Northpointe PCA Sermons

By Northpointe Presbyterian ChurchReligion & Spirituality Christianity

Northpointe PCA Sermons episodes

August 10, 2025Groans and Great Hopes
Scripture: Romans 8:18-25
Order of Service
Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship — Psalm 103:1-2, 20-22
Hymn — Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (#216)
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 23 (Q&A 59–60)
Hymn of the Month — His Robes for Mine
Pastoral Prayer
Scripture Reading — Romans 8:18-25
Sermon
Hymn — Christ Is Coming (#390)
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Sermon Title: Groans and Great Hopes
Scripture: Romans 8:18-25
I. Introduction: The Christian Life Is a Life of Waiting
A. Paul shifts from the pairing of flesh/spirit (vv. 2–16) to the pairing of suffering and glory (vv. 17–30)
B. Suffering and glory are not opposed; they belong to the same people — Christ's people
There is no glory without suffering for believers
Paul introduced this in Romans 8:17: our inheritance is suffering and glory to come
C. The central question Paul anticipates: How am I to think about this suffering?
D. Paul's answer (Romans 8:18): the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory to be revealed
E. Two illustrations of waiting amid suffering
The engaged couple: committed but not yet together, suffering while longing for what is to come
The minor league baseball player: drafted but not yet in the majors, enduring hardship while hoping for the call-up
F. Main theme: You must suffer now, waiting for the glory to come that is better
II. Take Comfort Because Your Waiting Is by God's Good Design
A. The God of Scripture is not the deist's clockmaker God; he is sovereign over all of history
Westminster Confession: God "freely and unchangeably ordains whatsoever comes to pass"
God is creator, planner, ordainer, and sustainer — intimately involved in all things unto his glory
B. The pattern of God's design for creation (Romans 8:19-21)
Creation waits with "tiptoe anticipation" — eager expectation — for the revealing of the sons of God
Creation was subjected to futility (the same word as "vanity" in Ecclesiastes) — frustration pervades the natural world
God himself is the one who subjected creation (Genesis 3: cursing the ground with thorns and thistles)
But the subjection was in hope — always with a designed trajectory toward freedom
Creation will be set free from bondage to corruption and share in the freedom of the glory of the children of God — the new heavens and new earth
This was not Plan B; it was God's design from the beginning: light out of darkness, wholeness after ruin
C. The renewal of our bodies and the renewal of creation are tied together
Christ's resurrection is the pattern; the redemption of our bodies will bring about creation renewed
Isaiah 53: the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand — redeemed offspring in body and soul
D. The promise of God's design for his children (Romans 8:23)
If creation waits with eager longing, how much more ought the children of God?
We who have the first fruits of the Spirit wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies
Romans 8:11: he who raised Christ will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit
Revelation 21:4: God will wipe away every tear; death, mourning, crying, and pain will be no more
E. Unlike the baseball player, the believer has a guarantee: this end is purposed and promised by God himself
III. Take Comfort Because Your Waiting Is with Groaning Hope
A. Groaning marks our waiting
The word appears dozens of times across Scripture; sometimes translated "sighing"
A groan is an audible feeling — it cannot be suppressed; it must be let out
Creation groans together in the pains of childbirth (Romans 8:22); see also Joel 1:18: the beasts groan, the herds are perplexed
B. We ourselves groan inwardly (Romans 8:23)
Things are not now as they ought to be; things are not yet as they will be
We are in good company: in Mark 7, Jesus himself groaned as he healed a deaf man — the eternal Son in communion with the Father, groaning at the ravages of the fall
Distinction: we have reason to groan, but not to grumble — grumbling is always sinful, always a failure to trust God's goodness
C. Our groaning is a hopeful groaning
The illustration of childbirth (Romans 8:22): pain full of eager expectation for the moment the child arrives
The mother pushes through pain in hope; so the Christian endures suffering in hope
D. The nature of Christian hope (Romans 8:24-25)
We are not saved by hopefulness; we are saved in hope — hope colors our salvation
Hope by its very nature requires faith: hope that is seen is not hope
Our hopefulness will wax and wane, but the Christian is always in some measure a hopeful person
Our hope is better than the baseball player's — it is sure, certain, and guaranteed because its object is accomplished by God in Christ
E. The consequence of hope: patience (Romans 8:25)
What we need most in our waiting is patience; what we most struggle with in the flesh is impatience
Paul is not calling us to muster up patience in our own strength or to change our personality
Patience in waiting is part of the fruit of the Spirit — a Spirit-wrought trait
What Paul calls in 1 Thessalonians a steadfastness of hope
You are supported in your suffering by the Spirit who dwells in you; God reinforces you with every resource you need for every day of your waiting
F. Closing exhortation
The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory to be revealed
The day is coming when it will be said: the time of waiting is over
Wait for it. Hope for it. Be patient. Trust in the goodness and kindness of your Savior who helps you along the way
37 min
August 03, 2025The Church in Laodicea
Scripture: Revelation 3:14-22
Order of Service
Hymn — Rise, O Church, and Lift Your Voices
Call to Worship — Revelation 1:17-18
Hymn — Rise, O Church, and Lift Your Voices (full)
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon — Ephesians 1:7
Confession of Faith — Apostles' Creed
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Hymn of Preparation — O Thou That Hear'st When Sinners Cry
Sermon
Lord's Supper
Hymn — Rock of Ages (stanzas 1–2)
Lord's Supper — Bread
Lord's Supper — Cup
Hymn — Rock of Ages (stanzas 3–4)
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Doxology
Sermon Title: The Church in Laodicea
Scripture: Revelation 3:14-22
I. New Creation Citizens Are Spiritually Zealous
A. Christ introduces himself as "the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation"
Not a reference to Christ being created, but to his role as the firstfruits of resurrection and new creation
As Colossians 1 states, he is the firstborn from the dead, ushering in new creation
2 Corinthians 1:18-20: all the promises of God find their "Yes" and "Amen" in Christ
B. The charge of lukewarmness: Revelation 3:15-16
Laodicea had no good water source; water was piped in and arrived lukewarm and dirty — fit only to be spat out
Neighboring Hierapolis had hot medicinal waters; Colossae had cold refreshing waters
Leon Morris: "To profess Christianity while remaining untouched by its fire is a disaster. There is more hope for the openly antagonistic than for the coolly indifferent."
The lukewarm Israelites in Jeremiah 7 boasted "the temple of the Lord" while compromising in idolatry — a parallel warning
C. Application: Are you a lukewarm Christian?
Do you read your Bible, pray, and speak of Christ in daily conversation?
Do you call the Sabbath a delight as commanded in Isaiah 58?
Christ warns: the lukewarm are useless, and he will spit them out — wake up and be zealous
II. New Creation Citizens Are Spiritually Rich
A. Laodicea's self-sufficient wealth: Revelation 3:17
After the AD 60 earthquake, Laodicea alone refused Roman aid and rebuilt with its own resources
The church was likely participating in the city's commerce and trade guilds, which involved pagan idolatry and sexual immorality
Foil: the church in Smyrna (Revelation 2:9) was materially poor but spiritually rich; Laodicea is materially rich but spiritually poor
B. The city's wealth highlights the church's spiritual poverty
Laodicea was famous for zinc and alum eye salve — yet the church is spiritually blind
Laodicea was famous for soft black wool — yet the church is spiritually naked before God
Christ counsels them to buy from him gold refined by fire, white garments, and eye salve — Revelation 3:18
C. Christ himself is the all-sufficient answer to every need
The elements Christ prescribes correspond to his own appearance in Revelation 1:14-15: golden sash, feet like refined bronze, eyes like flames of fire
Ephesians 1:3: believers have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ
Puritan William Bridge: there is no condition of the soul for which some name, title, or attribute of Christ does not especially suit
Calvin: creation is the theater of God's glory; all things point to Christ (Colossians 1)
Material riches are meant to draw our hearts to the eternal debt only Christ's righteousness can pay — ponder and grab hold of Christ
III. New Creation Citizens Are Spiritually Disciplined
A. Christ's loving reproof: Revelation 3:19
Even this deeply compromised congregation is still called a church, and Christ still extends the hand of forgiveness to those who repent
The Greek word for "reprove" means to expose one's faults — Christ does not say "you're perfect as you are," but lovingly corrects
Believers need brothers and sisters willing to hold them accountable to the standards of the gospel
B. The love Christ shows is phileō — intimate, brotherly, interpersonal bond
This love is expressed in companionship: those who open the door at his knock, he will dine and fellowship with — Revelation 3:20
The fellowship has royal overtones: the one who conquers will sit with Christ on his throne — Revelation 3:21
The phileō bond between Father and Son is now shared with the believer — a royal family feast
C. The covenant friendship of David and Jonathan as a type: 1 Samuel 20
Jonathan rejected his claim to the throne out of covenantal love for David
Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son, was shown kindness and ate at David's table as one of the king's sons — 2 Samuel 9:1
Likewise, believers are brought to the Lord's Table as heirs of the Father's kingdom, by grace through the covenant friend who laid down his life for us
The Lord's Supper is Christ knocking at the door — come, receive the all-sufficient Lord, live in repentance, and persevere to the end
31 min
August 03, 2025The Spirit Applies a New Family
Scripture: Romans 8:12-17
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Revelation 5:11-14
Hymn — Thee We Adore, Eternal Lord (#223)
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 22 (Questions 57–58)
Hymn of the Month — His Robes for Mine
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon
Hymn — Arise, My Soul, Arise (#275)
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Sermon Title: The Spirit Applies a New Family
Scripture: Romans 8:12-17
I. The Obedience of Your New Family Experience
A. The believer's new obligation — not to the flesh, but to the Spirit (Romans 8:12)
The flesh has no claim on the believer; the debt now belongs to the Spirit
The Spirit frees believers from the power of sinful flesh and empowers godly obedience
B. The Spirit's leading and the believer's activity work inseparably together (Romans 8:13-14)
The Spirit's leading evokes the leading of Israel in the wilderness — externally by a pillar of fire, now internally as a life-giving fire (Nehemiah 9:12)
Mortification — the believer actively puts to death the deeds of the body, but only by and with the Spirit
John Murray: "The activity of the believer is the evidence of the Spirit's activity, and the activity of the Spirit is the cause of the believer's activity"
Mortification is a lifelong work; the Spirit never browbeats but leads by an enlivening and persuasive leading
C. All who are led by the Spirit are sons of God (Romans 8:14)
Daily obedience is the experience of new family membership
The Spirit's work in obedience evidences sonship
II. The Admittance of Your New Family Experience
A. The contrast between the spirit of slavery and the Spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15)
Before Christ, bondage to sin produced a fearful, cowering experience of God
Believers have received the Spirit of adoption — no longer slavish fear, but childlike access
B. The cry of "Abba, Father" — the experiential access of the adopted child
Jesus himself used this cry at his darkest hour in Gethsemane
John Murray: the repetition indicates the warmth and confidence with which the Spirit emboldens God's children to draw near
This access is not universal — God is not the universal Father; only those in Christ may pray "Our Father"
Without the Spirit, to call God "Abba, Father" is presumption and arrogance
C. Practical exhortation: Have you come to enjoy your access to the Father — in battle with sin, in distress, in doubt?
III. The Inheritance of Your New Family Experience
A. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16)
The cry of "Abba, Father" is itself part of the Spirit's inner testimony
B. Children are heirs — heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17)
Union with Christ means what is Christ's becomes ours — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ cannot be separated
C. The now inheritance — suffering with Christ
Christ's entire incarnate life was marked by humiliation and suffering, culminating in bearing the Father's wrath on the cross
Believers suffer with Christ in rejection and ridicule for his sake, in striving against remaining sin, and in the fallenness of the world
Sharing in Christ's sufferings conforms believers more and more to him (Philippians 3:10)
The Christian can and should rejoice in suffering because through it they share in Christ
D. The then inheritance — glorification with Christ
Christ's suffering issued in his glorification and resurrection as firstfruits and guarantee
Believers will be brought body and soul into full, eternal, weighty spiritual life with God — fullness of life as God always intended
"The Lord is my portion" (Lamentations) comes to fulfillment now in part, then in fullness
2 Corinthians 4:17: "This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison"
35 min
July 27, 2025July 27, 2025; Sunday Evening Worship
Order of Service
Call to Worship — 1 Chronicles 16:28-36
Hymn — Let All Things Now Living
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 21 (Questions 54–56)
Hymn — As Pants the Deer for Flowing Streams (#42B)
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon
Hymn — Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me (#400)
Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
Sermon Title: The New Mind by the Spirit
Scripture: Romans 8:5-11
I. The Commitment of Having a New Mind by the Spirit
A. The contrast in Romans 8:5 is rooted in two modes of being, not merely two ways of living
In the Greek, Paul uses a "to be" verb — those who are according to the flesh versus those who are according to the spirit
Behind the living is a being: the old fleshly existence set against the new spiritual existence
As John Murray notes, such persons are "conditioned by and patterned after" either the flesh or the spirit
B. The new mind flows from a new existence given by the spirit
Before Christ, one has the being of one dead in sin; in Christ, new creation, new life, new being
The spirit becomes the new controlling and directing power of the believer's existence
C. The new mind entails new commitments, loyalties, and desires
Paul uses "mind" to encompass the thinking, willing, and desiring self — heart and mind together
The fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-24 describes the shape of the new mindset, contrasted with the works of the flesh
The believer is freed from the power of sin and given new inclinations and power to obey and love what God loves
II. The Condition of Having a New Mind by the Spirit
A. The condition of the flesh is death and hostility to God (Romans 8:6-8)
The mind set on the flesh does not and cannot submit to God's law; it cannot please God
This is Paul's statement of total depravity — there is no pulling oneself out of this condition by one's own will
This condition points ultimately to the final eschatological verdict for those who remain in the flesh
B. The condition of the spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6)
Life in place of death; peace with God where there had been only hostility
The hiding from God in the garden is turned to harmony — the Father welcomes believers into his presence now and forever
This is not a wavering or temporary condition; it is a now-and-forever condition secured in Christ
C. The new condition is the package deal of the spirit: new mindset, new spiritual life, and real peace with God
The believer can enjoy the new mind because peace with God makes it possible to delight in obedience
There is therefore no condemnation — not now, not ever — for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)
III. The Confidence of Having a New Mind by the Spirit
A. Paul directly addresses believers in Romans 8:9-11, shifting from declaration to consolation
"You, however, are not in the flesh but in the spirit" — the three "if" clauses are not stirring doubt but driving home what is true
The believer is to look inward not to find self, but to see who dwells within: the spirit of God and the spirit of Christ
B. The indwelling spirit is the ground of confidence
God promised to dwell among his people (Exodus 29:45; Leviticus 26:12); this is fulfilled most fully when the spirit tabernacles within believers
"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells in you?" — the believer has become the dwelling place of God
C. The spirit dwelling in the believer is the guarantee of resurrection life (Romans 8:10-11)
The body dies because of sin, but the spirit is life because of the righteousness of Christ — his active and passive obedience
As John Stott writes, Christ's resurrection is the pledge and pattern of ours; the same spirit who raised him will raise us
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all involved in this resurrection work — the new mind is the fruit and foretaste of coming resurrection life
The believer moves from no condemnation now, through life in the spirit, to resurrection life — because the God who indwells cannot lie and cannot change his purpose
36 min
July 27, 2025The Church in Philadelphia
Scripture: Revelation 3:7-13
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Isaiah 6:1-3
Hymn — Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Sin — Isaiah 53
Assurance of Pardon — Isaiah 55:6-7
Scripture Reading — Ezra 5
Hymn — Revive Thy Work, O Lord
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn — Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken
Sermon
Hymn — All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Gloria Patri
Sermon Title: The Church in Philadelphia
Scripture: Revelation 3:7-13
I. The True People of God Have a True and Lasting Witness
A. Christ identifies himself as the holy and true one who holds the key of David
The key of David imagery comes from Isaiah 22:22, where Eliakim is a type of Christ as royal steward
Christ — not the synagogue of Satan — is the one who determines who belongs to the messianic kingdom
In John 15:1, Jesus calls himself the true vine; he is the true Israel, the true David
B. Christ sets before the church an open door of witness (Revelation 3:8)
The phrase "open door" throughout the New Testament refers to an opportunity for gospel witness (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:8-9)
Philadelphia has many adversaries in the synagogue of Satan, yet the door of witness remains open
C. The witness of the church results in the conversion of persecutors (Revelation 3:9)
Language drawn from Isaiah 60:14 — those who afflicted will come bowing low
In Romans 11, Paul explains that natural branches (Jews) cut off through unbelief can be grafted back in through faith in Christ
Even a small Jewish remnant coming to faith is cause for rejoicing; God has always preserved a remnant (Romans 9, Romans 11:7)
D. The power of a church rests not in numbers or prominence but in the faithful proclamation of the Word
Philadelphia had little power and few prominent members, yet kept Christ's word and did not deny his name
Where two or three are gathered in Christ's name, he is present; one little word shall fell the evil one (Luther)
II. The True People of God Have a True and Lasting Endurance
A. Christ promises to keep the church from the hour of trial (Revelation 3:10)
"Those who dwell on the earth" is a technical term in Revelation for unbelieving idol-worshippers
"The whole world" is often an idiom for large swaths of people, not necessarily every individual on earth
The Greek word for "keep from" (tēreō ek) appears elsewhere only in John 17:15, where Christ prays not that the Father take them out of the world but keep them from the evil one
B. Christ spiritually preserves his people through tribulation, not from physical danger
Christ intercedes as high priest for his people, as in Luke 22:31 — Satan demanded to sift Peter, but Christ prayed for his faith
Tribulation has a twofold effect: it exposes wickedness and primes the wicked for judgment, and it exposes the faithful who do not bow to the gods of this world
C. The church is called to think eschatologically, not politically or temporally
Christ says, "I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown." (Revelation 3:11)
We live between the times — Christ has inaugurated the kingdom; we await its consummation
2 Peter 3:8-10 — with the Lord a day is as a thousand years; the Lord is not slow but patient, not wishing any to perish
The proper response to suffering and calamity is not despair but Maranatha — "Come quickly, Lord Jesus"
D. Suffering confirms and deepens the Christian's experience of God's love
Romans 5:3-5 — suffering produces endurance, endurance character, character hope; hope does not put us to shame because God's love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit
True love is sacrifice; as we suffer for Christ, the Spirit speaks louder the promises of Christ to us
III. The True People of God Have a True and Lasting City
A. The overcomer is promised to be made a pillar in the temple of God (Revelation 3:12)
In contrast to the synagogue of Satan, the persecuted faithful become pillars not in a false house but in God's own temple
The church as living stones and pillars echoes 1 Peter 2:5
B. God places his name upon his people, signifying his eternal presence with them
Ezekiel 48:35 — the name of the city shall be "The Lord Is There"
The Aaronic benediction in Numbers 6:24-27 — the high priest puts God's name upon the people
Christ, the final and ultimate high priest after the order of Melchizedek, places the name of Yahweh upon his people once and for all
C. The new Jerusalem is the true and free city, in contrast to the present Jerusalem in bondage
Galatians 4:25 — the present Jerusalem corresponds to Hagar and slavery; the Jerusalem above is free and is our mother
Romans 2 — a true Jew is one inwardly; circumcision is a matter of the heart
Hebrews 11:16 — the old covenant saints desired a better, heavenly country; God has prepared for them a city
D. The people of God await the day when heaven and earth are united and they dwell as living pillars in the presence of the Lamb
Christ the priest-king seated in the heavenly Jerusalem intercedes and rules for his people now
We look for a new heavens and new earth where Christ will reign with no enemy and no competition
The proper posture of the church: hearts panting like the deer for streams of water, longing for the coming of Christ — "Behold, I am coming soon"
30 min
July 20, 2025July 20, 2025; Sunday Evening Worship
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 63:1-8
Hymn — O God, You Are My God Alone (63A)
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 20, Question 53
Hymn — As the Deer Pants for Flowing Streams (42B)
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon
Hymn — How Deep the Father's Love for Us (#351)
Benediction
Sermon Title: Atonement — Imputation, Propitiation, and Expiation
Scripture: Leviticus 16:1-34
I. Imputation
A. The high priest laid both hands on the scapegoat, confessing all the sins of Israel over it, so that the goat "bore all their iniquities" (Leviticus 16:21-22)
B. The key question: does the transfer of sin change the nature of the sacrifice, or only its status before God?
Infusion — the transfer actually alters the inner nature of the object, making it visibly tainted and no longer pleasing
Imputation — the transfer credits sin to the account of the sacrifice, changing its status (guilty before God) without changing its nature (still spotless and unblemished beneath the "cloak" of sin)
C. This distinction is essential to why the sacrifice remains a pleasing aroma to God even while being judged in the people's place
D. Christ as the fulfillment of imputation
God reckons our sin to Christ's account — his status before the Father becomes that of a condemned sinner, though his nature remains perfectly holy
Because his nature is not changed, his sacrifice is accepted: his body does not see corruption (Acts 2), and the resurrection is the Father's declaration that the offering was pleasing
"It is because Jesus is accounted something he is not by nature that he is judged; it is because he is not by nature what he is accounted as that he is raised"
The great exchange: 2 Corinthians 5:21 — he was made sin so that we might become the righteousness of God; Christ takes our cloak of sin, we receive his robe of righteousness
II. Propitiation
A. Two identical male goats are selected (Leviticus 16:5); lots are cast — one goat "for the Lord," one goat "for Azazel" (Leviticus 16:8-9)
The two goats represent two sides of one atonement
The goat "for the Lord" pictures propitiation; the goat "for Azazel" pictures expiation
B. Definition: propitiation (prefix pro-, "for") is a sacrifice directed toward God — it appeases his wrath and establishes reconciliation between the offerer and God
The goat is slaughtered; its blood is sprinkled before the altar; its fat is burned (Leviticus 16:25)
The fire represents the outpouring of God's wrath on the sacrifice; the ascending smoke is a pleasing aroma because the unblemished nature of the animal remains intact
C. The doctrine of propitiation is widely rejected today, even within evangelicalism
A major denomination altered the hymn In Christ Alone, changing "the wrath of God was satisfied" to "the love of God was satisfied," removing the concept of propitiation
The perceived tension: if God is love, how can he also pour out wrath?
D. Scripture unites God's love and his wrath in propitiation rather than setting them against each other
1 John 4:10 — "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" — the most explicit statement of God's love is inseparable from propitiation
John Murray: "The propitiation is the ground upon which the divine love operates and the channel through which it flows in achieving its end"
Romans 3 — at the cross, God is simultaneously just (pouring out righteous wrath on the substitute) and justifier (declaring sinners righteous); all his attributes coalesce perfectly
God's love is not a sentiment that overlooks sin; it is a holy, just, righteous love expressed through the satisfaction of his own justice
E. Leviticus, rightly understood, may be the most vivid Old Testament display of the love of a holy God for a sinful people, offering them a way into his presence through propitiation
III. Expiation
A. Definition: expiation (prefix ex-, "out of/from") is not an offering directed toward God but the removal of sin away from the sinner — the bearing of the penalty that takes sin away
B. The scapegoat (Leviticus 16:20-22)
Aaron lays both hands on the live goat, confessing all Israel's iniquities; the sins are transferred to the goat
The goat is sent into the wilderness by a designated man, bearing the people's iniquities to "a remote area" — driven out, not slaughtered
C. The wilderness as the land of curse
In Israel's symbolic world, the wilderness represented Sheol — chaos, darkness, death, separation from God's presence
Expulsion from the camp was the penalty for the gravest sins — to be "cut off" was to be sent into the land of death
The scapegoat takes the place of the sinner: rather than the sinner being expelled from God's presence, the substitute is expelled — evoking the imagery of Eden and east of Eden
D. The fatal limitation of the Day of Atonement: it had to be repeated every year
The very next day after Yom Kippur, the daily sacrificial system resumed — a constant reminder that sin still clung to the people
The lurgy of Israel's calendar pressed upon them the reality: you are never truly free from sin
The brief joy of the Day of Atonement — which inaugurated the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25) — was designed to create a longing for a once-for-all, everlasting atonement
E. Christ as the fulfillment of both propitiation and expiation
Hebrews 9:12 — Christ "entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption"
At his baptism, Christ identifies with his sinful people; the Spirit then leads him into the wilderness — into the land of Sheol — where he defeats Satan (Matthew 4)
At the cross, he is crucified outside the camp (Hebrews 13:12) — he becomes our scapegoat, tasting the curse and being exiled from the presence of God on our behalf
With our sins imputed to him, he is both the perfect propitiatory offering (his unblemished nature pleasing to the Father) and the ultimate scapegoat (bearing and removing our sin outside the camp)
In him, we enter the fullness of joy in the Year of the Lord's favor that never ends — an everlasting at-one-ment with God
35 min
July 20, 2025The Church in Sardis
Scripture: Revelation 3:1-6
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 8
Hymn — How Great Thou Art
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Faith — Heidelberg Catechism, Question and Answer 1
Reception of Communicant Members
Prayer
Hymn — We Can Run to Jesus
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Prayer of Preparation
Hymn — Shepherd of Souls, Refresh and Bless
Sermon
Hymn — My Faith Looks Up to Thee
Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
Doxology
Sermon Title: The Church in Sardis
Scripture: Revelation 3:1-6
I. A Lifeless Name
A. Christ addresses the church in Sardis as one that has a reputation for being alive but is spiritually dead (Revelation 3:1)
The city of Sardis was historically known for easy wealth, overconfidence, and slumber — considered impregnable on its high hill
Despite its reputation, Sardis was conquered by Cyrus in the 6th century BC, by Antiochus in 218 BC, and devastated by an earthquake in AD 17
The church in Sardis has taken on the same presumptuous, spiritually complacent character as the city around it
B. This is the reverse pattern from the other churches — here the majority is unfaithful, not just a troublesome minority
The church resembles whitewashed tombs: outward appearance of life, inward spiritual death (Matthew 23)
Formalism may include community gatherings, youth groups, and kind words while the inner life is dead
One commentator notes: content with mediocrity, lacking conviction, too innocuous to be worth persecuting — as if Satan has no need to trouble them
C. Christ's warning of coming "like a thief" (Revelation 3:3) refers here not primarily to the Second Coming but to temporal judgment on the church
Similar warnings were given to the church in Thyatira regarding Jezebel and to the church in Corinth regarding unworthy participation at the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11)
Christ currently rules his church by his Spirit and brings foretaste judgments that anticipate the final judgment
D. The Greek word onoma (name) appears throughout this passage — translated "reputation" in verse 1 (ESV) but "name" in the NASB — unifying the letter's theme around the question: what does your life say about the name you bear?
"Christian" (Christianos) means "belonging to Christ" — a name first used mockingly by outsiders who could see how fully these people lived for Christ
The question put to the church: does your life contradict the name you claim?
II. A Living Name
A. Christ acknowledges a faithful remnant: "you still have a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments" (Revelation 3:4)
This echoes Abraham's intercession for Sodom in Genesis 18, where God agrees to spare the city for the sake of even a few righteous — God preserves his elect even amid surrounding filth
Christ's parable of the wheat and tares likewise reflects God's patience in staying his hand of judgment
B. 2 Timothy 2:16-19 speaks to this same situation: false teaching spreads like gangrene, yet "God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: the Lord knows those who are his"
Amidst a church on the brink of spiritual death, Christ knows those who have departed from iniquity
The faithful are those who have not soiled their garments — those in whom genuine, inward purity is present
C. The promise that the faithful "will walk with me in white" (Revelation 3:4) carries both present and future dimensions
"Walking with me" is pilgrimage language — faithful companionship with Christ now
The white garment points forward to glorification, as seen at the Transfiguration where Christ's face shone like the sun and his garments were white as light (Matthew 17:2)
The whiteness of the garment signifies that glory comes by way of purity — Christ is no whitewashed tomb; what shines outwardly reflects what is true within
D. The glory of the saints is currently veiled, as Christ's glory was veiled in his humiliation, but will be fully revealed at his return
Believers are called to seek inward purity that comes only by the Spirit through the crucified Christ
Do not be a whitewashed tomb — pursue purity from within
III. A Lasting Name
A. The promise: "I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels" (Revelation 3:5)
B. This passage is sometimes used to argue for the possibility of losing one's salvation, but the text does not support that reading
On the surface, it says only that those who persevere will not be blotted out — it does not say that any names are in fact blotted out; that is an argument from silence
Revelation 13:8 and Revelation 17:8 both state explicitly that names are written in the book of life "before the foundation of the world"
Election and perseverance are both/and realities: eternal security does not nullify the call to obey — obedience confirms assurance
C. Christ's own words confirm the eternal security of the elect
In John 6 and John 10, Christ declares that those the Father has given him he will never lose
In judgment, Christ does not say "I once knew you" but "I never knew you" — indicating names were never written, not that they were erased
Daniel 7:10 depicts two books at the final judgment: a book of life for the justified and a book of condemnation for those Christ never knew
D. Ancient Greek cities erased citizens' names from the public register upon their death — but Christ promises the opposite: those who die in the Lord have their heavenly citizenship not erased but secured forever
E. The call to confess Christ's name publicly is drawn from Matthew 10:32 and Luke 12:8: "Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven"
The story of Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire illustrates costly confession: handed a note reading "He who honors me, I will honor"
John Proctor in Arthur Miller's The Crucible refuses to sign a false confession: "Because it is my name… How may I live without my name?"
Thomas Cranmer, facing Bloody Mary's threat of execution, briefly recanted but then recanted his recantation — and asked that the hand which had signed the false confession be burned first
F. Closing exhortation: live for the name that is above all names; let your conduct proclaim that you belong to Christ in every sphere of life, whatever the cost, and enter glory with your heavenly citizenship secure
32 min
July 13, 2025The Church in Thyatira
Scripture: Revelation 2:18-29
Order of Service
Hymn — Come, We That Love the Lord
Call to Worship — Psalm 149
Hymn — Come, We That Love the Lord
Prayer of Invocation
Prayer of Confession
Assurance of Pardon — Colossians 1:13-14
Scripture Reading — Ezra 4:17-24
Hymn — Be Still, My Soul
Offering
Hymn — Of the Father's Love Begotten
Sermon
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn — Marvelous Grace of Our Loving Lord
Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
Gloria Patri
Sermon Title: The Divine Son of God Judges, Saves, and Reigns
Scripture: Revelation 2:18-29
I. The Son of God Judges the Intentions of the Soul
A. Christ introduces himself as the Son of God — the only occurrence of this title in Revelation — with eyes like a flame of fire and feet like burnished bronze (Revelation 2:18)
Eyes of fire indicate Christ's omniscience, piercing into the marrow of the soul
Feet of burnished bronze suggest swiftness to judgment; echoes the vision in Daniel 10:6
John's vision of the exalted Christ parallels Daniel's pre-incarnate vision of the Son of Man
B. The title "Son of God" carries both royal and divine significance
It reflects the Davidic kingship of Psalm 2:7-9 — the king who rules the nations with a rod of iron
It carries full divinity: Christ searches mind and heart as Yahweh does (Jeremiah 20:12; Hebrews 1)
C. Christ commends the church at Thyatira yet brings a charge against it (Revelation 2:19-20)
They are praised for love, faith, service, patient endurance, and growth in works
But they tolerate "Jezebel," a self-styled prophetess teaching sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols
Thyatira was known for its trade guilds; participation required feasting and immoral acts at pagan banquets
D. "Jezebel" represents a proto-Gnostic, compromise-driven false teaching
First strand: to reach those bound by Satan one must know Satan's ways — a perversion of Paul's "all things to all people" (1 Corinthians 9); comparable to the modern "insider movement" in missions
Second strand: Greek body-soul dualism — what the body does cannot touch the spirit, so sexual immorality is permissible
This spirit is alive today: the body and its practices are treated as outside the church's concern, as long as one claims love for Christ
Christ sees through all theological gymnastics to the simple desire to feed the flesh; nothing is new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9)
E. All the churches are put on notice: Christ searches mind and heart and renders to each according to works (Revelation 2:23)
II. The Son of God Is Merciful and Gracious Toward Sinners
A. Christ's judgment on Jezebel is described as casting her onto a sick bed and her followers into great tribulation (Revelation 2:22)
"Sick bed" is a Hebrew idiom for punishment by illness; likely a deliberate contrast with the banquet couch
Parallels Paul's warning in 1 Corinthians 11 — some in Corinth were weak, ill, and dying for eating the Lord's Supper unworthily
Parallels the judgment of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5: public judgment produces fear and sanctification in the whole body
B. Yet Christ's longsuffering mercy is on full display
He had already given Jezebel time to repent and she refused (Revelation 2:21)
Judgment will come unless they repent — still more time extended (Revelation 2:22)
This is the same God whose mercy enraged Jonah; even toward flagrant sinners Christ stays his hand
C. To the faithful remnant Christ says: "I do not lay on you any other burden — only hold fast what you have until I come" (Revelation 2:24-25)
Echoes the Jerusalem Council's relief to Gentile believers in Acts 15:28-31: no heavy yoke, only encouragement
The one who peers into every secret sin is also the one whose yoke is easy and burden is light (Matthew 11:30)
Christ as Son of God is also a Son of Encouragement — he does not watch over his people to crush them but to draw them to himself
III. The Son of God Shares His Rule with the Saints
A. The promise to the overcomer: authority over the nations, ruling with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:26-27)
Christ shares the very rule he received from his Father (Psalm 2:8-9)
The saints are not merely subjects or citizens but fellow heirs — the language of royalty and rulership (Romans 8:16-17)
To reign with Christ is to be elevated above angels — we will judge angels with him
B. The promise of the morning star (Revelation 2:28)
Balaam's oracle points forward: "A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel" (Numbers 24:17)
Jesus identifies himself as the bright morning star in Revelation 22:16
As Moses came down Sinai reflecting God's glory (Exodus 34), so the saints will be fully enveloped in the glory of Christ and reflect his kingly light
C. Application: our desires are not too large but too small (C. S. Lewis)
We settle for the mud pies of worldly comfort when a holiday at the sea — joint reign with the King of Glory — is offered
The call is to reject this world, take up the cross, and run as pilgrims toward the inheritance kept in heaven (Romans 8:17)
The prospect of shared glory should move believers to exhort, love, and encourage one another on the way
30 min
July 13, 2025July 13, 2025; Sunday Evening Worship
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Revelation 1:4-6
Hymn — Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder (#286)
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 19 (Questions 50–52)
Hymn — As the Deer (#42B)
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon
Hymn — How Sweet and Awesome Is the Place (#425)
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Sermon Title: Drawing Near — The Peace Offering and Communion with God
Scripture: Leviticus 3:1-17
I. The Peace Offering Confirms the Peace of God
A. In the ancient Near East, sharing a meal confirmed peace and covenant relationship between parties
Genesis 31:51-54 — Jacob and Laban confirm their truce over a shared meal
Exodus 24:11 — God shares a meal with the elders of Israel on Mount Sinai, confirming covenant peace after the giving of the law in Exodus 20
B. The peace offering enacts this same covenant confirmation between Yahweh and the offerer
After the thunder of the law and the people's fear at Sinai, the meal on the mountain signals that the Lord is now drawing near in peace
Meals in ordinary life serve to establish unity and fellowship — division is set aside at the table
C. The Lord's Supper fulfills and surpasses the peace offering
In John 20 Jesus greets his disciples three times with "Peace be with you," then in John 21 prepares a meal for them
In Luke 24 the disciples on the Emmaus road recognize the risen Christ in the breaking of bread
1 Corinthians 11:26 — the Lord's Supper is a perpetual meal confirming covenant peace until Christ returns
Isaiah 55:1 — "Come, everyone who thirsts… buy and eat… without money and without price" — the only prerequisite is spiritual bankruptcy
II. The Peace Offering Celebrates the Forgiveness of God
A. Meals in the ancient world marked joy and celebration
2 Samuel 6:9 — David's despair when Uzzah is struck dead: "How can the ark of the Lord come to me?"
1 Chronicles 16 — after the Levites carry the ark rightly, David offers burnt offerings and peace offerings and distributes food to all the people; he dances with joy before the Lord
Nehemiah 8 — the people are commanded to eat and celebrate after hearing and understanding the law of God
B. The peace offering is the culminating step of a sacrificial sequence
Burnt offering (Leviticus 1) → grain offering (Leviticus 2) → peace offering (Leviticus 3) were offered together as a package
The movement is from atonement through thanksgiving to celebratory communion — a progression toward the presence of God
The sin and guilt offerings addressed specific transgressions; the burnt, grain, and peace offerings were the regular, general offerings of the whole people
C. The fat and blood portions reserved for the Lord celebrate the benefactor, not merely the benefits
Verse 16 — "All the fat is the Lord's"; verse 17 — the blood also belongs to the Lord
The fat was the choicest part of the animal — the Lord receives the best, as the one being celebrated
We do not merely celebrate forgiveness and redemptive benefits; we celebrate the one who forgives — the benefactor himself
Justification, adoption, and all redemptive blessings in Christ draw our hearts upward to Christ himself
III. The Peace Offering Consummates Communion with God
A. The book of Leviticus answers the crisis left at the end of Exodus
Exodus 40:35 — "Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting, because the cloud settled on it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" — a tent of meeting where no one could meet with God
Leviticus answers: through the sacrificial system the tent of dwelling becomes a tent of meeting; the peace offering is God inviting his people into his house for a meal
B. Communion with God is the destination of all redemptive history
Psalm 36:8-9 — "They feast on the abundance of your house… for with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light"
The burnt offering → peace offering sequence is a microcosm of the whole Bible: how do sinners return to the garden, to the presence of God?
Revelation 22:4-5 — "They will see his face… the Lord God will be their light" — the entire cosmos becomes the temple where God dwells with his people forever
C. The distinction between the burnt offering (male only) and the peace offering (male or female) is theologically significant
The burnt offering, most closely tied to propitiation, required an unblemished male — pointing to the need for a new Adam, a new male representative to stand in our place
The peace offering is placed on top of the burnt offering (verse 5) — union and communion with God for both male and female rests upon the male substitute
Galatians 3:28 — "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus"
The proper order cannot be skipped: substitutionary atonement (burnt offering) → thanksgiving (grain offering) → presence and communion with God (peace offering); so also in Christ
32 min
July 06, 2025July 6, 2025; Sunday Evening Worship
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Matthew 28:18-20
Hymn — All Authority and Power (#424)
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 18, Questions 46–48
Hymn — As the Deer (#42B)
Pastoral Prayer
Scripture Reading — Romans 8:1-4
Sermon
Hymn — And Can It Be That I Should Gain (#431)
Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
Sermon Title: No Condemnation — Freedom from Sin's Guilt and Power
Scripture: Romans 8:1-4
I. How Can There Be No Condemnation Given the Continued Struggle with Sin?
A. The thesis of Romans 8:1 — "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus"
"Condemnation" is a legal term — to be pronounced guilty of breaking a law
Romans 3 establishes that all are guilty before God; even one sin earns infinite condemnation before an infinitely holy God
Romans 8 comes on the heels of chapter 7, where Paul describes the believer's ongoing struggle with sin — raising the question: could that struggle jeopardize justification?
B. The answer: a new operative power — Romans 8:2
"The law of the Spirit of life" = the powerful, operative working of the Holy Spirit in the believer
By nature, sin is the operative power of the heart — a cruel master with full control
In Christ, the believer is set free not only from the guilt of sin but from the power of sin
The Holy Spirit is the new operative power; sin is no longer master
The presence of sin remains until death and glory, but its dominion is broken
The good news of justification would be undermined if it were not accompanied by freedom from sin's power through the Spirit
II. How Is This New Freedom and Power in the Spirit Made Possible?
A. What the law could not do — Romans 8:3a
The moral law reveals sin (Romans 7:7) and can restrain some sin, but also inflames it
The law's weakness is not in the law itself but in our sinful flesh — it cannot produce the righteousness God requires
Something must be done that only God can do
B. What God accomplished by sending his Son — Romans 8:3b
The Son was sent "in the likeness of sinful flesh" — true human nature with all the weakness of our flesh, yet without sin; the sinless second Adam
John Murray: the Father sent the Son "in a manner that brought him into the closest relation to sinful humanity that it was possible for him to come without becoming himself sinful"
The Son was sent "for sin" — sin was his singular enemy, the sole focus of his work
In his perfect life and substitutionary death, the Father condemned sin in the flesh of the Son
Robert Haldane: "The Father condemns the Son of his love that he may absolve the children of wrath"
Christ's sinless life also vanquished sin as power — he showed that sin had no dominion over human flesh, breaking its enslaving hold
III. So What? How Does This Apply to the Believer?
A. The purpose clause of Romans 8:4 — "in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us"
Three uses of the preposition "in" tie the passage together:
"In Christ Jesus" (v. 1) — no condemnation
"In Christ Jesus" (v. 2) — set free by the Spirit
"In us" (v. 4) — the law's righteous requirement fulfilled
The key doctrine: union with Christ — all that belongs to Christ flows to his people by faith
Christ kept the law perfectly, died for it, and earned its promised life for others; all of this is credited to the believer
B. Practical confidence for the believer walking according to the Spirit
There is no condemnation now or ever for those in Christ — no further justification to earn
The struggle with sin remains, but it is fought from a position of freedom, not slavery
The Holy Spirit is the believer's indwelling helper, enlivening and energizing the walk of faith
"Ephesians 2:10 — "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand"
Closing application drawn from the hymn And Can It Be: "No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in him, is mine"
32 min

About Northpointe PCA Sermons

From the publisher's feed

Weekly expository preaching from the Lord’s Day morning and evening worship services at Northpointe Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Meridian, Mississippi.

Share Northpointe PCA Sermons

Sign up to save your podcasts

Northpointe PCA Sermons

Northpointe PCA Sermons episodes

About Northpointe PCA Sermons