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Series A – Second Wednesday in Lent – Wednesday, March 8, 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 primary text tonight for our Lenten
0:31	meditation is taken from Exodus chapter
0:34	20 verses 1 through 21.
0:38	and God spoke all of these words saying
0:42	I am the Lord your God who brought you
0:45	out of the land of Egypt out of the
0:46	house of slavery you shall have no other
0:49	gods before me you shall not make for
0:52	yourself a carved image or any likeness
0:55	of anything that is in heaven above or
0:57	in the earth beneath or that is in the
0:59	water underneath the Earth You shall not
1:01	bow down to them or serve them for I the
1:04	Lord your God I’m a jealous God visiting
1:06	the iniquity of the fathers on the
1:08	children the third and the fourth
1:10	generations of those who hate me but
1:12	showing steadfast love to thousands of
1:15	those who love me and keep my
1:17	Commandments you shall not take the name
1:20	of the Lord your God in vain for the
1:22	Lord will not hold him Guiltless who
1:24	takes his name in vain remember the
1:27	Sabbath day to keep it holy six days you
1:29	shall labor and do all of your work but
1:32	on the seventh the seventh is the
1:33	Sabbath to the Lord your God on it you
1:36	shall not do any work you or your son or
1:40	your daughter or your male servant or
1:41	your female servant or your livestock or
1:44	the Sojourner who is within your gates
1:46	for in six days the Lord made the Heaven
1:49	and the Earth the sea and all that is in
1:51	them and rested on the seventh day
1:53	therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath
1:55	day and made it holy honor your father
1:58	and your mother that your days may be
2:00	long in the land and the Lord your God
2:03	is giving you you shall not murder you
2:05	shall not commit adultery you shall not
2:08	steal you shall not bear false witness
2:10	against your neighbor you shall not
2:12	covet your neighbor’s house you shall
2:14	not covet your neighbor’s wife or his
2:17	male servant or his female servant or
2:18	his ox or his donkey or anything that is
2:21	your neighbors now when all the people
2:23	saw the Thunder and the flashes of
2:25	lightning and the sound of the trumpet
2:27	and the mountains smoking the people
2:30	were afraid and they trembled and they
2:32	stood far off instead to Moses you speak
2:35	to us we will listen but do not let God
2:38	speak to us lest we die Moses said to
2:41	the people do not fear for God has come
2:44	to test you that the fear of him may be
2:46	before you and that you may not sin the
2:49	people stood far off while Moses Drew
2:51	near to the thick Darkness where God was
2:55	in the name of Jesus
2:57	so for this Lenten season
3:00	I have decided that I will be preaching
3:02	on the paradoxes of Christ now that
3:05	seems kind of an interesting topic if
3:08	you were to kind of think of it this way
3:09	there’s some interesting paradoxes
3:11	regarding Christ Book of Revelation says
3:14	that he is the Alpha and the Omega the
3:16	beginning and the end the first and the
3:19	last and over this Lenten season we will
3:22	explore and meditate on the fact that
3:24	the Creator joined his creation was born
3:27	of a virgin and became man today we’re
3:29	going to be looking at the fact that
3:32	Christ is the law giver and he is the
3:35	law fulfiller and this is important
3:38	stuff verse 5 of our very long hymn that
3:41	we all love to sing at least once a year
3:44	says this yet as the law must be
3:46	fulfilled or
3:49	we must die despairing
3:51	Christ came and has God’s anger stilled
3:55	our human nature sharing he has for us
3:59	the law obeyed and thus the father’s
4:01	Vengeance stayed which over us intended
4:05	so as we read in our text tonight from
4:09	Exodus chapter 20.
4:12	I’m going to note some important things
4:14	along the way first thing God was the
4:17	one who is speaking
4:19	God was
4:20	who is Christ
4:22	he’s God in human flesh God is the one
4:25	who’s speaking in fact the verse first
4:27	verse of Exodus 20 says and God spoke
4:29	all of these words and then I read out
4:32	the Ten Commandments now when we talk
4:34	about God’s law and we talk about the
4:38	gospel that’s kind of an abstract way of
4:40	talking about God’s law because you have
4:44	to think of it this way who’s the one
4:46	Speaking
4:48	this is God’s word of law
4:52	this is not some abstract thing put
4:55	together by some Judiciary Committee it
4:59	wasn’t put together in legislative
5:01	committee or Congress or Senate didn’t
5:03	sit down and vote these things into
5:06	existence
5:08	what we see is God speaking to us
5:13	and well let me note how that went down
5:16	for the people of Israel
5:18	here’s what it says after God spoke The
5:21	Ten Commandments now when all the people
5:22	saw the Thunder and the flashes of
5:24	lightning and the sound of the trumpet
5:25	and the mountain smoking and the people
5:27	were afraid and they trembled and they
5:29	stood far off and said to Moses you
5:31	speak to us we’ll listen to you but
5:33	don’t let God speak to us lest we die
5:38	hmm
5:39	and see that’s the thing
5:42	we really like that gospel thing
5:45	because it shows God’s love it shows
5:48	God’s mercy it shows God’s compassion we
5:52	like that but here when the law is given
5:56	people didn’t say oh this is the best
5:59	thing ever we heard the voice of God
6:02	there was glory and the mountain was on
6:04	fire wow we got to do that again no they
6:09	said don’t we don’t know don’t let God
6:11	ever talk to us again you talk to us not
6:14	him
6:15	let’s see when we read God’s law God’s
6:18	word of law that he speaks to us and our
6:22	sin is convicted and we realize oh boy I
6:26	have fallen way short
6:28	who’s talking to you
6:32	God is
6:34	let’s be a little more specific
6:36	Christ is
6:38	so Christ is the law giver and so we
6:41	don’t like to think of Jesus as the one
6:43	who is speaking in such a way that
6:44	everybody comes unglued
6:48	but that’s exactly what’s going on here
6:50	is it not
6:51	it is see Christ is the law giver and
6:54	it’s important to note this is God
6:57	speaking to us why on Earth would these
7:00	people be so terrified of God’s voice
7:03	saying Thou shalt not steal you shall
7:07	not kill you shall not murder why were
7:08	they afraid of that
7:11	I can’t think of a possible one reason
7:13	at all maybe it had something to do with
7:15	the fact that they were coveters and
7:18	murderers and liars and
7:21	they’re not like well they’re not any
7:23	different than we are today and so when
7:26	God’s word of law speaks to us
7:30	we have a tendency internally to come
7:32	unglued
7:33	and we don’t necessarily like hearing
7:36	God speaking in this way
7:39	and yet we must hear God speaking in
7:43	this way you have no idea why you need a
7:46	savior unless God speaks to you in this
7:48	way unless God’s word speaks to you in
7:52	this way and convicts you and shows you
7:55	the Blackness of your heart
7:57	shows you the sin that just bubbles up
8:00	so easily from within you
8:02	all the different ways in which you have
8:04	committed idolatry all the different
8:06	ways in which you have not loved your
8:08	neighbor as yourself the list is quite
8:10	extensive and unfortunately
8:13	the sad truth is that if we’re honest
8:16	when we hear God’s word of law
8:19	we realize this is not an occasional
8:22	misstep on our part
8:25	it’s a daily
8:26	constant
8:28	problem
8:29	one that well runs so deep there is no
8:33	solution for us
8:35	so what’s the answer
8:37	what’s the answer well Jesus who is the
8:40	law Giver there on Mount Sinai does
8:42	something fascinating for us
8:45	he keeps the law perfectly for us hence
8:50	the great Theology and the spiritus hymn
8:52	that says that the law must be fulfilled
8:56	from the time of Moses and the giving of
8:59	the law of Mount Sinai until the time of
9:01	Jesus Christ how many Israelites
9:05	perfectly kept God’s law
9:09	none
9:11	since then
9:14	none
9:15	so this is where a type and Shadow is
9:19	important because we note that when
9:21	Jesus appears like when he’s tempted in
9:23	the wilderness which we talked about on
9:24	Sunday where is he when he’s tempted in
9:27	the wilderness
9:28	well he’s in the wilderness how long has
9:30	he been there
9:31	40 days this whole fasting and bread
9:34	thing comes into play he’s eating on the
9:37	words of God and says that stuff to that
9:39	effect and so in the type and the shadow
9:42	we see that Jesus is all of Israel in
9:45	fact all of humanity squished into one
9:48	person
9:49	and what is he doing
9:51	he’s fulfilling the law for us the one
9:56	who gives the law
9:58	is the one who then steps into human
10:00	history and keeps it for us and so we’ll
10:03	do a quick little New Testament survey
10:06	of a few passages that bear this
10:08	theology out for us so that we can see
10:11	the magnificence of this wonderful
10:13	Paradox the lawgiver becomes the law
10:15	obeyer so that what the gospel demands
10:20	the gospel will always provide
10:22	Hebrews 4 13-16
10:25	here’s what it says of Christ since then
10:28	we have a great high priest who has
10:32	passed through the heavens Jesus the son
10:34	of God let us hold fast to our
10:37	confession our confession is the
10:39	confession that Jesus is none other than
10:41	God in human flesh and for we do not
10:43	have a high priest who is unable to
10:45	sympathize with our weaknesses
10:48	and now we would think that well Jesus
10:51	being law giver and then law obeyer for
10:55	us that somehow his attitude would be
10:58	Hey listen guys
10:59	I did it I showed you how it’s done so
11:03	now get busy and you can do it too
11:07	that’s not how the text talks in fact
11:10	Jesus although he committed no sin
11:13	he did this for us this in this deals
11:16	with what’s called Christ active and
11:18	passive righteousness his passive
11:21	righteousness is the ways in which he
11:22	obeyed God where he had no control over
11:25	it but his act of righteousness has to
11:27	do with him actively perfectly keeping
11:30	God’s law and as one who did this for us
11:33	it says that he’s not looking down his
11:36	nose at us instead it says that he is
11:39	now able to sympathize with our
11:41	weaknesses
11:43	for who that says this one who in every
11:46	respect has been tempted as we are yet
11:49	is without sin
11:52	wow
11:54	so Jesus understands our weaknesses and
11:57	where we have been tempted and given
11:59	into temptation Christ has been tempted
12:02	and did not give in to that Temptation
12:05	and he did not give in for us that’s the
12:10	reason he did it
12:11	so it then says this so let us then with
12:15	confidence draw near to the throne of
12:18	grace so that we may receive mercy and
12:21	find Grace to help in time of need
12:26	see Jesus the one who keeps the law
12:28	perfectly for us now understands
12:30	firsthand it’s not abstract for Jesus to
12:34	know what you struggle with to know what
12:37	sin besets you to know the Temptations
12:40	of the devil and in the different ways
12:42	in which you come up short and you hurt
12:45	and harm your neighbor he is fully aware
12:48	of all of these things because he’s gone
12:50	through those exact same Temptations and
12:54	yet
12:55	never sinned once and because of this
12:59	fact the law Giver who became the law
13:02	obeyer for us we now have confidence
13:06	confidence so we can draw near to the
13:08	throne of What Not judgment
13:10	but to the throne of grace so that we
13:13	may receive mercy and find Grace and
13:15	help of time of need now this one’s out
13:19	of context that’s noted first John
13:22	chapter 3 verse 5 though picks up on the
13:24	same theology you know that he appeared
13:27	in order to take away sins and in him
13:29	there is no sin talking about Christ
13:34	that he appeared to take away our sins
13:36	and in him there is no sin you see Jesus
13:41	sees all of our weaknesses sees all of
13:44	our sin sees all the ways in which we
13:46	fall short and he doesn’t sit there and
13:48	scold us
13:49	what does he do
13:51	God lays on him the iniquity of us all
13:53	and the sinless one becomes The Sinner
13:56	but I’m getting ahead of myself but it’s
13:58	important to note here that he takes our
14:01	sins away
14:03	and he’s able to do that because in him
14:07	there is no sin
14:09	you see if Jesus were not the law keeper
14:12	for us
14:13	how would he have the ability to take
14:15	our sins away from us
14:17	the sinless one has to be the one to
14:19	take away the sins of the sinners
14:21	and so Jesus does that Peter in his
14:24	epistle will pick up a large swath of
14:27	Peter’s opening thoughts in his epistle
14:29	First Peter chapter 1 verse 10 through
14:31	21 reads concerning this salvation the
14:35	Salvation you and I have the prophets
14:37	who prophesied about the grace that was
14:39	to be yours searched and inquired
14:42	carefully notice those slanderous words
14:44	what the prophets prophesied that Grace
14:47	was going to be given to us sinners
14:50	Gentiles oh that can’t possibly be but
14:53	it is it’s good news
14:56	the prophets prophesied about the grace
14:58	that was to be yours yours it’s all
15:02	yours the prophets prophesied about this
15:04	Grace given to you so they inquired
15:06	carefully inquiring what person or time
15:09	the spirit of Christ in them was
15:11	indicating
15:12	when he predicted the sufferings of
15:15	Christ and the subsequent glories
15:17	it was revealed to them that they were
15:19	serving not themselves but you and the
15:21	things that have now been announced to
15:23	you through those who preach the good
15:24	news to you by the Holy Spirit Sent From
15:26	Heaven things into which the Angels long
15:28	to look
15:29	therefore
15:31	preparing your minds for action
15:34	Being Sober minded
15:36	set your hope fully on the grace that
15:38	will be brought to you at the revelation
15:41	of Jesus Christ
15:42	as obedient children do not be conformed
15:45	to the passions of your former ignorance
15:48	but as he who called you is Holy
15:51	you also be holy in all of your conduct
15:54	since it is written you shall be holy
15:57	for I am Holy and if you call on him as
16:00	as father who judges impartial partially
16:04	according to each one’s Deeds conduct
16:06	yourselves with fear throughout the time
16:08	of your Exile knowing that you were
16:10	Ransom from the feudal ways inherited
16:12	from your forefathers not with
16:13	perishable things such as silver or gold
16:16	but with the precious blood of Christ
16:18	like the lamb without blemish or spot
16:21	and there it is you see all of this
16:24	grace that is talked about here
16:27	all of this Grace this Mercy this
16:29	forgiveness is because Jesus is the
16:32	Spotless sinless
16:34	law keeping Lamb of God who takes away
16:38	the sin of the world in other words
16:42	your forgiveness completely hinges on
16:45	the fact that Christ was sin less
16:50	and to be sin less he had to keep the
16:52	law perfectly for you
16:55	and because of this because we are
16:58	forgiven because we are bled for because
17:01	we are died for now we are admonished by
17:06	the Holy Spirit In God’s word here in
17:09	this text
17:10	to be holy because Christ is Holy you
17:14	see Christ’s sinless perfect keeping of
17:17	the God’s law his Holiness is now held
17:20	up and say you be holy
17:24	because I am Holy
17:26	and the wonderful thing is that Christ
17:29	has made us holy
17:31	for those who’ve had their sins taken
17:34	away
17:37	what are they
17:40	righteous
17:42	if you in your
17:45	Deeds as a sinner dead and trespasses
17:48	and sins
17:50	those deeds make you Unholy
17:53	and Christ takes away your sins what
17:56	does that make you
17:58	holy
17:59	you see this is all working together it
18:03	all pivots on each other and the
18:05	linchpin is the law Giver who kept the
18:08	law perfectly for us
18:10	so it goes on to talk about this
18:13	spotless Lamb of God without blemish
18:15	that he was foreknown before the
18:16	foundation of the world but was manifest
18:19	in the last times for the sake of you
18:22	see Jesus was manifest for you
18:26	from the dead for your sake he was
18:28	manifest through him
18:30	are believers in God
18:33	God raised him from the dead and gave
18:35	him glory so that your Faith and Hope
18:37	are in God
18:39	wonderful words wonderful words indeed
18:44	and then First Peter chapter 2 verses 21
18:47	through 25 says for this you have been
18:50	called because Christ Jesus also
18:52	suffered for you leaving you an example
18:54	so that you might follow in his steps he
18:57	committed no sin
19:00	neither was deceit found in his mouth
19:03	when he was refiled he did not revile in
19:06	return when he suffered he did not
19:07	threaten but continued entrusting
19:10	himself to God who judges justly
19:13	he himself bore our sins in his body on
19:16	the tree that we might die to sin and
19:20	live to righteousness by his wounds you
19:23	have been healed for you were straying
19:24	like sheep but now have returned to the
19:27	shepherd and the overseer of your souls
19:31	so there it is
19:33	the one who is sinless he committed no
19:37	sin yet he bore our sins in his body on
19:43	the tree as Paul says in first second
19:45	Corinthians 5 God made him to be sin who
19:50	knew no sin so that you might be the
19:53	righteousness of God
19:55	and so our first Paradox this Lenten
19:58	season is the Paradox of the lawgiver
20:02	who keeps the law for us what does it
20:05	mean
20:06	well based on the text that I’ve read
20:09	it kind of means everything
20:12	without the sinless Spotless Lamb of God
20:15	who takes away the sin of the world
20:17	there is no taking away of the sins of
20:20	the world and because the sins of the
20:22	world have been taken away bled 4 died
20:24	for by Christ and because he was sinless
20:27	God was able to lay on him the iniquity
20:30	of us all
20:31	and this then gives us hope
20:34	and so we are admonished here in these
20:37	texts with this reality with this truth
20:40	of God’s word
20:42	to believe
20:44	to believe this amazing good news and
20:47	dare to hope that when Christ appears he
20:50	will say to you well done good and
20:53	faithful servant
20:55	will he say that because you’ve kept the
20:57	law perfectly
20:59	no he’s done that for you
21:01	he will say that because he’s taken away
21:03	your sins and now that you are made holy
21:07	now that you are a child of the light
21:10	have been set free from the Dominion of
21:12	Darkness you have the freedom to walk in
21:15	Holiness and walk as a child of the
21:18	light
21:19	totally different idea altogether and it
21:22	all hinges on the fact that the law
21:24	Giver kept the law for us in the name of
21:27	Jesus
21:28	amen
21:30	[Music]

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