The Plowman

 

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Gospel of John #02: An exposition of John 1:6-7, 19-34. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 31, 2010.

Introduction
He was an extraordinary character.  To some he was the greatest man of their time, perhaps one of the greatest man in their history.  To others he was a nut!  A country bumpkin.  A strange little man with unusual habits in both dress and nutrition.  He was an outcast from society.  Had you lived during his time you may not have liked him.  You may not have approved of his message or his methods but one thing is certain - you would not have been able to ignore him.  The common folks adored him while the religious establishment despised him.  Multitudes flocked to hear him, some out of curiosity, others out of deep devotion.  We really do not know that much about him.  His ministry was not long but it was profound, explosive and far reaching.  He was known as “the baptizer.”  Jesus said of him, “Of those born of women none is greater than John the Baptist.”  This morning I want us to look at his life and consider his legacy.  Our text is found in the first chapter of John’s Gospel.

Text: John 1:6-7, 19-34

We are still in the prologue of John’s Gospel.  John is setting forth the themes that will run throughout his account of the life and ministry of Jesus.  In the first five verse he gives us this wonderful, profound statement concerning the identity of Jesus of Nazareth.  There we discover He is the eternal one, He is God, He is the creator of everything and He is life and light.  So John begins his telling of the life of Jesus not with the events surrounding His birth but long before that.  He reaches back into eternity past and tells us that before anything was created He, that is Jesus, was already continuing to exist.  Then as he moves to tell us about Jesus’ earthly life and ministry he begins where the other gospel writers begin - with the announcement of John the Baptist.

He is referred to simply as “John” in the 4th Gospel. Why?
Because there are only 2 Johns closely associated with Jesus.
John the Baptist and John the son of Zebedee (the beloved apostle).
The apostle is the author of this Gospel and never refers to himself by name.
Thus there is no reason to distinguish this John with the descriptive - “the baptizer.”
John was the son of a priest who served in the Temple (Luke 1).
We know that he was a very dedicated and zealous servant of God.
He ministered in the wilderness of Judea.
He wore a coat of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist (the garb of a prophet).
He ate locust and wild honey.
He preached repentance and the coming of God’s kingdom.
He was not afraid to speak the truth even to the most powerful leaders.
He asked the leaders from Jerusalem, “What are you snakes doing out here?”  (Luke 3:7-9)
He was not afraid to confront the king about his immorality.  (Mt 14)

Listen to our Lord’s assessment of the Baptist - Matthew 11:7b-11a.
That is high praise indeed!
Yet he was a fall son of Adam like the rest of us.
A man of flesh and bone.
The occasion of our Lord’s assessment is critical at this point.
Do you know what prompted the testimonial?
John was struggling to believe - Mt 11:2-3.

John was extraordinary, gifted, godly, passionate, fervent, flawed, weak and sinful.
In other words, he was a man.
A good man.
A godly man.
One worthy of emulating but a man nonetheless.
We find in John and example of what it means to be a godly man.

As we consider our text we learn that…

Thesis: A godly man understands his role in the Divine plan.

A godly man knows who he is.  He knows where he fits into the greater scheme of things.  This is something desperately needed in our day.

I want to share with you 4 characteristics of a godly man.  I’m using man in the generic sense.  A godly person.  Man or woman.  What is it that ought to mark us as the people of God?

1. A godly man understands his uniqueness is rooted in the call of God on his life.  (1:6)
2. The godly man delights in his role as a messenger and a light bearer.  (1:7-8, 15, 19-23)
3. The godly man acknowledges his usefulness without delusions of being indispensable.  (1:25-28)
4. The godly man glories in the exaltation of Christ.  (1:29-34, 35-37; 3:30)

Conclusion:
This is God’s call on the life of the redeemed.  If Christ is who the opening verses claim He is, how could we expect anything less?  If you belong to Christ find your life, your identity in Him.  Delight in your role as a light bearer.  Know that God is using you but the whole thing doesn’t hinge on you.  Finally glory in the exaltation of the Lord Jesus.

 

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An exposition of Genesis 41: 1-40. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, October 27, 2010.

 

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An exposition of Psalm 22:1-31. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist on Sunday evening, October 24, 2010.

Introduction
The cross is the heart and soul of our faith.  It is the means by which, sinful, corrupt, wicked folks like us are made right with God.  Man was created to be in fellowship with God.  But due to a willful act of disobedience man fell.  Sin separated the creature from its creator.  Yet God loved.  And because God loved he gave his only begotten Son.  That is the meaning of the cross.  Once you and I realize that we are sinners, fully deserving of the wrath of God and we understand the significance of what God did for us at the cross – we can never be the same.

In fact once we see the cross for what it is we must join with Isaac Watts and sing:

“When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the prince of glory died,
My riches gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it Lord that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most
I sacrifice them to his blood.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far to small:
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my life, my soul, my all.”

The cross is both the glory and the shame of the Christian.  It is our glory because of what our God has done for us.  It is our glory because it demonstrates the love, mercy and grace of God.  It is our shame because it is our sin, our rebellion that put him there.  The cross both repels and attracts.  We are wondrously drawn to the cross and yet we are repelled by its horror.  Tonight we explore the wonder of the cross through the eyes of an Old Testament saint.

Our text this evening is found in the 22nd Psalm.
Text: Psalm 22:1-31

This is another of David’s psalms.
But it is clear that this is not about David.
There is nothing in David’s life that can compare with what is described here.
This is a prophetic Psalm.
Crucifixion is not a Hebrew form of execution and was unknown in David’s time.
David, under the inspiration of God’s Spirit, said far more than he ever understood.
We find here what reads like an eyewitness account of the crucifixion of Jesus!

Thus:

Thesis: The 22nd Psalm powerfully foretells of the pain, the agony and the triumph of the cross of the Lord Jesus.

This is a fascinating Psalm given it was written hundreds of years before the event!
Though crucifixion was unknown to the author – it is amazingly accurate.

Have you ever stopped to consider what was on the mind of the Lord Jesus during those six hours?  Have you considered what he must have been thinking?

You remember that he was arrested on Thursday night.
Held captive and harassed all night.
Early the next morning his was “tried” by what can only be described as a “mockery of justice.”

He was hurried off to the home of Pontius Pilate for sentencing because the Jews did not have the power to carry out executions.
He was scourged, beaten, mocked and then nailed to the cross.

All the while he was thinking of others.

When being lead to Golgotha he saw the women weeping he replied, “do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.”

When the soldiers nailed him to the cross he said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

From the cross he saw to the care of his mother.

He spoke words of comfort and hope to one of those dying along side of him.

But at noon – all that changed as a cloud of darkness fell as a funeral pall over the cross.
It is as if God drew a curtain of privacy around the cross as he and the son did business.
From the darkness came this cry – “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani” – “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  A direct, explicit quoting of the opening verse of the 22nd Psalm.  This is what was on his mind – the fulfillment of prophecy – the act of atonement.

There are three things I want us to note about this remarkable Psalm.

1. Psalm 22 vividly foretells of the torment of the cross.  (22:1-2; 6; 11; 19-20)
2. Psalm 22 accurately portrays the horror of the cross.  (22:7-8; 12-18)
3. Psalm 22 gloriously reveals the triumph of the Cross.  (22:21; 31)

This Psalm powerfully foretells of the pain, the agony and the triumph of the Cross of the Lord Jesus.

That is what this table is all about.
It is a time for reflection, remembrance and reverence.

Take a moment to reflect on what he has done for you.

Remember the price He paid, the pain He endured, the hell He experienced.

Worship Him.

 

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The Gospel of John #01: An exposition of John 1:1-5. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 24, 2010.

Introduction
To some he is nothing more than a confused, crazed religious leader.  To others he was a good, descent man; an honorable teacher and ethical guide.  Still others consider him a myth.   The result of an overactive imagination fueled by religious zeal.  Some think he was one of many manifestations of “The Divine.”  To those who hold to a biblical faith he is the Son of God; the Son of man.  Fully God and fully man.  The only one of his kind.  God made flesh.  Immanuel, God with us.  The Lord Jesus Christ.  Given the claims of Scripture, it is the most important question you will ever answer, “Who is he?”  Who is Jesus of Nazareth?  What is your Christology?  Your doctrine of Christ?

When he rode into Jerusalem on Sunday of Passion week to the shouts of, “Hosanna!”  The crowd asked, “Who is this?”  (Matthew 21:10).  When he spoke and the violent waters of the Sea of Galilee became smooth as glass the disciples whispered, “Who is this?  Even the wind and waves obey his voice?”  (Mark 4:41).  When Jesus forgave the sins of the paralytic the scribes and Pharisees demanded, “Who is this who speaks blasphemy?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?”  (Luke 9:9).

That is the question.  Who is this Jesus?  Is he a myth?  Is he only a man?  If so you can afford to ignore him.  If on the other hand he is God, as the Scriptures claim, then he demands your allegiance.  You ignore him to your own peril.  It is not the kind of question you can easily push aside.  The stakes are just too high.  Our text this morning is found in the opening words of the Gospel of John.

Text: John 1:1-5

John’s Gospel has been the source of comfort and encouragement for Christians throughout the ages.  It has been called, “God’s love letter to the world.”  Martin Luther, the great reformer, referred to it as the chief Gospel.  He said, “If some tyrant succeeded in destroying the Holy Scriptures and only a single copy of the Epistle to the Romans and the Gospel according to John escaped him, Christianity would be saved.”  Some of the best known and most loved texts of the Word of God are from this Gospel.

John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 6:35 - “I am the bread of life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

John 10:10 - “I am the good shepherd.”

John 11:25 - “I am the resurrection and the life.”

John 15:1 - “I am the true vine…”

Many a believer has found perfect peace through the precious words of John 14 - “Do not let your heart be troubled.  You believe in God believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I will come back, and take you to be with me, that you may also be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going…I am the way and the the truth and the life.  No one come to the Father except through me.”

John, writing from Ephesus, is clear about his purpose.  Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;  31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

His purpose is evangelistic.  He is writing to bring others to a saving knowledge of Christ.  A gospel is a selective history with a purpose.  John arranges the story to point to the uniqueness of Jesus as the Lord’s Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One.  His purpose is to set forth a picture of Christ in all His glory so that you fall at His feet in worship.  The focus throughout is on the glory of Christ.  Our text sets the tone for the book with its glorious description of the exalted Christ.

One of the unique features of John’s gospel is that the more you study it, the bigger Christ appears.  It is like Lucy’s experience with Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia.  As she gazed into Aslan’s large wise face he said…

“Welcome, child.”
“Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.”
“That’s because you are older, little one,” answered he.
“Not because you are?”
“I am not.  But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

The more you study the gospel, the better you understand what Christ has done.  The better you understand what Christ has done - the more glorious He becomes!  With that in mind let’s look at our text - John 1:1-5.

What is abundantly clear and foundational from our text is that…
Thesis: An authentic Gospel demands an exalted doctrine of Christ.

The purpose of our gathering is to bring glory and honor to our God.  The biblical Gospel is a Christ-honoring, Christ-exalting message and this passage is unparalleled in its description of Christ.  It is believed that the entire prologue (1:1-18) is an ancient hymn glorifying Christ.  The opening verses certainly set the tone not only for the prologue but for the whole of John’s Gospel.

There are four affirmations about Christ I want us to note from this text.

1. He is the Eternal One.  (1:1-2)
2. He is God.  (1:1-2)
3. He is the Creator of everything!  (1:3)
4. He is life and light.  (1:4-5)

Conclusion: As such He cannot be ignored.  You cannot easily dismiss Him or casually brush Him aside.  He demands your allegiance.  He commands your adoration.  He is worthy of you soul, your life, your all.

 

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An exposition of Genesis 40. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, October 20, 2010.

 

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An exposition of 1 Corinthians 2:6-16. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, October 17, 2010.

Introduction
To study communications or information sharing today is an overwhelming thing.  It is estimated that 4 exabytes (4.0×10^19) of unique information will be generated this year.  That is more than the previous 5,000 years!  Add to that the fact that the amount of new technical information is doubling every 2 years. In addition two billion videos are viewed each day on YouTube along with hundreds of thousands of videos uploaded daily.  The number of text messages sent and received every day exceeds the total population of the planet.  Tweets have increased from 35 million a day in February of this year to 90 million by July.  There are more than 31 billion searches on Google every month.  NTT of Japan has successfully tested a fiber optic cable that pushes 14 trillion bits per second down a single strand of fiber.  That is equivalent to 2,660 CDs or 210 million phone calls every second.  It is staggering the amount of information that is at our fingertips.  Yet despite this information overload, despite this vast storehouse of knowledge there is appalling shortage of wisdom.  Knowledge is the storing of facts while wisdom is the ability to interpret and apply knowledge.  Wisdom is putting the knowledge to good use.  Wisdom is the art and skill of living.

When writing to the philosophy-loving Greeks in Corinth Paul speaks of the wisdom of God and the wisdom of man.  He said that the wisdom of God is consider foolishness by the Greeks.  It makes no sense to them.  But to those who believe it is the power of God unto salvation.  Now you might be tempted to think, based on Paul’s emphasis in chapter 1 and then the opening verses of chapter 2 that he was anti-wisdom.  That he was somehow opposed to understanding but an honest look at the balance of the second chapter reveals just the opposite.  Our text this evening is found in 1 Corinthians the second chapter.

Text: 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

1 Corinthians 2:3-4 - sounds anti-wisdom
But what is clear in the balance of the chapter is that…

Thesis: God, out of His great love and compassion, desires to impart spiritual wisdom to each of His children.

The question is how is this wisdom obtained?
How does one achieve this wisdom?
How does one gain the art of living?

Two things are clear:

1. Spiritual wisdom cannot be obtained through intellectual pursuits.  (2:6-9, 14)
2. Spiritual wisdom can only be obtained through God’s self-revelation.  (2:10-13, 15-16)

Conclusion:
Wisdom is God’s gift to His children.  It is not gain through intellectual pursuit it is obtained through God’s self-revelation.  The result is the faithful application of God’s truth to your life making you a doer of the Word and not a hearer only.

 

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An exposition of Psalm 150:1-6. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 17, 2010.

Introduction
It is Sunday morning and so we are gathered for worship.  We’ve had some Scripture.  We’ve welcomed one another.  We’ve prayed, we’ve sung, we’ve listened to the choir, we’ve given an offering and now it is time for the sermon.  But have we worshiped?  We’ve followed ritual.  We’ve done what we normally do, but is that all there is to worship?  Is that all that must happen for worship to take place?  What about the release of emotion?  Surely you haven’t worshiped if your heart has not been stirred.  Surely it is not worship if your spirit is not moved.  Then again does an emotional buzz constitute worship?  Can you worship without engaging the mind?  Is it possible to worship without a conscious decision of the will?  Must there be a sermon?  What about music?  What kind of music?  Instruments or no instruments?  Only certain instruments?

“Worship Wars” are not a new phenomenon.  Christians for ages have “cussed” and discussed these issues.  What is worship?  Can we define it?  Worship is the response of all that I am to all that God is, says, and does.  At times that worship is quiet and reflective.  Sometimes it is loud and jubilant.  At times our worship is sorrowful, solemn, heart-rending and puzzling.  Then there are those times of joyous celebration.

This is why we must be careful in seeking to control worship.  Now, I’m not advocating a “free for all.”  But I am suggesting that worship must not be dictated according to personal tastes.  There is a time to “be still and know that God is God.”  But there are also those times to “cut loose” and worship.

Consider 2 Samuel 6:14-15 – “And when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal.  14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might…” - David must have been a Pentecostal?

Or Nehemiah 12:43 “And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.” – they must have been “shout’n Baptist.”

C.S. Lewis described the worship of Israel in terms of their “appetite” for God.
Appetite refers to an “inherent craving.”
Israel’s worship was far from sedate.

Our text this morning sounds the final note in the Psalter and is an appropriate climax.

Text: Psalm 150:1-6

By anyone’s standard Psalm 150 describes a loud worship service.
And one that some of us would not like.
Thus the danger in allowing personal preference to govern.

James Boice in his commentary on this Psalm tells the story of his daughter’s coming to him and asking, “Dad, do you think my music is loud and repetitive?”  Knowing that she was setting him up based on something he had said, he looked for a way out.  Finding none, he reluctantly responded, “Yes, I find it loud and repetitive.”  To which she replied, “Maybe you can explain to me the Hallelujah Chorus?”

It’s always frustrating when you shoot yourself in the foot!  We are certainly not going to put an end to the controversies surrounding music and its use in worship.  Controversies that have reigned throughout the history of the church but I think we can see a profound truth in our text.

Thesis: The worship of God cannot be contained within the narrow confines of sedate religion.

I want to point out 4 truths as we work our way through this brief psalm.

1. The worship of God summons both heaven and earth.  (150:1)
2. The worship of God centers on His person and work.  (150:2)
3. The worship of God exhausts all available resources.  (150:3-5)
4. The worship of God demands your participation.  (150:6)

The worship of God:

• Summons heaven and earth
• Centers on God’s person and work
• Exhausts the available resources
• Demands your participation

Hallelujah!

 

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An exposition of Genesis 39. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, October 13, 2010.

 

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An exposition of 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, October 10, 2010.

Introduction
It is an important question.  It is a basic, fundamental question.  What is our mission?  What is it we are to be about as the church?  If you were to ask 10 people that question I think you’d probably get at least 4 or 5 different answers.  Perhaps more than that today.  It is common for churches and ministries to develop “mission statements.”  We did that a number of years ago when we did a strategic plan.  Of course conventional wisdom says you need to do that every few years it you want to stay on the “cutting edge,” if you want to be relevant.  My concern is - haven’t we, as the church, already been given a mission?  Is it our place to define and determine what that mission is to be?  Certainly if the you are part of an organization you need to constantly be asking if your organization is still relevant to your community or to your customer base.  But that assumes it is your business.  It assumes that you are in control.  It assumes you have the freedom to take things in a new direction if it isn’t working out.  Is that true of the church?  I’m not suggesting that the church doesn’t need to periodically look at it’s programing and determine if it is being effective.  I’m not at all suggesting that there is never a need to evaluate.  But I am asking whether it is ever our right to determine what the mission is to be?  A related question is whether or not our methods are to be evaluated solely on the basis of effectiveness or are methods to be determined by the mission given to the church or the essence of what the church is to be?

These are basic questions but they are not simple.
There are a number of factors to be considered and definitions are important.
It is also critical to note that when answering these questions we must begin and end with the Scriptures.

To confess that we believe the Scriptures are the final authority in matters of faith and practice is to confess that we believe the Scriptures alone are sufficient for answering such questions.  That doesn’t mean that we refuse to consider anything other than the Bible but the the Bible must evaluate all other sources.  We consider the other matters in light of what the Bible teaches.

The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians, was writing to a struggling church in the midst of a pagan culture.  A church inundated with the wisdom of the world, saturated by the appetites of secular culture and weakened through compromise.  His words to the church in first century Corinth have much to say to us in 21st-century America.  Our text this evening is found in the 2nd chapter of Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth.

Text: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Paul is speaking to a divided church.
Factions have developed around favorite teachers/pastors.
Paul makes it clear unity is built around doctrine.
He then calls on them to take their eyes off of men and put them on Christ alone.

Now in our text…

Thesis: The apostle, under the inspiration of the Spirit, outlines the primary work of the church.

He makes it clear that we are to be about the work of the gospel.
In this text he lays out for us the message, the means and the motivation of our work.

1. The message of the church is unapologetically Christ-centered.  (2:1-2)
2. The means of communicating that message is Spirit-anointed proclamation.  (2:3-4)
3. The motive behind the means is Spirit-imparted life rather than human-inspired decisions.  (2:5)

 

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An exposition of Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:14. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 10, 2010.

Introduction
It dates back thousands of years.  Back to the days of the Greek poet Homer and beyond.  The idea of the wise old sage who will point you down the right path insuring success or enabling you to reach the goal.  The sage is the embodiment of wisdom.  The one able to distill great, profound truths into a single thought.  In the Iliad it was Nestor.  In Greek mythology it is Mentor.  For King Arthur it was Merlin.  In Star Wars it was Yoda.  In the Lord of the Rings it is Gandalf.  For me it was Gibson, the sage of Webster High School who also happened to be the football coach.  A man of great intellect who often spoke in terms that were beyond us as mere mortals.  Great perils of wisdom flowed from his lips like water from a fountain.  When you made excuses for why your man got through the line and annihilated your quarterback in the backfield the sage would say, “Son, you best smell yourself before you tell me the other fella stinks!”  You just don’t forget such wisdom.

Throughout history men have sought the advice of the sage as a means of navigating life’s treacherous path.  We all need help in making sense of the senselessness around us.  The Preacher began by asking, “Is life worth living?”  Life seemed an endless monotony.  He found that wisdom provided little or no relief.  That wealth ultimately proved worthless and that death could not be avoided.  So, after carefully considering life under the sun, that is life without God, his answer was, “No.  Life is not worth living.”  Being a wise man Solomon consider the question again, this time with God in the picture.  That made all the difference.  Rather that monotonous he found life filled with challenges from God.  He discovered wealth could be enjoyed and used for the glory of God.  And even if you can’t know everything being wise was infinitely better than playing the fool.  As for death - there is a way of escape.  Now in chapters 11 and 12 the Preacher is ready to conclude his message.  Our text this morning is found in the last two chapters of Ecclesiastes.

Text: Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:14

I want to take these two chapters together because they belong together.
A single thought is running through them.
Remember Solomon is nearing the end of his days.
He is imparting that one great truth he wants to live beyond him.
That great lesson to be embraced by the following generation.

So think of Solomon as the family sage.  Uncle Sol has something he wants the family to understand.  Something he wants the kids to take to heart.

Thesis: The Preacher calls on his hearers to see life clearly and to respond appropriately.

His advice is to see life as it really is from the vantage point of glory and then do what is appropriate.  As we saw earlier, perspective is everything.  Uncle Sol is going to help us see and embrace life as God intends.

1. Life is an adventure that is to be lived.  (11:1-6)
2. Life is a gift to be enjoyed!  (11:7-12:8)
3. Life is a school learn the lessons well - 12:9-12
4. Life is a stewardship guard it well and be prepared to give account - 12:13-14

Conclusion
Is life worth living?  Yes!  If yo are truly alive through faith in Christ Jesus.  Then you can be satisfied, no matter what God may permit to come to your life.  “He who has the Son has life.  He who does not have the Son does not have life.”  1 John 5:12