Moses, The Rock and Christ's Exodus

Kongsvinger Lutheran Church

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Welcome to the teaching ministry of Kungsvinger Lutheran Church. Kungsvinger is a beacon for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of northwestern,

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Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone.

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And now here's a message from Pastor Chris Roseberg. The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke the ninth chapter.

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Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and they went up on the mountain to pray and As he was praying the appearance of his face was altered his clothing became dazzling white and behold

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Two men were talking with him Moses and Elijah Who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep

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But when they became fully awake They saw his glory and the two men who stood with him and as the men were parting from him

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Peter said to Jesus Master it is good that we are here let us make three tents one for you one for Moses and one for Elijah not knowing what he said and as he was saying these things a cloud came and Overshadowed them and they were afraid as they entered the cloud and a voice came out of the cloud saying this is my son my

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Chosen one listen to him and when the voice had spoken Jesus was found alone and they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen

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This is the gospel of the Lord In the name of Jesus All right, one of my earliest memories is me being in my mom's

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Duster do y 'all remember these cars dusters Dodge put them out. It was an old Mopar Yeah, so it was a horrible car by the way

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It always was breaking down But one of the things I would always remember is my mom had particular songs.

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She liked listening to on the radio She was really into well kind of folk music kind of stuff, you know

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You know, I think of you know, love is a rose but you better not pick you don't talking about right?

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Yeah And there was this one song that I would hear on the radio as my mom would play it and I can't remember anything else

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Except for these words. Do you know the way to San Jose and that's all

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I know, right? Now all of this is to make a point and that is is that That my question for you is not do you know the way to San Jose?

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But do you know the way to the promised land and do you know who is supposed to take you into it kind of an important?

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Question we need to ask here and we're gonna note something here about Moses Is that Moses the one who brought us the law?

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The one whom God gave us the Ten Commandments through he falls short of the finish line

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Really badly, too I mean, it's really quite a mess. And so when we talk about law and gospel sin and grace there's an aspect to the law that we have to come to grips with and The fancy term that the theologians like to lose as they they use this phrase

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Lex Semper accusa You see throwing some Latin in here makes me sound like I'm smart

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But here's the idea behind Lex Semper accusa the law Always accuses now it doesn't only accuse but man it always accuses and that's the purpose of the law and So you'll note then the one who was given the

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Torah who was given the Ten Commandments who was given the law It ended up accusing him and coming right back at him and found him

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Painfully guilty and so Moses doesn't get to lead the people of Israel in to the promised land

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You see that is reserved for somebody whom the law cannot accuse and I'll explain that as we go

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We're gonna work through some of the great themes of our gospel text and I'm taking liberty and you'll see why when we get to Our gospel text what's going on now a little bit of a note here

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We're gonna go back into the Old Testament Which I like to do and we're gonna pick up some of the pieces of the

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Exodus So the children of Israel the Passover is already taking place They've crossed the

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Red Sea as on dry land as God parted the waters And of course when Pharaoh and his armies came to do the same thing

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God just shut the sea on them and destroyed decimated the entire army of Egypt Pharaoh and them all drown

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Rightfully, so then the children of Israel across now the Red Sea begin their wilderness wanderings if you would

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First stop on the way are the springs of Aleem where the 70 palm trees were and then from there they begin to head out

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Towards Mount Sinai and this is going to take them a little bit of time and we're gonna see the

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Faithlessness of the children of Israel in a particular portion of this text in Exodus 17 but it's important for me to remind you about a little bit of a

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Info that we got to get from the New Testament before we do that and that's Paul in 1st

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Corinthians 10 verses 1 through 5 Says this about a rock that is following the children of Israel.

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There's a rock following Israel. Yeah, let me explain Oh, I'll let Paul kind of do the work for us here. Here's what he says

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I don't want you to be unaware brothers that our fathers were all under the cloud

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That's kind of an important piece to remember the purpose of that cloud You see they were being led by God to the promised land pillar of cloud by day

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Pillar of fire by night by the way that cloud shows up in our gospel text

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It's important that we pay attention to that So all pass through the sea all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea and all ate the same spiritual food all

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Drank from the same the same spiritual drink for they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them and the rock was

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Christ Huh Take me to the rock that is higher than I Jesus is a rock.

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Well, yeah, according to Paul here writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Jesus is a rock and we'll note two instances where this rock

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Christ shows up the one Well works out well for Moses. The second one causes his stumbling and we'll explain that so Exodus 17

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They're on their way now to Mount Sinai They've crossed the Red Sea and all the congregation of the people of Israel They moved on from the wilderness of sin by stages according to the commandment of Yahweh and they camped at Rephidim But there was no water for the people to drink

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Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said give us water to drink Now that's kind of weird

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Let me explain You know when I visit Jean I go to his house, right? Now Jean's a great host when

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I when I visit him and he's always got little cakes and things like that It's like I always have to show up hungry, right?

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But if Jean if I ever went to your house and I was thirsty and if I needed water All I would have to say is hey

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Jean do you mind if I have a glass of water and Jean would say well, of course not and he would go right into his kitchen and he would pour me a glass of water

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It's kind of that simple when you have a need you ask that's kind of the point of having a

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God Is it not we are his creatures? We are dependent upon him if we need water. We need food.

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We need clothing We need money. We need all these things, right? So rather than grumbling to God and saying why don't you give me these things?

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What do you think you're doing? Why are you making me suffer in this way? Why don't you instead say? Oh dear Lord Jesus.

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Oh, Lord. God heavenly Father I'm in great need. I need some water. Would you please as my

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God and meet my need? Makes sense, right? It's just good common courtesy and practice.

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Well, here's what they do With Moses give us water to drink and Moses said to them.

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Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord? Why do you test Yahweh? but the people thirsted there for water and the people grumbled against Moses and said

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Why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?

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Oh, this is getting really goofy, right? So Moses cried to the Lord Yahweh. What shall

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I do with this people? They're almost ready to stone me and Yahweh said to Moses so I'll pass on before the people taking with you some of the elders of Israel and Taking your hand the staff with which you struck the

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Nile a little bit of a note here Remember this when Moses took his staff and he struck the Nile with it.

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What happened to the Nile? Turned to blood an important little piece there All right

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So he struck the Nile and take that one that you struck the Nile with and you go behold I'll stand before you there on the rock at Horeb and you shall strike the rock and Water shall come out of it and the people will drink

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So Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel he took his staff and he

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Struck the rock and what happened that thing split in half and out gushed just ginormous amounts of water so that all of the people can drink and he sit there and go you know that kind of sounds like when

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Jesus's corpse was hanging on the cross and that Roman soldier took his spear and thrust it and struck

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Christ and out of him flowed water and blood The very things by which the church is created remember

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Paul said the rock was Christ Well, if that the rock is

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Christ Well, the Old Testament is type and shadow and symbol that's pointing to where Christ is struck for us now

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Christ is crucified Once for all for our sins, he cannot suffer twice

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Which is why we come to our second Accounting of the appearance of this rock and we notice what ends up happening to poor

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Moses Poor Moses that law that was given through him ends up coming right back on him and we'll see what happens to him

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Numbers chapter 20 now the people of Israel have left Mount Sinai They spent a couple of years there and they had already made their first track towards the promised land

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They sent the tens the twelve spies in to spy out Canaan of course ten came back with a bad report and so Now they're going to suffer the consequences of their faith less and Not trusting

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God for the good things that he has promised to give them and so God sends them on a trek one lap around the

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Saudi Arabian Peninsula for their wilderness wanderings are heading south away from the promised land and here's what happens

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There was no water for the congregation Hmm okay, so they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and the people quarreled with Moses and said

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Oh would that we had perished when our brothers perished before Yahweh Why have you brought the assembly of Yahweh into this wilderness that we should die here both we and our cattle?

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What a slanderous question Do you really think for a second that God and Moses had brought the children of Israel into the wilderness so that they would die of thirst

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Notice the slander in the statement and the question So why have you made us to come out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place?

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This is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates. There's no water to drink

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So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces and The glory of Yahweh appeared to them the glory of Yahweh appeared to them and Yahweh spoke to Moses saying take the staff assemble the congregation you and Aaron your brother and Speak to the rock before the eyes

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Before their eyes so that it will yield its water in other words pray to the rock

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You see remember the rock is Christ. It doesn't make any sense Nobody talks to rocks like this unless they have rocks for brains, right?

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But here because the rock is Christ the Lord is saying speak to the rock and it will yield its water to you so you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the

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Congregation and their cattle and so Moses took the staff from before Yahweh as he commanded him and then

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Moses and Aaron gathered the Assembly together before the rock and he said to them here now you rebels

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Shall we bring water out for for you out of this rock? Now Moses had rightly pronounced that the people of Israel were rebels.

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They were rebelling against God But remember that law those Ten Commandments those commands of God.

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They're always Accusing and do you think for a second that he's an innocent man?

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Remember? If you haven't heard he was a murderer. Yeah, Moses was a murder

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He was on he was literally out in exile trying to evade arrest for 40 years

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This guy isn't exactly a good guy in that sense. So keep that in mind. So here you rebels We're gonna bring water out of this rock.

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And so Moses lifted up his staff and he struck with his staff crack

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Nothing you can't strike Christ twice he can't bleed and die for you a second time

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Nothing happens So Moses does it again? Smack and this time the second time the water begins to flow

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So the people of Israel they drank their livestock and everyone else had water But you always said to Moses Aaron because you did not believe in me.

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Oh To uphold me as holy in the eyes of the of the people of Israel Therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them these are the waters of Meribah of Of quarreling where the people of Israel quarreled with Yahweh and through them showed himself holy

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Moses the greatest prophet of the Old Testament failed

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He sinned The law found him guilty He was not permitted to go into the promised land and here's the thing

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We are all like Moses We're all like that assembly we have sinned grievously against God When Moses said you rebels he was speaking to us

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Because each and every one of us have rebelled horribly against God now in chapter 27

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Then God gives him the consequences of this sin He says go up into this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have given to the people of Israel and when you've seen

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It also you shall be gathered to your people Which is a kind way of saying you're gonna die as your brother

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Aaron was because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness Ho whoa

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Did you hear that pronouncement of God? God numbered Moses with the rebels

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God numbered him among the sinners and Can a sinner? Can a rebel lead you or me into the promised land?

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No That's not possible So you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation quarreled

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Failing to uphold me as holy at the waters before their eyes So Moses now speaks to the

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Lord and he prays saying Lord Let Yahweh the

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God of the spirits of all flesh Appoint a man over the congregation Who shall go out before them and come in before them who shall lead them out and bring them in?

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so that the congregation of Yahweh may not be a sheep that have no Shepherd and so Moses now is praying.

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I can't I've been disqualified. I have rebelled against God I cannot be the man to lead the people of Israel into the promised land.

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So please Lord appoint a man So that your people are not like sheep without a shepherd

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God answered Moses's prayer and It's not quite what you would think.

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We know how the story goes Joshua yeshua Follows Moses and Boy, it is not a coincidence that the name of the man who led the people into Israel into the promised land

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It that's the exact same name that Jesus his name is in Hebrew When his mom would call him for dinner when

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Jesus was out playing with his friends in the city of Nazareth She would say

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Yeshua Yeshua dinners ready come and eat Yeshua You see that's his name

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Yeshua Yahweh saves and So it was

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Yeshua who led the people of Israel into the promised land and now we come to our gospel text and this gets really interesting

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Luke 9 28 About eight days after these sayings

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Eight days new creation stuff. It's weird how these numbers work, right eight days after these sayings

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He took with him Peter John and James Two witnesses are required to establish a thing Jesus takes an extra a third along for good measure

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And they went up on the mountain to pray and you're gonna notice this about the the Apostles and the disciples

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They're kind of like us. They're not the best prayers in the world Have you ever like Said I'm gonna do some time praying right now as I've gotten older weird things happen like this

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I'll begin praying and then I'll wake up and my face is wet because because of this drool All right.

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Well, where was I? All right, as it maybe it's just me, okay

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But the idea here is is that oftentimes we don't put a lot of energy into praying and praying becomes the precursor for us

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Falling asleep. I feel comforted to know that this is the exact same problem that the disciples had We'll see that in this text.

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So as Jesus was praying Boom, the appearance of his face was altered his clothing became dazzling white.

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There's his glory Jesus Christ both God and man now his glory the glory of God shines out behold two men were now talking with Jesus Moses Moshe and Elijah a little bit of a note here

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Elijah's name in Hebrew the way you pronounce it is yes. I ow It's a lot like Joshua.

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It's a lot. It's a derivative office. Yes. I ow So there's Moses and yes,

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I ow who appeared in glory and they spoke of his and here's the Greek word Are you ready for this?

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exodus They were speaking to Jesus about his

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Exodus you see Moses his exodus ended in total failure He was not able to bring the children of Israel into the promised land

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And he died in the wilderness like all those whom God struck down Who sinned against God in all kinds of grievous ways?

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Grumbling against him quarreling with him committing sexual immorality and idolatry Moses's carcass also falls short just before the finish line and if we were in that Rabble, too, we would have also fallen short don't think you wouldn't you would have because you already have and That's the point

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Moses can't bring you into the promised land. The law cannot save you. Oh it can accuse you and So Moses is numbered them with the rebels and he dies but here he appears with Christ and they are speaking to Jesus about his exodus and Jesus his exodus isn't gonna fail

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He's not gonna fall short and not be able to cross the Jordan and he's not gonna fall short and fail to bring you

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And I in to the promised land where Moses and the law fails Christ succeeds because he's going to accomplish his exodus in Jerusalem By taking all of your rebel sins upon himself

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So that you can be forgiven One of the things that I love to study is the

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American Civil War and Recently, in fact in preparation of the sermon, I read Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain's the guy who was the the hero of Gettysburg on the little round top of the 20th of Maine was his regiment and He was there

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When General Lee surrendered at Appomattox, in fact, it was his brigade his red his his detachment that was sent by Grant to cut off the rebels the the

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Confederates from Actually continuing on and they were able to stop them at Appomattox and the gig was up and he writes this wonderful prose about the surrender of Lee and the surrender of the men who were the ones who gunned down their friends and their brothers in arms and One moment they were enemies and then in the next

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They were fellow citizens again when they lay down their battle flags when they surrendered their arms and when they did so they received from the soldiers of the

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Union a manly soldiers salute You see we were all rebels we were all

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Confederates and Christ in his exodus now cuts us off From continuing to hell and through his cross

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Forgives us so that we can be restored to full citizenship

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No strings attached No strings attached no worry of having to face a court -martial for war crimes

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Or being tried as somebody who raised up arms against the Union no none of that that all goes away

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It's all because he accomplished his exodus so they spoke to him about his exodus which which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem and Peter and those who were with him heavy with sleep.

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Of course, they must have been praying. I Know what this is like but when they became fully awake

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They saw Jesus's glory and the two men who stood with him and as the men were parting from him Peter said to Jesus master

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It's good that we're here. So let us make three tents one for you one for Moses and one for Elijah and Luke says he didn't know what he was saying

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He clearly missed the point and as he was saying these things The cloud from Exodus that led the children of Israel Through the wilderness to the promised land now appears on the top of this mountain that cloud now appears and came and overshadowed them just the same way it overshadowed the children of Israel in the wilderness and They were afraid as they entered the cloud and then a voice came out of the cloud saying this is my son

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My chosen one the one I've chosen to lead you into the promised land listen to Him remember the purpose of that cloud is to lead the people to the promised land and so now that cloud reappears and says

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You want to know the way not to San Jose, but to the promised land? This cloud will show you the way and it shows you by telling you listen to Jesus Repent of your rebellion lay down your battle flags in your arms

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Confess that you have woefully shut fallen short And he has offered you a full and complete pardon, listen to him and So when the voice had spoken

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Jesus alone was found And they kept silent and told no one in those days of anything of what they had seen poor

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Moses didn't make it But that's kind of the point of our epistle text in Hebrews Inspired author of Hebrews writes, holy brothers and you who share in a heavenly calling consider

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Jesus the Apostle and high priest of our Confession who is faithful to him who appointed him just as Moses was also faithful in all of God's house

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It's he God appointed him this Jesus to be the man to lead us into life eternal a world without end

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For this Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses indeed as much more glory as the builder of a house has more glory than the house itself

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Hinting at Jesus is God. He's the creator. You're his creation

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For every house is built by someone but the builder of all things is God Now Moses was faithful in all of God's house as a servant as a slave

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To testify to the things that were to be spoken later In fact, Moses was pointing us the way to the one who would lead us the one whom

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God had chosen That's who Jesus is but you see Christ. He's faithful over God's house as a son and We are his house.

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If indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting and hope So brothers and sisters do not weep for Moses His body is still in the wilderness never made it to the promised land and to make sure that it never would

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God himself hid it. No one knows where it is to this day and his Dead carcass unfound is a sign to us that you cannot get into the promised land by keeping the commandments that's not the point of them there to show you that you are a sinner and So be numbered with the rebels because you are one and there's no point in denying it and And ask for forgiveness and mercy from this one who so richly loves you that he completed his exodus by laying down his life and Demonstrating his love so that you can live and soon enough soon enough the war will be over and We will all be able to lay down our arms and turn our swords into plowshares

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In a new heaven and a new earth in a world without end a world without conflict a world without rebels

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Life everlasting all of us perfectly reflecting back The righteousness of Christ that we are already clothed in by grace through faith in the name of Jesus Amen, if you would like to support the teaching ministry of kungsvinger lutheran church

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You can do so by sending a tax -free donation to kungsvinger lutheran church 15950 470th

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Avenue Northwest Oslo, Minnesota 567 4 4 and again that address is kungsvinger lutheran church 15950 470th