Wood Baptist Church: Recent Episodes
Burwell Stark
Listen to weekly expository sermons from Wood Baptist Church in Louisburg, NC, featuring Pastor Burwell Stark and other guest speakers.
Jesus ...
A. Shows us God - He is the way
B. Shares salvation with us - He is the truth
C. Shines forever in and through us - He is the life
Our Father in heaven ...
A. Direct us from seducing circumstances
B. Deliver us from the snare of the devil
C. Doxology to God's glory
A. The continued presence of sin
B. The consistent practice of confession
C. The critical priority of forgiveness
"When we pray, 'Give us this day our daily bread,' we are, in a measure, shutting tomorrow out of our prayer. We do not live in tomorrow but in today. We do not seek tomorrow's grace or tomorrow's bread. They thrive best, and get most out of life, who live in the living present. They pray best who pray for today's needs, not for tomorrow's, which may render our prayers unnecessary and redundant by not existing at all!" E.M. Bounds
A. A prayer of dependence - Give us today
B. Requesting our provisions - our daily bread
C. God's willingness to answer - Matthew 7:9-11
The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer but unoffered prayer - F.B. Meyer
A. Praying for the advance of the gospel - "Your kingdom come"
B. Praying for the obedience of faith - "Your will be done"
C. Praying for the conformity of our will(s) to God's - "on earth as it is in heaven."
Our prayer is:
A. Grounded in our relationship with God - Our Father
B. Guarded by His authority - in heaven
C. Given in response to His glory - hallowed by Your name
A. The significance of prayer (5a)
B. The sincerity of prayer (5b-6)
C. The simplicity of prayer (7-8)
Luke 1: John the Baptist
A. In the spirit and power of Elijah (5-20)
B. Recognizing the Messiah (41-45, 57-66)
C. Zechariah's prophecy (67-80)
A. Samson - Judges 13:1-25
B. Samuel - 1 Samuel 1:1-20
C. Prophecy of Isaiah - Isaiah 7:13-14; 9:1-7
A. Sin, death, and the promise - Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7, 15
B. Cain - Genesis 4:1-15
C. Isaac - Genesis 18:1-2, 9-14, 17-18
A. Confidence in prayer (13-15)
B. Conviction in intercession (16-17)
C. Confession and conclusion (19-21)
A. The testimony of faith (1-5)
B. The testimony of the water and the blood (6-8)
C. The testimony of God is eternal life in Christ (9-12)
A. Love demands a new birth (7-10)
B. Love demonstrates God's presence (11-16a)
C. Love drives out fear of judgment (16b-21)
A. The discernment test (1)
B. Confessing Jesus Christ (2-3)
C. The church has been given a greater Spirit (4-6)
A. A heart at peace - (19-20)
B. Confidence before God (21-22)
C. Faith and obedience (23-24)
A. We should love one another (11-12)
B. We have passed from death to life (13-15)
C. We know what love is (16-18)
A. First contrast: Lawlessness and living in Christ (4-6)
B. Second contrast: Committing sin and doing what is right (7-8)
C. Third contrast: Living in sin and being a child of God (9-10)
A. The righteousness of God (2:29)
B. The great love of God (3:1-2)
C. The purity of Christ (3:3)
A. Abiding in the promise (24-25)
B. Rejecting counterfeit teaching (26-27)
C. Confident and unashamed (28)
A. Anointing from the Holy One (20)
B. Knowledge of the truth (20-22)
C. Possessing the Son and the Father (23)
A. The dilemma of the world (15)
B. The danger of the world (16)
C. The destiny of the world (17)
A. The old command to love (7)
B. A thing which is true (8)
C. Love for the Christian family (9-11)
A. Jesus our advocate (1)
B. Jesus our atoning sacrifice (2)
C. Jesus our example (3-6)
A. God is light (5)
B. Fellowship in the light (6-7)
C. Sin exposed by the light (8-10)
A. The uniqueness of Christ (1)
B. The testimony of eternal life (2)
B. The communion of the saints (3-4)
A. Paul’s warm greetings (1-7)
B. Paul’s call for forgiveness and restoration (8-21)
C. Paul’s future plans (22-25)
A. The Trinity's activity in salvation (4-7)
B. Careful, devoted life (8-11)
C. Final words and instructions (12-15)
A. Our public facing behavior (1-2)
B. Our former depraved conduct (3)
C. Our salvation because of God’s mercy (4-5a)
A. The present demonstration of God’s grace
B. The future revelation of God’s glory
C. The bold proclamation of God’s word
A. Consistent with sound doctrine
B. Counter-cultural Christian living
C. Communicating doctrine with integrity
A. Be wary of the insubordinate deceivers (10-13a)
B. Be sound in the faith (13b-14)
C. Be certain of your confession (15-16)
A. The importance of elders (5)
B. The quality of an elder (6)
C. The duties of an elder (7-9)
A. The message of the bond-servant of God (1-2a)
B. The foundation of the promise of God (2b-3a)
C. The revelation of the command of God (3b-4)
A. Paul's desire for fellowship (9-15)
B. Paul's defense of the gospel (16-18)
C. Paul's declaration of final greetings (19-22)
A. Charged to preach the word (1-2)
B. People will not listen to sound doctrine (3-4)
C. The waiting crown of righteousness (5-8)
A. The suffering of the godly (10-13)
B. The assurance of salvation (14-15)
C. The sufficiency of Scripture (16-17)
A. Difficult times are here (1-5)
B. Ever learning but never knowing (6-7)
C. They will reach their limits (8-9)
A. Jesus is the One who gives life
B. Jesus is the One who lays down His life
C. Jesus is the One who takes His life back up again
A. Valuable and worthless (20-21)
B. Flee from and run after (22)
C. Demeanor and deliverance (23-26)
A. The approved worker (14-15)
B. The dangerous infection of heresy (16-18)
C. The solid foundation of God (19)
A. The resurrected, promised Christ (8-9a)
B. The freedom of the word (9b-10)
C. The reward for the one who endures (11-13)
A. Be strong in your faith (1)
B. Train others in the faith (2)
C. Live a lifestyle that demonstrates your faith (3-7)
A. Don't be ashamed to suffer for the gospel (8-12)
B. Hold on to what you've been given (13-14)
C. Stand firm when others fall away (15-18)
A. The introduction (1-2)
B. A call to remembrance and assurance (3-5)
C. A call to remember the gift of the Spirit (6-7)
A. The process of redemption (1-10)
B. The blessings in redemption (11-12)
C. The hope through redemption (13-22)
A. A Near-East ritual of redemption (1-6)
B. Spreading the corner of the garment (7-13)
C. The return of hope (14-18)
A. The view from the valley (1-2)
B. When the way seems uncertain (3-5)
C. The Lord's eternal protection (6-8)
A. Naomi's catastrophic loss (1-5) - unmet expectations
B. Ruth's confession and conversion (6-18) - faith in the midst of tragedy
C. Naomi's bitter outlook (19-22) - failure and shame
A. There is no one good (9-18)
B. No one is justified by the Law (19-20)
C. Believers are justified freely by His grace (21-24)
A. The Jews' false security in the Law (17-24)
B. The mark of the true covenant (25-29)
A. Self-delusion of condemnation (1-4)
B. God’s just judgement (5-11)
C. God’s will judge all alike on the last day (12-16)
A. God's righteous fury (18-20)
B. God replaced by images (21-23)
C. God gave them over (24-32)
A. The reputation of their faith (8-10)
B. Mutual encouragement in the faith (11-15)
C. The just shall live by faith (16-17l
A. The man (1)
B. The message (2-4)
C. The meaning (5-7)
*Quotation on Augustine of Hippo and Martin Luther taken from "The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An introduction to the New Testament" by Andreas Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum, and Charles L. Quarles, 2009, pp. 589-590
A. The coming fierce judgement
B. The call to faithful living
C. The concluding final exhortation
A. Remember what is written
B. Recognize the scoffer's scoffing
C. Rest assured in God’s faithfulness
Beware the false teachers and their:
A. Deceptive appearances (17)
B. Deceitful words (18-19)
C. Destructive ends (20-22)
A. Disdainful in their minds (10-11)
B. Depraved in their lifestyle (12-14)
C. Defiled in their teaching (15-16)
A. The promised deception by false teachers
1. False prophets/ false teachers
2. Methods
3. Depraved conduct
B. The promised destruction of the wicked
1. Condemnation/ destruction
2. Examples
C. The promised deliverance of the righteous
1. Noah
2. Lot
3. Rescue the godly
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Divine reliability of the Scriptures (19)
A. More certain
B. Prophetic message -
Divine mandate of the Scriptures (19)
A. Study and believe
B. Dark place
C. Day dawns
D. Morning star -
Divine origin of the Scriptures (20-21)
A. Not by human interpretation
B. Not originating in the human will
C. Spoke from God -
Divine authority of the Scriptures (21)
A. Continuously reminding of the truth (12)
1. What we know
2. Secure in what we possess
B. Conscious of the brevity of life (13-15)
1. The tent of this body
2. Soon put it aside
3. Remember these things after my departure
C. Certainty of the gospel of Christ (16-18)
1. Cleverly devised fables
2. Coming and power of Christ
3. Eyewitnesses to His majesty
- Purpose of spiritual growth (5a) - “For this very reason…”
- Through God’s great and precious promises we:
- Participate in the divine nature, and;
- Escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desired
- We should work hard with urgency and diligence to live life in a way that pleases God in participation with Him. How is that?
- Through God’s great and precious promises we:
- Practice of spiritual growth (5b-7) - Better translated “With and by your faith supply goodness…”
- Characteristics
- Faith - the faith referenced in v1
- Virtue (goodness) - moral excellence
- Knowledge - applied knowledge, wisdom (of moral excellence)
- Self-control - self-control, especially of one’s sensual desires (cf v4)
- Endurance - patient steadfastness, unswerving (stay the course despite difficulty and trial)
- Godliness - reverence, piety towards God
- Brotherly affection - brotherly/familial love for fellow believers
- Love - sacrificial, pious love for God and His church
- CF 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (love), Galatians 5:22-23 (fruit of the Spirit), James 3:17-18 (wisdom from above)
- Characteristics
- Promise of spiritual growth (8-9)
- If present - Lit., “These things in you…”
- Growing - multiply and increasing, which is a sign of salvation and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
- Not idle nor unfruitful - not like a field left fallow/unworked, barren
- As to knowledge of Christ - this is the goal of growth, increased knowledge (though experience and discipline) of Christ. This cannot be gained through the world.
- If not present
- Blind - Not “...will be blind…”, but “...is blind...”. He cannot see the things of heaven, though he may see clearly the things of the world.
- Short-sighted - Lit., closing his eyes. He cannot see the things afar off, i.e., heaven.
- Forgetfulness of purification of former sins - their lifestyles still resembled that of the world.
- If present - Lit., “These things in you…”
- Perks of spiritual growth (10-11)
- Be diligent in making sure (certain, firm) your:
- Calling - Invitation to salvation
- Election - Chosen by God for salvation
- Cf Romans 8:29-30
- Practice them to keep from stumbling - this is not that our salvation is confirmed by works, because we just saw it is by God’s calling and election. Rather, this is to grant us courage (make sure) that we are among God’s chosen people because His Spirit is working within us.
- Rich entrance into the eternal kingdom of Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - better translated: “The entrance shall be richly bestowed or supplied…”. The word “receive” (NIV) is the same as the word “add” (v5).
- According to Ellicott’s Commentary, Peter seems to be saying “‘Supply these graces, and an entrance into the kingdom shall be abundantly supplied to you’ — ‘abundantly,’ i.e., with a warm welcome, as to a son coming home in triumph; not a bare grudging admission, as to a stranger.”
- We only enter heaven because of Christ and He is our great reward.
- Be diligent in making sure (certain, firm) your:
- Equally privileged faith - there are not levels or divisions of faith, but a common faith of all believers, whether apostles or children, all who call upon Jesus come on equal terms.
- Through the righteousness of God and Savior Jesus Christ - not due to anything we have done but through God’s righteousness, i.e., His moral perfection and sinlessness. (testimony to the deity of Christ).
- Received from God - this was a gift.
- Knowledge of God - cf Matthew 11:27 All things have been committed to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
- Grace and peace in abundance (multiplying) - Through our growing experiential knowledge of God we can have increasing/multiplying grace and peace in a lost world. Why do you think that is the case?
- Divine power for life and godliness - (same power described in Romans 1:16 for salvation).
- Present age - some have translated this to mean “godly life” (NIV) and that is of course true through the power of the Holy Spirit
- Eternal life - This seems to be the better interpretation. Our eternal life and godliness (participation in the divine nature, v4) flow from Him and are based in Him. We cannot have eternal life and godliness apart from our election in Christ.
- Calling through His glory and goodness - His calling to salvation through His divine nature and moral excellency. On what grounds are we saved? Through Christ’s righteousness alone.
- Highly valued promises - The glory and goodness of Christ has given us “precious” (i.e., highly valued) promises. What are those promises (after salvation and forgiveness of sin)?
- Participate in divine nature - Not that we would be God, for that is what the serpent taught. Rather, that we will fellowship with God and enjoy His life for all of eternity, free from the presence, power, and penalty of sin.
- Escaped the corruption of the world - In contrast to the life God has provided for the elect, the world and those of the world are perishing due to their depraved desires (godliness) and decay (life).
- The road to Emmaus (13-35)
- The two disciples are going home after the Passover
- Jesus appears to them on the road
- He opens the Scriptures (25-27)
- He rebukes their unbelief
- He points them to the Scriptures
- He explains what was written was about Him -
- Augustine wrote, The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed
- CF John 5:39 - “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me…”
- Steven Lawson has said - “[T]he entire Bible is about the Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament says He’s coming. The Gospels say He’s here. The book of Acts proclaim Him. The epistles explain Him. And Revelation says He’s coming again. That’s the Bible in a nutshell.”
- The upper room (36-49) - The same day, Sunday - the day of Jesus’ Resurrection
- The two disciples came back and told what had happened
- Jesus appeared and frightened the disciples. He ate fish to prove He was real
- The gospel is laid out (45-47)
- Jesus gave them the ability to understand the Bible; cf 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 - “...these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”
- The summary of the OT is that Jesus will “suffer and rise from the dead on the third day”
- Because of this (the summary of the OT), “repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name…” - this is the summary of the gospel ministry. Paul echoed this in Acts 20:21. Repentance and forgiveness are inseparable.
- Repentance - this is not a work or act of the flesh, this is recognition of our sinful state and need for forgiveness from outside ourselves
- Forgiveness of sins - this is seeking and receiving God’s complete pardon for our sins based solely on the finished work of Jesus.
- The ascension (50-53/ Acts 1:1-11)
- 40 days later
- The Jerusalem, Judea/Samaria, Ends of the Earth - for the apostles, but still true for us. Also the outline of the book of Acts.
- Jesus re-promised the Holy Spirit - cf John 14, 16
- His return is also promised - The angels told the disciples to stop staring at the sky - the word used for “looking” means the disciples were trying to see spiritual realities with their physical eyes. They were probably trying to see into heaven.
- The angels tell them to stop because Jesus will return from the sky physically again at the time of His choosing.
- Cf 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 - “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
A. The torn veil (23:44-49)
B. The borrowed tomb (23:50-56)
C. The empty tomb (24:1-12)
A. Deluded religious fanatics (22:66-71)
B. The proud atheist (23:1-12)
C. The fearful agnostic (23:13-25)
A. Lesson in greatness (24-30)
B. The coming activity (31-38)
C. The trial in the garden (39-46)
A. Judas' Betrayal (1-6)
1. The influencing of Judas
2. The price of betrayal
B. Preparations for the Supper (7-18)
1. Exact details
2. The promise of the kingdom
C. The Bread and the Cup (19-23)
1. The bread
2. The cup
A. The widow's offering (1-4)
B. Sign of the times (5-28)
C. The lesson of the fig tree (29-38)
A. The imago deity
B. The eternal nature of God/ immortality of the soul
C. The supremacy of Christ
A. The unexpected salvation (1-10)
B. The unexpected coming of the kingdom (11-27)
C. The application
A. The disciples who were blind
B. The blind man who could see
C. The application of the lesson
A. A warning about the heart (1-15)
1. Parable
2. Lesson on faithfulness
3. The pharisees response
B. A warning about the word (16-18)
1. The kingdom
2. Marriage
C. A warning about their faith (19-31)
1. Two lives on earth
2. Two lives in eternity
3. Ignoring God's word
A. Exalted Christ (14)
1. The Amen
2. Faithful and True witness
3. Ruler of God's creation
B. Exhorted Church (15-18)
1. Lukewarm
2. Self-deluded
3. Seek true and heavenly wealth
C. Encouraged Conquerors/Christians (19-22)
1. Discipline and repent
2. Jesus at the door
3. Victorious, sit on the throne
A. The Sovereign Christ (7)
1. Holy and True
2. Key of David
3. Open door
B. The Steadfast Church (8-10)
1. Maintained devotion
2. Resisted opposition
3. Assured protection
C. The Secure Completion (11-13)
1. Persevere faithfully
2. Planned foundation
3. Promised fellowship
A. The authority of Christ (1a)
1. The seven spirits
2. The seven stars
B. The vitality of the church (1b-3)
1. Spiritually dead
2. Wake up and repent
3. Consequences
C. The purity of the believer (4-6)
1. Some had not defiled their clothes
2. Names stay on the rolls
3. Acknowledged by Jesus
A. Reflection of His splendor (18-19)
1. Sovereign, conquering King
2. Faithful, commended servants
B. Reaction to their surrender (20-25)
1. Tolerated a false prophetess
2. Rejected Satan's deep secrets
3. Place no other burden
C. Redemption for the steadfast (26-29)
1. Authority to rule
2. Gift of the Morning Star
A. They stood firmly against outward opposition (12-13)
1. Reminder of the power of Christ's word
2. Recognize the prince of this world
3. Remaining His people and His witnesses
B. They surrendered feebly to inward deception (14-16)
1. They tolerated the false prophets
2. They transgressed in immoral practices
3. Christ will triumph through divine power
C. They can succeed fully in heavenly commendation (17)
1. Victory means we have been forgiven
2. Victory means we are a new creation2
A. Christ emphasizes His resurrection (8)
1. He is the Eternal One
2. He is the Living One
B. Christ encourages them in their opposition (9-10a)
1. Their lowly position
2. Their disparaged profession
3. Their upcoming persecution
C. Christ exhorts them in their dedication (10b-11)
1. Maintain their regular fidelity
2. Receive their rewarded victory
3. Enjoy the redeemed eternity
Revelation 2:1-7, "Signposts in a Strange Land, Part 1'
A. Regarded for their loyal perseverance (1-3)
1. Diligent in their service
2. Dutiful in their obedience
3. Dedicated in their beliefs
B. Rebuked for their lost passion (4-6)
1. Abandoned their previous love
2. Accept their proper lament
3. Abhor the promiscuous living
C. Rewarded if they lastingly prevail (7)
1. Ubiquitous appeal
2. Unyielding allegiance
3. Unfettered access
Luke 15:1-32 "Finding What was Lost, Part 2"
D. The Compassionate Love of God
1. The younger brother's rebellion
2. The younger brother's repentance
3. The father's rejoicing
4. The older brother's resentment
Luke 15:1-32 "Finding What was Lost, Part 1" (1-10)
A. The criticized love of God (1-2)
1. The sinful were accepted
2. The self-righteous were rejected
B. The covenant love of God (3-7)
1. Searching thoroughly
2. Caring tenderly
3. Rejoicing triumphantly
C. The copious love of God (8-10)
1. Illuminating completely
2. Seeking carefully
3. Celebrating cheerfully
Luke 14:25-35 The Cost of Discipleship
A. Carry your cross (25-27)
1. Unequaled love for God
2. Crucified life for God
B. Count the cost (28-33)
1. Funding the building
2. Fighting the battle
3. Forsaking the barriers
C. Consider the loss (34-35)
1. Corrupted witness
2. Confirmed apostasy
Luke 14:15-24 The Great Banquet
A. The Prepared Feast (15-17)
1. An exclusive reservation
2. An existing invitation
B. The Preposterous Excuses (18-20)
1. Care of the world
2. Deceitfulness of riches
3. Pleasures of this life
C. The Pressing Call (21-24)
1. The weak Jews
2. The wayward Gentiles
3. The winsome call
Luke 14:1-14 - The Heart of Jesus
-
A heart of charity (1-6)
A. Restoration
B. Indictment
C. Lesson -
A heart of humility (7-11)
A. Observation
B. Indictment
C. Lesson -
A heart of genorosity (12-14)
A. Instruction
B. Indictment
C. Lesson
A. A deluded question (22-23)
1. False sense of security
2. Forfeited spiritual opportunity
B. A difficult answer (24-30)
1. The way to salvation is defined
2. The time for salvation is fixed
3. The rewards of salvation are reserved
C. A distressing situation (31-35)
1. Herod's false warning
2. Jesus' firm ministry
3. Jerusalem's forsaken heritage
-
Jesus reproves the people (1-9)
A. The terror of man
B. The tragedy of nature
C. The time to repent is short -
Jesus releases a daughter of Abraham (10-17)
A. The physical healing
B. The Pharisee's reaction
C. The people's rejoicing -
Jesus reveals an aspect of the kingdom of God (18-21)
The kingdom of God is not:
A. Limited in size
B. Limited in scope
C. Limited in strength
Jeremiah and the New Covenant
-
The New Covenant
-
The Old Covenant
-
The Forgiveness of Sins
The Promised Messiah: Adam and Noah
-
The Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace
-
Adam (Genesis 3:15)
-
Noah (Genesis 6:17-18)
Luke 12:35-50
What to Expect When You're Expecting, Part 2
V 49-59
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Fire and baptism (49-50)
-
Divided by allegiance (51-53)
-
Interpreting the times (54-56)
-
The conclusion of the matter (57-59)
Luke 12:35-59 "What to Expect When You're Expecting, Part 1"
v 35-48
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Don't let your light go out (13-40)
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Don't stop waiting (41-46)
-
Don't be "that servant" (47-48)
Luke 13:13-34 "Some warnings to the disciples"
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The danger of greed (13-21)
-
The distraction of worry (22-31)
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The deception of fear (32-34)
Luke 12:1-12 Some words to the disciples
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Be genuine (1-3)
-
Be encouraged (4-7)
-
Be bold (8-12)
This sermon was preached on 18 August, 2019 at the observation of the Eucharist/the Lord's Supper.