The Plowman

Destined for Glory [ 36:10 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (54)

Hebrews #04: an exposition of Hebrews 2:5-9. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist  Church on Sunday morning, April 27, 2014.

Intro:

They are haunting words from the English poet Shelley as he described the sad remains of a once great empire:

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter’d visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp’d on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock’d them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Shelly mocks the pride of man as he speaks of the fleeting glory of earthly kingdoms.  Ozymandias was another name for Ramesses the Great, Pharaoh of Egypt, his statue boasting of the greatness of his kingdom now buried in the desert sands.  So it is with all earthly kingdoms.  They come and go.  They rise and fall.  They are like the mist that appears today and is gone tomorrow.  Such is the fading glory of this world.  Yet we lust for it.  We strive for position, power, prestige and recognition.  Oh you may not have the grand illusions of an Egyptian Pharaoh but there is the longing to be recognized.  To be somebody, if not in the eyes of the world, at least to someone!  There is the longing, the need to be prized or valued.  No one seeks an anonymous existence.  We all want to know that we matter to someone.  That our life has meaning.  We want to know that there is a purpose for our existence.  It is not wrong to desire these things.  The question is, “Where will you find it?”

You’ll not find it in that promotion at work.  Contrary to that ad you saw a new car won’t do it either.  Neither will a house, children or even your spouse.  The secret to real, lasting, meaningful worth and significance comes from a much greater source.

They had been disowned by their family and friends.  They were outlawed by the state.  Religious and social outcasts they felt abandoned, isolated and alone.  Some had left their new found faith.  Others were on the verge of walking away.  The writer of Hebrews is pleading with them to continue in the faith.  Our text this morning is found in Hebrews chapter 2.

Text: Hebrews 2:5-9

It has been suggested that the role of the preacher is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable.  There is some truth to that.  In fact the writer of Hebrews seems to have taken that proverb to heart.  Throughout the book there are words of comfort and encouragement along with sharp rebukes and warnings.  Both are pastoral.  Both are born out of love for the flock.  In the opening words of chapter 2 the writer warns of the danger of spiritual neglect.  “We must pay much closer attention to what we’ve heard lest we drift away from it.”  Now the writer seeks to encourage and bolster their sagging faith.

As we work our way through this passage we are reminded that…

Thesis: “Genuine worth, value and significance are found in God’s intent and design for His people secured for us in the person of the Lord Jesus.”

Where are you going to find meaning?  In Christ.
Where will you find worth and personal value?  In Christ.
Who is it that gives your life significance?  Christ.

There are three things I want to point out in our text.

1.  God’s original intent for us is overwhelmingly grand.  (2:5-8a)
2. That intent became corrupted by our sinful rebellion.  (2:8b)
3. God’s original intent is restored and secured by Christ’s obedience.  (2:9)

The Peril of Spiritual Neglect [ 39:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (102)

Hebrews #03: from Hebrews 2:1-4. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, April 13, 2014.

Intro:

We are in a time of crisis.  Southern Baptist are in a period of sharp decline.  Our numbers reflect those of the early 1970’s.  We have bigger and better facilities, we have more money than ever before, greater means of communication yet attendance and membership are in free-fall.  If we were to take the time most everyone of you could name people, friends, family who were once very active in the church who now seldom if ever walk through the door.  Southern Baptists boast 16,000,0000 members but are lucky if 4,000,000 are in church on any given Sunday.  900 Baptist Churches closed their doors last year.  Unfortunately we are not alone in our struggle.  Churches of every stripe are in decline.  The Church’s voice, once dominate in our culture, is now just one of many voices – and perhaps the least listen to.  This is a truth that grieves me.  Is your heart broken?  Are you burdened by these facts?  I’m burden because the name and the fame of our God is despised.  I’m grieved because God is not honored as God.  I’m also heart-broken because if you listen you can hear the faint rumblings of a gathering storm.  That storm just beyond the horizon will bring great devastation.  As the winds begin to blow, when the rain falls – I’m wondering if there will be any left standing?  Having neglected their souls, having drifted from the moorings of their faith, where will they stand?

Spiritual neglect is not a recent phenomenon.  Before the end of the first century our Lord instructed John the beloved to write to 7 churches in Asia Minor.  He said to the church at Laodicea, “I wish you were either hot or cold.  You are luke-warm and I want to spew you out of my mouth.”  He said to the church at Ephesus, “You have abandoned your first love.”  Within a generation of the founding of the church there were those who had lost their way.  The author of Hebrews, less than a generation from the ascension, wrote, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”  Within 40 years of the cross there were those who had abandoned the faith and others who were on the verge of walking away.  We are called to a Gospel work.  Part of the Gospel is to warn of the peril of spiritual neglect.  Our text this morning is found in the opening words of the 2nd chapter of Hebrews.

Text: Hebrews 2:1-4

Note our text begins with a “therefore.”
When you come upon a therefore you must ask, “What’s that there for?”
It means this warning in chapter 2 must be understood in light of chapter 1.
In light of God’s ultimate, final word in the person of the Lord Jesus…

Who is:

• Heir of all things
• Creator of all things
• The radiance/effulgence/shining forth of God’s glory
• The exact imprint of His nature
• Who has made purification for our sins
• The Son
• Who alone is to be worshiped
• Whose kingdom will have no end
• Who is eternally the same/unchanging
• Who is the sovereign ruler of all

“…we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift from it.”

The message of the biblical writer is clear…

Thesis: Biblical faith demands constant vigilance and determined commitment to the faith embraced.

The Gospel is the glorious good news that if you repent of your sins and trust in Christ and in him alone you will be saved.  Once you are his you forever remain his but be careful.  This is not “one and done.”  I’m not saying, “You walked the aisle, signed the card, got dunked in water and you’re done.”  Biblical faith, saving faith, is an active persevering faith.

There are three things I want to call to your attention from this text.

1. The biblical writer warns of the peril of spiritual neglect.  (2:2-4)
2. The biblical writer underscores the insidious nature of such neglect.  (2:3, 1)
3. The biblical writer provides us the antidote for such neglect.  (2:1)

The Focus of Our Biblical Faith [ 35:39 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (66)

Hebrews #02: an exposition of Hebrews 1:4-14. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, April 6, 2014.

Intro:

Have you ever thought, “You know life would be a little easier if I didn’t believe?”  Ever find yourself so beaten down by those around you who do not believe, it would just be easier if you just walked away?  Let’s face it living the Christian life is not easy.  Life is not all sunshine and no rain.  At times you find yourself at odds with the people you love and the people you have to work with.  Living by faith in an increasingly unbelieving culture can be grueling.  While you may not be tempted to deny your faith all together there is the temptation to “tone it down.”  Maybe you should not be so vocal.  Continue to believe in Jesus just don’t push the unique Son of God angle or demand that He is the only means of salvation.  Hold your beliefs privately, quietly do more to blend in with the surrounding culture.  Maybe then life would be a little easier.  Things would not be so tense at work or at family gatherings.

They were young in the faith.  They had believed the message of the Gospel and had trusted in Jesus as Messiah, as Lord and master.  By so doing they were spurned by their families.  The government came down on them.  Their faith cost them dearly.  Some had turned back.  They walked away from the faith.  Others were thinking of doing the same thing.  The writer of Hebrews took pen in hand to write to them about persevering.  His focus was on the person of the Lord Jesus.  Who is he and what did he do?  What sustains your faith in the face of great opposition is not a doctrine or a creed but a person.  The Lord himself.  The writer begins by saying God is not silent.  He has spoken many times in the past through various means.  But in these last days he has spoken his final word in the person of his Son.  Jesus is God’s final, ultimate word.  The Lord Jesus is the effulgence, the shining forth, of the glory of God.  He does not reflect God’s radiant glory he is that glory.  Further he is the exact imprint of God’s nature.  He is God.  This is the same one who has made purification for our sin.  He now sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high.  He has the superior name.  The name that is above every name.  And the one before whom all will bow.  The writer implores struggling believers to look to him.  Having stated the glory of the Son he now sets forth the evidence supporting his superiority.  Our text this morning begins with verse 4 of chapter 1.

Text: Hebrews 1:4-14

In our text the writer makes the case that Jesus is superior to angels.  That seems strange.  Why would he need to do that?  In order to understand you need to fix in your mind the temptation facing these struggling believers.  They are being pressured to back off their new found faith.  These harassed, persecuted and beleaguered saints were on the verge of turning back.  Their faith had cost them dearly.  But they would not have to blatantly deny Jesus just compromise a little.  Agree that Jesus was an angel but not God.  You can affirm, even revere him but not as God.  An angel, a great man, a wise teacher even a supreme teacher but not God.  But to compromise would be to deny.  Jesus is not a good man he is the god-man.  He is not a way of salvation.  He is the way of salvation.  He is not a hope he is the only hope.

As we work our way through this text we are reminded that…

Thesis: “A biblical faith steadfastly affirms and glories in the supremacy of the Lord Jesus.”

The writer expertly gathers various Old Testament texts to affirm the superiority of the Lord Jesus.  As we work through those we discover 5 affirmations of biblical faith.

1. Biblical faith affirms that Jesus of Nazareth is uniquely the Son of God.  (1:4,5)
2. Biblical faith affirms that Jesus alone is worthy of worship.  (1:6)
3. Biblical faith affirms Jesus’ unique status as Sovereign over all things.  (1:7-9)
4. Biblical faith affirms Jesus as the Eternal One.  (1:10-12)
5. Biblical faith affirms Jesus as the almighty ruler and king.  (1:13-14)

Conclusion:

Are you beaten down?  Have the cares and sorrows of this life so overwhelmed you that you want to throw in the towel?  Take heart this glorious Son of the Living God is your God and he had given charge over his angels concerning you.  Does that mean your troubles will vanish?  No.  But you are not alone.  His power is sufficient.  These things are ultimately for your good and His glory.  Don’t turn back.  Don’t walk way look to Him.

Sustaioning, Enduring, Overcoming Faith [ 40:40 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (53)

Hebrews #01: an exposition of Hebrews 1:1-4. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, March 30, 2014.

Intro:

The United States Supreme Court heard arguments this week in what is said to be, “the most important religious liberty case to come before the court in a quarter of a century.”  The specific issue has to do with the mandates of the affordable care act and the rights of private businesses owned by people with deeply held religious convictions.  But the issue is really much larger than that.  At stake is religious liberty.  If you’ve been paying attention in recent years you’ve noticed that the language has changed.  There are those who no longer talk of freedom of religion but rather freedom of worship.  That is an important distinction.  Freedom of worship says, “Sure worship as you please – in your church and leave it there.”  Freedom of religion is that you are free to live out your religious convictions within society.  It is no secret that the culture in general has shifted.  The place of religion is being pushed from the public to the private sector.  Your faith is your private business it has no place in public life.  Your faith says homosexuality is a sin?  You had best keep that to yourself.  Your faith demands that salvation is found in Christ and in Christ alone?  You might want to rethink that.  Orthodox Christianity, once the dominate faith of our country, is being marginalized.  Church attendance is shrinking.  Our message is being denounced as bigoted, outdated and culturally backwards.  I watched last week as Stephen Corbert spoke of dwindling church attendance by saying, “Here’s the church; there is the steeple; open the door and where are all the people?” as his audience howled.

What do you do when your faith is lampooned?  How are we to react when what we hold dear is mocked and ridiculed?  How do we stand when the tide of public opinion is against us?  Worse yet, where do we turn when our faith is on the wrong side of the law?

They were second generation believers.  They did not hear Jesus himself rather they believed his message as delivered by those who heard him.  As Jews they had longed for Messiah.  Now they had come to believe that Messiah had come in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.  Their new found faith cost them dearly.  Family and friends turned on them.  The government outlawed them.  They were struggling to continue in the faith.  Some had already turned back.  Others were contemplating it.  The writer of Hebrews says to them, “Don’t turn back.  Christ is better than the best the world has to offer.”  Our text this morning is found in the first chapter of Hebrews.

Text: Hebrews 1:1-4

The book of Hebrews is different.  It doesn’t begin like a letter but it certainly ends like one.  It is not addressed to a specific individual or group yet clearly is written with a specific group in mind.  It most likely began as a sermon or series of sermons.  As for who wrote it, I think Origen was right when he declared, “God only knows who wrote this!”  What we do know about the author is that he was well educated, was extremely well versed in the Greek Old Testament and that he wrote with great eloquence.  Most likely the book was written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD (references indicate the sacrifices where still being made).  Probably written to Jewish Christians living in Rome.

We do know that those who received this letter faced a very real threat: But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,
33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.  34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.  (Hebrews 10:32-34)

In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  (Hebrews 12:4)

Martyrdom was a real possibility for these believers.  What would the writer of Hebrews say to encourage these beleaguered saints?  What would he say to bolster their faith?  Two themes dominate the book.  Who is Jesus?  What did Jesus do?  He preached Christ.  He pointed to Jesus.

What is it that will enable you to stand against unbelief?  What is it that will sustain you when buffeted by doubt and hounded by those who refuse to believe?  When the winds of persecution begin to blow what will enable you to persevere?  Not doctrine.  Not as statement of faith.  Creeds and confessions will prove inadequate.  Your faith must rest squarely on the person of the Lord Jesus and His glory as revealed in God’s holy Word.

As these opening verses make clear…

Thesis: In the face of great adversity sustaining, enduring, overcoming faith demands a clear, unobstructed view of the exalted Christ.

No doubt these believers where asking some hard questions.  “Does God know what we are going through?  Does He care?  Where is He?  Why doesn’t He answer our prayers?  Why is God silent?”

The writer of Hebrews responds, God is not silent, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his son…”
1:1-2 tell us that through the Old Testament God revealed himself in true yet incomplete ways.  Various fragments or pieces of the puzzle supplied by the prophets.  Further God spoke in a variety of ways.  He spoke to Moses through the thunder and lightening at Sinai.  He whispered to Elijah at Horeb with a still small voice.  Ezekiel saw visions, Daniel dreamed dreams.  God appeared in human form to Abraham while He spoke through an angel to Jacob.  But in these last days God has spoken his final, ultimate word through His Son.

What follows is a glorious picture of the Lord Jesus.  Setting forth the reasons why we should look to him in times of crisis.  In chapter 12 the writer tells us to “fix our eyes on him” as the author and finisher of our faith.

1. In times of crisis look to Jesus as the heir and goal of all things.  (1:2a)
2.  When overwhelmed by the power of your enemies look to Jesus as the sovereign creator of all things.  (1:2b)
3.  When you feel wholly inadequate look to the One who is God of very God.  (1:3a)
4.  When you reach the end of yourself look to Him who is your Savior and Lord.  (1:3b-4)

Conclusion:

I’ve no doubt there are dark and troublesome days ahead.  I’m afraid we are heading into unchartered territory for us but I’m confident of this my hope is not in a doctrine, confession or creed but in the Lord Jesus himself.

• Who is the heir and goal of all things.
• Who is the sovereign Creator of all things.
• Who is God of very God.
• Who is Savior and Lord.