Sermon Notes: "Who is Like Our God?"

Trinity Sunday | “Who is Like Our God?”

Rev. Benjamin Garris, Associate Pastor   

June 7th, 2020

Trinity Sunday

1)      How would you describe the Trinity? If a non-Christian asked you to explain it would you be able to describe the Trinity accurately?

2)      Deut. 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

Exodus 20:3 NLT, “You must not have any other god but me.”

“It (or There) is not to be to you (singular) other gods in my Presence."

3)      Modalism espouses that God is not 3 distinct persons but rather God shows himself in 3 distinct forms as perceived by the believer.

4)      Arianism comes from a Christian priest born in 250 AD by the name of Arius who believed that because there was a point in time when Jesus was born, both the Son and the Spirit were creations of the Father and not one with the Father himself.

5)      John 8:58, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

God said to Moses in Exodus 3, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you…this is my name forever.’”

6)      Revelation 19:10, “Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.”

7)      In Philippians 2:6, “being in very nature, God, [or literally in the form of God subsisting, existing, or to be] he did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited…”

8)      “begotten of the Father from all eternity, God from God, Light from Light, Very God from Very God, begotten not made being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made.”

9)      Genesis 1:1-2 we read, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

10)  Monday Morning: How does a right understanding of the Trinity influence your life?

Sermon Notes: "Impossible to Retain"

“Impossible to Retain” 

by Rev. Ben Garris, 

Associate Pastor

Patuxent Presbyterian Church

Psalm 16

John 19:38-20:9

Acts 2:22-41

1)     Acts2:24 “But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” Why was it impossible for death to keep its hold on Jesus?

2)     “Jewish culture in the first century practiced a second burial. Once flesh and muscle had decayed away, the bones were gathered and put into a limestone box called an ossuary.” (The Baker Illustrated Guide to Everyday Life in Biblical Times)

3)     “God’s set purpose and foreknowledge…and the help of wicked men, put him [Jesus] to death by nailing him to the cross.” Just as it was God’s purpose that Jesus die and atone for the sins of his followers so too was it God’s purpose that death not keep Jesus forever.

4)     V.24 “But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death.” Agony = birth pains.

5)     “What shall we do?” The answer is the same: repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

6)     Monday Morning: Jesus experienced real death and now he has been raised to life in such a way that he will never again die. Do you believe this? Have you repented and been baptized into Jesus Christ?

The disciples did not realize that Jesus had to rise. Do you realize that Death will not be allowed to keep you who have been buried with Jesus either? For your own continued edification concerning the resurrection read 1 Corinthians 15.

Charge: Acts 2:38-39, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

“Good is Happening” Sermon

“Good is Happening”

sermon by 

Rev. Benjamin Garris,

Associate Pastor

Patuxent Presbyterian Church

 March 29, 2020

1.      Main Scripture: Psalm 91

2.      Supporting Scriptures:

a.      Job 30:26, “But when I hoped for good, evil came, and when I waited for light, darkness came.”

b.      Matthew 4:6, ““If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

c.      1 John 5:19, “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”

3.      Do you find yourself doubting God?

4.      “How may we journey into these promises and see them fulfilled in our experience?

a.      Jesus said, ‘indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.’ Luke 12:7.

b.      ‘the God whom we serve is able to save us… But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you… that we will never serve your gods.’ Daniel 3:18.

c.      Luke 9:24, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”

5.      Good is Happening

a.      What good do you see around you? What good are you doing?

Prayer written by Chaplain Scott USCG:

When we aren't sure, God, help us be calm; 

when information comes from all sides, 

correct or not, help us to discern; 

when fear makes it hard to breathe, 

and worry seems to be the order of the day, 

slow us down God,

to trust You when disease afflicts;

help us to reach out with our hearts,

when we can't touch with our hands;

help us find sincere connections,

when we have to be socially distant;

help us to love as perfectly as we can,

knowing that "perfect love casts out all fear."

"The Third Race" Sermon Notes

“The Third Race”

Sermon by Rev. Ben Garris

1.      How do you define peace? What does peace mean or look like to you?

2.     Peace is more than just the absence of conflict and the waving of a white flag; it is the greater presence of wholeness and completeness in its place. Peace, Eirene, Shalom.

3.     “The best of the serpents crush . . . the best of the Gentiles kill.”

“No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.”
Have you ever felt that strongly about another person, race, group, or nation?

4.     HE HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE [SHALOM]! [Ephesians 2:14]

John 10:16, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”

5.     Eph. 2:15 | Historically, people were understood to be one of two races: Jew or Gentile. Here, Paul says that the very purpose of Jesus is to create a whole new race altogether, a third race!

6.     Any version of peace that does not begin with the shalom of Jesus is no peace at all.

7.     How is your shalom? How is your peace? How is your well-being?

Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

A Note from Pastor Ben about Healing

“And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, 

the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, 

and he healed them …” 

~ Matthew 15:30

As I sit here with a sinus cold thinking about what to write for the newsletter, it occurs to me, “Why not write about sickness?” A headache, sore throat, stuffy nose, relentless coughing; all are symptoms that each of us have felt before. What do we do when we are sick? Who do we turn to? Depending on the severity of the sickness we may consider going to urgent care or even to the  hospital if we’re feeling horrible. Maybe you’re like me and you turn to modern medicine in the form of Dayquil, while drinking Pedialyte or hot tea. How do you respond to sickness?

Scripture is filled with many examples of people who are sick, afflicted, and diseased. In scripture we have heard about folks who cried out to God for    healing; we have heard how masses of people approached Jesus to be healed. And what did Jesus do? He healed them. Sometimes we can be so fixated on our spiritual sickness [sin] and the healing we find in Jesus [forgiveness/justification] that we forget that Jesus healed physical ailments, too.

When you are sick do you turn to God in prayer? Do you remember that He cares for you and that His caring for you includes your body and physical well-being too? Let us be quick to trust in our Great Physician, to turn to Him for healing, and to believe that He is happy to give us healing.

Pastor Ben

Pastor Ben Becomes Navy Chaplain

Humble. Wise. Hardworking. Tender-hearted. Loving. Easy-going. Powerful Preacher. These are some of the ways members of Patuxent Presbyterian Church have described their beloved associate pastor. In addition to being an Associate Pastor, Reverend Benjamin Garris recently earned the impressive distinction of Navy Chaplain, and is a Lieutenant Junior Grade in the United States Navy Reserves. After completing the required three phases of intensive and varied training, he graduated on July 24^th from the Navy Chaplain School in Newport, Rhode Island.

Since graduating from Union Presbyterian Seminary with his Master of Divinity degree in 2015, Rev. Garris has experienced a whirlwind of life changes in a short span of time – commissioning into the Chaplain Candidacy Program in 2012, marrying his beloved wife Paige in 2015; moving to Southern Maryland and pastoring at Patuxent Presbyterian Church in 2016; training, learning, and more training; experiencing the loss of a close family member; awaiting assignment to a Navy Reserve unit; expecting a son on Christmas Day this year. Through it all, Rev. Garris has possessed a sense of calm by trusting God. “Perhaps it sounds cliché, but trusting God is how I’m able to experience life one day at a time while remaining flexible and open to change,” stated Rev. Garris.

Passionate about serving God and country, Rev. Garris considers Luke 10:27 (NIV) to be his life verse: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and Love your neighbor as yourself.” As a servant leader in both the church and military, he is devoted to offering a ministry of presence. The similarities in both callings are to provide religious services to those of his own faith and to demonstrate care for everyone by listening and counseling. Exclusive to his Chaplaincy in the Navy Reserves, Rev. Garris will be present to train alongside the sailors and marines and will remind them that God is with them where they are, will facilitate those of other faiths with their religious needs through connections to various faith communities, and will advise the Command on moral and ethical issues, as well as potential religious implications pertaining to a mission.

The ministry of presence is also a vital part of the Garris marriage. “My wife Paige loves the Lord, and she is a constant physical reminder of God’s love to me and everyone who knows her. Her love, prayers, and support are making so many incredible things happen for us as a family and for so many others,” said Rev. Garris.

While completing Phases 2 and 3 of Chaplaincy School early in July, Rev. Garris was impressed with the advice shared by the Chaplain School CO, Capt. Steve Moses regarding the importance of “Upward Living” and adopting the gratitude attitude of “I GET TO do this.” As Rev. Garris awaits word on the Navy unit he will serve, he continues to live by faith, one day at a time. The Bible verse which has been on the forefront of his mind and on his heart is Proverbs 16:9 (NLT): “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”