Maintaining Integrity

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Wayne
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2013 Acts #23: an exposition of Acts 15:1-35. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 27, 2013.

Intro:
It has long been a hallmark of Baptist life.  We are a stubborn, independent bunch and as such we have loved independent thinking.  Baptist fought and died for religious freedom.  Baptist fought and died so that people would be free to follow their conscience.  Baptists cherish the precious doctrine of the priesthood of the believer and have fought to preserve that great biblical truth.  Now the common thing you’ll note through all of this is that Baptist fight!  I’ve known Baptist that would fight at the drop of the hat and they’ll bring the hat!  Perhaps it is in response to that, that some Baptists have gone to the other extreme.  They don’t want to fight about anything.  They just want to “get along.”  In their desire to get along and to be inclusive, convictions have been replaced with preferences.  Truth has been replace with “the way I see it.”  The result being biblical categories have given way to politically correct terminology.  I am all for getting along.  I have no problem with reaching out to the whole world with the Gospel.  I believe the church of the Lord Jesus ought to reflect the diversity of the community in which it exists.  I want to be understanding and accepting of others – but at what cost?

In a world of half-truths, exaggeration and distortion just how far are we willing to go?  At what point do we stand up and say, “What you’re teaching is wrong.”  “What you are saying is not biblical.”  Granted, it is a difficult line to walk.  Which issues are worth “going to war” over.  Do we make an issue of eschatology?  If your version of the meaning of Daniel’s 70 weeks differs from mine do we draw a line in the sand?  Do we make Bible translation a test of fellowship?  There are no simple answers to these questions.  These are not easy issues to decide.  Good and godly people disagree.  My concern is not so much what are the issues we should fight over.  There is a larger issue that concerns me.  And that is the issue that was at stake in the first church council, which was held in Jerusalem and is recorded for us in Acts chapter 15.

Text: Acts 15:1-35

At various times in the history of the church issues arose that demanded a response from the church.  Official delegations from churches around the known world would gather and work through the issue and then respond in a unified voice.  Issues like the nature of Christ, his deity and his humanity.  The doctrine of the Trinity was hammered out over hundreds of years as various questions sparked controversy.  The first great crisis brought about this meeting in Jerusalem.

Questions were raised about the nature of salvation.  Who can be saved?  What is necessary for or essential to salvation?  From the church’s response to this crisis we learn a valuable lesson for today:

Thesis: In an age of hype, distortion and “spin” the church must maintain its integrity at all cost.

In the later part of the 19th century, P.T. Barnum, the head of the famous Barnum and Bailey Circus, invited Charles Haddon Spurgeon to lecture in America.  Spurgeon, the pastor of the world famous Metropolitan Tabernacle in London was the best-known preacher of his day.  His sermons were carried every week in newspapers across Europe and the United States.  He preached to thousands every week.  Spurgeon was a great pastor, soul winner and Christian statesman.  Barnum promised great crowds and much money.  It was a promoter’s dream – Barnum and Spurgeon.  Spurgeon responded to the invitation with a brief telegram:

Dear Mr. Barnum,

Thank you for your kind invitation to lecture in your circus tents in America. You will find my answer in Acts 13:10.
Very sincerely yours,
Charles H. Spurgeon
If Mr. Barnum opened a Bible to Acts 10:13 this is what he would have found:

O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?”

Those were harsh words.
Why?  What was so awful?
Such good could have come of it.
So many could have been saved.

But Spurgeon, like the apostle Paul before him, wanted nothing to do with “peddling the word of God.”  To have allowed Barnum to merchandise the Gospel would have been to compromise the integrity of the Gospel and Spurgeon would have no part in it.  It seems to me integrity is in short supply in our day.  When the church turns to the world and asks how to conduct worship and how to present Gospel truth it reveals a lack of soundness or wholeness within the church.  We must guard our integrity.  We must seek to protect this treasure entrusted to us.

There are three things I want us to note from our text related to this issue of integrity.

  1. Integrity demands that we stand against that which threatens the essence of the Gospel.  (15:1-6)
  2. Integrity demands that we confront error with truth, honesty, boldness and compassion.  (15:6-21)
  3. Integrity demands that we respond graciously and redemptively toward those with whom we disagree.  (15:22-35)

Conclusion:
I am concerned about those in the Christian family who are in constant search of a fight.  I’m equally concerned about those who never see a reason to fight.  We must pick and choose our battles.  But without question we, as the church, must maintain our integrity no matter what the cost.

That integrity demands that we:

  • Stand against that which threatens the essence of the Gospel
  • Confront error with truth, honesty, boldness and compassion
  • Respond graciously and redemptively toward those with whom we disagree.
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Lessons from a Sensless Census

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Wayne
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2 Samuel #28: an exposition of 2 Samuel 24:1-25. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, October 20, 2013.

Intro:
It is a precious truth that provides comfort and encouragement in the face of great adversity.  It is an anchor in the midst of the storm tossed emotions of heartache and disappointment.  Through the centuries God’s people have found comfort and reassurance in the doctrine of Divine sovereignty.  When the foundations are shaken there is comfort in the fact that He reigns.  When the winds of destruction howl there is peace in the knowledge His firm hand guides all things.  Our hope is held firm by the doctrine of the sovereignty of God.  At the same time that doctrine is the source of untold questions along with a good deal of spiritual and emotional turmoil.  To say that God is sovereign is to acknowledge His control over all things.  Nothing comes to us but that it passes through Him.  So what do you do when God doesn’t act like He should?  What do we do when God’s actions shatter our preconceived notions?  How do we respond when He refuses to fit in the nice categories we’ve created?

Our text this evening is found in 2 Samuel chapter 24.

Text: 2 Samuel 24:1-25

The biblical writer comes to the end of his 2 volume work, known to us as 1 and 2 Samuel.
King David has played a prominent role throughout much of the work.
It is appropriate he is at the center of this last chapter.
Here we find vintage David – sinning greatly, repenting and praying.

As we work our way through this text I want us to keep our eyes on this truth…

Thesis: As the people of God, in the face of every adversity, every trial and every difficulty we must maintain a biblical understanding of God.

We are prone to draw our own conclusions about God, His nature, His character, His ways based on our understanding about what has happened and how we feel about it.  The problem is that is a very unreliable way to go about it.  The only sure guide is the Word of God.  This book is the revelation of God.  It is His saying, “This is who I am.  This is what I’ve done and this is how you serve and relate to Me.”
With that in mind I want to point out three things from our text.

  1.  A biblical understanding of God lives and worships within the tension of God’s mysterious ways.  (24:1-9)
  2.  A biblical understanding of God confidently submits to God’s sovereign mercy.  (24:10-19)
  3.  A biblical understanding of God gladly acknowledges the necessity of atonement.  (24:20-25)

Conclusion:
You don’t need a seminary degree to make the connection.

God has provided an altar.
Not far from Aruanah’s threshing floor.
A place where God’s wrath was let loose.
An altar surrounded by darkness and judgment (Mark 15:33).
A cry of God-forsakenness pierced that darkness (Mark 15:34)
There we fell into the hand of God and discovered His mercy.

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Missionary Zeal

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Wayne
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2013 Acts #22: an exposition of Acts 14:1-23. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 20, 2013.

Intro:
Do you ever find it hard to do something unpopular?  Sure, anyone can go along with the crowd.  It is relatively easy to do what everybody else is doing.  When you go to camp and everyone has to stop and have a “quiet time” – it is relatively easy to have quiet time.  When you are with a group going from house to house visiting in the name of the church – that’s fairly easy to do – but what about when it rubs people the wrong way?  What if people are not enthusiastic about it and get a little bit hateful about your doing it?  What is it that enables you to keep going?

Our culture is changing.  When Judeo-Christian values dominated the culture you could visit for the church and even people who didn’t go to church were somewhat apologetic about it.  Not so anymore.  “Don’t go.  Don’t care.  Leave me alone!”  With the ever-increasing cry for tolerance on the part of some – it is difficult to remain faithful to our task.  When we dare to proclaim that life is to be found in Christ and in Christ alone, folks get irritated.  Pressure is consistently applied to silence our voice, if not through legislation then through intimidation.

How do we respond to increasing opposition?  How do we respond to “mixed reviews?”  There are those who gratefully embrace our message while others are put off and even angered by it.  Do we get angry?  Do we take our marbles and go home?  Do we shove it down their throats?  Just how are we to respond?  For some answers let’s turn to the 14th chapter of Acts.

Text: Acts 14:1-23

Dr. Luke is telling us about the first missionary journey.
While the church at Antioch was in worship the Holy Spirit set apart Barnabas and Saul.
They were “set apart” for a specific purpose – they were called to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Thus far the mission has had mixed reviews.
They had some success and there has been opposition.
There has been great rejoicing in receiving the good news and rage on the part of some.
Some like Elymas the sorcerer sought to exploit the power of God for his personal gain.
Others like Sergius Paulus believed.
Some begged them to stay longer and teach them more –
Others ran them out of town.

The world of Paul’s day is very much like our own.  Therefore I think there are some valuable lessons for us to learn from his example.

Chapter 14 is the tale of three cities.
Three cities in the Galatian region in what is today modern day Turkey.
The Gospel is moving to Asia Minor.
Paul and Barnabas come to minister in the cities of Iconium, Lystra and Derbe.
This ministry will be profitable and dangerous.
There is both success and setback.

But through it all we are reminded that:

Thesis: When carrying out the ministry of the Church, believers must maintain a missionary zeal.

A missionary is one who is “sent”.  Every one of you who is indwelt by the Spirit of God is “sent” somewhere!  You have been called to take the Gospel to your world.  Your Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and then to the uttermost part of the earth.  This is not optional.  We are his witnesses.  You are a missionary and you are to be characterized by “zeal.”  Passion.  Enthusiasm.  Webster defines zeal as an ardent interest in pursuit of something.  It means to be passionate about your mission and message.

Lack of passion and zeal is not so much the problem within the church as passion and zeal for the wrong things.  We are to be passionate about the Gospel.  We are to be zealous for the glory of our God and the honor of the Lord Jesus.

There are three things about missionary zeal that I want to call to your attention.

  1. Missionary zeal refuses to be silenced through intimidation.  (14:1-7)
  2. Missionary zeal always maintains a proper focus.  (14:8-18)
  3. Missionary zeal remains focused on the needs of the church.  (14:21-23)
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A Lesson in Divine Perspective

Posted on October 13, 2013 by Wayne
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2 Samuel #27: an exposition of 2 Samuel 23:8-39. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, October 13, 2013.

Intro:
It is not the kind of passage I get excited about.  I know there are those who do.  Some people love a passage like this.  They love to dig into the list of names and try to find the key to unlock some great mystery or a clue that will connect this passage to some other passage which is the one that provides the great insight.  I think those kind of people have too much time on their hands!  Frankly this is the kind of passage that causes me to doubt Paul when he says, “All Scripture is profitable” (2 Timothy 3:16).  Okay I am exaggerating, a bit.  I do believe this book to be God-breathed.  I believe it is the Word of God.  Therefore valuable beyond my ability to express and appreciate.  I’m just being honest.  When I come to summary passaged like this one in 2 Samuel 23 my natural tendency is to skim it and move on.  At first glance there isn’t much here.  There is reference to David’s “mighty men” which sounds promising.  There are a few interesting facts like a man with a spear slaying 800 in a single battle; a guy standing his ground in a field of beans while the rest of the army flees; the daring raid of three warriors into the enemy camp to retrieve a drink of water.  But for the most part it is a list of names.  Hard to pronounce names.  I also have to add the whole thing is confusing.  They are called “the thirty” yet the list ends, “…thirty seven in all.”  Even worse, when you read it and count you are left wondering, “where did you get thirty seven?”  So why not skim and skip?  Because I think there is something important for us in this passage.  Our text this evening is found in 2 Samuel chapter 23 and we will begin in verse 8 and look down to the end of the chapter.

Text: 2 Samuel 23:8-39

It seems clear to me that God likes lists.
There are those seemingly endless genealogies in the OT.
We find various lists throughout the historical books and the prophets.
It doesn’t change when we reach the NT.
How does Matthew begin?  With a genealogy!
Throughout the Gospels we find the apostles listed multiple times.
Again in Acts we find various lists.
In the letters of Paul, lists sometimes just a name or two but still lists.

That’s important for two reasons.  First, it anchors the story in real history.  It helps us locate the story in time.  Second, and this is encouraging to me, our God takes note of individuals.  As the Spirit inspired the biblical writers, it seems our God is fond of recalling the names of His children and telling of their exploits.  That’s no small thing.

Now, to our text.  This is a difficult passage to work through.  There is no “story” here.  This is a bit of “house cleaning.”  It is a wrapping up of some details before the writer finishes his book.  David has been such a focus for a large part of this 2 volume work and the writer wants to include the names of some of David’s most trusted warriors.  Some of the names include exploits.  Others are just a name and home town.  Individually not terribly important but taken together they help us understand some important principles.

I want to share four (4) of them with you related to a divine perspective on things.

  1. From the divine perspective, behind every success you will find the gracious hand of God.  (23:8-12)
  2. From the divine perspective, the sacrifice and service of the faithful inspires us to worship the true and living God.  (23:13-17)
  3. From the divine perspective, the listing of these valiant warriors is proof that our service to God and His kingdom is valuable and worthy of note.  (23:18-39)
  4. The shocking inclusion of one name and the surprising omission of another serve to remind us of the profound difference between the human and the divine perspective.
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Preaching Good News to Mixed Reviews

Posted on October 13, 2013 by Wayne
Preaching Good News to Mixed Reviews [ 35:47 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (68)

2013 Acts #21: an exposition of Acts 13:13-52. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 13, 2013.

Intro:
We are excited around our house, we’ve got two more grandkids on the way.  In just a few months we’ll have 6!  Isn’t that wonderful?  The announcement of a birth is worth getting excited about.  I mean that’s good news everyone wants to share.  “Have you heard?  So and so is having a baby!”  Strange as it seems, not everyone wants to hear about it.  We’ve all had those times when we’ve been cornered by a new mother or grandmother who “just happened to have some pictures of the baby.”  You reluctantly agree to view them only to find out she’s got about a thousand pictures.  I have to admit I’m not a baby person.  Sometimes I see a new mother with her baby and I want to say, “lady I think you should have left your pet monkey outside.”  I’m not sure how it happened but I’ve become one of those annoying grandfathers.  Having an iPhone doesn’t help.  In my photos I have hundreds of pictures and quite a few videos.  “Oh and look at this one.”  “Isn’t that the same as the last 12 your showed me?”  “No, look.  See how her eyebrow is arched in this one?  Completely different.  And he has a stick in his hand in that one.”  Grandparents can be annoying but there is something about good news – it must be told.

So it is with the Gospel.  The Gospel is good news.  In fact it is the best news.  It is the glorious message of how God, because he loves, gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes would not perish but would have everlasting life.  The Gospel says to us, “If you come to God on His terms He will not be mad at you anymore.”  It is wonderful news.  It is a message of love and hope – but not everyone is excited about it.  Not everyone wants to hear it.  What are we to do?  How are we to respond?  For some answers we turn to the 13th chapter of Acts.

Text: Acts 13:13-52

Dr. Luke is in the process of telling us about the on-going work of Jesus through his church.  He is telling of the spread of the Gospel from the city of Jerusalem out into Judea, spilling over into Samaria on its way to the ends of the earth.  God providential moved the church along using the hatred and animosity of the church’s enemies in spreading the message of the church around the world.  Though seeking to silence the church they amplified its voice.

A constant note sounded throughout the book of Acts is the boldness of the church.  This boldness is not a simple matter of determination.  It is the result of the working of the Holy Spirit enabling those early believers to stand in the face of overwhelming opposition.  It enabled them to defy local authorities in spite of threats, persecution and even martyrdom.

In the early part of this chapter we find the historical account of the beginning of the mission movement.  While the church in Antioch was engaged in worship the Holy Spirit set apart Barnabas and Saul for a special work among the Gentiles.  After prayer and the laying on of hands they departed from Antioch for Cyprus.  After success on the isle of Cyprus the Spirit moved them toward Antioch in Pisidia.  This Antioch was the most important city of southern Galatia and all of Asia Minor.  Antioch was a metropolitan city drawing on Jewish, Roman, Greek and Oriental culture.  As the story unfolds we are once again reminded that:

Thesis: Believers are to lovingly, passionately and, faithfully preach Christ at every opportunity.

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

  1. Believers must seize every opportunity to preach Christ.  (13:13-41)
  2. Believers must call for a response.  (13:38-50a)
  3. Believers find strength, encouragement and refreshment not as a result of their “success” but as the fruit of their obedience.  (13:50-52)

Conclusion:
God has graciously found us in sin and offered us life eternal and life abundant.  God, because he loves, has provided the means for our reconciliation.  And then wonder of wonders – he has given this ministry of reconciliation to us.  It demands that we seize every opportunity to preach Christ.  That we faithfully, passionately call for a response and that we find our encouragement not in the response of the crowd but in our Father’s pleasure in our obedience.

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You Must Be Born Again

Posted on October 6, 2013 by Wayne
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Just what does being “born again” really mean? This devotional message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, October 2, 2013.

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Our Hope: A Righteous King

Posted on October 6, 2013 by Wayne
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2 Samuel #26: an exposition of 2 Samuel 23:1-7. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on October 6, 2013.

Intro:
Is there anything worse than “hopelessness?”  Is there anything worse than being at the end of your rope, having some great calamity barreling down upon you and there is nothing you can do about it?  You know there is no way out?  Whether that calamity is a doctor’s diagnosis, a financial collapse, the loss of a relationship or the death of a loved one – there is nothing quite like the death of hope.  Yet, as the people of God, we are to live as people of hope.  For us hope never dies.  Hope never dies because it is tied to the One who forever lives!  Sure we experience the sense of hopelessness.  We travel through the valley of despair.  That’s part of life in this fallen world but we are not to live there.  When you find yourself drawn to hopelessness you need to flee to David’s Rock.  His fortress.  His Deliverer.  In 2 Samuel 22 David looked back on his life and praised God for His grace.  In chapter 23 the king looks forward to the consummation of the kingdom.  Not his kingdom.  Not Israel.  The Kingdom of God.  Our text this evening is found in the opening verses of 2 Samuel chapter 23.

Text: 2 Samuel 23:1-7

Note – “These are the last words of David”
These are not David’s last words, those are found in 1 Kings 2:1-10.
This is his last “official” or formal words.
This is the last of his psalms or songs.
This is a great, poetic statement of hope.

The aged king looked back in chapter 22 at God’s grace in delivering him and establishing him as king.  He rejoiced in God’s past acts of kindness and grace.  Now looking ahead he rejoices in God’s future work of grace in establishing an everlasting kingdom.  As we work our way through the text we are reminded that…

Thesis: In times of uncertainty, danger and heartache our hope is anchored by the promise of the coming Righteous King.

There are three things I want to point out that will give us hope in the face of hopelessness.

  1.  The coming of this Righteous King is as certain as the Word of God.  (23:1-3, 5)
  2.  The reign of this Righteous King will bring life, clarity and refreshment.  (23:3-4)
  3.  This Righteous King will rule over an exclusive kingdom.  (23:6-7)

Conclusion:

Part of understanding and appreciating the wonder of the Gospel and the certainty of our hope is to view it against the darkness, the hopelessness of life outside of Christ.  Life apart from the will of God.

In times of uncertainty, danger and heartache our hope is anchored by the promise of a coming Righteous King.

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Good News and Better News!

Posted on October 6, 2013 by Wayne
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2013 Acts #20: an exposition of Acts 13:1-12. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 6, 2013.

Intro:
George and Sam were avid golfers.  Avid is not the word, “fanatics” is more like it.  They just couldn’t get enough of it.  They played several times a week.  When they weren’t playing golf they were watching it or reading about it.  They were in constant pursuit of some means to improve their game.  Golf was an obsession.  One day they were playing a round and the 13th fairway ran along side a busy street.  As they were about to hit their second shot Sam noticed that George had taken his hat off and stood motionless as a funeral procession passed by.  “That nice,” said Sam.  “You just don’t see that kind of respect anymore.”  George said, “Well it is the least I can do.  I was married to the woman for 40 years.”  Sam and George then entered into discussion for the remainder of the round as to whether or not there would be golf in heaven.  The discussion continued for weeks until Sam had a heart attack and died.  Three days later Sam suddenly appeared to George.  “George.  I’ve got good news and bad news.  The good news is there is golf in heaven!  The bad news is you’re in my foursome Thursday.”

We are accustomed to good news/bad news scenarios.  There is that part of us that has grown cynical and whenever we hear something good we assume there is a downside.  We wait for the other shoe to drop.  For everything we are given we figure two things will be taken away.  Well, this morning I have some good news and some…better news!  Our text is found in Acts chapter 13.

Text: Acts 13:1-12

Dr. Luke is telling us of the continuing ministry of Jesus through his body the church.
Acts 1:8 – outlines the book for us.
“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost part     of the earth.”

We have seen how God sovereignly orchestrated the church’s progress through the hatred of its enemies.  Those who despised the message of the Son of God and who sought to silence the voice of the church only managed to amplify the church’s voice.  Persecution and martyrdom only served to fan the flame.  The church and its message was spreading dramatically.
The Lord who had been adding to the church was now multiplying the church.  Due to the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7) the church was scattered from Jerusalem into Judea and even Samaria.  Philip was used greatly of God to bring revival among the Samaritans and then to bring the Gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch.  Peter was dramatically called of God to take the Gospel to a Gentile named Cornelius.

The Gospel then spread to the Decapolis or “ten cities” region and finally to Antioch.  Now we come to the launching of the third phase of the mission movement of the church.  The Gospel has moved from Jerusalem to Judea.  From Judea into Samaria.  It has come to the Gentiles but now it is going to be launched to the Gentile world.

Let’s look at our text – Acts 13:1-12.

As we explore this text we are going to discover that:

Thesis: The work of God in missions is good news to those who know Him and even better news to those who do not yet know Him.

  1. First, good news to the saved: God has graciously chosen to use you in taking this glorious Gospel to the world.  (13:1-5)
  2. Finally, I want us to consider the even better news to those who do not know Christ: God has graciously brought this message to you!  (13:6-12)

Conclusion:
Are you here today without Christ?  Have you never turned form your sin and trusted in Christ and Christ alone?  Have you never responded in faith and obedience?  Has there not been repentance?  He is pursuing you.  He is calling you.  No obstacle will stand in his way.  Look to Christ today.  Believe on the Lord Jesus now.  Look to Jesus and live.

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Oh to Grace How Great a Debtor

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Wayne
Oh to Grace How Great a Debtor [ 32:51 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (71)

2 Samuel #25: an exposition of 2 Samuel 22:1-51. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, September 29, 2013.

Intro:
You know you’re getting old when you hear your father’s voice coming out of your mouth.  You’ve reach the age when you are saying those things that drove you crazy as a kid and you swore you would never say.  “You want to cry?  I’ll give you something to cry about.”  “Yeah, well we walked to school when I was a kid.”  “That cost how much?  Do you know what a candy bar cost when I was a kid?”  But age does something to you.  As you get older your perspective changes.  You really do see life another way.

When faced with your own mortality life really takes on new dimensions.  Things once thought indispensable are no longer important and things once insignificant now take center stage.  When faced with the reality of how precious life is, we all get a little nostalgic.  And if we are honest we look back and realize that it is all by the grace of God.  That I think is the backdrop for our text this evening.

David is looking back over his life and gives thanks for God’s goodness and deliverance.

This is Psalm 18.
If you look at the title as it appears in Psalms it is quite long!

To the choirmaster.  A Psalm of David,
The Servant of the Lord, who addressed the
Words of this song to the Lord on the day
When the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies,
And from the hand of Saul, He said:

The title gives us a clue about its historical context.

In the context of 2 Samuel the Psalm appears almost as David’s final words.
It is as if David is giving thanks to God for His deliverance throughout his long life of service.

His deliverance from the hand of Saul.
From foreign enemies during his reign.
And from his own son Absalom.

This is a long passage so I want to deal with it in summary fashion.  As we work our way through the passage I believe we are going to find that…

Thesis: At the end of the day, the righteous know they owe everything to the grace of God.

David is at the end of his days and as he looks back his is under no illusions.
His wealth, fame and fortune are not due to his intelligence, his cunning as a military leader or his economic strategy – it is due to the grace of God and the grace of God alone.  In summarizing David’s life we could talk about a great and powerful king.  Yet David’s view is that there is a great and powerful God.

There are three things I want us to note briefly in our text.

  1. God graciously comes to the aid of His people.  (22:1-20)
  2.  God graciously provides for those who trust in Him.  (22:21-31)
  3.  God graciously ensures that His kingdom will prevail.  (22:32-51)
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Resting in God’s Sovereignty

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Wayne
Resting in God's Sovereignty [ 38:32 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (74)

2013 Acts #19: an exposition of Acts 12:1-24. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, September 29, 2013.

Intro:
Without a doubt he is an egomaniac.  Those who observe him closely wonder if he is, in fact, insane.  Drunk with power he will stop at nothing to ensure his own glory.  He will step on anyone, crush any opposing voice, and grandstand to win the applause and adoration of the ignorant and uniformed.  He thinks nothing of aligning himself with religious groups if it serves his purpose.  It is clear he has no conscience.  Without question he views himself as having godlike qualities.  His name is Herod.  Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great and the ruler of Judea.  Herod sought to make political gains among the Jews by striking at the heart of the young church.  In our text this morning, Dr. Luke gives us a glimpse into Herod’s political maneuvering and some insight into living out our faith in the midst of testing times.  Our text this morning is found in Acts chapter 12.

Text: Acts 12:1-24

The young church is experiencing exciting and disturbing times.
Exciting in that the Lord is adding to their number daily.
The church is experiencing explosive growth.
Yet the opposition is mounting.
Threats and warnings have given way to persecution and martyrdom.
And now this powerful political figure is joining forces with the Jewish establishment.
It is true, politics makes strange bedfellows!
The Jews hated Herod – Herod didn’t care for the Jews – but an alliance could benefit them both.

Herod executes James, the brother of John and imprisons Peter, intending to execute him as well.  This must have been a devastating blow to the church.  The Lord Jesus suffered an agonizing death – but then was reported to be alive.  The Spirit came with power and enabled the young church to speak and act with great boldness.  Then Stephen was murdered by mob action.  Now James, one of the apostles, is executed as a political prisoner.  Peter, a key figure in the church, is now set for execution.  Persecution has already driven many of the followers of the Way out of Jerusalem into Judea, Samaria and beyond.  What will happen to the church?  Is this the beginning of the end?  Why is it that evil seems to triumph?  Is God in charge or not?  Luke’s answer is a resounding, “Yes!”  This passage is often used in a way that focuses on Peter.  That is a great story.  There are powerful lessons to be drawn from Peter’s miraculous deliverance.  But I’m convinced that this passage is about God and Herod.  Further, I’m convinced there is a powerful lesson for us in this passage.  How do we, as believers, live in the midst of uncertainty?  What do we do when evil seems to triumph?  How are we to react when it seems that wickedness advances at the cost of the church of the Lord Jesus?  The answer is that we are to respond in faith.  Faith is the Christian response to uncertainty.  Faith is the response of the people of God when evil seems to march on and righteousness apparently stumbles.  In spite of the struggle, the people of God believe.  In fact:

Thesis: Biblical faith rest unwaveringly on God’s sovereignty.

In times of war, in times of great distress, in times of uncertainty the people of God have consistently clung to the precious doctrine of the sovereignty of God.  The sovereignty of God is not a relic of the past that we trot out on special occasions and give a customary salute.  It is a living, vital reality in which we are to glory.

There are two great, fundamental principles related to this truth reflected in our text.

  1. The apparent advance of the wicked does not unnerve biblical faith.  (12:1-5; 20-22)
  2. Biblical faith confidently trusts in the ultimate triumph of God.  (12:6-19, 22-23, 24)

Conclusion:
Such is the sovereign power of our God.  Though at times it seems that the wicked prosper and the arrogant go unchecked the church marches on confident that God will ultimately triumph.  In times of uncertainty and heartache – we cling to the sovereignty of God by faith.

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