LutheranLectionary.org

Series B – Fourth Sunday of Pentecost – Sunday, June 20, 2021 | 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	in the name of Jesus amen here again
0:32	the words from our gospel text from the
0:34	gospel of mark chapter four
0:35	at his conclusion the disciples were
0:38	filled with
0:39	great fear Jesus had just spoken to a
0:42	storm as if it was a pet dog
0:44	and told it to be silent shh Jesus says
0:48	to the storm
0:49	and the wind ceased it was a great calm
0:52	of course Jesus is asking them the
0:54	question why are you so afraid
0:56	have you still no faith and the
0:58	disciples filled with great fear said to
1:00	one another who
1:01	then is this that even the wind and the
1:05	sea
1:06	obey him you’ll note this is early on
1:10	in the ministry of Jesus and the
1:12	disciples
1:13	haven’t quite sorted it out
1:16	but let’s consider some of the iron here
1:18	irony here and some of the difficulty as
1:20	we work through a passage like this
1:23	let’s back up in history maybe six
1:26	or seven centuries and go back to
1:29	mount carmel remember the prophets of
1:32	all were invited to a showdown by elijah
1:36	the single prophet of god
1:37	to come to mount carmel and the god who
1:40	answers by fire he is supposed to be the
1:42	lord here again the words of elijah from
1:44	first kings 18.
1:46	elijah came near to all the people and
1:48	he said how long will you go limping
1:50	between two opinions
1:52	if yahweh is god follow him
1:55	but if but all well then follow him
1:58	and so the people did not answer him a
2:00	word elijah said to the people
2:03	i even i only am left a prophet of
2:06	yahweh
2:07	but all’s prophets are 450 men
2:11	so let two bowls be given to us let them
2:13	choose
2:14	one bowl for themselves cut it in pieces
2:16	and lay it on the wood
2:18	and but put no fire to it and i will
2:21	prepare the other bowl
2:22	and lay on it the wood and put no fire
2:24	to it
2:25	you call upon the name of your god i’ll
2:28	call upon the name of yahweh
2:30	and the god who answers by fire he is
2:33	god
2:34	well we all know how this goes so
2:37	they’ve chosen for themselves one bowl
2:39	and
2:39	the prophets have all paired it first
2:42	but they put no fire to it
2:43	the text says they took the bull that
2:45	was given them prepared it
2:47	called upon the name of all from morning
2:49	until noon
2:50	saying oh ball
2:54	answer us but there was no voice
2:58	no one answered and they limped around
3:01	the altar
3:03	that they had made and then listen to
3:05	these words
3:06	and at noon elijah mocked them
3:10	saying well cry louder after all he is a
3:13	god
3:15	either he’s musing maybe he’s relieving
3:18	himself he’s in that small room
3:20	reading the newspaper while he relieves
3:23	himself
3:24	or maybe he’s on a journey or perhaps
3:25	he’s asleep
3:27	and must be awakened and they cried
3:30	aloud and cut themselves after their
3:32	custom with swords and lances
3:34	until the blood gushed out upon them
3:37	and as midday passed they raved on until
3:39	the time of the offering of the oblation
3:41	but there was no voice
3:42	no one answered no one paid attention
3:46	so there’s elijah on mount carmel what
3:49	mocking the prophets of god because
3:51	of prophets of all because their god
3:53	isn’t answering them
3:55	cry louder he’s relieving himself maybe
3:58	he’s
4:00	asleep and see this gets at
4:03	one of the difficulties of the
4:06	incarnation
4:07	a lot of people don’t know what to do
4:10	with Jesus Christ
4:12	because he is none other than the son of
4:15	god in human flesh he
4:17	is the god yahweh in human flesh
4:20	and yet ironically centuries later
4:25	our gospel text has Jesus
4:28	absolutely bush dog tired
4:32	after days of ministry wearing himself
4:35	out
4:35	wearing himself to the bone and he
4:38	getting into a boat letting his
4:40	disciples
4:41	lead the way as they’re heading across
4:43	the sea and Jesus
4:46	needs to get some sleep and that’s when
4:49	that storm
4:50	came up and guess what
4:54	the disciples had to wake up
4:58	their god
5:02	what are we to make of this doesn’t this
5:04	mean that Jesus
5:05	isn’t god no it doesn’t and that’s one
5:09	of the great profundities
5:11	of the incarnation the incarnation
5:14	changes
5:15	everything and the disciples at the end
5:17	of this account are trying to sort this
5:19	out
5:20	who then is this you see
5:23	islam this is one of those religions
5:25	that is
5:26	really really offended by and refuses to
5:30	believe
5:31	that Jesus is the son of god let me let
5:34	me
5:34	give you an example here from one of
5:36	beau geert
5:37	works he writes about a knight who had a
5:40	muslim
5:41	servant and it’s in this writing in this
5:44	fictional account
5:46	this knight asks his muslim servant
5:49	what are you thinking about and so the
5:51	muslim servant
5:53	answers his night master and he says he
5:56	i’m thinking about paradise my lord this
5:59	muslim servant says
6:00	i’m thinking about god and then he just
6:03	lays out the muslim concept
6:07	of the unity unitarian idea of god
6:11	and listen to what he says it sounds
6:13	pious and ineffable
6:14	but this is the means by which islam
6:17	denies
6:18	that Jesus is god the son second person
6:22	of the holy trinity in human flesh
6:24	see god he is one this muslim servant
6:26	says
6:27	he is exalted higher than the heavens he
6:30	is
6:31	incomprehensible glorious
6:34	beyond all understanding impossible to
6:37	grasp
6:38	if we could understand him he would no
6:40	longer be
6:41	god and if he could become like us
6:45	we would not be god either
6:48	we would never dare to say that the
6:50	infinitely exalted could have a son
6:53	with a woman that the glory and the
6:55	divinity the holy
6:57	inexpressible whom we cannot find
7:00	words for that this one should be found
7:03	in a miserable sweaty
7:06	human body which can get sores
7:10	and colic which must stuff itself with
7:14	porridge and must relieve itself as we
7:17	do
7:17	this according to islam is blasphemy
7:20	therefore god gives us victory
7:25	sounds rightish but here’s the thing
7:30	Jesus is none other than god in human
7:32	flesh
7:33	and this is where part of the stumbling
7:36	block is
7:37	how is it that god would take on
7:41	frail sweaty stinky
7:45	needy human flesh and still
7:49	be god but that is
7:52	exactly who Jesus is
7:55	and what he has done and so consider
7:58	this text
7:59	from first first timothy chapter 3
8:04	paul writes in verse 16 great indeed we
8:07	confess
8:09	is the mystery of godliness god was
8:12	manifested in the flesh
8:15	vindicated by the spirit seen by
8:19	angels proclaimed among the nations
8:23	believed on in the world and taken up in
8:27	glory
8:28	in fact that’s the point the
8:30	manifestation the
8:32	incarnation of the son of god
8:36	is a mystery that is great it is
8:38	profound
8:40	it is difficult for us to comprehend and
8:43	at the same time this revelation that
8:45	god walked among us
8:47	suffered as we suffered wept as we wept
8:50	bled
8:51	as we bled died as we died
8:56	brings us comfort comfort because
8:59	our god can relate with our weaknesses
9:04	in another text the gospel of john
9:08	chapter 1 talking about the incarnation
9:11	of the son of god
9:12	it begins with those famous words john
9:15	chapter 1
9:17	in the beginning and rk in the beginning
9:20	was the word
9:21	the lagos and the word was with god
9:25	and the word was god he
9:28	was in the beginning with god and
9:31	all things were made through him and
9:33	without him was not anything made that
9:35	was made
9:36	in him was life and the life was the
9:40	light of men
9:42	and the light shines in the darkness and
9:45	the darkness does not overcome it
9:47	you see Jesus is the word of god he was
9:50	in the beginning with god and he
9:51	is god that being the case he is the
9:54	light and you’ll note that
9:56	john chapter 1 has many of the same
9:59	themes that you see in genesis 1
10:01	that in the beginning god created the
10:03	heavens and the earth god said let there
10:05	be light and there was light and he
10:06	separated the light from the darkness
10:08	but here we learn from the gospel of
10:10	john
10:10	that Jesus is the light of the world
10:14	he’s the light that shines in the
10:16	darkness and the darkness does not
10:18	overcome it
10:20	john continues there was a man sent from
10:22	god whose name was john
10:24	he came as a witness to bear witness
10:25	about the light
10:27	all so that all might believe through
10:30	him
10:30	he was not the light he came to bear
10:33	witness about the light
10:35	but the true light which gives light to
10:37	everyone it was coming
10:39	he was coming into the world he was in
10:42	the world
10:43	and though the world was made through
10:44	him yet the world did not
10:46	know him and that’s kind of the point
10:49	here this
10:49	text john confesses that Jesus is the
10:52	one who created
10:54	everything it’s in that context that we
10:57	consider the frightening words
10:59	that we see in our old testament text
11:01	from job 38
11:03	oh this is one of the most terrifying
11:06	texts
11:06	in all of scripture job finally buckling
11:09	under his suffering begins to grumble
11:11	and to blame his misery and go
11:14	on god to one degree or another and god
11:17	decides
11:18	he’s going to have a chat
11:21	with job and let’s just say that
11:25	god chose to show up and have his chat
11:28	with job
11:29	in power and glory and
11:33	might and he shows up barrels down a
11:36	highway coming down the way to talk to
11:39	job
11:40	in a whirlwind in a big
11:43	giant ginormous supercell thunderstorm
11:47	and the lord answered job out of this
11:51	whirlwind
11:52	and he said to job who is it the darkens
11:55	counsel by
11:56	words without knowledge you dress for
11:59	action like a man
12:00	i’ll question you i’ll make and you make
12:03	it known to me
12:05	where were you when i laid the
12:08	foundation of the earth tell me if you
12:10	have understanding
12:11	who determined its measurements surely
12:13	you know
12:14	or who stretched the line upon it on
12:17	what were its bases sunk or who laid its
12:19	cornerstone
12:20	when the morning stars sang together and
12:23	the sons of god shouted for joy those
12:26	are the angels
12:27	or who shut in the sea with doors when
12:29	it bursts
12:30	out from the womb when i made clouds its
12:33	garment in thick darkness its swaddling
12:35	bands
12:35	and i prescribed limits for it and set
12:38	bars and doors
12:39	and said thus far shall you come and no
12:41	farther and here you sh
12:43	shall your proud waves be stayed
12:46	as brief as our old testament text is
12:50	you can tell that job was having one of
12:52	those moments where
12:53	he may have involuntarily not only had
12:56	his knees knocking
12:57	but may have wet himself because when
12:59	god shows up in power
13:01	and glory and might in this way and
13:05	upgrades oh an upstart human who speaks
13:08	without
13:09	knowledge god reminded job that he
13:12	had intentionality and design and
13:15	thought that went into the creation of
13:18	the universe
13:19	and the things that we see and smell and
13:21	taste and touch
13:23	and he even commands his creation
13:26	you proud waves can come this far
13:29	and no farther that’s god’s prerogative
13:32	to speak
13:32	to creation in this way and in that
13:35	regard then consider
13:37	again what our gospel text says on that
13:40	day when the evening had come
13:42	Jesus said to his disciples let us go
13:44	across to the other side of the sea of
13:45	galilee
13:46	leaving the crowd they took him with
13:48	them in the boat just as he was
13:50	and the other boats were with them there
13:52	was more than one boat and a great
13:54	windstorm arose and the waves were
13:56	breaking into the boat
13:58	so the boat was already filling but he
14:00	was in the stern
14:03	asleep on a cushion
14:08	wow again
14:11	the mystery of godliness is great Jesus
14:15	is the word of god made flesh we’ll read
14:17	more from john in a minute
14:19	but yeah they’re the disciples their god
14:23	was in the boat with them asleep
14:26	dog tired having spent all of his energy
14:29	doing
14:30	ministry work casting out demons healing
14:33	the sick giving sight to the blind
14:35	hearing to the deaf
14:36	speech to the mute the ability to walk
14:40	to the paralyzed and lame oh Jesus did
14:43	it all and at the end of it he
14:45	was spent
14:48	and there he was asleep on the cushion
14:52	on the boat the storm came up and Jesus
14:56	is sawing logs
15:03	they’re in trouble oh indeed they are
15:06	teacher do you not care that we are
15:08	perishing
15:10	hmm what kind of question is that
15:13	and by the way aren’t we all
15:17	aren’t we all perishing we may not be in
15:21	a boat
15:22	right now that’s being tossed by the
15:24	waves of the sea
15:25	or in the middle of a hurricane or right
15:28	in the target
15:29	of a whirlwind or a tornado we may not
15:33	be on the receiving end of
15:36	stinging snakes or anything like that no
15:39	no
15:40	no but each and every one of us because
15:42	of sin
15:44	we are perishing and so let me ask you
15:47	the question
15:49	does Jesus not care that we are
15:52	perishing
15:54	he does care he cares so much
15:58	that he took on human flesh was born of
16:01	the virgin mary
16:02	and then he suffered under pontius
16:04	pilate oh Jesus cares that you and i
16:07	are perishing and it is idolatrous and
16:10	silly
16:11	and stupid of us to think otherwise
16:14	god demonstrates his love for us and
16:16	that while we were yet sinners Christ
16:18	dies for our sin but see because of the
16:21	blindness of sin
16:22	we are in the dark the light is shining
16:25	and we
16:25	don’t comprehend it we don’t get it
16:29	teacher do you not care that we are
16:31	perishing
16:32	so Jesus awoke he rebuked the wind
16:36	and he said to the sea peace
16:40	be still i almost feel like the next
16:43	words weren’t recorded i’m trying to
16:44	sleep here
16:48	and what does the sea do
16:52	just like god revealed to job
16:57	i commanded the sea this far you shall
16:59	come and no
17:00	farther he just merely spoke to it ah
17:04	the sea hears the voice of its creator
17:08	it’s master it’s lord
17:11	it’s god and what does the creation do
17:17	it obeys
17:23	that’s the prerogative of Christ peace
17:26	be still the wind ceased there was a
17:27	great calm
17:29	so Jesus then turns to disciples why are
17:31	you so afraid
17:33	have you still no faith faith in who
17:36	faith for what faith what are you
17:37	talking about
17:38	and they’re all filled with great fear
17:40	and said to one another who then
17:41	is this that even the sea and the wind
17:44	that they obey him
17:45	that is the 10 million dollar question
17:47	who is Jesus
17:50	john continues the true light which
17:53	gives light to everyone was coming into
17:55	the world
17:57	he was in the world and though the world
17:59	was made through him yet the world did
18:00	not know him
18:02	what a terrifying thought the world the
18:05	sea of galilee
18:07	the wind that was blowing that day knew
18:10	exactly who Jesus was
18:12	and when he spoke and commanded
18:17	the wind and the sea of galilee heard
18:21	knew who their master was and obeyed
18:24	but because of our rebellion because of
18:26	our joining against
18:28	god with the devil himself by disobeying
18:32	god’s words casting his words behind us
18:34	when he said you if the day you eat of
18:37	that tree in the midst of the garden you
18:39	will surely die
18:40	the devil comes along and says you will
18:41	not surely die and we said
18:43	okay we’ll not surely die and guess what
18:48	we died and because of this
18:51	we’ve been plunged into darkness but
18:54	Jesus
18:55	is the light and so he came into the
18:58	world into his own creation
19:00	you are created by him as well the world
19:03	though made through him the world didn’t
19:05	know him
19:06	he came to his own his own people
19:10	they didn’t even receive him but listen
19:12	to these words
19:14	but to all who did receive him who
19:16	believed in his name
19:18	he gave the right to become
19:21	children of god
19:25	adopted children who can cry out of a
19:28	father
19:28	you see these are people who were born
19:30	not of blood
19:32	nor of the will of man nor of the will
19:34	of the flesh but they were born of god
19:37	and the text then says this and the word
19:41	god became flesh
19:44	and he dwelt among us
19:47	and we have seen his glory glory as of
19:51	the only son from the father
19:53	full of grace and full of truth
19:57	you see the devil plunged us into
20:00	darkness
20:01	into mercilessness into graceless
20:05	existences filled
20:08	with lies because the devil is nothing
20:10	but a liar
20:11	but see Christ is full of grace grace to
20:15	forgive you of your sin and your
20:16	rebellion
20:17	grace to forgive you of your ignorance
20:20	and your well willful ignorance as it
20:23	comes to who Jesus is
20:25	your own creator and your failure
20:29	to even cry out to him to forgive he is
20:32	full of grace
20:34	he is full of truth john the baptist
20:36	bore
20:37	witness about Christ and cried out this
20:40	is the one of whom i said he who comes
20:42	after me
20:42	ranks me because he was before me indeed
20:46	Christ was before everything all things
20:48	were made through him
20:50	and then verse 16 of john 1 for from
20:54	for from his fullness the fullness of
20:57	Christ
20:58	we have all received grace
21:02	upon grace and brothers and sisters
21:05	that’s exactly what Christ
21:07	the one who can speak the storms and
21:09	silence them
21:10	speak to the creation and it obeys him
21:13	that’s what he’s come to do for you
21:15	to give you grace upon grace for the law
21:19	was given through moses
21:21	but grace and truth came through Jesus
21:24	Christ
21:25	and i understand that this is difficult
21:28	i understand that it’s offensive
21:30	i understand there’s a lot of people out
21:31	there who are debating this and saying
21:33	you know what this isn’t really a
21:34	settled matter
21:36	oh indeed it is every one of Christ’s
21:39	apostles make it very clear who Jesus is
21:41	he is none other than the god of the old
21:43	testament in human flesh
21:45	and as difficult as that is to swallow
21:48	know then that Jesus knows your weakness
21:51	he is born your sin
21:53	and he has gone through death ahead of
21:56	you
21:57	so that you would never have to taste
21:59	death
22:00	he knows what it’s like to be tempted he
22:03	knows what it’s like
22:04	to be brokenhearted he knows what it’s
22:07	like to grieve
22:08	and to suffer and to be persecuted to be
22:11	hated
22:13	lied about spat on he knows
22:16	all of that from personal firsthand
22:20	experience you see our
22:23	god has sojourned among us
22:26	the word became flesh and tabernacled
22:30	among us who is this that even the wind
22:33	and the waves
22:34	obey him it is Jesus
22:38	yahweh in human flesh
22:41	so let me end this thought by coming
22:45	back to beau geertz’s
22:46	work at the end of boggertz’s work
22:50	that night the one who was having his
22:52	conversation
22:53	with his muslim servant
22:56	that same night was injured in battle
23:01	and he was on his death bed not only was
23:04	he on his deathbed he was
23:05	far far from home
23:09	and as he is getting ready to die beau
23:11	geertz writes of him
23:13	that he closed his eyes he folded his
23:16	hands
23:19	and upon doing so a great peace came
23:21	over him
23:23	and he knew that he was not alone
23:26	he knew this without needing to clothe
23:30	it with words
23:32	there was someone here who walked amid
23:34	the hospital beds
23:36	just like in the streets of capernaum
23:39	this one stopped and bowed down
23:42	his breast too had a large wound his
23:46	hands had bled
23:48	one could tell that he knew everything
23:51	and those at home would never
23:52	understand he too had experienced it
23:56	he experienced cold rain
24:00	filth and vermin beatings
24:04	and wounds the fear of death
24:08	and defeat
24:11	the god who had come into all of this
24:15	he was very near and it was good
24:19	to have such a god
24:23	brothers and sisters this is our god
24:26	Jesus he is the one who came into the
24:30	mess in the muck
24:32	he was sweaty smelly cold experienced
24:36	rain and sunburn filth and vermin
24:39	beatings wounds the fear of death itself
24:42	asking god
24:43	to let this cup pass and he himself
24:46	experienced
24:48	the ultimate defeat death
24:53	death on a cross but see
24:56	what was defeat by our eyes was the
24:59	ultimate
25:00	victory so we are called to repent
25:03	of our idolatries of our belief that
25:06	somehow
25:07	we’ve got it all figured out and because
25:09	we’ve got it all figured out
25:11	Jesus really can’t be you know
25:15	god but indeed he is
25:18	and what a great comfort and peace it
25:21	brings to know
25:22	that we have been bled for and died for
25:25	that this Jesus understands us
25:27	on what we’re going through and he is
25:29	not saving us from it by relieving us
25:32	of it he is saving us through it by
25:35	leading the way through it through
25:37	suffering persecution death and
25:40	resurrection
25:41	and we have been united with him in his
25:43	death and resurrection
25:45	and we too like he does now will be
25:47	raised from the dead and live forever
25:50	it is very much a source of comfort and
25:53	peace
25:54	to know that our god humbled himself
25:58	and was found in the form of a servant
26:00	for me
26:01	and for you so who is this that even the
26:04	winds
26:05	and the waves obey him I think the
26:08	answer’s obvious
26:10	it is the Son of God in human flesh
26:13	come to save us in the name of Jesus
26:17	amen

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