Last week we started a mini series on the mediatorial work of Christ. That is, the work of Christ as the mediator between God and Man. I Timothy 2:5 reads, "There is only one God and only one mediator between God and Man, the man Christ Jesus." Mediator comes from words that mean, "in the middle," Christ came as the man in the middle. Ane, He came as the only one capable and willing to deal with the mess that is in the middle of the relationship between God and His people. That mess is sin. Sin separates us from the holy God. We saw that we could not overestimate the gap and distances between us nor could we overstate the misery in this life and the misery of hell forevermore that comes to man because of this separation.

Christ came as the man in the middle to take away the sin that is in the middle of God and His people. II Corininthians 5:17 says that God "made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we could become the righteousness of God in Him." This week we continue to look at the work of Christ as our only mediator between us and God.

Jesus comes between God and His people. He represents us by living the life we were commanded to live and by dying the death we were condemned to die. He takes all the sin that comes between us upon Himself and pays the debt it demands in full, leaving nothing that can ever come between us and our Savior.

As we continue to consider the mediatorial work of Christ, we will look at how Christ fulfills three offices. God set up the offices of Prophet, Priest and King from creation and then further defined those offices as the nation of Israel was formed, not only to provide needed structure of Israel to flourish as God's nation, but primarily to provide the needed mediation that brought reconciliation between God and Israel that they may flourish in communion and union with God!

This week we begin a six-week mini-series on the mediatorial offices of Christ. We will use the scriptures as well as the Reformed Creeds to show how Christ is our Prophet Priest and King, and how each of these offices serves to mediate between God and Man for man's good and God's glory!

This week our Elder Ron Hughes is teaching out of Acts to tie together how God is at work in ALL THINGS throughout history. Looking at Paul's first recorded sermon we will survey the scriptures to see God moving, and then focus particularly on the resurrection of Christ from the dead and it's implications for us today.

This sermon was preached on 06/25/23

The last story of the books of Samuel is found in II Samuel 24. We are considering it over two weeks. Last week we looked at II Samuel 24:1-14 - "The Worse than Senseless Census", and we will consider the final half this Sunday, II Samuel 24:15-25 - "The Better than Great Grace."

In this, the last story in the book of Samuel, King David calls for a census to be taken of all the land. How many do we have? How many valiant warriors? Did David call for the census in order to boast in numbers, or perhaps in order to make sure he had enough troops to defeat his enemies? Whatever the reason, David's nephew and military commander, Joab, had objected. However, King David overruled and the census was taken.

Immediately after hearing the results of the census, a task that took nine months and 20 days, David knew that he had sinned greatly against God by calling for the census. God's wrath had already been stirred by the rebellion of His people. God's wrath was now further stirred by the sin of David's census.

Come and see why the call for the census was worse than senseless. Will the great sin of the people and of their king mark the end for Israel? This final story of the book of Samuel brings the greatest warning, judgment, and death...come join us, this week, for the surprise ending to the book of Samuel!

The Book of II Samuel comes to a close with the hard story of David's foolish census. How do we make sense of this difficult story? Is there grace to be seen in such a violent narrative?

This sermon was preached by Pastor John Boyte on 06/11/23.

This week we will be looking at how God works mighty things through ordinary men. As we close out the book of II Samuel the theme of God's work through sinful man is carried through.

This sermon was preached by Pastor John Boyte.

What can we do while we wait on the Lord? the Bible is clear that the calling of the Christian is to wait on the Lord, yet that is a hard task! By looking to David's faith and Christ's fulfillment we can learn how God intends for His people to endure while they wait.

This sermon was preached by Pastoral Intern Henry Holmberg on 05/28/23

Often in the Bible we are told who we are before being told what we should do. God has saved us through grace alone, and He continues to sanctify us through grace alone. We are, however, charged to live into our holy identity, to "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Romans 12:2). The Beatitudes roughly follow this pattern as each one informs the other seven. Now that Christ has shown us the blessedness of spiritual poverty, He leads us to pour ourselves out in mercy to our brothers and sisters, seeking unity from pure motives. As we strive for this, we trust in Him to accomplish it.

This sermon was preached by Pastoral Intern Rob Cord on 05/21/23

This week we look at the final song David wrote to the People of Israel. From this final poem, we can glean the major themes of David's life and his beliefs in the covenant keeping God!

This Sermon was Preached by Pastor John Boyte on 05/14/2023

In the middle of David's Song, David declares, "The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness...I was also blameless toward Him, and I kept myself from my sin." Many say that David's Song has, as its climax, David's prideful boasting of his own goodness. They see it as David's expression of having earned all the blessings and deliverances God had given him.

However, read in context, the theme of David's Song could not be more different! David's Song is focused entirely on making his and Israel's boast in the Lord. In fact, David's statement of his righteousness and blameless ways speaks, not to the boast of David, but to the power of God's redemption.

The work of Christ truly transforms David. As David is confronted with the depths of his sin, he is moved to confess his sin before the Lord. The Lord responds by sending a message through the prophet, Nathan, "Your sins are forgiven, you shall not die." With David's sins covered, he is righteous and blameless before the Lord! David sees himself as God sees him - as a purified, washed clean by the precious blood of the Lamb, child of God.

This week we will look at the final section of David's Song where we will see "God's Unending Curtain Call and Our Unending Thanks."

II Samuel 22:32-51 - Teaching Outline:

1. The Source of David's Strength (vv. 32-37)

2. The Extent of David's Victory (vv. 38-46)

3. The Unending Curtain Call (vv. 47-51)

My prayer is that you read and meditate on this passage some in preparation for our considering it together this coming Sabbath day! Where shall we be if we neglect such a great salvation!