Mid Cities OPC

On Sunday, May 29, 2022, Pastor Joe Troutman preached "The Return of the King" from 2 Samuel 19:1-40.

"David pardoned his enemies for political purposes; God pardons his enemies because he loves us."

1. His Grief He Will Not Forget (vs. 1-8)

2. The King Is Come Again Indeed (vs. 9-15)

3. What Does the King Command? (vs. 16-40)

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On Sunday, May 22, 2022, Pastor Joe Troutman preached "The Prodigal Who Didn't Return" from 2 Samuel 18:1-33.

"God will never permit his Kingdom to fail because he loves each person in it."

1. On the Offensive (vs. 1-8)

2. An Unexpected End (vs. 9-18)

3. Messengers of Joy and Sorrow (vs. 19-33) 

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On Sunday, May 15, 2022, Rev. Joe Keller preached "The Incredible Blessing of Forgiveness from God" (Psalm 32).

1. David's Experience with Concealing Sin (vs. 1-5)

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,

David's Exhortation to Confess Sin (vs. 6-11)

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,

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On Sunday, May 8, 2022, Pastor Joe Troutman preached "The Israel of God" from Matthew 2:13-23.

"This passage calls us to confess Jesus as our King and Savior who gives salvation to all who repent and believe in him."

1. Into Exile (vs. 13-15)

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

2. From Weeping to Gladness (vs. 16-18)

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

“A voice was heard in Ramah,

3. The Despised Branch of Jesse (vs. 19-23)

But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.” And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

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On Sunday, May 1, 2022, Pastor Joe Troutman preached "The Confusion of Our Enemies" from 2 Samuel 16:15-17:29.

"No matter how difficult your life may get, remember that God has ordained the defeat of all of his and our enemies."

1. Confounded by Counsel (vs. 16:15-17:14)

2. Protection and Provision (vs. 17:15-29)

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On Sunday, April 24, 2022, Rev. Joe Keller preached "Delivered from Despair" from Psalm 22.

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

But I am a worm and not a man,

It was you who brought me out of the womb,

Don’t be far from me, because distress is near

Many bulls surround me;

But you, Lord, don’t be far away.

I will give praise in the great assembly

All the ends of the earth will remember

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On Sunday, April 17, 2022, Pastor Joe Troutman preached "If Christ Be Not Raised" from 1 Corinthians 15:1-20.

"Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead is a fact of history, and it is essential to the Christian faith."

1. Of First Importance (vs. 1-11)

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

2. If The Dead Are Not Raised (vs. 12-19)

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

3. But In Fact (v. 20)

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

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On Sunday, April 10, 2022, Pastor Joe Troutman preached "Repaying Evil with Good" from 2 Samuel 16:1-14.

"Though God is not the origin or author of evil, he uses evil in this world for good, and very often repays evil with good."

1. The Appearance of Fruit (vs. 1-4)

1 When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, bearing two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine. 2 And the king said to Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.” 3 And the king said, “And where is your master's son?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.’” 4 Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” And Ziba said, “I pay homage; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”

2. Curses Met with Grace (vs. 5-14)

5 When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually. 6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 And Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! 8 The Lord has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.”

9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” 10 But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” 11 And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.” 13 So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. 14 And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. And there he refreshed himself.

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On Sunday, April 3, 2022, Pastor Joe Troutman preached "Flee Toward, Not Away From" from 2 Samuel 15:13-37.

Rather than fleeing from something in fear, flee to Jesus in faith.

1. Fleeing to the King (vs. 13-29) 

21 But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.” (Compare John 6:66-69)

2. Ascent in Mourning (vs. 30-31) 

30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. 31 And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

3. The Seeds of Victory (vs. 32-37) 

32 While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. 35 Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king's house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son, and by them you shall send to me everything you hear.” 37 So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

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