LutheranLectionary.org

Series B – Tenth Sunday After Pentecost – Sunday, August 2, 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
0:29	According to Saint John chapter 6 verses
0:31	22-35
0:34	the next day the crowd that had stayed
0:37	on the opposite shore of the lake
0:38	realized that only one boat had been
0:41	there and that Jesus had not entered it
0:44	with his disciples but they had gone
0:46	away alone then some boats from Tiberius
0:49	landed near the place where the people
0:51	had eaten the bread after the Lord had
0:53	given thanks once the crowd realized
0:56	that neither Jesus nor his disciples
0:58	were there they got into the boats and
1:00	went to Capernaum in search of Jesus
1:03	when they had found him on the other
1:05	side of the lake they asked him Rabbi
1:07	when did you get here
1:09	Jesus answered I tell you the truth you
1:12	are looking for me not because you saw
1:14	miraculous signs but because you ate the
1:16	Loaves and had your film
1:18	do not work for food that spoils but for
1:21	food that endures to eternal life for
1:24	which the son of man will give you on
1:26	him the father has placed his seal of
1:29	approval
1:30	they then asked him what must we do to
1:33	do the works that God requires Jesus
1:36	answered the work of God is this to
1:39	believe in the one he has sent so they
1:42	asked him what miraculous sign then will
1:44	you give that we may see it and believe
1:46	you what will you do our forefathers ate
1:50	the Manna in the desert as it is written
1:52	he gave them bread from Heaven to eat
1:55	Jesus said to them I tell you the truth
1:57	it is not Moses who has given you bread
2:00	from heaven but it is my father who
2:03	gives you the true bread from heaven
2:05	for the bread of God is he who comes
2:08	down from heaven and gives life to the
2:10	world sir they said from now on give us
2:13	this bread then Jesus declared I am the
2:17	bread of life he who comes to me will
2:19	never go hungry and he who believes in
2:21	me will never be thirsty
2:25	in the name of Jesus
2:29	so we’re going to take a little bit of
2:30	an Excursion if you would you have
2:32	noticed we’ve been working our way
2:33	through the gospel of Mark and now we
2:35	have landed in the Gospel of John
2:37	figuratively speaking so to speak pun
2:39	intended if you would and the idea here
2:42	is that last week we saw Jesus in The
2:45	Miracle of the feeding of the five
2:46	thousand and we used the Gospel of John
2:49	last week to fill in some of the missing
2:50	data that’s in the gospel of Mark and
2:53	found out that well when Jesus
2:55	multiplied those Loaves and Fishes that
2:57	little boy’s lunch that the crowd wanted
3:00	to make Jesus King by force and oh what
3:03	a king he would have been world hunger
3:05	would have been solved with a snap of a
3:07	finger all you have to do is have Jesus
3:09	pray give thanks multiply Loaves and
3:11	Fishes and there ain’t a hungry person
3:12	on the planet
3:14	well that’s not what Jesus came to be he
3:16	did not come to be a bread King he came
3:18	to be a suffering King The King who bled
3:21	and died for our sins and so if you
3:23	remember Jesus sent his disciples away
3:25	gave him a very difficult toil toilsome
3:28	task of rowing Against the Wind on the
3:31	Sea of Galilee in the middle of the
3:32	night which I’m sure they were very
3:34	thrilled to do and of course the text
3:36	says he forced them to do it and then
3:39	Jesus
3:40	you know after they had been long gone
3:43	he starts walking on the water and he
3:46	walks across the Sea of Galilee it was
3:48	about to stroll by except for the
3:49	disciples freaked out thought they had
3:51	seen a ghost and he says those important
3:53	words fear not I am take courage boys
3:57	and so we pick up then the next day the
4:01	next day from that day when Jesus walked
4:03	on on the water it says this on the next
4:05	day the crowd that remained on the other
4:07	side of the sea
4:08	saw that there had been only one boat
4:10	there and that Jesus had not entered the
4:13	boat with his disciples but that his
4:16	disciples had gone away alone other
4:18	boasts from Tiberius came near the place
4:21	where they had eaten the bread after the
4:23	Lord had given thanks so when the crowd
4:25	saw that Jesus was not there nor his
4:28	disciples they themselves got into the
4:30	boats and went to Capernaum seeking
4:33	Jesus so kind of scratching their heads
4:35	going
4:36	there were no other boats here how did
4:38	where where’s Jesus so they go seeking
4:41	for him and when they get to Capernaum
4:43	they find him on the other side of the
4:45	sea and they said to him Rabbi when did
4:48	you come here you can almost reread that
4:50	phrase as how on Earth did you get here
4:52	Jesus there was only one boat
4:55	your disciples were in it and now you’re
4:57	here with them
4:59	what gives well Jesus you’ll notice
5:02	doesn’t exactly answer the question he
5:05	doesn’t say well listen I was walking
5:06	across the Sea of Galilee and you know
5:09	and I strolled on over here you know he
5:11	doesn’t say that
5:13	which I think would have been quite an
5:15	interesting answer for him to give and
5:16	that he is not what he says instead he
5:19	kind of changes the subject deflects a
5:21	little bit if you would and addresses
5:24	the problem of the day before that they
5:26	wanted to make him King by force and he
5:28	says amen amen I say to you you are
5:30	seeking me not because you saw signs but
5:33	because you ate your fill of the loaves
5:36	in other words you’re still stuck on
5:39	this bread King thing
5:41	do not work for food that perishes but
5:43	for the food that endures to eternal
5:46	life which the son of man will give to
5:49	you for on him the son of man God the
5:53	father has set his seal so Jesus changes
5:56	the subject doesn’t answer the question
5:58	about how he got there and then goes
6:00	right back to kind of the core problem
6:02	they are looking for temporal food food
6:06	that well you need more of it every day
6:08	the daily food kind of thing and they
6:10	want Jesus to solve all of their Earthly
6:12	problems but Jesus has not come to solve
6:15	our Earthly Problems by making this
6:17	world bearable tolerable or meeting all
6:19	of our needs in that sense instead his
6:22	solution is death and resurrection and
6:25	so we learn from here that Jesus is the
6:29	bread of life the bread he’s talking
6:31	about is himself which then creates a
6:34	problem John chapter 6 the chapter that
6:37	we’re in is probably one of the most
6:39	controversial passages in all of the
6:42	scripture and so Jesus begins talking in
6:45	ways that well makes a lot of people
6:47	uncomfortable so I’m preparing you for
6:49	that now now so they hear Jesus say that
6:53	work work for the for the food that
6:55	endures to eternal life
6:57	and they’re basically saying sure no
7:00	problem so what are the works
7:02	that God requires us to do it’s the
7:05	question that they ask Jesus and Jesus
7:09	responds this is the work singular
7:12	notice they said what must we do to be
7:15	doing the works of God Jesus says the
7:19	singular work is to believe in the one
7:22	whom he has sent
7:25	to believe in Jesus
7:27	so here Jesus makes it clear
7:30	the bread that inter endures to eternal
7:32	life
7:34	to believe is to do the work to receive
7:37	that bread to believe in Jesus that is
7:40	the gift that is the work that God
7:42	requires to believe
7:44	it doesn’t say go and do these 10 things
7:47	clean up your act make yourself worthy
7:50	he says no the work of God is to believe
7:54	in the one whom he has sent
7:57	so they decide they’re going to
7:59	challenge Jesus a little bit here now
8:01	remember the day before he had done this
8:03	amazing miracle and they realized that
8:06	he was the one who was prophesied by
8:08	Moses
8:09	so they said to him well then what sign
8:11	do you do that we may see and believe
8:13	you what work do you perform
8:17	our fathers ate the Manna in the
8:19	wilderness as it is written he gave them
8:22	bread from Heaven to eat
8:24	so Jesus says to them amen amen I say to
8:28	you it was not Moses who gave you bread
8:31	from heaven but my father gives you the
8:34	true bread from heaven for the bread of
8:37	God is he who comes down from heaven and
8:40	gives life to the world
8:42	and they said to him sir give us this
8:45	bread always you’ll notice their answer
8:47	is similar to the answer given from the
8:50	woman in the in Samaria remember when
8:52	Jesus was passing through Samaria and
8:54	she and he’s at the well and the out
8:56	Comes This Woman In the Heat of the day
8:59	to draw water out of the well and the
9:01	reason for that is simple because
9:03	normally The Whole Town’s women they
9:06	come out in the evening when it’s cooler
9:07	to draw water She Went Out In the Heat
9:09	of the day to avoid you know eye contact
9:12	words with the other women in town and
9:15	we find out the reason for this is quite
9:17	simple well she’s had five husbands and
9:20	the guy she’s shacking up with is in her
9:22	husband so it’s just easier if you just
9:25	not make eye contact and talk with the
9:27	women of town so Jesus he talks to her
9:30	about that Living Water right that
9:32	she’ll never be thirsty again she says
9:34	give me this water always you know
9:35	because she’s thinking if I could get
9:37	this living water stuff that’d be like
9:39	having indoor plumbing I never have to
9:41	come out here right this is what she’s
9:43	thinking and so you’ll notice that
9:45	they’re thinking kind of similarly they
9:47	said give us this bread always and
9:49	they’re thinking
9:51	this is physical bread
9:54	and then Jesus says these words
9:57	I am the bread of life
10:02	now that’s not the answer they expected
10:04	by the way
10:05	they did not expect this and you’ll
10:08	notice at the end of the chapter a
10:10	little bit of a peek if you would in the
10:11	weeks ahead at the end of the chapter
10:13	this results in not Church growth but
10:18	Church shrinkage because after Jesus has
10:21	these little discourses with these
10:23	people saying that I am the bread come
10:25	down to heaven and he says things like
10:27	my flesh is True Food my blood is true
10:30	drink and they’re just going
10:33	ooh and what ends up happening is is
10:36	that lots of people at this point leave
10:39	Jesus to the point where Jesus asks the
10:42	question of his disciples are you two
10:44	going to leave and then we get that
10:46	famous response from Peter he says Lord
10:48	to whom shall we go
10:50	you have the words of eternal life
10:53	so this is part of Jesus’s big church
10:55	shrinkage sermon and this is the one
10:58	that basically says to people if you’re
11:00	here for health wealth food Prosperity
11:04	you know and think that the kingdom of
11:06	God is all about having your Earthly
11:07	needs met and you being fat and
11:10	satisfied well then I’ve got news for
11:12	you you don’t understand what it is that
11:14	God is offering God is truly offering
11:17	bread
11:18	that the bread is Jesus
11:23	you sit there and go
11:25	does that mean what I think it means
11:28	the answer is yeah it does
11:31	and then you sit there and go but how
11:33	and my answer is I don’t know
11:36	Jesus said it
11:38	I don’t know better than him so we just
11:41	trust him remember the work of God is to
11:43	believe right so Jesus says I am the
11:45	bread of life whoever comes to me shall
11:48	not hunger whoever believes in me
11:51	shall never thirst and with these words
11:55	we begin to see something and what we
11:58	begin to see is that in the Old
11:59	Testament that whole Manna From Heaven
12:02	thing you know the Manna From Heaven
12:04	that was all type and Shadow pointing us
12:08	to none other than Jesus himself and
12:11	this is what it teaches us from Exodus
12:14	16 let me read again from Exodus the
12:16	whole Congregation of the people of
12:18	Israel grumbled against Moses and you’ll
12:20	notice in our text the people here are
12:22	kind of grumbling against Jesus there’s
12:24	a little bit of that going on here and
12:26	so they grumbled against Moses and Aaron
12:29	in the wilderness and the people of
12:30	Israel said to them now I’m going to say
12:33	this the way this probably sounded okay
12:35	this next portion of the text I believe
12:38	if we were to have recorded it it would
12:40	have sounded like your children in a you
12:43	know like a family vacation in a car
12:45	going when are we going to get there and
12:47	yeah that kind of thing so here’s how it
12:49	should have sounded
12:51	wood that we had died by the hand of the
12:53	Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by
12:56	Meat pods and ate bread to the full
12:59	and was out of this
13:00	and this was almost
13:02	there
13:05	that’s exactly how this probably sounded
13:07	right and you’re just thinking what on
13:09	Earth are you thinking really meat pots
13:12	eight to the full in Egypt do you
13:14	remember the whole brick thing it’s like
13:16	it’s like you know but this is how our
13:19	sinful nature is
13:21	and so the Lord comes up with a solution
13:23	which is going to point us to none other
13:25	than Jesus himself so Yahweh said to
13:27	Moses behold I’m about to Reign bread
13:29	from heaven for you and the people shall
13:32	go out and gather a day’s portion every
13:34	day that I might test them whether they
13:37	will walk in my law or not on the sixth
13:40	day when they prepare what they bring in
13:43	it will be twice as much as they gather
13:45	daily so Moses and Aaron said to all the
13:47	people of Israel at evening you shall
13:49	know that it was Yahweh who brought you
13:52	out of the land of Egypt and in the
13:54	morning you shall see the glory of the
13:55	Lord because he has heard your grumbling
13:58	against the Lord for what are we that
14:01	you Grumble against us and Moses said
14:03	when the Lord gives you in the evening
14:05	meat to eat and in the morning bread to
14:08	the full because the Lord has heard your
14:10	grumbling that you Grumble against him
14:12	what are we your grumbling is not
14:14	against us but it is against the Lord so
14:16	then Moses said to Aaron say to the
14:18	whole Congregation of the people of
14:20	Israel come nearby for the Lord for he
14:22	has heard your grumbling and as soon as
14:24	Aaron spoke to the whole Congregation of
14:26	the people of Israel they looked toward
14:27	the Wilderness and behold the glory of
14:30	the Lord appeared in the cloud and the
14:32	Lord said to Moses I have heard the
14:33	grumbling of the people of Israel say to
14:35	them at Twilight you shall eat meat and
14:37	in the morning you shall be filled with
14:40	bread
14:41	then they all shall know that I am the
14:42	Lord your God
14:44	so in the evening Quail came up covered
14:46	the camp and in the morning do lay
14:48	around the camp and when the Dew had
14:50	gone up there was on the face of the
14:53	Wilderness A Fine flake-like Thing
14:56	finest frost on the ground and when the
14:59	people of Israel saw it they said to one
15:00	another what is it and that’s the word
15:03	manna manna means what is it
15:05	for they did not know what it was Moses
15:08	said to them it is the bread that the
15:10	Lord has given you to eat
15:12	so you’ll notice
15:14	children of Israel after The Exodus
15:16	after being set free from slavery to the
15:18	false god king Pharaoh having his armies
15:21	drowned in the Red Seas as they were
15:23	baptized both walking through the Red
15:25	Sea by faith they’re now in the
15:27	wilderness and God feeds them bread from
15:30	heaven
15:31	as they’re on their way to the promised
15:33	land in the same way we too baptize
15:36	Believers in Christ set free from
15:38	bondage to sin death in the devil in our
15:40	Wilderness wanderings as we wait to go
15:42	into the promised land which is the new
15:43	Heaven and the new Earth God again feeds
15:46	us bread from heaven but the bread from
15:50	Heaven that God feeds us is none other
15:52	than Jesus’s Flesh and Blood let me read
15:56	a little bit from you know forward in
15:58	this text the tail end of the Gospel of
16:00	John chapter 6 starting in verse 54 it
16:02	says this and Jesus
16:04	proclaims whoever feeds on my flesh and
16:08	drinks my blood has
16:10	eternal life and I will raise him up on
16:13	the last day
16:14	and everyone goes that’s disgusting
16:17	that’s gross
16:19	well Jesus isn’t talking about here have
16:21	a finger would you like a toenail you
16:23	know that’s not the kind of eating he’s
16:24	talking about but in a very real way
16:27	this morning when we come to this Altar
16:30	for the Lord’s Supper Christ is truly
16:33	bodily present we are truly eating the
16:37	Flesh of Christ and we are drinking his
16:41	blood
16:42	how again I don’t know
16:45	but I do know this
16:47	it says here
16:49	Jesus says whoever eats my flesh and
16:52	drinks my blood has
16:54	eternal life
16:56	so when you come to the altar this
16:58	morning remember these promises you have
17:00	eternal life you will be raised up on
17:02	the last day for he says my flesh is
17:04	True Food my blood is true drink whoever
17:07	feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood
17:09	abides in me you want to know what it
17:11	means to abide in Christ
17:13	it means to come to the Lord’s table
17:16	to receive his body and blood this is
17:18	what he said whoever feeds on my flesh
17:20	and drinks my blood abides in me in
17:22	second Peter there’s this kind of
17:24	enigmatic statement that Peter says that
17:27	he says that we are partakers of the
17:29	divine nature people have wondered what
17:31	does that mean well the church has
17:32	always understood that to mean that we
17:34	are partakers of the divine nature when
17:36	we have the Lord’s Supper
17:39	and so that all these promises are
17:41	attached to it and Jesus says As the
17:43	living father sent me and I live because
17:44	of the father so whoever feeds on me he
17:47	will also live because of me this is the
17:50	bread that come came down from heaven
17:52	not like the bread the fathers ate and
17:55	died
17:57	whoever feeds on this bread
17:59	will live
18:00	forever
18:02	and there’s a lot of debate going on it
18:05	has been for a long time about this
18:07	passage and yet it’s so clear
18:09	so let me read again the warning from
18:11	Ephesians chapter four that we heard
18:13	this morning here’s what it says and he
18:16	Jesus gave the apostles the prophets the
18:19	evangelists the Shepherds and teachers
18:21	to equip the Saints for the work of
18:22	Ministry for the building up of the body
18:24	of Christ until we all attain the unity
18:26	of the faith and the knowledge of the
18:28	Son of God to mature manhood to the
18:30	measure of the stature and the fullness
18:32	of Christ so that we may no longer be
18:35	children tossed to and fro by the waves
18:39	and carried about by every wind of
18:42	Doctrine by human cunning by craftiness
18:45	and deceitful schemes rather speaking
18:48	the truth in love we are to grow up in
18:50	every way into him who is the head
18:53	so the idea is this
18:55	beware of people who would deny what
18:58	Jesus says
19:00	I know it’s a tough saying I know it’s
19:02	difficult it resulted in a lot of people
19:05	no longer following Jesus when he spoke
19:07	this way
19:09	but remember the singular work of God is
19:11	to believe in the one whom the father
19:13	has sent
19:14	Jesus speaks the truth
19:17	he’s told us what it is that we receive
19:19	in the Lord’s supper and the gospel
19:22	promise is attached to what it is that
19:25	we’re eating
19:27	our reason sits there and says it can’t
19:29	be that that’s not possible that’s
19:34	disgusting that’s gross that’s fill in
19:37	the blank right
19:40	and to which we say reason be silent
19:44	and bend the knee
19:46	there’s no way you’re going to figure
19:48	out how this works because God’s ways
19:51	are not our ways
19:53	our reason must bend the knee to what
19:55	Christ has revealed and when our reason
19:58	bends the knee
19:59	and we like children trust the words of
20:03	Christ we receive the benefits and the
20:06	promises that are there for us when we
20:09	take the Lord’s Supper
20:10	it’s a tough saying it’s a hard one it’s
20:12	very divisive lots of people don’t want
20:14	to say that that’s what it is and so
20:16	their reason comes up with all kinds of
20:18	excuses all kinds of explanations well
20:21	Jesus can’t possibly be bodily present
20:24	in the Lord’s Supper so what happens is
20:26	when we come to the Lord’s Supper we
20:28	spiritually Ascend into heaven
20:32	that’s one explanation
20:34	another explanation is is that well it’s
20:36	just a symbol it’s not really that at
20:39	all Jesus didn’t mean what he said he
20:41	should have used the word symbol to make
20:43	it clear but that’s clearly what he was
20:45	saying that’s not what he says at all
20:46	he says
20:48	My Flesh
20:50	is True Food
20:53	my blood is true drink
20:57	and there it is
20:59	and Jesus when he institutes the Lord’s
21:02	Supper
21:03	he says take eat this is my body take
21:07	drink this is my blood broken and shed
21:11	for you for the Forgiveness of your sins
21:16	and faith says I believe
21:19	I don’t know how it works
21:21	I don’t need to figure it out philosophy
21:22	won’t figure it out science won’t figure
21:24	it out
21:26	but truly we receive
21:28	in the Lord’s Supper
21:30	a sustaining food a bread from Heaven
21:33	the body and blood of Christ
21:37	and through his body and blood our faith
21:41	is strengthened
21:43	we are preserved it’s a salutary gift
21:46	and a sign to us and so that’s the thing
21:49	is that when you come to the altar this
21:51	morning and you hear these words take
21:54	eat
21:55	this is the True Body of Christ broken
21:57	for you the sign is the bread
22:02	but the words are what is real about it
22:05	does that make sense and when you hear
22:07	the words your faith then grasps onto
22:10	them and say Yes Lord amen amen this is
22:14	most certainly true and it’s for me
22:17	do you want to know what Christ his
22:20	disposition is towards you
22:22	‘ll hear it this morning you’ve heard it
22:25	this morning already in the Absolution
22:26	but you’re going to hear it again at the
22:28	at the rail you’re going to hear that
22:30	Christ’s disposition for you is Forgiven
22:33	loved bled for died for
22:36	you are his sheep and he’s feeding you
22:38	and caring for you giving you miraculous
22:42	bread from Heaven to sustain you in your
22:45	Wilderness Journey
22:47	as you head towards the real Promised
22:49	Land the new heavens and new earth these
22:51	are powerful gifts
22:53	with gospel promises
22:55	and it’s all about what Jesus is giving
22:58	you and you sit there and go well I’m
23:00	not exactly worthy to receive such a
23:03	amazing gift and to which I would say
23:06	good you’re thinking correctly
23:08	because you’re not worthy to receive
23:10	these gifts I’m not worthy
23:13	but see the thing is they’re gifts their
23:16	promises and they’re there to sustain
23:18	you and they’re for the Forgiveness of
23:21	sins so the way you make yourself worthy
23:24	to receive these is to believe they are
23:26	what they are and that the promise is
23:28	attached to them are true and they’re
23:29	for you
23:33	so have you sinned this week last time
23:36	you had the Lord’s Supper has there been
23:37	any sin in your life you know over the
23:40	last month which by the way is a long
23:42	time to go between the Lord’s Supper
23:45	if there’s any sin in your life
23:47	well I have news for you Christ is going
23:49	to be present for you in body and blood
23:52	for the Forgiveness of your sins
23:54	come to the table
23:56	and receive the Forgiveness of sins in
23:59	your mouth forgiveness of sins has a
24:01	taste a little chewy piece of bread
24:04	and some sweet wine
24:08	you know maybe a Robert Mondavi would be
24:10	better but yet
24:11	I’m joking
24:14	and that’s what Jesus is talking about
24:16	here
24:17	and it’s so difficult to believe
24:21	so difficult for our reason to say is it
24:25	really that
24:27	and I would just say has there ever been
24:29	a time that Jesus has lied and told you
24:33	something that isn’t true
24:35	I would say absolutely not
24:37	it is what Jesus says it is and he
24:40	delivers
24:41	to you is an individual what he promises
24:45	in this great gift so let us then do the
24:48	work of God and believe the one whom
24:50	Christ has whom the father has sent
24:52	Jesus Christ Our crucified and Risen
24:55	Savior who is the bread of life and the
24:58	Bread of Heaven who sustains us through
25:00	his body and blood as we journey towards
25:04	the Eternal Kingdom of God in Jesus name
25:07	amen
25:08	[Music]

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