Calvary Baltimore Weekly Sermons

About Calvary Baltimore Weekly Sermons

Calvary Baltimore's weekly sermons, B-Sides, and home fellowship Bible studies. Featuring teaching from Pastor Josh Plantholt and the Bible teachers of Calvary Baltimore.

Publisher

Pastor Joshua Plantholt

Category

religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 Nov 2023

Latest episode

23 Mar 2026

Latest episodes

215 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   23 Mar 2026

   B-Side - Mark 10:32-52

   Today's passage is also in Matthew and Luke. Matthew 20:20-29: Matthew says the question about James and John sitting at Jesus' right hand comes from their mom. It may be they had their mom ask in case Jesus got offended by the request. Even if the mom is asking the question, it's coming from James and John! Also, Matthew says at the end that they come out of Jericho, while Mark says they were in Jericho to begin with. This is not a contradiction; at the time there was an old Jericho and a new Jericho a few miles from each other. Matthew 20:30... Matthew records two blind men, and Mark only records one. Normally there are no names given in these stories; Bartimaeus must have been someone of note to be named. This may explain Mark naming only one person. He was likely someone later well known to the early church. Luke 18:35-42: Luke has them approaching Jericho like Mark does. He mentions Bartimaeus was also a beggar. Luke 18:43: He followed Jesus while glorifying the Lord Now to our main passage, in Mark! Mark 10:32-52... As Jesus and the apostles draw closer to his crucifixion, he is the one leading the way. Even when what we're about to do is difficult, we can choose not to complain or drag our feet, and actually lead the way! He gives his third "passion prediction" (prediction of his coming suffering), and the apostles are blind to it. They don't understand. v35... James and John want more power, more authority. When we're doing all that he asks, it's tempting for us to expect God to bend to our will. He's not required to do that! We have no power over him. We pray boldly in his word! But never forget the ending: "Thy will be done!" v36... Jesus asks what they want; they want self-glory. When Jesus asks you what you want, a good response is, "Enable me and help me to glorify you!" Not "Can I have more glory for myself!" v37... In Mark 9, regarding greatness, positions of honor at the table... James and John want this sort of special position of honor. v38... They're thinking of sitting at a table for a victory feast, as conquering rulers... but they fail to realize Jesus is heading to Jerusalem to die! Before the glory comes the suffering. They don't realize they're asking to be hung on a cross next to him! v39... He predicts the suffering and wrath coming on James and John as well. Drinking from Jesus's cup and being baptized with his baptism refer to suffering and persecution. James and John will suffer and be persecuted, but will not suffer the actual wrath of God, as the Father put that on Jesus alone, and he suffered it on our behalf! v40... only the Father decides who sits where at the table with Jesus. v41-42... Jesus calls the twelve to himself to instruct them. To teach about godly leadership, he gives them an example of ungodly leadership. v43... To be the greatest, be the best servant! Love and serve the Lord and the people around you. v44... To be first, be the slave of all! All we are and all we have belongs to him! I am not my own, but his willing slave. Because of our allegiance to Christ, we learn to become like him in service to others, to humble ourselves like a child. v45... James and John are looking to be treated like kings... but to be like the King of Kings, you must humble yourself and serve. Give people your time! v46... Bartimaeus is the final healing miracle in Mark, and is the only person healed in the synoptic Gospels who's been identified by name. He was likely known to the early church or the apostles. v47-48... The apostles are trying to silence Bartimaeus, as if he's an annoyance. But he calls out louder! v49-50... Jesus says to bring him over! He senses there's more going on here than just panhandling. v51... he asks Bartimaeus what he wants Jesus to do for him-- the same question he asks James and John earlier... getting back his sight would be an answer to prayer, but would also disrupt his life, his source of begging income. So the disciples look for power, self-glory, but Bartimaeus just wants eyes so he can glorify God! v52... The disciples were blind men who needed Jesus to heal them too! They need to come to Jesus not jockeying for power, but for their eyes to be opened, so they can follow him the right way! Once Bartimaeus was saved, he followed the Lord. So if God opens our eyes, we respond by glorifying him and following him! Though we are to bring our gifts, our possessions, our resources all under his authority, we can still enjoy the things of this world that he's given us! Enjoy your family, friends, a good meal, a beautiful sunset. If we do these things to his glory, it's worship! The difference is we worship the Lord of the gift more than the gift itself. We worship and follow the Creator rather than worshipping and following the creation. Enjoy a nice meal, but don't live for food! Yes, work hard, but don't live to work! Follow where our Master leads, through his Word, in prayer, following the Spirit. Like this blind man, we are healed, and we follow our Lord and Master! The rich young ruler had it backwards: we don't do good works to earn salvation. The blind man is healed and rests in the work Jesus did to give him salvation! Those of us in heaven will know we didn't get there on our own merit. We will be the people most grateful for what Jesus accomplished!

2. 

   22 Mar 2026

   Whom Shall We Exalt - Mark 10:32-52

   Mark 10:32-52 v32-36... Jerusalem was built on a mountain, so one must ascend to it. Jesus describes how he will willingly be delivered over to his fate, and he'll do it all to save us through his resurrection! When you hear "the passion of Christ" it means the suffering of Jesus. There have been three passion predictions now. James and John ask Jesus to do whatever they ask... We should pray boldly to him, but remember, it is "Thy will be done," not mine! v37... The disciples are still seeking worldly greatness. v38-40... He calmly explains they cannot sit beside him in heaven because that place is not prepared for them. They know not what they ask for. They think the cup Jesus will drink is a celebratory cup of some sort... It's heavier than that: it'll require Jesus's very life. Because of the cross on which he'll die, we praise him for he is worthy! James and John will both be protected and killed. v41... The other ten disciples get angry at James and John, likely because they were trying to the others to the punch... Trying to become the first. v42... Disciples are seeking greatness, still. He never discourages them from this, but redirects them to a better kind of greatness! Humble service. Greatness is not based on power dynamics! This is not how God's people should act. It is worldly, satanic. We must not abuse our gifts for evil, selfish purposes. This is the opposite of what Jesus expects from his people! v44... Whoever would be first must be a slave of all! No man would write this; it is of God. Not just a servant, but a slave! "Doulos" is a Greek word meaning one who is a willing slave, who commits himself to his master voluntarily. A slave is not master of himself, of his resources, of his time. All these things must come under the authority of the master! And Jesus wants us to be a slave of all. He wants us to never be above service to any person he brings our way! Millard Fillmore... left his family on Christmas Eve to help the firefighters put out a fire in the library of Congress. Servant of all, despite his position. v45... Two reasons why he came: 1. To serve. John 5:19... He can do only what the Father does. He dedicated every waking moment to the will of the Father. 2. To ransom. To give his life as a ransom for many. A kinsman redeemer. He gave his life for our debts. When people reduce the message of Jesus to mere morality tales, it misses the point. Christianity without the cross is not Christianity! That is why he came. v46-52... Blind Bartimaeus in Jericho. Bartimaeus knows he's the one with authority over his blindness. They rebuked him, but Jesus stopped, stood still and said to call him over. Jesus told him to get up, he threw off his cloak, his most precious possession! He called him rabbi, but in the sense of Savior. Jesus told him he's healed, and to go on his way! And then he chose to follow along with Jesus. Jesus didn't give this man any great ultimatum like he did the rich young ruler... Because this man didn't have any idols. To be great on the Kingdom of God, you don't need to be an impressive person! You just need to come to Jesus, in utter dependence. One thought... Bartimaeus left everything to follow Jesus. Luke records that when he followed him, he glorified God, and people saw and glorified God themselves! He wanted his vision not for selfish reasons, but so he could glorify God. Matthew 5:16... Glorify him so people see your good works and give glory to him! People are instinctively selfish. We all want glory, to be captains of our own ship. This is the basis of social media. All image! We crave praise and exultation from the world. Satan's original temptation: eat this fruit, and you'll be like God. We want praise and exultation! But we were made to exalt and glorify God! Joy not found in earthly pursuits, only in glorifying God! We follow the path of Christ, and there is fullness of joy! We must be servants. The lower we can stoop, the better! Luke 14:11... Humble yourself; this is the path to greatness! The path of Christ. We love and serve not to be saved... but because we are saved! We were made for his glory. He says it's better to give than to receive; humble yourself to serve the people he puts in front of you. These are the greatest saints. Meet the needs because you belong to him!

3. 

   16 Mar 2026

   B-Side - Mark 10:23-31

   B-Side: Mark 10:23-31 Recapping v17-22... The rich young ruler was wrapped up in his possessions. In 2 Timothy 3... people will be lovers of self and of money. The love of money is the root of evil; money itself is not the problem, but our relationship to it is. It can become an idol. This is what Jesus was dealing with in this man. He tells the man he needs to make himself (Jesus) his treasure, and he walks away. v23-24... Jesus says twice it's difficult to enter the Kingdom of God! Not because we have a lot of works to perform, but because we have to die to ourselves. You can do nothing to inherit the Kingdom; it is given freely to those who will lose themselves in favor of God himself. We must know our spiritual bankruptness! v25... to enter the Kingdom, you have to renounce this world. In Galatians, we had sects forming, dividing people by class, etc. In God's Kingdom, the president and the plumber are on equal footing. It's easy to feel you're special if you're wealthy and successful, to have pride in one's own identity. To receive the Kingdom is to identify in Christ; that is our entire identity! Our finances must come under the authority of God! This is especially difficult if you've worked so hard to become wealthy and successful. Though you did the work, he gave the increase, and it comes under his authority like all other aspects of our lives must. v26-27... No man can do this, but all things are possible with God! John 15:4... apart from me you can do nothing! Romans 8:8: those in the flesh cannot please God. Apart from God's Spirit, we cannot receive God's Word into our hearts. Only God can change hearts, so we must rely on him in our evangelism! We should share Christ with the unsaved whenever we can, but it's God who softens hearts and makes it possible for people to receive him. So before our evangelistic efforts, we should give ourselves to pre-evangelism: prayer! Pray for them before we ever speak to them. If they get converted, it'll only be because of the grace and mercy of God! v28... a disciple holds nothing back from his Lord; we must go where he sends us, and he'll provide. The rich young ruler doesn't understand yet that even if he keeps his possessions, his land, for himself, it'll all be taken anyway (in this case, by the Romans years later).

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