LutheranLectionary.org

1 Year Lectionary – Third Sunday in Lent – Sunday, March 20, 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 according
0:29	to saint luke the 11th chapter
0:32	[Music]
0:39	now Jesus was casting out a demon that
0:41	was mute when the demon had gone out the
0:44	mute man spoke and the people marveled
0:46	but some of them said he casts out
0:48	demons by beausable the prince of demons
0:51	while others to test him kept seeking
0:53	from him a sign from heaven but he
0:55	knowing their thoughts said to them
0:57	every kingdom divided against itself is
0:59	laid waste and a divided household falls
1:03	if satan is also divided against himself
1:05	how will his kingdom stand for you say
1:08	that i cast out demons by beausable and
1:10	if i cast out demons by beelzebub by
1:12	whom do your sons cast them out
1:15	therefore they will be your judges but
1:17	if it is by the finger of god that i
1:19	cast out demons then the kingdom of god
1:21	has come upon you when a strong man
1:23	fully armed guards his own palace his
1:25	goods are safe but when one’s stronger
1:27	then he attacks him and overcomes him he
1:30	takes away his armor in which he trusted
1:32	and divides his spoils whoever is not
1:34	with me is against me whoever does not
1:35	gather with me scatters and when the
1:38	unclean spirit has gone out of a person
1:39	it passes through waterless places
1:41	seeking rest and finding none it says i
1:44	will return to my house from which i
1:46	came and when it comes it finds a house
1:48	swept and put in order and then it goes
1:50	and brings seven other spirits more evil
1:52	than itself and they enter and they
1:54	dwell there and the last state of that
1:56	person is worse than the first as he
1:58	said these things a woman in the crowd
2:00	raised her voice and said to him blessed
2:02	is the womb that bore you and the breast
2:03	that nursed which nursed you
2:06	but he said blessed rather are those who
2:08	hear the word of god and keep it this is
2:10	the gospel of the lord in the name of
2:13	Jesus
2:14	amen all right there’s Jesus and he’s
2:16	casting out a demon this is what Jesus
2:18	does he’s come to set us free from the
2:20	dominion of darkness hear the words of
2:22	the apostle paul in some of the opening
2:25	paragraphs of the book of colossians
2:28	giving thanks to the father who has
2:30	qualified you to share in the
2:33	inheritance of the saints in light he
2:36	has delivered us from the dominion of
2:38	darkness he has transferred us to the
2:40	kingdom of his beloved son in whom we
2:42	have redemption and the forgiveness of
2:45	our sins brothers and sisters sin is not
2:48	something you are capable of releasing
2:49	yourself from i’m not capable of
2:51	releasing myself from it either in fact
2:54	the devil is stronger than we are and
2:57	there is no hope whatsoever if we want
3:00	to go mono amano with the devil of us
3:02	coming out the victors it just doesn’t
3:05	work that way in fact if we don’t have a
3:08	hero i seem to remember that that song
3:11	from was it the 80s i need a hero right
3:14	yeah we all need a hero we most
3:17	definitely
3:18	do
3:19	because
3:20	the devil is stronger
3:22	more powerful we have been put under his
3:25	dominion and he isn’t about to let us go
3:28	but here’s where the story gets
3:30	interesting
3:31	note that in our old testament text
3:34	there’s moses and aaron sent by god for
3:39	what purpose to set the people of israel
3:42	free from slavery to a false god king
3:46	that’s what pharaohs were in this
3:48	particular god king happened to have a
3:50	uniform where he wore a snake hat he
3:52	looked like a cobra guess who’s he’s who
3:54	he is a stand-in for the devil right and
3:57	you’ll note that in this account we have
4:01	moses and aaron being told by god to
4:04	stretch out their staff and strike the
4:06	dust of the earth so that gnats come all
4:08	over the land of egypt and when they did
4:11	so the magicians of pharaoh tried to do
4:15	that as well you’ll note that the first
4:17	few plagues when moses like turned the
4:20	water of the nile into blood apparently
4:23	the
4:24	magicians of pharaoh could pull off
4:26	something similar to that and pharaoh’s
4:28	heart was hardened and so these guys get
4:31	dutifully to work trying to figure out
4:33	all right how do we get gnats to come
4:35	out of the and they couldn’t do it
4:38	they couldn’t do it
4:40	and so they said to pharaoh this is the
4:42	finger of god
4:43	the
4:44	this is the finger of god and what’s the
4:46	implication
4:47	dude you’re outmatched you’re you’re
4:49	actually going against god you need to
4:50	back down you need to change direction
4:52	you need to change course but pharaoh’s
4:54	heart was hardened and he would not
4:56	listen to them
4:57	note the hard-hearted pharaoh guy now in
5:00	our gospel text let’s kind of rework a
5:02	couple of things Jesus will talk about
5:04	the finger of god
5:06	who’s the one who is the hard-hearted
5:08	one in this account
5:11	right it’s going to be those religious
5:13	leaders and we know from the cross
5:15	references
5:16	that the religious leaders they were um
5:19	how do i put this
5:21	they were pharisees
5:23	and pharisees are not people who are
5:26	into sound doctrine all right if you’ve
5:28	ever heard anyone say you know it’s a
5:31	really pharisaical of you to say that
5:33	so-and-so is a false teacher okay that’s
5:35	just nonsense pharisees were false
5:38	teachers that’s exactly what they were
5:40	they didn’t follow the bible alone they
5:42	added to the bible the so-called oral
5:44	torah right and they created a whole
5:46	bunch of new commandments and claimed if
5:48	you kept their commandments you would
5:49	never break god’s commandments so let’s
5:51	focus on these and they took people out
5:53	of god’s word
5:55	and well so now Jesus is casting out a
5:59	demon and we learned also from the cross
6:01	reference in matthew 24 that this fellow
6:02	was also
6:04	blind and if he’s mute good chance he’s
6:08	deaf as well this is a fellow who is
6:10	unable to see Christ he’s unable to hear
6:13	Christ he’s unable to speak the glory of
6:15	god this guy has really really been shut
6:18	off all right this is the devil’s prey
6:20	and here’s the thing he’s kind of a
6:22	stand in for all of us if you think
6:24	about it right we are born under the
6:26	dominion of darkness we are born dead
6:29	and trespasses and sins is it anywhere
6:31	that Christ asks questions like do you
6:33	not have eyes to see your ears to hear
6:36	right because spiritually each and every
6:38	one of us is well
6:40	in darkness
6:41	blind mute you get the point so Jesus
6:46	cast out the demon and here come the
6:48	slanderers all right some of them said
6:51	well he casts out demons by beausable
6:54	the prince of demons
6:56	really
6:57	where’d you get that from
6:58	right serious that’s that’s your
7:00	explanation here a legitimate demonic
7:03	casting out and these people they also
7:05	saw Jesus
7:07	heal other people of diseases cleanse
7:09	lepers and things like this and so their
7:12	explanation well definitely a miracle
7:14	took place here there’s no denying that
7:16	i mean this mute fellow is now praising
7:18	god but no this wasn’t by the hand of
7:21	god this had to be by beauzebo
7:24	i always note
7:25	that those who are able to speak the
7:27	devil’s language fluently
7:30	are not to be listened to what’s the
7:33	language of the devil lies
7:35	the devil is really good at lies false
7:38	narratives and all this kind of stuff
7:39	and Jesus is going to have none of it
7:42	and others they were saying well well we
7:44	need to see a sign from you from heaven
7:46	Jesus
7:47	well what was that that you just saw
7:50	all right you saw this you saw a demon
7:52	being cast out of this fellow and you
7:54	want to see another sign
7:55	so Jesus now takes on the slander takes
7:59	on this false narrative and he says
8:01	every kingdom that is divided against
8:03	itself is laid waste a divided house
8:06	falls just think of the devastation that
8:08	occurred in the united states during the
8:10	civil war think of syria right now not a
8:13	nice neighborhood to live in right the
8:15	civil wars have a tendency to tear
8:17	countries apart that’s kind of his point
8:20	and if this is really by the hand of the
8:22	devil by beausable then well lucifer and
8:25	bialzbo are going toe-to-toe now and
8:28	there’s a civil war in the dominion of
8:30	darkness
8:31	that doesn’t make any sense if satan is
8:33	divided against himself how will his
8:35	kingdom stand for you say that i cast
8:38	out demons by beautiful if i cast demons
8:41	out by beausebol who do your sons cast
8:44	them out by
8:45	and the point of that question is listen
8:47	when your sons cast out demons you say
8:49	praise god it’s the lord at work i cast
8:52	them out demons right this doesn’t make
8:55	any sense the hypocrisy is palpable and
8:58	that’s what Christ is pointing out but
9:00	here’s the thing the true gospel of
9:02	Jesus Christ suffers all kinds of
9:05	persecution
9:06	you confess Jesus in some parts of the
9:08	world you’re dead
9:10	you confess Jesus in churches that have
9:13	abandoned the word of god they will
9:16	absolutely put you out and accuse you of
9:19	all kinds of mischief
9:21	mischief and evil
9:22	all right
9:23	so you’ll know that’s kind of the lot of
9:25	all of us Christ himself had to suffer
9:28	by being slandered
9:30	but he just takes it right on
9:32	so he says well
9:33	since you’re hypocrites your your own
9:35	sons are going to be your judges but now
9:37	here comes the kind of the nubbins
9:40	but if it’s by the finger of god that i
9:42	cast out demons then the kingdom of god
9:44	has come upon you
9:47	hmm that kind of invokes exodus 8 there
9:51	and that’s really the point this is the
9:54	finger of god and that’s the problem
9:58	those under the dominion of darkness
9:59	have hardened stoned hearts and they
10:02	will not listen to this they will not
10:04	see this and they’re not interested in
10:06	any of this like pharaoh they have
10:08	hardened their hearts but Christ has
10:10	pointed out the kingdom of god has come
10:12	upon you and then he says when a strong
10:14	man fully armed guards his palace his
10:16	goods are safe but when one’s stronger
10:19	than he attacks him and overcomes him he
10:21	takes away his armor in which he trusted
10:24	and divides his spoils this is worth
10:26	kind of unpacking here because you’ll
10:28	note the strong man is a reference to
10:30	the devil the one whom we are incapable
10:33	of overcoming but that’s then the point
10:36	because Jesus is the one who is stronger
10:39	and by Jesus coming to earth being born
10:42	of the virgin mary he has now come to
10:45	attack and to overcome
10:48	the strong man satan in other words
10:50	Jesus is the stronger
10:53	man
10:55	and this is good news for us because we
10:58	who are enslaved and harassed persecuted
11:01	and
11:02	made to suffer because of satan
11:05	Christ has come into our world and we
11:08	can say we are saved
11:11	one stronger than the devil has come the
11:14	one who was promised who would crush the
11:16	head of the serpent he has arrived and
11:19	he is come to take and divide the spoils
11:22	of satan’s kingdom but do you think
11:24	Jesus came to divide
11:26	spoils like gold and silver and diamonds
11:29	and jewels
11:31	no
11:32	the spoils are you and i
11:35	we are the spoils of war
11:38	and Christ has now brought us
11:40	into his kingdom and satan he ain’t
11:43	going to be able to overcome Jesus
11:45	because well satan’s not even close to
11:47	as strong as Christ
11:48	and so this is why Christ then says
11:50	whoever is not with me is against me
11:54	right you see the works that i’m doing
11:56	and you attribute it to the devil you
11:58	sit there and go well salvation really
12:00	can’t be by grace through faith apart
12:02	from works that’s just silly talk
12:05	everybody knows that you’ve got to earn
12:08	Jesus’s forgiveness by being intentional
12:11	and trying harder and doing gooder and
12:13	stuff you can’t trust what Jesus has
12:16	done for you whoever is not
12:18	with me is against me
12:20	whoever doesn’t bring this doctrine
12:22	brings doctrines of demons whoever does
12:24	not gather with me
12:26	scatters
12:29	then a little bit of aside i love it
12:31	when the texts like don’t give me like
12:32	those really tidy three-point little
12:35	things that i can do then you have this
12:37	like last bit at the end what do we do
12:39	with this so Jesus said while Jesus said
12:42	these things there’s this woman she
12:43	cries out in the crowd and she raises
12:45	her voice blast is the womb that bore
12:47	you and the breasts that which you
12:49	nursed ah first hint of mariology right
12:52	mary all a tree
12:55	all right now it’s absolutely true that
12:58	what mary says when she
13:01	gives the magnificat all generations
13:04	will call her blessed but here’s the
13:06	important bit
13:07	mary’s good works
13:10	don’t save you
13:12	mary needed to be saved the same way
13:16	that you and i are saved
13:19	she just happened to be saved by her son
13:22	we are saved by the fruit of her womb
13:24	she truly bore god in her womb this is
13:27	most certainly true but to focus on mary
13:30	is to miss the whole point and you’re
13:32	going to note then in this regard there
13:34	isn’t a single biblical text that tells
13:37	us to worship mary to pray to mary nor
13:40	is there a single biblical text that
13:41	says that mary persisted and continued
13:43	to be a virgin the rest of her life
13:45	that’s
13:46	nonsense it’s contrary to the idea that
13:50	a man will leave his father and mother
13:51	and cleave to his wife and the two will
13:53	become one flesh you see mary had a
13:56	normal marriage just like everybody else
13:58	so when you focus in on mary you kind of
14:01	miss the whole point and so Jesus just
14:04	nips that right in the bud and says yeah
14:06	no blessed rather are those who hear the
14:08	word of god and guard it and keep it and
14:11	the word of god calls us all to repent
14:14	the word of god tells us listen
14:17	sin isn’t really kind of a small thing
14:20	it’s far worse than you can possibly
14:23	imagine in fact your state before god as
14:26	a result of being in the dominion of
14:28	darkness is not a minor thing
14:31	it’s mortal you are powerless
14:34	you cannot save yourself you are not
14:37	your own hero you are a participant in
14:40	the works of darkness and you have
14:43	earned the same punishment as the devil
14:45	himself has
14:47	and if Christ were to come and exercise
14:50	judgment over you in that state
14:53	well then you’ll suffer the same fate as
14:54	the devil
14:56	the word of god tells us that god is
14:58	merciful and kind slow to anger
15:01	abounding in steadfast love and it’s not
15:03	his will that any should perish even you
15:06	and so hearing the word of god calls us
15:08	to recognize and to confess our
15:11	powerlessness
15:13	in saving ourselves our inability
15:17	to conquer the devil and to call out to
15:20	the stronger of the strong men
15:22	Jesus who conquers the devil
15:25	takes his spoils
15:27	plunders his kingdom
15:29	and pray to him that he would do the
15:32	same for you because he has
15:35	he has transferred you from the dominion
15:36	of darkness all by his mercy in grace he
15:39	is the one who has qualified you to be
15:42	to receive an inheritance
15:44	in the kingdom of light and so it’s then
15:47	in that regard then that we hear the
15:49	apostle paul saying because we have been
15:51	saved because we have been well taken
15:54	captive by Jesus we’ve been despoiled is
15:58	that a word as as when it comes to the
16:00	spoils of the devil and brought into the
16:02	kingdom of his light that we then in
16:04	repentance walk as children of the light
16:08	because we are
16:09	because the stronger of the strong men
16:11	has made us so so indeed blessed are
16:13	those who hear the word of god who keep
16:15	it confess their sins and cry out to god
16:19	to grant the holy spirit its power to
16:22	mortify our sinful flesh so that we
16:24	might walk as the children of light that
16:26	we already are
16:28	it’s good stuff now regarding that sign
16:31	oh those guys wanted signs right Jesus
16:34	kind of gives a little bit of a final
16:35	shot it’s not in our gospel text but
16:37	it’s right here so i might as well just
16:39	throw it in it’s a bonus i won’t even
16:41	charge extra for it so
16:44	here’s what Christ says to those who
16:45	want
16:46	a sign he says it’s an evil it’s an evil
16:49	and adulterous generation that seeks for
16:51	a sign
16:52	evil adulteress that no sign will be
16:55	given to it except for the sign of jonah
16:58	sign of jonah for as jonah became
17:00	assigned to the people of nina so will
17:02	the son of man be assigned to this
17:03	generation
17:05	and how was jonah a sign
17:08	for the people of nineveh well if you
17:10	remember
17:11	jonah was
17:13	three days
17:14	inside the belly of a fish
17:17	right three days three nights that just
17:19	had to be awful just saying
17:21	and
17:22	just like jonah was spit up
17:25	kind of foreshadowing Christ’s
17:27	resurrection well death itself could not
17:30	hold Jesus in fact a good way to think
17:33	of it is is that when Christ was
17:35	swallowed up by death after he was
17:37	crucified for our sins poor death
17:39	suffered a bellyache
17:41	couldn’t stand it couldn’t didn’t feel
17:44	i can’t oh i can’t keep Jesus down and
17:46	blood then just burped him right up
17:49	right
17:50	that’s kind of the point right that’s
17:53	the sign
17:54	and so that’s the sign that that
17:56	generation has received it’s the sign
17:58	that we all received the fact that
18:00	Christ
18:02	not only despoiled the devil just was
18:05	stronger than him took away those who
18:08	were under his control and smashed him
18:11	to pieces on the cross
18:12	Jesus even conquered death and death
18:15	couldn’t even keep him down
18:17	stronger than the devil stronger than
18:19	death
18:20	stronger than our sin this Jesus is
18:24	amazing trust in him he loves you he
18:27	cares for you and the sign of his
18:30	resurrection is proof that he is who he
18:33	claimed to be and that he is the hero
18:36	that we’ve all longed for and waited for
18:39	and we are truly saved in the name of
18:42	Jesus
18:43	amen

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