The Cross #5. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, July 20, 2011.
Prophecy or Tongues?
1 Corinthians #24: an exposition of 1 Corinthians 14:1-25. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, July 17, 2011.
Intro:
I was sitting in a crowded room. Surrounded by people of all shapes, color and sizes. I was a bit nervous and a little uncomfortable because it was hard to hear and difficult to see the platform. I had heard that there were some of “them” present. It could be though I was not certain. A room this size with a crowd this large…yes it is reasonable that there would be at least one. I wondered what he looked like. He? Maybe it is a she? I’ve never heard one though I knew they existed. Then it happened, “Let us pray.” Suddenly people all around me were babbling in some sort of strange language and I had my first encounter with the gift of tongues. You may have a story similar to mine. What was uncommon in my world as a high school student is now common place in many churches. Tongues had long been a practice in Pentecostal circles but in the mid to late 60s it moved into the mainstream in the form of the Charismatic Movement. It caused quite a furor any Baptist circles as well as Methodist, Episcopal and even Catholic congregations. Of course with the rise of the nondenominational churches and the Word of Faith movement it began to dominate the Evangelical landscape. While not the hotbed today that it was in the 70s and 80s there still is a wide rage of opinion on the matter.
There are those who say that speaking in tongues is the sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit while others claim the gift died out with the last of the apostles and any experience or expression of the gift today is Satan’s counterfeit. The truth is there are good and godly men on both ends and at all points in between. Men who love God, who love His Word and His church. I remember having to go toe to toe with my director of missions when I was 25 years old, in my first church during my ordination service! He wanted me to say that tongues are not for today and that it is an unbiblical practice and I refused. It is not an easy question. I’m convinced it is not as cut and dried as most would have us believe. It is easy to say, “I’ve had this wonderful experience and I know it has to be true.” it is just as easy to say, “It’s not rational. I’ve never had such and experience therefore it cannot be true.” Both judge right and wrong, truth and error by personal experience. The only approach I know to take is to let God’s Word speak for itself.
I have a little plaque on my desk. It is there to remind me as I study, “You are responsible to believe and teach what the Bible teaches, not what you would like for it to teach.” That’s it. As with all questions we must be willing to come to the Scriptures and ask, “What does God say about this?” Sometimes what He says makes us uneasy. Sometimes what He reveals is uncomfortable. But then truth doesn’t have to be comfortable or put us at ease. Truth just has to be true!
Paul writes to the church at Corinth in an effort to encourage them to live godly lives. Lives that live up to their calling as the people of God. Along the way he answers some of the questions that have come to him. He addresses some of the problems that plague the Corinthians church. In chapters 11-14 he deals with matters of public worship.
In chapters 12-14 he focuses on the subject of spiritual gifting.
In chapter 12 he reminds them that, as believers, they have all been gifted by God as He saw fit.
The purpose of their gifting is the building up or edification of the church as a whole.
After all they are all members of one body.
Each member is essential to the life of the others.
In chapter 13 he demonstrates that love is to animate, motivate and permeate all they say and do.
In chapter 14 he deals specifically with the gift of tongues.
Text: 1 Corinthians 14:1-25
It is clear throughout 12-14 that the Corinthian believers prized the gift of tongues.
Ecstatic utterance had been a part of their worship in their pagan days.
Their worship, in their pre-Christian days centered on ecstasy and enthusiasm thus they were drawn in the direction out of familiarity.
Thesis: Paul, in this passage, clearly demonstrates the value of the simple, direct speaking forth the truth of God over the value of ecstatic utterance.
Put simply – prophecy is superior to tongues.
As the passage unfolds Paul gives three reasons for the superiority of prophecy.
- Prophecy is superior because it edifies the whole congregation. (14:1-12)
- Prophecy is superior because it can be understood by all. (12:13-19)
- Prophecy is superior because it inspires conviction, confession and worship. (14:20-25)
Posted in 1 Corinthians, Sermon Podcast, Sermon Series
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Behold Your King
Gospel of John #30: An exposition of John 12:12-19. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, July 17, 2011.
Intro:
The date was December 4, 1977. The place, Bangui, the capital of the Central African Empire. The occasion, the coronation of his Imperial Majesty, Bokassa I. It was an impressive affair. The ceremony began with the blare of trumpets and roll of drums. Bokassa’s twenty nine official children paraded down the royal carpet to their seats. They were followed by Jean Bedel Bokassa II, heir to the throne, dressed in a white admiral’s uniform with gold braid. He was followed by Catherine, the favorite of Bokassa’s nine wives. She worn a $73,000 white gown. Finally the emperor arrived in a gold eagle-bedecked imperial coach drawn by six matched Anglo-Norman horses. He wore a thirty-two-pound robe decorated with 785,000 strewn pearls and gold embroidery. On his brow he wore a gold crown of laurel wreaths, symbolic of the favor of the gods. He took his seat on his $2.5 million eagle throne, took off his gold laurel wreath and, as Napoleon 173 years before had done, took his $2.5 million dollar crown, topped with an 80-caret diamond, and placed it on his own head declaring himself emperor.1 That little affair cost $25 million dollars. His kingdom lasted 2 years. Now contrast that spectacle in the praise of a petty tyrant with the entrance of the eternal king of the universe into the Holy City on what we call Palm Sunday. Our text this morning is found in John’s Gospel, chapter 12.
Text: John 12:12-19
Imagine yourself in Jerusalem in the year 30 AD. It’s Passover season. The streets are crowded with pilgrims. The air is filled with joy and excitement. It is conservatively estimated the population of Jerusalem would swell to over 2.5 million during Passover. There is singing, dancing and laughter throughout the city. Off in the distance you hear the faint echoes of a shouting mob. The shouts grow louder and louder until you finally spot this strange parade making its way down from the Mount of Olives. But what kind of parade is this? Old clothes. Broken branches. The peasants are shouting about a king but what kind of king enters triumphantly on a donkey?
And how does such a one inspire people to cry, “Save us! Save us now?”
Our Lord entered the city in a precise and calculated manner.
The citizens of Jerusalem had been debating for days about whether he would even show.
It is well known the religious establishment was determined to kill him.
So why enter in such a public way?
Why such a conspicuous display?
His time had come.
That time determined by His Father in eternity past.
It’s Passover and the Lamb of God must be offered in payment for sin.
As we survey the chaos of this moment. We note the presence of impassioned believers. There are those who have heard His teaching and know that no one teaches like this man. They’ve watched as the eyes of the blind have been opened and they’ve seen the lame walk. Many have been in the presence of Lazarus, the once decaying corpse, and they believe this is the Christ! Others are just curious. They have heard the stories and they’re not sure what to believe. Still others are filled with rage and long for the destruction of this trouble-making Galilean. One thing is certain…
Thesis: The revelation of Jesus Christ demands a response.
He cannot be ignored. You cannot remain neutral. That option is not available to you. Once He is revealed you must believe in Him or you must reject Him. John tells us the purpose of his writing is to present Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God that you might believe in Him. That you might trust in Him. That you would surrender to Him as Lord and Savior. He says, “I’ve written this that you might know that He is the Christ and that you might have life by believing in His name.
In our study of John we are entering the holy place. We have come to the last week of His earthly life and ministry. From chapter 12 through the end of the book John is dealing with the events of those last seven days. 47% of John’s Gospel is taken up by the last week. We begin with this powerful, deliberate revelation.
There are three things I want us to note.
- Our Lord purposefully and deliberately reveals himself as the promised Messiah, the fulfillment of prophecy. (12:12-14)
- Our Lord graciously and deliberately reveals himself as the servant king and the Lamb of God. (12:15)
- Once revealed, He cannot be ignored. (12:16-19)
Posted in John, Sermon Podcast, Sermon Series
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The More Excellent Way
1 Corinthians #23: An exposition of 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, July 10, 2011.
Intro:
The simplest and most profound description of God found in the Scripture is that, “God is love.” 1 John 4:16 states, So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. John states plainly that God is love and that those who know Him demonstrate that same characteristic. So we could say that the simplest and most profound statement concerning the people of God is that they are loving. Yet in many churches love does not describe their membership or their ministry. How can that be? It may be because it is easier to be orthodox than it is to be loving. It is easier to define truth and catalogue doctrine than it is to show kindness to a stranger, offer warmth and compassion to the hurting, reach out and embrace the outcast. It is easier to be active in “church work” than it is to be loving. Yet we are to be marked by love. It is essential to all that we do. It is to temper every sermon, it is to guide every discussion, it is to permeate every program and drive every ministry. Our text this evening is found in the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians.
Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
This is one of those “Hallmark” texts.
You get a warm glow when you read it or hear it.
It has been called a “Lyrical interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount.”
Others have said it is the beatitudes set to music.
McArthur describes it as a breathe of fresh air, an oasis in a desert of problems.
It is commonly used in wedding ceremonies to describe and define love which is appropriate but I think it is crucial to note the context of this beloved chapter. Paul is talking about issues of public worship. He talked in chapter 12 about the nature of the church as a body and how that is tied directly to the way God gifts His church. In chapter 14 he is going to deal with the abuse of the gifts. In between he speaks to them about how they ought to conduct themselves. This is to be your guiding principle. The key is found in the last half of 12:31.
…And I will show you a still more excellent way.
In light of the fact that you are a body and that you’ve all been gifted for the sake of the body and that all members are necessary let me show you how you ought to proceed in this matter.
Paul is clear….
Thesis: Love is to animate, motivate and permeate all that we say and do.
This chapter is a 3 stanza hymn celebrating the wonders of biblical love.
There are three Greek words for love.
Eros = which denotes sexual desire. It is the passionate, lustful kind of love.
Philia = affection or friendship between kindred spirits.
Agape = self-giving, sacrificial kind of love.
- Stanza 1 – The Priority of Love. (13:1-3)
- Stanza 2 – The Personality of Love. (13:4-7)
- Stanza 3 – The Permanence of Love. (13:8-13)
Posted in 1 Corinthians, Sermon Podcast, Sermon Series
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Death, Duty & Devotion
Gospel of John #29: An exposition of John 11:45-12:8. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, July 10, 2011.
Intro:
It must have been quite an evening. One of those I would give anything to have been a part of. There was laughter, joy and celebration as Jesus was guest at a dinner in his honor. This was no ordinary gathering. The dinner conversation was extraordinary. Simon the leper (make that the “former leper”) told of the unbelief that overwhelmed him when he realized he had been healed. I can see the unbridled joy accompanied by tear-filled eyes as he described the scene. The crowd thrilled at his story was sure it just didn’t get any better. That’s when Lazarus spoke up. “That is amazing Simon but I had been dead for four days! I saw the glories of Paradise. It seemed like only a moment when I heard the voice of Jesus call my name. I will never forget the look on Peter’s face when I came shuffling out of that tomb.” You would never have known that evening that a murderous plot was underway. It never would have occurred to you that within one week the world would change. Our text this morning is found in John chapters 11 and 12.
Text: John 11:45-12:8
It is important to set the context:
Ever since that day in Capernaum when Jesus first told the cripple man his sins were forgiven and then healed his lifeless legs the religious establishment had been determined to be rid of the trouble making rabbi from Galilee. Through the years that animosity only increased. Repeatedly they sought to trap him in some ethical dilemma or some theological heresy all to no avail. Things grew more intense with the healing of the man born blind and the subsequent embarrassment for the establishment. The final straw was the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
Lazarus’ raising made the establishment a little uneasy. When you have a formerly decomposing corpse walking around it is difficult to persuade people to overlook that fact.
In our text this morning we find John’s account of events following the resurrection of Lazarus. First in an emergency meeting of the Jewish high court and second at a dinner party in Bethany. As we make our way through this account I want you to notice the difference in response. It is here we are reminded that…
Thesis: The revelation of Jesus provokes anger and murderous hate in some while igniting loving service and devotion in others.
I want us to note three portraits from our text.
- Ciaphas: a portrait of self-centered expediency and unbridled hostility. (11:45-54)
- Martha: a portrait of energetic, efficient, loving service. (12:1-2)
- Mary: a portrait of extravagant devotion. (12:3-8)
Conclusion:
Jesus has been revealed over a three year public ministry.
Revealed as a profound teacher – no man teaches like this man.
A prophet – he speaks with authority.
A worker of miracles – opens the eyes of the blind, causes the lame to walk, raises the dead.
Some are provoked to anger and murderous hate while others are driven to loving service and passionate devotion.
Where do you fit in?
Ciaphas?
Martha?
Mary?
Which best describes your response to the revelation of Jesus?
Posted in Romans, Sermon Podcast, Sermon Series
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Slaves, Brides & a Price
The Cross #4: This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, July 6, 2011.
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Living in Two Kingdoms
An exposition of Romans 13:1-7. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, July 3, 2011.
Posted in Non-Series, Sermon Podcast, Sermon Series
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Peace in Chaos
John # 28: An exposition of John 11:1-44. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, June 26, 2011.
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Debtors, Enemies & Criminals
The Cross #3: This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, June 22, 2011.
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Blessed Assurance
Gospel of John #27: An exposition of John 10:27-30. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, June 19, 2011.
Intro:
Have you ever known something for years only to find out it wasn’t true? I mean you knew it. You had it on good authority. There was no doubt in your mind as to its truthfulness, you had no reason to question it, then one day you discover it is not true. American humorist Josh Billings said, “It’s better to know nothing than to know what aint so.” When I was pastoring in Masham I had come to Tulsa for something and I ran into an old friend. He told me the heart-wrenching story of the tragic death of one of our classmates. I went home saddened by the death of my friend. Through the years I had opportunity to pass the tragic news on to a few of our other classmates. Not long after we had moved to Tulsa I was sitting in the waiting room to see my new doctor. As I thumb through a magazine I heard the door open and I did what we all do, in that circumstance, I looked up to see who was coming out from seeing the doctor. There stood my deceased classmate! That’s when I knew I was in the right place. This doctor is good because for a guy who’s been dead 6 years – he’s looking pretty good. In that instance I was glad that my “assurance” was “false assurance” but it made me wonder, “What else to I know that ain’t so?”
I don’t like uncertainty.
I much prefer stability and certainty.
One our our most cherished doctrines is the doctrine of eternal security.
Commonly referred to as, “once saved, always saved.”
A precious and often misunderstood doctrine.
Misunderstood even by our own folks.
I prefer to call it the perseverance of the saints.
True saints persevere to the very end.
Or preservation of the saints, God preserves His own.
After all salvation is God’s work.
We are saved by grace, kept by grace and we’ll enter into glory by that same grace.
Salvation is by God’s grace from beginning to end.
One of the bedrock passages for this glorious truth is found in the 10th chapter of John’s Gospel.
Text: John 10:27-30
Let’s put everything in context.
John has just told us of Jesus’ encounter with the Pharisees.
Our Lord had healed a man blind since birth (John 9).
Now that is a glorious thing.
But the Pharisees could not rejoice in it because it was done on the Sabbath.
They have been upset with Jesus from the beginning of his public work (starting in Capernaum).
You remember they got mad back in chapter 5 because he healed on the Sabbath.
John tells us a division arose among the Pharisees because of this event (John 9:16).
In the first part of chapter 10 Jesus takes aim at the Pharisees.
He speaks about those who are supposed to be shepherds but prove to be impostors.
He they are thieves, robbers and hired-hands but that He (Jesus) is the Good Shepherd.
The Good Shepherd who:
Knows his sheep – personally and intimately.
Provides for his sheep – saved, secure and satisfied.
Loves his sheep – sacrificially, universally, and deliberately.
Again there was division because of Him (10:19-21).
Now a few months later, during the Feast of Dedication there is another confrontation.
I want to focus on just part of what Jesus said – 10:27-30.
Thesis: The biblical Gospel allows the believer to rest in the assurance of salvation.
Often this doctrine is misunderstood and abused. Rightly understood it is not, “say the magic words” and then live however you want the rest of your days because everything is alright. Salvation is about conversion not decision. There is a world (make that an eternity) of difference between the two.
Buried within our Lord’s response to the questioning crowd is this marvelous word about assurance. I want you to see three reasons for our assurance.
- Our assurance is based on the promise of the Lord Jesus. (10:27-28)
- Our assurance is anchored in the power of God. (10:29)
- Our assurance is secured by the unity of the Father and the Son. (10:30)
Conclusion:
There may well be some things I know that aint so but of this I am certain – my salvation is secure. It is secure because of the promise of the Lord Jesus, the power of God and the unity of the Father and the Son.
Posted in John, Sermon Podcast, Sermon Series
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