Darkness on SermonAudio

Text: 2 Samuel 15:13, 21, 25, 31b-32a Theme: Awakened in the Dark Psalter 414:1-2 2 Samuel 15:12-37 and Psalm 3 Text: verses 13, 21, 25, 31b-32a Psalter 151:1-5 Psalter 247:1-3 Psalter 3:3,4 Doxology

This sermon was preached on August 16, 2026 at Antioch Presbyterian Church, a congregation of Calvary Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America located in Woodruff, South Carolina. Pastor Zachary Groff preached this sermon entitled "Condemnation of Personal Violence" on Exodus 21:12-27. For more information about Antioch Presbyterian Church, please visit ⁠antiochpca.com⁠ or contact us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected].

In Matthew 8:18–34, Jesus makes clear that following Him is not a call to comfort or ease, but to wholehearted surrender. The disciples encounter discomfort, sacrifice, fear, and rejection, yet in each moment Jesus reveals Himself as the King who has authority over all things - even the wind, the sea, and the powers of darkness. Following Jesus will cost us something, but what we gain is infinitely greater: we gain Christ Himself. Because He gave His life to redeem us, we can trust Him enough to follow wherever He leads, knowing that in every sacrifice and every uncertainty, He is with us. The invitation of the gospel is ultimately an invitation to Jesus—to know Him, trust Him, and discover that the surpassing worth of Christ is greater than anything we could leave behind.

Spoken at Grace Life Bible Fellowship of Crandon, Wisconsin: What kind of light is Jesus Christ? What Kind of darkness is in this world? We need to be examined by this light, drawn to this light, and follow this light.

1) Before the Beginning 2) In Time 3) In Reference to Darkness

What does victory in Christ mean for believers today? Through His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has defeated sin, death, and the powers of darkness. The enemy remains active, but the outcome of the battle is no longer uncertain. In this episode of Contending for the Word Q&A, Dave Jenkins explains why Christians do not fight to earn victory. Instead, they stand firm in the victory Christ has already secured through His finished work. For more from Contending for the Word Q&A, please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-qa/

Leave behind the lights of the city, and you can see the night sky like never before. As your eyes adjust, pupils opening wide, even the faintest light of the most distant stars begins to sparkle. The dark helps you see the light. But not always. In John 3, Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night, and the darkness in him is so great, it's impossible for him to see the light. He doesn't just need new or better eyes though, he needs to be transformed completely. He must be born again. A new life that comes only through death. John 3:1-15 shows us how Jesus, the light of life, drives out the darkness, that we might have new life in him.