Trinity Presbyterian Church North Bay — Sermons & Sunday School

Sermon preached on Luke 7:36-50 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 11/28/2021 in Novato, CA.

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We come today to as passage that is a memorable, remarkable, even startling, display of the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. And Jesus gives this short but fitting parable to help interpret this whole interchange between Jesus, Simon the Pharisee, and this sinner of a woman. In this parable, Jesus envisions a moneylender who cancels the debts of two people who couldn’t pay their bills. One owed fifty denarii but the other five hundred. A denarii was approximately a day’s wage back then, so both debts were significant, but one far worse. Jesus teaches that the one who had a much bigger debt forgiven will naturally be more full of love toward the lender. Jesus speaks here of the gratitude and appreciation one person has for another who shows them such kindness and mercy. This parable then teaches something about all the parties in this passage.

Let us then begin by considering who is this sinner of a woman. That’s how she is described in verse 37. Jesus is the guest of this Simon the Pharisee. Jesus is there reclining at the table which was a common posture in such a setting. And herein enters this woman described as a sinner and she proceeds to anoint Jesus and shower him in acts of love. Let us begin in thinking about this woman by saying that we should resist the proposal of some to identify her as Mary of Bethany. That’s the Mary who was the sister of Martha and Lazarus. We find, for example, her mentioned by name as anointing Jesus with oil in John 12. There are two similar accounts in Matthew 26 and Mark 14. While Mary of Bethany is not mentioned by name in those Matthew and Mark accounts, they are so similar, and can be more easily harmonized, and so likely are all the same event. Taking those three passages together, apart from today’s passage, there, we see Jesus anointed by Mary at Simon the leper’s house in Bethany. Judas Iscariot then complains that such expensive ointment should have been sold and given to the poor instead of wasting it on Jesus. Jesus then defends and commends Mary’s action. So then, there have been some who have claimed our passage for today is another parallel account to that. However, while there are some similarities, the differences suggest this is a different occasion. Yes, the host’s home in both accounts was named Simon – yet that was such a common name. Yes, there was an alabaster jar of ointment – but if you were going to store ointment for anointing, an alabaster jar would have been common enough. Mary’s anointing was at Bethany in Judea, the context here suggests our passage’s anointing happened in Galilee. The three accounts for Mary of Bethany all deal with the very different concern about the ointment being wasted, versus our passage showing this hostile Simon being concerned about an unclean sinner touching Jesus. That’s not a concern you’d expect him to have if he himself was also a leper. In Mary’s accounts, she doesn’t seem to be an uninvited guest. And everything we know about Mary of Bethany speaks of high character, in contrast to this passage’s sinner of a woman. So, there is seems there is a much stronger case to be made against seeing this passage as a parallel of Mary of Bethany’s anointing.

So then, we should also say that that there is not sufficient evidence to identify this sinner of a woman with Mary Magdalene. While Mary Magdalene has also been proposed as the identity of this sinful woman, and while acknowledging that she is mentioned in the very next chapter, there is absolutely no textual reason to draw that conclusion.

So then, we are left with this woman being an otherwise unknown person to us,

Sunday School class led by Deacon Jim Wright at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 11/28/2021 in Novato, CA, considering the Lord’s Prayer.

Sermon preached on Luke 7:18-35 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 11/21/2021 in Novato, CA.

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Discerning the times and the things of God can be challenging.  Often our own presumptions and expectations can get in the way of properly understanding what God is doing.  For some people, no matter what God is doing they are never satisfied.  But today’s passage is a reminder to look to God’s Word to help us understand the times we live in and to discern what God is doing through them all. 

Here we find John the Baptist trying to understand the times he was living in and particularly as it relates to Jesus as Messiah.  Recall that we last heard about John’s ministry of baptism back in chapter 3, where we saw him calling people to repent ahead of the coming of the Messiah.  John’s baptism ministry included baptizing Jesus where he then witnessed the Holy Spirit descend upon him in bodily form.  We learn in John’s gospel why that fact was especially important to John the Baptist.  In John 1:31-34, John recounts that he received divine revelation that told him how to identify the Messiah.  John was told that the one on whom he sees the Holy Spirit descend upon and remain – that one is the Messiah.  So, then John witnessed this happen to Jesus.  It’s why in John’s gospel he is recorded in John 1:29 as proclaiming that Jesus is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.  But remember how we left things with John the Baptist back in chapter 3.  He had confronted King Herod about his sin and Herod put him in prison.

So then, by the time of our passage, John had been languishing in prison for some time when word comes to him with an update about Jesus’ ministry.  We see this in verse 18 and should see it in light of the previous verse which said that Jesus’ miracle to raise the widow’s son from Nain was reported throughout all Judea.  So, word of Jesus’ miracles, including this amazing resurrection make it to John.  Now you might think that would make John all the more certain that Jesus was the promised Messiah.  If you had any doubts before, you might think that reports of such mighty miracles would solidify your faith.  Yet, we see instead him asking this question in verse 19.  “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”  In one sense, this is hard to believe John would have any doubts.  Besides the recent reports of such miracles, John had personally received that revelation from God that identified Jesus as the Messiah.  How can he have such doubt now?  Yet, I suspect the answer is simple.  John is still in prison.  Surely, with such wonderful reports of miracles through Jesus, you might imagine John might wondered if he’d be getting saved from prison soon.  Surely, when the fulness of God’s kingdom came, God’s people wouldn’t be still in prison.  So, we can appreciate John’s inquiry here.

So then, John sends his question via two of his disciples.  We can appreciate two messengers being sent.  Not only will John have two accounts of Jesus’ response, to make sure he doesn’t miss anything.  But as two people going to Jesus, it means that Jesus’s answer is witnessed to by multiple witnesses.  It essentially asks Jesus to go on record about his identity.

So then, the two messengers bring John’s question to Jesus.  We see in verse 21, that they bring the question to Jesus at the same time as when he had just been performing yet more and more miracles of healing of people and casting out of demons.  So then, Jesus answers their question.

Sunday School class led by Deacon Jim Wright at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 11/21/2021 in Novato, CA, considering the Lord’s Prayer.

Sermon preached on Luke 7:1-17 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 11/07/2021 in Novato, CA.

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Life is fragile. When sickness comes, we are confronted with that reality. When a loved one dies, we realize how we hate death and want its sting to be done away with. But we also realize how powerless we humans are to overcome death. But what is impossible with man is possible with God. Today’s passage shows us the power of God being manifested to overcome death in two people. These accounts are so marvelous because God does not normally manifest his power to overcome death in such ways. Yet, God’s power has at times been manifested in different ways in history. If today’s passage is reminiscent at all of the ministries Elijah and Elisha from the Old Testament, you are correct to notice such a connection. God manifested his power over sickness and death through those two during a rather spiritually bleak period of time in Israel’s history. And in today’s passage, we again see God choosing to manifest his power. The people rightly recognize this in verses 16 and 17. They correctly understand the significance of Jesus’ miracles, even in overcoming death. They reflect that God and his power has visited them through the agency of a great prophet. That great prophet, and more, is Jesus Christ. Let us then see the power of God through Jesus in these two miracles.

So then, our first half of today’s message will be to consider Jesus healing this centurion’s servant in verses 1-10. From a big picture, we should appreciate that this is a ministry to a Gentile. Jesus’s earthly ministry was primarily focused on the house of Israel. This was in the fulfillment of the promises given to the patriarchs of Israel, in which God had covenanted with that nation and promised to send a savior through their lineage. Yet, those promises had also spoken about how this would result in blessing to all the nations. In the Old Testament, there were occasional statements about God’s plans to bring salvation to all the nations. But those plans went out in greater clarity and full force after Jesus’ ascension when he sent his apostles out to the nations with the gospel. But even during Jesus’ early ministry there were hints that how God’s good tidings in Jesus would be extended to all the nations, to whomever would receive Jesus Christ by faith.

And yet, at that time, there was in general a lot of division between Israelites and Gentiles. Israel at that time tended to think themselves privileged before God and that the Gentiles were just unclean heathens. The Gentiles did, in fact, practice pagan religion, and had often been persecutors of Israel. It’s with that context that you might appreciate the dynamics in these opening verses. Here you have a centurion. This was a Gentile Roman military leader who was in command of a hundred soldiers. And he had a beloved sick servant who was at the point of death, verse 2. So then, in verse 3 we see that this Centurion had learned about Jesus. Word had gotten out about the miracles and wonders that Jesus was doing. This centurion has hope and faith that Jesus can heal his beloved servant.

So, he contacts the local Jewish elders to contact Jesus on his behalf. They gladly comply and make an earnest plea to Jesus for him to heal the centurion’s servant. In their approach to Jesus we are reminded of the Jewish-Gentile dynamics, because in verse 4 we see them explain to Jesus why they would advocate for a Gentile. They tell Jesus that he is worthy of his help. They explain that the centurion loves the Jewish nation and he even built them their synagogue there in Capernaum. Understand what they are saying. This acknowledges that normally there are ethnic divides between Jew an...

Sunday School class led by Rev. W. Reid Hankins at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 11/07/2021 in Novato, CA. This week we continued a series through the Belgic Confession, consider the biblical teaching on the deity of the Holy Spirit.

Sermon preached on 1 Peter 3:13-18 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 10/31/2021 in Novato, CA.

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Five hundred years ago in 1521, Henry the VIII, King of England, was bestowed the title of the Defender of the Faith by Pope Leo X of the Roman Catholic Church. That was a title the English monarchs have continued to embrace, even after Pope Leo revoked the title when King Henry VIII broke off from the church when the pope wouldn’t grant him a divorce, but I digress. But the pope gave Henry that title “Defender of the Faith” because of how he sought to defend the church of Rome against the teachings of Martin Luther and the other Protestant Reformers. Henry wrote a book titled Defense of the Seven Sacraments and it took aim specifically at Luther and his critique of Rome’s sacramental system. Just the year before, Luther had boldly written his famous treatise on that very issue, titled, On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church. So, King Henry defended the Roman Catholic Church these teachings of Luther. But here’s the issue. Henry was heralded as the Defender of the Faith, but it was actually Martin Luther who was the real Defender of the Faith – the true Christian faith. Henry was heralded as the Defender of the Faith, but he was actually unrighteously persecuting a righteous defender of the faith. By the time Henry’s book was published, Luther had been recently excommunicated by the pope and then declared a heretic and outlaw by the Edict of Worms by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Luther had plenty of chances to recant his views and escape much suffering and persecution. But Luther didn’t, because he really was defending the faith.

This example from history is a very fitting illustration of our sermon passage for today. Often when we study this passage, we think about it in terms of apologetics toward those who do not claim to profess the Christian faith, like to atheists and agnostics. But on this Reformation Day we remember that we also have to defend the faith against those who claim to be teaching the faith themselves. We have to defend the faith from any from within the church who would turn away from sound doctrine. Even if they are leaders in the church. Even if they persecute you and try to make it sound like you are the heretic. With this historical illustration in mind between King Henry and Luther, let us work through our passage and receive this renewed call for us to be a real defender of the faith.

Let’s begin in our first point to think of suffering for righteousness’ sake. We find that language explicitly in verse 14. The idea is found in verses 13-14 and again in verse 17. Peter begins with what is normally a safe assumption in verse 13. He asks, “Who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?” Ordinarily, people aren’t going to persecute you and pester you if you are living a good and godly life. Normally people aren’t going to bother you if you are doing the right thing. And yet Peter then continues in verse 14 to acknowledge that sometimes this isn’t the case. Sometimes you might suffer for righteousness’ sake. Sometimes the enemies of the faith will try to flip the script. In their unrighteousness, they’ll call the righteous wicked and themselves righteous. In Luther’s case, how true that was. It was righteous for Luther to advocate for the true doctrines of God’s Word. And it was literally for righteousness’ sake when Luther taught that we need to find a righteousness not of our works but a righteousness which is of faith. Luther was doing the right thing to stand up for this soul-saving truth. But he was persecuted for it. He suffered because of his defense of the faith. After the Diet of Worms in 1521 when the Emperor ruled against him,

Sermon preached on Luke 6:43-49 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 10/24/2021 in Novato, CA.

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Today we conclude working through the Sermon on the Plain in Luke. In this conclusion to Jesus’ memorable sermon, we are pointed to the need to follow Jesus and actually heed his word. This is a fitting follow-up from last week’s passage where we saw him speaking against would-be religious teachers who were really just blind guides. Unlike the scribes and the Pharisees of the day, Jesus could lead the people in the light of truth that they and us so desperately need. Yet, as we conclude this sermon, we are also reminded here that the kind of following Jesus’ calls his disciples to is one that comes from the heart. True disciples of Christ will follow Jesus from the heart. Let us then dig into today’s passage.

Let us begin by looking at verses 46-49. There we find Jesus asking a question to those who would call him Lord but not actually obey him as Lord. He asks them why they would do that, and surely it is meant rhetorically. But he uses that to expose the inherent contradiction to someone who claims Jesus as Lord but doesn’t actually look to obey Jesus. You might call Jesus Lord, but if you don’t look to obey him, you aren’t actually acting like he is your lord.

Jesus then gives a parable to illustrate the ramifications of this. This is Jesus’ classic parable of building your house on the rock or not. Verses 47-48 gives the part of the parable that speaks of building a firm foundation on the rock. Verse 49 gives the part that speaks of not building such a firm foundation. Let’s walk through both. In verse 47 Jesus speaks about those people who come to him, hear his words, his teachings, and then does what Jesus says to do. He’s describing those disciples of Jesus who are actually looking to heed what Jesus says. This is what all disciples of Christ should be doing. So then in verse 48 he gives the analogy that those people are like the people who build a house but they dig deep until they get to solid rock, and they build a foundation first on that solid rock. That way, should a flood arise, should a huge storm come, their house will be safe and secure because it is built upon the solid rock. As it says, such a house is well built. Jesus says if you actually do what Jesus says to do, then you will be like the one who doesn’t just build a house, but builds a well-built house.

In contrast, Jesus says in verse 48 that there is the disciple who hears Jesus, who listens to his words, to his teachings, but doesn’t look to do what Jesus says to do. Jesus’ words are heard but ultimately ignored. Jesus’ words fall on deaf ears for such a disciple. That person is a disciple in name only, because he is not really learning anything from Jesus. Jesus’ words are not just for some academic knowledge that he wants you to have. They are supposed to be affecting you. They are to correct you where you need to be corrected. They are to direct you and guide you on how to live, think, and speak. So, Jesus’ parable about such a person in verse 48 is that he’s like someone who doesn’t build a foundation for their house. This is a helpful complement to Matthew’s account of this imagery. Matthew reports Jesus speaking of one who build on the sand. But here Jesus is recorded as describing someone who doesn’t dig deep until he gets to the rock. He just doesn’t build any real foundation at all. He just builds on the top of the ground. This is not a well-built house, because as Jesus says, when the storm eventually comes, when a stream of a flood arrives, the house will immediately make it fall down. And it says that the house will be in great ruin.

Sunday School class led by Rev. W. Reid Hankins at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 10/24/2021 in Novato, CA. This week we continued a series through the Belgic Confession, consider the biblical teaching on the deity of Christ.