The Plowman

 

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An exposition of Galatians 4:1-11. this message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, December 26, 2010.

Introduction:
It is the only word that really captures the essence of this season.  It is the one expression that comes close to describing the indescribable.  It is the word “wonder.”  Wonder refers to the cause of astonishment or surprise; the quality or state of exciting amazed admiration; it refers to something beyond anything previously known or anticipated.”  This is a wonderful time of year.  Not because of gifts, parties, programs or “Christmas cheer.”  It is wonderful because of the one who came.  It is wonderful because the eternal step into time; because the creator became part of his creation; because God moved into our neighborhood in order to redeem us.  It is easy to lose sight of that in all the busyness of the season.  Too often our minds are flooding with shopping lists, decorations and social obligations.  It’s not that we don’t care or that we are indifferent – it’s just, well we’ve got so much going on.  Or maybe we have so much going on because we really don’t want to deal with the loneliness and emptiness of the season.  If Christmas is nothing more than a momentary relief from the monotony of everyday life…it is of little value or significance.  If Christmas is nothing more than a religious observance or annual feast…it is a sorry substitute for celebrating the history-altering event of 2000 years ago.

Christmas is the incredible story of how God became a man.  It is a story of love and grace.  The story of how God in his holiness made it possible for sinful, stubborn and rebellious folks like you and me, to live in relationship with him!  Rediscover the wonder of Christmas as we explore the message of the apostle Paul from the fourth chapter of Galatians.

Text: Galatians 4:4-7

The book of Galatians is a marvelous treatment of the doctrine of salvation.  Paul is answering his critics who desire to enslave people to a doctrine of works.  According to these false teachers, belief in Jesus was necessary but not enough – you must also live a certain lifestyle, you must observe all the dietary laws of the Old Testament, follow the religious calendar etc.  Paul said no, “You must trust in Jesus alone for salvation.”  As Paul deals with the joy of our liberty in Christ in this passage, he reminds us of the wonder of the Christmas season.

Thesis: “The true wonder of Christmas can only be understood in the light of God’s sovereign grace in salvation.”

What an amazing statement.  Just three brief sentences yet packed full of meaning and profound truths.  He we have this concise statement of the person and work of Christ.  Every word is packed with meaning.

This is the wonder of Christmas…

1. God sovereignly orchestrated the movement of history to prepare for the coming of his dear Son.  (4:4)
2. God sovereignly brought redemptive history to its climax with the coming of the Redeemer.  (4:4-5)
3. God graciously brings us into his glorious family.  (4:5-7)

Unless you get this – you’ll never get Christmas.
Until you experience the wonder of Christmas through Christ it will never be more than a momentary high.

 

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An exposition of Luke 24:13-35. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, December 19, 2010.

Introduction:
It was one of the highlights of my early life.  It was something I anticipated for an entire year.  The JC Penny Christmas Catalogue.  The thing I didn’t understand is why did they use up valuable space with clothes?  Everybody knew the JC Penny Christmas Catalogue was about toys!  With pen in hand I carefully searched each page circling items that must be brought to the attention of mom and dad.  Of course there were times when it was tough to decide based on a mere picture, those items required further research.  I had to get to Crystal City and check out the toy aisle at OTASCO.  Part of the joy of the Christmas season was the joy of anticipation.  “Did they get the hint?  I circled the thing in red and I even underlined it!  I even let them know it was cheaper at OTASCO.  But you never know – parents are funny.”  There is nothing like the joy of opening that present on Christmas morning and finding they got it right!  And there is nothing quite like the emptiness of an unfulfilled expectation.

Their world had been shattered.  They knew he was the one.  There was no way anyone could have ever told them otherwise.  Finally after centuries of anticipation Messiah had come.  After three years of miracles and teaching all doubt was removed.  But their dream died that Friday afternoon as his lifeless body was removed from the center cross.  Their Messiah had been slaughtered and his body placed in a borrowed grave.  Oh, there were rumors that he was alive.  Some women had come with a fantastic story – but it had been three days, that just couldn’t be.  They were on their way home when a mysterious stranger joined them on their journey.  Our text this morning is found in Luke chapter 24.

Text: Luke 24:13-35

Luke’s concern is that his friend, Theophilus, gets the straight story on Jesus.
He wants to make sure he has the facts concerning the person and work of Jesus.
His aim is the heart as well as the head.
His purpose is to bring his friend to faith.
Our text deals with events following the resurrection.
But in light of the Christmas season I want us to back off just a bit and get the larger picture.

Biblical truth is related.
Doctrinal truth ties together.
We are not to view the various elements in isolation – we need to see their connection.
We cannot separate the cradle from the cross.
Our Lord’s birth and his death are, of necessity, linked.
He was born to die.
He came on a mission.
He came specifically to accomplish redemption.
He came to atone for our sin.

As we approach our text this morning we find some of his followers absolutely devastated by recent events.  They are heartsick over what has happened.  As the resurrected Lord approaches them he asks a question, “What are you discussing?  What has you so down?”  They cannot believe the question.  “Are you from out of town?”  They might as well have said, “Are you from some other planet?”  “Are you the only one who doesn’t know what has happened in Jerusalem over the last few days?”  Don’t you know that is a comment Cleopas would like to have back!

Cleopas goes on to explain how they had believed and hope that Jesus was in deed the Messiah but how that the events of the last few days had showed the folly of such hope.  Then Jesus proceeded to set the record straight.

I’m convinced that this text serves to remind us that:

Thesis: The promises of Christmas can only be understood in light of the cross and the resurrection.

Christmas and Easter are tied together.
You cannot fully understand one without the other.
It’s one story and one without the other is incomplete.

There are three things I want us to note in connection with this.

1. Christmas promised a great deliverance.  (Matthew 1:18-21)
2. Christmas promised an assured hope.  (Luke 2:10-14)
3. The cross and the resurrection secure the promises of Christmas.

Jesus accomplished on the cross what was promised at Christmas.
He saved his people from their sins.
He established himself as Savior and Lord!
Our hope rest in his death for our sin and his being raised for our life.

The promises of Christmas can only be understood in light of the cross and the resurrection.

Christmas promised a great deliverance and an assured hope and each was secured by way of the cross.

 

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An exposition of Matthew 2:1-12. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, December 12, 2010.

Introduction:
They were strange and mysterious visitors from another world.  They appeared suddenly, unannounced and in equally dramatic fashion they left and were never heard from again.  All kinds of stories have circulated concerning them.  Some far-fetched and obviously legend.  Others are more reasoned and have the ring of truth about them.  But the fact is we know very little.  Our knowledge of their visit and their mission is scant to say the least and yet they are an important part of the Christmas story.  “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is He who is born King of the Jews?”  Tradition tells us that there were three of them.  That they were kings and their names were Casper, Balthasar and Melchior.  The problem is that none of that can be supported by the text of Scripture.  These are legends created during the Middle Ages with no historical foundation.  The cathedral at Cologne boast of have their skulls in a golden casket.  Their boast is more in keeping with the sensationalism of a sideshow barker than with than with actual history.  Another myth is that they were present at the stable in Bethlehem while the reality is that they were most likely a year and a half or two years later.

It is this last bit of truth that drove one of my college professors to put her Nativity scene on one end of her dinning room table with the wise men at the other end of the table.  She used to say, “I realize it won’t taken them two years to cross my table but at least they’ll be delayed!”  The Christmas story is so bound to legend and tradition that we often loose sight of the deeper issues surrounding the dramatic arrival of God incarnate.  God in the flesh.  This evening I want us to examine the biblical account the coming of the Magi and its significance for us.

Text: Matthew 2:1-12

Keep in mind that Matthew the former tax collector is writing to a Jewish audience and declaring that Jesus of Nazareth is in fact the Messiah the rightful king of Israel and God’s anointed deliverer.  He is writing from Palestine sometime between AD 58 and 68.  He is not writing a biography he is writing a Gospel – a selective history with a purpose.  His purpose is to show that Jesus is the one Israel has been anticipating for thousands of years.  He began by giving His genealogy demonstrating his claim to the throne of David.  Then he told of the miraculous events leading up to His birth and the purpose of His coming – “He will save His people from their sins.”

Now Matthew gives His account of the birth of Jesus.  Unique to his account is the story of the Magi and their dealings with Herod the Great.  It is interesting to note that Matthew writing to Jews, concerned with presenting Jesus as the rightful heir to the throne of David, includes this account of Gentiles being brought to the cradle of Christ by the working of a sovereign God.

If we are not careful we can come to the Christmas story and miss the forest because of the trees!  We can be so focused on the people and events surrounding the story that we miss what they might teach us.  As we explore our text I want you to see that:

Thesis: The people and events surrounding the birth of Christ mirror the various responses of men to the person of the Lord Jesus.

We find in our text three responses representative of man’s response to the Savior.

1. First of all, in Herod we find the response of hatred and hostility.
2. The religious leaders demonstrate the response of apathy and indifference.
3. The mysterious visitors from the East represent the response of worship and adoration.

 

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#08 in the “Gospel of John” series: An exposition of John 3:16-18. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, December 12, 2010.

Introduction:
This is such a difficult time of year for me.  I can’t take the pressure.  You see I’m a lousy gift-giver.  It wasn’t until I was an adult I learned what a good liar my mother was.  She always acted as if my Christmas gift was a stroke of shear genius!  “Oh Rodney they’re beautiful.  Thank you!”  I was so proud.  I thought of going into the consulting business.  I was sure area stores would have been interested in my skills.  Looking back I’m wondering what was so great about another pair of house shoes?  As a parent I made sure I was ready with another present while they opened the one in hand.  The minute I saw the “look” I shoved another at them and said, “Here.  Open this one.”  One year I got it right.  Jessie was thrilled by her new tricycle.  Then Zac said, “Hey Jessie that’s just like mine.  I’ll go get mine and we can ride them together!”  It was his - with streamers and a basket.  At best our gift-giving is a mixed bag.  There’s no joy like the joy of getting it right, and there’s no heartache quite like a miserable failure.  When it comes to our gifts we win some and we lose some.

I know that I could stand here and rant and rave against the commercial abuse of the Christmas Season.  That would be easy enough.  We all know things have gotta out of hand.  People paying what they do not have to buy something that will not last in an attempt to bring joy that is destined to fade.  I could wave my Bible and declare that Christmas has nothing to do with gifts but that wouldn’t be true…would it?  The Christmas story includes the tale of those who traveled a great distance in order to honor the one “born king of the Jews.”  They came bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”  But more importantly the story of Christmas is the story of life’s greatest gift.  God’s gift of love and grace.  The gift of the Christ.  Our text this morning is found in John chapter 3.  It is perhaps the best known passage in all the Bible.  It is the verse that translators first use when translating the gospel message into the heart language of the people.  Our text is John 3:16-18.

As we work through these few verses we are reminded that…

Thesis: The extraordinary love of God provides life’s greatest gift and demands your absolute devotion.

Three things I want to quickly point out.

1. A great gift finds its motivation in a profound love.  (3:16)
2. A great gift far exceeds expectation and overwhelms the imagination.  (3:16-17)
3. Such a great gift demands an appropriate response.  (3:17-18)

 

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An exposition of Genesis 46:1-7. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, December 8, 2010.

 

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The “1 Corinthians” series #08″: an exposition of 1 Corinthians 5:1-13. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, December 5, 2010.

Introduction:
When you think of the Christian life do you think of it in terms of something personal and individual or in terms of a group effort?  Is your perspective one of “me and my Bible” or “living the faith together?”  Increasingly christians are thinking in terms of personal and private rather than corporate and that is dangerous.  We were never intended to live the Christian life alone.  The Bible consistently speaks of the people of God (plural) not the believer (singular).  In the New Testament the church is called a body.  A body in which all parts are necessary and all must work together.  It is further referred to as a temple and we are all living stones together making up that temple.  We are described as a family and as a kingdom.  We are told to “spur one another along in good deeds.”  We are commanded to “bear one another’s burdens.”  We are to confess our sins one to another.  The message is clear we are accountable to and for each other.  But it seems that message is obscured by our insatiable appetite for freedom.  “Don’t tell me how to live.”  “Who do you think you are telling me I’m wrong?”  From the time we are children we resent correction and we somehow assume that faith in Christ exempts us from the scrutiny of others.  That is not the message of the New Testament.  While I will freely acknowledge that church discipline is often abusive and misguided we cannot deny that it is biblical.  In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church he addresses the issue of church discipline head on in chapter 5.  He has just concluded the first major section on Divisions and now he turns to Disorder.  Our text this evening is the 5th chapter of 1 Corinthians.

Text: 1 Corinthians 5:1-13

It is an uncomfortable passage.  Most of us would just as soon mind our own business and not deal with other people’s dirty laundry.  That’s understandable - I worry about those who delight in dealing in dirty laundry!  But the truth is we are to be in one another’s business.  Church life is not always neat and pleasant.  The irony is that holiness is a dirty business.

As we work our way through this chapter we note that…

Thesis: With the clarity of a prophet and the compassion of a shepherd the apostle Paul makes the case for corrective church discipline.

Discipline is not always negative.  It is a good thing.  A positive thing.  In addition there are two kinds of discipline.  Thee is “formative” discipline.  Formative discipline is that which you do to keep healthy.  With regards to your physical body you eat right, exercise, get plenty of rest.  Formative church discipline is what happens through prayer, Bible study, the preaching of the Word, public worship and meeting with others for prayer and encouragement.  “Corrective” discipline is like surgery.  There is a problem and it must be address before it devastates.  It comes in the form of admonish, rebuke and if necessary removing from membership.  It’s goal is not punishment but restoration.  It is to heal and not to harm.  Paul is dealing with corrective discipline in our text.

There are three principles related to corrective discipline I want to call to your attention from this text.

1. The spirit of holiness is horrified by the presence of unbridled sin.  (5:1-2)
2. Righteousness demands that sin be dealt with firmly, justly, and with the proper aim.  (5:3-8)
3. The whole notion of church discipline rest on the fact that there is to be a clear, undisputed distinction between the church and the world.  (5:9-13)

Conclusion:
We, the called out ones are to live holy lives.  We cannot do it alone.  We need each other.  We need discipline.  We need to spur one another on to love and good deeds.

Holiness is horrified by the presence of unbridled sin.
Righteousness demands that sin be dealt with firmly, justly, and with the proper aim.
The whole notion of church discipline rest on the fact that there is to be a clear, undisputed distinction between the church and the world.

Thus the case for corrective church discipline.

 

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The Gospel of John series, #07: an exposition of John 3:1-21. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, December 5, 2010.

Introduction
He was a very religious man.  An upstanding man with an impeccable reputation.  He was admired by all and considered a pillar of the community.  He was the kind of man every mother hoped her daughter would bring home.  Every father hoped his son would grow up to be.  Yet he was miserable.  Joyed seemed an allusive thing.  It seemed joy was always just beyond his grasp.  He had it all - wealth, position, fame but something was just not right.  There was that nagging feeling that there was more to life.  He was convinced there must be something else.  Then it happened.  He caught of glimpse of it.  Life full blown.  Life lived to the fullest.  Life abundant.  He found it in a most unexpected place.  He found it at the feet of an itinerant preacher.  An outcast with a reputation for hanging out with some pretty unsavory characters.  He was strangely drawn to this young miracle-working rabbi from Nazareth.  So one night he paid him a visit.  We read about it in the 3rd chapter of John’s Gospel.

Text: John 3:1-21

John the beloved is telling the story of Jesus’ life and ministry.  His purpose is evangelistic.  “There are many other things Jesus said and did but these are recorded that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that you might have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).  We’ve witnessed the testimony of John the Baptizer - “Behold the Lamb of God.”  We’ve watched as our Lord has initially gathered his first disciples.  We’ve seen that first miracle and witnessed his power and compassion.  We’ve just seen a powerful statement of his Lordship as he cleansed the temple.  We’ve witnessed his white-hot anger as he was consumed by zeal for His Father’s house.  No doubt he had become “the talk of the town.”  Due to the signs and wonders that accompanied his early ministry there was already talk of his being the Messiah.  In our text we learn he caught the attention of a highly placed, highly respected leader who wanted to know more.  As we listen in on their conversation we discover that…

Thesis: Life abundant and eternal is the result of the radical, gracious work of God in the heart of the individual.

This is one of the best known, most recognized chapters in all the Bible.
This is that “born again” passage.
It contains that verse that keeps popping up at sporting events - John 3:16.
But that term - “born again” has been used and abused to the point it is almost meaningless.
Some of you will remember 1976 was dubbed the “Year of the Evangelical.”
That’s because presidential candidate Jimmy Carter declared he was “born again.”

Since that time pornographer Larry Flint has claimed to be born again.  Though that did not get in the way of his publishing Hustler magazine.  I read this past week about a woman who after being “born again” found great freedom in “stripping for Jesus.”  Add to this theological confusion the fact that the term has come to be identified with turning over a new leaf or jump-starting a career.  Companies who’ve managed to remake themselves are described by Forbes magazine as being “born again.”  All of this is to say we need to come back to this text and walk slowly through it and discover what our Lord was saying to Nicodemus and in turn to us.

There are three great truths concerning biblical salvation I want to point out in our text.

1. Mere external goodness is not enough.  (3:1-3)
2. Our only hope is a radical transformation.  (3:3-8)
3. That transformation demands that we abandon ourselves and trust in Christ alone.  (3:9-21)

Conclusion:
Salvation without a code, without a system, and without a ritual.
It is about trust, reliance and commitment to the person of the Lord Jesus.

You can never be good enough.
You need a radical transformation.
That transformation demands that you abandon any hope of achieving it on your own and trust wholly in Christ alone.

Life abundant and eternal is the result of the radical, gracious work of God in the heart of the individual.