The Plowman

Genuine Spirituality [ 40:28 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1347)

This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, July 22, 2007, and was taken from Mark 7:1-23.

Spirituality is popular: “I’m not religious, but I am very spiritual.”
How do you define that, and is it a good thing?
Most people define spirituality by giving a list: I go to church, read my bible, don’t go to movies, etc. This reduces spirituality to mere behavior. you can do some spiritual things and not be spiritual at all.

1. vs. 1-13: Genuine spirituality has little use for mere conformity to external rules.
2. vs. 14-23: Genuine spirituality is a matter of character.

Are you a spiritual person? Don’t give me your list. Tell me of your conversion.

• The only reason someone goes to hell is because he rejects Jesus. False.
• The only reason someone goes to hell is because he is a sinner. True.

"It Can't Be That Simple" [ 37:29 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1341)

This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, July 18, 2007.

Pastor Rod has been reading the book Discovering God’s Will for My Life, by Ray Pritchard. This series of sermons is drawn from material in that book. This is actually the second message in the series. The first was given several weeks back.

"The God We Worship" [ 37:51 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1345)

This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, July 15, 2007 and was taken from Mark 6:31-56.

What we discover in this last half of the sixth chapter of Mark is that it reveals a moving portrait of the God we worship and adore. Power and mercy come together in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is worthy of our worship and adoration.

1. In verses 30-44 we find in the person of Jesus Christ a compassionate shepherd ministering to the needs of the aimless and the wandering. The key verse in this section is 34: “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Their real need was spiritual. Verse 34 ends with “And he began to teach them many things.” Later Jesus met the crowd’s physical need for food.
2. In verses 45-52 we find in Jesus Christ a sovereign savior who comes to the struggling and the helpless. Jesus never took his eyes off of his disciples, and in the midst of their struggles on the sea he comes to them and saves them.
3. In verses 53-56 we see that Jesus Christ is a sympathetic healer touching the hurting and the hopeless.

Do you find your life with no meaning or purpose? Your life doesn’t go anywhere? Look to the Shepherd. There is a sovereign savior who will deliver you today if you will turn to him.

"Lives in Contrast" [ 37:51 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1329)

This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, July 8, 2007, and was taken from Mark 6:14-29.

In this passage two characters stand out: John the Baptist and Herod Antipas. It reminds us that the lives of the godly stand in stark contrast to the ungodly, and that the church is to be radically different from the world.

• The godly man finds strength to confront the powerful ungodly with their sin, while the ungodly cower for the thoughts and opinions of others. We are called to preach and declare righteousness. We plead with sinners to repent. As a result of John’s faithfulness, verse 20 tells us that Herod feared John.
• The godly man is driven by conviction, while the godless are victims of the winds of emotion and foolish pride.
• The godly man lives through his continuing influence, even after death, while the godly are dead even while they live.
• the great contrast between the godly and the ungodly is that in having their heart stirred the godly turn from their sin and flee to Christ for His mercy alone, while the godless stand in their pride and say I will owe no man, and they harden their heart to the coming judgement of God.

Where are you? Have you repented and turned to Christ, or have you said not now, maybe later? You may not get a later opportunity. You may seal the judgment of God on your life.

"Ministry to an Unbelieving World" [ 39:27 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1327)

This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, July 01, 2007, and was taken from Mark 6:1-13.

The Christian world view does not dominate our culture like it once did. People haven’t quit believing in God, they have just begun to believe in a multitude of gods. They feel a natural connection with the sacred. People say “I turn to the power within in times of crisis.”, trusting in that personal, experiential truth, as opposed to that revealed truth found in God’s word. “I’m very spiritual, I’m just not religious.” which really means “I don’t like rules or institutions like the church.” We believe in anything and everything, which means we believe in nothing. Increasingly spiritual, America, by biblical standards, is a nation of unbelievers. In many ways we are a secular society.

And we have been asked to take the gospel to an unbelieving world, which is much like the first-century Greco-Roman world where the Christian gospel first appeared.
How do we remain faithful to the task of bringing this message to a people who don’t want to hear? There is a gospel witness on television and radio. There are churches on every corner, and yet people are definitely not interested.

How do we take the gospel to this world? We find some answers in the text of this message today. Our mission is to take the gospel to an unbelieving world, trusting in Christ and leaving the results to Him.

1. In the person of the lord Jesus we find an inspiring example.

• The love and grace of God persists in coming again and again to the unbeliever. That is grace. He doesn’t owe it to anyone. Yet He comes back again and again.
• The love and grace of God will not be deterred by the heartache of hatred and rejection by his audience. Jesus stands his ground and preaches the truth.
• The love and grace of God works miraculously in spite of our unbelief.

2. He also gives us some invaluable instructions.

• there is the necessity of a divine commissioning.
• There is the need for total dependence.
• There is a need to deny your personal comfort. It’s not about your comfort, it’s about your mission.
• There is a need to declare the whole council of God, found in verse 11. The whole gospel is not presented until you warn the unrepentant of the dire consequences of rejection of God.

3. What is the end result? God is honored, Christ is exalted, and lives are changed.

"God's Patient Love for His Unfaithful Bride" [ 35:56 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1305)

This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, July 01, 2007, and was taken from Jeremiah 2:1-3:5.

A store sign noticed in while on mission trip in Phoenix: The Divorce Store. How casual we have become about the whole notion of divorce. Marriage is not a contract, it is a covenant. God, in the text before us describes his relationship with His people as a marriage covenant. Listen carefully to the charges brought against the nation of Juda. This message of judgement also contains a message of life and hope. The love and grace of God is demonstrated in many ways, but in this passage, in his persuing his wayward, dissobedient people.  The message of God’s judgement contains a compassionate righteousness. He is long suffering and patient with rebellious folk like you and me.

three devastating truths and one glorious promise

1. Jer. 2:1-9: Israel arrogantly willfully turned its back on God’s generous offer of grace. Our relationship with God is not a mere matter of obedience. We are called to be obedient, but we are called to enter into a love relationship, such as is described in a marriage. Biblical faith is a matter of passion and devotion. God has been a faithful husband in all of this, yet Israel has gone after other lovers.
2. Jer. 2:10-31: Israel spiraled into a life of spiritual depravity, and foolish corruption by serving false gods.
3. Jer. 2:32 ff.: This turning from God resulted in hardness of hart that refused to acknowledge any wrong, thus preventing any possibility of return.
4. Jer. 3:14: Though he has every right to reject ultimately his people, “Return” God says. God offers to restore Israel to passion and purity. That is the word He gives to you today: “Return”.