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Series B – Reformation Day (Observed) – Sunday, November 1, 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 John chapter 8 verses
0:32	31-36
0:35	to the Jews who had believed in him
0:37	Jesus said if you hold to my teaching
0:40	you are really my disciples then you
0:42	will know the truth and the truth will
0:44	set you free
0:45	they answered him we are Abraham’s
0:48	descendants and we have never been
0:49	slaves of anyone how can you say that we
0:52	shall be set free
0:53	Jesus replied I tell you the truth
0:55	everyone who sins is a slave to sin now
0:59	A Slave has no permanent place in the
1:01	family
1:02	but a son belongs to it forever so if
1:05	the sun sets you free you will be free
1:08	indeed
1:10	in the name of Jesus
1:12	so if the sun sets you free
1:15	you will be free indeed
1:17	now today we’re liturgically cheating
1:20	and what I mean by that is that we are
1:23	celebrating this day the Feast of the
1:26	reformation and will also have a little
1:29	bit in here in our service where we will
1:31	recognize the saints that have departed
1:33	before us in the faith but this as we
1:36	observe the Feast of the Reformation Our
1:38	Gospel text and our epistle text take us
1:41	to the Wellspring to the central
1:43	doctrine of the Christian faith the
1:46	central Doctrine by which Christianity
1:48	either stands or Falls here’s what the
1:51	Augsburg confession says regarding this
1:53	Doctrine it is also taught Among Us that
1:56	we cannot obtain the forgiveness of sin
1:59	and righteousness before God by our own
2:01	merits our own Works our own
2:04	satisfactions instead we receive the
2:07	Forgiveness of sins and become righteous
2:09	before God by grace
2:12	for Christ’s sake through faith when we
2:15	believe that Christ has suffered for us
2:17	and that for his sake our sin is
2:20	Forgiven and righteousness and eternal
2:22	life are then given to us for God will
2:24	regard and reckon this Faith as
2:26	righteousness as the Apostle Paul says
2:28	in Romans chapter 3 verses 21-26 which
2:31	we just read as well as chapter 4 verse
2:34	5. now this Doctrine salvation totally
2:39	as a gift
2:40	this is something that our sinful nature
2:43	sits there and says no this can’t be
2:44	I’ve got to do something I’ve got to try
2:47	hard it can’t possibly be saved by
2:50	everything that God in Christ has done
2:52	for me I’ve got to do something we all
2:55	want to climb this Ladder into heaven
2:58	but scripture is clear it’s absolutely
3:01	clear that by works of the law not one
3:05	single human being will be declared
3:06	righteous in God’s sight salvation is
3:09	gift from beginning to end it’s
3:12	Christmas it’s not Labor Day
3:16	you see see what I just did there right
3:18	now this is the doctrine
3:21	that got papered over by the Roman
3:23	Church in the Medieval Era they hid it
3:26	they obscured it and they did so with
3:29	their man-made doctrines and then in the
3:33	greatest moment of theological Insanity
3:35	recorded in the annals of church history
3:37	the Roman Church of the Council of Trent
3:39	did the unthinkable they actually
3:42	anathematized anyone who who would
3:45	believe that they are saved solely as a
3:47	gift by God
3:48	Canon number nine of the Council of
3:50	Trent reads this if anyone shall say
3:53	that by faith alone the impious is
3:55	Justified so as to mean that nothing
3:58	else is required to cooperate in order
4:01	unto the obtaining of the grace of
4:03	justification and that it is not in any
4:06	respect necessary that he be prepared
4:08	and disposed by the movement of his own
4:10	will
4:11	let him be damned
4:16	let that sink in for a second the
4:18	official doctrine of the Roman Catholic
4:20	Church is that if you believe that you
4:21	are saved by grace through faith alone
4:23	you are damned that’s their official
4:25	Dogma Canon 12 of the Council of Trent
4:27	reads if anyone shall say that
4:29	justifying faith is nothing else than
4:32	confidence in the divine mercy and
4:34	pardoning of sins for Christ’s sake or
4:36	that it is that confidence Alone by
4:38	which we are Justified let him be damned
4:42	thank you
4:44	Canon 14 the Council of Trent if anyone
4:48	says that man is truly absolved from his
4:50	sins and are Justified because he
4:53	assuredly believed himself absolved and
4:55	Justified or that no one else is truly
4:58	Justified except for he who believes
5:00	himself Justified and that by this faith
5:02	alone Absolution and justification are
5:05	affected let him be damned
5:10	this is theological suicide
5:14	because if we’re not saved by grace
5:16	through faith alone as scripture says
5:18	then scripture is wrong and Jesus was
5:21	wrong when Jesus said the scripture
5:22	cannot be broken
5:24	the apostles were teaching us lies
5:26	because we just heard from the Apostle
5:28	Paul writing under the inspiration of
5:30	the Holy Spirit
5:31	that we are saved by grace through faith
5:34	as a gift
5:36	so it’s really sad that this has
5:38	happened in church history but I’ll be
5:41	I’m going to be blunt
5:43	it doesn’t take an action of the Roman
5:46	Church
5:47	to anathematize the gospel in each and
5:51	every one of us our sinful Adam wants to
5:55	believe that we can somehow save
5:58	ourselves or that we can somehow add to
6:01	Christ’s work and that salvation is
6:04	Jesus plus me working really hard
6:08	and then I’m saved but that’s not what
6:10	scripture says so we foolishly do the
6:13	same thing in our own Hearts when we do
6:15	not believe that salvation is a free
6:17	gift and we try to appease the wrath of
6:19	God by our good works
6:21	it will never work but let’s return now
6:24	to Our Gospel text fascinating thing is
6:26	happening in Our Gospel text and I want
6:29	to clear some up clear up some of the
6:30	confusion that you may have had while
6:32	hearing it and I’ll show you what it is
6:34	along the way we’re going to go back
6:35	into the context and we’re going to go
6:37	to the Gospel of John chapter 8 and
6:39	we’re going to start at verse 21 so you
6:41	can see what’s happening here because if
6:43	you don’t get this little bit of context
6:45	you’ll be a little bit confused about
6:47	what Jesus is saying
6:49	verse 21 so Jesus said to them again
6:53	I am going away
6:55	you will seek me
6:57	and you will die in your sin
7:00	where I am going you cannot come
7:03	so the Jews said
7:04	will it kill himself since he says where
7:07	I’m going you cannot come he said to
7:09	them you are from Below
7:11	I am from above
7:13	you are of this world I am not of this
7:15	world I told you that unless I told you
7:18	you would die in your sins for unless
7:20	you believe that I am
7:23	you will die in your sins now your
7:26	translation might say something unless
7:28	you believe that I am he but to see that
7:30	it’s not what the Greek says if you do
7:32	not believe ego Amy that I am
7:37	Jesus is referring to the Divine name
7:39	for God found in Exodus 3 when Moses is
7:42	speaking to the burning bush that is not
7:44	consumed and God commissions him and
7:46	sends him to go to tell Pharaoh the Lord
7:48	Yahweh says Let My People Go and Moses
7:51	when he’s commissioned by God he says to
7:53	God he says who should I say sent me
7:55	what’s your name and God says I am so in
7:58	this text in the Greek it literally says
8:00	if you unless you unless you believe
8:03	that I am
8:05	you will die in your sins which is a
8:08	terrible and foolish thing to do by the
8:10	way you don’t want to die in your sins
8:12	you don’t need to die in your sins so
8:15	they ask Jesus who are you
8:18	he just said it by the way he says I am
8:20	right so who are you Jesus said to them
8:23	just what I’ve been telling you from the
8:25	beginning I have much to say about you
8:26	much to judge but he who sent me is true
8:29	and I declare to the world that I have
8:32	heard from him now they did not
8:34	understand that he had been speaking to
8:36	them about the father so Jesus said to
8:38	them when you have lifted up the son of
8:42	man then you will know that I am
8:46	how will they know that Jesus is the I
8:48	am oh you’ll know when I’m lifted up on
8:51	the cross
8:52	that’s what he’s referring to when you
8:54	have lifted up the son of man then you
8:56	will know that I am
8:57	and that I do nothing on my own
8:59	authority
9:01	but I speak just as the father taught me
9:03	and he who sent me is with me he has not
9:06	left me alone for I always do the things
9:08	that are pleasing to him now as he was
9:11	saying these things many doesn’t say all
9:14	it says many believed in him
9:18	so you’ll notice what we’ve read so far
9:20	there’s a little bit of a kind of a
9:22	heated discussion going on and the Jews
9:25	some of the Jews that Jesus is talking
9:26	to they’re kind of looking for any
9:27	little excuse to kind of argue with
9:30	Jesus but while Jesus is teaching while
9:33	he is speaking while he is answering
9:35	them many begin to believe in him and so
9:38	now we have two groups we have those who
9:41	believe in Jesus and who are believing
9:43	his words and Jesus knows that they now
9:46	believe that they’ve miraculously been
9:48	brought to death from Death to life and
9:50	then you have those who sinfully and
9:52	obstinately are working against and
9:55	resisting the work of the Holy Spirit
9:57	and they are continuing to argue with
10:00	Jesus keep the two groups separate and
10:02	you’ll see now what’s going on in the
10:03	text so we continue verse 31. so Jesus
10:06	said to the Jews who had believed in him
10:09	if you abide in my word you are truly my
10:12	disciples and you will know the truth
10:14	and the truth will set you free now
10:16	Jesus is not saying here that abiding in
10:20	his word is the thing the one thing that
10:22	you’ve got to do in order to be saved
10:24	that’s not this kind of conditional
10:26	sentence there are different kinds of
10:28	conditional sentences and let me give
10:29	you the kind that this is if I were to
10:31	say to you if you go outside and you
10:33	look at the sidewalk and the sidewalk is
10:35	wet then you know it’s raining
10:38	okay does a wet sidewalk cause the rain
10:41	to fall
10:43	no not unless you need to go to that
10:46	little hospital with the white coats
10:47	right okay we know this okay so Jesus is
10:52	saying the same thing if you abide in my
10:54	word the one who abides in his word is
10:56	the one who believes and is the one who
10:59	is already saved you see the difference
11:01	here so abiding is not the thing that
11:03	saves you it’s the thing you do because
11:05	you are saved so
11:08	and they already believe in him if you
11:10	abide in my word you are truly my
11:13	disciples by the way he’s here speaking
11:14	as if he’s God because I mean Jesus is
11:17	basically saying yeah my words they’re
11:19	the word of God you abide in my words
11:20	and it’s like ah
11:22	the Jews are freaking out about this so
11:25	here Jesus acknowledges that these men
11:27	that they are now in his word in other
11:31	words that they now Embrace his word by
11:33	faith if you abide in my word Jesus says
11:36	the word of Jesus then is this it’s the
11:38	gospel so if you want to get a picture
11:40	just a little picture of what this looks
11:42	like to abide in Jesus’s words we see
11:45	this in the book of Acts after the great
11:46	day of Pentecost when all these
11:48	thousands of people are repent and are
11:51	baptized for the Forgiveness of their
11:52	sins we read in Acts 2 42 that they then
11:55	these new disciples these new Christians
11:57	devoted themselves to the apostles
11:59	teaching the fellowship the breaking of
12:01	bread and the prayers and you’ll notice
12:04	this there to abide in Jesus’s words
12:06	require us to well abide in the teaching
12:09	of the Apostles how many books did Jesus
12:11	write by the way
12:14	not one at least not with his own
12:16	physical hands did he no we are left to
12:18	believe in Jesus based upon the writings
12:21	and the teachings of the Apostles this
12:22	is why we confess in the Creed one Holy
12:25	Catholic and Apostolic the word their
12:28	Apostolic means we abide in the apostles
12:30	teaching and so that’s what it means to
12:33	abide the opposite of this by the way
12:35	will be to drop the word that they have
12:38	taken up to leave it again and then by
12:41	doing so return back to unbelief which
12:44	is really foolish absolutely foolish a
12:47	friend of mine puts it this way she says
12:49	if I don’t go to church I become a pagan
12:52	and I think we all know that that’s true
12:54	it’s something happens to us when we
12:56	stop hearing and abiding in the word of
12:58	God so to believe Jesus equals to
13:00	believe what he says
13:02	so we now come back to our text then now
13:05	it says they answered him we are
13:07	offspring of Abraham this is the other
13:09	group the ones who still don’t believe
13:11	not the ones who are believing but the
13:13	other group The unbelievers in the group
13:14	they say this we’re offspring of Abraham
13:16	and we’ve never been enslaved to anyone
13:18	how is it that you say you will become
13:20	free
13:21	and all the Norwegians said ufta
13:26	it’s like really yeah yeah so Jesus has
13:30	to do like anthropology 101.
13:34	so here’s anthropology 101 Jesus
13:36	answered them truly truly amen I’m in I
13:39	say to everyone who practices sin is a
13:41	slave to sin
13:43	see Jesus isn’t talking about being
13:45	slaves to other human beings he’s
13:47	talking about Sin to the devil slavery
13:50	to sin to death the devil this is the
13:53	slavery that we all encounter and Jesus
13:55	is saying no really you all are all you
13:58	know slaves and by their persistence and
14:02	resistance in their sin against the
14:04	message in the words of Christ they are
14:06	showing that they are truly slaves to
14:07	sin and Jesus says this the slave does
14:10	not remain in the house forever
14:12	but the sun remains forever so if the
14:15	sun sets you free you will be free
14:16	indeed and you’ll notice here that Jesus
14:18	here and talking about slaves set free
14:20	isn’t just saying Hey listen slaves I’m
14:23	setting you free and good luck to you
14:25	you know I’ve just paid your Redemption
14:27	price you know here’s a couple of bucks
14:29	for your wallet you know maybe you can
14:30	catch a train and who knows where you
14:32	can go the sky’s the limit on off into
14:34	the sunset with you that’s not what he’s
14:36	saying but Jesus is literally saying is
14:38	is that the slaves he set for he’s
14:40	setting free he’s also adopting them as
14:43	his own Sons
14:45	and daughters
14:46	this is quite the freedom the freedom
14:49	that gives us the inheritance the very
14:51	inheritance of the kingdom of God so
14:53	when Jesus sets us free we are of course
14:56	Freeman and yet we are far more than
14:59	so-called Freeman in the old Roman
15:01	Empire or even in the American west or
15:03	south we ourselves are turned into Sons
15:06	adopted in the household of God Children
15:08	of the father and Joint heirs with
15:11	Christ
15:13	and notice if the sun sets you free it
15:16	doesn’t say if you buy your own Freedom
15:18	if you work really hard then maybe maybe
15:21	just maybe I’ll set you free
15:23	no the sun is here to set us free and we
15:27	will be free indeed and we are free
15:29	indeed now this all then hooks into our
15:32	epistle text which we’ll review again
15:34	Romans chapter 3 19. now we know that
15:38	whatever the law says it speaks to those
15:40	who are under the law so that every
15:42	mouth may be stopped you can even kind
15:44	of in a way say that the law is speaking
15:47	to those who are slaves
15:50	slaves to the to the sin slaves to the
15:52	law and the purpose of the law why did
15:55	God give us the law The Ten Commandments
15:57	why
15:59	was it so that we can now have a 10
16:02	wrong ladder that we can climb our way
16:04	into heaven with is that the reason why
16:06	no absolutely not
16:09	primary reason why God gave us the law
16:10	is to show us that we are sinners and
16:12	that’s why Paul says that we now know
16:15	that whatever the law says it says to
16:16	those who are under the law so that
16:18	every mouth may be stopped
16:21	one of the purposes of the law is to get
16:23	you to shut up
16:25	and shut up in this way stop saying to
16:27	God but God I’m a good person
16:29	no you’re not let’s review those Ten
16:31	Commandments again right no really
16:33	you’re not Christ only died for the
16:35	ungodly and the law shows us that I are
16:38	one of those and so are you
16:41	so the purpose of the law is to get us
16:43	to shut up so that the whole world may
16:46	be held accountable to God and then we
16:48	get these words from Paul
16:49	for by works of the law no human being
16:52	will be declared righteous in God’s
16:55	sight since through the law comes the
16:58	knowledge of sin you look into God’s law
17:01	and you go ah
17:03	man I’m not Measuring Up
17:06	I know what I’ll do I’ll go grab some
17:08	paint you know put a little Fresh coat
17:11	of paint on my tomb here and that’ll
17:13	Spritz things up and I’ll look really
17:16	great then right that’s not going to
17:18	solve the problem is it not at all
17:21	because here’s the solution
17:23	Paul then says this but it’s important
17:26	but because butts usually have a way of
17:28	erasing things that come before it so
17:31	all of that lost stuff but but now the
17:34	righteousness of God has been manifested
17:37	apart from the law
17:39	foreign
17:43	says God’s it’s his it’s been manifested
17:47	apart from the law although the law and
17:48	the prophets they bear witness to it
17:50	this is the righteousness of God that is
17:52	through faith in Jesus Christ for all
17:54	who believe oh that’s right if you
17:56	believe that Jesus has bled and died for
17:59	you you don’t have your own
18:01	righteousness you are covered in the
18:03	very righteousness of God and that’s
18:04	given to you as a gift and it doesn’t
18:06	get more righteous than that
18:09	perfectly sinless perfectly righteous
18:12	all for you all given as a gift
18:14	for There’s no distinction
18:16	Here We Go Again watch this for all have
18:20	sinned
18:21	and you’re sitting there going yeah but
18:23	I didn’t send that bad I haven’t done
18:26	that sin
18:28	yeah I know okay here’s the idea sin is
18:32	missing the mark right that’s kind of
18:34	what that’s actually kind of the analogy
18:36	of the word sin it means to miss the
18:38	Mark it’s kind of an archery term so you
18:40	take your bow and arrow shoot for the
18:43	Target and you shoot wide and you’re off
18:46	by you know a foot or two off to the
18:49	side right that’s missing the mark but
18:51	here’s the deal none of us have actually
18:53	hit the target we’ve all missed the mark
18:55	and some of you might be saying yeah but
18:57	my arrows closer
19:00	okay now what do they say the close only
19:04	counts and Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
19:06	doesn’t count regarding sin okay you
19:10	either hit the mark dead center
19:12	or you don’t and if you don’t well to
19:15	hell with you
19:17	that’s the that’s the penalty the wages
19:18	of sin is death not just the first death
19:20	but the second so we’ve all shot wide of
19:24	the mark and some of you are a little
19:25	closer mine well
19:29	okay
19:30	over here yeah right okay I don’t even
19:34	think I hit the hay bale
19:39	so all have sinned and fall short of the
19:41	glory of God
19:42	but listen to this and our declared
19:45	righteous by God’s grace
19:47	as a gift
19:49	God says yeah I know you missed the mark
19:51	so you know what I’m going to do
19:53	I’m going to come to Earth
19:55	born of the Virgin Mary become incarnate
19:57	humble myself
19:59	humble myself to the point of death even
20:01	death on a cross I’m going to take all
20:02	of your penalty for missing the mark on
20:04	myself and I’m going to bleed and die
20:07	for it I’m going to propitiate the wrath
20:09	of God for you and then I’m going to
20:12	give you my righteousness
20:14	free gift total pardon all Grace
20:19	what do we do we just
20:21	believe
20:23	there’s no work in belief all there is
20:25	is receiving for all of sin and fall
20:28	short of the glory of God and are
20:29	Justified declared righteous by his
20:31	grace as a gift through the Redemption
20:33	that is in Christ Jesus and there’s a
20:36	big word there Redemption Redemption
20:38	it’s a slave term it means to purchase
20:41	somebody off the slave block
20:44	not just to purchase them so that they
20:46	can go to work on your Plantation but
20:48	purchase them in order to free them
20:50	that’s what a Redemption is
20:52	through the Redemption that is in Christ
20:54	Jesus by whom God put forward as an
20:57	atoning Sacrifice by his blood to be
21:00	received by faith now God did this this
21:04	was to show God’s righteousness because
21:06	in his Divine forbearance he had passed
21:09	over the former sins it was to show his
21:10	righteousness at the present time so
21:12	that he might be just and the justifier
21:16	of the one who has faith in Jesus
21:19	now Paul then asked this question
21:21	so then what becomes of our boasting now
21:23	think about this for a second okay if
21:25	you think that you are saved by your
21:27	good works you’re sitting there counting
21:29	up all of your your good brownie points
21:31	well that’s I gave a sandwich to a
21:33	homeless person I was really close to
21:37	cursing that one time my mom said that
21:39	when I on the phone but I didn’t so
21:41	that’s a good work and then I told my
21:42	mom I love her
21:44	um and then you know you start oh I went
21:46	to church yes I I went to church and
21:48	then I prayed yesterday oh click click
21:51	click click click right right and then
21:53	you start looking around looking at your
21:55	scorecard
21:56	I’m so happy with this and then you
21:59	start looking at other people’s
22:00	scorecards right oh yeah
22:04	boy I’m so glad I’m not like that person
22:07	did you see that scorecard it’s I got
22:09	nothing on it right when you start
22:11	thinking of the law in these terms this
22:13	is what you do you start boasting and
22:16	bragging because you think that somehow
22:18	you’re climbing the ladder look how high
22:19	I am oh you little peons over there
22:22	you’re so down low if only you would be
22:24	like me right
22:27	this is all idolatry
22:29	and this is the equivalent of what Rome
22:33	did at the Council of Trent in
22:35	anathematizing the gospel
22:38	but Paul says where it then is boasting
22:41	based on what he said since salvation is
22:44	totally by grace through faith as a gift
22:48	for the ungodly for the ones who miss
22:50	the mark
22:52	well there’s no boasting
22:55	look it’s Christmas
22:58	we all got gifts from God
23:00	and it’s the same one
23:02	full and complete pardon one by Christ
23:07	there’s no room for boasting on that and
23:08	that is there
23:10	look Jesus forgave all my sins yeah what
23:15	a great Jesus I have
23:17	right not a great person I am because
23:19	who without Jesus I was heading to hell
23:23	so then what becomes of our boasting
23:25	it’s excluded by what kind of law by law
23:28	of Works no by the law of faith for we
23:31	hold that one is declared righteous by
23:35	faith
23:36	apart from works of the law
23:40	totally by grace through faith
23:44	believe and you’re saved but it can’t be
23:47	that simple
23:48	no really it is that’s what the word
23:51	says
23:53	because if the sun sets you free
23:56	then you’re free indeed
23:58	it is that simple
24:00	but see the thing is it wasn’t simple
24:02	for God
24:04	it wasn’t simple for him at all
24:07	when you look at Christ on the cross
24:09	and you see him there gasping for his
24:11	breath and bleeding and crying out my
24:14	God my God why have you forsaken me
24:18	he’s doing that because he’s suffering
24:21	the penalty for your sin and mine
24:25	he’s the one who did all the work
24:28	every last bit of it he’s the one who
24:32	suffered
24:33	our condemnation down to the dregs
24:38	it wasn’t simple for him at all
24:40	so that it can be a gift given to us
24:44	because if it were up to us
24:46	to work for it
24:49	then we’d all be in hell
24:51	but if the sun sets you free
24:54	then you are free indeed in the name of
24:58	Jesus
24:59	amen

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