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Series C – Lent 4 – Sunday, March 6, 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 chapter 15 verses 1 through 3 and then 11-32.
0:35	now the tax collectors and sinners were all Drawing Near to Jesus and the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled
0:41	saying this man received Sinners and eats with them so he told them this Parable there was a
0:49	man who had two sons and the younger of them said to his father father give me the share of the
0:54	property that is coming to me and he divided his property between them not many days later the younger son gathered
1:01	all that he had and took a journey into a far country and there he squandered his property in Reckless living and when
1:08	he had spent everything a severe famine arose in that country and he began to be in need so he went and hired himself out
1:15	to one of the citizens of that country who had sent him into his fields to feed pigs and he was longing to be fed with
1:22	the pods that the pigs ate no one gave him anything when he came to himself he said how many
1:28	of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread but I perish here with
1:34	Hunger I will arise and go to my father and I will say to him father I have sinned against heaven and before
1:40	you I’m no longer worthy to be called your son treat me as one of your hired servants and he rose came to his father
1:48	but while he was still a long way off his father saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him
1:54	and the son said to him father I have sinned against heaven and before you I’m no longer worthy to be called your son
2:01	but the father said to his servants bring quickly the best robe put it on
2:06	him put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet and bring the fatted calf and
2:11	kill it and let us eat and celebrate for this my son was dead and is alive again he was lost and is
2:20	found and they began to celebrate now his older son was in the field and as he
2:26	came and Drew near to the house he heard music and dancing and he called one of the servants and asked what these things
2:32	meant and he said to him your brother has come your father has killed a fattened calf because he has received
2:39	him back safe and sound but he was angry and he refused to go in
2:44	his father came out and then treated him but he answered his father look these many years I’ve served you I’ve never
2:51	disobeyed your command yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends
2:56	but when this son of yours came who has devoured your property with prostitutes
3:02	you killed the fat and calf for him and he said to him son
3:07	you are always with me all that is mine is yours it was fitting to celebrate and
3:13	be glad for this your brother was dead and is alive he was lost and he is found
3:20	in the name of Jesus all right today’s Gospel text has
3:25	probably one of the most famous parables in it the parable of the Prodigal Son
3:30	and funny enough this is only part of the story and what
3:35	I mean by that let’s go back to the beginning of our gospel text Luke 15. let me read a little bit and I’ll point
3:42	something out and we’ll pick up some context and then we’ll dive into the story of the parable of the Prodigal Son
3:49	here’s what it says now the tax collectors and sinners were all Drawing Near to hear Jesus
3:54	well that’s got to be terrible can you imagine Jesus the son of God the righteous one of God hanging out with a
3:59	bunch of Sinners what is Jesus thinking right so the Pharisees and the scribes they grumbled saying this man receives
4:06	Sinners and eats with them and the irony of this is quite well
4:13	palpable and what I mean by that is is that the Pharisees and the scribes
4:19	they are every bit as sinful as the tax collectors and the other
4:24	Sinners are and here’s the reason why is because the reason why we’re Sinners is not because we sin
4:33	we sin because we is Sinners right that’s the reason why sin is a condition
4:40	if you would um if you were to think of somebody who has you know like been exposed to a terrible disease like a venereal disease
4:47	like herpes or something like that if somebody has herpes well they’re always have the condition of herpes it’s
4:54	incurable but sometimes it flares up right it’s terrible analogy but you have
4:59	to think of it this way well sin is a lot like herpes and it flares up and it
5:04	flares up in like really awful ways different ways for different people but the thing is is that every one of us has
5:11	tested positive for being Sinners and that’s the problem and so here are the Pharisees and the scribes they’re
5:17	grumbling how dare Jesus hang out with sinners
5:22	you know really really so you know the Pharisees these are folks who are trying
5:28	to save themselves by their good works now this is what the text then says so Jesus told them this parable
5:36	notice verse three it says parable one Parable this is one Parable with
5:43	three chapters if you would chapter one is the story of the lost
5:49	sheep chapter 2 is the story of the Lost coin chapter 3 is the story of the
5:57	prodigal son that’s all one Parable not three one and I’ll even make the claim
6:05	that maybe the parable of the or the story of the chapter of The Prodigal Son should be renamed I think the emphasis
6:12	is on the wrong syllable but let’s work through let’s take a look at all three chapters of this single Parable here’s
6:19	what it says so he told them this Parable what man of you having a hundred sheep if he’s lost
6:26	one of them does not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the one that
6:31	is lost until he finds it notice the question mark so Jesus asked this question by the way this is not good
6:38	sheep herding practice all right if one of your sheep wanders off it’s probably
6:43	dead exposing the 99 to Predators while you go hunt for the last you know the
6:48	missing one is not really good sheep business so the answer to this question is probably along the lines of the
6:55	Pharisees going what right but Jesus is not like any other Shepherd so when he is founded the
7:02	shepherd he finds it he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing I found my sheep and
7:08	when he comes home he calls together his friends and his neighbors saying them Rejoice with me I have found my sheep
7:14	that was lost so I tell you and this is close attention to what is said here in verse
7:20	7. so I tell you there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need
7:27	no repentance slow down there Jesus repent
7:36	that sheep didn’t do nothing that lousy sheep just went and got itself lost it’s lucky it didn’t become
7:42	a barbecue for some wolf right what is what do you mean repents
7:48	well repentance According To Jesus is when the Good Shepherd goes and finds a
7:53	lost sheep what does the sheep have to do with any of it oh the Sheep got itself lost for sure
7:59	but see then the shepherd picks it up puts it on his shoulders and carries it back and while he’s carrying it back the
8:05	Sheep is going look at me I’m repenting okay smart sheep right now if you’re
8:12	thinking whoa whoa whoa okay that’s some strange theology right there well let me let me read chapter two of this story
8:18	this one Parable chapter two or what woman having 10 silver coins
8:23	if she loses one coin does not light a lamp sweep the house and seek diligently
8:28	until she finds it and when she is founded she calls together her friends and neighbors saying Rejoice with me I
8:35	have found the coin that I had lost just so I tell you there is Joy before the angels of God over one sinner who
8:41	repents whoa whoa whoa slow down there Jesus what are you saying here
8:47	are you saying that Sinners repenting are like inanimate objects like coins
8:53	being found well of course of course
8:58	okay close attention chapter 2 and chapter one are saying the same exact
9:03	thing The Sinner who repents is the one who’s
9:08	been found who was dead and is now alive this is a
9:14	work of God so in the parable of the lost sheep Jesus is the shepherd who
9:20	goes and hunts for the sheep in the parable of the lost coin Jesus is hiding if you would behind the mask of the
9:25	woman who’s sweeping the floor and think about it this way why is it that she needs to sweep the floor we’re losing
9:31	the days before they had wall-to-war carpet and tile and nice hard wood and things like that so you lived in the
9:37	house and there was dirt on the floor if you dropped a coin chances are pretty good the coin would get covered up by the dust plume that it created when it
9:44	fell and thus poof disappearing right and so Jesus goes and hunts for the Lost
9:50	inanimate object and by the way dead people are inanimate I don’t know if you’ve noticed that about them they don’t have a tendency to move a lot
9:56	right so you who are born dead in trespasses and sins you’re just like
10:01	a lost coin and so repentance is the savior seeking for you
10:08	finding you and bringing you home saying Rejoice Rejoice Rejoice with me and there’s lots of rejoicing going on
10:15	so now we get to chapter three in the one Parable chapter three and then he said there was a man who had
10:21	two sons now keep in mind chapters one and two lay the theological groundwork
10:27	so now you see what’s going on so you don’t mistake and think that this prodigal kid somehow on his own steam is
10:33	doing the repenting God’s doing a work in him but here we go so it was a man who had two sons the younger of them
10:40	said to his father father give me the share of the property that is coming to me pause right there for a second let’s
10:47	kind of help us out a little bit here we live in a western Society we live in the United States of America
10:54	21st century have you ever been exposed to an Eastern culture
11:00	in eastern cultures honor is a big deal right maybe we’ve seen maybe like that
11:08	miniseries Shogun or something like that right and in the mini-series Shogun there was a man who is Dishonored and
11:15	he’s Dishonored somebody and what is the solution for somebody who has been Dishonored or Dishonored in such a way
11:21	he must commit suicide ritually you know so they talk about Harry Caray gets big
11:27	ceremony takes the knife plunges it in and screws it up and then dies right this is all because of Honor
11:34	keep in mind Israel at this time is Middle Eastern and it’s an honor culture still is to
11:41	this day so you kind of miss the subtext if you’re thinking about it with Western
11:46	eyes the Western mindset think about it if you would if it helps place this story
11:54	in Japan just for a little bit to kind of help us get the cultural stuff going on here
12:00	so now with that in mind let me read again with the younger son says father
12:06	give me the share of the property that is coming to me and you sit there and go what is this
12:12	kid saying let me Translate dad it just irks me that you won’t do me the
12:19	service of dying I’m sick and tired of seeing your face I
12:25	can’t stand you can’t stand anything about you all I want is the inheritance since you won’t do me the favor of dying
12:35	why don’t you give me the inheritance instead
12:41	now you don’t have to live in Japan to see what’s going on there if your son or
12:46	daughter talked like this to you what are you likely to do
12:52	slap him in the face box their ears you know whatever is necessary grab him by the Scruff and say how dare you the
12:59	little scrawny whatever talk to me like that right
13:04	now you know what the right reaction would be according to Human Nature
13:09	watch this second half of verse 12. so the father divided the property
13:16	between them who does that
13:22	who does that so not many days later the younger son gathered all he had
13:29	took a journey into a far country of course he had to do that in an honor country he has to skedaddle he’s got
13:35	part of a he’s got to sell some land so he’s got a buyer somewhere and when
13:40	word gets out in the community that this kid has Dishonored his father like this oh there’s going to be hell to pay
13:47	so he sells his part of the property takes the cash and leaves town quickly because he needs to
13:54	so the younger son Galileo I had took a journey to a far country I’ll never have heard of me there there he squandered
14:01	his property in Reckless living important note here text doesn’t give us the details of this Reckless living we
14:08	don’t know what exactly he did keep that in mind so when he had spent
14:13	everything so that’s the thing about money without a job has a tendency to
14:21	quickly disappear right which is one of the reasons why those who win the lottery doesn’t matter
14:27	how many gazillions of dollars they win just a couple years they have nothing it’s weird how that works money is not
14:33	an endless supply of something it doesn’t grow on trees you know and so well actually it grows in the ground but
14:39	you have to work it see I’m saying so he squandered it spent everything
14:44	then a severe famine arose in that country and he began to be in need so he went hired himself out to one of
14:51	the citizens of that country who sent him into his fields to feed pigs can you imagine a good little Jewish boy work in
14:57	a bacon Farm right this doesn’t get any lower than this
15:04	so and to make matters worse he’s so hungry he was longing to be fed with the
15:10	pods that the pigs ate but no one gave him anything
15:16	nothing and now if the story ends here we’ll sit there and go you say good good he got
15:21	what he deserved that low-life scoundrel how dare y’all he’s this is what he has
15:27	coming to him right we want Justice then this says this
15:34	but when he came to himself oh wow look the shepherd’s looking for his lost
15:39	sheep oh look at here the woman’s looking for her lost coin
15:47	and he came to himself he said how many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread
15:53	but I perish here with hunger I’m going to rise I’m going to go to my father and I’m going to say to him
15:59	father I have sinned against heaven and before you I’m no longer worthy to be called your
16:05	son treat me as one of your hired servants oh we got some truth here
16:11	I’ve sinned against heaven and before you well this is most certainly true and to which we say amen and amen I’m no
16:19	longer worthy to be called your son this is absolutely true amen
16:24	but then we got this treat me as one of your hired servants now keep in mind this is a Salvation
16:30	parable this is about salvation can we bargain with God for our
16:36	salvation no we can’t is there anything we can offer God in exchange for our salvation
16:45	nothing not not ourselves at all so this idea of him somehow bargaining with his
16:50	father listen you know just you don’t have to treat me as one of your sons I just hire me as one of your servants I’m
16:56	I’m fine with that that’s salvation on his terms that salvation via bargaining let’s see
17:04	if that plays out right so he rose came to his father ah now the shepherd has
17:12	picked up his sheep and is carrying him home right chapters one and two are in
17:17	play here he rose came to his father but while he was still a long way off
17:24	his father saw him and rather than feeling anger
17:30	rather than saying oh I can’t believe he would dare to show his face here oh I’m
17:35	gonna go give him a piece of my mind it’s not what the father says and that’s what it says about him it says he felt
17:42	compassion he felt compassion
17:47	was a long way off he ran and embraced him and kissed him another important cultural note here
17:55	back in the day when this took place they didn’t sell Levi’s at Walmart
18:02	you’ve got to think about this guys didn’t wear coveralls they wore robes
18:08	all right I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to run in the bathrobe it’s just not going to work okay so in order to
18:15	run if you’re wearing a robe you’re going to have to gather up the bottom
18:20	parts and you’re going to have to expose your legs to everybody which is a shameful thing to do in this day and so
18:28	here’s what the father does he abases himself gathers up his robes
18:34	he runs it doesn’t walk he runs to his son he doesn’t care what anybody
18:41	thinks doesn’t care that what he’s doing is dishonoring himself
18:47	which kind of begs the question is this really really the story of The Prodigal
18:52	Son or is this really the story of a gracious and merciful father like we
18:58	have never seen before I’m not like this
19:04	and I would bet you’re not either but this is what God is like
19:10	gracious kind merciful even abasing himself
19:16	allowing himself to be Dishonored in order to forgive
19:22	his Wayward and prodigal children right so he ran and then he embraced his son
19:29	and he kissed him and here it comes so the sun confesses his sin father
19:37	I’ve sinned against heaven I’ve sinned before you and I’m no longer worthy to be called
19:43	your son and we say Amen this is most certainly true but notice there will be no bargaining
19:50	for salvation none whatsoever nothing will be offered or accepted so the father Cuts him off
19:58	right there there’s the confessions of sin and the father says now be quiet father said to his servants quick get
20:05	the best robe ah those of you who’ve been coming from midweek Services we’ve been talking about garment theology here
20:10	it is right here get the what robe the best one get the best one put it on him
20:16	this kid coming home thread bear barely wearing anything totally dirty and just
20:21	a mess don’t worry son I’ve got this I’m going to clean you up you’re going to be wearing the best thing I’ve got get the
20:27	best rope get a ring put it on his hand shoes for his feet and then bring the fatted calf and kill it and let’s
20:34	celebrate
20:39	for this my son was dead and he’s alive again
20:45	he was lost and now he’s found and they began to celebrate
20:52	what an amazing father this is I’ve never met a man like this
20:58	never now let’s get it right here Parables always kind of have different
21:04	people that are being represented and you can say
21:09	the sun The Prodigal this is us this is me this is you
21:16	the father well it’s none other than God the Father himself but I want you to keep this in mind
21:24	who is the fat and calf who dies for the celebration this is Jesus Christ
21:31	the one who dies so that we can celebrate so the angels
21:36	can celebrate he’s the sacrifice
21:42	and now keep in mind this Parable was originally told because the Pharisees were grumbling because Jesus was
21:49	receiving and hanging out with sinners and here’s the sad part is a little bit of this other brother in
21:56	each of us too so don’t think you’re only represented by The Prodigal what Amazing Grace what
22:03	scandalous Grace that we have from this father and oh it’s so scandalous now the older son he gets a little bit miffed
22:09	keep in mind honor culture and Watch What Happens so now his older son was in the field as he came and Drew near to
22:16	the house he heard music and dancing it’s a party no one told me there was a
22:22	party so he called one of his servants and asked what these things meant and he said to them well your brother has come
22:28	your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound
22:35	and notice here the old the older brother is not thrilled
22:42	says he’s angry he was angry and he refused to go in honor Culture by the
22:48	way a son behaving in this manner dishonors
22:53	his father the dishonoring here is every bit as rank awful as what the son the younger
23:01	son did when he basically said father I wish you were dead you see the father’s the head of the
23:07	household and now he refuses to go in he refuses to go in and celebrate with his father
23:14	basically saying my father and I were like this no way
23:22	so he refused to go in and then the unthinkable happens
23:27	Dishonored by his son father came outside
23:32	and met with the older brother and entreated him
23:38	and you can imagine how that goes your younger brother has come back he was dead and now he’s alive he was lost
23:45	and now he’s found but he answered his father look these
23:51	many years I have served you I’ve never disobeyed your commands yet you never gave me a young goat that I might
23:56	celebrate with my friends but when this son of yours who has devoured your property with prostitutes you killed a
24:03	fatted calf for him pause there for a second
24:09	where does it say the younger son devoured The Inheritance with
24:15	prostitutes it doesn’t does it
24:21	sure he squandered the money on Reckless living but now we have a slanderous accusation
24:29	slanderous so notice here also the relationship that the older son has with the father
24:37	does he think of himself as a son or does he think of himself as a servant does he think of himself as having
24:44	access to everything his father has and having the rights and privileges as a son or does he consider himself as
24:50	working hard in order to Merit something from the father it’s the second
24:57	the second son has an awful relationship with the Father the older son his
25:03	relationship is every bit as bad as the younger son’s relationship at the
25:09	beginning of the parable things are really way off and he’s Dishonored his father and his father is
25:16	patiently lovingly entreating him and he’s having none of it
25:23	absolutely none of it so the father corrects the son lovingly he said Son
25:31	you are always with me all that is mine is yours it was fitting to celebrate and be glad
25:38	for this your brother was dead and is alive he was lost
25:44	and is found scandalous Grace
25:50	absolutely scandalous and see that’s the thing about the cross
25:57	and that’s the thing about Christianity and the Forgiveness of sins God’s grace is so amazing
26:06	that Christ even bled and died for Stalin and Hitler and me and you
26:16	literally think about it let’s help us out here a
26:21	little bit if Stalin was still alive heard the gospel through the Kong’s
26:28	Winger website and showed up here repentant
26:33	believing in Christ we might all go well that’s great but
26:38	the man murdered 20 million people right
26:46	would you celebrate or cautiously kind of stand there with your arms folded
26:53	I gotta tell you I’m very tempted to stand there with my arms cautiously folded
27:00	but this Parable teaches us that that’s a form of self-righteousness
27:07	and so there’s a little bit in fact a lot of the younger son and each and
27:13	every one of us there’s also a lot of the older son in this too and so this Parable challenges us as
27:20	well as it challenged the Pharisees don’t think for a second that God is
27:25	chintzy with his grace he’s not he’s forgiven you much he’s forgiven me
27:33	much and when somebody shows up here who we look at and say well obviously that
27:39	person’s been forgiven a lot don’t put a butt after it
27:47	don’t put a butt after it the cross is so scandalous that Christ died for the sins of the whole world and
27:54	this Parable teaches beautifully what other passages of scripture say that it is not his will that any should perish
28:01	any not from a small child who dies in
28:07	infancy to the greatest scoundrel in all of politics
28:13	Christ has bled and died for all and he seeks their repentance and there is true
28:18	rejoicing in heaven over every sinner that repents because remember we’re not sin Sinners because we sin
28:26	we sin because we’re Sinners and that being the case every single one of us is
28:31	equal in the eyes of God when it comes to our sin each and every one of us has earned the
28:38	fires of hell none of us are capable of doing anything to save ourselves and we are only
28:44	forgiven by the grace and mercy of God which takes us in our sinful condition
28:49	raises us from the dead carries us back to the Sheepfold and then clothes Us in the best Robes of
28:57	all because we as Christians are clothed in the very righteousness of Christ
29:04	we do not stand naked before God and it’s scandalous that you are saved it is scandalous that I am saved and
29:11	it’s scandalous that anyone is saved so let us rejoice over all Sinners along
29:17	with the angels for every sinner who repents and not be cheap with God’s grace
29:24	but be celebratory with everyone who is
29:29	forgiven by such a scandalous scandalous love that God has for us in
29:36	the name of Jesus amen [Music]

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