Series A – Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost – Sunday, August 31, 2014 | 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: |
ime Stamp | Transcript |
0:27 | The holy Gospel |
0:29 | According to Saint Matthew chapter 16 |
0:31 | verses 13-28 when Jesus came to the |
0:35 | region of caesarea Philippi he asked his |
0:38 | disciples who do people say the son of |
0:41 | man is they replied well some say John |
0:45 | the Baptist others Elijah and still |
0:48 | others Jeremiah are one of the prophets |
0:51 | but what about you he asked who do you |
0:53 | say that I am Simon Peter answered |
0:56 | you’re the Christ the son of the Living |
0:59 | God Jesus replied blessed are you Simon |
1:02 | son of Jonah for this was not revealed |
1:04 | to you by man but by my Father in heaven |
1:07 | and I tell you that you are Peter and on |
1:10 | this rock I will build my church in the |
1:12 | gates of Hades will not overcome it I |
1:15 | will give you the Keys of the Kingdom of |
1:16 | Heaven whatever you bind on Earth will |
1:19 | be bound in heaven and whatever you |
1:20 | loose on Earth will be loosed in heaven |
1:22 | and then he warned his disciples not to |
1:25 | tell anyone that he was the Christ and |
1:27 | from that time on Jesus began to explain |
1:29 | to his disciples that he must go to |
1:31 | Jerusalem and suffer many things at the |
1:33 | hands of the elders the chief priests |
1:35 | and the teachers of the law and that he |
1:37 | must be killed and on the third day be |
1:39 | raised to life Peter took him aside and |
1:42 | began to rebuke him never Lord he said |
1:44 | this shall never happen to you |
1:47 | Jesus turned and said to Peter get |
1:49 | behind me Satan |
1:51 | you are a stumbling block to me you do |
1:54 | not have in mind the things of God but |
1:56 | the things of men then Jesus said to his |
1:59 | disciples if anyone would come after me |
2:02 | he must deny himself |
2:05 | take up his cross and follow me for |
2:08 | whoever wants to save his life will lose |
2:10 | it but whoever loses his life for me |
2:13 | will find it what good will it be for a |
2:16 | man if he gains the whole world yet |
2:18 | forfeits his soul or what can a man give |
2:21 | in exchange for his soul |
2:24 | for the son of man is going to come in |
2:26 | his father’s Glory with his angels and |
2:28 | then he will reward each person |
2:29 | according to what he has done I tell you |
2:31 | the truth some who are standing here |
2:33 | will not taste death before they see the |
2:36 | son of man coming in his kingdom |
2:38 | this is the gospel of the Lord |
2:44 | Jesus has taken the disciples North |
2:47 | he’s taken him out of Israel to a pagan |
2:49 | Gentile city known for its pagan worship |
2:52 | of many different deities and they had |
2:54 | the city had at one time been named for |
2:56 | the Pagan God pan but recently at the |
3:00 | time of Jesus its name had been changed |
3:01 | by Philip II in honor of Caesar Augustus |
3:05 | yeah hence the name caesarea Philippi |
3:09 | it’s named after Caesar and then the in |
3:11 | the Greek Philippi is of Philip so that |
3:14 | way people can distinguish it from the |
3:16 | other caesareas because cities wanted to |
3:18 | be named after the Caesar so caesarea |
3:21 | Philippi is its new name and you could |
3:25 | literally say that caesarea Philippi was |
3:27 | a city with many gods and many lords so |
3:31 | it’s here that Jesus chose to press the |
3:34 | issue and to answer once and for all the |
3:36 | burning question who is Jesus now up to |
3:41 | this point that Jesus has been doing |
3:43 | things that make people go hmm this guy |
3:47 | is more more than meets the eye right |
3:49 | and at one point just a couple chapters |
3:52 | early remember when Jesus was walking on |
3:54 | the water the disciples realized that |
3:57 | they’re dealing with God in human flesh |
3:58 | and they worship Jesus and proclaimed |
4:00 | him truly to be the Son of God well |
4:02 | there’s a little bit more going on here |
4:04 | so Jesus asked his disciples kind of the |
4:06 | opening question who do people say the |
4:09 | son of man is now he’s not exactly |
4:12 | directly asking them who he is in fact |
4:16 | in Jesus day son of man was kind of this |
4:19 | Messianic code word okay so there was |
4:22 | Messianic implications and so the rabbis |
4:25 | and the different sex within Judaism |
4:27 | would talk about this who do you think |
4:29 | the son of man is and this is a |
4:31 | reference back to Daniel chapter 7 |
4:33 | verses 13 through 14. let me read from |
4:35 | Daniel’s prophecy Daniel writes he says |
4:38 | in my vision at night I looked and there |
4:40 | before me was one like a son of man |
4:43 | coming with the Clouds Of Heaven he |
4:46 | approached the Ancient of Days and and |
4:48 | was led into his presence now the |
4:49 | Ancient of Days is God the father right |
4:51 | so here we’ve got this one like the son |
4:53 | of man and he’s a he’s approached the |
4:55 | Ancient of Days and was led into his |
4:57 | presence and listen to this the son of |
4:59 | man was given Authority glory and |
5:01 | Sovereign Power Over All Peoples Nations |
5:03 | and Men of every language they worshiped |
5:06 | him his Dominion is an everlasting |
5:08 | Dominion that will not pass away and his |
5:10 | kingdom is one that will never be |
5:11 | destroyed |
5:13 | so Jesus asked the question who do |
5:15 | people say the son of man is well this |
5:17 | is the code word at this time and |
5:19 | theologically speaking people kind of do |
5:21 | this today not regarding the son of man |
5:22 | because we now know who the son of man |
5:24 | is it’s Jesus but in our day we like to |
5:27 | play what I call the game of pin the |
5:29 | tail on the Antichrist right we want to |
5:31 | pin the tail on the Lawless one I |
5:33 | remember years ago when I was working at |
5:34 | a bank in Seattle we had a Vietnam |
5:36 | veteran who would come in and he was |
5:39 | disabled and every month he would get |
5:41 | his disability check from the government |
5:43 | and he’d come in to cash it and I |
5:44 | remember one day he looked at me and he |
5:46 | says hey Chris do you think that Nancy |
5:49 | Reagan is the Antichrist |
5:52 | I thought that was a bizarre question |
5:54 | anyway so you know when people kind of |
5:57 | the way we speculate regarding the |
5:59 | Antichrist is the way the people back |
6:00 | then were speculating regarding the |
6:02 | Messiah keep in mind they didn’t have |
6:04 | the New Testament at the time so will |
6:05 | some say well John the Baptist others |
6:08 | Elijah still others Jeremiah or one of |
6:10 | the prophets no consensus right |
6:13 | so now Jesus turns the tables a little |
6:15 | bit but what about you he asked who you |
6:18 | say that I am |
6:21 | Simon Peter dancer |
6:23 | you are the Christ the son of the Living |
6:26 | God now there it is |
6:28 | a few chapters earlier the discipleside |
6:30 | confessed that Jesus is after Jesus |
6:31 | walked on the water and calmed the storm |
6:33 | on the Sea of Galilee that he was the |
6:34 | son of God they worshiped Jesus as God |
6:37 | but now the other shoe drops Peter |
6:39 | confesses that Jesus is both the Son of |
6:42 | God and the Messiah the anointed one the |
6:46 | promised one the one who would redeem |
6:48 | and save Israel the promised one |
6:50 | promised in the garden who would be this |
6:51 | seed of the woman and the one who would |
6:54 | crush the head of the serpent that’s who |
6:55 | Peter is confessing Jesus to be so this |
6:58 | is the pivotal moment in Matthew’s |
6:59 | gospel now before you give Peter props |
7:02 | for his shrewd Insight keep in mind |
7:04 | Jesus replied blessed are you Simon son |
7:07 | of Jonah for this was not revealed to |
7:09 | you by man but by my Father in Heaven |
7:12 | this is direct Revelation from God the |
7:14 | father so it’s not that Peter is so |
7:15 | smart it’s that this was revealed to him |
7:18 | so now this was not because Peter was so |
7:21 | clever we got that part so what Jesus |
7:24 | says next is has come to be one of the |
7:26 | most abused and misapplied scriptures in |
7:28 | all of Christendom and here’s what it |
7:30 | says and I tell you that you are Peter |
7:32 | and on this rock I will build my church |
7:34 | and the gates of Hades or you can say |
7:36 | the Gates of Hell will not overcome it |
7:37 | so here’s the question is Jesus here |
7:40 | saying that he’s making Peter the |
7:41 | foundation of the church is Jesus |
7:44 | separating Peter out and setting him in |
7:46 | a special office as the chief of the |
7:48 | Apostles and does this office continue |
7:50 | to this day answer no and the Greek |
7:53 | makes this very clear in a way that gets |
7:55 | lost in our English translations now a |
7:58 | little bit of a Greek lesson and I |
7:59 | apologize for the nerdiness of this but |
8:01 | I hope you’ll make sense okay Greek is |
8:03 | an inflected language unlike English |
8:06 | English is not inflected and in Greek |
8:09 | nouns have genders okay they can either |
8:12 | be masculine nouns or feminine nouns or |
8:15 | neuter nouns okay and so in that sense |
8:18 | you know Greek is similar to a lot of |
8:21 | languages on the earth including Spanish |
8:22 | now any of you know just a little bit of |
8:24 | Spanish just to be dangerous yeah I do |
8:26 | too okay if I’m lost in in Mexico I can |
8:30 | ask where the bathroom is and I can also |
8:31 | insult your family that’s about all I |
8:33 | can do in Spanish okay yeah talk to my |
8:37 | wife if you want the details on that |
8:38 | okay now in Spanish the word for Amigo |
8:42 | or friend is Amigo or it’s Amiga okay so |
8:46 | Scott Erickson you’re my amigo right |
8:49 | right |
8:51 | Judy sanus you’re my Amiga okay so |
8:55 | that’s the idea if we’re talking about a |
8:56 | friend depending on who the friend is |
8:58 | male or female it’s either Amigo or |
9:01 | Amiga right |
9:03 | okay that’s the big language lesson so |
9:07 | um |
9:08 | now if I were to say this sentence okay |
9:10 | listen carefully |
9:12 | Scott you are my amigo and on this Amiga |
9:16 | I’m going to build a dog house |
9:20 | okay |
9:21 | you hear the sentence let me read again |
9:23 | Scott you are my amigo and on this Amiga |
9:27 | I’m going to build a doghouse |
9:31 | well you all immediately know that |
9:33 | because of the change in gender that I |
9:35 | wasn’t planning to build a dog house |
9:37 | with Scott okay but was planning to |
9:39 | build a doghouse with a female friend of |
9:41 | mine right |
9:42 | and this is what I said okay so a |
9:45 | similar use of words is used in this |
9:47 | text in the Greek and here’s what it |
9:49 | says Jesus says you you are Petros and |
9:54 | on this Patra |
9:56 | I will build my church |
9:59 | now notice Jesus did not say you are |
10:02 | Peter you are Petros and on this Petros |
10:05 | I will build the church |
10:06 | he says you are Peter you are Petras and |
10:10 | on this Patra feminine I’m going to |
10:13 | build my church so what is the Petra |
10:16 | referring to well answer it’s Peter’s |
10:19 | confession that’s the referent in the |
10:21 | text Peter has confessed that Jesus |
10:25 | Christ is the son of the Living God |
10:28 | so those people who are saying that this |
10:30 | text is saying that Peter Jesus is going |
10:33 | to build his church on Peter |
10:35 | well they’re not paying attention to the |
10:37 | Greek |
10:38 | you are petross and on this Petra I’m |
10:42 | going to build my church yep so the |
10:45 | church is not built on Peter it’s built |
10:47 | on the confession that Jesus is the |
10:50 | Christ the son of the Living God and |
10:53 | then Jesus continues I will give you the |
10:55 | Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven whatever |
10:57 | you bind on Earth will have been bound |
10:59 | in heaven notice I’m using putting the |
11:01 | perfect passive same thing with the |
11:03 | Gospel of John chapter 20. okay whatever |
11:06 | you bind on Earth will be have been |
11:08 | bound in heaven whatever you loose on |
11:09 | Earth will have been loosed in heaven |
11:11 | this is what the text says so this is |
11:14 | referring to what is called the office |
11:15 | of the keys and this is the church’s |
11:18 | unique authority to forgive as well as |
11:19 | retain sins |
11:21 | and then Jesus does this something weird |
11:23 | he warned his disciples not to tell |
11:25 | anyone that he was the Christ now the |
11:28 | Christ means the Messiah so Christos is |
11:30 | kind of like the Greek word of Messiah |
11:33 | the the Hebrews say mashiach the Greeks |
11:36 | say Christos but this they’re synonymous |
11:38 | that’s the anointed one so Jesus then |
11:40 | makes it clear that the thing that he’s |
11:43 | just that has just been revealed to |
11:44 | Peter that he is the Messiah Jesus is |
11:46 | the Christ he doesn’t want anyone he |
11:49 | doesn’t want them telling anyone yet why |
11:51 | well because the people of Jesus’s day |
11:54 | had all kinds of ideas regarding the |
11:56 | Messiah but none of them understood that |
11:58 | the messiah’s mission was not to conquer |
12:00 | like a king but to die a shameful death |
12:03 | for the sins of the world what Peter |
12:05 | does next actually Bears this out in no |
12:08 | uncertain terms the text continues so |
12:10 | from that time on Jesus began to explain |
12:12 | to his disciples that he must go to |
12:15 | Jerusalem and suffer many things at the |
12:18 | hands of the elders the chief priests |
12:19 | and the teachers of the law and that he |
12:21 | must must be killed and on the third day |
12:23 | be raised to life so now we know who |
12:27 | Jesus is he’s Son of God he’s the |
12:29 | Messiah and Jesus from this point on |
12:31 | explains what his mission is the mission |
12:34 | given to him by the father and his |
12:36 | mission is this to go to Jerusalem and |
12:39 | die on the cross for our sins and then |
12:41 | be raised again on the third day |
12:43 | this is the mission of the Messiah |
12:45 | now Peter has nothing to do with this |
12:48 | he’s scandalized by the thought so Peter |
12:51 | took Jesus aside |
12:53 | that means wow the audacity here he |
12:56 | takes Jesus aside and rebuked Jesus |
13:01 | never Lord this shall never happen to |
13:06 | you |
13:08 | yep so here we have Peter who just |
13:11 | earlier it was revealed that Jesus was |
13:13 | the Messiah and now the true mission of |
13:16 | the Messiah is also being revealed to |
13:18 | Peter through Jesus and Peter’s |
13:20 | scandalized by this |
13:23 | think about it |
13:24 | Peter here is rebuking the very God who |
13:27 | made him |
13:28 | that’s who Jesus is |
13:30 | and in some senses he’s becoming a |
13:32 | tempter just the way the devil tempted |
13:34 | Jesus in the wilderness with power |
13:37 | so he says I’m not going to have |
13:38 | anything to do with this |
13:40 | yep |
13:41 | think about it Peter knows what Jesus |
13:43 | can do Jesus heals the sick |
13:46 | he multiplies Loaves and Fishes and |
13:48 | feeds a multitude he gives sight to the |
13:51 | Blind and Jesus can walk on water and |
13:54 | calm a storm with a word imagine what |
13:56 | Jesus could do to the Romans hmm |
14:00 | yeah imagine what Jesus could do sitting |
14:03 | on the re-established throne of David |
14:05 | imagine Peter as Jesus’s right hand man |
14:09 | talk about power talk about Authority no |
14:13 | nation in the world would be able to |
14:15 | defeat the armies of Israel once and for |
14:18 | all idolatry and perversion and |
14:20 | wickedness could easily and decisively |
14:22 | be dealt with and Peter would be Jesus’s |
14:25 | right hand man |
14:27 | nations would stream to Jerusalem to see |
14:30 | Jesus and Peter would be Jesus’s |
14:32 | right-hand man |
14:33 | Kings would come and pay homage to Jesus |
14:35 | and Peter would be Jesus’s right-hand |
14:38 | man |
14:39 | Peter would never be in want of anything |
14:41 | ever again and would have a position of |
14:44 | privilege and power within Jesus’s |
14:46 | Administration in Jerusalem |
14:49 | think about it right |
14:52 | but Jesus reveals for the first time |
14:54 | with the true mission of the Messiah is |
14:56 | not to slaughter |
14:58 | the mission of the Messiah is not to |
15:00 | conquer and to judge Sinners his mission |
15:03 | is to die for them to redeem them and |
15:06 | reconcile them to the father and the |
15:08 | death chosen by the father is the most |
15:10 | horrific |
15:12 | ugly painful scandalous death that you |
15:15 | could imagine |
15:16 | crucifixion |
15:18 | it was a terror technique used by the |
15:22 | Romans to Keep Those whom they’ve |
15:23 | conquered in submission |
15:25 | the Romans used crucifixion to basically |
15:27 | say you oppose us this is what happens |
15:30 | to people that oppose us |
15:32 | terrible it’s scandalous it’s |
15:34 | Unthinkable yes it’s all of those things |
15:36 | and the cross reveals God’s love and his |
15:41 | Mercy towards us |
15:42 | miserable Sinners to kind of get a |
15:45 | glimpse into the scandalousness of the |
15:48 | cross I think a good cross reference |
15:49 | here is First Corinthians chapter one |
15:51 | starting at verse 18. here’s what it |
15:53 | says |
15:54 | Paul writing to the church in Corinth |
15:56 | writes he says for the message of the |
15:58 | Cross is foolishness to those who are |
16:01 | perishing but to us who are being saved |
16:04 | the cross it’s the power of God for it |
16:07 | is written I will destroy the wisdom of |
16:09 | the wise the intelligence of the |
16:11 | intelligent I will frustrate so where is |
16:14 | the wise man where is the scholar where |
16:16 | is the philosopher of this age has not |
16:20 | God made foolish the wisdom of the world |
16:23 | for since in the wisdom of God the world |
16:26 | through its wisdom did not know him God |
16:28 | was pleased with the foolishness of what |
16:30 | was preached to save those who believe |
16:33 | now Jews demand miraculous signs and the |
16:36 | Greeks well they look for wisdom but we |
16:39 | we preach Christ crucified and it’s a |
16:43 | stumbling block to Jews and it’s |
16:45 | considered foolishness to gentiles but |
16:48 | to Those whom God has called from both |
16:50 | Jews and Greeks Christ is the power of |
16:53 | God and the wisdom of God for the |
16:55 | foolishness of God is wiser than man’s |
16:57 | Wisdom and the weakness of God is |
16:58 | stronger than men’s strength Brothers |
17:00 | think of what you were when you were |
17:03 | called not many of you were Wise by |
17:04 | human standards not many were |
17:06 | influential not many were of noble birth |
17:08 | but God chose the foolish things of the |
17:11 | world to shame the wise God chose the |
17:14 | weak things of the world to shame the |
17:17 | strong he chose the lowly things of this |
17:19 | world and the despised things and the |
17:22 | things that are not to nullify the |
17:24 | things that are so that no one may boast |
17:27 | before him it is because of him that you |
17:30 | are in Christ Jesus did you hear that |
17:32 | it’s because of God that you’re in |
17:34 | Christ who has become for us wisdom from |
17:37 | God that is he is our righteousness |
17:39 | Holiness and Redemption therefore as it |
17:43 | is written let him who boast boast in |
17:45 | the Lord |
17:46 | so when I came to you Brothers I did not |
17:48 | come with eloquence or superior wisdom |
17:51 | as I proclaimed to you the testimony |
17:53 | about God for I resolve to know nothing |
17:56 | absolutely nothing among you |
18:00 | except Jesus Christ |
18:02 | and him crucified |
18:06 | hear those words again I resolve to know |
18:08 | nothing while I was with you except |
18:09 | Jesus Christ and him |
18:12 | crucified |
18:14 | as John says in his gospel chapter 3 |
18:17 | verse 17 for God did not send his son |
18:20 | into the world to condemn the world |
18:22 | but to save the world through him that’s |
18:26 | the mission of the Messiah |
18:28 | so are you looking for a Jesus who will |
18:29 | be your life coach who will train you to |
18:32 | be at the top of your game so that you |
18:34 | can be successful |
18:35 | you’ve got the wrong Jesus |
18:37 | are you looking for a Jesus who will |
18:39 | help you find your purpose give you |
18:40 | health and wealth and worldly accolades |
18:43 | you’ve got the wrong Jesus if that’s |
18:45 | what you’re looking for there is no |
18:47 | Jesus except for the crucified Jesus |
18:51 | for I resolve to know nothing |
18:53 | while I was with you except Christ and |
18:56 | him crucified |
18:59 | so now |
19:00 | that we got this the mission of the |
19:02 | Messiah is to save us to die for us he |
19:05 | has set his chin Like Flint to go to the |
19:08 | cross for us because of God’s great love |
19:11 | for us |
19:12 | we are in Christ and we are his |
19:15 | disciples we have been baptized cleansed |
19:18 | washed fed with his body and blood here |
19:20 | to hear his word we’ve had our sins |
19:22 | forgiven we are in Christ so then Jesus |
19:25 | talks about how this then plays out in |
19:27 | our lives if anyone would come after me |
19:30 | he must deny himself and take up his |
19:32 | cross and follow me |
19:34 | so if you are in Jesus then you are |
19:36 | already his disciple and that means you |
19:39 | are a dead man or a dead woman walking |
19:43 | the one who’s taken up his cross this |
19:45 | was the parade that the Romans would put |
19:47 | on those who were sentenced to death |
19:49 | they’d make him carry their cross and |
19:51 | they’d March them through the town look |
19:53 | these are the ones condemned to death |
19:57 | Jesus says that’s you |
19:59 | Jesus says that’s me why because that |
20:02 | was him right |
20:04 | whoever wants to save his life will lose |
20:07 | it whoever loses his life for me will |
20:10 | find it what good is it for a man if he |
20:12 | gains the whole world yet forfeits his |
20:15 | soul |
20:17 | think about it |
20:20 | billions upon billions of dollars |
20:22 | sitting in your bank account |
20:24 | maybe you can become the most powerful |
20:26 | man in the world by becoming the |
20:27 | president of the United States |
20:30 | all of this is for nothing |
20:32 | and it can’t save you |
20:34 | and these things cannot they’re only |
20:36 | temporal anyway your life is a vapor |
20:38 | what good will it be for a man if he |
20:40 | gains the whole world yet forfeits his |
20:42 | soul or what can a man give in exchange |
20:43 | for his soul the answer is you can’t |
20:45 | give anything in exchange for your own |
20:46 | soul |
20:48 | but Christ the very Son of God exchanged |
20:51 | his life for yours that’s the good news |
20:55 | so we are sojourners here in this life |
20:57 | sojourners |
21:00 | carrying our crosses |
21:02 | dead people walking knowing that we’re |
21:04 | sentenced to death |
21:06 | Hebrews 11 kind of talks about this in |
21:08 | the hope that we have in chapter 11 |
21:10 | verse 13 it says all these people all |
21:12 | the people mentioned in the Great Hall |
21:13 | of Faith passage who did all these great |
21:15 | things by faith all these people were |
21:17 | still living by faith when they died |
21:19 | they did not receive the things promised |
21:21 | they only saw them and welcomed them |
21:23 | from a distance and they admitted that |
21:25 | they were aliens and strangers on Earth |
21:28 | people who say such things show that |
21:30 | they are looking for a country of their |
21:32 | own if they had been looking of if |
21:34 | they’ve been thinking of the country |
21:35 | that they had left they would have had |
21:37 | opportunity to return instead they were |
21:39 | longing for a better country a Heavenly |
21:42 | one therefore God is not ashamed to be |
21:44 | called their God for he has prepared a |
21:46 | city for them |
21:48 | that’s right if anyone would come after |
21:51 | Jesus he must deny himself |
21:54 | take up his cross |
21:56 | and follow Jesus now you’d be maybe |
21:58 | asking what does that look like |
22:00 | what does it look like to deny yourself |
22:02 | and take up a cross and follow Jesus |
22:04 | well remember you are forgiven you are |
22:07 | washed and the Waters of your baptism |
22:09 | you are buried with Christ in his death |
22:11 | and you are raised with Christ in his |
22:12 | resurrection God has regenerated and |
22:15 | saved and redeemed you and you are in |
22:17 | Christ because of that you are now free |
22:20 | from slavery to sin death and the devil |
22:22 | and our epistle text this morning from |
22:25 | The Book of Romans gives us a glimpse of |
22:27 | what life looks like for one who is |
22:30 | carrying a cross and following Jesus |
22:32 | here’s what it says |
22:34 | love must be sincere |
22:37 | hate what is evil |
22:39 | cling to what is good |
22:43 | be devoted to one another in brotherly |
22:46 | love |
22:51 | because we are forgiven we can forgive |
22:54 | because we are forgiven we can devote |
22:56 | ourselves to one another and brotherly |
22:58 | love honor one another above yourselves |
23:01 | never be lacking in Zeal but keep your |
23:04 | spiritual fervor serving the lord be |
23:06 | joyful in Hope patient in Affliction |
23:09 | faithful in prayer |
23:11 | share with God’s people who are in need |
23:14 | practice hospitality |
23:17 | here’s the fun part |
23:20 | bless those who persecute you |
23:24 | Jesus was persecuted |
23:26 | the only sinless man who lived among |
23:28 | Humanity he was persecuted and crucified |
23:30 | on a cross |
23:32 | and when he was crucified he did not |
23:34 | defend himself |
23:36 | he called out from the cross father |
23:38 | forgive them they know not what they do |
23:41 | and you too can share that same love |
23:44 | even when you’re being persecuted |
23:46 | because you have been forgiven |
23:48 | bless those who persecute you bless do |
23:51 | not curse Rejoice with those who Rejoice |
23:54 | mourn with those who mourn live in |
23:57 | harmony with one another do not be proud |
24:00 | but be willing to associate with people |
24:02 | of low position |
24:04 | do not be conceited |
24:06 | do not repay anyone evil for evil be |
24:09 | careful to do what is right in the eyes |
24:11 | of everybody if it’s possible as far as |
24:13 | it depends on you live at peace with |
24:15 | everyone |
24:16 | do not take revenge my friends but leave |
24:20 | room for God’s Wrath for it is written |
24:22 | it is mine to avenge I will repay says |
24:25 | the Lord on the contrary if your enemy |
24:27 | is hungry |
24:29 | feed him |
24:34 | is it me or does anyone else have a hard |
24:36 | time with this |
24:39 | our first inclination when we have an |
24:41 | enemy is to get back |
24:43 | they’ve hurt me I’m going to make them |
24:46 | pay |
24:48 | this is not the way of the cross |
24:51 | deny yourself take up your cross you’re |
24:54 | already dead in Christ |
24:56 | if your enemy is hungry you feed him if |
24:59 | he’s thirsty you give him something to |
25:01 | drink we don’t fight people we fight for |
25:06 | people our battle is not against flesh |
25:08 | and blood our battle is against the |
25:10 | spiritual powers and authorities of this |
25:13 | Dark World |
25:16 | and if Christ is bled and died for them |
25:18 | and forgiven them then who am I to not |
25:20 | forgive |
25:26 | if your enemy is hungry you feed him if |
25:28 | he’s thirsty you give him something to |
25:30 | drink and doing this you will heat |
25:32 | burning coals on his head do not be |
25:35 | overcome by evil |
25:37 | but overcome evil |
25:39 | with good |
25:42 | that’s exactly what Jesus did |
25:45 | the most notorious sinful act ever |
25:48 | performed by Humanity was the |
25:50 | crucifixion of the only innocent man who |
25:53 | ever lived Among Us and yet God took |
25:56 | that crucifixion the most evil thing |
26:00 | ever done on this planet and he flips it |
26:03 | and he flips it so that that becomes the |
26:06 | very means by which we are all purchased |
26:08 | redeemed forgiven by God |
26:12 | Jesus himself did not overcome evil with |
26:16 | evil he overcame evil with good |
26:19 | this is what it means and this is what |
26:21 | it looks like now |
26:24 | to take up your cross and follow him |
26:27 | so how do we do this |
26:30 | Hebrews 12 2-3 gives us the answer |
26:33 | let us fix our eyes on Jesus |
26:36 | who is the author and the Perfecter of |
26:39 | our faith who for the joy set before him |
26:42 | he endured the cross and scorned its |
26:45 | shame |
26:45 | and now he sat he’s seated at the right |
26:48 | hand of the Throne of God consider him |
26:50 | who endured such opposition from sinful |
26:53 | men |
26:53 | so that you will not grow weary |
26:55 | and lose heart |
26:57 | in the name of Jesus Amen |
If you would like to support the teaching ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church, you can do so by sending a tax-free donation to: Kongsvinger Lutheran Church 15950 470th Ave NW, Oslo, MN 56744 We thank you for your support. All of our teaching messages may be freely distributed as long as you do not edit or change the content of the message, and, again, thank you for listening. |