Plymouth Haven Baptist Church

Core Truth: Resentment and bitterness over either real or perceived wrongs and injustices can literally destroy us – both spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. It can also be a highly communicable disease that poisons others, which is why Hebrews 12:15 says Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God’s best blessings. Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives. Asaph, a man of God who was no novice in spiritual matters, is a remarkable case in point, which is why in this message I’m referring to him as “A Good Man Who Almost Threw in the Towel.”

Core Truth: Throughout human history men have tried to “reset” the world to their own will and liking, but all have failed, and always at great pain and cost to mankind. However, the greatest reset of all will be glorious beyond anything mankind could ever imagine and is much nearer than anyone may think.

When God Speaks, Diligently Listen

Core Truth: Praise always precedes worship. Until we praise God – that is, until we recognize and acknowledge how infinitely great and awesome He is, and until our hearts are filled with gratitude for all He has done for us, we will not worship Him – that is, we will not bow down before Him as our Lord and offer our lives in service to Him.

Core Truth: Not only are God’s ways always perfect but also His timing! Not only does He rule and overrule in the affairs of men and nations, but also in the most minute details of our own lives as His children – and nowhere is this more evident than in this wonderful event we celebrate each year called Christmas.

Core Truth:"Be Still and know that I am God"

Core Truth is: Contrary to what we might expect or prefer, being chosen and loved by God does not exempt us from life’s many problems and like David and all of the saints through the ages, trusting God in the hard places of life is always a choice. However, if in our own times of trial and adversity we are willing to trust our wise and loving heavenly Father as David did, then we, too, can join him in saying “You are my God. My times are in Your hands.”

Core Truth: In a world that is facing increasingly difficult and troubled times, it is the wise person who takes the time to learn how to find and enter the secret place of a strong and resilient relationship with God that will enable them to not just endure but triumph victoriously over whatever the Adversary and his forces of darkness will surely seek to bring against them. And those who do so will find themselves actually living in “the safest place in the world,” regardless of circumstances they may face.

Seeking God as your refuge
Having God’s people as companions in worship
Keeping your eye always on the Lord
Having the hope of resurrection
Having the right perspective of eternal life

Trust in the Lord. See His character, His kindness, His goodness, His faithfulness and His unfailing love. Sing His praises.

Core Truth: “Present suffering is not enjoyable, but life would be worth little without it. The difference between iron and steel is fire, but steel is worth all it costs. Iron ore may think itself senselessly tortured in the furnace, but when the watch-spring looks back, it knows better. David enjoyed pain and trouble no more than we do, but the time came when he admitted that they had been good for him. Though the aspect of suffering is hard, the prospect is hopeful, and the retrospect will start a song, if we are ‘the called according to His purpose,’ in suffering.” (M.D. Babcock)

Core Truth: Our Scripture today is “a celebration of the unquestionable supremacy of God and His Messiah over all the rebellious forces of humanity, making the dramatic point that to attempt rebellion against God is absurd, because God has already decided the matter and has invested His power and authority into a human king, His Messiah. There is no question as to who would win in a confrontation between God and His Messiah on the one hand and rebellious humanity on the other: God wins. It cannot be any other way. Moreover, God wins through His Messiah. As far as humanity is concerned, there ends up being no substantial distinction between God and His Messiah. You serve God by serving His Messiah. If you rebel against the Messiah, you rebel against God Himself. To trust in the Messiah is to trust in God. (BiteSizeExegisis.com)

Core Truth: If what we say about our faith is true – that like Abraham of old, we really do “look for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God,” then why should we stop singing the songs of Zion, hang up our harps in despair, and wistfully long for the more peaceful and predictable days now gone by? It is certainly not what Paul and Silas did while languishing in the inner dungeon of a Philippian jail!

Core Truth: We live in a greatly troubled and increasingly dangerous world. However, for Christians – true followers of Christ – those are the very conditions in which He has called us to win the lost, to love one another devotedly, and to spread the good news of the Gospel in every way we can as we prepare ourselves for His imminent return. Such an assignment demands that we learn the secret of “dwelling in the secret place.”

Core Truth: While no rational person likes or welcomes suffering and difficulty; Scripture is quite clear as to what has caused it…when it will ultimately end…and how in the meantime if we are willing, it can transform the lives of those who put their trust in God.

Core Truth: Perhaps the most sacred and inviolate place in all the world to our Creator is the sanctity of a mother’s womb, and nowhere has fallen man manifested a more arrogant rebellion against his Maker than in the relentless destruction of our unborn children – a rebellion for which we shall surely one day give account!

Core Truth: A “takeaway” from a meeting or an event is the key fact or idea that is to be remembered for future reference or action. Since through our Lord’s grace and mercy we have just been given the gift of another Christmas, what are the “takeaways” that we should carry into the New Year?

Core Truth: “It is fashionable in some academic circles to exercise scholarly criticism of the Bible. In so doing, scholars place themselves above the Bible and seek to correct it. If indeed the Bible is the Word of God, nothing could be more arrogant. It is God who corrects us; we don’t correct Him. We do not stand over God but under Him.” (R.C. Sproul, Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow)

Core Truth: “Praise is the rehearsal of our eternal song. By grace we learn to sing, and in glory we continue to sing. What will some of you do when you get to heaven, if you go on grumbling all the way? Do not hope to get to heaven in that style. But now begin to bless the name of the Lord.” (Spurgeon)

Core Truth: Since it is quite true that as the Apostle Paul once wrote (Rom. 10:12) that “the same Lord over all is rich unto all who call upon Him,” it also means that it is we who set the limits of how much or how little of Him we really want involved in our lives, and that each ultimately chooses for one’s self how we will finally slake our thirsts.

Core Truth: Life has a way of presenting us with situations which greatly challenge our faith and tempt us to resort to remedies of our own making, which seldom work.  Such was the case in the life of David. But through it all he became a much wiser man and went on to become Israel’s greatest king, while giving the world a rich storehouse of truths in the Scriptures that feed and nourish our souls even in these difficult days.

Core Truth: As we live our lives in an imperfect and troubled world, God’s eternal call to His people – His chosen ones – is to put our trust and confidence in Him and Him alone – the God Who does all things well!

Core Truth: Where we choose to live our lives will determine the level of peace, tranquility, and effectiveness for Christ as we adjust to the ever-changing world that is sure to come.

Core Truth: Life has a way of constantly reminding us that none of us is able to control the situations or events that come our way; however, Scripture is quite insistent that we “leave it to the Eternal” and that we learn to rest in His unfailing faithfulness!

Core Truth: The Hebrew word baca is related to bakah, which means “to weep.” Sooner or later every Christian will find himself passing through this valley, filling it with his tears. But for those who “make it a place of springs,” the end result will be well worth the pain, as he learns to “go from strength to strength” until he “appears before God in Zion.

Core Truth: God’s position over all things gives him clear perspective about all things and He wants to share His position and perspective with us, so that we too can learn to see things as they really are and live our lives accordingly.

Core Truth: Of all the questions being asked about the current COVID-19 pandemic, the most rational question to be asked is: where is God in all of this and what is God saying in this current situation?

Core Truth – The Christian martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote: “It is by the grace of God that a congregation is permitted to gather visibly in this world to share God’s Word and sacrament. Not all Christians receive this blessing. “ Perhaps nothing is more keenly missed than those things to which we have become so accustomed that we scarcely give them thought until for some reason they are taken away.

Core Truth: Trusting God is not a magical panacea that excuses believers from all of life’s dangers. However, it does guarantee that nothing shall be allowed to happen that has not first been carefully evaluated by the One Who holds each one of us in the palm of His hand. Isaiah 41:10, 49:16

Core Truth: Just as there are sad and destructive consequences for refusing to obey God’s Word, so also there are incredible rewards for those who choose to obey it.

Core Truth: Throughout the Bible, God's promise to us is that our obedience to Him will always bring his loving-kindness and great rewards but that refusing to do so will always result in many sorrows and difficulties. As someone has said, “If you want to increase God's favor in your life, start obeying Him in every area of your life.”

Core Truth: While God has promised us His absolute sovereignty, His sure and certain guidance, His unfailing strength, His ever-present help, His all-sustaining presence and protection, and His abiding peace, at the end of it all He has also promised that He will be glorified in all that concerns us as His children, both now and in the ages to come!

Core Truth: A thankful heart must be cultivated; it is not something most people come by naturally. Our natural tendency is to ignore or completely miss the good things God has given us, while focusing on the things we don’t have but think we should.

Core Truth: Those who forget the past are very apt to fall into thanklessness. If we forget the value of our heritage and the source of our blessings, it will become very easy for us to take for granted all that we have and all that we are, and begin believing that we can make our own way without God. We will also then find it easier to forget the great sacrifices of those who have given their all on our behalf.

Core Truth: “Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, working wonders?” Exodus 15:11

Core Truth: While even some of the Bible's greatest heroes had times of profound doubt about the meaning of their lives, God did not abandon them or fail them. Instead, He faithfully brought them through those dark times to a victorious and highly meaningful end.

Core Truth: As evidenced by our microwave meals, instant messages / text messages, and so many other things that require little time or patience, we live in a culture that is not good at waiting. However, God is not bound by our schedules nor impressed with our demands and the price of failing to wait for Him can be very high.

Core Truth: If God allowed us to go back in time and do things over again what might we do differently and what would we do exactly the same?

Core Truth: Living in close fellowship with God provides strength for our journey here on earth, gives meaning to the dry places and times of suffering in our lives, and leads us to a brighter hope of that day when God Himself shall wipe away all tears from our eyes.

Core Truth: There is great blessing to the person who chooses to live life in fellowship with the living God.

Core Truth: Since the Bible frequently speaks of God’s anger, it would appear that not all anger is wrong. In fact, since we are actually called to imitate God, there must be times when we are supposed to be angry. However, the key is to understand the difference between righteous anger and learn how to express our anger in ways that glorify God and help rather than hurt others.

Core Truth: To hush the spirit, to be silent before the Lord, to wait in holy patience the time for clearing up the difficulties of Providence -- that is what every gracious heart should aim at ... A silent tongue in many cases not only shows a wise head, but a holy heart.

Core Truth: To hush the spirit, to be silent before the Lord, to wait in holy patience the time for clearing up the difficulties of Providence – that is what every gracious heart should aim at… A silent tongue in many cases not only shows a wise head, but a holy heart.

Core Truth: “God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the plans we make, when we have not taken Him into account. We get ourselves into circumstances that were not chosen by God, and suddenly we realize that we have been making our plans without Him - that we have not even considered Him to be a vital, living factor in the planning of our lives. I have no right to say I believe in God unless I order my life as under His all-seeing Eye.” (Oswald Chambers)

Core Truth: Here is the secret of tranquility in freedom from eager, earthly desires. The great reason why life is troubled and restless lies not without, but within. It is not our changing circumstances, but our unregulated desire, that rob us of peace...

Core Truth: Trust is a matter of choice and choosing to trust that God loves us and will always keep His promises is an important key to our success in life.

Core Truth: Our freedom in Christ and the Holy Spirit’s enabling gives us the power to choose those things that can make our lives truly successful in the coming year.

Core Truth: A fixed heart is one that is preoccupied with God and not one’s self or circumstances.

Core Truth: “Making God our first order of business will bring lasting success both in our individual lives and in the life of the church.