What Do You Hear? (Part 3)

Pastor Matt Tarr

– Scripture: Mark 4:1-20

– Over this three part sermon in the fourth chapter of Mark, we have come to understand that it is not the sower or the seed itself, but the quality of the soil that determines whether or not seed will yield a crop. It is merely the sower’s job to sow, not to tamper with the seed. And now, looking back into this passage, we see how the type of soil represents the heart of the hearer in which the Word is sown.

What Do You Hear? (Part 2)

Pastor Matt Tarr

– Scripture: Mark 4:1-20

– Christ spoke in parables not to enlighten the masses or to make His messages more palatable and understandable, but to purposefully mask the true meaning of His words. This was in response to a people who had heard Him preach for two years and had seen countless miracles proving He was Who He said He was, and yet they still did not believe. However, to those who did believe in Him, He would explain the meaning of the parables, and whether or not the meaning meant anything to them all depended on what kind of “soil” they were.

– Add. Ref.: John 6, Hebrews 13:17

What Do You Hear? (Part 1)

Pastor Matt Tarr

– Scripture: Mark 4:1-20

– Jesus, as He is actually presented in Scripture, is quite different from the Jesus we often hear about. The true, biblical Jesus was One Who was driven, fierce, and uncompromising. This is no more evident than when He begins to speak to the thousands following Him in parables but without offering an interpretation, leaving the crowds confused. Most shockingly is that this was actually Christ’s full intention, as He had saved the revelation of the meaning of His parables for only a select few who had ears to hear, while leaving the rest to their blindness.

– Add. Ref.: Isaiah 6:9-12

The Unforgiveable Sin

Pastor Matt Tarr

– Scripture: Mark 3:20-35

– There is one sin mentioned in Scripture that is unforgiveable: Blaspheming the Holy Spirit. But what does it mean to commit this most grievous of sins? There are many differing viewpoints of what it actually means to blaspheme the Spirit, but many of them are wrong. Learning what this sin actually means, however, has an impact on the life of the believer as much as the unbeliever, as it all comes down to one question: Who is Christ?

– Add. Ref.: Proverbs 6:16-19

Comprehending an Incomprehensible God

Pastor Matt Tarr

– Scripture: Psalm 139

– God, in all His majesty, is incomprehensible. Though it is possible to know Him intimately, it is impossible to know fully the breadth and depth of His being, as He is so far beyond human reason and understanding is so many ways, yet none of them are more incredible than how a limitless, infinite God choses to concern Himself so deeply with each and every one of us.

Reversing the Decline

HPBC Elder: Greg Lynch

– Scripture: Selected Scriptures

– There’s no arguing that our nation is in a state of spiritual decline. However, with whom does the burden of blame lie? Is the government to blame, or does the nation’s decent into spiritual vapidness a result of the ever decreasing biblical behavior of the American “church”? It is the true church’s job to remain faithful in the face of such trends, and spiritual stands must then be made at the individual, church-wide, and societal levels.

God’s Providence: For His Name’s Sake

HPBC Elder: Paul Davies

– Scripture: Selected Scriptures

– No matter what the circumstances in one’s life, the Christian can rest assured that God is completely in control of all things at all times. Nothing happens outside of what he has ordained. This divine providence is present all throughout Scripture where the Lord’s will is perfectly executed, even during what appears on the surface to be inopportune circumstances.

Altogether Unusual

Pastor Matt Tarr

– Scripture: Mark 3:13-19

– When Christ calls together and appoints the twelve apostles, He does something miraculous. This is a highly unusual group of men that have no business being together, and even less business serving the Lord. However, in this act, Christ demonstrates His divine election which can be applied to the life of every believer throughout history whom God has called forth out of iniquity, creating a universal church of men and women who are in no way deserving, but are appointed nonetheless by God’s sovereignty.

– Add. Ref.: John 6:44; Romans 9: 10, 16, 20-21; Ezekiel 34:1-18

A Life Summarized

Pastor Matt Tarr

– Scripture: Mark 3:7-12

– Continuing through the third chapter in the Gospel of Mark, we see the author step back from the narrative and provide a summarized look at Christ’s ministry in Galilee, which also serves to summarize the life of Christ as well. And it is here that we see the true scope of Christ’s influence in the world at that time, as people come from far and wide to see Him, but not for the right reasons.

Sabbath Controversies: Cause for Conspiracy

Pastor Matt Tarr

– Scripture: Mark 3:1-6

– The Pharisees were at their wits end with regard to Jesus’s ministry, and would begin to look for any means by which they could charge Him and rid themselves of Him. When Christ heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, the Pharisees care nothing for the implications of Christ’s words or works, but are consumed by their desire to catch Him in error. It is here that mere men attempt to put the Son of God on trial, only to be put on trial themselves. This encounter is the final offense for the priests and scribes, and the catalyst for their plot to kill Him.

– Add. Ref.: Psalm 7:11; Ezekiel 18:23, 32; 33:11