The Plowman

 

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Gospel of John #47: an exposition of John 18:1-12. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, January 8, 2012.

Intro:
It’s not hard to find people who “believe in Jesus.”  For the most part, people feel pretty good about Him.  The problem, of course, is believe in what Jesus? Or Which Jesus?  The Jesus who was a “spiritual man” with great insight?  The Jesus who was a revolutionary who consistently thought outside the box and was a threat to the establishment?  The Jesus of the Muslim faith, the Mormon Church or the Jehovah Witness?  Or the Jesus of their own making?  Just which Jesus are we talking about?  That is an important question because there are eternal consequences to the answer to that question.  The Jesus of most people’s thinking is very one dimensional.  To most he seems to be an innocuous figure who is a bit effeminate, mild-mannered and other-worldly.  For others he is the original radical bent on overthrowing the establishment.  I wish I could say these mischaracterizations all came from outside the church but they don’t.  Many within the church love and serve a Jesus of their own making who bears little or no resemblance to the Jesus of the Bible.  I know this because when you talk to people and ask them about Jesus the thing that seems constant is that there is a feeling that He is “safe.”  He is comfortable, like a favorite shirt, well worn.  But even a casual reading of the Scripture should make it clear that He is anything but safe.  Yes, He is the lamb of God but He is also the lion of Judah.  He is the Good Shepherd but He is also The Conquering King.  The Jesus of the Bible is complex and complicated.  He is fully God and yet fully man.  He is divine yet human.  Not half and half as the gods of mythology, rather He is fully both.  He is the creator of everything that exists yet He was born of a woman and became part of His creation.  He was the bread of life and yet He got hungry.  He had life in His being yet He became weary.  There is mystery here and unanswered questions.  We like things in neat packages.  Everything is always where it is supposed to be.  Our Lord doesn’t like boxes.  Try as you might you will not be able to fit Him in one.  Nowhere is the complicated, paradoxical nature of our Lord more fully on display than at the events surrounding His arrest.  Our text this morning is found in the 18th chapter of John’s Gospel.

Text: John 18:1-12

Albert Schweitzer published a book in 1906 entitled, The Quest for the Historical Jesus.  His goal was to discover the real Jesus as opposed to the Jesus of legend created by the church.  For Schweitzer the real Jesus was a mere man caught up in the delusional expectation of a coming kingdom of God.  His Jesus sought to force the issue by making wild claims and seeking to hasten the coming of the kingdom of God through political means.  Sadly Jesus was crushed by the wheel of history.  Schweitzer’s Jesus dies a mistaken idealist who was confused, despairing and rejected.  According to Schweitzer the historical Jesus’ great contribution to mankind was to rid us of the delusional hope of a coming kingdom!

Keep Schweitzer’s Jesus in mind as we read our text and you tell me if his Jesus bears any resemblance to the one set forth by John.

We, the church, are called to proclaim the message of Jesus.  Not the Jesus of our own imagination.  Not the Jesus of our own intellect or design but the Jesus revealed to us in the Scriptures.

Thesis: A biblical understanding of Jesus demands that we see in Him the strength and terror of divine majesty combined with the comfort and assurance of humble obedience and sacrificial devotion.

We seldom see these things in combination.  Sovereignty and humility generally do not go together.  In our world strength and humility are not compatible.  But in the person of the Lord Jesus it all fits.

When we see Him as He is - we cannot help but fall down before Him in worship.
It is the only logical response to His person.
Our natural response will be to pull back in fear while, at the same time, feeling drawn to Him.

There are two things I want us to note from our text.

1. Our Lord exercised sovereign control over the events of that fateful night.  (18:1-9)
2. Our Sovereign Lord lovingly and humbly chose the path of obedience.  (18:10-12)

Conclusion:
Gethsemane was no tragedy.  It was the triumph of divine majesty and humble obedience as our Lord began His march to the cross.  If you want to understand the Jesus of the Bible you must see both His terrifying majesty and His humble obedience.  You must stand in awe of His majestic power and His sacrificial devotion.

Ground on the wheel of history?  No, He is turning the wheel of history.  This is the Jesus we are called to proclaim and this is the Jesus before whom you must bow.

 

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An exposition of Philippians 4:1-5. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, January 4, 2012.

 

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An exposition of Psalm 2. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, January 1, 2012.

Intro:

I’m the youngest of three boys – that means I might as well have had a target painted on my shirt - a big bull’s eye right here!  I was teased without mercy.  I was the constant butt of ridicule.  My brothers and all their friends used to call me Carbondale Fats.  Once a neighbor overheard me singing to myself in the backyard.  Of course he told everybody so the chant became, “Hey Carbondale, sing us a little ditty.”  Add to the mixture that I was, to put it kindly, gullible as a kid.  Whether it was the perfect stooge to take on a snipe hunt or the idiot child eating hot peppers all afternoon as my oldest brother assured me each time – “This one’s not hot like those others.”

A kid can only take so much.  I used to lie awake at night dreaming about how I could get even.  I plotted and planned how I would get everyone.  Some days they would set me off and I would fly into them with a rage.  My brother would hold me at arms length and laugh while I wore myself out.  A scene not unlike the one described by the Psalmist in Psalm 2.

Text: Psalm 2:1-12

The book of Psalms is a collection of songs – expressing the hopes, dreams and faith of the people of God.

Actually our one book is a collection of five books!
1-41
42-72
73-89
90-106
107-150

Throughout the Psalms we find the full range of emotions.
There is joy and fear; heartache and rejoicing; anger and comfort – it’s all there.
The Psalms are “real”; there is an earthiness about them.
This is where we live.
Perhaps that is why so many of us are drawn to them.

There has been some disagreement among OT scholars as to whether Psalm 2 is a Messianic Psalm.  A Psalm that speaks of Messiah.  Modern scholarship tends to say this is a Psalm is a “coronation psalm.”  One that deals with the coronation of an earthly king.  One who sits on the throne of David.  Perhaps David himself or one of his descendants.  I’m convinced that there is compelling evidence that it is in fact a Messianic Psalm dealing with the reign of the Lord Jesus – “God’s Anointed.”

Scholars will point to similarities in 2 Samuel 7:5-16.
The similarities with this passage are found in the last section from 11-16.
Scholars agree the focus of this section is on the Messiah – the ultimate fulfillment of this promise.

Not to mention that the NT explicitly connects this passage with the Lord Jesus.
At his baptism – Mt. 3:17; Mk. 1:11; Lk. 3:32
Acts 4:24-27; 13:32-33
Hebrews 1:5; 5:5
Rev. 1:5; 2:27; 11:16-18; 12:5

There is also some evidence among various Rabbis and in the early Greek manuscripts of the Psalms that Psalm 1 & 2 were once considered 1 Psalm!  Begins (1:1) and ends (2:12) with blessing.  The rebellion of the nations against God is the outgrowth of walking, standing and sitting.  That God’s Anointed is the perfect fulfillment of the “blessed believer.”

Reading this from the perspective of a Messianic Psalm we discover that:

Thesis: The righteous reign of Christ seals the fate of the wicked while offering hope to the repentant.

There are three things I want you to note in the development of this Psalm.

1. The wicked arrogantly plot to overthrow God’s Sovereign rule.  (2:1-3)
2. The Sovereign Lord dismisses the vain plots of the wicked and declares the reign of His Anointed.  (2:4-9)
3. The Sovereign God graciously warns the wicked and offers hope to the repentant.  (2:10-12)

 

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An exposition of Luke 2:10-12, 30-38, 49. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, Christmas Day, December 25, 2011.

 

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An exposition of Philippians 3:1-16. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, December 21, 2011.

 

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Christmas 2011 #3: An exposition of 1 Peter 1:3-12. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, December 18, 2011.

Intro:
Have you ever lost hope?  Have you ever been in the midst of a situation when there appeared there was nothing you could do?  Overwhelmed you just threw up you hands and said, “I quit?”  As far as you could tell there was no reason for going on.  You were just too tired to care and besides it just wasn’t worth the effort.  Have you been there?  Are you there now?  The loss of hope is a devastating thing.  Hopeless people do desperate things.  Hopelessness and despair are major killers.  Hope isn’t just something that helps us over the hurdle – it is essential to life.  Hope is necessary for survival.  Without hope life is a dark and grim existence.  Studies have shown that this time of year is one of the most depressing.  For all the talk of “Christmas cheer” and the joy of the season – vast numbers of people find the Christmas season unbearable.  How ironic that there would be such despair during the celebration of life’s coming to earth!  That is what Christmas is all about.  A world wrapped in death and heartache was awakened by the arrival of the Creator come to redeem for himself a people for his own glory.  The good news announced that night on the starlit plains of Bethlehem was that a Savior had been born who is Christ the Lord.

The Creator had stepped into his creation to fix what had been broken.  His birth was not like ours – his was an advent, a coming.  And he came on a mission.  The joy, laughter and celebration of Christmas means nothing apart from the meaning and purpose of his coming.  The angel said to Joseph, “You are to call his name Jesus for he will save his people.”  He came to rescue us.  He came to deliver us.  He came to give us hope.  If I’m ever stuck in an elevator and I push that button and tell them I’m in car number 6 in building number 3 – I’m not interested in feeling a hand on my shoulder and a fellow passenger say, “I feel your pain.”  I want to hear a voice from outside that car say, “We know where you are.  We are working on it now and we will have you out in 5 minutes.”  It’s nice to have someone who shares your burden it is better to have someone who gives you hope.

Webster defines hope as:
“A desire accompanied by an expectation.”
“A belief in fulfillment.”
“To expect with confidence.”

In an increasingly despairing world where are we going to find hope?  War rages.  Threats abound.  Cherished beliefs are mocked.  Traditional values crumble.  Our once dominant worldview is marginalized.  Where do we turn?  Well we find some help from a wise old man.  He wasn’t a king or philosopher.  He was not a sage or guru.  He was a fisherman.  A man who traveled the road of despair but joyously found a way out.  His name was Peter.  Our text this morning is found in 1 Peter chapter 1.

Text: 1 Peter 1:3-12
This time of year provides us a great opportunity.  It gives us an opportunity to tell others why we sing, why we celebrate, why we have hope.  And it is not in a general feeling of goodwill.  It is not because of a jolly old man in a red suit.  Let’s face it, Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer might make for an enjoyable evening but when the doctor says, “We’ve got to operate and it doesn’t look good” – Rudolf’s not going to sustain you!  When that envelop that you thought contained your Christmas bonus turns out to be your “pink slip” – “Have a Holly, Jolly, Christmas” will not lift your spirits.

What is it that will sustain you?
What is it that will grant you peace of mind and heart during the darkest night?
What enables you to stand firm when all hell breaks loose?

It is the knowledge that we are not alone.  That unto us has been born a Savior who is Christ the Lord.  Not just a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger but one who grew to manhood; lived a sinless life; perfectly obeyed God’s law; and then gave himself for your sin and your rebellion and offers you life eternal and abundant.

Peter was a follower of Jesus.
He came to Jesus through the efforts of his brother Andrew.
He was a mixture of courage and daring yet he lacked consistency.
He was quick to speak but often slow to think!
On the night our Lord was betrayed Peter pledged to “die for him.”
Yet before the evening was over he denied even knowing him.

It is hard to imagine Peter’s pain as a result of denying Jesus.
Immediately he went out and wept bitterly.
We can only imagine the pain of seeing his Lord crucified.
The despair of seeing his lifeless body limp on the cross.
And then came that word – “I am alive.  Go.  Tell my disciples and Peter.”

Hope was reborn in the heart of that despairing, defeated disciple.
Now, years later, as an old man he is writing to believers in the face of despair.
Persecution, pain and suffering await them.
Peter says to these hurting, struggling believers, “There is hope.”

The words of Peter echo through the centuries bringing encouragement and life to embattled believers today.  His words, inspired of the Holy Spirit remind us that:

Thesis: Hope is the birthright of the child of God.
Regardless of your circumstance, regardless of how dark your world may seem – there is hope.  Hang on.  Only believe.  I know that sounds simplistic.  And I’m not talking about “positive thinking” or “possibility thinking”.  I’m talking about biblical thinking.  I’m not suggesting that you “suck it up” and just get on with it.  I’m asking you to remember what is yours because of Christ!  I know there are those who do not believe that “doctrine” is practical.  I know there are those who prefer messages that deal with “real life issues” but consider this.  Peter is writing to a group of folks who are in desperate times.  Facing life and death issues and he begins by making a profound doctrinal statement about the nature of salvation!  And by the way he doesn’t talk to them about salvation because they are going to need it after they die – but because they are going to need it in order to live!

There are four things I want you to see related to our hope in Christ.

1. Our hope is anchored in God’s gracious work of redemption.  (1:3-5)
2. Our hope is fortified through adversity.  (1:6-7)
3. Our hope is secured by saving faith.  (1:8-9)
4. Our hope has been the focus of God’s progressive revelation.  (1:10-12)

 

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Philippians #3: An exposition of Philippians 2:12-16. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, December 14, 2011.

 

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Philippians #3: An exposition of Philippians 2:1-11. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, December 7, 2011.

 

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A message from Romans 12. This message by Andrew Hoyt was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, December 11, 2011.

 

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An exposition of Matthew 1:21. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, December 11, 2011.