Berea Baptist Church of Durham NC Podcast

Beautiful Broken Shards

5.3.26 sermon by Phillip D. Mumford

Psalm 31:1-24 CSB 

LORD, I seek refuge in you; let me never be disgraced. Save me by your righteousness. [2] Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly. Be a rock of refuge for me, a mountain fortress to save me. [3] For you are my rock and my fortress; you lead and guide me for your name's sake. [4] You will free me from the net that is secretly set for me, for you are my refuge. [5] Into your hand I entrust my spirit; you have redeemed me, LORD, God of truth.

  [6] I hate those who are devoted to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD. [7] I will rejoice and be glad in your faithful love because you have seen my affliction. You know the troubles of my soul [8] and have not handed me over to the enemy. You have set my feet in a spacious place. [9] Be gracious to me, LORD, because I am in distress; my eyes are worn out from frustration- my whole being as well. 

[10] Indeed, my life is consumed with grief and my years with groaning; my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. [11] I am ridiculed by all my adversaries and even by my neighbors. I am dreaded by my acquaintances; those who see me in the street run from me. [12] I am forgotten: gone from memory like a dead person-like broken pottery. 

[13] I have heard the gossip of many; terror is on every side. When they conspired against me, they plotted to take my life. [14] But I trust in you, LORD; I say, "You are my God." [15] The course of my life is in your power; rescue me from the power of my enemies and from my persecutors. [16] Make your face shine on your servant; save me by your faithful love. [17] LORD, do not let me be disgraced when I call on you. Let the wicked be disgraced; let them be quiet in Sheol. [18] Let lying lips that arrogantly speak against the righteous in proud contempt be silenced. 

[19] How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you. In the presence of everyone you have acted for those who take refuge in you. [20] You hide them in the protection of your presence; you conceal them in a shelter from human schemes, from quarrelsome tongues. [21] Blessed be the LORD, for he has wondrously shown his faithful love to me in a city under siege. [22] In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from your sight." But you heard the sound of my pleading when I cried to you for help. [23] Love the LORD, all his faithful ones. The LORD protects the loyal, but fully repays the arrogant. [24] Be strong, and let your heart be courageous, all you who put your hope in the LORD.

 

Is The LORD Your Shepherd?

4.26.26 sermon by Phillip D. Mumford

Psalm 23

[1] The LORD is my shepherd; I have what I need. 

[2] He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. 

[3] He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name's sake. 

[4] Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff-they comfort me. 

[5] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

[6] Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD as long as I live

 John 10:1-15

"Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn't enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. [2] The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. [3] The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [4] When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. [5] They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don't know the voice of strangers." [6] Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. [7] Jesus said again, "Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. [8] All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn't listen to them. [9] I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. [10] A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. [12] The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn't own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. [13] This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn't care about the sheep. [14] "I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, [15] just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.

 

 

Letting Go and Trusting Jesus

4.19.26 sermon by Dr. Robert Wortham

"Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”—Matthew 11:28-30 CSB

Second Wind

4.12.26 sermon by Phillip D. Mumford

He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man. Say to it: This is what the Lord GOD says: Breath, come from the four winds and breathe into these slain so that they may live!”—Ezekiel 37:9

John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, "Peace be with you." [20] Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. [21] Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you." [22] After saying this, he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. [23] If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." 

[24] But Thomas (called "Twin" ), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. [25] So the other disciples were telling him, "We've seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "If I don't see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe." [26] A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." [27] Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don't be faithless, but believe." [28] Thomas responded to him, "My Lord and my God!" [29] Jesus said, "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." 

[30] Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. [31] But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

King Sun Rise

4.5.26 Easter sermon by Phillip D. Mumford

Note: I found an old (1940's-50's) bottle on the property across the road--adjacent to American Tobacco Trail--that we are developing into an "Avenue for Evangelism."

Corinthians 15:1-18; 12-19  CSB

Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand [2] and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you-unless you believed in vain. [3] For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, [5] and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. [6] Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. [7] Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. [8] Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me. 

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, "There is no resurrection of the dead"? [13] If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; [14] and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith. [15] Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified wrongly about God that he raised up Christ-whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead are not raised. [16] For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. [17] And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. [18] Those, then, who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. [19] If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.

Miraculous Metamorphosis

3.22.26 sermon by Phillip D. Mumford

Matthew 17:1-13 CSB

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. [2] He was transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun; his clothes became as white as the light. [3] Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. [4] Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it's good for us to be here. If you want, I will set up three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 

[5] While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!" [6] When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown and were terrified. [7] Jesus came up, touched them, and said, "Get up; don't be afraid." [8] When they looked up they saw no one except Jesus alone. 

[9] As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Don't tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead." [10] So the disciples asked him, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" [11] "Elijah is coming and will restore everything," he replied. [12] "But I tell you: Elijah has already come, and they didn't recognize him. On the contrary, they did whatever they pleased to him. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." [13] Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

Who Do We Say That We Are?

3.15.26 sermon by Phillip D. Mumford

Matthew 16:13-26

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"  They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

"But who do you say that I am?" [16] Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." [17] Jesus responded, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. [18] And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. [19] I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven." [20] Then he gave the disciples orders to tell no one that he was the Messiah. [21] From then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day. 

[22] Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, "Oh no, Lord! This will never happen to you!" [23] Jesus turned and told Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you're not thinking about God's concerns but human concerns." 

[24] Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. [25] For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. [26] For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?

Joy Beyond Legalism

2.22.26 sermon by Phillip D. Mumford

Matthew 9:1-8 So he got into a boat, crossed over, and came to his own town. [2] Just then some men brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, "Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven." [3] At this, some of the scribes said to themselves, "He's blaspheming!" [4] Perceiving their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts? [5] For which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? [6] But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-then he told the paralytic, "Get up, take your stretcher, and go home." [7] So he got up and went home. [8] When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck and gave glory to God, who had given such authority to men.

Matthew  9:9-13 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me," and he got up and followed him. [10] While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples. [11] When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" [12] Now when he heard this, he said, "It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. [13] Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners."

 

Are You Willing?

2.15.26 sermon by Phillip D. Mumford

Matthew 8 offers us a broad picture into the depth of the Jesus, and his ability to perform miracles. This sermon examines the diversity of these events and simply asks the listener: Are You Willing?

Matthew 8:1-4: When he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. [2] Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." [3] Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, "I am willing; be made clean." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. [4] Then Jesus told him, "See that you don't tell anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

Are you Willing?

1. Are you willing to come to Jesus and trust Him with all your brokenness, uncleanness, mess, and junk?
2. Are you willing to go to Jesus on behalf of others with full assurance that He can move mountains for whosoever regardless of the world’s labels?  How do we muster and attain such a faith like that of the centurion?
3. Are you willing to get up and serve?
4. Are you willing get in the boat with Jesus, knowing the possible dangers of the journey?
5. Are you willing to be rejected—run out of town—persecuted because of Jesus?

Flimsy and Foolish Foundations

2.08.26 sermon by Phillip D. Mumford

Matthew 7:24-27: "Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. [25] The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn't collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. [26] But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn't act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. [27] The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.” [28]When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, [29]because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

1 Corinthians 3:10-11: According to God's grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it. [11] For no one can lay any foundation other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.