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Series A – Fifth Wednesday in Lent – Wednesday, March 29, 2017 | 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	our reading tonight is taken from the
0:33	epistle to the Ephesians chapter 1
0:35	verses 3 through 14 and it reads thus
0:40	blessed be the God and father of our
0:43	Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in
0:46	Christ with every spiritual blessing in
0:48	the Heavenly places even as he chose us
0:51	in him before the foundation of the
0:52	world that we should be holy and
0:55	blameless before him in love he
0:57	predestined us for adoption as Sons
1:00	through Jesus Christ according to the
1:03	purpose of his will to the praise of his
1:05	glorious Grace with which he has blessed
1:08	us in the Beloved in him we have
1:10	Redemption through his blood the
1:12	Forgiveness of our trespasses according
1:14	to the riches of his grace which he
1:16	lavished Upon Us in all wisdom and
1:19	insight making known to us the mystery
1:22	of his will according to his purpose
1:24	which he set forth in Christ as a plan
1:28	for the fullness of time to unite all
1:31	things in him things in heaven and
1:33	things on earth in him we have obtained
1:37	an inheritance having been predestined
1:40	according to the purpose of him who
1:42	works all things according to the
1:44	counsel of his will so that we who were
1:47	first to Hope in Christ might be to the
1:50	praise of his glory in him you also when
1:53	you heard the word of Truth The Gospel
1:55	of your salvation and believe in him you
1:58	were sealed with the promised Holy
1:59	Spirit who is the guarantee of our
2:02	inheritance until we acquire possession
2:04	of it to the praise of his glory
2:07	in the name of Jesus
2:10	hear the words of Our Lord from
2:11	Revelation chapter 21 verse 6. I am the
2:15	Alpha and the Omega the beginning and
2:17	the end
2:18	now you’re thinking well okay well Jesus
2:20	is kind of the book end of History if
2:22	you would he’s the beginning he’s the
2:23	end he’s the alpha the Omega Alphas the
2:25	very beginning letter of the Greek
2:27	alphabet it is an Omega is the last
2:30	letter of the Greek alphabet Jesus is
2:33	the A and Z if you would and how is that
2:36	helpful to us you’re thinking well I
2:38	mean okay Jesus is like at the beginning
2:40	he’s there at the end what’s the big
2:42	deal well the big deal is that each and
2:45	every one of us has well a not so great
2:49	beginning and if you think about it we
2:52	kind of work with this idea you know
2:54	things have always been the same from
2:56	the time of our fathers within their
2:58	fathers and their fathers and their
3:00	fathers and so human history seems to us
3:03	from our experience this unbroken chain
3:06	of misery this unbroken chain of
3:09	children being born of difficulty paying
3:13	the bills putting food on the table of
3:15	kids growing up getting earaches
3:17	vomiting on the car carpet before there
3:19	was carpet there was dirt that might
3:20	have been easier to clean now that I
3:22	think about it and then there’s sickness
3:25	and disease and fevers and death
3:29	and the whole cycle just keeps
3:32	continuing sometimes I wonder how any of
3:34	us make it out of childhood after having
3:37	raised three kids myself and so for us
3:41	our beginnings and you think of our
3:44	earliest memories we have no memory
3:49	of a sinless good creation
3:53	we only have a memory of what is evil
3:58	and the consequences of our sin
4:00	and we long for and desire for something
4:04	different we hope for something
4:06	different all of our movies all of our
4:09	stories seem to have the one thing in
4:12	common and they lived happily ever after
4:16	I’d like to see that
4:19	I’d kind of like to experience it how
4:21	come I haven’t lived happily ever after
4:26	hmm and so
4:29	we hear in our sermon hymn are only him
4:33	today fastbound in Satan’s chains I lay
4:36	death brooded Darkly over me
4:38	sin was my torment night and day in sin
4:41	my mother bore me
4:43	but daily deeper still I fell my life
4:47	became a living hell so firmly sin
4:49	possessed me
4:50	and so when we hear that Jesus is the
4:53	beginning and the end he’s the Alpha and
4:57	the Omega in our experience our
5:01	beginnings are anchored still in this
5:05	creation after the fall as a result of
5:09	the curse and so the idea that Jesus is
5:12	the alpha in the Omega has a bigger
5:14	implication for us as Christians because
5:17	it hearkens back to the Garden of Eden
5:20	it Harkens back to before our fall it
5:22	hearkens back to when God created
5:24	everything and said it is very good it
5:28	Harkens back to the day when we were
5:31	created in God’s image and we perfectly
5:34	reflected that image
5:37	and there’s this wonderful prayer in the
5:39	old liturgies as it was in the beginning
5:43	is now
5:45	and will be forever
5:47	amen
5:50	that’s an interesting prayer and every
5:52	time I hear it it helps me understand
5:55	that our hope is anchored in a beginning
5:58	that I have no memory of
6:01	and I wouldn’t know nothing about if it
6:03	were not for the fact that God’s word so
6:06	clearly teaches it and for the person
6:09	who thinks that Genesis is nothing but a
6:12	mythological story or well the beginning
6:15	of Genesis can’t possibly be true
6:17	because I mean after all we all know
6:19	that we came from apes
6:21	you kind of missed the point
6:23	that beginning is so important because
6:25	it gives us a frame of a place to Anchor
6:29	our hope so that when we see that Jesus
6:31	is coming
6:33	for us who are in Christ we are not
6:35	looking forward to Terror and judgment
6:37	instead we are looking forward
6:40	to being reunited with God face to face
6:44	to see the one whom we have faith in and
6:48	for the beginning of a new creation a
6:50	new heavens and a new Earth alpha and
6:53	omega beginning and end is important
6:55	because it doesn’t go back to my
6:57	beginning it goes back to the beginning
6:59	of the Earth
7:00	and so we read again just for our memory
7:03	to remind us the opening verses of the
7:06	Gospel of John in the beginning was the
7:09	word
7:10	the word was with God
7:12	the Word was God he was in the beginning
7:14	with God and all things were made
7:17	through him and without him was not
7:19	anything made that was made and in him
7:20	was life
7:22	and the life was the light of men
7:26	life
7:28	in the beginning
7:32	and yet our world is so filled with
7:34	death Decay disease suffering
7:39	and so when you
7:41	say these words you almost say them in
7:46	defiance to say them almost with a
7:48	whisper
7:49	so that you don’t lose the implication
7:52	of the depth and magnitude that in
7:55	Jesus’s life
7:58	in him is life and it’s better than that
8:01	so we’re going to hear on Sunday he is
8:04	the life
8:06	but we’ll get there on Sunday so we
8:09	return to our epistle text
8:11	we return to our epistle text and we’re
8:14	going to see if we can unpack something
8:16	here as it relates to beginning and end
8:20	and this is where you have to understand
8:25	that time and space
8:28	where we live has a beginning
8:32	God does not
8:33	God created time and space he is outside
8:39	of time and space he transcends time and
8:43	space he is in eternity how does that
8:46	work
8:47	I have no idea when people start talking
8:50	in this way my brain starts to get in a
8:52	cramp like have you ever been on a walk
8:54	and you haven’t walked in a while all of
8:56	a sudden your ankles seizes up and you
8:58	get a charlie horse my brain does that
9:00	when we start to comprehend this concept
9:03	of Eternity I have no other way to think
9:06	of it as to think except for this way
9:08	and it’s a little bit of a metaphor so
9:11	excuse it but he all seen Pringles cans
9:15	worst chips potato chips known to
9:17	mankind and the reason why is because
9:19	once you eat one you end up eating the
9:21	whole can it’s terrible I’ve never done
9:23	that though
9:25	all right maybe a few times okay
9:28	so if you think of the creation as like
9:30	a Pringles can it has a beginning it has
9:33	an end that’s the creation Now outside
9:38	of it there is no time there’s only time
9:41	inside the Pringles can outside of the
9:43	Pringles can it’s Timeless there is no
9:46	minutes seconds whatever it’s totally
9:49	different it’s a completely different
9:51	way of experiencing whatever it is that
9:54	you experience in eternity God dwells
9:57	there and so for God who creates
10:00	everything he literally outside of time
10:02	is capable of looking down the Pringles
10:04	can of looking at it cutting it up and
10:07	looking at a particular point and the
10:10	the insides of it at a particular spot
10:12	you have to kind of think of the
10:13	creation as this way it’ll help us a
10:16	little bit because then we talk about
10:17	beginning and end we understand that the
10:20	end is just the beginning
10:22	of the new creation what I’m getting
10:24	ahead of myself
10:26	so our official text says this
10:29	blessed be the God and father of our
10:33	Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in
10:37	Christ with every spiritual blessing in
10:41	the Heavenly places
10:42	in eternity think of it that way even as
10:46	he chose us in him before the foundation
10:48	of the world that we should be holy and
10:52	blameless before him
10:55	wow what is that saying well before
10:59	there was ever time
11:02	and before doesn’t seem to make sense in
11:05	the concept of Eternity because before
11:07	means that things kind of can’t succeed
11:10	each other you do this and that and this
11:12	and that but somehow in here we’ve got
11:14	to understand this that in the before
11:17	that is eternity before the foundations
11:19	of the very Universe were laid the world
11:23	itself the cosmos that we were chosen
11:27	predestined in him
11:30	that we should be holy and blameless
11:33	before him
11:36	these are words of comfort and they’re
11:39	quite radical now we’re touching on the
11:42	concept of predestination and if anyone
11:45	tells you they know how this works
11:47	they’re not really telling you the truth
11:48	nobody knows how this works in love
11:52	important words in love God predestined
11:56	us for adoption as Sons through Jesus
12:00	Christ according to the purpose of his
12:03	will to the praise of his glorious name
12:06	with which he has blessed us in the
12:09	Beloved
12:12	how do you unpack such a sentence I
12:16	don’t even begin to know how to do it
12:19	except for I would just point out the
12:21	fact that look at our relationship now
12:23	to God because before the foundation of
12:26	the world was laid he chose us in him to
12:29	be holy and blameless before him and he
12:32	has done this all because of his great
12:34	love for us and in his great love for us
12:37	he has predestined us for adoption as
12:41	Sons through Jesus Christ
12:44	have any of you ever had that profound
12:46	feeling
12:47	that somehow you were an orphan in the
12:51	universe
12:53	and I want you to think about that we
12:55	all have parents you know we can look to
12:57	our parents I know my mom I know my dad
13:00	you know your mom you know your dad but
13:02	still there’s those times in your life
13:05	when you feel profoundly like you are
13:08	utterly isolated and on your own
13:12	it’s akin to that feeling of the child
13:15	who is in The Orphanage who every time
13:18	somebody comes to adopt a child they put
13:22	their best clothes on comb their hair
13:24	put on a smile and somebody else gets
13:27	picked
13:29	but see that’s not us
13:32	before the foundations of the Earth the
13:36	world before there was day or night or
13:40	vegetation or cattle or creepy crawly
13:44	things yes those were created good in
13:47	the beginning too I can’t wait to get
13:49	back to good creepy crawly things
13:50	because the current version of them have
13:52	really creepy and I don’t like seeing
13:54	them crawling in my home
13:56	but all of those things were good and
13:59	before the foundation of the world
14:00	before there was a beginning before
14:03	there was a second ticking on a clock
14:06	God chose us in his great love to be
14:09	adopted in other words God knew exactly
14:12	what was going to happen
14:15	and in his love for us he said not you
14:19	you will not be fatherless I will be
14:22	your father
14:23	and although you begin in sin and under
14:26	the Dominion of the devil I will free
14:29	you
14:30	and I will adopt you and you will be my
14:34	son and you will be my daughter and you
14:37	will
14:38	literally be treated not as one who has
14:42	come from outside of our family but you
14:44	will be considered my own flesh and
14:47	blood with all of the Privileges that go
14:49	with that
14:50	and this is God talking to us
14:54	and you think what on Earth have I won
14:57	the lottery somebody please pinch me
15:00	this sounds too good to be true
15:04	and it isn’t it is true
15:07	and all of this he has done to the
15:09	praise of his glorious Grace with which
15:11	he has blessed us in the Beloved in him
15:14	we have Redemption through his blood
15:17	that’s a slave term we have the
15:20	Forgiveness of our trespasses this is a
15:23	pardon term of the courts according to
15:26	the riches of his grace enriches I don’t
15:29	even think that begins to cover it this
15:32	this kind of richness makes Trump look
15:36	like a pauper
15:38	in which he lavished on us
15:44	these words do not speak of a stingy
15:48	greedy
15:50	miserly God
15:53	these words speak of a God who is rich
15:57	in love rich in Grace rich in Mercy rich
16:01	in forgiveness and he lavishes all of
16:06	that Upon Us in other words if you think
16:11	that you can outstrip God’s grace and
16:14	mercy and forgiveness I beg to differ I
16:18	don’t even think we’ve begun to make a
16:20	dent in his bank account
16:22	with all of our sins and all of this
16:25	he’s lavished on us which speaks of his
16:28	great love for us because those whom we
16:32	love we lavish with our love
16:36	and with our treasure and our time
16:39	all of this in wisdom and insight he is
16:42	made known to us the mystery of his will
16:44	according to his purpose which he set
16:46	forth in Christ as a plan for the
16:49	fullness of time to unite all things in
16:53	him things in heaven and things on earth
16:56	and so in the midst of this wonderful
16:58	beginning of this epistle we see
17:01	reference to even before the foundations
17:03	of the Earth are laid and in the same
17:06	breath we now are hearing hints and
17:09	Whispers at the very end of time itself
17:14	all of this coming to a head into the
17:16	fullness of time and in him we have
17:20	obtained an inheritance
17:23	what a great concept again
17:28	have you stopped to consider the
17:32	magnitude and the depth of God’s grace
17:34	and mercy and gift that he has given to
17:38	such undeserving Sinners as myself and
17:41	you
17:42	we’ve all heard the stories of the
17:45	person who had the rich Uncle who died
17:47	and spent the rest of their lives
17:49	cruising in the Bahamas
17:51	and yet
17:53	we have this exact inheritance and even
17:57	better in him we have obtained an
17:59	inheritance and we have been predestined
18:02	according to the purpose of him who
18:03	works all things according to the
18:05	Council of his will so that we who were
18:08	the first who hope in Christ might be to
18:10	the praise of his glory and in him you
18:13	also
18:14	when you heard the word of Truth The
18:16	Gospel of your salvation and you
18:19	believed in him you were sealed with the
18:22	promised Holy Spirit who is the
18:24	guarantee of our inheritance until we
18:27	acquire possession of it to the praise
18:30	of his glory
18:32	let me give you a metaphor here remember
18:34	the movie Charlie and the Chocolate
18:36	Factory I’m not talking about the new
18:37	one I’m talking about the old one with
18:40	the golden ticket you think of it this
18:42	way when Charlie finally found that last
18:44	golden ticket
18:46	he held on to that thing
18:48	like
18:49	it was worth the whole world
18:52	and that was the deposit the guarantee
18:56	that he was going to be able to go into
18:58	Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory and see
19:01	all the secrets and the wonders of how
19:04	Wonka chocolates and candies were made
19:07	and that in a sense is a little bit of a
19:09	picture of what it’s like for us as
19:11	Christians you see when we heard the
19:14	good news the gospel that Christ died
19:17	for our sins the Virgin born son of Mary
19:21	Son of God goes to Calvary and all of
19:26	our sins are placed upon him and he
19:28	bleeds and dies for our sins and he
19:30	raises again bodily on the third day for
19:33	our justification when we heard this
19:36	word and through the working of the
19:39	spirit and the word were brought to
19:40	penitent faith in Christ and we receive
19:44	the Holy Spirit which is the seal and
19:47	guarantee of our inheritance see it’s
19:49	the Holy Spirit himself who is our
19:52	golden ticket
19:54	and so when the spirit is inside of you
19:57	working and convicting you of your sin
19:59	and your unbelief and pointing you to
20:01	Christ
20:03	there again is your golden ticket
20:05	guaranteeing you of your inheritance
20:07	until that day when we acquire
20:10	possession of it to the praise of his
20:13	glory
20:15	and see here in Ephesians if you weren’t
20:17	looking for it you now will always see
20:19	it in these two brief paragraphs in
20:24	these few verses we see Jesus beginning
20:28	and end Alpha and Omega we see hints of
20:33	the beginning of time even before time
20:35	existed there was Christ and now we see
20:39	glimpses of the great hope that we have
20:42	because of the great love and mercy and
20:45	Grace that he has lavished on us and all
20:49	of this makes it sound like we are the
20:51	wealthiest people in the whole world
20:55	brothers and sisters
20:58	we are
21:01	there are no people on this planet more
21:05	blessed than those who are in Christ
21:10	who have his spirit
21:12	who’ve been brought to penitent faith
21:14	and have the great hope
21:16	of what is to come
21:18	the end that will restore the beginning
21:23	we get glimpses of it slight picture in
21:26	Revelation 21.
21:28	verse 1.
21:30	then I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth
21:33	for the first Heaven and the first Earth
21:35	had passed away
21:38	and the sea was no more
21:40	I saw the holy city the New Jerusalem
21:42	coming down out of Heaven from God
21:44	prepared as a bride adorned for her
21:48	husband
21:51	I cry every time I see the bride coming
21:53	at a wedding
21:58	I seriously doubt
22:00	I’m Gonna Keep from weeping When I See
22:03	This bride coming
22:06	I heard a loud voice from the throne
22:09	saying Behold The Dwelling Place of God
22:13	is with man
22:15	he will dwell with them and they will be
22:19	his people God himself will be with them
22:21	as their God that’s how it was in the
22:25	beginning
22:27	remember Adam had a face-to-face
22:30	relationship with God God walked with
22:33	them in the cool of the garden in the
22:35	day no more the hidden face of God but
22:39	we see God face to face and he will be
22:42	their God
22:44	they will be his people and he himself
22:47	will be with them as their God he will
22:49	wipe away every tear from their eyes
22:52	what a tender picture of God this is the
22:55	picture of God as a loving father
22:59	who’s there and attentive meeting every
23:02	need and if you should ever find
23:04	yourself in this new creation having one
23:07	of those moments when you need a good
23:09	cry you will never be alone
23:12	God himself will be there with you with
23:15	the Kleenex
23:16	what a picture
23:18	death will be no more
23:25	can’t wait
23:28	there’s so many people that have been
23:30	torn away from me
23:32	and from you by Death
23:35	and death is no friend
23:37	death is an enemy
23:40	and he will be no more
23:42	neither will there be mourning or crying
23:44	or pain anymore for the former things
23:48	have passed away there will be no more
23:52	sciatic nerves aggravated in your back
23:55	there will be no more limping there will
23:57	be no broken hips there will be no
24:00	broken bones or car wrecks or any of the
24:03	things like that
24:04	there will be no emotional scars from
24:07	battles
24:08	long ago fought
24:11	and he was Seated on the throne said
24:13	behold
24:15	I am making all things new
24:21	as it was in the beginning
24:23	is now
24:24	and will be forever
24:26	he’s making all things new and so he
24:29	said write this down for these words are
24:32	trustworthy and true he said to me it is
24:36	done
24:37	it is finished I am the Alpha and the
24:41	Omega the beginning
24:43	and the end
24:45	to the Thirsty I will say I will give
24:47	from the spring of the Water of Life
24:49	without payment
24:52	the one who conquers will have this
24:54	Heritage and I will be his God and he
24:57	will be my son
25:01	but lest you think that the grace of God
25:05	is a licensed sin we have this very
25:09	Stern warning
25:10	as for the Cowardly
25:12	the faith lasts
25:14	there’s a test of them
25:17	the murderers the sexually immoral the
25:19	sorcerers the idolaters and the liars
25:22	their portion will be in the lake that
25:24	burns with fire and sulfur
25:27	which is the second death
25:30	there is no life
25:32	apart from Christ
25:35	and the gospel is not a license for us
25:37	to pursue sexual immorality and idolatry
25:40	and lying
25:41	and all of that nonsense
25:44	that is foolishness those are the ways
25:47	of Darkness those are the things that we
25:48	have been set free from because we have
25:50	been set free from the Dominion of
25:52	Darkness
25:53	and as for the Cowardly notice that it
25:55	tops the list
25:57	cowardly in what way the guy who runs
26:00	from Battle
26:02	or the one
26:04	who fears men rather than God
26:08	and tells nobody about Jesus
26:11	I think that’s what’s meant there
26:15	skipping ahead just a little bit verse
26:17	22
26:20	I saw no temple in the city
26:22	for its Temple
26:24	is the Lord God the almighty and the
26:28	lamb
26:29	the city has no need of sun or moon to
26:32	shine on it
26:34	for the glory of God gives it light
26:36	and it’s lamp
26:38	is the Lamb
26:41	sometimes think
26:43	that maybe the glory of God is something
26:47	kin to the Northern Lights
26:50	beautiful and mysterious
26:53	by its light will the Nations walk the
26:56	kings of the earth will bring their
26:58	Glory into it and its Gates will never
27:01	be shut by day there will be no night
27:03	there
27:04	they will bring into it the glory and
27:07	the honor of the Nations nothing unclean
27:11	will ever enter it or anyone who does
27:14	what is detestable
27:16	or false but only those who are written
27:19	in the Lamb’s Book of Life
27:22	and if you’re thinking well pastor
27:24	rosebro sounds to me like I’m not
27:27	qualified to be there
27:30	you’re not
27:32	and I’m not
27:34	but Christ has qualified you
27:36	Christ is bled and died for you
27:39	he is the one who has made you holy in
27:41	his sight and as the Apostle Paul
27:43	reminds all of us
27:45	as were some of you some of you were
27:49	cowardly faithless detestable murderers
27:51	sexually immoral idolaters and Liars but
27:54	you are washed
27:56	you are forgiven you are united with
27:58	Christ you have been adopted
28:01	you have heard the words that your name
28:04	is written on the will
28:06	and now we are right we await Our Savior
28:09	to return from heaven and to bring with
28:13	it with him
28:15	the new Earth
28:16	the New Jerusalem
28:18	so that as it was in the beginning a
28:21	beginning that we do not remember
28:24	the beginning that we do not comprehend
28:26	a beginning that we can only dream of
28:31	a beginning that we know exists because
28:33	scripture tells us it was so
28:36	but as it was in the beginning
28:39	is now
28:41	and will be forever
28:43	in the name of Jesus Amen
28:46	[Music]

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