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Series A – Reformation Sunday – Sunday, October 29, 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
0:28	the holy Gospel According to Saint
0:30	Matthew chapter 11 verses 12-19
0:34	from the days of John the Baptist until
0:35	now the Kingdom of Heaven has suffered
0:38	violence and the violent take it by
0:40	force
0:41	for all the prophets in the law
0:42	prophesied until John and if you are
0:44	willing to accept it he is the Elijah
0:47	who is to come he who has ears let him
0:49	hear
0:50	but to what shall I compare this
0:52	generation
0:53	it’s like children sitting in the
0:55	marketplaces and calling to their
0:56	Playmates we played the flute for you
0:58	and you did not dance we sang a dirge
1:01	and you did not mourn for John came
1:03	neither eating nor drinking and they say
1:05	he has a demon the son of man came
1:07	eating and drinking and they say look at
1:09	him a glutton and a drunkard and a
1:12	friend of tax collectors and sinners yet
1:14	wisdom is justified by her Deeds
1:17	is the gospel of the Lord in the name of
1:20	Jesus
1:22	so today we recognize and we celebrate
1:25	the 500th anniversary of the Reformation
1:28	the posting of the 95 Theses on the door
1:31	of the castle Church in Wittenberg
1:34	and let me say if you were hoping to
1:36	hear a really long history lesson on the
1:39	Reformation today then I must
1:41	say that I’m going to disappoint you my
1:44	job is to preach the word
1:46	and if we’re going to honor the
1:48	Reformation we must honor God’s word and
1:52	recognize that we celebrate not Martin
1:55	Luther but what we celebrate is that God
1:58	miraculously chose to have mercy on us
2:01	by allowing once again the gospel to
2:05	Break Forth into the church where it had
2:07	been covered up by all kinds of man-made
2:10	doctrines and traditions that obscured
2:12	the glory of Christ and Confused
2:15	salvation and turned it into a work that
2:19	something that we somehow had to
2:21	accomplish by our moralizing life our
2:25	prayers to Saints and things of that
2:28	nature so we must again return then and
2:32	study God’s word and the Very text that
2:35	led to this outbreak of the Gospel 500
2:38	years ago which we celebrate as a
2:40	reformation and so we’re going to return
2:42	then to our epistle text to Romans
2:45	chapter 3 and we’re going to back up in
2:47	the context just a little bit starting
2:50	at verse 9 line so that we can see what
2:52	this amazing text teaches regarding the
2:55	fact that we are saved not by our works
2:58	but that we are saved purely by God’s
3:01	grace because of what Christ has done
3:03	for us and his grace and his Mercy now
3:07	in order to help frame our sermon today
3:10	I have to give you two slight anecdotal
3:13	stories just to kind of set up a little
3:15	bit of a frame and we’ll work with both
3:17	of them throughout the sermon I don’t
3:19	know if any of you noticed this but
3:21	Christmas was all gospel when we were
3:24	children it turned into law when we had
3:26	children let me explain when we were
3:29	children Christmas was like the best
3:31	thing ever in fact I loved Christmas
3:34	because these magical things would
3:36	happen decorations would go up and
3:38	basically that time from about
3:40	Thanksgiving Eve until Christmas took
3:43	about 10 years at least it felt like it
3:45	took 10 years with all of the
3:46	anticipation with all of the lights the
3:48	glitter the songs the Christmas specials
3:52	on television oh man I loved it and of
3:54	course going and visiting Santa while I
3:57	still believed in Santa and telling him
3:59	all that I wanted for Christmas and it
4:00	magically appearing under the tree right
4:03	oh I loved sitting underneath the
4:05	Christmas tree looking at the presents
4:07	shaking the boxes and stuff like it was
4:09	all gift
4:11	then
4:12	then I had kids
4:15	and it became all law because the
4:18	Christmas Bill showed up on my bank
4:20	account all right I’m just saying and
4:23	then these terrible things happened as
4:26	my daughters got older they would get
4:29	gifts that were large boxes and on the
4:32	box were these words
4:34	some assembly required
4:38	now I don’t know if any of you have
4:39	experienced this particular form of
4:41	torture okay but oh man the worst one
4:45	ever was the Barbie Dream House
4:47	I still am in therapy to this day
4:50	because that when some assembly required
4:53	hog wash you practically needed a
4:56	building permit to get that thing going
4:58	and you can tell that by the end of the
5:01	many hours that I put into constructing
5:03	the Barbie dream house I was at I was
5:06	just gone and because the stickers at
5:08	the very end peeling those little things
5:11	off and putting them in their proper
5:12	places and looking on those instructions
5:14	written in French you know to put them
5:16	in the right places was a mess
5:18	okay and it got so bad that I was just
5:20	kind of going putting him anywhere and I
5:22	heard these words dad right
5:25	that’s not where they go
5:28	now I want you to think of it this way
5:30	many people think that salvation is like
5:34	the Barbie Dream House
5:36	some assembly required
5:40	it takes effort on our part in order to
5:44	be saved the scripture teaches something
5:47	completely different
5:48	so that’s anecdotal Story number one
5:51	anecdotal Story number two to help us
5:53	frame our text is something I have not
5:55	publicly spoken about ever but I think
5:58	it Bears discussing at this point
6:01	because it fits perfectly with a very
6:04	important portion of our text when I was
6:06	a youth I used to attend a summer camp
6:09	put on by an organization known as the
6:12	care youth league and I played football
6:14	with them played baseball with this
6:16	group and when I went to their summer
6:18	camps these were Christian summer camps
6:20	and I need to tell you that this was one
6:23	of the places where it was reinforced in
6:26	my mind and I was taught explicitly that
6:28	salvation is my doing that I had to
6:32	show God that I was serious about him
6:36	through my moral life and things like
6:38	this and the way they had the camp set
6:41	up when you would show up the first day
6:43	everybody at the campfire time was given
6:46	a neckerchief of the same color
6:49	and
6:51	if you were good and you demonstrated
6:54	that the camp counselors that you were
6:56	serious about your walk with Jesus
6:58	during the campfire time every night
7:01	they would either promote you or demote
7:04	you and the goal was to get the golden
7:07	neckerchief
7:09	right below the golden neckerchief was
7:11	the blue knackered shift now I got to
7:14	tell you I applied myself rigorously to
7:17	achieving the gold neckerchief I really
7:20	tried I made sure that when I was
7:22	reading my Bible I was reading my Bible
7:24	in places where the camp counselors can
7:26	see me reading my Bible that whenever it
7:28	became time for somebody to pray I was
7:31	always the first to volunteer and pray
7:33	out loud that I was always helping out
7:35	with the dishes don’t talk to me about
7:37	this
7:39	I was trying to get the gold neckerchief
7:41	all right all right
7:45	and I actually achieved blue
7:49	I achieved the blue neckerchief and I
7:51	got to tell you
7:52	that when I had that blue neckerchief oh
7:56	man was my ego inflated beyond all
8:00	reason I was strutting around going I’ve
8:03	got a blue negative
8:04	I’m holier than you are right because
8:07	take a look it’s blue I’m only one step
8:10	away from gold that’s what I was saying
8:12	inside of my heart
8:15	awful Isn’t it
8:17	I should have been given a black one
8:21	keep that in mind let’s go back to our
8:23	text Romans chapter 3 verse 9.
8:26	Paul writing to Christians who are
8:29	genetically Jewish descendants of
8:31	Abraham who are in the church
8:33	in Rome he says this
8:36	what then are we Jews any better off
8:39	no not at all
8:41	for we’ve already charged that all by
8:43	the way all here means all both Jews and
8:46	Greeks are under sin as it is written
8:49	and here Paul then quotes Psalm 14 and
8:51	Psalm 53. none
8:55	is righteous
8:56	no not one no one understands no one
9:01	seeks for God all have turned aside
9:04	together they have become worthless
9:05	there is no one who does good not even
9:10	one
9:13	that’s me
9:14	that’s you this is the Law’s verdict
9:18	about all of us it’s a very unflattering
9:21	picture
9:23	but the reality is it’s true
9:25	Paul then continues their throat is an
9:27	open grave they use their tongues to
9:29	deceive the Venom of asps is under their
9:32	lips their mouth is full of curses and
9:34	bitterness their feet are Swift to shed
9:36	blood in their paths are ruined and
9:39	misery and the way of peace they have
9:41	not known there is no fear of God before
9:45	their eyes
9:48	this is the Law’s verdict about all of
9:51	us
9:52	verse 19. now we know that whatever the
9:55	law says it speaks to those who are
9:57	under the law so that every mouth may be
10:00	stopped and the whole world may be held
10:02	accountable to God you see we look at
10:04	God’s law we look at the Ten
10:06	Commandments and they condemn us and
10:09	show that we are not measuring up and we
10:11	think the solution to silencing the
10:14	condemnation of the law is for us to try
10:17	harder to do gooder to be better
10:20	you cannot yeah it was bad grammar on
10:23	purpose I’m making a point
10:25	right
10:28	you cannot silence the law in this way
10:30	in fact this text makes it very clear
10:32	what the purpose of the law is now I
10:35	remember years ago there was a time my
10:37	kids broke the fourth Commandment you
10:39	know the honor of your father and mother
10:40	and I was saying something of course I
10:43	was pontificating and just being silly
10:44	when my son turns to me and he says Dad
10:47	zip
10:51	what’s zip
10:53	why are you doing zip to me right he’s
10:55	i’ll zip it
10:57	and I said
10:59	that was kind of funny at the time right
11:01	we all kind of get the idea it’s a
11:03	little cute thing
11:05	but see here’s the thing that’s what the
11:07	law is doing to us
11:10	you sit there and you say God but I’m a
11:12	good person
11:15	I really meant well
11:17	my intentions were good
11:20	right this is what the law is doing to
11:22	us telling us to be quiet and it’s hard
11:27	for us to do because we know that the
11:29	law is condemning us we know that we are
11:31	nailed to the wall there’s no way of
11:33	getting out of this and so we’re trying
11:34	to kind of creatively figure out how we
11:37	can use our words to Wiggle out in this
11:39	situation but the law won’t let you do
11:41	that
11:42	so this is why he says
11:44	we know whatever the law says it speaks
11:46	to those who are under the law so that
11:47	every mouth may be stopped
11:49	and the whole world may be held
11:51	accountable to God which is an extremely
11:53	uncomfortable space to be in
11:56	and so here’s the reason why verse 20.
11:59	for by works of the law no human being
12:03	will be justified in God’s sight since
12:06	through the law comes the knowledge of
12:09	sin
12:12	if you plan on standing before God on
12:15	the day of judgment
12:17	and say to him I should be led into
12:19	heaven because I paid my taxes I never
12:22	went to prison and I burned my Beatles
12:26	White Album and listened only to
12:28	Christian music you will not be saved
12:33	by works of the law no human being not
12:37	one will be justified big word in the
12:39	Greek
12:41	it means to be declared righteous it is
12:44	a judge term our equivalent is when the
12:47	gavel slaps down and the judge says not
12:50	guilty that’s what dikayao is no one
12:53	will no human being will be declared
12:56	righteous declared not guilty in God’s
12:58	sight by works of the law
13:00	the purpose of the law is not to save
13:03	you the purpose of the law is to condemn
13:05	you
13:06	it is to show you your sin
13:10	and so we human beings being the
13:12	idolaters that we are we hear the Law’s
13:15	condemnation and it resonates in our
13:17	hearts because God’s word says the law
13:19	of God is written in our hearts
13:21	look around when you watch the news on
13:24	you know at night right which I’ve given
13:26	up on it makes me depressed but when you
13:29	watch the news everything assumed on the
13:32	news assumes God’s law that there’s a
13:35	standard that the bad news you’re
13:37	hearing about that bad guy who did that
13:40	bad thing or that bad woman who did that
13:42	terrible thing or that egregious
13:44	politician who said that outrageous
13:46	thing all of it assumes
13:49	God’s law
13:51	otherwise none of the things we see on
13:53	the news would scandalize us
13:56	and the reason for that is because we
13:58	have God’s law written on our hearts
14:00	and we feel a little bit better about
14:02	ourselves when we see just how screwed
14:05	up somebody else is I mean I’m guilty of
14:07	this have you ever watched reality TV
14:09	and say well after watching how screwed
14:11	up they are I kind of feel normal
14:14	right
14:15	I think that’s the purpose of reality TV
14:19	but see God’s law condemns us all and
14:22	that anxiety that we feel from God’s law
14:24	we all feel it in our hearts have you
14:25	ever woken up in the middle of the night
14:27	literally kind of woken up with a start
14:29	going I’m gonna die someday and stand
14:32	before God what am I going to say
14:36	that’s your sinful flesh going I know
14:38	I’ve screwed up and I haven’t worked out
14:41	my angle yet
14:44	there’s no angle to work
14:47	and trying harder and doing gooder will
14:49	not save you
14:52	by works of the law no human being will
14:54	be justified in God’s sight and this is
14:56	the great doctrine of the Reformation
14:58	verse 21
15:00	but now the righteousness of God it’s
15:04	his righteousness not yours the
15:07	righteousness of God has been manifested
15:09	apart from the law although the law and
15:11	the prophets they bear witness to it
15:14	this is the righteousness of God that is
15:16	through faith in Jesus Christ for all
15:19	who believe
15:21	good way to think of this verse
15:23	it is literally promising that God’s
15:25	righteousness is given to all who
15:27	believe in Jesus Christ
15:31	doesn’t get any better than God’s
15:33	righteousness does it and that’s given
15:35	to us as a gift
15:37	for all have sinned and fall short of
15:39	the glory
15:40	of God
15:43	and are justified by his grace
15:47	as a gift
15:50	and I need to note here
15:52	this gift
15:54	is completely assembled for you no
15:57	assembly required
16:00	it is given all or Justified as a gift
16:03	by his grace through the Redemption that
16:06	is in Christ Jesus and you notice what’s
16:08	going to be at the very heart and center
16:09	of this it’s the cross
16:12	the cross is literally the beating heart
16:16	of our Salvation here’s what he says
16:21	through the Redemption that is in Christ
16:23	Jesus whom God put forward as a
16:26	propitiation you can say atoning
16:28	Sacrifice by his blood to be received by
16:33	faith you see brothers and sisters the
16:35	cross demands salvation by grace through
16:37	faith
16:38	if you’re trying to save yourself you
16:40	don’t need a crucified and Risen Savior
16:43	if you’re trying to save yourself you
16:45	just need a good plan to figure out how
16:47	to keep God’s law and best of luck to
16:49	you
16:51	because scripture says no one’s going to
16:53	be saved that way but you’re going to
16:55	see it’s the cross that makes all the
16:57	difference
16:58	because on that cross Jesus
17:03	took all of our sin upon himself
17:06	and he bled and died for your sins and
17:10	mine even the sin of trying to save
17:13	yourself
17:15	by your own good works
17:18	so God put him forward as an atoning
17:20	sacrifice through his blood to be
17:22	received by faith this was to show God’s
17:25	righteousness because in his Divine
17:26	forbearance he had passed over the
17:28	former sins it was to show his
17:30	righteousness at the present time so
17:32	that he might be just in the justifier
17:35	of the one who has
17:37	Faith the one who simply trusts in Jesus
17:43	so then the question comes up next think
17:45	of it this way if all have sinned and
17:48	fall short and anyone who is saved is
17:51	saved purely by Grace as a gift is there
17:55	any room for boasting in that way of
17:58	thinking
17:59	no we’re all equal before God as Sinners
18:02	and anybody who is saved has been saved
18:06	because of God’s grace God’s mercy God’s
18:09	love which he demonstrated by bleeding
18:12	and dying for sinful Rebels like you and
18:14	like me
18:16	you deserve hell
18:18	and I’m going to give you Heaven instead
18:20	as a gift
18:21	there’s no room for boasting and that
18:23	scheme is there
18:24	so then the question comes up so what
18:26	then Becomes of our boasting let’s go
18:29	back to care youth league summer camp so
18:32	there I was
18:34	we’re more than halfway through and I
18:37	had a blue neckerchief
18:40	and my internal self-righteousness and
18:42	arrogance was literally pegging on the
18:45	extreme end of the needle right
18:50	next night
18:52	I was expecting I was going to win that
18:54	gold
18:56	neckerchief
18:58	I didn’t
19:00	I still kept the blue one
19:02	and I was angry because I was doing
19:04	everything I knew to get their attention
19:07	to show them what a good boy that I was
19:11	and I felt bad for one poor fellow that
19:13	particular day because as we were on a
19:16	Day hike
19:17	he had his green neckerchief taken away
19:22	from him and he was given a black
19:23	neckerchief because while we were on a
19:25	Day hike he was singing a rolling stone
19:28	song
19:32	you can’t do that black neckerchief for
19:35	you on the spot
19:37	I’m thinking well at least I’m not like
19:39	that guy I don’t even listen to the
19:40	stones
19:42	all right next day campfire time
19:48	I didn’t get a gold neckerchief it
19:50	stayed blue
19:52	I was Furious
19:54	and in anger and disgust I stood up took
19:59	my blue neckerchief off threw it on the
20:01	ground and smooshed it and stomped it
20:04	and said what do I need to do in order
20:05	to get a gold neckerchief
20:08	and there it was
20:10	you self-righteous little jerk
20:15	right
20:16	to which I was demoted and got a black
20:18	one
20:19	and rightfully so
20:22	all right
20:23	so you’ll notice that when we’re judging
20:26	each other based upon our righteousness
20:28	it creates a pecking order and the
20:30	people at the top of the pecking order
20:32	are absolutely arrogant and boastful
20:35	which is one of the reasons why they
20:37	hate the gospel because the gospel makes
20:40	everybody equal
20:43	sinners
20:44	so what then Becomes of our boasting
20:47	Paul asks it’s excluded by what kind of
20:51	law by a law of Works no by the law of
20:55	faith
20:56	for we hold that one is justified by
20:59	faith apart from the works of the law
21:02	there is no boasting in Christianity
21:04	none whatsoever
21:06	and our hymn that we opened up with
21:08	Amazing Grace How Sweet the Sound you
21:10	all know the story of the fellow who
21:12	wrote that right
21:14	he was a slave trader
21:18	he literally was a captain on a slave
21:21	ship
21:23	he was responsible literally
21:25	for taking thousands of Africans from
21:28	Africa and transporting them across the
21:31	Atlantic
21:32	to the Americas to be sold on the slave
21:35	block
21:36	many of them didn’t make the crossing
21:39	many of them died and he threw their
21:41	carcasses over the ship
21:44	treated them as if they were animals
21:48	some music people actually
21:51	speculate
21:53	and they’ve made the case that the tune
21:55	itself
21:59	[Music]
22:02	was not a tune that he wrote
22:06	but that was a tune that he heard the
22:09	Africans singing
22:11	in mourning
22:14	for them being enslaved
22:17	and being transferred against their will
22:19	across the Atlantic and many of them
22:21	dying being sick
22:23	so he takes that slave tune that he
22:26	heard
22:28	and after he hears the gospel
22:32	he repents
22:35	and he recognizes that he is not
22:37	righteous and what he has done is sinful
22:38	beyond measure and that he truly
22:41	deserves help
22:43	and that’s the gospel
22:45	That’s the Law at least a portion of it
22:47	that we deserve hell
22:50	and he eventually becomes a pastor and
22:52	he writes the tomb and what are the
22:54	opening words
22:55	Amazing Grace How Sweet the Sound
22:59	that saved a Wretch like Me
23:03	I once was lost
23:05	but now I’m found I was blind
23:09	but now I see
23:15	don’t ever sing those words
23:17	without saying that’s me
23:24	that’s what the Reformation is all about
23:27	that’s the gospel that was recovered 500
23:30	years ago
23:31	and that’s what we all need to hear
23:33	the good news
23:35	that none is righteous all have sinned
23:37	and fall short
23:39	that none will be justified in God’s
23:42	sight by works of the law
23:44	that all have sinned and fall short of
23:46	the glory of God and are saved purely by
23:49	his grace and his Mercy
23:52	as a gift
23:54	no assembly required
23:58	in the name of Jesus
24:00	amen

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