The Plowman

 

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This is an exposition of Psalm 76:1-12. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, October 9, 2011.

Intro:
It has been a source of strength and encouragement for believers through the ages.  In times of tremendous hardship its words have served to inspire and fortify beleaguered hearts.  The embattle Huguenots sang it as they marched into battle against their oppressors.  The English Covenanters sang it at Drumclog in 1679 when they defeated the government troops.  It was sung as a thanksgiving hymn in 1588 marking the defeat of the Spanish Armada.  The Pilgrims loved this psalm and sang it often as they carved a home out of the wilderness of Massachusetts.  This “fighting psalm” of Israel has faithfully served the church through the ages and can be of great encouragement to you in times of peril.  Our text this evening is the 76th Palm.

Text: Psalm 76:1-12

Life is often overwhelming.

We sometime say, “The Lord is not going to give me more than I can handle.”
There is a sense in which that is true – but you must remember – everything is more than you can handle!

Because God is gracious He allows us to be overwhelmed that it might drive us to His loving arms.  What kind of God would allow you to live under the delusion that you can handle things?  No, our God shows us our weakness so that in our weakness we can be made strong.

The life of peace and security is not the life that knows God is there for those things I can’t handle.  Peace and security is found in understanding our complete dependence upon Him.  Do you know when fear entered the world?  In Genesis 3 when Adam rebelled against God.  When Adam said, “I don’t need God to tell me right from wrong/good from evil – I’ll decide for myself.”  He moved from total dependence to independence and it “scared the stuffing out of him!”

Adam said, “We heard you and we hid ourselves for we were naked and afraid.”

To acknowledge your dependence upon God is the first step toward resting in the security of His presence and power.  That is the message of this psalm.

This is a psalm of Asaph.
We do not know the specific context – it is not given to us in the title.
It is obviously in celebration of a great victory won by the hand of God.
There is a connection between psalms 74, 75 and 76.

Psalm 74 sees violence and injustice and cries out for God to do something.
Psalm 75 God says at the appointed time he will respond.
Psalm 76 rejoices in God’s miraculous intervention.

James Boice suggests the passage fits with the invasion of Sennacherib – 2 Kings 18-19.
Note 76:5-6 and 2 Kings 19:35-36.

Regardless of the context the message for us is clear:

Thesis: In times of great distress and struggle the righteous find peace in God’s strong presence.

We find a powerful description of God in this psalm.
It is not just God’s presence but His presence in power and glory.

I know that God cannot be present in any other way – God is God – but I think it is important to use the terms of his strength and might.  Our comfort and encouragement is in a God who is big enough and powerful enough to handle whatever threatens us.  Over and over again in the psalms and elsewhere we read of “God’s right hand,” “God’s mighty arm” etc.

This hymn is divided into three stanzas marked off by the instruction selah meaning, “Stop and meditate on that a minute.”  Give some serious thought to what that implies.

Let’s reflect on these three great truths this evening.

1. The righteous rest in their knowledge of God.  (76:1-3)
2. The righteous glory in God’s intervention on their behalf and stand in awe of His justice.  (76:4-10)
3. The righteous respond to God’s working with acts of worship and service.  (76:11-12)

 

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Gospel of John #40: an exposition of John 15:1-8. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 9, 2011.

Intro:
Something is wrong.  I don’t believer there is any question about it.  Things simply do not add up.  Claims are made that just cannot be substantiated.  Many claim a “born-again” experience but their lives produce no evidence of such an experience.  There are those who say they believe the Bible to be the Word of God, it is God’s revelation, but turn right around and dismiss what the Bible clearly teaches.  Something is wrong.  How can we explain the inconsistencies?  We start by acknowledging that there a both genuine and false professions of faith within the church.  Jesus spoke of wheat and tares growing together in the same field.  He also stated that there would be those who would be surprised at the judgement, “Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity, I never knew you.”  On the night our Lord was betrayed, He shocked the 12 by announcing there was a traitor in their midst.  How could one of them turn on Him?  How could they not know one of them was a false disciple?  What separates the true from the false?  What is the difference between the genuine article and the phony?

Webster defines genuine as, “Actually having the reputed qualities or character of the original; that which is free from hypocrisy or pretense.”  As we explore the opening verses of John 15 we are going to consider the marks of genuine faith.

Text: John 15:1-8

We are on the threshold of the holy place.
It is the night of betrayal and our Lord is instructing His disciples.
He is preparing them for what is to come.
Their faith is about to be tested.
Their world is about to be turned upside-down.
In love and grace He is getting them ready.
He wants them to have a “settled heart” in the midst of the chaos.
“Let not your heart be troubled, don’t even let it fear.”
That’s easier said than done!
But He did not leave them without means.

He made them promises, He assured them of provision, He secured a “Helper.”

This is a very familiar passage.
As we work our way through it we discover that…

Thesis: All genuine believers bear the fruit of a relationship with Christ.

There can be no question this passage is focused on fruit-bearing.
It is equally clear that this is not just true for the “elite” or the “extraordinary” but every believer.
Note the language in 15:2 - “every” (2); 15:5 “whoever” (1).

There are three (3) things I want to point out along the way.

1. The genuine believer recognizes the absolute necessity of being united with Christ.  (15:1, 4, 5, 6, 7)
2. The genuine believer humbly yields to the pruning of the Lord.  (15:2b, 4)
3. The genuine believer lovingly abides in the presence of Christ.  (15:4-7)

 

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An exposition of Psalm 39:1-13. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, October 2, 2011.

Intro:
I like music.  In fact I like music of all kinds.  Well not every kind.  I don’t care for Indie or punk or new wave or rap or any of that weird stuff.  But I like to listen to music.  But I have to admit some music is just depressing.  I’m sure some of the new stuff is really depressing if I could understand the words.  See, now I know I’m getting old.  I’m well on my way to becoming a curmudgeon!  But it’s not just this new stuff that is depressing.  I mean if you want to talk about depressing music, we have to talk about country and western music.  You know they say if you play rock music backwards you get a message from the devil.  You know what happens when you play country music backwards?  You sober up.  Your wife comes back and your dog rises from the dead!  No wonder people drink when they listen to country music!

Now when we think of the Psalms we normally think of praise.  And the Psalms are filled with praise but there are also some depressing Psalms.  The Psalms run the full range of emotions.  And Psalm 39 is a sobering Psalm.  It is a psalm that is not easily understood.  But I’m convinced that if you wrestle with it you will find that it contains a very encouraging message.

Text: Psalm 39:1-13

This is a Psalm of David.
We are told, in the title, that it is for the director of music.  For Jeduthun.

Jeduthun, along with Asaph and Heman, was one of the musicians appointed by David to lead public worship (1 Chronicles 16:37-42; 25:1-8; 2 Chronicles 5:12; 35:15).

Psalm 39 asks us to think about the brevity of life.
That is not a subject our culture is particularly fond of.
We are captivated by youth and vitality.
In fact I would go so far as to say – “We don’t like to think!”

We rush headlong in pursuit of amusement.
Amusement is a compound word.
“Muse” means to ponder, meditate or think.
The prefix “a” is a negative.
So amusement means, “not thinking.”

Most people want to drift through life without giving a lot of thought to anything.
Psalm 39 is a rebuke of that attitude.
The Psalmist calls on us to stop and give some serious thought to this issue.
As we walk through this psalm, here is what we discover:

Thesis: The righteous are characterized by hope in spite of the brevity and the vanity of life.

This psalm has four stanzas each of which provides us with a different characteristic of the righteous and their attitude toward life.

The righteous are characterized by a resolve to remain steadfast in spite of an intense struggle with life’s vanity.  (39:1-3)

The righteous are characterized by a determination to live a meaningful life in spite of life’s apparent meaninglessness.  (39:4-6)

The righteous are characterized by a desire for relationship in spite of God’s rebuke for sin.  (39:7-11)

The righteous are characterized by a recognition that life has a meaning, which is not tied to this world.  (39:12-13)

 

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Gospel of John #39: an exposition of John 14:18-31. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 2, 2011.

Intro:
Not that I’m cynical, jaded or soured on humanity but when someone says, “Trust me” everything in me screams, “Run away!”  Maybe it’s because those words seem to have preceded most disappointments in my life.  It has generally been my experience that if someone feels it is necessary to convince me they are trustworthy…they probably aren’t.  So I understand the skeptical.  I sympathize with those who struggle to believe.  That’s under good conditions.  That’s when things are going well.  What about when things are tough?  What about when all hell breaks loose?  What about when everything you’ve believed, everything you’ve dreamed of is taken from you?  And taken in a violent manner?

They thought he was going to usher in the kingdom of God.  By that they meant he would run out the hated Roman occupation army.  They meant that a golden age would begin.  A time of unprecedented prosperity when Israel would finally get the recognition it deserved.  How does his dying serve that end?  How does his “going away” fit into that scheme?  “Let not your heart be troubled?”  Is he kidding?  Before you shake your head at their lack of insight or their failure to see the obvious, have you ever questioned the wisdom or work of God?  Have you ever looked at the circumstance of your life and wondered if maybe you’ve believed a lie?  If you say, “No, I’ve never thought that.”  I have to ask you another question - do you lie about other things too?  The life of faith is a struggle.  Our Lord understood that.  As our Creator He knew we are frail children of dust who are victims of the Fall and its curse.  That’s why in love and grace He prepared His disciples for what was to come.  He instructed them.  He told them what was coming.  Yet He knew they wouldn’t understand.  He knew they would need another teacher to instruct and remind them.  In fact, He told them He would send a helper to do just that.  Our text this morning is found in John chapter 14 beginning with verse 18.

Text: John 14:18-31

We are in the upper room on the night of His betrayal.
Jesus is talking with the 11 remaining disciples about what is coming.
Judas has already left the group to meet up with his conspirators.
In verse 1 of chapter 14 our Lord sets the tone for this section.
“Let not your hearts be troubled.”
This chapter is taken up with the reasons and means for a settled heart.
He is going to prepare a place - 2
He is coming to take them to be with him - 3
He alone is the way, because he alone has the truth and he alone has the power of life - 6
He and the Father are one - 9-11

As we consider the last half of this chapter I want you to see that…

Thesis: A calm heart, in the face of utter turmoil, demands confident faith in the word of Christ and His gracious provision.

Let’s note three things.

The Lord Jesus promises abundant provision through His abiding presence.  (14:18-24)

The Lord Jesus assures us of an accurate and intimate knowledge of God by the work of the Holy Spirit.  (14:25-26)

The Lord Jesus guarantees us lasting, eternal peace as His gracious gift.  (14:27)

Conclusion:

There is a way to the settled heart.  A heart at peace in spite of the storm.  A heart at rest though all hell breaks loose.  Such a heart demands confident faith in the word of Christ and His gracious provision.

Our Lord promises abundant provision through His abiding presence.
He assures us accurate and intimate knowledge of God through the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
He guarantees lasting, eternal peace as His gracious gift.

 

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A Wednesday Bible study: This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, September 28, 2011.

 

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Gospel of John #38: an exposition of John 14:12-17. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, September 25, 2011.

Intro:
I’m convinced the life of faith is greatly misunderstood.  There are those who embrace the lie that “religion is a crutch” for the weak.  There are those who are convinced that the life of faith is dangerous, not only for those who believe, but for culture in general.  If you haven’t noticed, the “new atheism” is militant and aggressive.  They no longer shake their heads in pity for the poor misguided religious crowd, they seek to rid society of any and all reference to faith.  That is to faith in general and to Christianity in particular.  Of greater concern to me is the lack of understanding within the church.  Too many of us misunderstand the life of faith.  We think of faith in “magic” terms.  Prayers are used as incantations.  Church membership is reduced to a talisman or good luck charm to ward off evil spirits.  It is thought if I claim Jesus nothing bad can happen to me and if it does - then there must not be anything to this faith and we walk away.  The life of faith is my trust in the sovereign, gracious work of God in saving me from the wrath to come.  It is God’s mercy in taking me from death to life and enabling me to have a relationship with the Creator.  It isn’t about wealth, health and the good life.  It is deeper than that.  It is more profound than that.  The life of faith recognizes that we live in a fallen, broken world where horrible, awful things happen to people.  It happens to both the righteous and the unrighteous as part of the curse of the Fall.  Faith is not a “free pass.”  It is not a note excusing you from life’s troubles.  Rather it is the assurance that you will not walk the valley alone.  That you will not be the victim ultimately.  That you will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and His testimony.

The wind had been knocked out of them.
For the last 3.5 years they have walked with Jesus.
They’ve heard His teaching, witnessed His miracles, and marveled at His character.
They are convinced that He is the Messiah.
He is the Anointed One.
But what is the talk of death, of going away, of betrayal and denial?

In a matter of hours, with rapid succession He will be arrested, tried, convicted, condemned, crucified and buried.  What happens then?  What are they to do then?  Are they next?  Would anyone believe our message?  Who wants to follow a dead Messiah?  In love and grace, in mercy and kindness Jesus prepares His disciples for what is about to come.  In turn we find perspective on the life of faith.  Our text is found in the 14th chapter of the Gospel of John.

Text: John 14:12-17

Context:
In the face of confusion, doubt, discouragement and unrest Jesus speaks of peace.
He speaks of a settled heart rather than a shuddering heart.

“Let not your heart be troubled…” right.  Just how do I do that?
That is the context for understand all that Jesus is saying in this section.
How do I have a stable heart?
Where do I find courage to continue on?

Here is what I want you to see…
Thesis: In the face of great heartache and overwhelming sorrow Christ promises not only His abiding presence but divine enabling so that we not only survive but serve to advance the kingdom of God.

The life of faith is “messy.” I wish it all fit into neat categories and everything had its place but it doesn’t. Often it is a balancing act. This is one such place.

When I say that the life of faith is not about health, wealth and the good life do not take that to mean it is the life of sickness, poverty and despair!  I’m not suggesting that real faith is about “gutting it out” or gritting your tear and bearing up under it all.  I am saying that life is often hard and filled with trial and struggles but the good news of the gospel is not just that we survive but that we overcome.  After all the apostle Paul says we are more than conquerers through Christ who loved us.  This is a fascinating, surprising text.

Look at verses 12-14.

An extraordinary claim and an astonishing promise.  (14:12-14)

A Remarkable gift and an essential connection.  (14:15-17)

Conclusion:
The Gospel comes with an extraordinary claim and a remarkable gift which together mean that in the face of great heartache and overwhelming sorrow Christ promises not only His abiding presence but divine enabling so that we not only survive but serve to advance the kingdom of God.

This is at the heart of what I mean when I say we, the church, too often misunderstand the faith.  It’s not primarily about us.  It’s not about our happiness, our holiness or our future destiny.  It is primarily about God, His glory and His Kingdom - then our happiness, holiness and destiny.

 

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Gospel of John #37: an exposition of John 14:7-11. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, September 18, 2011.

Intro:
It was a beautiful day for climbing.  The sky was clear the air was crisp.  He had set out early to get a jump on the day.  He had made good progress when loose rock gave way.  He lost his balance, fell, rolled down the slop grasping at anything and everything as he picked up speed.  Nothing held.  There was absolute silence as he went over the edge and began his descent.  Miraculously he managed to grab a limb that hung over the abyss.  When he opened his eyes he saw that he was a good 20 feet below the ledge and 200 feet above the canyon floor.  In a panic he cried, “Help!  Somebody, help!”  Nothing but the sound of his own echo.  Terrified he cried, “Oh God, help me.”  A voice responded, “Let go.”  “What?”  “Let go of the limb.”  “Who are you?”  “It’s me, God.  Let go of the limb.  Trust me.”  Silence.  After a few seconds the man cried, “Is there anyone else up there?”

Do you ever have trouble believing?  Have you ever found yourself needing a little something extra to boost your faith?  It’s not that you doubt God’s existence.  It’s not that you question His power or ability.  You just would like a little more tangible proof that He’s there before you let go of the limb.

We’ve entered the “holy place.”
For three years they have walked with Him.
They’ve shared life with Him.
They’ve heard the teaching, witnessed the miracles and marveled at His character.
But the last week has been confusing.
A grand welcome into Jerusalem began the week.
Shouts of, “Hosanna” and praise fit for a conquering king.
Yet Jesus spoke of death and going away.
He said it was time for the Son of Man to be glorified, yet He washed their feet.
They had been through so much together and yet He said one of them would betray Him.
Peter was told he would deny Him.

Confused, frustrated, frightened and uncertain they tried to make sense of it all.  Then Jesus said, “Don’t let your heart be troubled.”  That was almost funny.  They believed He was Messiah.  He was going to usher in the Kingdom of God but He is talking about dying and going away.  “Oh but don’t let that upset you.  Don’t let that get you down.”  What were they to make of all this?  How were they to get their mind around it all?  The path to peace, they were told, was to trust Him.  Believe in Him.  He was going to prepare a place for them and then come take them to be with Him but that was later.  They can’t come right now.  For now they must believe.  Trust God.  Trust Him.  But how?  Our text this morning is found in John 14 beginning with verse 7.

Text: John 14:7-11

The life of faith is not an easy life.
It is marked by starts and stops.
It is halting and hesitant.
Yes there times it is robust and bold but more often than not it is a struggle.

Look at 14:6-7.
14:6 = is a core confession of the church.
It states in no uncertain terms the uniqueness of Christ and His exclusivity.
He is the only way to the Father.
Not one of the ways - the one way, the only way.

It upsets a lot of folks in our culture - due to our independent way and our view of religious liberty.  However equal protection under the law does not mean equally valid.  (Barnhouse on religious liberty)

14:7 gives us a clue as to what is going on in the hearts and minds of the 11 remaining disciples.
“If you had known me, and apparently you don’t, you would have known my Father also.”

They are struggling to believe.
If there was any question about that Philip removes it - 14:8
Philip’s plea = “How can we know God?”  “Where do we find assurance?”

What’s clear in Jesus’ response is…

Thesis: Jesus Christ perfectly reveals God the Father to the seeking heart.

• He and the Father are one.  (14:9-10)
• His words are the words of God.  (14:10)
• His works are the works of God.  (14:10)

Conclusion:

• He is worthy of your trust.
• He is the only way to heaven.
• He is the way, because He is the trust, because He alone has the power of life.
• He perfectly reveals the Father and He is the only way you will ever see the face of God.

 

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An exposition of Ephesians 2:1-10. This message by guest preacher, Rev. Phil Dark, was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, September 4, 2011.

 

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This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, August 24, 2011.

 

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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