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Series C – Maundy Thursday – Thursday, March 24, 2016 | 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	the holy Gospel According to Saint Luke
0:31	chapter 22 verses 7 through 20.
0:34	then came the day of unleavened bread on
0:37	which the Passover Lamb had to be
0:38	sacrificed so Jesus sent Peter and John
0:41	saying go and prepare the Passover for
0:44	us that we may eat it they said to him
0:47	where will you have us prepare it he
0:49	said to them behold when you have
0:50	entered the city A man carrying a jar of
0:52	water will meet you follow him into the
0:55	house that he enters and tell the Master
0:57	of the House the teacher says to you
0:59	where is the guest room where I may eat
1:01	the Passover with my disciples
1:04	and he will show you a large upper room
1:06	furnished prepare it there and they went
1:09	and found it just as he had told them
1:11	and they prepared the Passover and when
1:14	the hour came he reclined at table and
1:17	the apostles with him and he said to
1:19	them I have earnestly desired to eat
1:22	this Passover with you before I suffer
1:25	for I tell you I will not eat it until
1:28	it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God
1:30	and he took a cup and when he had given
1:32	thanks he said take take this and divide
1:34	it amongst yourselves for I tell you
1:37	that from now on I will not drink of the
1:39	fruit of the vine until the kingdom of
1:40	God comes and he took bread and when he
1:43	had given thanks he broke it and gave it
1:45	to them saying this is my body which is
1:48	given for you do this in remembrance of
1:51	me and likewise the cup after they had
1:54	eaten saying this cup is poured out for
1:56	you is the New Covenant in my blood in
2:01	the name of Jesus
2:04	Our Gospel text says Jesus said to his
2:07	disciples I have earnestly desired to
2:10	eat this Passover with you
2:13	before I suffer
2:16	this Passover
2:18	this is the Passover of passovers and if
2:21	you’re familiar with your Old Testament
2:22	then you are aware of the whole story of
2:26	the Passover it’s found in the book of
2:28	Exodus and in that book we find that the
2:31	children of Israel have been enslaved by
2:33	a evil Wicked pharaoh
2:35	who did not know who Joseph was didn’t
2:38	care who Joseph was and unfortunately
2:40	we’re not going to talk about Joseph
2:42	tonight but it’s a great story that
2:44	points us to Christ
2:45	and he Enslaved the children of Israel
2:49	and put them in bondage
2:52	430 years
2:54	how old is the United States
2:56	200 somethingish right
3:00	I remember when the bicentennial coins
3:02	came out I thought it was a big deal but
3:03	then I was a little lad you know wow
3:05	look at that I want the bicentennial
3:07	right
3:08	200 years in 1976
3:12	200 years we’re not even halfway there
3:15	for the children of Israel
3:18	and then God raises up Moses a murderer
3:22	quite the screw-up
3:24	it’s weird how God uses Sinners but then
3:26	again if he didn’t use Sinners to do his
3:28	will who would he use right
3:31	he commissions him sends him to pharaoh
3:35	and says let my people go and then
3:38	begins The Ultimate Showdown the
3:39	showdown between a false god that’s what
3:42	a pharaoh is they’re a god king right
3:45	the ultimate showdown between a false
3:47	god and the true God
3:49	they go 10 Rounds
3:52	Pharaoh loses every single round
3:54	the last round though is the most
3:57	frightening of them all
3:59	the Passover
4:01	this is the one that gets our attention
4:05	why because God says that he’s going to
4:08	send
4:11	the Destroyer
4:12	into Egypt
4:15	the Destroyer
4:17	he’s going to go by every house
4:20	and if the house does not have the blood
4:23	of the Passover Lamb on the doors
4:26	the Destroyer will go in and he will
4:29	take the life of the firstborn
4:35	but if he finds the blood of the
4:37	Passover Lamb on the door
4:40	the Destroyer passes over
4:43	and moves on down
4:46	and so the children of Israel that
4:49	terrible night
4:52	by the way it was Friday the 13th
4:55	I know that’s a little bit of an
4:57	interesting historical note but this is
4:59	absolutely true it was Friday the 13th
5:01	one of the reasons why Friday the 13th
5:03	comes down to us the way it does
5:08	the children of Israel no one they
5:11	didn’t lose a single person the
5:13	firstborn were all
5:15	spared
5:17	and they all sat and they feasted on
5:20	this Passover Lamb cooked with bitter
5:22	herbs and cooked in such a way that none
5:25	of its bones were broken
5:28	and the reason why is because that
5:31	Passover Lamb was the substitute
5:35	the substitute for the firstborn
5:38	and now we come to our text in Our
5:40	Gospel lesson tonight for Monday
5:42	Thursday and we hear that Jesus says I
5:44	have earnestly desired to eat this
5:47	Passover with you
5:49	because this time the Passover Lamb
5:53	gives way the type and Shadow gives way
5:56	to the one whom it was pointing to
6:00	the real Lamb of God who takes away the
6:02	sin of the world
6:04	the one whose blood covers Us
6:07	and so when the Destroyer comes to visit
6:10	us
6:12	he passes over
6:14	because the firstborn
6:16	for us has already died
6:20	you see the Passover Lamb was the
6:22	substitute for the firstborn and now
6:23	Jesus the only begotten son of God
6:26	steps on
6:28	to the field
6:30	and he goes to war and the way he’s
6:33	going to win this is by dying
6:35	he says I have urgelessly desired to eat
6:38	this Passover with you before I suffer
6:41	I tell you I will not eat it until it is
6:44	fulfilled in the kingdom of God and he
6:45	took a cup and when he had given thanks
6:47	he said take this and divide it among
6:49	yourselves for I tell you that from now
6:51	on I will not drink of the fruit of the
6:53	vine until the kingdom of God comes
6:56	there was already in Jesus’s time a
6:59	standard Passover liturgy if you would
7:01	you can see it if you’ve ever seen a
7:03	Seder Mill
7:05	established cups for different things
7:07	and Jesus Takes these cups and he
7:10	changes everything
7:12	something new is happening something
7:15	amazing the disciples are probably
7:18	sitting there slap jawed as Jesus
7:20	utterly changes the very rituals that
7:23	they have grown up in and for years and
7:26	decades have done the same thing at the
7:28	same time at the same place in that
7:31	liturgy Jesus now changes it he takes
7:34	bread and when he had given thanks he
7:37	breaks it and gave gives it to them
7:40	saying this is my body which is given
7:43	for you
7:47	I oftentimes use a phrase to kind of
7:51	make a point
7:52	sometimes we Christians put the emphasis
7:54	on the wrong syllable
7:56	and when we do so we kind of mess things
7:58	up
8:00	where do you put the emphasis in these
8:02	words this is my body
8:05	which is given for you
8:09	where do you put the emphasis
8:14	I’ll tell you where I put it
8:16	for you
8:20	the reason I put it there
8:23	is because
8:25	that’s what I need
8:28	and if you’re honest that’s what you
8:29	need as well
8:32	it’s amazing to me
8:34	our picture of God when we are
8:38	sinning like there’s no tomorrow
8:40	enslaved to sin
8:43	obeying its every beckon called
8:45	practically offering ourselves to the
8:48	devil to do his work
8:50	what we end up thinking about God is
8:52	that God is Mad God is coming after us
8:55	God is going to throw lightning bolts at
8:58	me God is gonna God is gonna and all we
9:01	think is about the wrath of God and the
9:03	reason why is because we know that’s
9:04	exactly what we’ve earned
9:07	it’s Adam and Eve hiding in the trees
9:10	from God
9:12	we all do it we all know existentially
9:14	what that feels like
9:16	hiding from God
9:18	and yet here’s God in human flesh
9:21	and he is about to go and suffer and
9:25	bleed and die from my sins and for yours
9:29	and there’s no talk of judgment
9:32	only gifts
9:37	it’s Christmas if you would
9:40	take eat
9:41	this is my body which is given given
9:47	for you
9:49	do this in remembrance of me
9:51	and likewise the cup after they had
9:53	eaten saying this cup is poured out for
9:56	you this is the New Covenant
9:59	in my blood
10:03	this is New Covenant in my blood and
10:06	there’s the words poured out
10:09	for
10:11	you
10:14	the sinless for The Sinner
10:17	and that’s what happens on the cross God
10:19	lays on him the iniquity of us all Jesus
10:22	becomes the singular sinner of all of
10:24	mankind and there he is naked and
10:28	exposed to the wrath of God and God lets
10:31	him have it
10:34	and none of this is abuse because Jesus
10:37	says he lays down his life
10:39	willingly
10:42	for us
10:44	and so we return to our epistle text
10:47	talking about this New Covenant in the
10:49	blood of Christ the Holy Spirit Bears
10:51	witness to us
10:53	for after saying this is the Covenant
10:55	that I will make with them after those
10:57	days declares the Lord I will put my
10:59	laws in their hearts write them in their
11:00	minds yes I will remember their sins and
11:04	their Lawless Deeds no more
11:08	no more
11:10	they sit there and go can it really be
11:13	that God will remember our Lawless Deeds
11:16	no more
11:19	well we’re not accusing God of being
11:21	senile
11:23	it’s not like well in his old age I mean
11:25	after all how many gazillions of years
11:27	old is he anyway
11:29	God as he’s getting up there in age is a
11:32	kind of starting to lose it right
11:35	the reason why he remembers our Lawless
11:37	Deeds no more is because they’re all
11:39	atoned for Christ has given his body
11:42	given his blood poured out broken shed
11:45	for you
11:48	there’s nothing to remember
11:51	I mean how many of you guys remember the
11:54	transactions that you’ve conducted you
11:56	know you can think through and tick off
11:59	the receipts from Lowe’s and from Hugo’s
12:02	and from the post office from 10 years
12:05	ago 15 years ago you can’t right
12:08	that those transactions have already
12:10	taken place they’re long in the past
12:13	well see that’s the thing
12:14	the transaction that took place between
12:17	Christ and the Father the shed blood
12:20	which redeems us purchases off the of
12:22	the slave block
12:24	sets us free that transaction has been
12:27	conducted all of our sins atoned for not
12:30	a single one of them is unaccounted for
12:33	unpaid for unbleed for undyed for every
12:37	single one of them has the blood of
12:39	Christ across it paid in full it’s been
12:44	nailed to the cross and that cross
12:46	disappeared two thousand years ago
12:49	and I don’t care what the Catholics say
12:51	they say they got so many pieces of the
12:53	Cross you know you go different Catholic
12:55	churches and we’ve got a piece of the
12:56	True Cross I think it was Martin Luther
12:59	who said they’ve got so many different
13:00	pieces of the True Cross they could
13:02	rebuild the Ark of Noah with them right
13:06	but that cross is long gone
13:10	God remembers your Lawless Deeds your
13:14	sins and we’re not talking about
13:15	hypothetical sins here we’re talking
13:18	about four real awful sins
13:22	sit there and go well what kind of
13:24	you’re talking about Pastor well let’s
13:26	walk through the list
13:29	idolatry
13:32	disobeying your parents
13:34	false belief
13:37	profaning God’s name
13:41	murder
13:42	adultery theft
13:45	covetousness lying
13:49	for real sins
13:52	the real sins that you and I have
13:54	committed he has
13:57	truly bled and died for when you hear
14:01	tonight when you come to this altar
14:05	and you hear these words take eat broken
14:09	shed for you for the Forgiveness of your
14:13	sins
14:15	the ones you committed when you were in
14:17	your 20s the ones you committed five
14:19	minutes before you walked in the church
14:22	they’re all accounted for
14:25	and God remembers our Lawless Deeds
14:28	no more
14:32	you’ll never stand before Christ
14:35	when we finally get to see him face to
14:37	face and he’ll say remember that time
14:40	when you
14:42	right
14:44	he won’t
14:46	he won’t
14:48	and then the text says this
14:51	where there is forgiveness of these
14:53	there is no longer any offering for sin
14:56	therefore Brothers since we have
14:59	confidence to enter the holy places by
15:02	the blood of Jesus we have confidence
15:06	how many of you when you’ve been in your
15:08	darkest moments have thought I better
15:09	not ever go back to church
15:11	oh man
15:14	they’re not going to be happy to see me
15:16	right
15:18	when you sin
15:19	the devil gets the upper hand
15:22	your first temptation is to say church
15:25	is the last place I should be
15:28	but see the text says Christ God
15:31	remembers your Lawless Deeds no more
15:34	so you come confident into Kong’s finger
15:37	you come confident confident that you
15:40	are forgiven confident that you are
15:42	sprinkled by the blood of Christ
15:44	confident that the blood of the Passover
15:46	Lamb covers you
15:48	and the destroyer and the devil and all
15:51	of his accusatory demons can’t say a
15:53	word about you not one
15:57	I remember what he did I remember what
15:59	she did
16:01	I’m covered by the blood thank you
16:05	right confidence
16:12	so we have confidence to enter the holy
16:14	places by the blood by the New and
16:16	Living Way that Christ opened for us
16:18	through the curtain that is through his
16:21	flesh and since we have a great priest
16:23	over the house of God let us draw near
16:26	with a True Heart
16:28	in full Assurance of Faith notice here
16:32	this is like Christianity with a
16:34	backbone this is like Christianity that
16:36	says I know I’m forgiven I know that God
16:40	loves me I know that Christ bled and
16:42	died for me confidence assurance
16:46	this is not arrogance
16:48	something completely different
16:51	this is one hundred percent assurance
16:53	that God truly is what he says he is
16:57	love
16:59	love
17:03	so we can draw near to God
17:06	in a True Heart full Assurance of faith
17:09	our hearts having been sprinkled clean
17:11	from an evil conscience and our bodies
17:15	washed with pure water
17:16	referring to your baptism notice here
17:19	the sprinkling of Christ’s blood
17:22	in the waters of our baptism
17:25	takes away from us an evil conscience
17:28	so let us then hold fast to the
17:30	confession of Our Hope without wavering
17:33	and why can we not waver because he who
17:35	promised is faithful it’s not dependent
17:37	on you it’s dependent on the one who
17:38	gave the promise and the last time I
17:40	checked God doesn’t lie
17:42	he says he’s going to do something he’s
17:44	going to do it he says he’s forgiven you
17:46	and that he remembers your sins no more
17:47	guess what he loves you and he remembers
17:50	your sins no more
17:54	so let us consider then in light of all
17:57	this and this is where it gets fun
17:59	let us consider how to stir up one
18:01	another to love and good works
18:06	you see how the two go hand in hand
18:09	it’s like love and marriage or peanut
18:11	butter and jelly or maybe peanut butter
18:12	and honey depends on what you like but
18:14	the two go together
18:16	you being forgiven in Christ having
18:19	confidence and Assurance of the
18:21	Forgiveness of your sins no longer makes
18:23	it so that you are enslaved to your own
18:25	sinful nature enslaved to the devil and
18:28	think and act like him completely
18:30	self-absorbed that’s how the devil
18:33	operates
18:34	the devil is the original narcissist and
18:37	he has trained us all how to be that
18:39	same way right
18:42	we’re not a bunch of spiritual selfie
18:45	takers
18:47	do I look holy today
18:49	right
18:51	I did that too well okay
18:55	right
18:57	but because we are forgiven
19:00	because God remembers our Lawless Deeds
19:03	no more because we have full Assurance
19:06	of the Forgiveness of our sins
19:10	because of all of this and the one who
19:13	is faithful the one who has promised is
19:15	faithful and this is our hope it cannot
19:17	be taken from us so now we can stir up
19:21	one another to love and to Good Works
19:26	not neglecting to meet together as is
19:28	the habit of some in other words come to
19:31	church
19:32	but encouraging one another and
19:34	encouraging each other all the more as
19:37	you see the day Drawing Near
19:40	have you looked
19:42	at the condition of the world
19:44	is it better than when you first started
19:46	growing up when you were a little kid
19:48	has it gotten better or worse
19:51	worse condition of the church better or
19:54	worse
19:55	worse the day is Drawing Near
19:58	so what do we do I know let’s go buy
20:01	buckets of food and hide in our
20:03	basements
20:04	and we can learn how to become
20:06	survivalists no no as we see the Jade
20:10	Drawing Near
20:12	let’s encourage each other onto good
20:14	works
20:17	the night is coming
20:18	the day is long spent
20:21	but there’s still enough light it’s
20:23	still enough light that we can still
20:26	love and serve our neighbors
20:29	because Christ has loved us
20:32	this is what we are set free to do
20:35	you see as Christians we are given good
20:37	works which God prepared in advance for
20:40	us to do
20:41	and all of these things it is our joy
20:43	and our privilege not in order to be
20:46	saved but because we is saved we are
20:49	heading to heaven we have full Assurance
20:52	of these things
20:54	so tonight
20:56	as we come to the Lord’s table
20:59	to remember the original Lord’s Supper
21:02	the changing of the Passover into the
21:06	Lord’s Supper the type and Shadow giving
21:08	way to the reality to where we can now
21:11	see the end from the beginning
21:15	let us draw near confident of God’s
21:18	mercy and Grace
21:19	confident that what we receive in our
21:22	mouth this night is the body of Christ
21:25	broken for us for the Forgiveness of our
21:27	sins the blood of Christ shed for us for
21:30	the Forgiveness of our sins and let us
21:33	consider what an amazing powerful loving
21:36	gracious kind God we have who get who
21:41	cares so much for us
21:43	that he would give us such precious
21:47	gifts
21:49	sustain us
21:51	and strengthen us on our way as we
21:54	travel as sojourners through this very
21:57	short life
21:58	on finally to the Eternal Kingdom where
22:02	we will see him face to face and being
22:05	confident of the Forgiveness of sins we
22:07	will not shrink back in fear when we see
22:10	Christ
22:16	instead we will run to him
22:21	the way a wife runs to her husband at
22:23	the airport after he’s been gone on a
22:25	long trip
22:30	we will run to him
22:32	the way parents run to their children
22:34	having never seen them because they
22:37	adopted them and seeing them for the
22:39	first time
22:45	but that kind of confidence only comes
22:48	from knowing that the Love is Real
22:51	and tonight we know this love is real
22:56	to cherish these words
22:58	broken and shed
23:00	for you
23:02	for the Forgiveness of your sins
23:05	in the name of Jesus Amen
23:08	[Music]

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