Heart on SermonAudio

This exposition of Psalm 33 highlights the sovereignty of God over all creation and the futility of human pride and power. The sermon contrasts the inability of kings, armies, and human strength to provide salvation with the divine ability to judge the wicked and preserve the righteous. It emphasizes God's omniscience, noting that He sees all the works and hearts of men, which should inspire awe and accountability. Central to the message is the assurance that God's eye is upon those who fear Him, offering deliverance from death and sustenance in times of famine. The sermon concludes with an encouragement for believers to wait on the Lord, trusting in His mercy and holy name as their ultimate help and shield.

This sermon explores the intrinsic link between trust and joy, centering on Psalm 33:21, which declares that the heart rejoices in God because of trust in His holy name. The text outlines five reasons for praise found in the Psalm: God's character, creation, counsel, control, and care, arguing that these attributes provide a secure foundation for faith. The preacher emphasizes that true joy is not dependent on earthly circumstances but flows from a relationship with Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate object of trust. By referencing Paul and Silas in prison and the Lord's Supper, the message illustrates how believers can experience supernatural joy even in darkness by anchoring their souls in the finished work of the cross. Ultimately, the sermon points to the eternal joy of heaven as the final inheritance for those who place their faith in Christ, contrasting this with the fleeting pleasures of the world.

This introductory discussion offers a brief tour through the massive 12-volume Collected Works of Thomas Goodwin (1600–1680), one of the premier theologians and pastors of 17th-century English Puritanism. A leading figure at both the Westminster Assembly and the drafting of the Savoy Declaration, Goodwin combined rigorous Reformed scholasticism with an extraordinarily tender, experiential care for the Christian soul. By examining a select handful of his most enduring titles—including The Return of Prayers, The Child of Light Walking in Darkness, The Heart of Christ in Heaven Towards Sinners on Earth, his exhaustive treatise on regeneration in Volume 6, and his sobering study on the punishment of sin in Volume 10—we catch a glimpse of the sheer scope, psychological depth, and pastoral warmth that made Goodwin a titan of practical theology and a lifelong favorite of Puritan scholars like Dr. Joel Beeke.

This sermon examines Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount regarding the seventh commandment, arguing that adultery is fundamentally a matter of the heart rather than merely a physical act. The central message is that lust is a disordered desire that originates in the inner man, requiring believers to guard their eyes and imaginations as gateways to the soul. The preacher urges a radical approach to sin, using Christ's hyperbolic language of removing eyes and hands to illustrate the necessity of taking serious, decisive action to cut off access points to temptation. While acknowledging the dire consequences of uncontrolled sin, the message ultimately points to the grace of Jesus Christ, who cleanses believers and empowers them to pursue holiness. The sermon concludes with practical applications, encouraging the removal of sinful gateways and the replacement of covetous desires with genuine love for one's spouse and, most importantly, for the Lord Jesus Christ.

(AI Generated Summary) The sermon explores the eschatological promise in Luke 21:28, contrasting the fear experienced by the world with the joy and anticipation that should characterize the hearts of believers. It argues that the return of Christ is not a source of dread for God's people but the imminent arrival of their redemption and final restoration. By examining parallel passages in Matthew and 1 Thessalonians, the message clarifies that the gathering of the elect by angels signifies a comprehensive rescue that includes both the living and the dead, transcending physical limitations. The tone is pastoral and encouraging, urging the audience to view the end times through the lens of hope, reunion with Christ, and the fulfillment of God's covenant promises.

Part 2 of "The Mind of Christ" picks up where Philippians 2:1-4 left off and moves to the model itself: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (2:5-6). Robert Rohlin reviews the four cords that bind believers together - consolation, comfort, communion, and compassion - then shows why church fights are almost never about doctrine. They are about me. He works through the Greek behind "esteem others better than themselves," explains why your outlook determines your outcome, and uses a first driving lesson, a hijacked airliner in the news, and John 13's basin and towel to make the point stick. The heart of the message is a Savior secure enough to serve: Jesus knew exactly who He was, and that is precisely why He picked up the towel. It ends at the cross, where Robert asks a question worth sitting with - how can anyone be arrogant standing beside the cross? Three things to carry home: remember what you have in Christ, regard others as more important than yourself, and resemble the Savior who did not grasp. If pride is quietly winning somewhere in your life, this message hands you a cure you can start using Monday morning.

In this sermon, Pastor Josh demonstrates the power and potency of Christ's "Cry of Dereliction" ("My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?) as the heart of the gospel. The cry of dereliction is the heart of penal substitutionary atonement and answers the problems of the guilt and shame of sinners.

This morning in John 13:31–38, we considered how Jesus speaks of His coming crucifixion as the beginning of His glorification. What the world would see as humiliation and defeat would actually reveal the character and glory of God with amazing clarity. At the cross, we see our need for forgiveness, God's mercy toward sinners, His justice satisfied in Christ, His gracious gift of salvation, and above all His holy, self-giving love. Jesus then tells His disciples that this same love will distinguish His people: "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Yet Peter's confident promise of faithfulness immediately demonstrates that this kind of life cannot be produced through human determination or self-confidence. God gives His people the Holy Spirit, through whom His love is poured into our hearts and His fruit is produced in us. As believers receive the undeserved love of Christ and that love overflows through them, the character and glory of the unseen God are put on display in the world.

The Wicked and the Righteous, from Isaiah 57