The Plowman

Five Loaves, Two Fish and Twelve Baskets [ 34:20 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (43)

Five Loaves, Two Fish and Twelve Baskets: 2016 Gospel of Luke # 33

This is an exposition of Luke 9:10-17. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 16, 2016.

Intro:

The task of preaching is an intimidating assignment to say the least.  It is a task that is filled with both joy and frustration.  While there is never a lack of material for one can never exhaust the subject, there is the frustration of knowing you are not adequate for the job!  There is a level of presumption if one thinks he can adequately express great eternal truths.  There is something absurd about a man standing to say, “My subject this morning is God, the universe and related topics.”  To try and capture the character and nature of God in a sermon is a bit like attempting to capture the Pacific Ocean in a thimble!  While I feel wholly inadequate there was One who perfectly revealed Him.

In fact we are told that God spoke to man in various ways, through various means in times past but He has spoke His final word in this Man.  This one was called the exact representation of the eternal God.  In fact He was God made flesh.  John tells us that as we behold the Lord Jesus we behold the glory of the only begotten Son of God.  John goes on to say that no one has ever seen God but this one makes Him known.  This one reveals Him, unfolds Him, and explains Him.  This is why Jesus said; “If you’ve seen Me you have seen the Father.”  What is God like?  Look to the Lord Jesus.

This is important because there are so many false pictures of God circulating.  False notions of what God is like and how He acts.  These false notions are often promoted by the way believers live and act.  We must strive to accurately reflect the character and nature of our God, yet we must also realize that we are, at best, a flawed, imperfect representation.  We must constantly point to Christ.  Keep that in mind as we consider one of the great miracles of our Lord, as it is recorded in Luke Luke 9.

Text: Luke 9:10-17

Luke the careful historian is presenting his friend Theophilus with an accurate account of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus.  His purpose is evangelistic, aimed at the heart as well as the head.  Here we find Luke’s account of the feeding of the 5000.  This is one of two miracles found in all 4 Gospels, the other being the resurrection.  It is a very familiar story.  We’ve all heard it since we were children but there is a great truth to be found in it.
For this passage reminds us that:

Thesis: The miracles of Jesus provide profound insight into the character of our God.

This is what God is like.
This is how He responds to need.
This is how He handles interruptions.

There are three things I want you to note from our text.

1. The feeding of the 5000 reveals the wonder-working power of the Lord Jesus.
2. The feeding of the 5000 demonstrates the tender, compassionate heart of the Savior.
3. The feeding of the 5000 displays the abundant generosity of the Sovereign One.

Conclusion:
What does all this mean to us?

The God we serve is a God of great power who intervenes on behalf of the hurting and does so with great generosity.

Called to Ministry [ 41:50 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (51)

Called to Ministry: 2016 Gospel of Luke #32

This is an exposition of Luke 9:1-6. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 9, 2016.

Intro:

What a world, what a world.  It doesn’t take a social scientist or a brilliant scholar to recognize we live in troubled times.  Rampant immorality, open promiscuity, blatant perversion characterize today’s world.  We proudly flaunt that which we once tried to hide.  The traditional family is disintegrating.  Life has become so meaningless that 64% of those surveyed approved of physician assisted suicide.  I few years ago 70% of the 6000 deaths that occurring daily in the United States are “timed” or “negotiated.”  In other words we are living in a mess!

“Thanks pastor – we know we can always count on you to bring the good word.  To pick up our lagging spirits and to inspire.”  I’m talking about this because it is important for us to recognize that we live in a hurting world.  We live in a world that is wrapped in spiritual darkness.  All around you are those who are lost and dying.  They are crying out for something real, something of substance, something to give them hope.  They are groping for an answer and we have it!  You and I have been given the responsibility of dispensing the cure for the world’s woes.  We have been entrusted with the antidote to this world’s spiritual and moral sickness.  We have been given the Gospel.  Once we have experienced the truth of the Gospel, once we have been made alive in Christ, we have a responsibility to take that Gospel to the world.  Ministry is not the sole responsibility of the pastor, the deacons, the church staff, or the Sunday School worker – it is the responsibility and the privilege of every child of God.  How does that work?  How do we go about the task assigned?  That is the focus of our text in Luke the 9.

Text: Luke 9:1-6

Jesus was a master teacher.

A master teacher knows that experience is the best teacher.

You do not become a expert seamstress by watching a video about sewing.  That may help but at some point you must take needle and thread and work with material and learn the skill.  One does not become an expert chef by merely reading cookbooks.  You have to cook.  You learn to love people by…well…loving people!  You learn to share you faith by sharing your faith.

Our Lord has been instructing the 12 in the great truths of the kingdom of God.

He has talked to them about faith and learning to trust in Him.

Now it was time to put some “shoe leather” to the Gospel.

Now it is time to put into practice some of what they have been learning.

Here in the opening verses of the 9 Luke records the disciple’s first training mission.

From which we can learn some valuable lessons.

Granted this text is about our Lord sending the 12 out on mission.  This is an apprenticeship for their ultimate mission after His ascension.  But from their commissioning we draw principles that apply to our work as the church.

What is clear from this text and the balance of Scripture is that…

Thesis:  As followers of Christ we are called to effectively minster to the lost and hurting through the power of the Gospel and with the blessing of God.

The Scripture is clear, we are all called to ministry.

Some are called to “vocational ministry” but all are called to minister.

Implied in the call is that we are to minister effectively.  That is we are to minister in such a way that our ministry makes a difference in our community.  How is southwest Tulsa different because Trinity Baptist Church is at the corner of 41^st and Union?  In what ways are we impacting the lives of the folks who live here?  We are called to be effective ministers of the Gospel of Christ.

The task can be overwhelming.  At first glance the mandate is impossible.  Who are we?  How can we make a difference?  There is so much to do, where do we begin?  Well, we need to begin with a basic understanding.  God hasn’t called you or me to “win the world to Christ.”  God has called us to be faithful and walk in obedience to His word.  Be faithful in sharing the Gospel of Christ with our friends, neighbors and associates.  Live our convictions.  Remain true to the principles of His Word and God will reach the world through us!  It isn’t that we are doing the great work and we pray and ask God to give us a hand.  God is working and we do what He tells us to do.

Luke gives us three principles of faithful, effective ministry in this text.

1. We minister as those who are called and commissioned by Christ, the Lord of the Church.  (9:1-2, 6)
2. As we minister we are to rely on the power and provision of our God.  (9:3-4)
3. God honoring ministry is focused on ministry and not on results.  (9:5)

Conclusion:

As you and I go out to minister to our community and to the world.  We are going to a world wrapped in spiritual darkness.  We are not looking for another notch in our spiritual gun belt.  We go seeking to minister to the hurting.  We go offering life and hope to those who are dying.  This is the ministry we have been given.

To be effective we need to recognize that our ministry:

Originates in the call and commission of Christ.

Relies solely on the power and provision of our God.

Focuses on ministry rather than results.

Desperate, Uninformed and Shattered Faith [ 39:35 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (44)

Desperate, Uninformed and Shattered Faith: 2016 Gospel of Luke #31

This is an exposition of Luke 8:40-56. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 2, 2016.

Intro:

People mean well.  I know they are trying to help but sometimes people say really dumb things.  You can have one of those days when everything goes wrong.  You backed over your dog pulling out of the drive way in a hurry going to work.  In spite of your desperate attempts to save him and that $3000 vet billed, he died.  You finally get to the office and you’re told despite reports to the contrary the company is having to lay off some of its employees and your boss needs to see you right away.  On your way back home having lost your job you’re passed by a firetruck running with lights and sirens.  You get home to see your house in flames.  Your neighbor greets you with a sympathetic hug and says, “How are you doing?”  “How am I doing?  Really?  How do you think I’m doing Einstein?”  Worse yet one of your friends from church calls to encourage you.  They urge you to, “Have faith.”  Despite the fact that apparently you and Job have the same friends, you recognize that there is truth to what your church friend said.  There is the need for faith.  There is the need to trust in God.  To rely upon Him and trust His grace is sufficient.  But how are you supposed to have faith in the midst of such tragedy?

Just how are you to believe when your world is rocked you are lucky if you can stand let alone exercise faith?  You cannot read the Scripture and not be struck by the fact we are called to have faith in every circumstance.  We are called to believe and trust no matter what because our God has shown himself able to deliver, able to supply all our needs.  He has promise to never leave us or forsake us.  He has proven that His power is great, His love is limitless and promise is true.  But what faith can I muster when I’m beaten down?  What faith can I muster when my world is turned upside down?  How am I to believe when I, due to shock, feel nothing?

Jesus said if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we can move mountains.  Well, that’s encouraging.  I mean a mustard seed is tiny.  It seems insignificant.  But sometimes I’m not sure I’m able to accomplish even that.  This is when we need to be reminded that, biblically, it is not the strength of our faith but the power of the object of our faith.  It is not how much we believe but the one in whom we believe.  Your confidence does not rest in the strength or power of your faith but in the strength and power of God.  We find some encouragement in our text this morning.

Text: Luke 8:40-56

Luke is giving us some snapshot of our God in action.
You remember Jesus and the 12 are crossing the Sea of Galilee when a violent storm arises.
With a word he calmed the wind and the waves.
As Lord of creation the winds and waves must obey him.
Then, landing on the other side they were confronted by a man possessed by a legion of demons.
With a word He brought peace to that tormented soul.
As Lord of heaven and earth even evil spirits must obey him.
Our text continues the story…

Thesis: Our God is mighty to save even in the midst of desperate, uniformed and shattered faith.

In our text we are confronted by two desperate people both in great need.  One of them is wealthy, powerful and influential.  The other is poor, neglected, isolated and alone.  Both encounter the sovereign power of God in the person of a loving Savior.  Neither is ever the same.

There are 3 things I want to point out along the way as we work through this text.

1. Our God graciously responds to the feeble pleadings of desperate faith.  (8:40-42)
2. Our God mercifully corrects ignorant, superstitious and simplistic faith gently directing toward a more mature faith.  (8:43-48)
3. Our God lovingly restores shattered faith by the working of His mighty power.  (8:49-56)

Conclusion:
This is the capstone of a series of events displaying the power of our God.  In the midst of a raging tempest he said, “Be still.”  There followed an eerie calm.  Confronted by a demon-possessed man he said, “Be gone” and a tormented soul was at peace.  By his touch a woman was made whole and with a word a dead girl was brought to life.  Our God is sovereign.  Our Savior can do anything.  He can save your soul.  He can restore your life.  He can supply your most desperate need.

Our God is mighty to save even in the midst of desperate, uniformed and shattered faith.

Won’t you come to him now?