Sermon on Judges 12:8-13:25

The sermon explores the comprehensive nature of holiness by examining Deuteronomy 23, demonstrating that God's presence requires His people to pursue purity in every aspect of life. It connects ancient Israel's military camp regulations with the New Testament concept of spiritual warfare found in Ephesians 6, emphasizing that believers must maintain individual integrity, personal purity, and communal cleanliness. The pastor emphasizes that holiness is not confined to corporate worship but extends to private struggles, bodily functions, and daily hygiene because God dwells among His people. This teaching highlights that sin affects the entire body of Christ, urging believers to rely on the armor of God rather than their own strength. Ultimately, the message calls for vigilant faithfulness in all circumstances, grounded in the comfort that God fights alongside His covenant people.

This sermon walks through the prophet Ezekiel, chapters 8–11, under the theme "God's Patience with Human Sin Has a Limit," structured around three points: human sin repels God's glory , human sin reaps God's judgment, and God's mercy alone conquers human sin. These texts show Ezekiel's visions of the idolatry practiced within the Jerusalem temple—elders worshiping idols, women mourning the pagan god Tammuz, and men bowing down to the sun—and connects this to the departure of God's glory from the temple, which chapter 10 describes step by step as the direct consequence of the nation's persistent unfaithfulness and idolatry. The sermon frames Israel's judgment and eventual Babylonian exile as a sobering pattern of divine patience reaching its limit, while also highlighting the hope offered in chapter 11's promise of a new heart and spirit—ultimately pointing forward to the fulfillment of that promise through Christ's redemptive work in the New Testament.

In this sermon on Romans 9:1-5, the preacher moves from the security of the believer in Romans 8 to Paul's deep sorrow over Israel's widespread rejection of the gospel. Paul solemnly affirms his unceasing anguish and willingness, if it were possible, to be accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of his Jewish kinsmen according to the flesh, while listing their extraordinary privileges: adoption, the glory, the covenants, the law, the worship, the promises, the patriarchs, and above all the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. The message closes by challenging listeners to share Paul's compassionate heart for the lost and urging any who are still outside of Christ not to miss the Savior to whom all these privileges pointed.

In Part 3: The Repercussions of Sin, Pastor Byron Chesney examines Exodus 32:26–35 and we see what happened after the music stopped, the dancing ended, and the golden calf was destroyed. The idol was gone, but the consequences remained. Sin always costs more than it promises. It damages families, weakens churches, corrupts worship, and affects those who come after us. Yet there is mercy, forgiveness, and restoration for those who repent and turn to Jesus Christ.

The sermon examines the historical reality of Jonah as a prophet from Gath-hepher who predicted the restoration of Israel's borders under King Jeroboam. It explores Jonah's attempt to flee from God's presence by sailing to Tarshish, illustrating the theological doctrine of omnipresence through Jeremiah and Psalms. The narrative highlights how God used a storm and a great fish to bring Jonah to repentance before commanding him to preach to the wicked city of Nineveh. Upon seeing the Assyrians repent, Jonah becomes angry at God's mercy, leading to a lesson on divine compassion versus human judgment. The message concludes by affirming the reliability of Scripture through its honest portrayal of human flaws and God's sovereign grace.

The sermon examines Malachi 2:1-9 to expose the spiritual decay of the Levitical priesthood in post-exilic Israel. Dan highlights God's severe warning against priests who dishonor His name through corrupt practices and partiality, resulting in a curse upon their blessings. Contrasting this failure with the ideal priestly model, the text emphasizes that true service requires fearing God, preserving His law, and walking in intimate communion with Him. The message points to Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of these requirements, inaugurating a new era of worship in spirit and truth. Ultimately, the passage calls believers to examine their own hearts, repent of dishonoring God, and pursue genuine reverence for His glory.

In "The Sons of God, Part 2," Pastor Robert McNutt continues his exposition of Romans 8:12-17, moving past how we become sons (rebirth and adoption) to what the term "sons of God" actually implies about us. Sonship first means likeness: as children resemble their parents, believers share the mind and outlook of their Father, possessing "the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16) and imitating His impartial kindness (Matthew 5:43-48; Ephesians 5:1-2), not chiefly for reward but so that the Father is glorified. Sonship also means a peculiar, special love. God takes personal interest in every detail of His children, numbering the hairs of their heads, planning the whole of their salvation from eternity past into glory (Romans 8:30), and chastening them precisely because He loves them (Hebrews 12:5-11). He restrains evil, goes before them in grace, and bids them come to the throne of grace with reverence and childlike confidence (Hebrews 4:14-16). McNutt then asks how a believer may be sure of his sonship, and lets the Apostle answer: all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. As Israel followed the pillar of cloud and fire out of Egypt toward Canaan, Christians are continually being led through the wilderness of this world. But leading is not driving. The Spirit enlightens and persuades the will, so that His commandments are not burdensome and we are guided by His eye rather than by bit and bridle (Psalm 32:8-9). The sermon closes in Psalm 103:11-14: the Father who remembers we are dust removed our transgressions as far as the east is from the west by sending His Son to the cross, and He keeps on loving His children in spite of themselves.