The Plowman

Authentic Gospel Ministry [ 44:02 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (43)

Authentic Gospel Ministry: 2016 Gospel of Luke #9

This is an exposition of Luke 3:1-18. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, April 17, 2016.

Intro:

Oh, he was “successful” to a degree.  A lot of folks liked his style.  For the most part they were not very sophisticated.  He was crude.  His manner was gruff.  He was socially awkward – he could have never made it as the pastor of a sophisticated urban church or in the cultured suburbs.  But he could draw a crowd.  But then he didn’t know how to “work” the crowd.  Furthermore he didn’t seem interested in learning how to work the crowd.  I guess that crowd from the Baptist Building in Jerusalem came as much out of curiosity as anything else.  He wasn’t impressed.  In fact he was down right insulting to them!  That’s no way to get ahead in the convention.  But then John never seemed interested in getting ahead.  Instead there was one consuming passion in his life.  There was a fire shut up in his bones.  A message from the heart of God that had to be delivered.

The voice of John the baptizer came thundering from the wilderness.  His message was one of repentance and preparation for the One coming.  His message stood in stark contrast to the world around him.  His message was as “out of place” as he himself was.  Out of moral, political and religious darkness came the voice of a true prophet.  A voice trumpeting the authentic Gospel without even a hint of compromise.

We find Luke’s description of his early ministry in the opening verses of Luke 3.

Text: Luke 3:1-18

The context of John’s ministry is not unlike that of our own day.
Corruption abounded in every area of life.
Morally – immorality, licentiousness and perversion were common place.
Politically – it was a day of tyrants and petty dictators.
Religiously – even among the “people of God” corruption reigned.
People were very religious – but where were the marks of genuine faith?

The Sadducess with their political correctness and connects were concerned with power and influence.

The Pharisees with their legalistic faith of rules and regulations were interested in keeping score and gaining the applause of men.

It’s not so different today.
The Pharisees are still with us – running about preaching a gospel of dos and don’ts.
Concerned primarily with outward appearances.
Being sure to keep the letter of the Law yet not understanding the spirit of the Law.
Straining at the gnat while swallowing the camel.

On the other hand there are the Sadducess.
Always concerned with what is politically correct.
Concerned, even consumed, with appearances.
They stress toleration and call for a kinder, gentler Christianity.

Engaged in what one scholar referred to as “Seinfeld Christianity” – it’s a religion about nothing!

Our desperate need is for a voice from the wilderness – trumpeting the authentic Gospel.
As we explore the text in Luke 3 and look at our own day we cannot help but be reminded that:

Thesis:  In a day of market-driven, entertainment-oriented worship, there remains a desperate need for authentic Gospel ministry.

This is the responsibility of the church.

This is what we are to be about.  We are to be that voice in the wilderness.  We are to uncompromisingly trumpet the clarion call of repentance and faith.  We are to point the way to the Savior.

I’m convinced that we have a model for us in the ministry of John.  Not that we need to change our wardrobe and our diet but that we pattern our ministry after his.  There are three things I want us to note in our text.

Authentic Gospel ministry rests securely on the authority of God’s Word.  (3:1-6)

Authentic Gospel ministry demands a call for genuine repentance.  (3:7-14)

Authentic Gospel ministry points to, exalts, and magnifies the Lord Jesus.  (3:15-18)

Conclusion:
We are called to a life of authentic Gospel ministry.
That ministry rests securely in the authority of the Word of God.
It demands a call for genuine repentance.
And it points to, exalts and magnifies the Lord Jesus.

A Revealing Snapshot of Our Savior [ 47:24 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (46)

A Revealing Snapshot of Our Savior: Gospel of Luke #8

This is an exposition of Luke 2:39-52. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, April 10, 2016.

Intro

As a kid I was blessed to have my grandparents living just a few blocks from my house.  I spent a lot of time there.  I would get on my bike and ride over and spend hours with my Mema and Papa.  Often just watching television, sometimes “working” in the garden or cleaning out under the back porch but I didn’t mind because before the visit was over I’d be pouring peanuts into my bottle of ice cold Pepsi and relaxing before the ride home.  One of my favorite activities was getting out the cardboard box filled with old photographs.  I would spend hours looking at those pictures as my Mema told me the stories of those pictured.  Those old black and white photos would turn into living color in my mind as I imaged what their lives were like.  I would laugh as she said, “That was me just before your daddy was born.”  I would look at pictures of cousins I’d never met and wonder what their lives were like now.  Eventually we’d put the box away and I would leave only to return and travel down that same road again and again.  I also loved looking at my dad’s high school yearbooks.  I did that again recently and saw some of you!  When I look at the pictures of my own children I see, in those pictures, traits that have come to full flower in my now grown children and hints of what is beginning to show in my grandchildren.  Snapshots can be very revealing.  A snapshot, unlike a portrait, is an unguarded moment.  I brief summary of insight into a person’s life.  Luke alone gives us a snapshot of our Lord as a child and it is very revealing.  Our text this morning is found in Luke Luke 2 beginning with Luke 2:39.

Text: Luke 2:39-52

Luke ends his birth narrative with a summary statement in Luke 2:40: …and the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom.  And the favor of God was upon him.

He then ends the chapter in Luke 2:52 with: …And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

In between these two summary statements is the lone account of Jesus as a boy.
We read of his birth and events connected with it.
Then this story about him as a 12 year-old.
Then nothing until he is 30 and begins his public ministry.

No doubt after his interviews Luke would have many things he could have told us about the childhood of Jesus but of all the things Jesus said and did during the first 30 years of his life, this is the only one recorded in the Scriptures.  So…it must have special significance.

As we work through this text I want us to see that…

Thesis: This snapshot from the childhood of our Lord reveals the wonder of the incarnation, the glory of his relationship with God and a foreshadowing of his self-denial and faithful service.

I want to point out three things.

1. The wonder of the incarnation – (2:39-40, 52) – His being made like us in every way is the basis of his compassionate understanding of our weakness.
2. The glory of his unique person – (2:41-50) – As the only begotten Son of God he has great influence as our intercessor.
3. The audacity of his humility – (2:51) – The obedient Child a picture of his selfless service.

Extraordinary Revelations in the Ordinary [ 38:20 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (58)

Extraordinary Revelations in the Ordinary: Gospel of Luke #07

This is an exposition of Luke 2:21-38. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, April 3, 2016.

Intro:

A lot had happened in a relatively short period of time.  Just nine months before an angel came to Nazareth, to an unassuming teenage girl, with a life-altering, world-changing message.  She was highly favored by God.  She would be the one to bear the promised Messiah.  Further this child would come as a result of the “overshadowing” of God and thus the child would be the Son of the Most High, the Son of God.  This message was confirmed by Mary’s cousin Elizabeth who had her own unique gift from God.  Though barren, she in her old age, would be give birth the forerunner of the Messiah.  Joseph had his own angelic encounter.  Out of the blue Caesar decides that the whole world needed to be registered.  So Mary and Joseph, though fast approaching their delivery date, are forced to go from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea.  After arriving in the crowded city and unable to find accommodation they settle into a barn where Mary gives birth and their precious boy is placed in a feeding trough!  Just as things settled down a group of shepherds arrived with a fantastic tale of angels, an announcement and a heavenly choir.  It’s been a rollercoaster ride but they’ve only made the first curve there is much more to come.  Our text this morning is found in Luke Luke 2 beginning with Luke 2:21.

Text: Luke 2:21-38

It is hard sometimes to stay engaged with a familiar story.  We all have the tendency to say, “I know where this is going, I know what happens,” and we halfway listen as we move ahead in the story.  This tendency is only compounded when we move through the routine acts of the story.  Much attention is given to the announcements to Zechariah and Mary.  We are fascinated by Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and John’s leaping with joy as Mary approaches carrying our Lord within.  We marvel as Zechariah’s tongue is loosed and he sings the praise of God at John’s circumcision.  We are captivated by God’s sovereignty as He orchestrates history to fulfill prophecy and we are stunned by the humble circumstances of our Lord’s birth.  But then we tend to skip ahead in the story bypassing our Lord’s circumcision and presentation at the temple.  We are not so captivated by the routine of the rituals so vital to Israel yet of little interest to us.

This morning I want us to slow down.
Take a look at the routine and the ordinary and find the extraordinary.

For it is here, in these very ordinary events, we are given insight to the glory and wonder of our God.  Keep in mind Scripture is the revelation of God.  He is both the one revealing and the one who is revealed.  We come to Scripture to learn about God.  Who is He?  What does He require?  How is He to be worshiped?  What has He done?

As we work our way through this text we discover…

Thesis: The events immediately surrounding the birth of Jesus underscore the glory of His person and purpose and the wonder of His gracious, faithful, and redeeming love.

There are two things I want to point out from our text.

1. The circumcision of Jesus underscores the glory of His person and purpose.  (2:21)
2. Simeon and Anna represent the wonder of God’s gracious, faithful, redeeming love.  (2:22-38)

Conclusion:
God in grace and mercy used these events to strength and reinforce the faith of Mary and Joseph.  Preparing them for the struggle of faith that lay ahead of them.  The glory of our salvation is found in God’s provision not just of salvation but of the on-going reinforcement of our weak, struggling faith as we seek to live and order our lives accordingly.

The events surrounding the birth of Jesus underscore the glory of His person and purpose and the wonder of His gracious, faithful, and redeeming love.

The Birth: A Revelation of Our God [ 33:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (35)

The Birth: A Revelation of Our God: Gospel of Luke #6

This is an exposition of Luke 2:1-20. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, March 20, 2016.

Intro:

It is perhaps the world’s most recognized story.  It is a story filled with drama and emotion.  Its beauty is reflected in its simplicity.  It has been the basis of countless plays, musicals, movies and television specials.  Every person here can tell the story in explicit detail.  The average person on the street could recite chapter and verse – but I wonder if they have any idea of its significance?

It is recited year after year with ritualistic exactness.  It is represented in beautifully carved marble and with freckled-face shepherds clad in plaid bathrobes!  It is the story of the birth of Jesus as found in the second chapter of Luke’s Gospel.  I recognize this is not December.  We are not surrounded with holly, evergreens or poinsettias.  But that is good.  Perhaps it is better for us to approach this passage without the trappings of the Christmas season.  For it is beyond the tinsel, the lights and the hoopla that we find the meaning for the season.  The meaning of Christmas is not found in man’s goodwill toward man.  It is not found in sentimentalism or in “Christmas cheer.”  It is found in the heart of God.  It is found in His sovereignty, love and grace.  It is found in that God, motivated by His own pleasure and glory, provided a savior for sinful stubborn folks like you and me.  Christmas isn’t about us.  It is about Him.  It isn’t about our need.  It’s about His provision.  This morning I want us to take a look at the birth of the Lord Jesus as told by Dr. Luke.

Text: Luke 2:1-20

Luke, the physician and traveling companion of the apostle Paul, is writing to his friend Theophilus the first volume in a two volume history of the life and ministry of Jesus.  His purpose is to provide his friend with an accurate and orderly account of Jesus’ life and work.  Luke desires to show his Gentile friend that Jesus is the savior not of the Jews only but of the whole world.  This universal aspect of Jesus’ ministry is reflected consistently throughout his work.

This morning we explore a familiar passage.
Perhaps too familiar.
Please don’t assume you’ve heard it all or understand it all.
Look at it through fresh eyes and hear it for the first time!
Thesis:  Luke’s account of the birth of the Lord Jesus gives us insight into the character and the nature of our God.

As we explore our text I want you to note three characteristics about our God.  Three things that jump out of our text.

1. God’s sovereignty is demonstrated in His orchestration of the events surrounding the birth of the Lord Jesus.  (2:1-5)
2. God’s great love is reflected in the circumstances surrounding the birth of the Lord Jesus.  (2:6-7)
3. God’s grace is unmistakably revealed in the announcement of the birth of the Lord Jesus.  (2:8-20)

Conclusion:
This is why he came.  This is the meaning of the Gospel.  This is what it is all about.
It is about God’s sovereignty, God’s love, and God’s grace.  Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus gives us insight into the character and the nature of our God and gives all glory to Him.