LutheranLectionary.org

Series B – Easter – Sunday, April 5, 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
0:30	the holy Gospel According to Saint Mark
0:32	chapter 16 verses 1 through 8.
0:37	when the Sabbath was over Mary Magdalene
0:40	married the mother of James and Salome
0:42	brought spices so that they might go and
0:45	anoint Jesus’s body very early on the
0:49	first day of the week just after Sunrise
0:51	they were on their way to the tomb and
0:53	they asked each other who will roll the
0:55	stone away from the entrance of the Tomb
0:58	but when they looked up they saw that
1:00	the stone which was very large had been
1:02	rolled away as they entered the tomb
1:04	they saw a young man dressed in a white
1:06	robe sitting on the right side and they
1:08	were alarmed do not be alarmed he said
1:10	you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene
1:13	who was crucified he is risen he’s not
1:16	here see the place where they laid him
1:18	go and tell his disciples and Peter he
1:21	is going ahead of you into Galilee there
1:23	you will see him just as he told you
1:25	trembling and bewildered the women went
1:28	out and fled from the tomb they said
1:31	nothing to anyone because they were
1:33	afraid
1:35	Christ is risen
1:41	in the name of Jesus
1:45	so this is an interesting day
1:47	in the church here
1:48	and the reason I say it’s interesting is
1:51	because you’re either going to hear
1:52	Christ crucified and risen for your sins
1:55	if you go to church or you’re going to
1:57	hear something completely different now
2:00	I noted I note this fact that there are
2:03	many pastors today who don’t believe
2:06	that Jesus rose bodily from the grave
2:09	and they hide their unbelief in strange
2:12	Easter sermons
2:13	strange Easter sermons that kind of go
2:15	something like this
2:16	and so we’ve read in the gospel text
2:18	today that Jesus has risen from the
2:21	grave but what does that mean what does
2:23	that mean exactly well it means that
2:25	Jesus has the power to resurrect the
2:28	dead dreams in your life or if you do
2:31	have a dead relationship are things
2:33	going terribly with the Miss as well
2:35	there’s resurrection power for your
2:37	marriage
2:38	how about your dead finances are you in
2:41	up to your eyeballs in debt well that’s
2:43	death you know and you know clearly your
2:46	finances are buried in a tomb but Jesus
2:48	has come to open up the tomb of your
2:51	finances and make you healthy wealthy
2:52	and wise
2:54	foreign
2:58	I clearly pastors who preached like this
3:00	have become so Earthly minded that
3:02	they’re of no Heavenly good
3:04	so let me ask you a question this
3:06	morning is there anyone here who has
3:09	figured out how to cheat death
3:11	show of hands
3:13	nope okay now I don’t mean to sound well
3:17	depressing but if you noticed here at
3:20	Kong’s finger over on that side of the
3:23	church there’s more people over there
3:26	than there are right here
3:28	right
3:30	yeah the graveyard is only getting more
3:33	inhabitants if you would so none of us
3:36	has figured out how to cheat death but
3:38	see that’s the thing Jesus did cheat
3:41	death now I would point you this morning
3:43	to our epistle text in First Corinthians
3:46	15 and we’re going to fill out a little
3:48	bit of this and let’s take a look at
3:51	what the text says Paul writing to the
3:53	church in Corinth says now brothers and
3:56	by the way I know we live in a time when
3:58	political correctness says that whenever
4:01	somebody says the word Brothers they
4:03	have to also mean sisters if anyone says
4:05	mankind they really mean Humanity
4:07	because somehow these words that were
4:11	used in the past somehow try to exclude
4:13	women
4:14	when it talks like this it includes all
4:16	of us so brothers and sisters I want to
4:19	remind you of the Gospel which I
4:22	preached to You gospel what a great word
4:25	we’ve all heard it we’ve we’ve heard it
4:27	used in kind of strange context we all
4:29	know about possible music right what’s
4:32	gospel music well it’s a particular
4:34	genre of music but that’s not how Paul’s
4:36	using this term the term Yuan Galleon it
4:39	means good news and it’s really really
4:43	good news and so here’s the idea I want
4:46	to remind you of the good news that I
4:47	preached to you which you received on in
4:49	which you have taken your stand now
4:53	we’re in a Lutheran Church and in the
4:54	Lutheran Church we oftentimes talk about
4:56	Martin Luther at the time of the
4:58	Reformation when he was called on the
5:00	carpet regarding him basically
5:02	repudiating and denying all the things
5:04	that he was saying in his books at the
5:06	diet of verms spelled w-o-r-m-s which is
5:10	a weird way to think about things in
5:11	English but it’s pronounced verms
5:13	because otherwise it’s the diet of worms
5:15	and that does not sound like a good diet
5:16	okay but he was told to recant all the
5:20	things that he had written and he
5:21	basically said it is not safe to go
5:23	against conscience here I stand I can do
5:25	no other
5:27	and Luther you know used to they’ll see
5:29	statues of Luther or pictures of Luther
5:31	standing there with the here I stand you
5:33	know it’s a big moment right but see
5:36	Luther is so uncreative he got this from
5:40	Paul here’s what Paul says remind you of
5:43	the Gospel that I preached to you which
5:45	you received and on which you have taken
5:49	your stand
5:52	you are standing if you believe this
5:55	gospel on some very important promises
5:58	so here is what Paul says by this gospel
6:01	you are saved
6:03	saved
6:04	saved from what
6:06	a bad hair day bad finances poor
6:09	relationships what exactly are you being
6:11	saved from
6:13	well Paul’s not talking about something
6:15	as trivial as that he’s talking about
6:17	being saved from the soon to be revealed
6:20	wrath of God when Jesus returns in glory
6:23	to judge the living and the dead we all
6:25	know that we’re all going to die someday
6:27	and we all know that we’re going to
6:29	stand before Jesus someday
6:32	and trust me when I tell you this the
6:35	last thing you want when standing before
6:37	Jesus is have to give an accounting of
6:39	the things that you’ve done in your life
6:41	I know I don’t want to have to give an
6:42	accounting because when I look at the
6:44	math it doesn’t stack up very well for
6:46	me but this is why it’s good news
6:49	by this gospel you are saved if you hold
6:54	firmly to the word that I preached to
6:55	you otherwise you have believed in vain
6:57	for what I received I pass on to you as
7:00	of first importance are you ready
7:02	remember those commercials that they had
7:04	a few years back you know the the guy
7:07	who had the uh EF Hutton as his
7:09	financial advisor remember those
7:10	commercials you know two people will be
7:12	talking and say yeah I was talking to my
7:14	financial advisor EF Hutton and everyone
7:15	in the all of a sudden you know they’re
7:17	in this restaurant everyone just stops
7:18	and goes
7:20	right they have to listen EF Hutton is
7:22	giving advice well think of it this way
7:24	which I I’ve passed on to as of first
7:27	importance what I received listen
7:30	carefully
7:31	Christ died
7:34	for our sins
7:36	that’s right every single one of them
7:40	from the sin that you were well credited
7:44	with the sin of Adam and Eve that was
7:46	given to you reckoned to you and you
7:48	were born dead in trespasses and sins to
7:51	the last sin that you commit as you draw
7:53	your final breath here on Earth Christ
7:56	has died for every single one of them
8:01	so Christ died for our sins he was
8:05	buried and he was raised on the third
8:08	day according to the scriptures and then
8:10	he appeared to Peter and to the twelve
8:12	and that after that he appeared to more
8:14	than 500 of the brothers at the same
8:16	time most of whom are still alive though
8:18	some have fallen asleep
8:20	and see that’s the good news
8:22	we are truly saved by what Christ has
8:25	done for us he’s done it all and the one
8:29	of the ways in which we know that this
8:31	is absolutely true is because Jesus did
8:34	something that nobody else has ever done
8:37	he actually conquered death
8:39	he was graveyard dead on Friday
8:43	afternoon when he cried out it is
8:46	finished father into your hands I
8:48	commend my spirit and then gave up his
8:50	spirit and he died the Roman soldiers
8:52	were kind of a little bit surprised at
8:54	how quickly he died but just to make
8:57	sure one of the Roman soldiers took his
8:59	Lance and shoved it up into Jesus’s
9:01	cavity right here under his heart and
9:03	out came blood and water he was
9:07	graveyard dead
9:10	but on the third day he rose and I mean
9:14	Rose bodily from the grave Rose in such
9:16	a way that he was able to eat fish and
9:18	food with other people Rose in such a
9:20	way that when he appeared to the
9:21	disciples they said ah it’s a ghost and
9:23	he said no
9:25	a ghost a spirit doesn’t have flesh and
9:27	blood as you see that I have he rose
9:30	from the grave
9:34	and you sit there and go but nobody has
9:36	ever done that
9:38	right that’s kind of the point
9:41	but he did you know if you know the
9:43	story of Harry Houdini you all Remember
9:46	The Escape Artist Harry Houdini
9:48	once a year there is a seance held I
9:52	think it’s all it’s held every year on
9:54	the anniversary of Harry Houdini’s death
9:57	and Harry Houdini basically asked his
10:01	family and friends to hold the Seance
10:03	and to see if he can actually conquer
10:06	death because he says if I can I’m going
10:08	to appear on that day you know on that
10:11	one of those anniversary days you know
10:14	during the Seance
10:15	and uh well Harry Houdini continues to
10:18	not be able to escape
10:20	the jaws of death the one trap Harry
10:24	Houdini has never been able to escape
10:26	from Christ did he conquered it and he
10:30	did it for you and he did it for me now
10:33	Paul
10:34	continues verse 12 but if it is preached
10:37	that Christ has been raised from the
10:39	dead how can some of you say there is no
10:41	resurrection of the Dead oh you think
10:43	this is a problem that exists just today
10:45	there’s plenty of pastors and preachers
10:47	and Christians who say I don’t know if
10:49	he really wrote family from the dead
10:50	right well this is what Paul says how
10:53	can some of you but if it’s preached the
10:55	Christ has been raised from that how can
10:57	some of you say there is no resurrection
10:58	of the Dead if there’s no resurrection
11:00	of the dead then not even Christ has
11:02	been raised and if Christ has not been
11:04	raised our preaching is useless
11:09	bobkus
11:10	amounts to nothing it’s a hill of beans
11:13	you might as well be sleeping in this
11:15	morning if Christ has not been raised
11:17	from the dead you got better things to
11:19	do on a Sunday because he’s well just
11:21	like everybody else if Christ hasn’t
11:23	been raised from the dead he really
11:25	didn’t die for your sins and that’s kind
11:26	of Paul’s Point more than that we’re
11:28	found to be false Witnesses a bit about
11:30	God for we’ve testified about God that
11:32	he raised Christ from the dead
11:34	but God did not raise him if in fact the
11:38	dead are not raised for if the dead are
11:39	not raised then Christ has not been
11:41	raised either and if Christ has not been
11:43	raised your faith is futile it’s doo doo
11:47	and you are still in your sins and those
11:51	also who have fallen asleep in Christ
11:53	they are lost
11:56	does the Apostle Paul sound like it’s
11:58	possible for you to believe that Jesus
12:00	didn’t really rise bodily from the grave
12:01	but somehow there’s some kind of moral
12:03	lesson that we can apply to our lives if
12:05	we don’t believe that Jesus rose no the
12:07	Bible is clear if Jesus didn’t actually
12:10	conquer death he isn’t who he claimed to
12:12	be you’re still dead in your sins and
12:13	you might as well Party Like It’s 1999
12:15	because you’re going to die soon anyway
12:19	cold hard reality
12:22	but Paul says this
12:24	if only for this life we have hope in
12:27	Christ well then we are to be pitied
12:29	more than all men you see Jesus came to
12:33	solve a very specific problem and the
12:35	problem he came to sell was not your bad
12:37	hair days or how poorly your
12:39	relationships are going or how much debt
12:41	you’re in or any such nonsense instead
12:44	Jesus came to actually solve the one
12:46	problem that really matters and the one
12:48	that we all face that is that we are all
12:50	dying
12:52	have been around death long enough to
12:55	know just how depressing it is last year
12:59	I lost my best friend
13:04	put me into mourning for the better part
13:06	of a month
13:08	I did my best not to let it show when I
13:11	was preaching from the pulpit
13:13	but get me home after church and I was
13:16	in a funk
13:17	death stinks
13:20	it takes our loved ones from us
13:24	and oftentimes we try to comfort
13:26	ourselves by saying things like well at
13:28	least that person is no longer suffering
13:31	but I think that’s just all some talk
13:34	that we talk to ourselves to somehow
13:36	find a way to take all of this pain and
13:39	suffering that we’re going through
13:40	because death really stinks
13:43	put it into a box and try to find a way
13:45	that we can stop thinking about it
13:46	because when you’re in the middle of
13:48	your pain and suffering and mourning it
13:50	hurts like you wouldn’t believe
13:54	there’s sorrow there’s sadness it’s
13:57	difficult to think time slows down
14:02	and then you get angry
14:05	you get angry at the situation and you
14:07	even get angry at God
14:08	this is what happens any of us who’ve
14:11	been around death know exactly what I’m
14:12	talking about we’ve all been there we’ve
14:14	all done that and the reality is is that
14:16	if this hasn’t affected you just give it
14:19	time
14:20	because death is no respecter of persons
14:23	death visits the old and the young it
14:26	doesn’t matter in fact each and every
14:28	one of us are just a heartbeat away from
14:30	our appointment with death
14:34	and the reality is is that once we draw
14:36	our last scripture says it is appointed
14:39	once for man to live and die and then
14:42	face the judgment
14:46	so Jesus came to solve the real problem
14:48	that we have and that’s the core problem
14:52	the problem of our sin and our Rebellion
14:54	against God and if God gave us all what
14:58	we deserve then each and every one of us
15:00	are ungodly and truly deserve a devil’s
15:03	hell
15:04	there’s none of us not one of us that
15:06	can say oh well I’m a good person
15:09	well I’ve got news for you friend Jesus
15:11	didn’t die for good people
15:13	he died for sinners
15:17	this is why Paul says if only for this
15:20	life we have hope in Christ well then we
15:21	are to be pitied more than all men
15:24	in other words the problem that Jesus
15:26	came to solve is not a temporal one it’s
15:28	an eternal one
15:30	then he says this but Christ has indeed
15:33	been raised from the dead he has
15:37	he actually conquered it this is not a
15:40	myth this is not Legend This is history
15:42	and this is fact and Jesus is the first
15:45	fruits of those who have fallen asleep
15:47	notice what he says first fruits
15:50	Jesus is the down payment in
15:52	guaranteeing The Inheritance he’s the
15:55	first of the new creation and the new
15:58	creation is coming in total
16:01	for since death came through a man that
16:03	would be our parents Adam and Eve the
16:06	resurrection of the Dead comes also
16:08	through a man for as in Adam all die so
16:12	in Christ all will be made alive but
16:15	each in his own turn Christ is the first
16:18	fruits then when he comes those who
16:20	belong to him then the end will come
16:23	when he hands over the kingdom to God
16:25	the Father after he has destroyed all
16:27	Dominion Authority and power for he
16:30	Christ must Reign until he has put all
16:32	of his enemies under his feet
16:34	notice what the text says The Last Enemy
16:38	to be destroyed is death
16:41	death is not our friend
16:43	death is our mortal enemy and that’s not
16:46	a play on words
16:48	at the very end Christ will take death
16:51	itself that last enemy and he will
16:54	destroy it and those who are in Christ
16:57	you baptize Believers in Jesus who’ve
17:01	had your sins washed away who who have
17:03	been made had your filthy garments made
17:06	white in the blood of the Lamb
17:08	you will never face God’s Wrath you will
17:12	live eternally with him because he lives
17:15	he and when he returns he’s going to
17:17	destroy death and for us it is life
17:20	Everlasting Jesus in John chapter 11
17:23	says this
17:24	I am the resurrection and the life
17:28	whoever believes in me though he die yet
17:31	shall he live and everyone who lives and
17:34	Believes In Me shall never die
17:39	do you believe this
17:43	do you believe it
17:45	Jesus never lies he conquered death John
17:49	chapter 3 Jesus says As Moses lifted up
17:51	the serpent in the wilderness so must
17:53	the son of man be lifted up that whoever
17:55	believes in him may have eternal life
17:58	you don’t have to earn it not a thing
18:01	that you can do to pay for it it’s all
18:04	done for you and given to you as a gift
18:06	by the gracious mercy and love and
18:09	kindness of our heavenly father
18:12	if you tried to earn it
18:15	then you really insult God
18:18	because he gives it away as a gift
18:20	do you believe
18:22	for God so loved the world that he gave
18:25	his only son that whoever believes in
18:27	him should not perish
18:28	but have eternal life
18:30	for God did not send his son into the
18:32	world to condemn the world but in order
18:35	that the world might be saved through
18:36	him whoever believes in him is not
18:39	condemned whoever does not believe is
18:42	condemned already because he has not
18:44	believed in the name of the only son of
18:45	God and this is the Judgment light has
18:49	come into the world and Jesus is the
18:51	light and people well they love Darkness
18:54	rather than life because their Works
18:56	were evil for everyone who does wicked
18:58	things hates the light and does not come
19:01	to the light lest his Works should be
19:03	exposed
19:04	but whoever does what is true comes to
19:07	the light so that it may be clearly seen
19:09	that his Works have been carried out in
19:11	God
19:12	verse 36 of the same chapter whoever
19:14	believes in the son has eternal life
19:17	whoever does not obey the son shall not
19:20	see life but the wrath of God remains on
19:23	him
19:25	so it’s a matter of life and death
19:27	it’s a matter of your life and your
19:29	death at this point Christ has bled and
19:31	died for your sins and he is raised
19:34	again from the grave proving that he is
19:35	who he claimed to be the very Son of God
19:37	in human flesh and that his sacrifice
19:39	for our sins was accepted by God the
19:41	Father
19:43	so believe trust in this Jesus repent of
19:48	your sins and your wickedness
19:50	believe that he bled and died for you
19:53	and you have
19:54	now presently eternal life
19:58	and so we come to our text again from
20:01	the gospel
20:03	says this
20:06	that Mary Magdalene Mary the mother of
20:09	James and Salome
20:11	bought spices so that they might go to
20:13	anoint Jesus’s body very early on the
20:15	first day of the week it was a Sunday
20:17	just after the sunrise they were on
20:19	their way to the tomb and asked each
20:21	other who will roll away the Stone from
20:23	the entrance they looked and they saw
20:26	that the stone which was very large had
20:28	been rolled away they entered the tomb
20:30	they saw a young man dressed in a white
20:31	robe sitting on the right side and they
20:33	were alarmed don’t be alarmed he said
20:36	you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene
20:39	who was crucified
20:40	notice even the angel here makes it
20:43	clear that Jesus is the one now who was
20:46	crucified he is forever your crucified
20:48	savior forever he is the crucified and
20:52	he’s crucified for you
20:54	but he has risen he is not here why
20:58	because he rose bodily just as he said
21:01	see the place where they laid him but go
21:04	tell his disciples and Peter he’s going
21:06	ahead of you into Galilee
21:08	now you after you leave here you go you
21:11	tell Oslo you tell Alvarado you tell
21:13	Warren you tell Grand Forks
21:16	tell them all that Christ is risen
21:19	that he’s bled and died and rose again
21:21	from the grave and conquered death and
21:24	the devil and he’s done it for you and
21:26	for your sins let them know the good
21:28	news that there is life in Jesus Christ
21:31	and that the grave doesn’t have the
21:33	final say even that mortal enemy of ours
21:36	the grave he will take that thing and
21:38	destroy it on the last day and the day
21:40	is coming when there will be no death
21:43	and those of us in Christ who live
21:45	eternally face to face with the
21:47	glorified risen Son of God who bled and
21:51	died for you and me and conquered death
21:53	for you and for me
21:56	Christ is risen he is risen indeed
21:59	halleluia
22:00	[Music]

If you would like to support the teaching ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church, you can do so by sending a tax-free donation to: Kongsvinger Lutheran Church 15950 470th Ave NW, Oslo, MN 56744 We thank you for your support. All of our teaching messages may be freely distributed as long as you do not edit or change the content of the message, and, again, thank you for listening.