LutheranLectionary.org

Series C – Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost – Sunday, October 2, 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
0:27	The holy Gospel
0:29	According to Saint Luke chapter 17
0:31	verses 1 through 10.
0:34	Jesus said to his disciples Temptations
0:37	to sin are sure to come but woe to the
0:40	one through whom they come
0:42	it would be better for him if a
0:43	millstone were hung around his neck and
0:45	he were cast into the sea then he should
0:47	cause one of these little ones to sin
0:50	pay attention to yourselves
0:52	if your brother sins rebuke him
0:55	if he repent forgive him
0:57	if he sins against you seven times in
0:59	the day and turns to you seven times
1:01	saying I Repent you must forgive him
1:05	the Apostle said to the Lord increase
1:07	our faith and the Lord said if you had
1:10	the faith like a grain of mustard seed
1:12	you could say to this mulberry tree be
1:14	uprooted and planted into the sea and it
1:16	would obey you
1:17	will any of you
1:19	who has a servant plowing or keeping
1:21	sheep say to him when he comes in from
1:24	the field come at once recline at the
1:26	table will he not rather say to him
1:28	prepare supper for me dress properly
1:31	serve me while I eat and drink and
1:33	afterwards you will eat and drink does
1:35	he thank the servant because he did what
1:37	he was commanded
1:39	so you also when you have done all that
1:41	you were commanded say we are unworthy
1:44	servants we have only done what was our
1:47	duty in the name of Jesus
1:50	all right so this Sunday’s gospel text
1:54	and next Sunday’s gospel text are a wee
1:58	bit challenging to exegete correctly
2:00	Exige by the way is just a fancy term
2:03	for rightly reading out what the
2:06	scriptures say you want pastors who
2:08	execute texts you don’t want pastors who
2:11	engage in what’s called Ice Age eating
2:13	that means reading stuff into the Bible
2:15	that ain’t there including yourself
2:17	you’re not in there all right we might
2:19	put you in there as representative but
2:21	the idea is you want to rightly handle
2:23	God’s word and so on the exegesis scale
2:26	of difficulty
2:28	this text is a clear eight and a half
2:31	nine on a scale of one to ten as far as
2:33	rightly understanding it and where
2:36	people oftentimes go wrong is they think
2:39	that in this prick of P Jesus is talking
2:41	kind of like three different things it’s
2:42	like he talks about this then he talks
2:45	about that then he talks about another
2:46	thing no actually all of the things that
2:49	Jesus is saying are interrelated and
2:52	here’s the key
2:53	this is still part of an ongoing well
2:57	teaching moment that Jesus is having
3:00	with his disciples and so this is Jesus
3:03	talking to the Future Leaders pastors
3:07	preachers teachers and even the apostles
3:09	who will lead his church and so this is
3:14	the context of of what’s going on here
3:17	and then you can see that they’re all
3:19	interrelated these aren’t three
3:20	different things that Jesus is talking
3:21	about this is Jesus saying something
3:24	disciples going whoa and them saying
3:27	well then Lord help us with this and
3:28	then him saying and then now this is how
3:31	you frame these things I’ll explain it
3:33	as we go
3:34	so our text begins Jesus said to his
3:37	disciples and I know that the ESV says
3:40	Temptations to sin
3:43	and I think that’s too narrow
3:45	and I think that’s one of the ways in
3:47	which you can misunderstand what Jesus
3:49	is talking about I think it’s better to
3:51	go with what the Greek says
3:53	stumbling blocks
3:55	stumbling blocks would be a better way
3:57	of putting it stumbling blocks are sure
4:00	to come but woe to the one through whom
4:03	they come it would be better for him if
4:06	a millstone were hung around his neck
4:08	and he were cast into the sea and that
4:10	he should then that he should cause one
4:13	of these little ones to sin who are
4:15	these little ones well these are
4:17	Christ’s sheep
4:19	think of them as the people who are
4:21	young in the faith those who are
4:23	learning who are catechumens or new to
4:26	Christianity and they’re being discipled
4:28	these are Jesus’s little ones so what’s
4:31	a stumbling block well I grew up on
4:34	Looney Tunes cartoons and I don’t know
4:36	if you’ve all remember the Road Runner
4:39	and the Wiley Coyote right there’s the
4:41	Road Runner and I loved how he never
4:43	would be caught it just is amazing but
4:45	there’s the Road Runner tearing down the
4:47	highway doing his thing and what was
4:49	Wiley Coyote doing he was trying to put
4:51	stumbling blocks in the way of the Road
4:54	Runner some ingenious ones at that all
4:57	designed to trip the road runner up so
4:59	that he can have the road runner for a
5:01	meal so a stumbling block is something
5:03	that’s put in your way that trips you up
5:06	so that you don’t get to where you’re
5:08	trying to go to so that’s what a
5:12	stumbling block is and so when in this
5:14	context then speaking to his disciples
5:17	not only the twelve but also the 72 who
5:20	are going to be the leaders of his
5:22	church what would a stumbling block be
5:24	it’s more than just a temptation to sin
5:27	a stumbling block would also include
5:29	false teaching false Doctrine anything
5:31	that would take the eyes of our faith
5:34	off of Christ cause our faith to stumble
5:38	and then ultimately we not attain the
5:42	goal of our faith which is the Salvation
5:43	of our souls
5:45	so a stumbling block if you want to do a
5:47	little play on words keeps you from
5:49	getting to the stumbling block who is
5:52	Christ right the rock that makes men
5:54	stumble
5:55	so that’s what’s being talked about here
5:58	so then Jesus says so
6:01	woe to the one through whom these
6:03	stumbling blocks come note this when
6:07	Jesus throws out woes he doesn’t throw
6:09	them out like candy Jesus isn’t you know
6:11	one of these guys who just starts saying
6:13	woe and woe and woe and a woe is a big
6:16	deal woe is like a warning of damnation
6:19	and here Jesus is saying to his
6:21	disciples woe to the one through whom
6:24	these stumbling blocks come this is an
6:27	explicit warning of the fires of hell it
6:30	would be better for him if a millstone
6:32	were hung around his neck and he were
6:33	cast into the sea then that he should
6:36	cause one of these little ones to
6:39	stumble
6:40	and that’s the idea
6:42	and so Jesus then tells his future
6:45	pastors and leaders and apostles so pay
6:49	attention to yourselves
6:52	watch it be very cautious in how it is
6:57	that you preach and teach so that you
7:00	care for Christ’s little ones the poor
7:03	the outcasts The Young and the faith so
7:06	that they may not be led into apostasy
7:09	and then Jesus says oh and by the way
7:12	here’s a little bit more information not
7:15	only guard your Doctrine carefully but
7:18	here’s what your ministry is going to be
7:21	like if your brother sins notice in this
7:24	part of the text it’s talking in general
7:26	it’s not saying against you the first
7:28	part is if your brother sins if your
7:31	brother sins
7:32	rebuke him
7:35	really you want me to do what rebuke him
7:39	and if he repents forgive him you can
7:42	kind of think of this as like the office
7:44	of the keys when somebody who is a
7:47	brother in Christ sins we as Christians
7:50	don’t wink at it and say well that’s all
7:52	right well that’s just what he does or
7:54	you know don’t worry it’s covered by the
7:56	blood no when somebody sins we rebuke
8:00	him and if he repents
8:02	here’s the Absolution he’s forgiven and
8:06	then
8:08	we get a little bit more specific then
8:10	if he sins against you personally seven
8:15	times in a day and turns to you seven
8:18	times saying I Repent you must forgive
8:22	him
8:23	now most of us pretty much get derailed
8:27	when one person sins against us just one
8:30	time one time in a week one time in a
8:32	month one time in a year that’s a lot
8:34	and when that happens to us we have a
8:37	tendency like all of the gears in our
8:40	love box grind to a halt right and the
8:43	machine stops working and then now you
8:46	can’t sleep at night and you’re thinking
8:47	I’m gonna get back at this person right
8:50	but Jesus says to his disciples if
8:52	somebody sins against you seven times in
8:55	a day who is this fellow sitting against
8:58	me seven times in a day doesn’t he have
9:00	better things to be doing right
9:04	so in that scenario Jesus says get this
9:10	if he says seven times I repent
9:13	you must forgive him
9:15	put the Bat Away
9:18	put all that away forgive right and why
9:21	is this wow we forgive because we are
9:24	forgiven right and we pray every day in
9:28	the Lord’s prayer Lord forgive us our
9:31	trespasses as we forgive those who
9:33	trespass against us and this all comes
9:35	from Jesus’s great commandment of the
9:38	New Testament as I have loved you so
9:41	love one another and how has Christ
9:43	loved us
9:45	sacrificially leading and dying for our
9:48	sins
9:49	so when somebody sends you rebuke him if
9:52	you repents you forgive him if he sins
9:54	against you personally seven times in a
9:56	day and turns to you seven times saying
9:57	I Repent you must forgive him a little
10:00	bit of a note here and I’m not going to
10:03	pick on you women but I want you to know
10:04	I’ve noticed something about women women
10:07	have a tendency to keep scorecards
10:09	so let’s talk about this for a second
10:12	here if somebody sins against you seven
10:14	times in a day and then turns and says I
10:17	Repent you must forgive him
10:19	do not take your score card out and say
10:22	well I forgave him but
10:26	keep this for later
10:28	no no no no okay love keeps no record of
10:31	wrongs take the score card tear it up
10:34	throw it away and if you are a man and
10:37	you’re doing this too this applies to
10:39	you I’ve noticed so that women have a
10:41	tendency to do this more than men and
10:43	the reason why men don’t keep scorecards
10:45	is because it’s too much work
10:48	and they’re just lazy so
10:52	after saying all of this Jesus’s
10:55	disciples well now they’re like freaking
10:59	out okay it’s like you want us to do
11:03	what so the response is quite
11:07	fascinating so now the apostles the text
11:09	actually says the apostles you have to
11:11	think about the twelve they said to the
11:13	Lord
11:14	okay Lord then increase our faith
11:17	because in order to pull this off it’s
11:21	going to take a ginormous amount of
11:23	faith and then Jesus corrects them and
11:27	notes something here and I’ve said this
11:28	before and I’ll reiterate the idea is
11:31	that
11:32	faith is like eyesight Faith always is
11:36	looking to something there is always an
11:39	object of your faith that your faith is
11:41	looking at so what is your faith looking
11:43	at is your faith looking at your
11:45	sanctification and your moral progress
11:47	is your faith looking at your good works
11:50	is your faith looking at your faith
11:53	I have great faith look at my faith I
11:55	can do great things with my faith that’s
11:57	called faith and Faith that’s kind of
11:59	silly stuff but if your faith is in
12:02	Christ even though it seems minuscule
12:05	small and microscopic it isn’t and the
12:08	reason for this is quite simple because
12:10	even tiny microscopic Mustard Seed Faith
12:14	has its eyes on the king of kings and
12:18	Lord of lords
12:19	the object of our faith is ginormous
12:22	greater than the universe itself so
12:25	Jesus says if you had Faith Like a grain
12:28	of mustard seed you could say to this
12:30	mulberry tree be uprooted and planted in
12:32	the sea and it would obey you so the
12:35	idea here is is that the hiddenness of
12:37	the kingdom of God in the preaching and
12:39	teaching of the disciples and those who
12:41	have become the leaders through their
12:43	healing their forgiving they may feel
12:46	as if they do not have enough Faith
12:49	that’s what they may be tempted to feel
12:51	like and Jesus telling them to do all
12:52	this forgiving kind of made them feel
12:54	like their faith is really small who can
12:56	pull this off but like a mustard seed
12:59	the smallness of their faith in Christ
13:01	conceals Christ’s great power and
13:04	through them Christ produces great
13:07	wonders for the kingdom not them Christ
13:10	does it he does it through them even
13:13	through their microscopic
13:15	faith and then Jesus
13:18	kind of drops the bomb Oh and by the way
13:20	boys
13:22	let’s talk about how this leadership
13:24	thing works in my church and I’m going
13:28	to give you a little bit of a contrast
13:29	we have a problem today in
13:30	evangelicalism and that is is that there
13:33	are many pastors who think that being a
13:36	pastor is all about ruling and reigning
13:39	and being in charge and in control and
13:42	being the man at the top Pastor is
13:44	somewhere well akin to president of the
13:47	United States just a little bit smaller
13:49	they create little kingdoms for
13:51	themselves and so everybody points out
13:53	how amazing and wonderful that man is
13:58	and not for Jesus’s teachers not for his
14:01	pastors not for his Apostles so here’s
14:04	how Jesus wants his pastors preachers
14:07	teachers and even his Christians to
14:08	think about themselves ready will any
14:11	one of you having a servant servants a
14:13	little weak let’s Crank that up a little
14:15	bit slave if any one of you has a slave
14:18	plowing or keeping sheep and say to him
14:22	when he has come in from the field come
14:24	at once recline at the table oh it looks
14:26	like it’s been a hard day outside oh it
14:28	was really hot would you like some
14:30	lemonade here let me serve you the owner
14:32	of a slave doesn’t talk this way so
14:34	instead
14:36	will he not rather say to his slave
14:38	prepare supper for me dress properly
14:40	take a shower you stink
14:43	serve me while I eat and drink that’s
14:45	what he’s going to say
14:47	and afterwards then you can eat and
14:51	drink and then when that slave has done
14:53	everything he can does he thank the
14:56	servant because he did what he was
14:57	commanded
14:59	nope
15:01	not at all so you also when you have
15:06	done all that you were commanded all
15:09	that preaching all that forgiving all
15:11	that rebuking all that helping and
15:14	serving and watching and guarding your
15:16	doctor not putting any stumbling blocks
15:18	in any ways after you’ve done all of
15:20	that you are to say
15:23	you are to say
15:25	we are unworthy servants
15:28	because we’ve only done what was our
15:30	duty
15:33	that’s how Jesus’s pastors teachers and
15:38	preachers are to conduct themselves and
15:40	even view their Ministry they are not to
15:42	say oh Lord look how amazing I am wasn’t
15:46	that Sermon Just a hit everyone seemed
15:49	to love it oh we’re really growing here
15:52	oh things are going swimmingly I am so
15:55	amazing I must be experiencing the favor
15:57	of God
15:58	no
16:00	instead
16:02	when it’s all said and done
16:04	when all the sermons are preached when
16:06	all the Catechism classes are taught
16:09	when all the doctrine is carefully
16:11	checked when all the sins are forgiven
16:14	when all the prayers are prayed
16:16	Christ’s teachers say
16:19	I’m just an unworthy servant
16:22	because all I’ve done
16:24	is what it is I’ve been commanded to do
16:28	and any Pastor who acts other than this
16:33	is really in danger
16:35	because he’s made himself an idol
16:39	and that’s a problem
16:41	now I would point you to our epistle
16:43	text and in our epistle text we see that
16:47	the Apostle Paul though he wasn’t
16:49	present when Jesus was teaching his
16:51	Apostles and his disciples this
16:53	important lesson about how he wants
16:56	leadership to be done in his church
16:59	the Apostle Paul
17:01	through the work of the Holy Spirit
17:03	Bears this fruit and his ministry
17:06	exemplifies this exact way of doing
17:09	Ministry
17:10	notice that Paul doesn’t start off and
17:12	say Paul King ruler of the Universe I am
17:16	the dude that Jesus met on the road to
17:19	Damascus you must bow before me and obey
17:21	me he’s writing to a young Pastor
17:23	instead he says to him Paul an apostle
17:26	of Christ by the will of God
17:28	according to the promise of the life
17:30	that is in Christ Jesus
17:32	see even his apostleship he realizes is
17:35	not as a result of his great works or
17:37	even anything that he’s done his
17:39	apostleship is by the will of God God
17:41	willed this that’s why I’m an apostle
17:43	and it’s according to the promise of
17:45	life that is in Christ Jesus to Timothy
17:49	my beloved child
17:51	and see you’ll notice here
17:54	that pastors and teachers who are like
17:56	Christ
17:58	they see the ones that they are
18:01	instructing and building up in the faith
18:03	as Jesus’s little ones as little
18:05	children
18:07	and their love for them is according to
18:09	that he says to him grace mercy peace
18:12	from God the father in Christ Jesus our
18:14	lord I thank God whom I serve as did my
18:18	ancestors with a clear conscience as I
18:20	remember you constantly in my prayers
18:23	night and day and so you’ll notice here
18:27	the Apostle Paul isn’t saying you know
18:29	I’m an apostle you better be praying for
18:30	me
18:31	instead he says you are my child in the
18:34	faith and I labor in prayer for you
18:37	night and day
18:39	servant
18:41	as I remember your tears I longed to see
18:43	you so that I may be filled with joy I’m
18:46	reminded of your sincere faith of faith
18:48	that dwelt first in your grandmother
18:49	Lois and your mother Eunice and now I’m
18:51	sure dwells in you as well for this
18:54	reason I remind you fan into Flame the
18:57	gift of God which is in you through the
19:00	laying on of my hands for God gave us a
19:02	spirit not a fear of power and love and
19:06	self-control in other words God gave a
19:08	gift
19:09	to Young Pastor Timothy when he was
19:12	ordained and laying on of hands
19:15	and then he says this
19:17	therefore
19:19	do not be ashamed of the testimony about
19:23	our Lord you see
19:27	the testimony of Christ
19:29	the news that God became man born of the
19:32	Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius
19:34	Pilate was crucified died and was buried
19:37	as a stumbling block to the people in
19:38	the world and people who think the way
19:40	the world thinks
19:43	but remember I said Christ is the
19:45	stumbling block that causes men to
19:46	stumble
19:47	and so he says don’t be ashamed about
19:50	the testimony of our Lord and there’s a
19:52	lot of Shame there if you’re thinking in
19:54	a worldly way
19:55	nor be ashamed of me his prisoner the
19:58	Apostle Paul
19:59	chosen by God
20:01	a prisoner instead he says share now in
20:05	the suffering for the gospel by the
20:07	power of God
20:09	young Pastor Timothy take up your cross
20:11	follow me share in the sufferings for
20:15	the gospel that I have suffered we are
20:18	not princes and kings to rule and Reign
20:21	and build kingdoms here on Earth
20:23	we are called to proclaim the offense of
20:26	Christ and him crucified for our sins
20:28	and share in suffering for the gospel by
20:31	the power of God and even that suffering
20:33	is they were able to endure it because
20:35	God has given us the power to do so and
20:38	God saved us called us by to a holy
20:40	calling not because of our works over
20:43	and again Paul keeps pointing that out
20:45	God called us to these things not
20:47	because we were so amazing not because
20:49	we were holy and righteous and doing
20:50	good works but because of his own
20:52	purpose and his grace which he has given
20:54	to us in Christ Jesus before the ages
20:56	began and now has been manifested
20:59	through the appearing of our savior
21:01	Christ Jesus who abolished death brought
21:04	life and immortality to light through
21:06	the gospel for which I was appointed a
21:08	preacher and an apostle and a teacher
21:10	which is why I suffer as I do but I am
21:14	not ashamed
21:15	for I know whom I have believed and I am
21:18	convinced that he is able to guard until
21:22	that day what has been entrusted to me
21:27	indeed Christ is
21:29	and that’s the point his faith the
21:32	object of his faith is Christ and even
21:34	if Paul had faith of a mustard seed all
21:37	of the amazing things that God did
21:39	through him was because Christ is so
21:42	amazing and so powerful and he is the
21:45	one that Paul knows is able
21:48	able to guard until that day what has
21:50	been entrusted to me
21:52	is faith salvation
21:55	in fact he knows he’s in good hands with
21:57	Jesus and so are you
22:00	and so he says follow the pattern of the
22:02	sound words that you have heard from me
22:05	that’s right the Apostle Paul never laid
22:07	any stumbling blocks in his preaching
22:09	and teaching
22:11	that would get in the way of people
22:12	seeing Christ and trusting in them and
22:14	believing in them him for the
22:16	Forgiveness of their sins and life and
22:18	salvation so follow the pattern of sound
22:21	words sound Doctrine you’ll notice over
22:23	and again the scriptures make a big deal
22:25	about sound words sound Doctrine healthy
22:27	teaching
22:28	the reason for this is simple is false
22:31	teaching creates stumbling blocks false
22:33	teaching obscures Christ false teaching
22:35	leads to apostasy an apostasy causes
22:38	your faith to be Shipwrecked
22:40	so continue to follow the pattern of
22:42	sound words that you have heard from me
22:43	in the faith and love that are in Christ
22:46	Jesus by the Holy Spirit who dwells
22:48	within us guard the good deposit
22:51	entrusted to you and you notice even the
22:54	guarding of the good deposit is through
22:56	and by the Holy Spirit
22:59	Paul over and again is confessing I am
23:02	not able to do these things but God does
23:06	them in me and through me
23:09	for his glory and his salvation apart
23:11	from Christ I can do nothing and that’s
23:14	what he’s confessing
23:15	so brothers and sisters
23:18	do not be ashamed
23:19	do not be ashamed of Christ
23:22	I know that he was crucified outside the
23:25	city Gates of Jerusalem
23:27	Stark naked bleeding dying scourged
23:30	dying a criminal’s death
23:33	but that death he died he died for you
23:35	and he rose again for you so don’t be
23:37	ashamed
23:38	so when people your brothers or sisters
23:41	sin rebuke them
23:43	when they repent forgive them
23:46	if they sin against you seven times in a
23:48	day which seems quite exorbitant
23:50	and they repent forgive them
23:53	and trust that Christ has given you the
23:55	faith to do this
23:57	even if it’s as small as a mustard seed
24:00	because mustards Seed Faith looks to the
24:02	great Christ who was crucified died and
24:05	was buried and don’t look to your good
24:06	works and sit there and say I’m so
24:09	amazing because I’m able to do all these
24:11	things instead after you’ve done all
24:13	that you have been commanded say of
24:15	yourself I am still an unworthy servant
24:17	because all I’ve done
24:19	is what I’ve been commanded to do
24:21	but Christ is conquered he is risen
24:24	he has forgiven he has raised you from
24:26	the dead and he is working in you right
24:28	now so come join us all as we suffer for
24:33	this good news and the gospel and do
24:35	that suffering by the power and work of
24:37	the holy spirit because he is able to
24:40	guard until that day
24:42	that which has been entrusted to us and
24:44	the good deposit that has been given to
24:46	us guarantees our inheritance in the
24:49	Kingdom of Light when Jesus returns in
24:51	glory again to judge the living and the
24:53	dead trust in him look to that day today
24:56	we service slaves
24:58	when Christ comes We Rule and Reign and
25:02	we will rule and reign
25:04	in the same love Mercy Grace that he
25:08	rules and Reigns now all to his glory in
25:11	the name of Jesus Amen

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