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Series A – Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost – Sunday, November 8, 2020 | 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 matthew the 25th chapter [Music]
0:40	Jesus said the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom
0:47	five of them were foolish five were wise for when the foolish took their lamps
0:52	they took no oil with them but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps as the bridegroom was delayed they all
0:58	became drowsy and they slept but at midnight there was a cry here is the bridegroom come out to meet him
1:05	then all those virgins rose and trim their lamps and the foolish said to the wise give us
1:10	some of your oil for our lamps are going out but the wise answered saying since there will not be enough for
1:16	us and for you go rather to the dealers to buy for yourselves and while they were going to buy the
1:22	bridegroom came and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast and the door
1:27	was shut afterwards the virgins the other virgins came also saying lord lord open to us but he answered
1:35	truly i say to you i do not know you watch therefore for you do not know neither the day
1:40	nor the hour this is the gospel of the lord in the name of Jesus
1:47	all right listen to these words tail end of our epistle text today encourage one another with these words
1:54	we’ve steered into that portion of the church here where we spend a couple of weeks looking at the end of the world and i
2:01	will say this i always kind of point this out that eschatology is one of these things eschatology it means the study of the
2:08	last things the study of the last days eschatology is one of these things where
2:14	many people in wingnut whacker doodlism have well claimed that they have cracked per
2:20	certain codes in the bible and have been able to play the game of pin the tale on the antiChrist
2:26	and always and again they seem to get it wrong currently the whole world or a lot of
2:32	portions of the church world are abuzz postulating speculating is trump the antiChrist or
2:38	is he cyrus is biden and kamala harris the antiChrist or in league with the devil who is the
2:45	man of lawlessness and all this stuff is nonsense you’ll note that the apostle paul at no
2:51	point in his career as an apostle gave weekly prophetic updates regarding emperor nero
2:57	it just wasn’t on his radar and the reason being is this is that Christ has given us exactly what
3:04	we need in order to patiently persevere in the end times and the thing that we
3:11	need the most in the persecution the suffering the difficulties the temptation of this life
3:17	of ours the thing we need the most is hope we need hope have you taken a look at the world
3:24	around us it’s utterly broken have you taken a look at your own life you are utterly broken
3:31	i am tragically fractured and broken by sin beyond repair i cannot
3:37	repair it myself that being the case we need some hope we sinners who know that we
3:42	stand guilty before god we need hope we need hope that there is mercy we need
3:49	hope that there is forgiveness we need hope that there is love we need hope that there is something better than this
3:56	that this this world that is so broken and fractured is not
4:02	all there is that there’s something more and that’s the point of eschatology
4:08	the eschatology teaches us that there is hope that there is a new world coming and
4:13	that Christ has redeemed each and every one of us pardoned and forgive them
4:19	forgiven us clothed us in his righteousness and the most amazing thing ever
4:24	is that we collectively as the church we are the bride of Christ cherished
4:32	and loved and i don’t know if you’ve noticed but love seems to be severely missing
4:39	in this world severely missing i i find it odd i don’t make an apology about this i
4:47	enjoy photography photography is a artistic expression and there are
4:52	certain people whom i follow on youtube who i respect as artists as photographers
4:58	and i am blown away by the absolute hatred and vitriol
5:05	that i see in the comments section of videos that are designed to teach you how
5:12	to show beauty in the world it’s just unbelievable but the thing is it’s not
5:18	out there only it’s in here inside of me and so as we consider these
5:24	texts today i’m going to switch up my style just a little bit we’re going to do a
5:29	little bit of a more bible study look at our gospel text and we’re going to weave
5:35	in our epistle text together because as paul says encourage one another with these words
5:43	biblical eschatology rightly grounded in a proper understanding of god’s law
5:48	and the forgiveness that is in Christ because of the gospel the good news that he has bled and died for us
5:54	encourages us so let’s take a look at matthew 25 verses 1 to 13. this is a parable that
6:00	is terribly misused and abused by people who do not rightly understand law and gospel sin and grace and
6:06	forgiveness of sins and always and again in these texts they try to
6:12	either intentionally or even unintentionally sneak in this idea that we are saved by
6:18	our works or saved by our sanctification and when Christ says words like watch
6:25	therefore you know neither the day or the hour he is not in all implying that you will not be
6:33	saved if you don’t clean up your act
6:38	have you repented enough have you borne enough of the fruit of the spirit that’s
6:45	not the point and so as we consider this text we’re going to tear this apart like i
6:52	said a little bit more bible study style so that we can understand the imagery that is in this parable
6:58	and see if there’s any hope for us in it because in reality if you rightly understand this
7:04	and you do not sacrifice the biblical doctrine of salvation by
7:09	grace through faith apart from works there is much here to encourage and to comfort us
7:16	Jesus said the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their
7:22	lamps and went to meet the bridegroom five of them were foolish
7:27	five were wise now there’s a lot going on here so let’s tear this apart
7:34	ten virgins the ten virgins here clearly are representative if you would of the whole world of every
7:42	human being we’re all represented here and i would note that if you’re trying to figure out
7:47	how many people will be saved and how many people will be damned by this parable you’d come up with a 50-50 split
7:55	but in next week’s parable it’s a two-thirds one-third two-thirds saved one-third damned you see
8:00	Christ isn’t giving us some kind of way of figuring out how many people are in the great
8:05	multitude of those who are saved that’s not the point instead we hear something here that is
8:12	quite encouraging and i want you to consider the implications the kingdom of heaven will be like 10
8:20	virgins now the implications of what Christ is saying here in regards to calvinism are actually
8:27	quite devastating according to calvinism Christ has only died for the elect
8:33	but the reality is this by Christ describing everybody on planet earth
8:40	as a virgin that means that Christ’s death on the cross was
8:46	for everyone in fact a good way to think of it is is that his
8:52	all-sufficient sacrifice was truly for the sins of the whole world
8:57	so when you hear passages in scripture that say of Christ behold the lamb of god who takes away
9:03	the sin of the world then you know that Christ has bled and died for all
9:08	or in john first john john says that Christ has died for our sins but not only for our sins but for the sins of
9:14	the whole world and it doesn’t mean merely the elect it means everybody Christ’s sacrifice on the
9:22	cross left no sin undyed for and that is good news for us and so
9:29	you’ll note the cross then and i’m going to make up a word here the cross virginizes all of us each and every one
9:37	of us who are guilty of rank idolatry rank blasphemy of not keeping god’s word
9:45	of sinning against each other in such horrible ways in our murders and our adulteries in our
9:51	thefts and our lies and our coveting all of these things we are guilty of and we understand
9:57	that we have lost our purity but Christ on the cross by bleeding and
10:03	dying for us he restores that pristine state everybody
10:10	on the cross has been virginized and it’s a beautiful picture if you consider it but immediately i can hear
10:17	you say well pastor wait a second here well if everybody’s been virginized and how is it that some people go to hell
10:24	you’re going to note it has nothing to do with them not being bled for or died for what’s the dividing line in this
10:30	text you’re either foolish or wise and i want you to think about this how
10:36	foolish do you have to be to be bled for died for to have all of
10:42	your sins pardoned and you being reconciled to the father and you persisting in sin and unbelief
10:48	and then on the last day foolishly wandering off into the darkness rather than coming into the wedding feast
10:55	foolishness indeed in fact a good way to think of it when we look at how scripture interprets scripture in the
11:01	proverbs it doesn’t say of the of those who deny the existence of god that they are great
11:07	scholars it doesn’t say of them that they are the educated the learned that they are the people who are wise
11:14	instead what does the scripture say the fool says in his heart
11:21	there is no god the fool says this and yet it’s our learned professors of
11:28	philosophy at our local universities who are the ones who make it a point of trying to knock your
11:35	faith in Christ out of you using all kinds of means and they think of themselves
11:41	to be wise but the scripture reveals to us the truth they are utter fools
11:47	then what is wisdom well the proverbs help us again here the proverbs tell us that the fear of
11:54	the lord the fear of yahweh is the beginning of wisdom what does that mean what kind of fear
12:00	are we talking about are we talking about cowering in the corner while we wait for god to beat us
12:06	with his belt no the fear of the lord is a right understanding that we have sinned
12:12	against our holy creator that we have come up short fallen way
12:17	way short of the glory of god recognizing that he is in the right we are in the wrong
12:23	and calling out to him and asking him to forgive to pardon and to have mercy
12:31	that’s wisdom and that’s what the dividing line is you either
12:37	believe or you don’t believe it’s not that you’re not bled for or died for if you
12:43	don’t believe it’s that you’re foolish that’s the problem
12:48	and so with this then we continue into our parable so five of them were foolish five
12:55	were wise and when the foolish took their lamps they took no oil with them and oil here is not referring to good
13:02	works where oil is referring to faith if it were good works then this
13:07	then Christ teaches salvation by works but he’s not this is the oil of faith give me oil in my lamp keep it
13:15	burning burn and burn give me oil in my lamp i pray lord continue
13:21	to sustain to build to nurture the faith that you have given
13:27	me in you and as the text goes on said it says then the bridegroom was delayed and they
13:34	all became drowsy and they slept now what is this referring to and this is where
13:40	our epistle text helps us out first thessalonians 4 says we do not
13:46	want you to be uninformed brothers about those who are asleep that you may not grieve as others do who
13:51	have no hope for since we believe that Jesus died and rose even so through Jesus god will
13:57	bring with him those who have fallen asleep this is the sleep of
14:02	death now over and again i keep pointing this out and i’ll continue to point it out
14:08	the end of the world is coming sooner for some of us than others if Jesus doesn’t show up
14:15	in the next 10 50 100 years well i have news for you
14:21	there’s going to be a hundred percent turnover here at kong’s winger there’s going to be 100 turnover because if Christ doesn’t show up for another
14:27	100 years we’re all going to fall asleep and that’s the point as Christians we
14:34	recognize that death is a sleep it is a temporary affair it is not something that lasts forever
14:40	death doesn’t get the last word because Christ has conquered death and so falling asleep is how this goes
14:47	but you’re going to note it says because the bridegroom was delayed believe me when i tell you that Christ
14:52	is quite busy he’s not sitting there twiddling his thumbs wondering what to do next and maybe figuring out how to
14:58	play another round of solitaire on his bedroom floor that’s not what he’s doing
15:04	he’s running the universe and as a result of it it’s his prerogative to be delayed he’s can be delayed as
15:10	long as he wants but he will never be late but the point is this is that we should recognize
15:16	that he is delayed and so if we fall asleep
15:23	the day you fall asleep that’s the end of the world for you
15:30	not a bad way to think about it i always think that if Christ decides that he’s going to continue to be delayed and i should fall asleep
15:39	because god has a sense of humor i always make a joke about the fact that nobody knows the day or the hour and the
15:45	Christ is coming on a day when no one expects him that’s what the text says that’s what Jesus says that being the case i’m pretty sure that
15:51	if i have to fall asleep god’s gonna cause me to fall asleep on a thursday because nobody expects the end of the world on a
15:58	thursday and i can just see people at my funeral going of course he died on a thursday it makes perfect sense he kept
16:03	joking about that for decades it was the oldest joke ever we stopped laughing at it the third time he told it
16:09	right yeah yeah i see this i see this right i know how it works but all of that
16:16	being said the end of the world has come from members of kong’s finger
16:22	we’ve buried several handful of people since i’ve been here and the end of the world has already
16:29	come for them and so the end of the world will come for you if Christ continues to delay but do not worry
16:34	you already practice death and resurrection on a daily basis when you go to sleep you practice dying
16:42	when you awaken you practice resurrection and if you have insomnia you even have more practice than
16:47	everybody else so i have insomnia so it’s a curse that
16:53	i’ve i got from my grandfather who gave it to my father who gave it to me and oh i think i passed it on to my son
16:59	as well but you get the idea so he was delayed they all became drowsy
17:06	and they slept but note this brothers and sisters there is a day coming when Christ
17:11	will get on with it he will come and at the text says at midnight
17:17	there was a cry here is the bridegroom come out to meet him this is the day of judgment this is the
17:24	day when the dead in Christ and everybody in the world will rise consider in this context our epistle
17:30	text all right paul says we declare to you by a word from the lord that we who are alive who
17:36	are left until the coming of the lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep for the lord himself will descend from
17:42	heaven with the cry of command with the voice of an archangel with the sound of the trumpet of god
17:48	and the dead in Christ will rise first and notice in this text it uses
17:54	the phrase asleep and rise death is sleep for the Christian but
18:00	also note this we do not believe the idea of the jehovah’s witnesses or the seventh-day
18:06	adventists in this idea of soul sleep that’s ridiculous because the text says
18:11	that when Christ returns god will bring back with him
18:16	those who have fallen asleep there presently with him as paul says to be absent from the body is to be
18:24	present with the lord and so the day will come and you’ll note that this text rules out
18:31	also this idea that there’s some kind of a secret rapture you know that Jesus
18:36	is going to secretly return snatch the church up and then it’s seven years of well mr
18:43	toad’s wild ride with the beast the harlot the dragon and all that you get the idea that’s not
18:48	it at all instead you can see that when Christ returns
18:54	it says that he returns with the cry of command with the voice of an archangel and with the sound of the trumpet of god
19:00	if well if he was trying to do this secretly you don’t blast the trumpet of god and
19:07	you don’t have the archangel cry out you don’t do any of those things because then you lose the element of surprise
19:13	and secrecy but not only that it says in this text that we who are alive who are left until
19:20	the coming of the lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep if you believe in the rapture then you believe that those of us who are alive
19:27	do precede those who fall asleep it gets everything backwards upside down inside out
19:32	and a little bit of another note here have you ever heard somebody say you can’t trust the bible because you
19:38	know that apostle paul he believed that he would be alive when Jesus returned
19:44	that’s not his point that’s not his point at all you see when he says for this we declare
19:50	to you that we who are alive who are left until the coming of the lord
19:55	we will not precede those who have fallen asleep this gets at the idea that the we
20:02	here being referred to is the body of Christ paul is every much as part of the body
20:08	of Christ today as you and i are and if he were alive at the day of the coming of the lord
20:15	then this would apply to him but even if he’s even though he’s not it tells us this
20:23	that despite the devil’s raging despite the the dragons conjuring up of the
20:29	beast and the false prophet and waging war against the saints that on the day that Jesus returns
20:37	there will be those on earth who believe the devil will not prevail
20:45	the gates of hell as Christ has said will not prevail against the church there will be those who believe who
20:52	trust in Christ on the day that Jesus returns and then it says that then we who are
20:58	alive who are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the lord in the air and so we will always be with
21:05	the lord and that’s where then our parable continues you see Christ has come the bridegroom has
21:12	arrived there’s a cry here is the bridegroom and the virgins rose rose from the
21:21	sleep of death all of them the virgins rose and they trimmed their
21:27	lamps and the foolish said to the wise give us some of your oil for our lamps are going
21:34	out but the wise answered saying since there will not be enough for us and for you
21:39	go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves
21:44	can you believe for another person can you take a portion of your faith in
21:50	Jesus and give it to somebody else you can’t
21:56	now three years ago when i preached this text i made the point that you’ve got to figure out who the
22:01	dealers are who are these dealers that sell oil the answer is you’re looking at him you
22:08	guys remember like those really crazy commercials where some guy would you know we in southern california when i was
22:15	growing up we had cal worthington and his dog spot and he was always having these
22:20	insane deals you can get a 1978 datsun b210 i’m taking 500 off if you come in right
22:28	now and you got zero percent financing for the next 12 months you know that’s cal worthington this dog spot and
22:35	everybody wherever you grew up there was always some guy on the telly that did this right
22:40	well i want you to think of this i’m crazy rose bro and i’m the seller of oil in fact i’m
22:47	giving you’re not going to believe the deal i have for you today i’m giving all the oil away for free i’m
22:53	giving it away for free today i’m giving it away for free next week you need some oil on monday just
22:58	give me a call i’ll give you some oil for free in fact i’m so crazy as a dealer of oil i’m
23:04	going to take 50 off even zero so that you have even more freeness
23:09	to the oil that i’m giving you and that’s the point the dealers of oil are the churches
23:15	kongs of ingo lutheran church here in oslo minnesota we’ve set up a great oil
23:22	selling industry and we’re giving it all away for free and that’s the point
23:29	because here you will receive from me the good news of the gospel of
23:36	Jesus Christ that he has bled and died for your sins that even though your sins be a scarlet
23:44	and you be the farthest thing in the world from being a virgin Christ has bled and died for you and he
23:50	reconciles you to the father and he will make you new and gives you all all of the earth the
23:57	new earth as an inheritance for free because he’s paid the price for you
24:04	but i must caution you and that is is that at the moment the plans are to keep
24:10	the oil store open but i don’t know when Jesus is returning
24:17	so today is the day of salvation if Christ is not returned by this time next
24:22	week we’re open for business and we’re giving it all away for free because he’s told us to
24:28	and he makes it possible for us to do that but note the day that Jesus returns it’s a
24:35	mandatory holiday for all sellers of oil in fact it’s not even a work day at all
24:43	it begins with a party and goes into the eternal sabbath rest so if you dilly dally if you delay if
24:50	you need this oil if you need forgiveness if you need reconciliation with god
24:55	and you need to hear this gospel and have the holy spirit work in you faith
25:02	well there’s no better day than today the deal doesn’t get any sweeter it’s free today but when Christ returns
25:09	the doors are shuttered i’m going fishing for a long time
25:15	if you’d like to join me get your oil it’s free today you get the idea right so think of them the foolishness
25:22	here they don’t have any faith and the wise rightly say you got to go
25:28	to the dealers in oil to get some oil but the thing is is that the foolish foolishly believe
25:34	that the churches would be open on the day of judgment they’re not they will all be closed
25:41	so while they were going to buy which is foolish the bridegroom came those who were ready went in with him to
25:47	the marriage feast and the door was shut but don’t let that pass you by for a second
25:56	there’s a big blowout party at the end of the world and the beginning of the new one and it’s going to be amazing there’s
26:03	going to be hugs and kisses reunions smiles
26:09	songs and joy wine and good food and fellowship
26:16	it’s going to be spectacular and we’re all invited and you’re going to note in this text
26:21	even the foolish virgins were invited to this wedding feast had they had oil they would be enjoying
26:29	this amazing party that Christ is throwing and rightly so and so brothers and sisters think of the
26:37	hope think of the party think of being there sitting at the table
26:42	eating and seeing Christ face to face seeing the glory of our
26:49	lord seeing each other in bodies
26:54	that will not wear out in a world without sin where there is no hatred there is no
27:01	rancor there is no theft there is no murder no adultery
27:06	no coveting no lies in a world where we will perfectly love
27:12	god and love each other perfectly perfectly loved
27:17	perfectly love and that’s just the threshold
27:25	the first step into that new world this is hope brothers and sisters this
27:30	is the point of our salvation this is what we are looking forward to
27:35	and it is appropriate then that it begins with such a feast such a party such a an event
27:44	and so sadly the foolish the ones who say in their heart there is no god
27:50	we’re not prepared and so they went off into the darkness looking for an open church and found
27:56	none so the other virgins came saying lord lord open to us
28:01	he answered i don’t know you i don’t know you so watch therefore you know neither the
28:06	day nor the hour now consider then what Christ says here
28:11	watch what exactly are we watching for or watching against you’re going to
28:18	note that if we are saved by grace through faith apart from works and that is what the scripture says then
28:26	watching is well akin to what we sang in our opening hymn
28:31	noting that the devil is actively at work trying to figure out how to knock that
28:37	faith out of you to take you and turn you upside down in such a way
28:44	that you willingly pour your oil out
28:49	i guess i don’t need that oil after all do i by deceiving us with apostasy false
28:56	doctrine false gospels false Jesus false spirits
29:01	by deceiving us to be complacent in our sin to just presume
29:08	on the mercy of god rather than actually repent and trust in the forgiveness of sins or
29:14	to or worse taking what Christ has done for us on the cross and turning it into licentiousness and
29:20	despising Christ in his word and in effect crucifying him again
29:26	so indeed we are called to watch by Christ because these are the enemies in the temptations
29:32	that would have us pour out our oil that we so preciously have right now and exchange it for foolishness
29:40	that which doesn’t save that which doesn’t give us any hope at all exchange our confidence for doubt
29:49	exchange mercy for legalism it’s a very sad thing so indeed we must
29:55	continue to watch you don’t know that they are the hour that Christ is returning but again paul in pointing out the
30:02	eschatological future that we have says to encourage one another with these words so brothers and sisters
30:08	be encouraged you are in Christ your sins are forgiven you have been made a virgin Christ has
30:16	died for your sins and is giving you the kingdom and the oil all as a free
30:22	gift so be at peace with god be at peace with each other and be at peace knowing that even though
30:29	the world is tumultuous and the world has gone to hell in a hand basket
30:35	it’s dangerous and scary and anxiety creating note this the Christ is in charge and
30:41	that all of that will give way to the new earth and that we have the new earth
30:48	given to us by Christ by his blood he paid for you and me
30:54	and he has written us into the will and we have an inheritance that is unfading so be encouraged as we get closer and
31:01	closer to the end of the world we need not fear instead we can patiently endure because of the great
31:07	hope that we have all given to us as a gift by Christ in the name of Jesus amen

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