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Series A – Second Wednesday in Advent – Thursday, December 8, 2022 | 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
0:27	The holy Gospel
0:29	According to Saint Luke the first
0:30	chapter
0:32	now the birth of Jesus Christ took place
0:35	in this way when his mother Mary had
0:37	been betrothed to Joseph before they
0:39	came together she was found to be with
0:41	child from the Holy Spirit and her
0:44	husband Joseph being a just man and
0:46	unwilling to put her to shame resolved
0:48	to divorce her quietly but as he
0:51	considered these things behold an angel
0:53	of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
0:55	saying Joseph son of David do not fear
0:58	to take Mary as your wife for that which
1:00	is conceived in her is from the Holy
1:03	Spirit she will bear a son and you shall
1:06	call his name Jesus for he will save his
1:09	people from their sins all this took
1:12	place to fulfill what the Lord had
1:13	spoken by the prophet behold the Virgin
1:16	shall conceive and bear a son and they
1:19	shall call his name Emmanuel which means
1:22	god with us when Joseph woke from sleep
1:25	he did as the angel of the Lord
1:27	commanded him he took his wife but knew
1:30	her not until she had given birth to a
1:33	son and he called his name Jesus in the
1:36	name of Jesus
1:38	ah
1:40	interesting how things work out over
1:43	time I remember when I was in high
1:45	school I really was a fan of Apple
1:49	computer
1:51	I knew something about computers because
1:53	when I was in high school I taught
1:55	myself how to program computers in in
1:58	two different languages and my parents
2:00	always thought it was really kind of
2:02	interesting that I had taken a liking to
2:04	Computing and they I always found ways
2:06	of making my own applications when I was
2:08	a kid in order to enjoy my type of humor
2:11	which we won’t get into because usually
2:13	it involves flatulence but all of that
2:15	being said when the Macintosh came out
2:19	I realized that it was groundbreaking
2:20	and that it was going to change
2:22	Computing completely because my mom had
2:25	one of those old compacts all right you
2:27	remember compact computers with the
2:30	Amber screen with that with the Dos
2:32	prompts and and learning how to actually
2:36	use a compact computer with an Amber
2:38	screen for the purpose of typing a paper
2:41	was just an arduous thing you had to
2:45	know all of these different keywords
2:46	that you had to type in at just the
2:48	right time in order to do it certain
2:49	things it was not simple it was not
2:52	straightforward and when I saw the
2:54	Macintosh come out I decided it was time
2:57	to save up money in order to get myself
3:00	one so between high school and my first
3:03	year of college I worked two jobs and I
3:06	really like burnt myself out doing it
3:08	during the day I worked at a restaurant
3:10	called Islands Restaurant in Pasadena
3:13	California as a as a busboy and and a
3:16	host and then at night you know in the
3:18	middle we hours of the night I threw the
3:20	Los Angeles Times you know didn’t do it
3:23	on a bicycle did it in my car and so I
3:26	would basically you know it was just one
3:28	of these crazy things I would throw the
3:30	paper go home go to sleep wake up go to
3:33	work and then crash again so that I can
3:35	go and at the end of the summer I saved
3:38	up enough money to get my first
3:41	Macintosh
3:43	512k e which means that it could read
3:47	double-sided floppy disks right and it
3:49	was and it was just amazing now here’s
3:52	the issue
3:53	my dad
3:55	took a look at my Macintosh computer and
3:58	said why are you buying a toy
4:01	why are you buying Apple isn’t going to
4:03	be around as a company you know for more
4:06	than two or three more years I mean this
4:08	isn’t a real computer this is a game
4:10	this is this is something that has like
4:12	if you’re really going to get a computer
4:14	you need to get a computer that can be
4:16	used in business that can be used for
4:17	writing term papers and stuff like this
4:19	and he was surprised it actually made it
4:22	through the university rather well using
4:24	my Macintosh 512 k e right and and well
4:30	you’ll note that at the time he really
4:32	thought that Apple wasn’t going to make
4:34	it and I kept telling him Apple’s going
4:37	to do just fine they’re going to be a
4:38	great computer company they’re going to
4:39	be here for a long time not possible not
4:42	possible not possible somewhere after
4:45	the iPhone came out and Apple stocks
4:47	went through the roof my dad actually
4:49	said to me I wish I had listened to you
4:51	and bought Apple stocks back then had I
4:53	done that I’d have millions of dollars
4:55	in the bank
4:57	you know and so you sit there and go
4:59	right now what does this have to do with
5:02	our text
5:03	in Our Gospel text tonight we have
5:06	Joseph
5:07	for all intents and purposes thinking
5:09	exactly rationally the way you should
5:11	because we understand a thing or two
5:15	about human conception we generally know
5:18	that when it takes when it comes to
5:20	human conception it takes two to tango
5:23	and Joseph is absolutely thinking
5:26	correctly here okay Mary has a lover
5:31	this is a fellow that she probably cares
5:33	deeply about they’ve obviously gone
5:36	beyond what they’re supposed to do
5:37	biblically that’ll be between her and
5:40	him and God and he’s decided that he’s
5:43	not going to make a spectacle of it he’s
5:45	going to bow out and so that she can be
5:48	with the man who got her pregnant
5:52	it makes perfect sense
5:56	except for in this particular case
5:59	what Mary told Joseph
6:02	was not a lie
6:05	we know from the Gospel of Luke that the
6:08	angel Gabriel had appeared to Mary
6:11	and the angel Gabriel will hear his
6:13	message in a couple weeks the angel
6:15	Gabriel made it very clear that Mary was
6:18	going to conceive and bear a son and
6:20	this despite the fact that she had not
6:22	been with a man
6:23	and so when she first got pregnant in
6:27	the very early months she spent that
6:29	time with her with Elizabeth the mother
6:32	of John the Baptist but by the time she
6:35	comes back to
6:37	um to Nazareth she’s already got a baby
6:40	bump
6:41	it’s already obvious that she’s pregnant
6:43	and in a small town like this people are
6:45	asking questions and the number one
6:48	person asking questions Joseph
6:50	it doesn’t give us the details
6:52	we don’t know how the conversation
6:55	exactly went we don’t know the exact
6:59	words but it is not too far off the mark
7:03	to basically note that she was
7:06	confronted
7:09	and she said the truth
7:12	that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit
7:16	and you can hear all the way across 2
7:21	000 years of human history you can hear
7:23	the eyes rolling to this day
7:27	right
7:29	she’s saying that she’s pregnant but
7:32	that she’s still a virgin she hasn’t
7:34	touched any any man and this is all the
7:38	doing of God
7:40	right uh-huh
7:44	and the thing is is that who of us could
7:47	fault anyone
7:50	especially Joseph for doubting her
7:53	we’ve all heard people give Tall Tales
7:56	we’ve all heard the wing nut whacker
7:58	Doodles tell the strange stories you
8:01	know that one moment they were in a car
8:04	in Australia and then God teleported in
8:07	the Nova Scotia they led a Revival five
8:10	people came in to the Lord and then
8:12	wished they were vanished off back to
8:14	Australia we’ve all heard stories like
8:16	this right this is the kind of stuff
8:18	that bounds within the charismatic
8:20	movement
8:21	no evidence for it whatsoever and the
8:24	reality is this
8:25	Mary had no evidence
8:29	all she had was the word given to her
8:32	from God by the angel Gabriel
8:39	doesn’t seem like much Moses at least
8:41	had a staff
8:43	and the ability to turn water into blood
8:46	Mary had no signs none
8:49	it was God who was going to have to
8:51	vindicate her
8:52	and it was God who’s going to have to do
8:54	something here because according to the
8:56	Torah what should be taking place at
8:58	this point is Mary taking being taken
9:01	out outside the village and stone to
9:04	death
9:04	they got to ascertain who the father is
9:06	so that he can join her in the afterlife
9:09	that’s what’s supposed to happen here
9:12	but God despite the fact that Mary had
9:15	no defense she had no proof no evidence
9:18	God comes to her Aid because what is at
9:22	going on here is so huge it seems like
9:25	such a small beginning it seems like
9:28	such a false start if you think of it
9:30	this is not the way the story of the
9:32	birth of the savior is to begin and not
9:35	in Triumph but in doubt
9:37	do you believe this or not
9:40	and so our gospel text tells us Joseph
9:43	considered these things and God stepped
9:46	in we don’t know the name of the Angel
9:48	who came was it Jesus the angel of the
9:51	Lord himself the son of God
9:54	or was it Gabriel
9:56	the text doesn’t say
9:58	but Joseph was given a very direct
10:01	very direct
10:04	set of instructions Joseph son of David
10:08	man
10:10	those words in and of themselves almost
10:14	preach a whole sermon God knew exactly
10:16	who Joseph was
10:18	he knew exactly who he was and now the
10:22	Old Testament is starting to crackle
10:24	again because here yet again another
10:27	Joseph is having dreams
10:30	oh something’s going on something’s big
10:33	this is a lot more than meets the eye
10:35	right Joseph son of David do not fear to
10:38	take Mary as your wife for that which is
10:41	conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit
10:45	she will bear a son
10:47	and you shall call his name
10:50	and I believe that Joseph would have
10:52	heard this Angel speaking to him in
10:54	Hebrew
10:55	you shall call his name Yeshua
10:59	Yahweh saves for he will save his people
11:03	from their sins and Matthew notes then
11:06	that as outrageous as it’s like
11:09	unbelievable Unthinkable as this whole
11:12	story is this is exactly what was
11:15	foretold by the prophet Isaiah all this
11:18	took place to fulfill the word of God
11:20	that he had spoken by the prophet Isaiah
11:23	behold the Virgin shall conceive and
11:25	bear a son and you shall call his name
11:28	Emmanuel God With Us
11:32	and in the midst of all of this it seems
11:34	like again like I said such a false
11:36	start like a humble beginning who could
11:39	potent who could see the potential of
11:41	what is going on here and the reality is
11:43	is that the only person who really knew
11:46	what was really going on and what was
11:48	going to be achieved was God himself and
11:51	the Very fact that he was going to send
11:53	us a savior in Jesus’s name itself
11:56	Yeshua Yahweh saves is a huge aspect of
12:00	who Christ is it is practically his
12:04	identity because this is exactly what
12:06	he’s come to do it’s at this point that
12:09	I think it’d be a good idea to fast
12:11	forward because like I’ve pointed out
12:13	you know me talking about Apple computer
12:15	in 2022 as being a successful
12:19	Corporation you know back in the 80s
12:22	that was not a foregone conclusion
12:25	right
12:27	but we can look back now in the history
12:30	of the church and see the Fulfillment of
12:34	these words spoken by this Angel of the
12:36	Lord in Acts chapter 3 we have the
12:39	account of Peter and John going into the
12:42	temple Jesus has been crucified for our
12:45	sins so that we can be saved he’s bodily
12:48	risen from the grave these men touched
12:51	Jesus’s hands and his feet that child
12:54	that zygote That Grew into a fetus and
12:57	grew into an infant and was born and
13:00	then became a toddler and then a grade
13:03	school-aged child and then into his
13:05	teenage years and then to a man he went
13:08	all the way obedient to God to death on
13:12	a cross so that we can be saved and
13:14	these men Peter and John there were
13:15	Witnesses of it they touched his hands
13:17	after he was risen from the dead and
13:19	they watched him Ascend up into heaven
13:22	and be told that he was going to come
13:24	back in the same way
13:29	and now filled with the Holy Spirit they
13:32	are going to go and let the world know
13:34	that they have a savior in Jesus Christ
13:39	and so Peter and John were going up into
13:41	the temple at The Hour of Prayer the
13:43	ninth hour the three three in the
13:46	afternoon hour Christ this is when he
13:49	died on the cross a man who was lame
13:51	from birth was being carried whom they
13:53	laid daily at the Gate of the Temple
13:55	which also proves that Jesus didn’t heal
13:57	everybody that he saw
13:59	right how many times did Jesus walk by
14:02	this fellow if he was laid daily at the
14:04	Gate of the temple that means Jesus
14:05	walked in walked out walked in walked
14:09	out never healed this guy he but he had
14:11	no intention of leaving him like that so
14:13	he there he was and they laid him daily
14:15	at the Gate of the temple that is called
14:16	the beautiful gate to ask for alms of
14:19	those entering the temple and then
14:20	seeing Peter and John about to go into
14:22	the temple he asked to receive alms
14:26	Peter directed his gaze at him as did
14:29	John and said look at us
14:31	and he fixed his attention on them
14:33	expecting to receive something from them
14:35	Peter said I have no silver and gold but
14:38	what I do have I give you in the name of
14:41	Jesus Christ of Nazareth ah his birth
14:45	city is named in his name to not
14:47	distinguish him from all other yeshuas
14:49	rise up and walk
14:52	and he took him by the right hand and
14:54	raised him up and immediately his feet
14:56	and ankles remained strong and leaping
14:59	up he stood and began to walk and
15:01	entered the temple with them
15:03	walking and leaping and praising God and
15:07	all the people saw him walking and
15:08	praising God and they recognized him as
15:10	the one who sat at the beautiful gate of
15:12	the temple asking for alms and they were
15:14	all filled with wonder and amazement and
15:16	what had happened to him
15:18	and while he clung to Peter and John all
15:20	the people utterly astounded ran
15:22	together to them in the Portico called
15:25	Solomons and when Peter saw it he
15:27	addressed the people men of Israel why
15:29	do you wonder at this why do you stare
15:33	at us as though by our own power or
15:36	piety we have made him walk now I would
15:39	note here that’s a pretty big deal
15:42	seeing an actual lame person that
15:44	everybody knows is incapable of Mobility
15:46	who is a genuine who has to
15:49	spend his years asking people begging
15:52	for alms in order to put bread on his
15:54	own table now he’s walking and leaping
15:56	and praising God and the people are
15:57	astounded and Peter is actually kind of
15:59	saying what is going on here chill would
16:02	you this is it’s not like I did this no
16:06	and then he says this the god of Abraham
16:09	the god of Isaac
16:11	the god of Jacob the god of our fathers
16:13	he has glorified his servant Yeshua whom
16:17	you delivered over and denied in the
16:20	presence of pilate when he had decided
16:22	to release him but you denied the holy
16:24	and the righteous one you asked for a
16:26	murderer to be granted to you and you
16:28	killed the author of life I would note
16:31	this is not a very secret friendly
16:33	message this is a little bit on the
16:35	negative side you’re accusing us of
16:37	murder and he’s right
16:39	and you’ll note we justly deserve to be
16:41	in that crowd as well it was our sin
16:43	your sin my sin to put Christ on the
16:45	cross and so Peter getting straight to
16:47	the point you killed the author of life
16:50	but God raised him from the dead and to
16:52	this we Are Witnesses and his name
16:55	Yeshua by faith in his name Yahweh saves
17:00	he has made this man strong whom you see
17:04	and know and the faith that is through
17:07	Jesus has given this man this perfect
17:10	health in the presence of you all
17:12	and now Brothers I know that you acted
17:15	in ignorance as did also your rulers but
17:18	what God foretold by the mouth of all
17:20	the prophets and his Christ that he
17:22	would suffer and thus he fulfilled so
17:24	repent repent therefore turn back from
17:28	your sins so that they may be blotted
17:30	out
17:30	so the times of refreshing may come from
17:33	the presence of God and that he may send
17:36	the Christ appointed for you
17:38	Yeshua Jesus whom Heaven Must receive
17:42	until the time for restoring all things
17:43	about which God spoke by the mouth of
17:46	his holy prophets long ago Moses said
17:48	the Lord God will raise up for you a
17:50	prophet like me from your brothers and
17:52	you shall listen to him in whatever he
17:53	tells you and it shall be that every
17:56	soul who does not listen to that Prophet
17:58	shall be destroyed from the people and
18:00	all the prophets who have spoken from
18:02	Samuel to to those who came after him
18:04	also proclaimed these days you are the
18:07	sons of the prophets and of the Covenant
18:09	that God made with your father saying to
18:11	Abraham and in your Offspring shall all
18:13	the families of the earth be blessed God
18:16	having raised up his servant sent him to
18:18	you first to bless you by turning every
18:22	one of you from your wickedness
18:24	now if as you know
18:28	in the book of Acts when Peter does
18:30	things like this you know has the
18:32	audacity to use and invoke Jesus’s name
18:35	and then somebody is healed and then he
18:38	preaches a big sermon and causes a
18:40	little bit of a Ruckus you’ll note that
18:42	the chief priests and the captain of the
18:44	guard and the people of the temple the
18:45	Sadducees they get really upset they are
18:49	they’re not keen on this they’re trying
18:51	to figure out how to get Twitter to
18:53	cancel him you know to to delete his
18:55	tweets and to get this guy silenced all
18:57	together so they were speaking then to
19:00	the people the priests and the captain
19:01	of the temple and the Sadducees Came
19:02	Upon them they were greatly annoyed
19:05	because they were teaching the people
19:07	and proclaiming and here it is again in
19:10	Jesus the resurrection of the dead in
19:13	his name these things
19:16	oh that name is kind of a big deal right
19:19	so they arrested them put them in
19:21	custody until the next day
19:23	and was already evening but many of
19:25	those who had heard the word they
19:27	believed and the number of the men came
19:29	to about 5 000.
19:31	on the next day their rulers and elders
19:34	and scribes gathered together in
19:35	Jerusalem with anus the high priest
19:37	Caiaphas and John and Alexander and all
19:39	who were of the high Priestly family and
19:42	when they had set them in the midst
19:43	right in the middle of them all they
19:45	inquired by what power
19:48	by what name did you do this
19:53	well you know the name that the angel
19:55	gave to Jesus right
19:58	Yeshua
20:00	so Peter filled with the Holy Spirit
20:01	said to them rulers of the people Elders
20:04	if we’re being examined today concerning
20:06	a good deed done to a crippled Man by
20:09	what means this man has been healed well
20:11	then it be known to all of you and to
20:13	all the people of Israel that by the
20:16	name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
20:19	man there’s a lot and a name here right
20:22	by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
20:25	whom you crucified whom God raised from
20:28	the dead by him this man is standing
20:30	before you well
20:31	this Jesus is the stone that was
20:33	rejected by you the builders which has
20:36	become the Cornerstone
20:38	and there is salvation in no one else
20:42	for there is no other name under Heaven
20:44	given among men
20:46	by which we must
20:48	be saved
20:51	foreign
20:54	and when I saw the boldness of Peter and
20:56	John
20:57	they perceived that they were uneducated
20:58	common men they were astonished they
21:01	recognized that they had been with Jesus
21:04	but seeing the man
21:06	they but seeing the man who was healed
21:09	standing beside them
21:10	they had nothing to say in opposition
21:13	but they commanded them to leave the
21:16	council they conferred with one another
21:17	saying what shall we do with these men
21:19	that it’s a notable sign that has been
21:22	performed through them it’s evident to
21:23	all the inhabitants of Jerusalem we
21:25	cannot deny it but in order that it may
21:27	spread no further we’ve got to put this
21:30	down we can’t go any farther than this
21:33	let us warn them to speak no more to
21:35	anyone
21:38	in this
21:40	name
21:44	have you ever considered how prominent
21:47	that name is
21:49	it’s not a throwaway line in Our Gospel
21:52	text
21:53	we fast forward
21:55	past the birth of Christ past his death
21:58	past his resurrection
22:00	and we can see here now that what
22:03	started off so rough so bumpy God knew
22:07	exactly what he was doing
22:09	and he reiterated the fact that he will
22:15	be the one who saves his people from
22:19	their sins
22:22	Joseph son of David
22:25	do not fear to take Mary as your wife
22:28	that which is conceived in her is from
22:30	the Holy Spirit
22:32	she will bear a son and she did
22:34	you shall call his name Yeshua and he
22:36	did and he for he will save his people
22:39	from their sins and you know what it’s
22:42	exactly what he’s doing today
22:44	we are here today because at the name of
22:48	Jesus every knee shall bow and every
22:50	tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
22:52	to the glory of God the Father we are
22:55	gathered here tonight we are reading the
22:58	scriptures together and meditating on
23:00	his word tonight because it’s by this
23:03	man’s name
23:04	that we have been declared righteous
23:08	we who were born and conceived in sin we
23:12	who have got everything backwards upside
23:14	down and inside out we are so steeped in
23:18	evil that we call evil good
23:22	and worse we call good evil
23:25	we consider true men of God
23:29	to be dangerous while we consider wolves
23:32	to be harmless
23:36	we are inherently idolatrous we are
23:40	sinfully rebellious
23:42	we are steeped in sin and in under the
23:45	bonds and the Dominion of darkness and
23:48	we cannot free ourselves
23:51	but unto us is born a savior
23:55	his name is Yeshua and his is the name
23:59	by which you and I and all who desire to
24:03	be saved will be saved
24:05	he has come to save us and all of this
24:08	was to fulfill the word of God because
24:09	God’s word cannot be broken
24:12	so let us heed the words of the Apostle
24:15	Peter that we repent of our wickedness
24:18	cut off our sins so that times of
24:20	refreshing may come because Jesus has
24:23	died for us he’s risen from the grave
24:25	and ascended he’s coming again and the
24:28	Virgin did Bear a son and he truly is
24:31	Emmanuel
24:32	and we have been saved and by him saving
24:36	us we are now his people
24:39	in the name of Jesus Amen

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