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Series B – Third Wednesday in Lent – Wednesday, March 4, 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 According
0:30	to Saint John chapter 1. verses 1-17
0:36	in the beginning was the word
0:39	the word was with God
0:41	and the Word was God he was with God in
0:44	the beginning through him all things
0:47	were made without him nothing was made
0:49	that has been made in him was life and
0:53	that life was the light of men the light
0:56	shines in the darkness but the darkness
0:58	has not understood it
0:59	there came a man who was sent from John
1:02	or from God his name was John he came as
1:04	a witness to testify concerning that
1:06	light so that through him all men might
1:09	believe he himself was not the light he
1:12	came only as a witness to the light the
1:14	True Light that gives light to every man
1:16	was coming into the world he was in the
1:18	world and though the world was made
1:19	through him the world did not recognize
1:21	him he came to that which was his own
1:23	but his own did not receive him yet to
1:25	all who received him to those who
1:27	believe in his name he gave the right to
1:29	become children of God children born not
1:32	of natural descent nor of a human
1:34	decision nor a husband’s will but born
1:36	of God the word became flesh and made
1:39	his dwelling among us we have seen his
1:42	glory the glory of the one and only who
1:43	came from the father full of grace and
1:45	truth
1:46	John testifies concerning him he cries
1:49	out saying this was he of whom I said he
1:51	who comes after me he has surpassed me
1:53	because he was before me from the
1:55	fullness of his grace we have received
1:57	one blessing after another for the law
1:59	was given through Moses Grace and Truth
2:03	came through Jesus Christ
2:05	in the name of Jesus
2:09	so our texts this evening Genesis 1 John
2:13	1 and First Timothy in a real way work
2:16	all together if we’re going to be
2:18	talking about
2:19	the well the Apostles Creed
2:22	the Apostles Creed in a very real way
2:27	compresses all of Christian doctrine
2:29	down into something very squished up
2:32	that you can unpack in fact if I wanted
2:34	to preach on the Apostles Creed and
2:36	really try to do it justice it would
2:39	take a lot more than one sermon it would
2:41	take a lot more than one sermon and so
2:43	let me read from the catechism and then
2:45	we’ll take a look at our text and I’ll
2:47	point out a couple of things that
2:48	highlight all of this the catechism
2:50	reads in the first article of the Creed
2:52	I believe in God the Father Almighty
2:55	maker or creator of Heaven and Earth
2:58	creator of Heaven and Earth and so the
3:01	question what is this
3:03	answer I believe that God has created me
3:06	together with all that exists
3:08	God has given me and still preserves My
3:11	Body Soul Eyes Ears all Limbs and senses
3:15	reason all mental faculties although I
3:18	feel like I’m losing some of those
3:20	yeah in addition God daily and
3:23	abundantly provides shoes and clothing
3:25	food and drink house and farm spouse
3:28	children Fields livestock and all
3:31	property along with all the necessities
3:34	and nourishment for this body and life
3:36	now it seems kind of a crazy thing you
3:39	know it’s kind of pausing here in the
3:41	catechism but isn’t that not what we
3:43	read in the Genesis account in the
3:45	beginning God created the heavens and
3:46	the Earth and then it goes on in great
3:48	detail about how God created animals
3:51	plants life or you know food giving
3:55	plants and trees and Little Critters and
3:57	things like that right
3:59	so when we confess in the Creed I
4:02	believe in God the Father Almighty
4:05	creator of Heaven and Earth
4:08	you have to in your mind squish all of
4:11	Genesis that we just read into that
4:14	sentence now the metaphor I’ve used
4:17	before in the past we all remember the
4:18	days when we had to if we wanted to get
4:20	on the internet we had to use a modem
4:22	right you dial up dude and you go
4:27	this horrible sound I mean it sounds
4:29	like something was electronically being
4:31	murdered you know but in those days it
4:34	took forever for files to upload or
4:36	download we were doing this over you
4:37	know a telephone line and in order to
4:40	kind of speed things up they would come
4:41	up with these compressed files remember
4:43	you know they have like stuff it or zip
4:45	it or things like that so you get a zip
4:47	file and you had to unzip it you know or
4:49	you get a stuff it file you had to
4:51	unstuff it well that’s what’s going on
4:53	here in this in this poor in the Creed
4:55	the Creed has got all of this theology
4:57	just squished all into it you know so
4:59	that it can go across the line pretty
5:01	quick so that you can confess it but the
5:03	idea then is is that when you understand
5:05	how all of it hooks in together when you
5:09	say the words of the Creed I believe in
5:11	God the Father the almighty creator of
5:13	Heaven and Earth your mind can
5:16	uncompress that sentence and you can get
5:18	all of that Genesis that we just read
5:20	and he said that’s what it refers to
5:22	that’s why Luther when he says what does
5:24	this mean he’s talking about
5:28	food and House Farm spouse children
5:31	livestock property
5:34	all of the things were created by God so
5:37	when we confess to these Creator we are
5:39	confessing that we receive all of these
5:42	good things from God
5:45	that he made them he sustains us
5:48	everything that we have everything that
5:51	we are is because of him
5:54	right now let me
5:58	before I unpack the rest of this let me
6:01	read again from our epistle text because
6:03	it you know this is where it gets very
6:05	important
6:06	Paul writing under the inspiration of
6:08	the holy spirit says this the spirit
6:09	clearly says in later times some will
6:11	abandon the faith follow deceiving
6:13	spirits and things taught by demons
6:16	such teachings come through hypocritical
6:18	Liars whose consciences have been seared
6:20	as with a hot iron now why did I put
6:24	that in the middle of all of this very
6:25	simple because when you look at what we
6:28	confess here that I believe in God the
6:30	Father Almighty maker of heaven and
6:32	Earth
6:34	there are Christian churches today that
6:36	deny this Doctrine
6:38	or they have to put an asterisk snack to
6:41	it next to it I believe in God the
6:44	Father Almighty yeah maybe maybe mother
6:48	you know God God the unisex ambiguous
6:52	being
6:53	um and I don’t believe that he created
6:56	or she created the heavens and the Earth
6:58	I believe that we are a result of the
7:00	big bang and that you know there was an
7:02	explosion and then there was Evolution
7:04	and now we are all here and our great
7:06	great grandparents were amoebas
7:09	right and they sang this in the church
7:15	that’s not what scripture says and
7:16	that’s not what Jesus taught
7:18	and so when we confess on Sunday
7:21	mornings or we’ll confess this evening
7:23	the words of the Apostles Creed we’re
7:25	confessing that we believe that none of
7:28	this is an accident
7:29	all of this is has its origin in the
7:33	mind and the power of God who spoke all
7:35	of these things into existence you
7:38	included
7:39	you’re not outside of this thing that
7:41	God has created you’re an integral part
7:43	of it in fact he knew you before the
7:46	creation was made and before the
7:48	foundations of the earth were laid he
7:49	knew every one of the good works that
7:52	you would do he prepared in advance for
7:54	you to do he knew all your days he knows
7:56	how many days you have left and you
7:57	don’t even know that and he knows the
7:59	number of hairs you have on your head
8:01	which is kind of a weird number if you
8:03	think about that why would anybody want
8:05	to know this right
8:07	so
8:08	when we confess I believe in God the
8:10	Father Almighty maker of heaven and
8:12	Earth We’re confessing a lot so I’m
8:14	trying to unpack what’s packed into
8:16	there so Luther then says this God
8:19	protects me against all danger and
8:22	Shields and preserves me from all evil
8:24	and all this is done listen to what he
8:28	says out of pure fatherly and divine
8:30	goodness and mercy
8:33	not because of anything you’ve done to
8:35	earn God’s favor you couldn’t
8:37	right for all of this for all of these
8:40	things I owe it to God to thank and
8:44	praise serve and Obey him
8:48	this is most certainly true
8:50	great great stuff now you saw the
8:54	contrast and let me see if I can
8:56	highlight it in Genesis we have the
8:58	account of creation God made all these
9:00	things this is good this is good this is
9:01	good at the end of it very good
9:04	right but when we read in first John
9:09	let me read a sentence for you it starts
9:11	off with in the beginning was the word
9:13	and the Word was with God and the Word
9:15	was God he was with God in the beginning
9:17	the word by the way is Jesus the logos
9:19	he was with God in the beginning the
9:21	beginning he’s referring to here’s the
9:23	beginning of the creation he was there
9:24	already when when the beginning began
9:27	and it says this in him was life and
9:31	that life was the light of men the light
9:33	shines in the darkness but the darkness
9:35	has not understood it
9:39	when you compare the two texts both of
9:41	them referring to Genesis John 1
9:44	literally being the Genesis of the New
9:46	Testament
9:47	but the way it tells the story it kind
9:50	of omits
9:52	Genesis 3 but assumes it because here
9:55	the light that shines in the darkness
9:57	has come and the Darkness is not
9:59	understood it where the darkness come
10:01	from
10:02	the darkness came as a result of our
10:05	Rebellion against God and our fallen to
10:07	sin
10:08	hence the second article of the Creed
10:11	which reads
10:13	and I believe in Jesus Christ his only
10:16	son our Lord who was conceived by the
10:18	Holy Spirit born of the Virgin Mary
10:20	suffered under Pontius Pilate was
10:22	crucified died and was buried he
10:25	descended into hell and on the third day
10:26	he rose again he ascended into heaven
10:28	and is seated at the right hand of God
10:30	the Father Almighty from where he will
10:32	come to judge the living and the dead so
10:34	what does this mean
10:36	it means that I believe that Jesus
10:38	Christ true God begotten of the father
10:41	in eternity and also true man being born
10:44	of the Virgin Mary is my Lord
10:46	and here’s the best part he has redeemed
10:49	me a lost and condemned human being
10:53	that is the good news and it’s right
10:56	there in our Creed so when you confess
10:58	the Creed about all of these things that
11:01	Jesus has done remember that he has done
11:04	them for you
11:06	born of the Virgin Mary suffered under
11:08	Pontius Pilate crucified died and buried
11:10	all of this was for my Redemption and
11:13	yours so he Jesus has redeemed me a lost
11:17	and condemned human being and that’s why
11:20	there’s Darkness
11:21	talked about in John 1 where there was
11:24	no darkness in that sense talked about
11:26	in Genesis
11:28	so he Jesus he’s purchased and he’s
11:31	freed me from all sins from death and
11:34	from the power of the devil and he
11:36	didn’t do this with gold or silver but
11:37	with his holy precious blood
11:40	and with his innocent suffering and
11:42	death
11:43	he has done all of this in order that I
11:47	may belong to him live under him in his
11:51	kingdom and serve him in Eternal
11:53	righteousness innocence and blessedness
11:55	just as he has risen from the dead and
11:58	lives and rules eternally
12:00	this is most certainly true
12:03	Now understand this the person who is
12:07	attacking the creation account in
12:10	Genesis doesn’t really have the creation
12:13	as their target
12:14	think of it as collateral damage if you
12:17	would because the thing they’re really
12:19	going after the thing they really want
12:21	to put the stake into the heart if you
12:24	would
12:25	is the story of Christ fleeting and
12:27	dying for our sins
12:30	if man really isn’t God’s creation and
12:32	Adam really wasn’t a human being and we
12:35	really did come from apes
12:37	well then what was Jesus on the cross
12:40	for
12:42	to die for our sins and to propitiate
12:44	the wrath of God because man had fallen
12:46	into sin under Adam well if there is no
12:48	Adam and there was no creation well then
12:50	that’s just silly mythology and we can
12:52	rework the what Jesus was doing on the
12:55	cross maybe Jesus was showing us how
12:58	evil empire was you know that was his
13:01	way of sticking it to him you know
13:03	sticking it to the Caesar man yeah he
13:05	said he said come with any kind of weird
13:07	concoction you want but when you deny
13:10	the creation that God the father is the
13:12	one who’s created us and that Adam and
13:14	Eve were historical people that’s just
13:17	the first Domino to fall the one you’re
13:19	really after is the one that says that
13:21	Jesus purchased and redeemed you a lost
13:24	and sinful preacher
13:25	the one leads to the other they’re
13:27	intricately linked
13:30	but the good news it’s right there in
13:32	the Creed so when you recite the Creed
13:34	and you get to that part born of the
13:37	Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius
13:38	Pilate crucified died buried say to
13:41	yourself
13:42	for me
13:44	for me
13:46	for me a poor sinful being
13:51	what love God has for us
13:54	and we weren’t purchased with gold
13:57	or any Earthly treasure
14:00	what was something so precious there’s
14:02	no way to put a price tag on it
14:05	the very blood of the innocent spotless
14:08	Lamb of God Jesus Christ
14:11	that’s the price to purchase you and me
14:14	out of Slavery to send death in the
14:17	devil
14:18	it’s a precious and terrible cost to pay
14:20	but Jesus knew what he was doing and he
14:24	wouldn’t be dissuaded from it he came on
14:27	a mission to rescue us and he was
14:29	determined to do so so much so that he
14:33	scorned The Shame of the Cross and he
14:35	did it because he loves you
14:39	and that’s what he wants you to recall
14:42	every time you confess this Creed of the
14:46	amazing love that God has
14:49	for Sinners Like Me and like you
14:54	the article continues the Creed
14:56	continues I believe in the Holy Spirit
14:57	one holy Christian Church oh we
15:01	lutherans have got to get over this
15:03	little side note
15:07	in our Hymnal in fog when we recite the
15:10	Nicene Creed it uses a better word than
15:13	Christian it uses Universal because the
15:16	Creed itself says one Holy Catholic
15:18	church but every time we hear the word
15:21	Catholic we go
15:23	you know right all of a sudden we can
15:26	smell incense and we you know we see
15:28	rosaries and and candles and and people
15:30	praying to Saints and we know okay we
15:35	we’ve so gotta get over this okay let me
15:39	help okay Catholic small C it has a
15:43	meaning prior to the bishop of Rome
15:46	taking power that he never was given by
15:48	Christ has meaning and the meaning is
15:50	universal
15:52	and so here’s the idea back in the day
15:54	okay remember in the ancient world you
15:57	know if you would go from one region to
15:59	another gods were kind of territorial
16:01	think of them like mascots if you would
16:03	for like high school football teams okay
16:06	and so you know when you read in the
16:08	paper that you know the the Tigers beat
16:10	the wolves or something like that right
16:12	so we all know that the Tigers they’re
16:15	they’re over there and the wolves are
16:17	over there I’m not just making mascots
16:19	here but I’m a Dodger fan but we can
16:20	talk about that later but the idea then
16:23	is is that they’re kind of regional
16:24	they’re tied to an area well that’s how
16:26	it was in the ancient world the Egyptian
16:28	gods were kind of tied to the region of
16:30	Egypt the Greco-Roman gods were kind of
16:33	you know Greece Rome in that area and
16:36	then you got all up in phenicia and
16:37	things like that and so then you got ahu
16:39	you know Mazda over in Babylon and you
16:42	know other so the idea was is that you
16:44	cross a river or a border and you’re
16:46	leaving the land of one God and going to
16:48	the land of another God that’s the way
16:50	the ancient world thought so when the
16:54	ancient Christian Church confessed one
16:58	Holy
16:59	Catholic Church they were saying Jesus
17:03	has no borders
17:06	Christ is the god of Jews and Gentiles
17:10	free enslaved rich and poor male and
17:15	female every one of us
17:18	that’s what it’s saying
17:20	but you know of course we Luther things
17:22	we hear Catholic and we go right
17:24	so we need to get over that so I believe
17:27	in one Holy Catholic Church the
17:30	community or the communion of saints the
17:32	Forgiveness of sins the resurrection of
17:35	the body and the life Everlasting ah so
17:40	what does this mean I believe that by my
17:43	own understanding or strength I cannot
17:46	believe in Jesus my Lord or come to him
17:49	and that’s an important thing
17:51	see the work of the holy spirit is the
17:53	one he’s the one who
17:55	redeems us not that in the sense of
17:58	purchasing but he’s the one who
17:59	regenerates us so that we Are Made Alive
18:02	remember scripture says we’re all born
18:03	dead and trespasses and sins and you
18:06	know what dead means
18:07	dead yeah it’s dead in Greek dead in
18:10	Hebrew Dead in Latin it’s just dead okay
18:13	and we don’t expect dead people to do
18:15	anything because dead people are for the
18:17	most part I don’t know if you notice
18:18	this they’re pretty inactive and I know
18:20	there’s a lot of zombie movies and stuff
18:22	like that on television right now but
18:23	that’s never happened okay
18:27	so despite zombies okay dead is actually
18:31	dead dead dead dead like your body’s
18:34	decomposing like there’s nothing left to
18:35	you like dead
18:37	and so when it says we’re born dead and
18:39	trespasses and sins that’s what it means
18:40	and so the Holy Spirit when we hear the
18:43	gospel or we are brought to the font as
18:46	infants and you know we hear the good
18:49	news that Christ died for our sins or
18:52	water in the word I baptize you in the
18:54	name of the father and the Son and the
18:56	Holy Spirit the holy spirit is attached
18:58	to the preaching into the water and the
19:00	Holy Spirit does something to you he
19:02	takes a person who is dead and
19:04	trespasses and sins and he resurrects
19:08	them
19:10	brings them to life he regenerates them
19:12	this is what Titus says we’re not saved
19:15	by works done by us in righteousness but
19:17	by washing of regeneration
19:21	now the word in Titus for regeneration
19:23	okay that word appears only two times in
19:26	New Testament only two times
19:29	and the other time that it appears it’s
19:32	talking about God creating the new Earth
19:36	there will be a time when the earth is
19:38	regenerated why because even the Earth
19:40	itself is going to pass away we’re saved
19:44	through death and resurrection and the
19:47	planet that we’re on right now the
19:49	universe that we’re in this whole thing
19:51	is going to die God’s going to kill it
19:55	and he’s gonna make it alive again
19:57	bring it all back from the dead
20:00	but this time without sin no death
20:02	disease the devil or any of those things
20:05	so when we confess that I believe in the
20:08	Holy Spirit
20:09	you’re saying that I believe that I
20:11	cannot buy my own reason or strength
20:12	believe in Jesus Christ because I was
20:15	dead instead the Holy Spirit he has
20:19	called me that’s you he’s called you
20:22	through the gospel he’s enlightened you
20:24	with his gifts and he’s made you holy
20:27	and he keeps you get this he keeps you
20:31	in the true faith
20:34	so God the Father maker Christ the
20:37	Redeemer the Holy Spirit sustains you in
20:41	the faith
20:42	the one God Father Son and Holy Spirit
20:46	he has it out for you
20:48	but he doesn’t desire you to spend
20:50	eternity in hell look at the lengths
20:52	that he’s gone to save you
20:54	create you redeem you and sustain you
20:58	and so when you’re here tonight or
21:00	you’re here on Sunday or you hear any
21:03	other Sunday we’re here to Feast on
21:06	God’s words
21:08	because they’re not my words they’re
21:11	Gods and the Holy Spirit is working in
21:14	and with those words and our faith
21:16	clings on to them and he strengthens us
21:19	and he preserves us and he’s got us
21:23	he’s going to bring you through the
21:26	valley of the shadow of death
21:28	he’s the one guiding he’s the one
21:31	sustaining he’s the one strengthening
21:34	and all we have to do is be like
21:36	children
21:37	and understand he’s all he’s holding our
21:41	hands we’re not really holding his
21:44	right
21:47	so he’s made us holy
21:50	he keeps us in the true faith and just
21:52	as he calls gathers and in lights and
21:55	makes holy the whole Christian church
21:57	and that’s the fun part
22:00	we’re just a tiny little congregation in
22:03	a very big one
22:05	of all the people on this planet people
22:07	you’ll never meet in this lifetime and
22:09	will have a difficult time getting to
22:11	know even in eternity although you have
22:13	a bazillion years to do it right this
22:16	great multitude that Christ has called
22:18	out of every nation of men Every Nation
22:22	when you look at the book the end of the
22:24	book in Book of Revelation this huge
22:27	multitude that cannot be counted from
22:30	all of the tribes of the Earth
22:32	they’re worshiping the true God and
22:35	singing the Praises of our great God and
22:38	King
22:40	we here tonight
22:42	we are just a tiny little congregation
22:45	in the midst of that great multitude
22:47	whom he’s called and he is sustained and
22:51	he has raised from the dead and he has
22:53	redeemed because he has created them and
22:55	he cares for them and loves them
22:58	we’re just a small part of it so we we
23:01	confess the communion of the Saints
23:03	think of the big multitude before the
23:06	Before the Throne of the Lamb
23:10	so daily
23:11	this Christian Church
23:14	the Holy Spirit abundantly forgives all
23:17	sins mind and those of all believers and
23:21	on the last day the holy spirit will
23:23	raise me and all the dead and will give
23:26	to me and all believers in Christ
23:29	eternal life
23:32	this is most certainly true
23:35	and see that’s the thing Christianity is
23:38	not a religion for the living it’s a
23:39	Christian it’s a religion for the dying
23:44	Luther in the um
23:46	heidelberg’s disputation talks about
23:49	what it’s like to be a theologian of the
23:50	cross a theologian of the Cross calls a
23:53	thing what it is
23:54	Theologian of Glory never does
23:58	right Theologian the cross calls the
24:00	thing what it is
24:01	let’s face it
24:03	I’ve been with you all for almost a year
24:05	and you all look a year older
24:08	you’re all one step away one step closer
24:12	to the pastor of Kong’s Winger presiding
24:14	over your funeral
24:17	it’s true
24:19	and I know that sounds horrible
24:22	see the thing is is that what’s most
24:25	certainly true
24:27	is that on the last day
24:29	the holy spirit’s going to raise you up
24:32	and because you are in Christ and you
24:35	are forgiven and redeemed to purchase
24:37	bloodbot regenerated
24:39	and the Holy Spirit sustains you
24:42	you will not rise to condemnation
24:45	and to hear you will not hear from
24:47	Christ apart from me I never knew you
24:49	and said you are going to hear him say
24:51	Well done good and faithful servant and
24:53	believe me when you hear that you’re
24:54	going to go
24:56	I cannot believe he said that to me
24:59	but see the thing is is that remember
25:01	that sermon I preached a couple weeks
25:03	ago about the bridal dress
25:06	right
25:07	because you’re in Christ you’re clothed
25:09	with his righteousness all of this is a
25:12	gift not because you earned it or
25:13	deserve it no you couldn’t possibly earn
25:16	it or deserve it all of this purely out
25:17	of his love and mercy for you
25:20	and so he closed you he washes you
25:25	he sustains you what a great and amazing
25:28	God we have and for all of this we owe
25:31	him so much
25:33	so much
25:35	but it’s not a debt that we owe in order
25:37	to earn or pay it back but it’s a debt
25:40	of undying gratitude
25:42	that God is so rich in Mercy to Sinners
25:46	as awful as me and you
25:49	in the name of Jesus Amen
25:52	[Music]

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