Lessons in Arkeology

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Wayne
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1 Samuel #06: an exposition of 1 Samuel 5:1-7:1. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, November 20, 2011.

Intro:
It has become commonplace.  Common to the point we do not question it and probably don’t even notice it is happening.  Living in defiance of God.  I would submit to you it is a rare thing today to find anyone who is afraid of defying God.  Let me ask you, “Do you tremble for those you know who live in defiance to the will of God?”  Each of you knows someone who knows the will of God yet blatantly chooses to live in defiance of His will.  Do you fear for them?  Does it keep you up at night?  Are you burdened by the fact they stand under the judgment of God?  Why not?  By the way when I say they live in defiance of God I’m not talking about those folks who stand with their fist raised to heaven and curse God.  Rather I’m talking about those who seek to use God for their purpose or those who just feel He is not worth their time and consideration.  I’m more concerned with those who “toy with God” or “who ignore Him altogether.”  Israel had been defeated by the Philistines, their archenemy.  They thought if they sent down to Shiloh and had the Ark of the Covenant brought up they would be assured victory.  After all God’s reputation would be on the line.  They didn’t win the battle.  In fact they were routed!  30,000 men died.  The army fled and the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines.

When news reached Shiloh that the army had been defeated, the two priests had died and the Ark had been captured panic set in.  Eli died, Mrs. Phinehas died giving birth to a son and with her dying breath named her son Icabod, declaring the glory of God had departed.  What now?  Israel has no king.  The high priest is dead.  His successors both dead.  Their God is in the hands of their enemy.  What’s next?

Meanwhile in Ashdod the Ark of the Covenant has been brought to the house of Dagon, the pagan god of the Philistines.  As far as the Philistines were concerned the god of the Hebrews was obviously no match for the great and awesome Dagon.  They were overjoyed in their triumph.

The pagans are rejoicing.
The people of God are mourning.
What’s wrong with this picture?
Does it pay to know God or not?

Both are about to be taught a lesson through “Arkeology.”

Text: 1 Samuel 5:1-7:1

This section reads like the Grim Reaper meets the Keystone Kops!
Serious awful things happen yet there is humor in the way the Philistines respond.
At one point the Ark becomes a hot potato and nobody wants it yet they don’t want to let go of it.
Later when the Ark makes it back to Israel they rejoice but they would like for it to be somewhere else.

As we make our way through the text I want us to notice three things and then draw a conclusion.

  1. The supremacy of God prominently displayed.  (5:1-5)
  2. The judgment of God painfully executed.  (5:6-16:12)
  3. The holiness of God powerfully revealed.  (6:13-7:1)

The story of the Ark is intended to shatter our pagan concepts of God.

He is not some tribal deity struggling to carve out his niche – he is the sovereign king of the universe.

He is not some benign idol to set on your shelf – he is the sovereign judge of all the earth.

He is not some tolerant, over indulging grandfather – but the holy one of Israel.

From this we learn…

Thesis: The living God cannot be used, manipulated, or managed.  Spiritual power is not a matter of getting your hands on the right method or technology.  The personal God cannot be reduced to an impersonal power, He is and forever will be the Sovereign King of all that exists!

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Our Lord’s High-Priestly Prayer

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Wayne
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Gospel of John #46: an exposition of John 17:1-26. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, November 20, 2011.

Intro:
Prayer.  It is one of those things we talk a lot about…but seldom do.  Everyone knows it is important and that we all need to pray more than we do but we’re busy, there’s so much going on, well you know.  Sure there is that quick word before a meal.  There are the performances at church but what about real prayer?  When I think about people who really pray, I think of folks like Martin Luther, the great reformer, who spent four or five hours a day in prayer.  When asked how he could afford so to spend so much time in prayer given all he had to do Luther replied, “I have so much to do I can’t afford not to pray!”  I think of folks I’ve known through the years who were definitely prayer warriors.  That is not their assessment.  They did not see themselves as such (I would question anyone who did).  That was the observation of those who knew them.  Prayer is a powerful thing.  You know the strength and encouragement that comes when someone says, “I’m praying for you” and you know they mean it.  You can tell a lot about a person by their prayers.  You learn what is important to them.  You learn their priorities, who they love and what they love.

Of course the ultimate prayer warrior, the ultimate man of prayer is our Lord.  How often do we read in the Gospels that he spent the entire night in prayer?  That sounds strange to many of us.  We hear that and think, “What do you say all night?  How do you stay awake?”  Yet there is not one of us who hasn’t sat down with a friend or loved one and talked the night away.  You suddenly realize that hours have passed and it seemed like only a moment.  Maybe it seems foreign to us because God is a stranger.  Perhaps we can’t imagine being comfortable in His presence.  The Lord Jesus had shared a glorious unity with the Father from all eternity.  What did they talk about?  What went on in those exchanges between the Father and the Son?  Wouldn’t it be something to “get in on” the prayer life of the Lord Jesus?  Well we are given that opportunity on a few occasions in the Gospels.  One of them is our text this morning.

Text: John 17:1-26

This is sacred ground.  Jesus is in the final hours of his earthly ministry.  He has gathered with his disciples in the upper room to share the Passover Meal.  This is his final moments with them before the cross.  He talked with them concerning his death.  He spoke of his resurrection.  He told them of a home he was going to prepare for them.  He talked about abiding in him and bearing much fruit.  He promised the gift of the Holy Spirit.  He warned of the trouble that was to come.  At the end of their time together he prayed.  And what a prayer!  This is the Lord’s Prayer.  The passage in Matthew 6 contains the model prayer.  Jesus said, “When you pray, pray like this…”  This is the prayer he prayed.

As we work our way through the chapter here is what we find…

Thesis: This prayer of the Lord Jesus reveals His heart and soul.

This prayer gives us tremendous insight into the mind and heart of our Lord.  We find out what is important to him.  We find out what mattered to him.  Were were his priorities?  What was of greatest value to him?

The prayer naturally breaks into three sections.

  1. The prayer of the Lord Jesus reveals his unrivaled love for the Father and the Father’s plan.  (17:1-5)
  2. The prayer of the Lord Jesus reveals His gracious, superintending love for His disciples.  (17:6-19)
  3. The prayer of the Lord Jesus reveals his merciful, inclusive love for the whole church.  (17:20-26)

Conclusion:
He prayed for you that night.
But that was not the last time he prayed for you.
He is now at the right hand of the Father interceding for his own!

Take heart dear Christian.  Are you in a dark place today?  Are you struggling?  He’s praying for you.  Are you frightened, uncertain anxious about your future?  He’s praying for you.  Are you awakening to your sin?  Coming to see your need of a Savior?  He’s praying for you!

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Being Other-Centered

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Wayne
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An exposition of Philippians 1:1-11. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, November 16, 2011.

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Hard Lessons

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Wayne
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1 Samuel #05: an exposition of 1 Samuel 4:1-22. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, November 13, 2011.

Intro:
There are some lessons you just don’t want to learn.  Lessons that are valuable and add immensely to the happiness and well being of your life.  But lessons that are painful and difficult.  1995 was not a “good” year for me and yet one of the best years of my life.  I began the year with a brain tumor and I ended the year with a kidney stone!  Neither experience was welcomed or appreciated, at the time.  Both were painful and frightening.  Yet I learned during that year that what I preach is really true.  I discovered the care and comfort of God in ways I had never known it.  Looking back, it was a good experience.  Yet a lesson I didn’t want to learn.  I’ve learned through the years that God’s peace really does “pass understanding.”  I’ve discovered that there is peace in the darkest night.  I’ve learned death does not win.  But in order to learn that I had to say goodbye to people I love.  Some lessons you just don’t want to learn.  The problem is they are often lessons you really must learn.

It was a dark time for the nation of Israel.
There was no king in the land and every man did what was right in his own eyes.
Moral decay and spiritual corruption where common place.
Tragically the greatest corruption was in Shiloh at the house of God.
Hophni and Phenihus, the worthless sons of Eli, served as priests.
They did not know the God
They treated the sacrifices with contempt
They used the house of God as a brothel

All the while, in the midst of the corruption, God was raising up Samuel to be a priest, king-maker, judge and prophet.  God was at work in spite of how it seemed.  God was at work though faithlessness abounded.

A man of God arrived in Shiloh with some bad news for Eli.
God was fully aware of the corruption of his sons and was coming in judgment.
Never again would there be an “old man” in the house of Eli.
The house of Eli was finished and God was raising up another.
Eli would know this is coming about when his 2 boys die on the same day.

Later God revealed himself to Samuel and reinforced the message as he called Samuel as a prophet in chapter 3.  That brings us to 1 Samuel chapter 4.

Text: 1 Samuel 4:1-22

The first part of verse 1 of chapter 4 establishes Samuel as the lead figure in this drama.  Then he’s put on the back burner until chapter 7.  Chapters 4-6 have a new focus – the Ark of the Covenant.  That wooden box, plated with gold that served as the visible reminder of the presence and power of God.  You remember that the Ark contained the tablets of stone Moses brought down from the mountain; Aaron’s rod that budded, and a jar of manna.  Further this box had on its top the “mercy seat” upon which the blood was spilt on the Day of Atonement.  The mercy seat was flanked by 2 cherubim giving the appearance of a seat or throne.  Once the people settled in the land, the Ark was placed behind the heavy curtain, in the most holy place in the house of God at Shiloh.

That Ark becomes the focus of the next three chapters.

Chapter 4 opens with Israel at war with the Philistines.  They had already been Israel’s enemy for 200 years and would remain their enemy for the next 300 years.  The Philistines occupied 5 cities along the coastal lands to the west of the hill country were most of the Israelites lived.  Those cities were, Ekron, Ashdod, Gath, Ashkelon, and Gaza.

An important, painful lesson is learned in this chapter…

Thesis: 1 Samuel 4 is a potent reminder that God will not be used and is always faithful in fulfilling His word.

There are 2 things I want to point out in our text.

  1. In times of crisis, serious corruption and imminent threat superstition is a sorry substitute for genuine faith.  (4:1-11)
  2. Even in the midst of chaos, judgment and confusion God is at work fulfilling His purpose.  (4:12-22)
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Perception & Presumption

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Wayne
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Gospel of John #45: an exposition of John 16:16-33. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, November 13, 2011.

Intro:
I was just a naive kid.  He was my oldest brother.  I loved him, adored him, and most of all, trusted him.  When he said, “No those peppers aren’t hot.”  I believed him.  When he assured me they were delicious I ate one!  After a couple of hours crying and recuperating I was encouraged and touched by his remorse.  He had made a terrible mistake.  The red ones were hot.  It is the yellow one that is not.  As a goodwill gesture he offered me a yellow pepper.  After a few more hours of tears, wash clothes, bread and other remedies, I was feeling better when he offered me the green pepper.  Yes, I took it.  Fool me once shame on you.  Fool me twice shame on me.  The third time – I must have been an absolute idiot!  But that was when I was a child.

During my college days my roommate suggested we order pizza.  I called it in and had it delivered to our room.  Just before the pizza arrived my roommate suddenly discovered he had no cash.  No problem.  I got it.  Well, that happened four or five times and I finally caught on!  But I was a college kid.

She was a sweet little old lady who was overjoyed that the young seminary student was buying her trailer.  In a way she was investing in the ministry.  She even through in the refrigerator.  After 3 years I sold the trailer, for which I paid $9000, for $2000 and was glad to get it.  I’m afraid there’s a pattern here.

I felt sorry for them.  Their story was heart-wrenching.  Their mother had died.  They were here trying to make arrangements.  The hospital had taken what money they had.  One of the sisters had her son with her.  As they told their story I kept looking at the boy.  His head down.  Polite when I spoke to him.  Sure I provided them a room for the night and some help for a meal.  Of course I feel bad later when I saw them on the news and read the story of how they have manage to work their con-game crisscrossing the United States for the last 10 years.

I’m reasonably intelligent.  I graduated cum laude from OBU.  I have a masters degree from Southwestern Seminary.  I like to think I have some spiritual insight.  So how did I miss it?  How come I didn’t get it?  Presumption is a dangerous thing.

They had spent three and a half years with him.  They heard the teaching.  They witnessed the miracles.  They had a front row seat to everything and yet they just didn’t get it.  Nearness to Jesus did not guarantee understanding.  Believing and receiving his truth did not ensure insight.  Our text this morning is found in the 16th chapter of John’s Gospel.

Text: John 16:16-33

All of this is happening on the night of our Lord’s betrayal.
He is in the upper room with the disciples encouraging and equipping them for what is to come.
In our text he tells them some glorious things.

There is wonderful, good news in this text but the thing that stands out is their failure to understand.

As we work our way through the text we discover…

Thesis: Our joy and standing before God are not dependent upon our spiritual perception and insight but rather by the work of Christ alone.

Remember the context is – all hell is about to break loose.
Their world is about to be shaken.
What they have believed and committed themselves to is about to be violently taken from them.
A key thought emphasized is, “I am the vine, you are the branches.”
Their life is in Christ.
Not in their understanding of Christ but in Christ himself.

There are three things I want to call to your attention.

  1. A genuine spiritual experience does not guarantee spiritual perception.  (16:16-24)
  2. There is a fine line between spiritual perception and arrogant presumption.  (16:25-31)
  3. Our joy and standing before God are secured by the work of Christ alone.  (16:33)
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Light from the Word

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Wayne
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1 Samuel #04: An exposition of 1 Samuel 3:1-21. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, November 6, 2011.

Intro:
“After darkness, light.”  That was the motto of the reformation in Geneva under John Calvin.  After years of spiritual darkness and superstition light had reappeared through the preaching of the Word of God.  The Word of God and preaching were so central to the life of the church in Geneva, believers were treated to six sermons a week!  Three on Sunday and then one each day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  The reformers believed the way out of darkness was through the Word of God.  The way to lift, not only the slumbering church but society in general, out of its silly superstitious ways was the way of biblical literacy.  Let the good news be proclaim throughout the land.  The Old Testament seems to hold the same assumption.  That’s why God would send a prophet.  This is important for us because I think we’ve lost that understanding.  I’m afraid we (the conservative, evangelical church) have bought into the American notion of power politics.  Organize, strategize get our guy elected and change things by playing hardball.  Well, to quote Dr. Phil, “How’s that work’n for us?”  I think the last 30 years has shown that we will never play the world’s game as well as the world plays it.  We also have learned that power corrupts.

Maybe we need to go back and look at this again from another perspective.  We would do well to ask, “How did God do it in the past?”  It just may be there is a more productive way for us to impact the world.  I’m not at all suggesting that Christians not be involved in the political process.  I believe Christians should run for office.  I think they should allow their faith to inform their decisions and seek to use godly influence whenever and wherever possible.  But as the church we should come at this from a very different perspective.  I’m convinced there is a lesson to be learned from the 3rd chapter of 1 Samuel.

Text: 1 Samuel 3:1-21

It was a time when every man did what was right in his own eyes.
A time of great corruption demonstrated by the corruption at Shiloh, in the house of God!
Yet in the noise and chaos of this corruption God was at work in the heart of a young boy.
God was raising up yet another judge who would be a king-maker and as we learn this evening – a prophet.

As we work our way through this chapter we discover that…

Thesis: In times of great darkness, moral and spiritual decay, light and vibrancy come through the ministry of the Word of God.

There are three things I want us to note.

  1. In times of darkness God brings light by His Word through His prophet.  (3:1, 19-4:1a)
  2. In the calling of the prophet God demonstrates His kindness and long-suffering.  (3:2-10)
  3. The ministry of the prophet is one of joy and great sorrow.  (3:11-18)

Conclusion:
The way out of moral and spiritual darkness is through the Word of God.  May God give us grace as He raises up preacher to declare the truth of His Word; as He reveals His kindness and grace; and as we maintain the tension of the joy and sorrow of biblical proclamation.

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The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Wayne
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Gospel of John #44: An exposition of John 16:12-16. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, November 6, 2011.

Intro:
It was an eventful evening.  Our Lord and his disciples gathered in the upper room to share the Passover meal.  It was during that meal he stunned them with the announcement that there was a betrayer in their midst.  How was that possible?  How could they not have known?  Who was it?  While they were still reeling from the revelation he hit them again.  “Peter, before tomorrow morning you will deny that you even know me.”  These revelations along with news of his arrest and brutal death was more than they could handle.  In love and kindness our Lord sought to equip and encourage his shell-shocked followers.  He told them he would send a Helper to remind them of all that he had told them and to guide them.  He reminded them that their life was in him.  He was the vine, they were the branches and as they abide in him they would bear much fruit but apart them him they could do nothing.  He told them, in advance, that the world would hate them just as it hated him.  In the face of that hostility they were to proclaim the Gospel and stand their ground.  Information was coming fast and furious.  Trying to take it all in was a bit like drinking from a fire hose!  It must have seemed like a dream.  It couldn’t be happening.  Not like this.  Not now.  So much of what he said that night seemed impossible to believe.  What he said next was outrageous!  Our text is found in chapter 16 of John beginning with verse 5.

Text: John 16:5-15

It seems blasphemous to even think it.
I can’t even imagine what their response would have been that night.
“I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away…”

How can that be?
He is the Christ.
He is the Lord’s anointed.
What about the kingdom?
How is it advantageous to the kingdom for the king to go away?

Think about what Jesus said.  Let it settle in.  Have you ever thought, “Oh, I wish I could have been there and walked with Jesus?”  Have you ever wished you could have been there when he opened the eyes of the blind, made the lame to walk?  Would you have liked to taste the fish and loaves as part of that vast multitude fed by the boy’s lunch?  Yet Jesus said you are in a better position.  It is to your advantage he’s no longer here.  Does that make sense to you?  How can that be?

As we look carefully at what our Lord said in this text we discover that…
Thesis: We are blessed beyond measure by our Lord’s departure from this earth.

That just sounds so wrong.
How is that possible?
The answer is found in the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
We Baptist get a little antsy when it comes to talking about the 3rd person of the Trinity.

“Be careful preacher, we don’t want to do what they have done.  We don’t want to become fanatics!”  I don’t know too many Baptist who are on the verge of getting fanatical about the Holy Spirit.  Truth be told I’d rather calm down and fanatic than try and resurrect a corpse!  The fact is we have nothing to fear from the Holy Spirit.  You cannot be saved apart from the work of the Holy Spirit.  Unless the Spirit illumines your understanding and quickens your heart you will never believe the Gospel.  Apart from the Spirit’s power and enabling you cannot grow in your faith or serve Christ and his kingdom.  Every child of God is a charismatic (little c) grace-gifted, spirit empowered believer.

In our text our Lord gives two reasons for why his departure is to our advantage.

  1. Because when he departs, the Lord Jesus will send the Holy Spirit in full convicting power.  (16:7-11)
  2. We are blessed because of the Spirit’s confirming work in the life of every believer.  (16:12-15)
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God’s Sovereignty: The Basis of Genuine Worship

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Wayne
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An exposition of Psalm 75:1-10. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, November 2, 2011.

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Lessons from the Darkness

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Wayne
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1 Samuel #03: An exposition of 1 Samuel 2:11-36. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, October 30, 2011.

Intro:
I have a picture on my computer that is a poster.  It is like those motivational posters, the ones with a word and then an uplifting phrase to go along with it.  This one says, “Despair: remember it’s always darkest just before it goes pitch black!”  I have to admit I’m not an optimist.  I never see the glass half full.  I tend to dwell on the negative.  I know what you’re thinking.  “Gee I was going to go see the pastor next week about my problem.  This is a great thing to learn.”  When I say I never see the glass half full I mean in my circumstance.  I’m pretty good at telling you to be encouraged.  I’m just not good about taking my own advice.  Don’t you find it is easy to be discouraged?  When things go from bad to worse don’t you find it easy to pile it on and say, “Of course this is the story of my life.  Nothing ever goes right for me.  I’m not sure what else can go wrong but I’m sure I’ll find out tomorrow.”  When I add to the equation my general suspicion about people and their motives – it get’s bad.  That’s why the book of 1 Samuel is so interesting to me.  The story is set in a bad time.  We are in that period of time when there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in his own eyes.  That time when the nation spiraled through the cycle of the Judges – corruption, judgment, repentance and a cry for deliverance, God was merciful and provided a deliverer and the nation enjoyed peace and prosperity and until they fell into corruption and the whole cycle started over.

Now this was not an endless circle, it was a spiral downward.  With each completion of a cycle they were not at the same point but worse off.  As we approach the middle and last half of 1 Samuel chapter 2 we find just how dark those days were.

Text: 1 Samuel 2:12-36

Hannah has just completed her song of praise to God.
That glorious statement of God’s power and provision.
That there is none holy like the Lord, a rock like no other.
That section ends with Samuel “ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.”

Samuel God’s gracious answer to Hannah’s prayer is acting in the role of priest with Eli’s oversight and supervision.  If you stop there it sounds pretty good.  But we’re just at the beginning of the story.

Listen as we begin at verse 12 – 2:12-17.
This is incredible!
These men are priests – their father is apparently the high priest.
They service in Shiloh at the house of the Lord.

Note how they are described: “Now the sons of Eli were worthless men.  They did not know God.”  They were priests!  They were responsible for worship and the sacrifices.

Worthless men = Sons of Belial.
Hannah’s prayer 1:16 – “…do not regard your servant as a worthless woman” (daughter of Belial).  Ironic isn’t it?

We find sons of Belial in Judges 19:22 and 20:13 and the awful story about the worthless men in Gibeah violating the Levite’s concubine and the bloodshed that followed.  Paul asks the rhetorical question in 2 Corinthians 6 – “What does Christ have to do with Belial?”  The obvious answer is nothing.  Godliness and ungodliness have no common ground.

1 Samuel 2:13-17 goes on to speak of the corruption of these worthless men.
They were not satisfied with the portion given them by the law of God.
They sought additional provision.
The custom spoken of is an extra-biblical custom of these greedy, corrupt priests.
They were literally and figuratively growing fat on this practice.

But their greed went even further – 2:15-16
Conclusion – 2:17 – thus their sin was very great, they treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.

Do you get the picture here?
Do you see the corruption, the greed, the contempt?

Now look at 2:18-21.
What a contrast.

Here is the principle:

  1. In times of great corruption and moral decay the people of God can rest assured that God is at work and deliverance will come.
  2. In times of great corruption and moral decay the unrighteous can rest assured that justice delayed is not justice denied.  There is coming a day of reckoning.

Conclusion:
There was public, scandalous sin at Shiloh.  It was ongoing; it was unchecked.  Nothing was being done about it.  No wonder God’s people were cynical about worship and sacrifice.  If Hophni and Phinehas threaten to destroy God’s people then Hophni and Phinehas will be destroyed to spare God’s people.  It is a work of judgment.  It is a harsh reality and yet at the same time a gracious reality.  God protects his people.

God’s people must always remember he is at work, deliverance will come.

The unrighteous must remember God is not mocked, there is coming a day of reckoning.

One last thing…

Our hope, our confidence, our peace as the people of God rests in the fact that God’s purpose cannot fail!

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The Gospel, The World, & You

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Wayne
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The Gospel of John #43: An exposition of John 15:17- 16:4. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 30, 2011.

Intro:
In some circles he is the face of Evangelicalism.  He does pastor the largest church in the United States.  His message is one of hope and optimism.  You’ve seen his smiling face.  You may have even read one of his best selling books, Your Best Life Now or his new book Everyday a Friday.  Joel Olsteen’s gospel is one of joy, happiness and prosperity.  His message draws thousands to his Houston area church every weekend, while millions are drawn to his televised messages.  Olsteen says, “Our message is about the goodness of God…It seems just that people come alive when they realize God is for me, he’s got a plan for my life and I can do something great. I can be who he wants me to be.”  In Olsteen’s gospel there is no room for heartache, pain and struggle.  If you believe, if you have faith you will be happy!  You will succeed!  Who doesn’t want to believe that?  That is a wonderful message.  Of course it doesn’t play well if you are a Christian in the Sudan and your home has been confiscated and your life threatened because you dared to publicly profess faith in Christ.  In Iran pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is set to be executed because he refuses to recant his faith in Christ.  More that 200 million of our brothers and sisters in Christ, in over 60 countries, face persecution daily.  This year nearly 165,000 of them will die for their faith.  I’m not sure the gospel of Everyday Is A Friday is going to be of much help.  We live in a very different world than a few decades ago.  The Church, once a player in our culture, has been removed from the table.  While there remains a few faint reminders of the church’s influence, for the most part, society has moved on.  Culture is becoming increasingly antagonistic toward the Church and its message.  What are we to do?  How are we to respond to our hostile world?

It was the night of His betrayal.  Jesus and his followers were gathered in the upper room for the Passover meal.  It was quite and evening!  He startled them by telling them there was a traitor in their midst, “One of you will betray me.”  They were devastated by the news that he must be handed over, tried, convicted and executed.  He knew their world was about to be rocked so in love and kindness he sought to prepare them.  “I’m not going to leave you orphaned.  I’ve asked the Father and he is sending a Helper.  He will guide you into truth and remind you of all that I have said.”  As part of the preparation he told them of what to expect from the world.  That’s where we pick up the story.  John chapter 15 and verse 18.

Text: John 15:18-16:4

The question before us is this: In light of the world’s intense hatred of Christ, His Gospel and all that is associated with Him, what are we, the people of God, to do?

Three things are clear.

  1. We are to expect opposition.  (15:18-25)
  2. We are to speak the truth with courage and boldness.  (15:26-27)
  3. We are to stand our ground.  (16:1-4)

Conclusion:
What is the point of such a passage?  It is to remind us that we are part of something greater.  It’s not about our comfort and happiness in this life.  The Gospel is not about a better life now.  You cheapen the Gospel when you make it about such trivial matters.  It is about the kingdom of God.  It is about God’s glory and eternity.  And we are to give our lives, if necessary, in service to the cause of Christ.

The message of Christ then and now is this: In this life you will face persecution.  In this world you will have trial and tribulation – yet take heart, I have overcome the world.  One day you will reign with me in glory.  Until that day, stand your ground.  Proclaim my Gospel.  Live for my glory.

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