The Plowman

 

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1 Samuel #06: an exposition of 1 Samuel 5:1-7:1. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, November 20, 2011.

Intro:
It has become commonplace.  Common to the point we do not question it and probably don’t even notice it is happening.  Living in defiance of God.  I would submit to you it is a rare thing today to find anyone who is afraid of defying God.  Let me ask you, “Do you tremble for those you know who live in defiance to the will of God?”  Each of you knows someone who knows the will of God yet blatantly chooses to live in defiance of His will.  Do you fear for them?  Does it keep you up at night?  Are you burdened by the fact they stand under the judgment of God?  Why not?  By the way when I say they live in defiance of God I’m not talking about those folks who stand with their fist raised to heaven and curse God.  Rather I’m talking about those who seek to use God for their purpose or those who just feel He is not worth their time and consideration.  I’m more concerned with those who “toy with God” or “who ignore Him altogether.”  Israel had been defeated by the Philistines, their archenemy.  They thought if they sent down to Shiloh and had the Ark of the Covenant brought up they would be assured victory.  After all God’s reputation would be on the line.  They didn’t win the battle.  In fact they were routed!  30,000 men died.  The army fled and the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines.

When news reached Shiloh that the army had been defeated, the two priests had died and the Ark had been captured panic set in.  Eli died, Mrs. Phinehas died giving birth to a son and with her dying breath named her son Icabod, declaring the glory of God had departed.  What now?  Israel has no king.  The high priest is dead.  His successors both dead.  Their God is in the hands of their enemy.  What’s next?

Meanwhile in Ashdod the Ark of the Covenant has been brought to the house of Dagon, the pagan god of the Philistines.  As far as the Philistines were concerned the god of the Hebrews was obviously no match for the great and awesome Dagon.  They were overjoyed in their triumph.

The pagans are rejoicing.
The people of God are mourning.
What’s wrong with this picture?
Does it pay to know God or not?

Both are about to be taught a lesson through “Arkeology.”

Text: 1 Samuel 5:1-7:1

This section reads like the Grim Reaper meets the Keystone Kops!
Serious awful things happen yet there is humor in the way the Philistines respond.
At one point the Ark becomes a hot potato and nobody wants it yet they don’t want to let go of it.
Later when the Ark makes it back to Israel they rejoice but they would like for it to be somewhere else.

As we make our way through the text I want us to notice three things and then draw a conclusion.

1. The supremacy of God prominently displayed.  (5:1-5)
2. The judgment of God painfully executed.  (5:6-16:12)
3. The holiness of God powerfully revealed.  (6:13-7:1)

The story of the Ark is intended to shatter our pagan concepts of God.

He is not some tribal deity struggling to carve out his niche - he is the sovereign king of the universe.

He is not some benign idol to set on your shelf - he is the sovereign judge of all the earth.

He is not some tolerant, over indulging grandfather - but the holy one of Israel.

From this we learn…

Thesis: The living God cannot be used, manipulated, or managed.  Spiritual power is not a matter of getting your hands on the right method or technology.  The personal God cannot be reduced to an impersonal power, He is and forever will be the Sovereign King of all that exists!

 

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1 Corinthians #30: an exposition of 1 Corinthians 16:13-14. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, August 28, 2011.

Intro:
It is the growth industry right now - “How to.”  Books, television programs, infomercials, even entire networks are dedicated to it.  You can get on the internet and find videos and other teaching materials for about anything you can name!  How to improve your golf swing, do your own plumbing, loose weight, raise your kids, make a fortune, get out of debt - you name it you can find it.  The interesting thing is they all say the same thing - “It’s easy!”  Really?  You just have to follow their easy 5-step program.  Funny, it’s never as easy as they say.  Sometimes we, in the church, fall into the same trap.  You want to grow in Christ?  You want to be His disciple?  It’s easy just follow these five steps.  The problem is - its not easy.  Faith is difficult, frustrating and often discouraging.  The life of faith is “messy.”  It doesn’t fit into nice, neat categories.  There are no shortcuts and it requires faith.

How does the Bible define faith?  The evidence of things you cannot see; the substance of things hoped for.  The life of faith is filled with bumps and bruises, skinned knees and smashed fingers.  To make matters worse I have to do it with other people.  We are called to live the faith together.  I need you and you need me.  And we’re both going to mess it up and that’s okay.  The sooner we recognize that the better.  We’re all stumbling towards holiness.  If you don’t believe me just pick up the book and read.  Start anywhere you like.  Old Testament or New, you are going to find flawed, broken people struggling to live as God intends.  At times they succeed.  Sometimes they fail.  Most of the time they are somewhere in between.  “Boy pastor, have you had a rough week?  You’re sounding a little cynical.”  No.  I’ve just spent too long trying to live up to an unrealistic understanding of what the life of faith looks like.

Sometime in the mid 50’s the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth.  The church in Corinth was one mixed up group of believers.  Their problem ranged from immaturity to immorality and about everything in between.  Yet Paul addressed them as “saints.”  Set apart ones.  Those in whom the Spirit of God dwelt.  They had been set apart by the work of the Spirit marked as the genuine people of God but you wouldn’t know it to look at them.  I’m encouraged by that.  Don’t misunderstand - Paul did not look at their immature and immoral ways and say, “That’s okay folks.  Nobody’s perfect.”  No, he said, “Grow up!”  He said, “You’re the people of God and you better start acting like it.”  In fact the first 14 chapters are taken up with addressing errant behavior on the part of the congregation.  Chapter 15 address errant doctrine.  Then he ends the letter with a call to godly living.  I want to conclude our look at this book with just a brief word focused on just two verses.

Text: 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

He begins the chapter by reminding them of the offering he is collecting (1-4).
There we learn about giving:
Its a regular part of worship
All are expected to give
Our giving is to be primarily through the church
It is to be proportional

Then he advices them about his travel plans (5-9).

Ask them to look out for and take care of Timothy when he comes through (10-11).

Then there are some final words and concluding greetings (12-24).

I want to focus on his words in 13-14.
Here Paul gives 5 keys to steadfast faithfulness.
Five things to aim at.
Characteristics that will aid your growth in the things of God.

1. To be steadfast demands that we be spiritually alert.  (16:13)
2. To be steadfast demands we be firm in the faith.  (16:13)
3. Steadfastness demands maturity.  (16:13)
4. Steadfastness demands strength.  (16:13)
5. Steadfastness demands that we love.  (16:14)

Conclusion
Living the faith is not easy.  We will struggle along this path until we reach our heavenly home.  As we struggle toward holiness let’s set our eyes on these sign posts:

• Be alert
• Be firm
• Be mature
• Be strong
• Be loving

 

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1 Corinthians #29: an exposition of 1 Corinthians 16:1-4. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, August 21, 2011.

Intro:
It’s a good way to start an argument.  If things are quiet and a little boring, it is a good way to liven things up.  Just bring up the subject of money and the church.  Immediately folks will have story after story of corruption and abuse.  There will be accusations of misconduct, greed and manipulation by unscrupulous pastors living high on the hog while others struggle to get by and that’s just in the deacons meeting!  I’m kidding but it is almost that bad if you spend even a few minutes reading blogs on the internet.  I’m the first to admit that there are unscrupulous pastors who excellence in “fleecing the flock,” while not a few church members sooth their conscience by convincing themselves they really don’t need to give because they do not want to support such abuse.  The problem is we do not have the luxury of deciding what to do about giving based on real or perceived abuses.  As with all things we must ask, “What do the Scriptures say?”  Not surprisingly the Scriptures have much to say about our giving.  Our text this evening is found in 1 Corinthians chapter 16 beginning with verse 1.

Text: 1 Corinthians 16:1-4
Paul has just concluded a lengthy section on the doctrine of the resurrection.  Having pointed us to the future glory that awaits us, he returns to the mundane business of the here and now.  In Scripture we are not to separate the doctrinal from the practical.  Doctrine impacts how we live.  Because life survives the grave, because we will stand before God and given an account, because this life is preparation for the life to come…how we live matters.  What we do today impacts tomorrow.

Paul ends his letter to the Corinthians believers with some practical, housekeeping matters.
The first has to do with our giving and he speaks in reference to questions they have raised.

“Now concerning the collection…”
He’s already made reference to their letter to him - 7:1.
So, it appears they asked about the collection Paul had mentioned to them earlier.

Paul had requested that the Gentile believers give an offering to relieve Jews Christians in Jerusalem.  This offering is mentioned in Romans 15:25-28 and in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9.  This offering was to serve 3 purposes: 1) It served as a reminder that the Gentile churches owed a spiritual debt to the church in Jerusalem.  2) It would be a demonstration of the genuineness of the Gentiles’ faith.  3) It would serve to bond the two groups (Jews and Gentiles) together.

Let’s just walk through this text and make some observations.

1. The occasion for this offering.  (16:1)
2. The method of giving.  (16:2)

From this verse we find several principles of giving.

1. Our giving is to be a regular part of our worship.
2. All are expected to give.
3. Our giving is to be through the church.
4. Our giving is to be proportional.

We, as a church, are to be wise and faithful stewards of that which is entrusted.  (16:3)

Conclusion:
We, individually, have a responsibility to give regularly, faithfully through the church for the work of the church, for the care of members of the church, for the spreading of the Gospel and the care of others.

While we are not obligated to legalistically give 10% of our income, we are to give as the Lord prosper, with great joy out of the love, gratitude and devotion to Christ.

As a church we are to strive to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us by establishing sound principles of financial responsibility and committing oversight to godly people who take their responsibility seriously.

 

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1 Corinthians #28: an exposition of 1 Corinthians 15:29-58. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, August 14, 2011.

Intro:
The resurrection is the believer’s hope.  It is the source of unending joy, peace, assurance and confidence in the life of the believer.  It is at the heart of who and what we are.  It is essential to our faith.  To be clear when we talk of resurrection we are talking about the act whereby God makes the physically dead - physically alive.  We are not talking about “influence” living on, we are talking about bodies being raised to life.  Further we are talking about bodies being raised to never die again.  We are not talking resuscitation but resurrection.  In the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians Paul gives this extended teaching on the doctrine of resurrection.  He begins by establishing the fact that Christ has been raised to life.  Once he establishes that fact he then ties our resurrection to His.  Because Christ was raised, we will be raised.  He is the firstfruit - the pledge and promise that there is more to come.  I understand folks are skeptical about such things.  I understand that there are those who find this teaching “fantastic” or beyond belief.  There were those in Paul’s day who thought it total nonsense.  Resurrection was a stumbling block to the Jews, who thought primarily of God’s activity in this life, in this world, and it was foolishness to the Greeks who long sought to be freed from the prison of this earthly body.  The Greeks believed the spirit to be good while the material world was evil.  The thought of living forever in a material body was repulsive to them!  For these reasons Paul labors the point in chapter 15.  In our text this evening Paul comes to deal with questions related to the doctrine of resurrection.

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

This section naturally breaks into three pieces.

A. Some practical implications of the resurrection.  (15:29-34)

1. If the dead are not raised it is absurd to embrace Christianity.  (29)
2. If the dead are not raised it makes no sense to expose oneself to danger.  (30-32)
3. If the dead are not raised it is foolish to insist on moral standards.  (32)

B. Questions/concerns about the nature of the resurrected body.  (15:35-49)

1. Of course it is possible and you know it.  (36-38)
2. There are various kinds of bodies.  (39-42a)
3. This body will be gloriously different.  (42b-46)
4. A body like Christ’s.  (47-49)

C. Finally Paul brings a concluding summary.  (15:50-58)

1. The resurrection is necessary for the life to come.  (50-53)
2. The resurrection signals the defeat of death.  (54-57)
3. The resurrection is an incentive to service.  (58)

 

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1 Corinthians #27. This is an exposition of 1 Corinthians 15:20-28. This message by pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, August 7, 2011.

Intro:
It was a suicide mission.  It appeared to a no-win situation.  The odds of it working seemed astronomical.  Yet after careful planning, looking at every option, the decision was clear cut.  This was the only way.  It had to be done.  One man against unbelievable odds.  One man marching to certain death.  The plan was set in motion.  It went off without a hitch.  At one point it seemed as if the plan was doomed to fail but somehow he pulled it off.  Mission accomplished!  The captives were released.  The battle was over.  All because of one man.  One very special man.

What is this?  A clip from a new adventure series premiering this fall?  A scene from Captain America?  No it’s more exciting that either of those.  And its a true story.  No, not based on a true story, which means bears little or no resemblance to reality.  It is the true story of a real life adventure.  This drama occurred 2000 years ago.  God determined to rescue us from the kingdom of darkness through the life, death and resurrection of His blessed Son.  In that moment as He hung on the cross with His life’s blood flowing out, it appeared all would be lost.  Hope died as His lifeless body was placed in that borrowed grave.  Then, three days later He came triumphantly out of that grave alive forever more.  Satan had been defeated, sin had been conquered, the keys of death and hell were swinging from His side.  Mission accomplished!  The message of the resurrection is a message of hope, of power and of victory.  The resurrection validates or ratifies the Gospel.  This evening we discover another amazing truth tied to the doctrine of the resurrection.  Our text this morning is found in the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians beginning with verse 20.

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:20-28

From this text I want us to see that…

Thesis: The resurrection of Jesus Christ assures the believer of victory.

The reason for this is two-fold.

1. The resurrection reverses the fall.  (15:20-23)
2. The resurrection restores the Kingdom.  (15:24-28)

The resurrection restores the kingdom of God .  It makes it possible once again for God to reign in the hearts of men even as in the beginning.

The resurrection assures the believer of victory.  Why?  Because it reverses the fall and restores the Kingdom.

 

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1 Corinthians #26. An exposition of 1 Corinthians 15:1-19. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, July 31, 2011.

Intro:
The heart.  That little mussel tucked away in your chest.  Without it - there is no life!  The heart pumps life-giving blood to every part of the body.  The heart of the Gospel is the resurrection.  The resurrection gives life to every other area of Gospel truth.  The resurrection is the pivot on which all of Christianity turns.  Without the resurrection the other “truths” of Christianity would not matter much.  Without the resurrection Christianity would just be so much wishful thinking.  The message of the New Testament is the message of the risen Christ and that message finds its greatest expression in the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians.  This is the earliest biblical account of the resurrection written less than three decades after the fact.  G. Campbell Morgan declared that, “In all literature there is no greater passage in diction, in dialect, or in dynamic.”  It is an extraordinary chapter.  As we near the end of our study of this book we are going to slow down and take a careful look at this chapter.  This evening we’ll consider the first 19 verses.

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:1-19

In this chapter Paul gives the fullest and most important treatment in the Bible of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead.  Let’s be clear, by resurrection we mean the creative act of God whereby the bodies of dead people are raised to life.  This is a distinctively biblical concept.  You’ll not find this in paganism.  There are allusions but little direct information in the Old Testament.  Resurrection hope can only come to full flower after Christ conquered death and the grave.

Understand this passage is about the resurrection of the body, not the immortality of the soul.
While related these are not the same, they are not interchangeable.
It is also important to note Paul is talking about the resurrection of believers in this text.
Unbelievers will be raised as well but that is not the focus of this passage.
We are not sure how or why questions concerning the resurrection have been raised.

It is clear there were those in Corinth who denied the resurrection (12) but what precipitated this discussion we do not know.

There are at least two contributing factors:

1. Jewish converts and their perspective.
   Judaism did not put much stock in an after life.  There are a few passages in the OT which hint at an after life but not many.  Judaism looked for a Messiah to relieve their present suffering.  They expected Messiah to establish an earthly kingdom here and now.  Resurrection was a stumbling block for the Jews.
2. Greek converts and their perspective.
   The Greeks believed in the immortality of the soul but they believed that the body was the prison of the soul.  This is the result of their dualistic way of thinking.  Within Greek philosophy the spirit was good while the body (material) was evil.  So they rejected as foolish the notion of a bodily resurrection.

The church at Corinth was made up of both Jewish and Greek converts.  For whatever reason there were those in the congregation who struggled with the whole concept of resurrection and thus Paul set out to explain why the resurrection matters.  Paul makes it clear that…

Thesis: The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is essential to the Christian faith.

It is not an optional belief.
It is not a secondary concern.
It is essential, it is at the core of the faith.
Essential = absolutely necessary, that which is inherent.
Remove the resurrection and there is no Faith, no Christianity.

Paul sets forth four facts demonstrating the essential nature of the resurrection.

1. The fact that the resurrection of Christ is essential to the Gospel.  (15:1-5)
2. The historical testimony to the reality of the resurrection.  (15:5-10)
3. This is the message universally preached by all the apostles and the one you believed.  (15:11)
4. The resurrection is fundamental to salvation and tied to all the other doctrines of our faith.  (15:12-19)

Conclusion:
The doctrine of the resurrection is a precious doctrine, essential to our faith.  To deny it is to deny the faith.  My God grant us the faith to embrace it, glory in it, proclaim it and live in the blessed hope of it.

 

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1 Corinthians #25: an exposition of 1 Corinthians 14:26-40. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, July 24, 2011.

Intro:
Don’t you hate it when you get nailed by your own words?  What parent hasn’t found themselves in the position of wanting to say to a child, “Don’t do as I do, do as I say?”  I’ve long been an advocate of preaching through biblical books.  From my first days as a pastor I’ve preach through books of the Bible.  My reasoning was simple, if I preach through the books it forces me to deal with subjects I would never choose to deal with.  If I pick and choose I’m likely to ride my hobby horse and avoid subjects that make me uncomfortable or subjects I’m less sure about.  Enter tonight’s text.  I’ve dealt with the “big issue” in chapter 14 so I could just move on to chapter 15.  After all the end of 14 is just some “housekeeping” kinds of things about order in worship services.  Nothing too significant there.  But because I have had a habit of preaching through books and marching through section by section someone would ask why I skip the last 3rd of the chapter.  So I have to deal with it and in doing so I have to address the issue of women keeping silent in church.  Our text this evening is found in the 14th chapter of 1 Corinthians.

Text: 1 Corinthians 14:26-40
Paul’s basic message to the Corinthian believers is “grow up!”
You are saints, set apart by the working of God’s grace, now act like it.
It is an admonition to live up to their calling.
In chapters 11-14 he deals with issues of public worship.
In chapter 11 the subjects are head coverings and the Lord’s Table.
Chapter 12 introduces the subject of spiritual gifts.
All are gifted and they are gifted for the good of the body.
He also deals with the nature of the church - a body with members in mutual dependence.
Chapter 13 makes it clear love is to be their guide.
Love is to animate, motivate and permeate all they say and do.

It is obvious that the Corinthians were enamored with the gift of tongues and thus blew the gift out of proportion.  Paul makes it clear that prophecy is superior to tongues in that it builds up the whole congregation because it can be understood by all and leads to conviction, confess and worship.  He did not say that tongues are of no value or not to be sought after but that it is better to speak 5 words that can be understood than an infinite number of words in an unknown tongue.

That brings us to our text.
Here we are going to find that…

Thesis: Our worship is to be decent, orderly and according to scriptural principles.
We are not free to conduct worship anyway we please.
We cannot decide simply on the basis of what we like or dislike.
There are those who strictly follow the “regulative principle.”

The regulative principle says that you are only to include that which the Scripture commands or prescribes for worship.

Others follow Luther’s model which says, if it is not forbidden by Scripture it is acceptable.

In both cases we must apply reason.
It is not simply a matter if something is spoken of specifically but also in principle.

I personally don’t ascribe to either of these 100%.
I’m somewhere in between.
I do believe there are those things that a just not appropriate for worship.
Not that they are wrong or Christians shouldn’t participate but they are not appropriate for worship.

At the same time I don’t think it has to be specifically commanded or prescribed in Scripture.

Our text naturally divides into three parts.

• Worship is to proceed in an orderly manner with the intent of building up the body of Christ.  (14:26-33a)
• Worship must proceed according to scriptural principles.  (14:33b-35)
• All things must be done in submission the the authority of Scripture.  (14:36-40)

 

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1 Corinthians #24: an exposition of 1 Corinthians 14:1-25. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, July 17, 2011.

Intro:
I was sitting in a crowded room.  Surrounded by people of all shapes, color and sizes.  I was a bit nervous and a little uncomfortable because it was hard to hear and difficult to see the platform.  I had heard that there were some of “them” present.  It could be though I was not certain.  A room this size with a crowd this large…yes it is reasonable that there would be at least one.  I wondered what he looked like.  He?  Maybe it is a she?  I’ve never heard one though I knew they existed.  Then it happened, “Let us pray.”  Suddenly people all around me were babbling in some sort of strange language and I had my first encounter with the gift of tongues.  You may have a story similar to mine.  What was uncommon in my world as a high school student is now common place in many churches.  Tongues had long been a practice in Pentecostal circles but in the mid to late 60s it moved into the mainstream in the form of the Charismatic Movement.  It caused quite a furor any Baptist circles as well as Methodist, Episcopal and even Catholic congregations.  Of course with the rise of the nondenominational churches and the Word of Faith movement it began to dominate the Evangelical landscape.  While not the hotbed today that it was in the 70s and 80s there still is a wide rage of opinion on the matter.

There are those who say that speaking in tongues is the sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit while others claim the gift died out with the last of the apostles and any experience or expression of the gift today is Satan’s counterfeit.  The truth is there are good and godly men on both ends and at all points in between.  Men who love God, who love His Word and His church.  I remember having to go toe to toe with my director of missions when I was 25 years old, in my first church during my ordination service!  He wanted me to say that tongues are not for today and that it is an unbiblical practice and I refused.  It is not an easy question.  I’m convinced it is not as cut and dried as most would have us believe.  It is easy to say, “I’ve had this wonderful experience and I know it has to be true.”  it is just as easy to say, “It’s not rational.  I’ve never had such and experience therefore it cannot be true.”  Both judge right and wrong, truth and error by personal experience.  The only approach I know to take is to let God’s Word speak for itself.

I have a little plaque on my desk.  It is there to remind me as I study, “You are responsible to believe and teach what the Bible teaches, not what you would like for it to teach.”  That’s it.  As with all questions we must be willing to come to the Scriptures and ask, “What does God say about this?”  Sometimes what He says makes us uneasy.  Sometimes what He reveals is uncomfortable.  But then truth doesn’t have to be comfortable or put us at ease.  Truth just has to be true!

Paul writes to the church at Corinth in an effort to encourage them to live godly lives.  Lives that live up to their calling as the people of God.  Along the way he answers some of the questions that have come to him.  He addresses some of the problems that plague the Corinthians church.  In chapters 11-14 he deals with matters of public worship.

In chapters 12-14 he focuses on the subject of spiritual gifting.
In chapter 12 he reminds them that, as believers, they have all been gifted by God as He saw fit.
The purpose of their gifting is the building up or edification of the church as a whole.
After all they are all members of one body.
Each member is essential to the life of the others.
In chapter 13 he demonstrates that love is to animate, motivate and permeate all they say and do.
In chapter 14 he deals specifically with the gift of tongues.

Text: 1 Corinthians 14:1-25
It is clear throughout 12-14 that the Corinthian believers prized the gift of tongues.
Ecstatic utterance had been a part of their worship in their pagan days.

Their worship, in their pre-Christian days centered on ecstasy and enthusiasm thus they were drawn in the direction out of familiarity.

Thesis: Paul, in this passage, clearly demonstrates the value of the simple, direct speaking forth the truth of God over the value of ecstatic utterance.

Put simply - prophecy is superior to tongues.

As the passage unfolds Paul gives three reasons for the superiority of prophecy.

• Prophecy is superior because it edifies the whole congregation.  (14:1-12)
• Prophecy is superior because it can be understood by all.  (12:13-19)
• Prophecy is superior because it inspires conviction, confession and worship.  (14:20-25)

 

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1 Corinthians #23: An exposition of 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, July 10, 2011.

Intro:
The simplest and most profound description of God found in the Scripture is that, “God is love.”  1 John 4:16 states, So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  John states plainly that God is love and that those who know Him demonstrate that same characteristic.  So we could say that the simplest and most profound statement concerning the people of God is that they are loving.  Yet in many churches love does not describe their membership or their ministry.  How can that be?  It may be because it is easier to be orthodox than it is to be loving.  It is easier to define truth and catalogue doctrine than it is to show kindness to a stranger, offer warmth and compassion to the hurting, reach out and embrace the outcast.  It is easier to be active in “church work” than it is to be loving.  Yet we are to be marked by love.  It is essential to all that we do.  It is to temper every sermon, it is to guide every discussion, it is to permeate every program and drive every ministry.  Our text this evening is found in the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians.

Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

This is one of those “Hallmark” texts.
You get a warm glow when you read it or hear it.
It has been called a “Lyrical interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount.”
Others have said it is the beatitudes set to music.
McArthur describes it as a breathe of fresh air, an oasis in a desert of problems.

It is commonly used in wedding ceremonies to describe and define love which is appropriate but I think it is crucial to note the context of this beloved chapter.  Paul is talking about issues of public worship.  He talked in chapter 12 about the nature of the church as a body and how that is tied directly to the way God gifts His church.  In chapter 14 he is going to deal with the abuse of the gifts.  In between he speaks to them about how they ought to conduct themselves.  This is to be your guiding principle.  The key is found in the last half of 12:31.

…And I will show you a still more excellent way.

In light of the fact that you are a body and that you’ve all been gifted for the sake of the body and that all members are necessary let me show you how you ought to proceed in this matter.

Paul is clear….

Thesis: Love is to animate, motivate and permeate all that we say and do.

This chapter is a 3 stanza hymn celebrating the wonders of biblical love.
There are three Greek words for love.

Eros = which denotes sexual desire.  It is the passionate, lustful kind of love.
Philia = affection or friendship between kindred spirits.
Agape = self-giving, sacrificial kind of love.

• Stanza 1 - The Priority of Love.  (13:1-3)
• Stanza 2 - The Personality of Love.  (13:4-7)
• Stanza 3 - The Permanence of Love.  (13:8-13)

 

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1 Corinthians #22: An exposition of 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, June 12, 2011.

Intro:
It is a much discussed topic within evangelicalism.  What is the church?  What should the church look like?  What is appropriate?  What is not appropriate?  What about membership?  Formal or informal?  Should we practice church discipline?  All matters of “ecclesiology” or matters related to the doctrine of the church.  9 Marks Ministries originated with Mark Dever out of Capital Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C.   9 Marks is dedicated to the recovery of a biblical understanding of the church.  I listened to a panel discussion recently from The Gospel Coalition’s annual conference this past April that asked, “What does the biblical church look like?”  It was a fascinating discussion among three pastors.  One a Southern Baptist, another a Presbyterian and the third, the pastor of a Bible Church.  One of the more interesting rabbit trails was the question, “In light of the recent trend towards video streaming and multisite churches, will we have live pastors in 70 years?”  Will there be a man who knows and seeks to live the faith in the context of that body of believers who stands to deliver the Sunday message or will people gather to watch a video of a man from another place or perhaps even another time?  I mean people love John McArthur and Adrian Rogers and David Jeremiah - perhaps they’ll just play their messages.  And if that were to happen, what would it mean?  What would it say about the nature of the church?  Within the Southern Baptist Convention there is a movement that is concerned about the erosion of explicitly Baptist understandings of church polity or government and it is identified as the “Baptist Identity” movement.  Their concern is that, in many cases, we are loosing our Baptist distinctives.  Obviously they are concerned about the means, mode and proper candidate for baptism but also congregational form government; a symbolic rather than sacramental understanding of the Lord’s Table; and the proper role of church discipline.  I will have to say how we define and understand church does matter.  The Scriptures are not silent on this subject.

When the apostle Paul came to address the issue of spiritual gifts in his first letter to the Corinthian believers he makes it abundantly clear that the nature of spiritual gifts and their distribution among believers are tied directly to the nature of the church.  Our text this evening is found in the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians beginning with verse 12.

Text: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

The church at Corinth had its share of troubles.
There were divisions and factions (around their favorite preachers & economic/social standing).
There were problems related to sexual immorality.
Believers were bringing lawsuits against one another.
There were marital issues.
Paul repeatedly called on them to “grow up” and to live holy lives.

In chapters 11-14 he comes to deal with matters of public worship.
In chapter 11 - wearing veils & the Lord’s Table.
In 12-14 - spiritual gifts.
In chapter 12 - all are gifted for the common good.
In chapter 13 - love is to be their guiding principle.
In chapter 14 - he deals with the abuse of gifts, specifically the gift of tongues.

In this section we discover the nature of the church and the believer’s responsibility to the church.

I just want to point out 4 things as we walk through this text together.

1. Our God has sovereignly established His church as a body.  (12:12-13)
2. As a believer you are part of that body and as a member of that body you have a role to play.  (12:14-20)
3. As a part of the body you are dependent on the other members.  (12:21-26)
4. Each of us should strive to fulfill our role without inflating our own importance and without minimizing the importance of others.  (12:27-31)

There is no room for pride, arrogance, envy or disdain within the church.

Why?

Because God has arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he choses.  (18)
Because God has composed this body.  (24)
Because God has appointed…  (28)

The church is a body.
As a child of God you are part of that body.
We are dependent on one another.
We each have a role to play.