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Series B – Pentecost Sunday – Sunday, May 24, 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
0:28	the holy Gospel According to Saint John
0:30	chapter 15 verses 26-27 and then chapter
0:34	16 Verses 4 through 15.
0:38	when the counselor comes whom I will
0:40	send to you from the Father the spirit
0:43	of Truth who goes out from the father he
0:45	will testify about me and you also must
0:48	testify for you have been with me from
0:50	the beginning
0:52	now I am going to him who sent me yet
0:55	none of you asks me where are you going
0:57	because I have said these things you are
0:59	filled with grief but I tell you the
1:01	truth it is for your good that I am
1:02	going away unless I go away the
1:05	counselor will not come to you but if I
1:07	go I will send him to you when he comes
1:10	he will convict the world of guilt in
1:12	regard to sin and righteousness and
1:14	judgment in regard to sin because men do
1:17	not believe in me in regard to
1:19	righteousness because I am going to the
1:20	father where you can see me no longer
1:22	and in regard to judgment because the
1:25	prince of this world now stands
1:26	condemned I have much to say to you more
1:30	than you can now bear but when he the
1:33	spirit of truth comes he will guide you
1:35	into all truth he will not speak on his
1:38	own he will speak only what he hears and
1:41	he will tell you what is yet to come
1:45	he will bring joy to me by taking from
1:47	what is mine and making it known to you
1:49	all that belongs to the father is mine
1:52	that is why I said the spirit will take
1:55	from what is mine and make it known to
1:57	you this is the gospel of the Lord in
2:00	the name of Jesus
2:02	Pentecost
2:04	the word itself Pentecost is derived
2:07	from the Greek word Pentecost means 50th
2:10	and it stood for the festival celebrated
2:12	on the 50th day after the Passover so
2:15	you got seven weeks that’s 49 plus one
2:18	right in the Old Testament this festival
2:21	called shavu oath that’s the Feast of
2:24	Weeks is referred to in scripture in
2:26	Exodus 34 in Deuteronomy 16 as that
2:29	exactly the Feast of Weeks because it
2:31	occurs seven weeks after the Passover
2:33	other names include from Exodus 23 the
2:37	Feast of harvest because of its
2:39	relationship with harvest the harvest
2:41	season and the day of first fruits in
2:44	numbers 28 because two loaves of newly
2:47	ground grain were presented before the
2:49	Lord this latter name however should be
2:51	distinguished from the offering the
2:53	firstfruits at the beginning of the
2:54	harvest season as mentioned in Leviticus
2:56	23 it seems rather technical but here’s
2:58	the idea when we read the Old Testament
3:00	the Old Testament is types and shadows
3:03	the Fulfillment Christ in the New
3:06	Testament so think of it this way the
3:09	Feast of Weeks which is the day of
3:10	Pentecost was one of the three Old
3:12	Testament pilgrimage festivals where
3:15	individuals were commanded by none other
3:17	than Yahweh himself to appear before the
3:20	Lord with gifts and offerings so there’s
3:23	three times you have to appear before
3:25	the Lord if you were a Jew in the old
3:26	Covenant Passover feast of weeks and
3:30	then of course the day of atonement the
3:32	festival was primarily a Harvest
3:33	Festival and celebrated the end of The
3:37	Barley harvest in the beginning of the
3:38	winter wheat Harvest
3:40	Harvest is a big deal so as we look at
3:43	Pentecost think of its Old Testament
3:46	significance that what we are seeing on
3:49	the day of Pentecost is the first fruits
3:52	of the Harvest
3:54	that’s what we’re seeing and so we
3:57	return to our text in the book of Acts
3:59	Acts chapter 2 it says this when the day
4:02	of Pentecost came they were all together
4:04	in one place and suddenly a sound like
4:07	the blowing of a violent wind here comes
4:10	the Holy Spirit came from heaven filled
4:13	the whole house where they were sitting
4:15	they saw what seemed to be tongues of
4:17	fire that separated and came to rest on
4:20	each of them they were all filled with
4:21	the Holy Spirit and began to speak in
4:23	other languages we’ve got to be careful
4:25	there’s a lot of abuse today in
4:28	Pentecostal churches regarding the gift
4:29	of tongues what passes for the gift of
4:32	tongues in many churches is not the gift
4:33	of tongues at all it’s utter gibberish
4:35	it’s speak what this text is saying is
4:38	that people who had never taken a
4:40	berlitz course never studied you know
4:43	the Rosetta Stone software were able to
4:46	miraculously be able to speak in
4:48	languages that they had never studied
4:51	and they were Galilean fishermen to boot
4:53	yeah so we’re talking about other
4:56	languages now the fire of the fire of
4:59	the Holy Spirit comes in fire falls on
5:02	them this hearkens back to Moses and the
5:04	burning bush when the fire burned the
5:07	Bush was not consumed by the fire and
5:10	God spoke
5:12	so now the burning bush is not a bush
5:15	the burning bush literally are human
5:18	beings the spirit coming and consuming
5:21	them but not consuming them and so when
5:24	they speak they are not speaking on
5:25	their own the burning bush now is the
5:27	apostles
5:28	speaking forth the word of God a Word of
5:31	Deliverance From Slavery much like Moses
5:34	gave
5:35	and the text then says this now that
5:37	we’re staying in Jerusalem God fearing
5:38	Jews from every nation they were
5:40	commanded by God to be there that’s why
5:41	they were there so this is a good place
5:43	to kick off the church if you would the
5:45	beginning of the firstfruits of the
5:46	Harvest and when they heard this sound a
5:49	crowd came together and bewildered it
5:51	because each one heard them speaking in
5:53	his own language utterly amazed they
5:56	asked are not these men who are speaking
5:59	galileans
6:00	can kind of read the subtext here these
6:03	guys are kind of like unschooled
6:05	unlettered dudes you know they’re a
6:07	bunch of rednecks how are they able to
6:09	do this
6:11	then how is it that each of us hears
6:13	them in his own language
6:16	parthenians medes elamites residents of
6:18	Mesopotamia Judea Cappadocia Pontius and
6:21	Asia figuria and panphilia Egypt in the
6:23	parts of Libya near Cyrene visitors from
6:26	Rome both Jews and converts cretans and
6:29	Arabs we hear them listen to this
6:31	declaring the wonders of God in our own
6:34	tongues
6:35	they’re hearing the gospel the wonders
6:37	of God their hearing proclaimed in their
6:40	ears in their own language that God
6:42	raised Jesus from the grave here hearing
6:45	them being called to repent and to
6:48	believe in Jesus Christ the Messiah for
6:50	the Forgiveness of their sins and
6:52	they’re wondering how this is a bunch of
6:53	rednecks are the ones preaching it
6:55	amazed and perplexed they asked one
6:59	another what does this mean
7:04	so on the day of Pentecost Jesus’s
7:07	apostles his disciples and those who
7:09	were baptized they were baptized with
7:11	fire and with power and they were not
7:13	consumed by the fire of God and they
7:15	spoke and God spoke through them in a
7:18	way kind of reversing the curse of the
7:21	Tower of Babel the spirit speaks to the
7:23	disciples the people from around the
7:25	world gathered in Jerusalem here the
7:26	gospel proclaimed in their own languages
7:28	and this was not meaningless gibberish
7:30	these were known
7:32	human languages
7:34	but
7:36	human beings being what human beings are
7:38	whenever we see the miraculous among us
7:41	we have to come up with an explanation
7:43	for it a reasonable way of kind of
7:45	brushing it aside clearly what is
7:47	happening in taking place before their
7:49	very eyes is a miracle but human reason
7:51	being what human reasoning is we’ve got
7:53	to figure out a way to get rid of that
7:55	so the plausible explanation was put
7:58	forward some however made fun of them
8:00	and said they have had too much wine
8:04	we’ve got to find a way to explain this
8:05	way clearly these galileans are drunk
8:09	now I don’t know about you but
8:12	if you’ve had a little bit too much wine
8:14	you not only do not learn how to speak
8:16	fluently other languages you begin to
8:19	struggle with the one that you have
8:21	right
8:23	you start to slur your words and things
8:25	like that yeah
8:28	yeah right anyway it’s not it’s not wine
8:32	okay this is not a plausible explanation
8:35	but notice how our sinful nature is and
8:37	this is what our sinful nature does when
8:39	it comes to things like baptism and the
8:41	Lord’s Supper water can’t wash away sins
8:43	of course it can’t silly it’s water and
8:46	the word of God
8:48	stop trying to explain it away with your
8:50	reason Christ can’t truly be up in
8:52	heaven at the right hand of the father
8:54	and truly present in with and Under The
8:57	Bread and Wine when we take communion
8:58	that’s not possible
9:01	how do you know it’s not possible who
9:03	made you God
9:04	Jesus said takey this is my body take
9:06	drink this is my blood shed for you for
9:09	the Forgiveness of your sins
9:11	so notice how human reason tries to
9:13	explain away what God is doing right so
9:17	Peter get in control of the situation
9:19	stood up with the eleven raised his
9:21	voice and he addressed the crowd fellow
9:23	Jews and all of you who live in
9:24	Jerusalem let me explain this to you pay
9:27	attention this is an Apostolic inspired
9:30	by the Holy Spirit
9:31	explanation of the events that are
9:33	taking place and see that’s the thing is
9:36	that when it comes to scripture it has a
9:38	lot of history in it but if God had not
9:40	revealed to us the Theology of the
9:43	historical events how would we know what
9:45	they mean theologically and doctrinally
9:47	right so Peter stands up and he’s going
9:49	to explain all this fellow Jews and all
9:51	of you who live in Jerusalem let me
9:52	explain listen carefully to what I say
9:55	very important words listen carefully
9:59	pay attention God is speaking
10:02	these men are not drunk as you suppose
10:05	let’s just get that out of the way it’s
10:07	only nine in the morning even we
10:09	galileans don’t drink this early in the
10:11	day that’s kind of what he’s saying
10:13	right
10:14	he says no this is what was spoken by
10:17	the prophet Joel in the last days God
10:20	says I will pour out my spirit on all
10:22	people your sons and daughters will
10:24	prophesy your young men will see Visions
10:26	your old men will dream dreams even on
10:30	even on my servants both men and women I
10:33	will pour out my spirit in those days
10:35	and they will prophesy I will show you
10:37	wonders in Heaven above and signs on the
10:39	earth below blood and fire and Billows
10:42	of smoke
10:43	the sun will be turned to Darkness
10:45	the moon to blood before the coming of
10:47	the great and glorious day of the Lord
10:49	now lest you forget
10:53	here Peter is saying this is the
10:55	Fulfillment of the Prophet Joel and
10:58	you’re you might be tempted to think
11:00	well when was the sun turned to Darkness
11:03	and the moon to blood I wouldn’t that
11:05	wouldn’t we have noted that
11:07	were you not paying attention on Holy
11:09	Week on Good Friday when Christ was
11:12	crucified at noon it says the sun was
11:15	darkened
11:16	and the moon did not give its light
11:19	it was an eclipse of all eclipses even
11:22	recorded in ancient history in Rome and
11:24	in China this event
11:26	people noted it
11:28	a very dark and terrible day and when
11:31	that happens is that not a sign of God’s
11:33	judgment think of the darkness that
11:36	befell Egypt and Pharaoh when they
11:39	refused to let the people of God go it
11:40	was a darkness that could be felt
11:42	remember this is a sign of God’s
11:44	judgment and truly Christ was
11:48	judged
11:49	God found him guilty found him to be the
11:52	sinner and you say how is that possible
11:54	he was completely sinless
11:56	oh it’s real simple God has laid on him
11:59	the iniquity of us all
12:01	each and every one of us born dead and
12:03	trespasses and sins our sin was put on
12:06	Christ and was punished
12:09	down to the dregs
12:12	and so it was such a terrible and dark
12:14	event that not even the sun could give
12:16	its light
12:17	and so all of these people there the day
12:19	of Pentecost just seven weeks ago
12:22	they remember that day of utter darkness
12:25	and the strange things were taking place
12:28	and so here Peter by the holy spirit
12:30	with the fire on him that isn’t
12:32	consuming him and now God is speaking
12:34	and saying this is what was fulfilled by
12:36	the prophet Joel
12:37	and you remember when the sun was
12:39	darkened and the moon was turned to
12:41	blood it just happened seven weeks ago
12:46	so truly this was fulfilled
12:49	the sun will be turned to Darkness the
12:51	moon’s blood before the coming of the
12:52	great and glorious day of the Lord and
12:55	here’s the kicker
12:57	and everyone who calls on the name of
13:01	the Lord will be saved
13:06	no one is excluded
13:09	call on the name of the Lord
13:11	today is the day of salvation
13:14	trust in him believe repent of your sins
13:16	and your wickedness put away your
13:18	idolatry put away your adulteries put
13:21	away your lies put away your slander
13:23	stop coveting your neighbor’s stuff I
13:26	don’t care if he has a red tractor
13:30	right
13:33	put it all away repent there’s
13:36	forgiveness being offered this day
13:38	and this is what Jesus said the Holy
13:40	Spirit has come and remember in Our
13:42	Gospel text what did Jesus say the
13:44	spirit would do
13:47	this is important
13:49	how do you know the spirit is working
13:50	Among Us
13:53	there are churches today sadly who think
13:55	that the spirit is working when people
13:56	fall on the ground and writhe looking
13:59	like they’re being electrocuted to death
14:01	or when the supposedly the spirit comes
14:03	upon them and they start barking like
14:04	dogs or laughing uncontrollably you know
14:07	that this is these are not
14:08	manifestations of the Holy Spirit
14:10	Jesus said when he the spirit comes he
14:14	will convict the world of sin and guilt
14:17	and righteousness and judgment
14:21	how do you know the spirit is working
14:22	Among Us
14:24	when God’s law convicts us of our sin
14:28	when God’s word convicts us of our own
14:30	unbelief
14:33	and when we’re comforted with the
14:34	assurance that Christ is bled and died
14:36	for our sins and called to repent and
14:37	believed that’s how we know the spirit
14:40	is working because that’s what Jesus
14:41	said when he comes he will convict the
14:43	world of guilt in regard to sin and
14:45	righteousness and judgment in regard to
14:47	sin because men do not believe in me in
14:49	regard to righteousness and judgment
14:51	in regard to sin because men do not
14:53	believe in me in regard to righteousness
14:54	because I’m going to the father where
14:56	you where where you can see me no longer
14:58	and in regard to judgment because now
15:00	pay attention to this listen to these
15:02	words
15:03	because the prince of this world now
15:05	stands condemned
15:08	Jesus didn’t say you stand condemned
15:11	he said the Holy Spirit
15:13	would convict the world of judgment
15:15	because the prince of this world now
15:18	stands condemned that’s not you and me
15:20	that’s the devil
15:22	the one whom we were born in bondage to
15:25	he now stands condemned he’s overthrown
15:29	his power has been brought to not he can
15:32	no longer hold you in slavery
15:38	now think back to our old testament text
15:40	two ways to read this we’ll read it both
15:43	ways
15:44	so it’s the day of Pentecost
15:46	take what you’re listening here and
15:49	think of now Peter is Ezekiel
15:53	the Holy Spirit has come people can hear
15:56	it but you know what their dead and
15:58	trespasses and sins
16:01	they are literally
16:03	a valley of dry bones
16:06	so listen to the preaching the hand of
16:08	the Lord was upon me Ezekiel said and he
16:10	brought me out by the spirit of the Lord
16:12	and set me in the middle of a valley it
16:14	was full of Bones
16:16	that’s right every single human being
16:19	descended from Adam and Eve
16:21	through the natural way
16:23	is born dead and trespasses and sins
16:27	when you go to the store you are Among
16:29	The Walking Dead
16:31	literally
16:33	so he set me in the middle of valley
16:34	with full of Bones he led me back and
16:36	forth among them and I saw a great many
16:38	bones on the floor of the valley bones
16:39	that were dry and he asked me son of man
16:42	can these bones live
16:45	seems like a difficult question for a
16:46	human so Ezekiel cops out oh Lord
16:50	uh you know
16:53	yeah the answer is yes by the way so
16:56	then the Lord said to me prophesy to
16:58	these bones and say to them dry bones
17:00	hear the word of the Lord yeah that’s
17:03	right Dry Bones can actually hear God’s
17:05	word
17:07	did the darkness not hear the word of
17:09	the Lord on the day first day of
17:10	creation when God said let there be
17:13	light
17:14	does Darkness have ears
17:16	not that I’m aware of
17:18	having an ear doesn’t make it possible
17:21	for you to hear there are many people
17:22	who have ears who do not hear
17:29	Dry Bones hear the word of the Lord this
17:31	is what the Sovereign Lord says to these
17:33	bones I will make breath enter you and
17:35	you will come to life I will attach
17:36	tendons to you and make flesh come upon
17:38	you and cover you with skin I will put
17:40	breath in you and you will come to life
17:43	and then you will know that I am the
17:46	Lord
17:47	and while he was preaching this did not
17:50	God raise to life these dry dead bones
17:55	now next week Trinity Sunday we’ll hear
17:57	Peter’s sermon
17:59	and in that sermon we will see how God
18:02	raised to life those who were so dead in
18:05	trespasses and sins they were the very
18:07	ones who crucified Christ they were the
18:09	ones shouting crucify him right they
18:12	were so dead They Crucified the Lord
18:14	and yet that’s the thing the power of
18:16	the word of the Lord is so remarkable
18:19	God’s word never returns to him void
18:22	never and so while Peter was preaching
18:25	to the valley of dry bones God raised
18:28	them to life and we will hear next week
18:31	that they were brought to penance and
18:32	faith and they were baptized and their
18:35	sins were washed away and God made them
18:37	new
18:38	fulfilling his promise all who call on
18:42	the name of the Lord will be saved
18:46	every one of them
18:48	and we are here this morning hearing the
18:51	preaching of the Apostle Peter
18:53	he’s not here physically but I’ve taken
18:55	his words into my mouth and they are the
18:57	words inspired by God the Holy Spirit he
18:59	spoke by the Lord and so today I’m
19:00	giving a living voice
19:02	consumed by the Holy Spirit but not
19:04	destroyed God is now speaking through me
19:07	to you
19:08	to trust to believe to have faith
19:11	believe these words everyone who calls
19:14	on the name of the Lord will be saved me
19:16	you anybody whom Christ would call to
19:20	himself and when that happens when
19:22	anybody trusts in Christ they have been
19:24	truly brought from Death to life and
19:27	that’s just the beginning because the
19:30	other way to read Ezekiel is to
19:31	understand that this also was pointing
19:34	very realistically ultimately to our
19:37	real Resurrection those of you who are
19:39	members of Kong’s Binger if you should
19:41	die before Christ returns and you join
19:44	us each Sunday from out there
19:48	never worry
19:50	there will be a day when Christ returns
19:52	in glory and he will with a shout and
19:55	the trumpet of the Angel declare the end
19:58	of the age and he will call you from
20:01	your grave and that grave that had held
20:03	you for however many years you were
20:05	there will have no choice but to release
20:08	you
20:08	and you will be alive again forever with
20:11	him
20:12	this is what it means to be saved
20:15	not facing the penalty of our sins
20:18	because Christ is bled and died for them
20:21	and being called from our Graves and we
20:24	will know that the Lord has spoken it
20:27	our eyes the very eyes that you have
20:29	today right now they will see Jesus
20:33	and he will not be angry with you and
20:35	you will rejoice on that great day we
20:38	will hug each other we will Cry tears of
20:41	joy we will be gathered together with
20:43	him in the clouds
20:45	the Earth will pass away
20:48	this universe will die
20:50	and then he will make a new heavens and
20:52	a new Earth
20:53	and God’s Dwelling Place will be with
20:56	men
20:57	this is the promise that the Holy Spirit
21:01	has told the apostles to Proclaim to you
21:04	that Christ has risen he has conquered
21:06	the the ruler of this world the devil
21:09	stands condemned he’s defeated
21:12	come out of slavery repent believe trust
21:16	call in the name of the Lord there is
21:18	only mercy and forgiveness
21:21	and you will be saved
21:23	in the name of Jesus Amen

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