Pleasant Garden Baptist Church Podcast (Sermons)

Redeeming Sexuality

Genesis 1:26-29, 31

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  

28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 

29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 

31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

Redeeming Sexuality

1. The culture around us invites us to realign ourselves under biblical authority.

2. The culture around us encourages us to rejoice in God’s good design of gender and sexuality.

3. The culture around us requires us to echo Jesus’ truth and grace to those around us.

She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more." ---John 8:11 (ESV)

Redeeming Sexuality – For Parents:

1) There is no script.

2) Let them hear it from you.

3) Find out what they know and go one step beyond.

4) Study God's plan for sexuality.

Laodicea – Don’t be Lukewarm!

Revelation 3:14-22

14 And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. 

15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 

16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 

17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 

18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 

19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 

22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

 

Laodicea – Don’t be Lukewarm!

1. Jesus condemns lukewarm uselessness (3:15-16).

2. Jesus warns that lukewarm faith can blind us (3:15-17).

3. Jesus offers correction for recovering from lukewarm faith (3:17-19).

4. Jesus promises His presence and power for those who reject a lukewarm faith (3:20-22).

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” ---Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV)

Philadelphia – Be Encouraged

Revelation 3:7-13

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. 

8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.  

9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 

10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 

11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.  

12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 

13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Philadelphia – Be Encouraged

1. Jesus reminds us that He provides our open doors (3:7).

2. Jesus proclaims that He is the source of our strength (3:8).

7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. ---2 Corinthians 12:7-10(ESV)

3. Jesus declares that He will make our opponents know that He loves us (3:9).

4. Jesus promises that He will keep us even in the midst of trial (3:10-11).

Legacy

Pastor Marty Tobin 25th Anniversary Celebration Sunday

Revelation 3:1

…I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ---Revelation 3:1 (ESV)

 

- PGBC has a legacy of raising up from within.

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. ---2 Timothy 2:2 (ESV)

- PGBC has a legacy of healthy staff longevity.

17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” ---1 Timothy 5:17-18 (ESV)

 

- We have the opportunity to see both of these legacies shape our future.

Sardis  -  Wake Up!

Revelation 3:1-6 

1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.  4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ - Revelation 3:1-6 (ESV) 

1. Jesus warns that reputations aren’t enough (3:1). 

2. Jesus gives a step-by-step for backsliding believers (3:2-3)

When you backslide…

Wake up (3:2) 

Strengthen what remains (3:2) 

Remember (3:3) 

Keep the Word (3:3) 

Repent (3:3) 

3. Jesus promises that He will remember those who remember Him (3:4-6). 

Thyatira – Resisting More Compromise

Revelation 2:18-29 

18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.  21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.  24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ - Revelation 2:18-29 (ESV) 

Thyatira – Resisting More Compromise

1.    Jesus warns of the dangers of tolerating evil leaders in his church (2:20-23). 

2.    Jesus distinguishes between those righteous and unrighteousness in his churches (2:24-25). 

3.    Jesus reminds us that He rewards faithfulness to the end (2:25-29). 

A New Year

James 1:27

 

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. ---James 1:27 (ESV)

 

PGBC In 2023

1. We can please God in our faith.

 

2. God is pleased when we care for those on the margins.

 

3. God is pleased when we cleanse ourselves from the world’s temptations.

Join us as we worship and the pastoral staff takes a look at Luke 2!

What Mary Teaches Us about God’s Call

Luke 1:26-38 (ESV)

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 

27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 

28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 

29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 

30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 

33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 

36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 

37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 

38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

What Mary Teaches Us about God’s Call

1. God’s call can catch us by surprise (1:26-29).

2. God calls us because God sees us (1:26-28).

3. God’s call is always accompanied by God’s empowerment (1:30-37).

4. God’s call deserves only one response—our obedience (1:38).

If you sense God “calling” you, what do you do?

-Pause and pray

-Have a conversation

-Take a step

What does John 3:16 say to us at Christmas?

>  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ---John 3:16 (ESV)

A John 3:16 Christmas

1. God declares a generous love.

2. God gives a generous sacrifice.

3. God extends a gracious offer.

Applications

1. We can love because He loved us.

2. We can give because He sacrificed for us.

3. We can share the gospel because He has offered it to us.