Pleasant Garden Baptist Church Podcast (Sermons)

The “Why’s” that Matter Most

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (ESV)

8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 

9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 

10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us.

1.    Why does God often allow trials? To make us rely on Him (1:9). 

2.    Why can we trust God with our trials? Because God raises the dead (1:9).

22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. ---1 Kings 17:22 (ESV)

21 And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet. ---2 Kings 13:21 (ESV)

14…And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. ---Luke 7:14-15 (ESV)

41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.  ---Mark 5:41-42 (ESV)

43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  ---John 11:43-44 (ESV)

6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.  ---Matthew 28:6 (ESV)

40 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.  ---Acts 9:40-41 (ESV)

**If God is big enough to raise the dead, no trial, problem, or difficulty is too big for Him to walk us through.**

What Can We Do When It Hurts?

2 Corinthians 1:3-11 (ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 

4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 

5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 

6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 

7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. 

8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 

9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 

10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us.  On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 

11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

1. When it hurts, remember who He is and what He does (1:3-4, 9-10).

2. When it hurts, reflect His comfort to others (1:4-7).

3. When it hurts, rely upon Him only (1:8-9).

4. When it hurts, replenish others through prayer (1:11).

Jesus on Integrity

Matthew 5:33-37 (ESV)

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 

34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,

35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 

36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

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1. Jesus warns of creating "wiggle room" about the truth (5:33-36). 

2. Jesus reminds us of His sovereignty over all of our words and deeds (5:34-36).

3. Jesus teaches that the enemy is behind all forms of dishonesty (5:37). 

Jesus on Politics

Matthew 25:31-40

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 

32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 

33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 

35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 

36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 

37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 

38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 

39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

1. Jesus’ kingdom politics is outcome-oriented (25:32).

    32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Matthew 25:32 (ESV)

 

    For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20 (ESV)

    13 Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 

   

    21 Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:13, 21 (ESV)

  **Politics in the Nation and the Church:**

  - Many assume the worst of others’ motives.

  - Many fight (seemingly at all costs) for their cause or candidate.

  - Many assume the worst if their cause/candidate doesn’t win.

  - Conversely, many assume all is good if their cause or candidate does win.

  - Many have cast off charity, kindness, and the benefit of the doubt.

  - Many (perhaps most) have lost sight of the main thing — Jesus and His  kingdom.

2. Jesus’ kingdom politics is others-oriented (25:35-40).

3. In Jesus' kingdom politics, Jesus is King (25:31).

"Jesus on the Last Days"

Matthew 24:1-14 (ESV)

1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 

2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 

4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.

5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.

6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.

10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.

11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Pastor Robert shares background on the Southern Baptist Convention's history and current events at this year's convention in Nashville, TN.

Jesus on Divorce

Matthew 19:3-6 (ESV)

3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” 

4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 

5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 

6  So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Matthew 5:31-32

31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 

32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

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1.    Jesus raises the bar for the husband’s responsibility to marriage (5:32).

  16 “For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with violence,” says the Lord of armies. “So be careful about your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.” ---Malachi 2:16 (NASB)

  15…So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16 For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless. ---Malachi 2:15-16 (ESV)

2.    Exceptions for divorce aren’t meant to be the way out  of a marriage, but to be ways of honoring the integrity of marriage.

   Biblical Exceptions for Divorce:

   1.    Divorce is permitted by Jesus for adultery (Matthew 5:32, 19:9).

   2.    Divorce is permitted by Paul for abandonment (1 Corinthians 7:14-15).

   3.    Divorce is permitted by Moses for abuse (Exodus 21:10-11, Deuteronomy 21:11-14). 

   But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” ---Matthew 5:32 (ESV)

   And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery. ---Matthew 19:9

   14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. ---1 Corinthians 7:14-15 (ESV)

   10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money. ---Exodus 21:10-11 (ESV)

3.    Divorce isn’t a deal breaker with God.

   9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. ---1 Corinthians 6:9-11     (ESV)

            

Jesus on Lust

Matthew 5:27-30 (ESV)

27 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 

28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 

29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”

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1.    Jesus teaches that a holy heart produces holy conduct (5:27-28).

2.    For us to develop a holy heart, we’ve got to deal with the root not just the fruit (5:28).

14 You shall not commit adultery.  17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. ---Exodus 20:14, 17 (ESV)

3.    Jesus teaches radical action to preserve a holy heart (5:29-30).

“Jesus on Gender and Sexuality”

Matthew 19:3-6 (ESV)

3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” 

4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 

5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 

6  So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Jesus on Gender and Sexuality:

1.    Jesus and the Scriptures are not silent on our cultural challenges regarding gender and sexuality (19:4).

2.    The standards of the Scriptures apply to the Christian and to the church (19:5-6).

3.    The church must embrace both biblical conviction and Christlike compassion

(John 8:10-11).

Biblical Clarity on Gender and Sexuality: 

1.    Sex is a gift from God meant exclusively for marriage between a man and a woman.

2.    Pornography, sex before or outside of marriage, same sex relationships, and a host of other sexual sins as outlined in the Bible reveal human brokenness and are forbidden for the Christian. 

3.    The standards of Scripture are meant to serve as boundary lines for the Christian and the church, not clubs to beat against those who would disagree.

4.    The church’s response to and engagement with the LGBTQTIA+ community must be scripturally consistent and lovingly compassionate. 

“Jesus’ Lessons on Anger”

Matthew 5:21-26

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 

22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults] his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 

23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 

24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 

25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 

26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. 

1.    Investigate your heart for anger, not just your hands (5:21-22).

2.    Muzzle your mouth when anger arises (5:22).

3.    Remember you are capable of angering others too (5:23-26).