Northpointe PCA Sermons

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Northpointe PCA Sermons episodes

July 06, 2025The Church in Pergamum
Scripture: Revelation 2:12-17
Order of Service
Call to Worship — 1 Timothy 1:15-17
Hymn — Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Prayer of Invocation
Prayer of Confession
Assurance of Pardon — Colossians 2:13-14
Apostles' Creed
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Hymn — Hail to the Lord's Anointed
Scripture Reading — Revelation 2:12-17
Sermon
Prayer
Lord's Supper — Till He Come (stanzas 1–2)
Lord's Supper — Till He Come (stanzas 3–4)
Benediction
Doxology
Sermon Title: The Church in Pergamum
Scripture: Revelation 2:12-17
I. Christ as Judge Encourages the Committed Church
A. Christ introduces himself as the one who holds the sharp two-edged sword (Revelation 2:12)
Two Greek words for sword appear in Revelation; here Christ wields the longer sword, symbolizing supreme judicial authority
The Roman governor in Pergamum, as capital of the Asian province, exercised "the right of the sword" — authority over life and death — in the name of the emperor
Pilate's boast of power over Jesus (John 19:10) is answered by Christ's reminder that all power is given from above; in his exaltation, Christ alone is the true judge
B. Pergamum was a center of intense pagan idolatry — "where Satan's throne is" (Revelation 2:13)
Four patron deities: Zeus, Athena, Dionysus, and Asclepius; the city was called "the altar of the ancient world" for its vast temples on the Acropolis
Pergamum was the first city to erect a temple for Roman emperor worship
Asclepius, god of healing, was worshiped under the emblem of a serpent — symbolically connecting his cult to Satan in Christian eyes
Pergamum was also the first city in Asia to erect a temple for Roman emperor worship
C. Despite this hostile environment, the church remained faithful
They held fast to Christ's name and did not deny the faith, even when Antipas — likely a church leader — was martyred
Revelation pulls back the curtain (apokalypsis) to reveal that behind earthly persecutions lies a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12)
Stephen's vision of Christ standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7) is a model: seeing the true judge by faith enables the church to endure
II. Christ as Judge Warns the Compromising Church
A. The charge: some in Pergamum held the teaching of Balaam (Revelation 2:14-15)
Balaam, hired by Balak king of Moab to curse Israel, instead blessed Israel three times; he then advised Balak that Israel would forfeit God's protection by being drawn into idol worship
Israel's worship of the Baal of Peor with the daughters of Moab resulted in a plague that killed 24,000 (Numbers 25); this became proverbial for spiritual adultery
The Nicolaitans appear to be the same group as those holding the teaching of Balaam — eating food sacrificed to idols and practicing sexual immorality
B. The warning: repent or Christ will come and war against them with the sword of his mouth (Revelation 2:16)
The angel of the Lord confronted Balaam with a drawn sword (Numbers 22:23, 31); Balaam ultimately died by the sword (Numbers 31:8)
The pronoun shift in verses 14–16 is significant: the faithful in Pergamum are not the idolaters, but they must repent of tolerating compromise within the church — the elders likely needed to exercise discipline
C. The example of Phinehas: righteous jealousy for the Lord's name within the covenant community
Phinehas acted decisively against the Israelite who brought a Midianite woman into the camp during the Baal of Peor incident; God stayed the plague and gave Phinehas a covenant of peace
The church today must be as faithful in maintaining purity within the church walls as in resisting persecution outside them
Paul's instruction applies: do not associate with a professing brother living in unrepentant sexual immorality or idolatry; purge the evil person from among you (1 Corinthians 5:11-13)
D. Application: the church must champion its heroes of faith while still honestly evaluating their failures
Hebrews 11 commends figures like Samson and David for their faith and courage while Scripture also condemns their moral failures
Ecclesia semper reformanda — the church is always reforming, learning from both the strengths and the failures of those who came before
III. Christ as Judge Rewards the Conquering Church
A. Promise of hidden manna (Revelation 2:17)
Manna evokes Israel's wilderness journey — God sustaining his people with bread from heaven through Moses
Bread and fellowship were intertwined; to eat with someone was to share communion — hence Paul's instruction not to eat even with an unrepentant brother (1 Corinthians 5:11)
By the time of John's writing, manna had become an eschatological symbol for the end-times feast with God when Messiah comes
Jesus identifies himself as the true manna: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven" (John 6:51)
The hidden manna is received now by faith through the Spirit; it will be fully revealed at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19) — Colossians 3:3-4
B. Promise of a white stone with a new name
The manna itself in Numbers 11:7 was described as resembling bdellium — round and white like a pearl in Jewish tradition — connecting the stone to the manna
Whiteness throughout Revelation signifies purity and righteousness — garments unsoiled by compromise with paganism
A stone symbolizes permanence and unshakeableness; the saints are permanently established in holiness before Christ, whose hair is white like wool (Revelation 1:14)
The new name on the stone echoes Isaiah 62:2 and Isaiah 65:15 — God's people, the true eschatological Israel made up of Jews and Gentiles, receive a new identity in Christ
Only those truly united to Christ by faith know this name — this new status and relationship with the Father through the Son (Luke 10:22)
C. Closing exhortation
The life of the believer is now hidden with Christ in God, awaiting the day of full revelation in glory
The church must exhort one another within the walls to live according to the whole counsel of God, as those accountable to Christ who is judge of all
29 min
June 29, 2025June 29, 2025; Sunday Morning Worship
Scripture: Psalm 95
Order of Service
Hymn — Come, Let Us Sing unto the Lord (based on Psalm 98)
Call to Worship — Psalm 98:1-9
Hymn — Come, Let Us Sing unto the Lord
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Faith (Westminster Shorter Catechism)
Scripture Reading — Ezra 4:1-16
Hymn — The Lord's My Light (Psalm 27)
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Hymn — Abide with Me
Sermon
Hymn — How Firm a Foundation
Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
Sermon Title: Worship God or Perish — The Ultimatum of Psalm 95
Scripture: Psalm 95:1-11
I. The Call to Worship God with Rejoicing (vv. 1–2)
A. The psalmist commands exuberant, wholehearted praise — joyful shouting fit for a king who saves his people
B. The Lord is called the rock of our salvation, a reference to the water-giving rock in the wilderness (Exodus 17)
Paul identifies that rock as Christ in 1 Corinthians 10
If Christ is your rock, come before him with great praise and thanksgiving
C. There is no room for apathetic mumbling, disengaged lip service, or distracted hearing of God's word
II. Worship in the Reality of God's Presence and Person (vv. 2–5)
A. God is specially present when his people gather for worship (cf. Exodus 33:15)
B. Three truths about who God is that fuel worship:
The Lord is a great God — Psalm 113; Psalm 145 — his greatness is unsearchable
The Lord is a great king above all gods — he rules all things visible and invisible; any power other beings possess is derivative and subject to his sovereign will
The Lord is the Creator — the depths, the mountains, the sea, and the dry land are all his (Genesis 1–2); unlike localized pagan idols, he made it all and is over all
III. Worship God with Reverence (v. 6)
A. The three Hebrew verbs — worship, bow down, kneel — all mean to prostrate oneself; this is face-down-in-the-dirt humility before almighty God
B. This reverence is not servile fear before a tyrant; it is inseparable from the joyful shouting of vv. 1–2
C. Reflecting on who God is and what he has done, the believer cannot help but bow down trembling with joy
IV. Worship in Relationship to God as Shepherd (v. 7a)
A. He is our God — his commitment is constant; his care is all-sufficient and personal
B. We are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand — he is no hireling
C. Psalm 23 — the Lord is my shepherd; Jesus is the good shepherd who knows his sheep
V. The Ultimatum: Do Not Harden Your Hearts (vv. 7b–11)
A. The warning is taken up in full by the author of Hebrews (Hebrews 3:7–11; Hebrews 4:3); Derek Kidner notes it "forbids us to confine its thrust to Israel" — the today is this very moment
B. The ultimatum is time-sensitive — today, not tomorrow; you may not have tomorrow
Thomas Fuller: "You cannot repent too soon because you do not know how soon it may be too late"
Today is the day of salvation
C. The ultimatum requires sensitive ears — God speaks through his inspired word (Hebrews 1:1-2); the Holy Spirit spoke through the human author (Hebrews 3:7); we must ask for understanding and be doers, not merely hearers
D. The ultimatum is heart-related — Israel went astray in their heart (v. 10)
Proverbs 4:23 — guard your heart with all diligence
Mark 7 — evil proceeds from within, out of the heart
Hebrews 3:12 — take care lest there be an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God
E. The ultimatum is historically illustrated by Israel in the wilderness (vv. 8–10)
Despite miraculous deliverance from Egypt and sustenance in the wilderness, Israel grumbled repeatedly — at Marah (Exodus 15), at Massah and Meribah (Exodus 17), over meat and bread (Numbers 11)
God's ways include loving discipline so we might share in his holiness; we test God when we complain rather than submit
It is not wrong to pray for deliverance, but if God prolongs the trial we must not grumble, shake our fists, or turn back
Paul: these things happened as examples for our instruction (1 Corinthians 10)
F. The ultimatum is dreadfully enforced — "I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest" (v. 11)
God's oath makes the curse irrevocable; Israel crossed the line of no return at the report of the ten spies
Only Joshua and Caleb of those 20 and older who witnessed the Exodus entered the land
The author of Hebrews applies this to eternal salvation, not merely land promises — not entering God's rest means missing out on eternal life
Unbelief expressed through grumbling, apathy in worship, and hardness of heart may evidence that one remains under God's judgment
VI. The Call to Respond
A. If you have an evil, unbelieving heart — repent today; do not tarry; flee to Christ
B. If the call to worship gives you joy overflowing with thanksgiving — make a joyful noise, for the Lord is great and greatly to be praised
50 min
June 22, 2025The Church in Smyrna
Scripture: Revelation 2:8-11
Order of Service
Announcements
Hymn — God, All Nature Sings Thy Glory
Call to Worship — Psalm 19:1-6, 14
Hymn — God, All Nature Sings Thy Glory
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon — Psalm 28:6-7
Scripture Reading — Ezra 3
Hymn — We Are God's People
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn — Day by Day
Sermon
Hymn — And Can It Be
Benediction
Doxology
Sermon Title: The Suffering Church and the Crown of Life
Scripture: Revelation 2:8-11
I. Suffering Is Known by Christ
A. Christ introduces himself to the church in Smyrna as "the first and the last, who died and came to life" — he speaks from the other side of suffering
Smyrna was Rome's most faithful ally, the first city to build a temple to the goddess Roma (195 BC)
When Caesar worship became required, Christians refusing to confess Caesar as Lord lost employment, faced imprisonment, and death
Jewish authorities in Smyrna slandered Christians before Roman officials — Christ calls their assembly a "synagogue of Satan" (meaning false accuser)
B. Christ's declaration "I know your tribulation and your poverty" is intimate knowledge, not merely intellectual awareness
Hebrews 4:15 — we do not have a high priest unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sin
Human comfort after tragedy is real but limited — it fades after the funeral; Christ never leaves
C. Christ's empathy is untinged by sin and unrestricted by mortality
John 1:14 — Christ is full of grace and truth
Ephesians 2:4 — God is rich in mercy; he abounds in steadfast love
1 Corinthians 13:12 — now we see dimly, but then face to face; Christ now sees clearly from the seat of glory and says to the suffering church, "You are rich"
II. Suffering Is a Test from Christ
A. Revelation 2:10a — "the devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be tested"; Satan works through his instruments, yet the sovereign Lord ordains it
The Gospels repeatedly show Christ testing people — the Syrophoenician woman passes; the rich young ruler does not
1 Peter 4:12 — "Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you"
The same God who tested Abraham with the sacrifice of Isaac continues to test the sons of Abraham
B. Suffering without a sovereign purpose destroys; suffering understood as a test from God sustains
Illustration: Life Is Beautiful — a father convinces his son the concentration camp is a game with a prize; the boy endures because he believes the trial has a goal
Dostoevsky observed in a Siberian prison that non-Christian prisoners often went insane, while Christians endured in hope
Every moment of suffering in the hands of Christ is an instrument to shape his saints and prepare them for glory
C. Excommunication in 1 Corinthians 5 and 1 Timothy 1 is described as handing someone over to Satan — suffering outside Christ's lordship prepares one for the second death, not for glory
III. Suffering Is the Path to the Crown of Life
A. The "ten days" of tribulation (Revelation 2:10) most likely symbolizes the brevity of the season of suffering, not a literal duration
2 Corinthians 4:16-17 — "this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison"
Suffering may even lead to death, but in light of eternal glory it will seem a blip on the screen
B. Death itself becomes the crown of life for those united to the one who died and yet lives
Satan's chief weapon — death — has been annihilated by Christ's resurrection
Romans 8:37 — we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us
The second death (Revelation 20) — the lake of fire — holds no power over those who belong to Christ
C. Historical illustration: Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna (traditionally a disciple of the Apostle John), martyred c. AD 155
When ordered to swear by Caesar and reproach Christ, he answered: "Eighty-six years I have served him and he never did me any injury — how then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?"
When threatened with fire, he replied that the proconsul's fire burns for an hour, but the fire of eternal punishment — the second death — is reserved for the ungodly
Polycarp embodied the letter written to his own congregation: faithful unto death, receiving the crown of life
27 min
June 22, 2025June 22, 2025; Sunday Evening Worship
Scripture: Judges 21
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 48:1-14
Hymn — Great Is the Lord Our God (#48A)
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism — Question 45
Hymn — Jesus, Lover of My Soul (#450)
Pastoral Prayer
Scripture Reading — Judges 21:1-25
Sermon
Hymn — Come, Thou Almighty King (#212)
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Sermon Title: The Lord's Mercy Meets Us in Our Moral Mess
Scripture: Judges 21:1-25
I. Our Moral Mess
A. The book of Judges opens with Israel inquiring of the Lord after Joshua's death and closes with the repeated refrain: "In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes."
B. Two rash oaths made at Mizpah set up the moral tangle of this passage
The "wife oath" — no tribe would give daughters in marriage to Benjamin
A death oath — any part of Israel that failed to answer the assembly's summons would be devoted to destruction
C. Israel's response to Benjamin's near-extinction shows a mixture of right and wrong
They weep and offer sacrifices before the Lord (Judges 21:2-4) — a genuine, if incomplete, repentance
They proclaim peace to the surviving Benjaminites (Judges 21:13) — a concern for what God cares about
Yet their solution involves slaughtering Jabesh-gilead to produce 400 virgins for the 600 surviving Benjaminite men
The math still falls short (400 women for 600 men), so they devise a plan for Benjamin to snatch girls dancing at the Shiloh festival
Convoluted reasoning in Judges 21:22 allows Israel to claim clean hands — the fathers did not "give" their daughters, and Benjamin did not take them in formal battle
D. The problem of oaths is not that they can be made, but what has been promised in haste and without wisdom
Compare Jephthah's foolish oath and the sacrifice of his daughter
Proverbs 12:22 — "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight"
E. Application: the mirror of God's Word reflects our own moral mess
A thorn-like mixing of right and wrong, good motives and selfish ones
Romans 7:21 — "I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand"
We are a "mixed bag" — salt and sugar indistinguishable once combined
II. The Lord's Mercy That Meets Us in Our Moral Mess
A. God does not speak in this passage; the actions are neither commended nor condemned — yet his providence is at work throughout
B. Israel's compassion for Benjamin (twice noted: Judges 21:6 and Judges 21:15) is, through the fog of the mess, a vehicle of the Lord's own compassion
Hosea 11:8 — "How can I give you up, O Ephraim? My compassion grows warm and tender"
Benjamin deserved complete destruction like Sodom; instead a remnant is preserved
C. God is faithful to himself and therefore faithful to his covenant people
He cannot deny himself (2 Timothy 2:13)
To let Benjamin perish entirely would dishonor his name before the watching world
Dale Ralph Davis: "It is of Yahweh's mercies that we are not consumed. Even in wrath, Yahweh remembered mercy" — the subtitle of Judges and of the gospel
D. From Benjamin's preserved remnant comes the first king of Israel — Saul — and ultimately the King of kings
God preserves this people so that his Son can come
Romans 5:6-10 — "While we were still weak… while we were still sinners… while we were still enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son"
E. Application: the Lord's tenacious grace
Dale Ralph Davis: "Yahweh's grace is far more tenacious than his people's depravity and insists on still holding them even in their sinfulness and their stupidity"
Galatians 4:4-5 — "God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law"
Deuteronomy 7 — God chose Israel not for their size or righteousness, but solely because he loved them; the same is true for every believer
There is a king in Israel — the Son whom God has placed on the throne; look to him
36 min
June 15, 2025The Church in Ephesus
Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7
Order of Service
Hymn — Give to Our God Immortal Praise
Call to Worship — Romans 11:33-36
Hymn — Give to Our God Immortal Praise (continued)
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Faith (Belgic Confession)
Scripture Reading — Ezra 1:1-11
Hymn — God Moves in a Mysterious Way
Prayer of Confession and Intercession
Offering
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn of Preparation — Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder
Sermon
Hymn of Dedication — More Love to Thee, O Christ
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Gloria Patri
Sermon Title: The Church in Ephesus
Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7
I. The Exclusivity of the Church — The Call to Holiness
A. Christ commends the Ephesian church for guarding sound doctrine
They tested false teachers claiming to be apostles and found them to be false, following the instruction of 1 John 4:1
They hated the works of the Nicolaitans, a sect linked to eating food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality — the hallmarks of pagan religion
B. The historical context of Ephesus heightens the significance of this faithfulness
Ephesus was the crown jewel of Asia Minor, seat of the Roman proconsul, and home to the Temple of Artemis — one of the seven wonders of the ancient world
The city's economy was intertwined with pagan religion, as seen in Acts 19 when Demetrius the silversmith stirred up a riot against Paul's preaching
Paul had warned the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:29-30 that fierce wolves would come; the church heeded that warning
C. Doctrinal faithfulness and love are not opposites — Christ commends both together
The church that bows to relativism will become irrelevant; the church that bows to Christ and his Word will always be relevant
J. Gresham Machen: the religion that shrinks from controversy will never stand amid the shocks of life — the really important things are the things about which men will fight
II. The Love of the Church — The Call to Live in the Love of Christ
A. Christ's charge against Ephesus: they have abandoned their first love (Revelation 2:4-5)
The love spoken of is left without a specific object because all Christian love has been lost — love for Christ, for his church, and for lost humanity
This is the love Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3: without love, even flawless orthodoxy amounts to nothing
B. The Ephesians suffer from what may be called the Pharisee syndrome
The Pharisees (meaning "the separated ones") rightly separated from Hellenistic corruption but ended by not loving their Messiah, his people, or humanity
Constant doctrinal vigilance without love causes everyone to become suspect; charity and trust erode until one is isolated and exhausted
C. The diagnostic question every church must ask
Is right doctrine drawing us out of ourselves and into Christ — softening our hearts toward him, his church, and lost humanity?
Or is right doctrine turning us inward — hardening our hearts and closing us off from Christ and the world that needs the gospel?
Love without doctrine leads to universalism; doctrine without love leads to Pharisaic isolation — Christ must be known as a person, not merely a set of propositions
III. The Desire of the Church — The Promise of the Tree of Life
A. The conquering call at the close of the letter (Revelation 2:7)
Christ the conquering king calls his church to conquer — to fight sin both within and without, and to live toward the tree of life
The word paradise is the Greek Old Testament word for the Garden of Eden; notably, a grove outside Ephesus called Paradisos was a site of Artemis pilgrimage and feasting — Christ invites Ephesus to a different pilgrimage and a better feast
B. The tree of life points back to the garden and forward to the new creation
The golden lampstand in the tabernacle was designed to resemble a tree and represented the tree of life and light — God's life-giving presence among his people
Christ walking among the lampstands (Revelation 2:1) echoes God walking with Adam and Eve in paradise — a foretaste now by the Spirit, awaiting the full reality face to face
Revelation 22:1-5: the river of life, the tree of life, the healing of the nations, the throne of God and the Lamb, no more night — the Lord God himself is the light of his people forever
C. The chief aim and desire of the church
The tree of life is the sign and seal of the permanent, life-giving presence of God
The church's supreme longing must be to glorify and enjoy the Lord forever — to bask in the life and light of Christ
Until that day, the church is called to fight the good fight with soft hearts, in the love of Christ
35 min
June 15, 2025God's Justice Comes With Judah
Scripture: Judges 20
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 145:1-2, 3, 21
Hymn — Psalm 145B (I Will Exalt You, God My King)
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 16, Questions 40–44
Hymn — Jesus, Lover of My Soul (#450)
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon
Hymn — How Long Will You Forget Me, Lord (#13)
Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
Sermon Title: God's Justice Comes With Judah
Scripture: Judges 20
I. The Tragedy of God's Justice for Sin
A. The fracturing of fellowship
All Israel assembled — from Dan to Beersheba — but Benjamin was absent, treated as though outside the covenant people
The language throughout the passage distinguishes "the people of Israel" from "Benjamin," making us feel the grief of division within one covenant nation
Sin is the great divider; even Jesus taught that his coming would divide households (Matthew 10:34-36)
B. The hardening of hearts
Israel showed restraint — their initial request was only for Benjamin to hand over the guilty men of Gibeah (Judges 20:13)
Benjamin refused and immediately prepared for war, making the entire tribe complicit in the sin of the few
Refusing to deal with sin — whether by an individual, a church court, or a tribe — reveals a hardening heart and puts all in grave danger; sin left alone will always grow
C. The devastation of death
By the numbers: approximately 40,030 men of the eleven tribes killed; 25,100 men of Benjamin killed — over 65,000 dead
Romans 6:23 — the wages of sin is death; physical death as well as spiritual death is the consequence of sin from the earliest pages of Scripture
As Matthew Henry observed, war is a tragedy that commonly destroys the stage it is acted on
II. The Triumph of God's Justice for Sin
A. The sharing of righteous anger
Eleven tribes united as one man to purge evil from Israel, reflecting the holy anger of God who is a consuming fire
At nearly every step Israel checks in with the Lord — verses 20:18, 20:23, and 20:27 — not wanting to run ahead of God
The Lord's final word — "Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand" (Judges 20:28) — language previously reserved for pagan enemies, now spoken of Benjamin
God's people today join with him in this same pursuit through church discipline and the serious treatment of sin among members
B. The sharing of righteous anguish
Israel's losses on the first two days drive them to weeping, fasting, and offering sacrifices before the Lord (Judges 20:23, 26)
Dane Ortland: God is free of fallen emotion but not all emotion — there are places in Scripture where God's heart is inflamed with pity and compassion for his people
Christ himself displays the grief of God perfectly — "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… how often I would have gathered your children together" (Matthew 23:37)
When God's people grieve over sin and pursue justice for it, they share in both God's anger and his anguish
III. The Trajectory of God's Justice for Sin
A. Judah goes first — and why it matters
When Israel asks who shall go first, the Lord answers: "Judah shall go up first" (Judges 20:18)
Jacob's blessing promised Judah a lion's cub, the scepter, and the obedience of the peoples (Genesis 49:8-10) — a line of kings from Judah
Judah goes first throughout Israel's history: through the wilderness, at the opening of Judges against the Canaanites, and now against Benjamin
Judges is making a theological argument not merely for a king, but for a king from Judah — not Saul of Benjamin, but David of Judah, the man after God's own heart, with whom God covenants that an heir will sit on the throne forever
B. The trajectory runs to Christ, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah
God's chosen everlasting king comes from Judah — and that trajectory leads to Christ Jesus
Christ goes first — he leads the charge into battle for his people, bearing in himself both the tragedy and the triumph of God's justice for sin
He weeps over Jerusalem; he drinks the cup of undiluted wrath on the cross; he cries, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" — and then, "It is finished"
Isaiah 53:10-11 — out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; God himself bore the full cost of justice for the sins of his people
To harden the heart against this king is to be left to pay that cost alone — eternally; to come to him in faith is to receive life abundantly (John 10:10)
39 min
June 08, 2025A Moral Mirror
Scripture: Judges 19
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 99
Hymn — O Worship the King (#219)
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 15, Questions 37–39
Hymn — Jesus, Lover of My Soul (#450)
Pastoral Prayer
Scripture Reading — Judges 19
Sermon
Hymn — Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus (#300)
Benediction — 1 Peter 5:10
Sermon Title: A Moral Mirror
Scripture: Judges 19
I. The Moral Mirror Reveals the Fruit of Sin Against Neighbor
A. The fruit of sin includes a mixed bag of behavior
The Levite pursues his concubine with kindness, going to "speak to her heart" (Judges 19:3), showing some tenderness amid relational fracture
Two contrasting examples of hospitality — the father-in-law's lavish welcome and the old man's care for travelers — stand against the horrors of the men of Gibeah
The same characters display both goodness and wickedness: the old man offers sacrificial hospitality, then suggests throwing out his own daughter; the Levite woos his wife back, then shoves her out the door
Sin makes a complex, contradictory mess of human behavior; as James 3:9–10 says, from the same mouth come blessing and cursing
Even our righteous deeds are as filthy garments (Isaiah 64:6)
B. The fruit of sin includes a lack of love for neighbor
Chapters 17–18 showed sinful worship as a symptom of the lack of love for God; chapter 19 shows sin against one another as a symptom of the lack of love for neighbor
Horizontal love is grounded in vertical love — when we go astray toward God, we go astray toward one another
The concubine is treated throughout as property, not a person — kept in the background, used as a solution to the threat of the wicked men, left for dead on the threshold while her husband sleeps
Nearly every commandment governing love of neighbor — from "do not murder" to "do not covet" — is broken across the chapter
Jesus summarized the second table of the law as "Love your neighbor as yourself"; the disciples received a new commandment to love one another (John 13:34)
Application: We may not commit these gross sins, but do we love our neighbor in our thoughts, words, tone, patience toward spouse and children, and freedom from jealousy and covetousness?
C. The fruit of sin includes a removal of restraint
The horrors at Gibeah echo Genesis 19 — Lot protecting the angels from the men of Sodom — with many shared details
In Genesis 19 God mercifully restrained the men of Sodom with blindness; here among God's own people in Gibeah, no such restraining mercy comes — the sin of Sodom has come to Benjamin
Paul in Romans 1 teaches that God at times gives people over to their sin, removing his restraining mercy so that sin intensifies along with judgment
God's gracious providence always holds us back from the worst we are capable of, but persistent, unrepentant hardness of heart invites the danger that God will give us up to our disordered loves and lusts
C. S. Lewis: there are two kinds of people — those who say to God "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says in the end, "Thy will be done"
Call to repentance: confess sin to the One who is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)
II. The Moral Mirror Reveals the Root of Sin Against Neighbor
A. The root of sin is the self-rule of man
The opening refrain frames the whole narrative: "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25)
The original sin was man acting as his own authority against God — a rebel placing himself on his own throne
The old man's tragic words in Judges 19:24 — "do with them what seems good to you" — echo the cry of every sinful age and culture, because they first echo the cry of the sinful heart
Sin is man's declaration of independence from God (Chuck Colson: sin is essentially rebellion against the rule of God)
All the faculties of man — reasoning, willing, desiring — work together to fuel rebellion against God's rule
The father-in-law's repeated refrain, "strengthen your heart / let your heart be merry," draws the reader's attention to the heart as the seat and soil of sin
Proverbs 4:23: "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life"
B. The root of sin is remedied by the sovereign rule of God in Christ
The passage drives toward a theological answer: self-rule is confronted and overcome by the kingly rule of God in Christ
The coming king of Israel is a marker pointing to Christ, the true and everlasting King
Christ demonstrates his kingship in every dimension of his ministry: calming storms and casting out demons (power), teaching with authority (command), healing the sick (compassion), dying and rising (victory over sin and death)
Hebrews 1:8: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness"
Revelation 17:14: the Lamb will conquer all his enemies, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called, chosen, and faithful
The believer's heart is not its own master — it is deceptive (Jeremiah 17:9), unreliable, and prone to wander into paths that promise pleasure but are empty
Application: Bring your heart often and repeatedly before the throne of Christ — "by thine own eternal Spirit, rule in all our hearts alone" (Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus)
37 min
June 08, 2025Firmly Established Wrath
Scripture: Nahum 3
Order of Service
Hymn — Crown Him with Many Crowns
Call to Worship — Revelation 4:8-11
Hymn — Crown Him with Many Crowns
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon — 1 John 2:1-2
Scripture Reading — Philemon 1-25
Hymn — There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Hymn — Christ Is Coming
Sermon
Hymn — Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven
Benediction
Sermon Title: Firmly Established Wrath
Scripture: Nahum 3:1-19
I. The Laid-Out Reasons for God's Firmly Established Judgment
(Nahum 3:1-4)
A. Violence
The Assyrian Empire was notorious for extreme brutality — impalement, dismemberment, heads used as decorations
No one mourns Nineveh's destruction (Nahum 3:7) — the judgment is welcomed
B. Deceit (Nahum 3:1)
Assyria used suzerain treaties to lure lesser nations with promises of protection, then subjugated them
King Ahaz of Judah was deceived by this tactic (2 Kings 16:7; Isaiah 7) — God warned him not to seek Assyria's help, but he refused
God holds all nations accountable for broken covenants, not only his covenant people
C. Sexual Sin (Nahum 3:4)
Nineveh synchronized occult worship with temple prostitution, luring nations through deadly charms
Application: In contemporary culture, sexuality has become a defining religion — the pornography industry generates roughly $60 billion per year, exceeding the NFL, NBA, MLB, and Hollywood combined
The ancient sin of Nineveh mirrors modern culture more than we may care to admit
II. The Lack of Readiness for God's Firmly Established Judgment
(Nahum 3:8-19)
A. The example of Thebes (Nahum 3:8-10)
Thebes was the great capital of Egypt, considered impregnable — surrounded by the Nile, protected by Kush, Put, and Libya
In 663 BC Assyria destroyed Thebes; God asks Nineveh: are you better positioned than Thebes?
B. Economic collapse foretold (Nahum 3:16)
Nineveh's merchants swarmed like locusts — but when destruction comes, they will flee just as quickly
C. Arrogant and sleeping leadership (Nahum 3:18)
The king of Assyria rested at ease, confident in his invincibility; his people were left scattered and prey
Zephaniah 2:15 — Nineveh said in her heart, "I am, and there is no other"
Historian Victor Davis Hanson (The End of Everything) chronicles how mighty empires — Thebes, Carthage, Constantinople, the Aztec Empire — fell suddenly and completely
D. The danger of comfort and ease
Scripture consistently shows that nations and peoples most content are most ripe for judgment
The Pax Romana (27 BC–180 AD): 200 years of Roman peace led to moral degradation that paved the way for Rome's collapse
Amos 6:4-7 — woe to those at ease in Zion, lying on beds of ivory, not grieved over the ruin of Joseph
James 5:5 — "You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter."
Application: Wealthy, comfortable Americans should heed Christ's warning — he comes like a thief; let us not be asleep
III. The Longed-For Relief of God's Firmly Established Judgment
(Nahum 3:19)
A. Nahum's prophecy was ultimately for the sake of Judah and the Davidic covenant
In 2 Samuel 7, God promised David an everlasting kingdom and victory over his enemies
2 Samuel 8:9-10 — David's defeat of Hadadezer produced a ripple effect of blessing even on surrounding pagan nations
B. All nations who suffered under Assyria clap their hands at her destruction (Nahum 3:19)
A common enemy unites even bitter rivals; Judah and the surrounding nations were united in relief at Nineveh's fall
C. Christological fulfillment
John 12:31-32 — "Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out"
Satan, who held the power of death through sin, was put to open shame at the cross
Hebrews 1:3 — after making purification for sins, Christ sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high
People from every tribe, nation, and tongue now clap their hands over Satan, sin, and death — united by the victory of the Davidic King Jesus Christ
We await the consummation: Christ will come to fully vanquish the enemy, and his people will rejoice over the final defeat of their common foe
30 min
June 01, 2025June 1, 2025; Sunday Evening Worship
Scripture: Philemon
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 29:1-2
Hymn — God My King, Thy Might Confessing (#145)
Prayer of Invocation
Scripture Reading — Philemon 1–25
Sermon
Prayer
Hymn — Blest Be the Tie That Binds (#409)
Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
Sermon Title: The Gospel and Human Dignity
Scripture: Philemon 1–25
I. Captivity and Communion
A. Paul identifies himself as a prisoner of Christ, not of Rome
Nero holds no ultimate authority; God alone is sovereign
Paul's intellect and fate are captive to Christ — in life and in death
B. Every person named in the letter — Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and Onesimus — belongs first and foremost to Jesus
All will one day give account before the judgment seat for how they treated those entrusted to them
Nero will answer for how he treated Paul; Philemon will answer for how he treated Onesimus
C. Love within the church is a form of testimony to the world
1 John 4:20 — anyone who claims to love God but hates his brother is a liar
Philemon 6 — the sharing of faith becomes effective through the full knowledge of every good thing in us for Christ's sake
Paul commends Philemon, Apphia, and Archippus for already living this pattern; he now asks them to extend it to Onesimus
D. The church in Philemon's house is a model for Christian households
Where two or three gather regularly in a home, there is a church in that house
The head of the household should lead in prayer, hymns, and diligent study of Scripture
II. Covering the Cost
A. Onesimus appears to have both run away and stolen from Philemon (Philemon 18)
Under Roman law, runaway slaves faced flogging, branding, or crucifixion
Paul offers to personally repay any debt Onesimus owes (Philemon 19)
B. The absent-yet-present gospel: Paul does not explicitly mention Christ's death and resurrection, but enacts them
As sinners, we resemble Onesimus — we flee from God and rob him of his praise
God absorbs our debt at the cost of his own life; Paul asks Philemon to absorb Onesimus's debt in like manner
The implicit question: are you willing to sacrifice your demand for retribution so that Onesimus may live?
C. Important distinctions regarding forgiveness and civil justice
Greco-Roman slavery was grossly immoral and not in accordance with God's standards — Paul does not validate it
Personal forgiveness does not nullify civil accountability; the church has no authority to absolve civil guilt
Philemon is uniquely positioned — a person of strength able to absorb a wrong done by someone in weakness
Paul's appeal is personal and secular in tone, unlike any other letter he wrote
D. The name Onesimus means "useful" — formerly useless, now truly useful through Christ (Philemon 11)
Man apart from the gospel works from selfishness and fear
Man redeemed by God works from joy, bringing delight to his heavenly Father
This Christ-wrought usefulness has shaped and sustained the benefits of the modern world
E. Paul's indirect appeal: he hints that he wishes Onesimus could remain with him (Philemon 13–16)
Onesimus represented a substantial financial investment — approximately the equivalent of $45,000 today
Yet Philemon owes Paul far more — even his own soul, having received the gospel through Paul (Philemon 19)
Philemon 15 — "have him back forever" refers not to permanent slavery but to eternal brotherhood in God's house
III. Culture and Calling
A. The heavenly reality intrudes upon and reshapes earthly reality
In Christ there is neither Greek nor barbarian, slave nor free (Galatians 3:28)
Worship gathered in the church is to be carried out as worship into all of life
B. Cognitive dissonance between Sunday fellowship and six-day treatment reveals a contradiction that must be resolved
Southern Presbyterians evangelized slaves on Sunday but treated them as property the rest of the week
Robert Dabney resolved the dissonance by denying that slaves were persons made in God's image — rejecting Paul's argument in this letter
The gospel rightly applied resolves the dissonance by abolishing the institution, not by denying the humanity of the slave
C. Philemon 17 — Philemon is called to receive Onesimus as he would receive Paul himself
All in Christ possess equal worth — the precious blood of Jesus
The lowliest member of the congregation is to be received with the same dignity as the most honored
D. Philemon 21 — Paul is confident Philemon will do even more than he asks
Receiving the gospel makes us new creations — no longer slaves working from fear but fruitful workers acting from joy
The knowledge that Jesus absorbed our debt leads us to absorb the debts of others
This is how the world sees what our God is like
35 min
June 01, 2025At the Lord's Table
Scripture: Luke 22:14-16
Order of Service
Prelude
Call to Worship — Psalm 67:1-2
Hymn — Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Prayer of Invocation
Reading of God's Law — Exodus 20:1-17
Corporate Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon
Confession of Faith (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 43)
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Hymn — Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee
Scripture Reading — Luke 22:14-16
Sermon
Hymn — Man of Sorrows, What a Name (vv. 1–3)
Lord's Supper
Hymn — Man of Sorrows, What a Name (vv. 4–5)
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Sermon Title: At the Lord's Table
Scripture: Luke 22:14-16
I. The Fellowship of Jesus at His Table
A. Consider who Jesus is
He is the eternal Son of God — "Before Abraham was, I am" — fully God and fully man
The Incarnation is not a brief inspection; God came to live, dwell, and share meals with us
See the incredible humility of Christ: though he was rich, he became poor (2 Corinthians 8:9); he set aside his rights and veiled his glory
B. Consider with whom Jesus reclines at table
The apostles — fishermen, a tax collector, men of low social and spiritual standing
Peter is self-confident and fearful; James and John seek personal glory; Thomas demands sight; all are prone to sleep, selfishness, and spiritual blindness
Judas, the betrayer, is present at this table of fellowship
C. Application: Christ is not repelled by sinners
In Luke 15:2 the Pharisees grumble, "This man receives sinners and eats with them"
Like David welcoming Mephibosheth, Christ as host welcomes unworthy guests on account of himself
Believers come to this table not in self-confidence or by merit, but in faith as the spiritually empty to be filled
II. The Disposition of Jesus at His Table
A. Jesus' heart is revealed in verse 15: "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer"
The Greek construction (desire with desire) expresses the most intense longing possible — Jesus as the infinite God could not have desired more
One commentator notes Jesus is overwhelmed with longing to share this meal with his friends
B. Why such desire?
He knew how much his disciples — and all believers after them — would need this sacrament
He desired to comfort and strengthen their faith before his death would overturn all their expectations
He gives this meal for all the suffering of his people throughout the ages until he comes again — a meal of comfort, nourishment, and sustenance for pilgrims
C. This desire flows from Christ's boundless love
John 13:1 — "Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the uttermost"
He will demonstrate that love on the cross; he expresses it here at the table
Believers may come to this table reassured of Christ's love — his body was broken and his blood was shed for them
III. The Vantage Point of Jesus at His Table
A. As Jesus eats, his eyes are set on the future fulfillment — Luke 22:16: "I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God"
The Passover remembered God's mighty deliverance of Israel from Egypt — blood of a lamb on the doorposts sparing each household
Jesus now looks through and beyond the cross to the consummation that the Passover and the Lord's Supper both point toward
B. The Lord's Supper is a typological, signpost meal
It points forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb in the new heavens and new earth
Revelation 19:7-9 — "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb"
William Hendriksen: at that supper, Christ's people will have been fully redeemed and fellowship between Christ and all the redeemed will have been perfected
C. Even with the cross looming before him, Jesus sees through his suffering to the joy beyond it
He sees his bride dressed in the fine linen of his own righteousness
He directs his people's eyes at this table toward that final fulfillment
Believers come to this table rejoicing in the promise of a seat with Jesus at his table in the kingdom of God
29 min

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

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