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Series A – Second Sunday in Advent – Sunday, December 11, 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 Matthew Chapter 2 verses chapter 11
0:34	verses 2 through 15. now when John heard in prison about the
0:40	Deeds of Christ he sent word by his disciples and said to him are you the one who is to come or shall we look for
0:46	another Jesus answered them you go and tell John what you hear and you see the blind
0:51	received their sight the lame walk lepers are cleansed the death here and the dead are raised and the poor have
0:58	good news preached to them and blessed is the one who is not offended by me
1:03	as they went away Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John what did you go out into the Wilderness to see a
1:11	reed shaken by the wind no what then did you go out to see a man dressed in soft clothing behold those who wear soft
1:18	clothing are in King’s houses so what then did you go out to see a prophet yes
1:24	I tell you and more than a Prophet this is he of whom it is written behold I send my messenger before your face who
1:31	will prepare your way before you truly I say to you among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than
1:36	John the Baptist yet the one who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he from the days of John
1:43	the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven has suffered violence and the violent take it by force for all the
1:50	prophets in the law prophesied until John and if you are willing to accept it
1:55	he is the Elijah who is to come he who has an ear to hear Let Him hear
2:01	in the name of Jesus all right I got to confess when I was doing my sermon prep on this text I
2:08	actually nerd it out it happens yeah I found as I was reading
2:14	this kind of the question I was having as I was trying to work through the text was was John the Baptist having a moment
2:21	of doubt was he really actually wondering if Jesus was really the Messiah and well I
2:29	started looking in the writings of the church fathers and what I found fascinating is in the sermons of the church fathers to a man they all
2:36	defended John the Baptist and pointed to Jesus’s statement where he says did you go out into the Wilderness to see a reed
2:43	blown by the wind as proof that John the Baptist was not really asking this question for his own
2:50	benefit he was asking this for the benefit of the men that he sent John was getting
2:56	ready to finish his course by this time he’s in prison and well that sometimes happens when you’re a repentance
3:03	preacher and you tell the guy who’s in charge of the land that well the woman that he’s sleeping with he shouldn’t be
3:09	sleeping with sometimes Sinners don’t like it when their Idols are destroyed and so they well they react negatively
3:17	so John finds himself in prison and true to John’s form where he says I must
3:22	decrease he must increase he sends his disciples for the benefit of his
3:28	disciples because he’s about ready to die and so the idea here is is that he wants
3:34	them to know for sure Jesus is the one I was always pointing to I find that to be
3:39	an interesting way of looking at the text and I find it difficult to argue with especially given Jesus’s words
3:45	later so with that we’re going to work our way through our gospel text and we’re going to braid into it you know
3:51	kind of like you know what the women do with the hair we’re going to braid into it our Old Testament text and we’ll let
3:56	James have the final say as we get to the end of our sermon today so Matthew chapter 11 verse 2. when John heard in
4:04	prison about the Deeds of Christ he sent word by his disciples and said to him
4:10	are you the one who is to come or shall we look for another Jesus answered them
4:15	you go and tell John what you see and what you hear the blind received their sight the lame walk the lepers are
4:22	cleansed the deaf hear the dead are raised the poor have good news preach to
4:28	them now this particular list you know these are a list of the Deeds that Jesus did and if you were noting what was said
4:35	in our Psalm today a Messianic Psalm Psalm 1 146 verse 8 the Lord opens the
4:42	eyes of the blind the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down the lord loves the righteous the Lord sets the captive
4:49	free you see there was this ongoing litany a list of things that the Israelites at this time were expecting
4:55	the Messiah to do and you’ll notice Jesus says the blind Thee the lame walk
5:02	lepers are Clan the deaf hear the dead are raised but knows Jesus doesn’t quote that part of Psalm 146 where he says and
5:09	the captives are set free doesn’t want word coming back to John that would give him any hope that he’s
5:15	about to get out of prison because he’s not getting out of there alive something to keep in mind but it’s also important
5:21	to note this that these particular human malates
5:27	blindness lameness deafness poverty leprosy are also used in scriptures as
5:35	well ways of describing our sinful condition scripture says that we are born dead and
5:41	trespasses and sins that those who are following false teachers are the blind
5:47	following the Blind and over and again and even in this gospel text we hear
5:52	Jesus use this refrain the one who has ears to hear Let Him hear and so in a
5:59	very real way we can look at this list and say that Jesus is still opening the
6:05	eyes of the blind those who are blind by their sin opening their ears to hear the
6:10	gospel cleansing them of their sins and we have to think of sins as a well
6:16	leprous condition and so there’s a way in which you can understand these things in fact regarding poverty remember what
6:24	Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 3 in the opening portion of the Sermon on
6:29	the Mount blessed are the poor in spirit theirs is the kingdom of heaven and what
6:36	exactly does it mean to be poor in spirit this is the one who recognizes that because of his sinful condition or
6:43	her sinful condition that they are spiritually bankrupt they have nothing to offer God they cannot pay god well
6:50	any amount of money or any amount of good works that will Spring them out of the clink set them free from sin or earn
6:58	them salvation the poor in spirit are those who say I’ve got nothing and it’s only the one who says I’ve got
7:05	nothing that has an empty hand in which God can place everything and that’s what
7:11	scripture teaches now let me weave into this you know this theme of The Blind
7:16	the poor the lepers all these things from Isaiah 35 Isaiah 35 verse 1 says
7:22	the Wilderness and the dry land shall be glad now this is an eschatological look
7:28	at the future coming the new Earth the new Heavens the the New Jerusalem the New Zion the Wilderness and the dry land
7:34	shall be glad the desert shall be rejoice and Blossom like the crocus it
7:40	shall Blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy in seeing the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it Majesty of Carmel
7:47	and Sharon they shall see the glory of the Lord the Majesty of our God strengthen the weak hands make firm the
7:53	feeble knees so notice here in this opening portion of Isaiah we have this
7:58	again eschatological hope for the coming future the second Advent of Christ and
8:05	it’s describing the new Earth in such a way well it’s as if the Garden of Eden has returned overstepped its fence and
8:13	is now becoming well the whole Earth itself so that we will no longer be able to look at photographs of the Sahara
8:20	Desert there will be no such thing the whole earth will be Lush and garden like
8:25	that’s a picture of the coming Kingdom and so because of all of this we are
8:31	told strengthen the weak hands make firm the feeble knees say to those who have
8:37	an anxious heart be strong fear not weak hands feeble knees anxious heart
8:45	sounds like us doesn’t it sounds like me at times go through a difficult circumstance
8:51	one of those things you don’t know what you’re going to get out of or wake up in the middle of the night with a start because you realize that you’re going to
8:57	die someday and stand before God it’s a something that will create anxiety like you wouldn’t believe but see here these
9:04	are comforting words of the Gospel and God wants your weak hands your
9:09	feeble knees your anxious heart to be comforted and so we are comforted with these words be strong fear not behold
9:16	your God will come with vengeance and reckon the recompense of God and he will come not to judge you to save you his
9:25	vengeance is saved up for those who persist in sin and unbelief those who
9:30	continue to do the work of the devil and and the devil and all of his demons themselves he will come with vengeance
9:37	and get rid of them once and for all none of their influences will have anything to say in the coming new Earth
9:44	the in the eyes the blind shall be open Isaiah says the ears of the death unstop
9:50	notice the theme then shall the lame man leap like a deer the tongue of the mute
9:55	sing for joy that’s right there will be no blindness deafness paraplegics quadriplegics
10:03	anybody who needs a walker in the New Kingdom the waters will break forth in
10:08	the wilderness streams in the desert the burning sand shall become a pool and the Thirsty Springs of water and the haunt
10:16	of jackals where they lie the grass shall become Reeds and rushes what a picture of the coming new Earth and a
10:24	highway shall be there it shall be called The Highway of Holiness Now by way of a little bit of
10:31	an interesting kind of sad bizarre story uh 10 years ago there was a group of charismatics associated with What’s
10:38	called the New Apostolic reformation and one of their Apostles her name is Cindy Jacobs she literally called the news
10:44	crew up in Dallas and got them to come out to Highway 35 in Dallas now if
10:51	you’re familiar with this highway it runs from Texas through Oklahoma on up to Minnesota you have to say it like
10:56	that around here people you get what I’m saying but and she literally a film crew
11:03	film her and her followers claiming that Highway 35 in
11:10	the U.S is the Fulfillment of this prophecy and it’s the Highway of Holiness
11:20	no it’s not and if you just pay attention to the details it’s like
11:26	impossible last time I checked there’s a bunch of sinners from Texas all the way up to Minnesota
11:33	so this is not Highway 35 I’m just saying okay so a highway shall be there it shall be
11:40	called the way of holiness the unclean shall not pass over it you
11:46	sit there and go well that rules me out actually it doesn’t
11:51	and here’s the reason why is because you have come to the Waters of baptism
11:58	you’ve had your sins washed away you’ve been brought to penitent faith in Christ
12:04	and you are clothed in his righteousness his sinless righteousness covers you
12:11	much the same way this white old covers the sin of your pastor and that’s what this all visually represents you have
12:18	been made holy today you have heard the words of the Absolution I forgive you all of your sins in the name of the
12:24	father Son and Holy Spirit last week we feasted on the body and the blood of Christ and we heard these important
12:31	words broken and shed for you for the Forgiveness of your sins you see you
12:38	have been made holy you have been made righteous all as a gift by our great God
12:45	and savior who wants words of comfort given to you so that you can know that when he comes he’s not coming to judge
12:52	you he’s coming to save you so the unclean will not pass over it and you
12:57	are among those who have been made made clean by Christ it shall belong to those who walk on the way what a fascinating
13:05	passage of scripture it shall belong to those who walk on the way if you know
13:11	your Bible what was the very first name given for Christianity it wasn’t called Christianity it was
13:17	called the way yeah yeah he said wait can that mean yes it does see it means that it should
13:24	belong to those who walk on the way and you are those who are part of the way
13:31	and it says this even if they are fools they shall not go astray that’s good news for me
13:37	sometimes I behave very foolishly no lion shall be there nor any ravenous
13:43	beasts come upon it they shall not be found there but the redeemed shall walk there that’s you and The Ransom of the
13:51	Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing That’s you Everlasting Joy shall
13:56	be upon their heads they shall obtain gladness and joy and sorrow and sighing
14:02	shall flee away what a beautiful picture of what is
14:07	coming and all of this is because of God’s great love and mercy to you and for you
14:14	in Christ and so then Jesus then continues in Our Gospel text with these words blessed is
14:20	the one who is not offended by me now there’s this weird statement that
14:26	people make from time to time in the church world and that is they say something to the effect of well
14:31	unbelievers really like Jesus but they don’t really like his followers so much and I understand what they’re kind of
14:37	getting at I mean have you ever run into a cranky Christian they’re kind of difficult to deal with but I don’t think
14:43	that’s really quite right because Jesus says blessed is the one who’s not offended by me and you think well what
14:49	has Jesus done that’s so offensive well read your Bible I mean what were the
14:54	people who were always grumbling and offended by Jesus saying oh he eats with sinners
15:01	I can’t believe he’s hanging out with the tax collectors and those prostitutes
15:07	and that Riff Raff it was offensive
15:12	well see the thing is the reason why it would be offensive is because the person making such a claim doesn’t realize that
15:18	they too are part of that riffraff they think that they’re not when in fact they
15:23	are and so the offense of Jesus is the offense of the Forgiveness of sins for
15:29	all sinners and so this is why Paul says in Romans chapter 1 starting in verse 16
15:35	I’m not ashamed of the Gospel and the gospel truly is shameful for
15:40	those who well are trying to save themselves for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes first to the
15:47	Jew and also to the Greek for in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for Faith as it is
15:54	written the righteous shall live by faith the Apostle Paul in First Corinthians chapter 1 starting at Verse
16:00	18 talks more about this offense of the cross the offense of Christ and he
16:06	writes the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing
16:13	ever thought about that it’s Folly seriously you believe that
16:18	the Son of God died for my sins really
16:23	you’re saying that God is wrathful and that that my bad Deeds have to be atoned
16:30	for in such a terrible way well yeah without the shedding of blood there is
16:36	no forgiveness of sins so the word of the Cross well it’s Folly to those who are perishing but to us who
16:42	are being saved it’s the power of God it is written I will destroy the wisdom of the wise the discernment of the
16:49	Discerning Eye will thwart where is the wise one where is the Scribe where is
16:54	the debater of this age has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world where is
17:00	the self-help Guru the vision casting leader yeah the people who say oh it’s
17:05	really easy to live a Victorious Life all you have to do is apply these three simple steps that I have discovered and
17:12	then people will sit there and go it worked for me and if you sign up now you can pay for this program with three easy
17:18	payments of 99.95 a month we’re always being sold these things the
17:24	wisdom of the world tells you you can just be whatever you want to be just try
17:31	hard follow our program these three easy steps and we’ll even throw in a vegematic
17:36	free of charge and a pair of Ginsu knives to help and everyone says oh yes this is the
17:44	truth but see the word of the Cross tells you yeah none of that ain’t gonna work there’s not a thing you can do you
17:49	are stuck you need to be saved and Christ has done it all for you so has not God made foolish the wisdom
17:57	of the world for since in the wisdom of the world the world did not know God through wisdom it pleased God through
18:03	the Folly of what we preach notice the cross we preach the Folly of the Cross
18:08	and it’s through the preaching of this Folly that God Saves those who believe
18:13	for Jews demand signs Greeks seek wisdom but we preach Christ crucified total
18:19	stumbling block to Jews Folly to Gentiles but to those who are called both Jews and Greeks Christ is the power
18:25	of God and the wisdom of God for the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger
18:32	than men and you’ll notice here God intentionally according to this verse has chosen a well to the world’s eyes
18:39	something foolish something silly something dumb something weak and what
18:46	is more weak than God nursing at the breast of the Virgin Mary needing his
18:53	diapers changed what is more weak than that oh I know God laying down his life
18:59	and dying for our sins rather than pulling out his flaming sword and
19:04	glopping off the head of all the wicked evildoers Jesus didn’t do any of that he came in
19:11	weakness he came in foolishness and the world expects power money Prestige
19:18	Wealth and Jesus comes with none of that he’s from Nazareth
19:25	the town of like 50 people poverty stricken like you wouldn’t believe can anything come good come from Nazareth
19:35	hmm so God the foolishness of God is wiser than men
19:41	the weakness of God is stronger than men pulse says and he notes this the
19:47	beginning of chapter two when I came to you Brothers the Apostle Paul says I did not come proclaiming to you the
19:52	testimony of God with lofty speech or with wisdom I decided to know nothing
19:59	among you except for Jesus Christ and him crucified
20:05	nothing there is nothing that’s the wisdom of God that’s the
20:10	message that saves the actions of our Messiah who comes to earth born an
20:16	abject poverty goes to the cross with nothing and in shame and bleeds and dies
20:21	for us so that we might live so Jesus again notes that blessed is the one who is not
20:28	offended by me and believe me the cross is really offensive to the world
20:35	then Jesus then continues so they went away John’s disciples went away and so Jesus
20:41	gives us a little bit of a note about John the Baptist Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John
20:47	what did you go out into the Wilderness to see Reed shaken by the wind
20:54	interesting statement was John A Reed shaken by the wind if you want to know what that really is think of the
21:00	Theologian or the pastor or the person who sits there and takes their finger their theological finger licks it sticks
21:07	it up into the wind and if the winds are blowing this way they kind of lean that way if the winds are blowing this way they’re kind of leaning this way right
21:14	the person who has no spine they like choose to blend in was John the Baptist like that
21:20	I’m not even close you brutal vipers who warned you to flee the Wrath to come I
21:27	don’t think you could say to yourself that Abraham is our father that doesn’t sound like a reed blowing in the wind
21:34	not at all his message was repent and if he weren’t really all that interested in it he’d
21:40	spit a grasshopper leg in your face and then tell it to you again so did you go out into the Wilderness to
21:46	see a reed shaken by the wind everyone’s like No And this is the reason why we know that John’s really
21:52	not doubting here he was not that so what did you go out to see
21:57	a man dressed in soft clothing no John the Baptist looked like a
22:04	homeless person I mean we’re not sure where he got his camel hair jacket from but I’m pretty
22:11	sure it wasn’t Nordstrom’s and that belt yeah I don’t see that as
22:17	any of like the fashionable accessories for this Christmas to be buying nope none of that
22:23	so no he wasn’t that he says behold those who wear soft clothing there in King’s houses well what then did you go
22:30	out to see and listen carefully a prophet yes and I tell you more than a prophet
22:39	and that’s what John is he’s a prophet and a little bit more this is he of whom
22:44	it is written behold I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you
22:50	now to kind of show how John the Baptist was a prophet and more than a prophet
22:55	you kind of have to think of it this way this time of the year they have Christmas parades and I always find it
23:02	fascinating that all of the Christmas parades the person of honor at the end of the parade it isn’t Jesus it’s always
23:08	Santa Claus now if that doesn’t seem backwards upside down and inside out I don’t know what does but let’s just kind
23:14	of roll with this fact for a second here and we all know how the parades work you got the kind of the okay bands from that
23:20	like weird school that kind of start the parade off and then you got the Boy Scouts the Girl Scouts and and as you
23:26	get closer and closer to Santa Claus the well the the parade gets a little bit
23:31	better the bands start to have a little bit more skill and the costumes get a
23:37	little well better you know they put some money and thought into it and right before Santa Claus appears I mean the
23:43	parade looks like I mean they spent a truckload of money and so the guys who
23:48	appeared just before Santa Claus us they’re the best dress but they’re all kind of heralding the arrival of Santa
23:54	Claus Don’s kind of like that you got the prophets and then as you get
23:59	closer he’s the prophet right before Jesus and he gets to do way more than any Prophet ever did now like I told you
24:07	at the beginning of the sermon I totally nerd it out in my sermon prep I found a quote from a church father that we don’t
24:14	even know who he was we found this in a parchment and while
24:20	the author’s name was missing so we don’t know who actually who wrote this was it Ambrose was it Augustine was it
24:27	irenaeus we don’t know but listen to this one of the church fathers writing on this said where Jesus says yes I tell
24:34	you more than a prophet he asked the question now it is the task of a prophet to foretell Christ but was it also the
24:42	task of a prophet to recognize God while he was still implanted in the womb
24:47	you think about this the prophets of old they pointed to Jesus but John the Baptist began pointing to Jesus well
24:54	think of it this way y’all remember your little babies first babies you brought home like what was the thing you were
25:00	always so like fascinated with there cute little tiny fingers and toes okay so there’s John the Baptist in utero
25:07	right and his mother is now six months pregnant and there’s his tiny little
25:12	fingers inside of his mother’s womb and Jesus shows up in the womb of Mary and he’s going that’s him that’s him that’s
25:18	him which prophet got to do that
25:24	only John the Baptist it was also the task of a prophet to
25:30	recognize God while he was okay is it it is the task of a prophet to receive prophecy in exchange for a worthy way of
25:36	life but was it the task of a prophet to be made a profit before being made a man
25:42	and before receiving any reward see John the Baptist was set aside to be a prophet before he was even created it is
25:48	the task of a prophet to receive blessing from God but is it the task of a prophet to confer the blessing of
25:55	baptism on God which of the prophets can say I got to baptize God
26:00	John kind of protested at that particular task it didn’t even make sense it is the task of a prophet to
26:07	speak of Christ before his time but um but is it the task of a prophet to
26:13	stand face to face with Christ and point him out with his own fingers it is the task of a prophet to give prophecies
26:19	about God but is it the task of a prophet that God should make prophecies about the prophet himself and you’ll
26:26	note this that John the Baptist a prophet actually has a prophecy about him
26:31	which of the other prophets can say that so he’s a prophet and way more than a
26:37	prophet he was the one of whom it was said behold I send my messenger before
26:42	your face so Jesus says truly I say to you among those born of women there has
26:47	arisen no one greater than John the Baptist yet and listen carefully the one who is
26:54	least in the Kingdom of Heaven now Jesus flips eschatologically fast forwarding
26:59	to that day when Eden slips her bounds and takes over the whole earth and we are on the Highway of Holiness he says
27:05	in that day the person who is the least in the Kingdom of Heaven the least and
27:11	you sit there and go I might qualify for that yeah me too right the least in the
27:17	Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he by virtue of well the conferred
27:22	righteousness of God so from the days of John the Baptist until now
27:27	the Kingdom of Heaven has suffered violence indeed it has Christians are persecuted to this day around the world
27:33	the violent try to take it by force but you can’t barge your way into the Kingdom of Heaven for all the prophets
27:40	in the law they prophesied listen to this this important word all the prophets in the law prophesied until
27:47	John it’s as if Jesus is saying they’ve done their job we don’t need them anymore
27:54	and that’s right we don’t because the book of Hebrews begins with the words that in the past and various in many
28:01	ways God spoke through the prophets but now in these last days he’s spoken to us by his son
28:07	see all the prophets point to him and now that Jesus has arrived we don’t need them anymore
28:13	we don’t we have the complete word of God God himself completing the task
28:20	through his Apostles that he sent so all the prophets in the law prophesied until John and if you are
28:26	willing to accept it he is the Elijah who is to come he who has ears to ear let him hear
28:33	and so in light of all of this and this theme this theme of the coming great
28:39	kingdom of God were even the least of us is greater than John the Baptist
28:45	in light of all of that’s coming this arrival of our savior will let James Jesus’s half-brother
28:53	give us the last words of encouragement be patient be patient Brothers until the coming of
29:00	the Lord see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and I must
29:06	confess before coming to Kong’s vinger this was a very abstract concept for me but some of you know exactly what this
29:13	means you plant your seeds in springtime and you wait patiently and you pray for
29:19	good weather see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the Earth being patient about it until it receives
29:24	the early and the late rains you also be patient
29:30	establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand
29:35	do not Grumble against one another brothers so that you may not be judged behold the judge is sitting at the door
29:44	notice Jesus is right at the door that door is about ready to open kind of an
29:50	important thing so in light of that be patient don’t Grumble against each other and we have
29:57	now an example as an example of suffering impatience Brothers take the prophets who spoke in the name
30:04	of the Lord including John the Baptist notice the patience with which that they
30:10	suffered for proclaiming the truth and proclaiming Christ behold we consider those who remained steadfast blessed
30:19	indeed we have the one who finishes this course in the faith is truly blessed you
30:24	have heard of the steadfastness of job oh that’s quite the book and you have
30:30	seen the purpose of the Lord and listen to these words how the Lord is compassionate
30:37	and he’s merciful brothers and sisters there’s a new world coming behold Christ is making all things new he’s sitting at
30:45	the door about ready to open it the new world will be here before you can well
30:51	blink your eyes and Eden will return and overtake the
30:56	whole new Earth The Highway of Holiness we will all be traveling on it and singing the Praises of our great God and
31:04	King as we go to that place that New Jerusalem to see our God and behold his
31:10	majesty and worship him in awe and wonder it is just around the corner be patient
31:17	be steadfast because our Lord is compassionate and merciful remain in his
31:22	Mercy remain in his grace continue to look to the Future in Hope because you
31:29	are in Christ you have been made holy you are forgiven in the name of Jesus
31:34	amen

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