9-10
20:27	you are a chosen race Christians you are
20:30	a royal priesthood you are a holy nation
20:33	you are a people for his own possession
20:37	so that you may proclaim the
20:38	excellencies of him who called you out
20:41	of Darkness Into His Marvelous Light
20:43	once you were not a people but now you
20:46	are God’s people once you had not
20:48	received Mercy but now you have
20:51	receive Mercy beloved we belong to
20:55	Christ he has purchased us with his holy
20:58	and Precious Blood and Christ is not
21:01	merely a man with authority over a
21:03	hundred soldiers he is the king of kings
21:06	and he is the Lord of lords or as it
21:09	says in Hebrew he is Yahweh savayoth
21:13	the Lord of armies
21:16	yep Jesus
21:19	is not like that Centurion
21:22	and unlike that Centurion Jesus is
21:25	Worthy
21:27	keep that in mind he is
21:29	and the scripture reveals that he is
21:31	worthy for us
21:33	Revelation chapter 5 reads thus
21:36	John writing then I saw in the right
21:39	hand of him who was Seated on the throne
21:41	a scroll written within and on the back
21:44	sealed with Seven Seals and I saw a
21:47	mighty Angel Proclaim with a loud voice
21:50	who is worthy to open the scroll and to
21:53	break its seals
21:55	no one in heaven or on Earth or under
21:57	the Earth was able to open the scroll or
22:00	to look into it and I began to weep
22:02	loudly because no one was found worthy
22:05	to open the scroll or to look into it
22:08	and one of the elders said to me weep no
22:11	more
22:12	Behold The Lang the lion of the tribe of
22:15	Judah the root of David he has conquered
22:17	so that he can open the scroll
22:20	and its Seven Seals
22:22	and between the throne and the four
22:24	living creatures and among the elders I
22:26	saw a lamb standing as though it had
22:28	been slain with seven horns and seven
22:31	eyes which are the seven spirits of God
22:33	sent out into all the Earth and he went
22:36	and took the scroll from the right hand
22:38	of him who was Seated on the throne and
22:40	when he had taken the scroll the four
22:42	living creatures and the 24 Elders fell
22:45	down before the lamb
22:47	each holding a harp and golden bowls
22:49	full of incense which are the prayers of
22:51	the Saints and they sang a new song and
22:54	listened to their song worthy are you to
22:58	take the scroll and to open its seals
23:00	for you were slain and by your blood you
23:03	ransomed people for God from every tribe
23:07	and language and people and nation and
23:11	you have made them a kingdom and Priests
23:13	to our God and they shall reign
23:17	on the Earth
23:19	Worthy
23:21	unlike this Roman Centurion Christ is
23:26	Worthy
23:27	the praise continues in heaven Worthy is
23:30	the Lamb who was slain to receive power
23:33	and wealth and wisdom and might and
23:36	honor and glory and blessing
23:40	Worthy is Jesus
23:43	beloved you are Christ’s precious
23:48	possession
23:49	his blood-bought slave is what you are
23:53	and all authority in heaven and on Earth
23:55	and under the Earth has been given to
23:57	Christ
23:58	and he knows that you are sick to the
24:01	point of death because of your sin he
24:04	knows that unless he speaks the word
24:06	you’re not going to make it through
24:09	your sin is too great your debt is way
24:13	too massive to be able to pay
24:16	but he like that Centurion is not about
24:19	to let you die without desperately
24:22	springing into action in order to rescue
24:25	you
24:26	and so he did
24:28	Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary for
24:31	you he suffered under Pontius Pilate for
24:35	you he was crucified for you
24:40	he died
24:41	for you
24:43	he was buried for you he rose again from
24:47	the grave for you
24:50	because of this here is our prayer
24:55	Lord Jesus we are unworthy
25:00	and we are sick with sin
25:02	and nearing death
25:05	but you Lord are the one to whom all
25:07	authority has been given therefore speak
25:10	the word Lord and we will be diasodzo
25:14	we will be rescued and brought safely
25:17	through
25:18	this is our prayer
25:21	how do you think Jesus will answer this
25:23	prayer of faith
25:26	will he turn you away
25:28	be gone with you you unworthy slave
25:32	now
25:33	our worthy Jesus now answers this prayer
25:37	he speaks the word and here it is are
25:40	you ready for his word here it is
25:44	forgiven
25:46	you are forgiven
25:49	you are made clean
25:51	today you leave this house healed
25:55	and rescued your Jesus has brought you
25:58	safely through
26:01	so do you have faith to believe these
26:05	words
26:06	that same kind of great faith that Jesus
26:10	praised in the Centurion
26:12	or are you still trying to scrape
26:14	together a list of good deeds that
26:16	you’ve done in order that you can
26:17	present them to Jesus to try to prove to
26:20	him that you’re worthy of his
26:22	forgiveness his Mercy his grace
26:26	and his miracles
26:31	I’ll let you think about that
26:34	in the name of Jesus
26:36	amen

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