Northpointe PCA Sermons

Northpointe PCA Sermons

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Northpointe PCA Sermons episodes

  • May 25, 2025; Sunday Evening Worship

    Scripture: Judges 18

    Order of Service
    • Call to Worship — Psalm 98:1-3
    • Hymn — Sing a New Song to Jehovah (Psalm 98C)
    • Prayer of Invocation
    • Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 14 (Questions 35–36)
    • Hymn — I Know Whom I Have Believed (#326)
    • Pastoral Prayer
    • Scripture Reading — Judges 18
    • Sermon
    • Hymn — Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart (#528)
    • Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
      • Sermon Title: The Failure, Foolishness, and Fix of False Religion

      Scripture: Judges 18

      I. Failure — Repeated Failure to Address False Religion

      A. Background: The tribe of Dan, unsettled in their allotted land, sends five spies to seek a new inheritance — acting on their own initiative before seeking God

      B. The disordered heart of Dan revealed in Judges 18:1-5

      1. Dan seeks an inheritance for itself, not trusting what God had given
      2. The spies inquire of the Levite priest only after they have already set out — God is a feature, not the foundation
      3. The cliché "ask forgiveness, not permission" is the opposite of true religion; God is honored when we bring our needs to him first

        4. C. The call to repentance ignored — Judges 18:14

        1. The five spies, returning with 600 soldiers, report what is in Micah's house: an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and a metal image
        2. Their imperative — "Consider what you will do" — is a missed opportunity for repentance and true worship, echoing Joshua's challenge: "Choose this day whom you will serve"
        3. Instead of destroying the idols, the Danites take them for use in battle and ultimately establish them as tribal gods

          4. D. The depth of the failure — Judges 18:30-31

          1. Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, becomes priest to Dan — the grandson of Moses serving an idol
          2. False religion takes hold rapidly through small compromises, never corrected — like a slow leak that floods a floor or destroys a dam

            3. E. Application: We must guard the worship of God in our own hearts; small compromises unchecked lead to great failure

            II. Foolishness — The Inherent Folly of False Religion

            A. Micah's words expose the absurdity of idolatry — Judges 18:23-24

            1. "You take my gods that I made" — gods he fashioned cannot protect themselves, and he cannot protect them
            2. This is the consistent Old Testament critique: the living God exposes the lie of idolatry

              3. B. The Lord's indictment of idolatry in Isaiah 44

              1. A man burns half a tree for warmth and food, and makes the other half into a god to whom he prays — the folly is plain

                2. C. Contemporary forms of misplaced religious confidence

                1. Superstitious confidence placed in the experience of baptism rather than the God into whose name one is baptized
                2. The error that infant baptism itself saves — the mere act rather than the grace it signifies
                3. Federal Vision: the teaching that covenant ritual performance secures salvation
                4. The broader tendency of subjective religion — the idea that the manner of worship is a matter of personal preference, like choosing a toothbrush
                5. Even within Reformed circles, the Regulative Principle — that God alone in his Word determines how he is to be worshiped — is unpopular

                  6. D. Application: It is foolishness for anyone other than God himself to set the patterns and practices of worship offered to him

                  III. Fix — The Remedy for False Religion

                  A. The refrain of the section identifies both problem and remedy — Judges 18:1

                  1. "In those days there was no king in Israel" — the absence of a king is the diagnosis; the king is the cure
                  2. The dilemma itself reveals the remedy, as a diagnosis makes treatment possible

                    3. B. The duty of Israel's king: to preserve and promote true religion

                    1. Deuteronomy 17 commands the king to write and read the law all his life, that he may fear the Lord and lead God's people in godly fear
                    2. Throughout Kings and Chronicles, each monarch is measured by whether he promoted or perverted true religion
                    3. Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 29 stands as an example of a king who restored right worship

                      4. C. The closing words of the passage look forward — Judges 18:30-31

                      1. "Until the day of the captivity" and "as long as the house of God was at Shiloh" point toward the coming of the king and the eventual movement of the house of God to Jerusalem under David and Solomon

                        2. D. Jesus Christ is the perfect fulfillment of the kingly fix

                        1. He is the Son of David, the true King who entered Jerusalem to establish his reign
                        2. He teaches true religion by word and example
                        3. He frees his people from bondage to false religion by his atoning work
                        4. He makes true worship possible by the gift of his Spirit
                        5. To the woman at the well: "The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth" — John 4:23

                          6. E. Application: The problem of no king in Israel has been remedied in Christ; consider what king you will follow and in which king you will trust

                          38 min
                        6. Desolation and Ruin

                          Scripture: Nahum 2:3-13

                          Order of Service
                          • Hymn — O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
                          • Call to Worship — Luke 1:68-75
                          • Hymn — O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
                          • Prayer of Invocation
                          • Confession of Sin
                          • Assurance of Pardon — 1 John 1:9
                          • Scripture Reading — Joshua 24:16-28
                          • Hymn — Not What My Hands Have Done
                          • Pastoral Prayer
                          • Offering
                          • Prayer of Dedication
                          • Hymn — All You That Fear Jehovah's Name
                          • Sermon
                          • Hymn — For the Beauty of the Earth
                          • Benediction
                            • Sermon Title: Desolation and Ruin

                            Scripture: Nahum 2:3-13

                            I. The Desolation and Ruin from God Unleashes the Ruthlessness of Man

                            A. The Babylonians and Medes execute God's ordained judgment against Nineveh in 612 BC

                            1. Though human armies carry out the destruction, the Lord of Hosts stands behind their victory (Nahum 2:13)
                            2. The opposite principle applies to Israel: Joshua 1:9 — the Lord is with Israel, granting victory; here the Lord is against Nineveh
                            3. Numbers 14:42 — when the Lord is not among his people, they are routed before their enemies

                              4. B. The vivid imagery of the attack in Nahum 2:3-6 depicts the blood-hungry predatory pursuit of the invaders

                              1. Scarlet soldiers and red shields likely reflect blood from previous battles
                              2. Chariots racing madly, armies stumbling over one another in their haste to overrun the city
                              3. The river gates opened, flooding Nineveh — whether by natural flood or deliberate military tactic

                                4. C. Western comfort breeds the false doctrine that man is basically good

                                1. Those who live removed from war's brutality are prone to place confidence in human ingenuity rather than God
                                2. When a people abandon God, he removes his restraining grace and unleashes the full depravity of man upon them (2 Samuel 24:14)
                                3. Biblical history consistently shows that abandoning God leads to experiencing the true ruthlessness of man
                                  4. II. The Desolation and Ruin from God Exposes the Cowardice of Man

                                  A. Assyria, which exiled countless nations including the northern kingdom of Israel, is itself exiled (Nahum 2:7)

                                  B. The citizens and soldiers flee the city despite their leaders' cries to halt (Nahum 2:8)

                                  1. The proud empire scatters like the builders of Babel in Genesis 11
                                  2. Nineveh, the pride and center of the ancient near eastern world, is abandoned

                                    3. C. The terror that Assyria inflicted on others now falls upon them (Nahum 2:10)

                                    1. Hearts melt, knees tremble, anguish fills their loins, faces grow pale
                                    2. Their cowardice was always present — military conquest and slaughter of the innocent is not courage but cowardice; victory merely concealed it

                                      3. D. True courage does not come from worldly success but from Calvary

                                      1. Social media influencers and celebrity gurus tie courage to worldly success, leading the young to dejection when results do not follow
                                      2. Matthew 23:12 — those who exalt themselves will be humbled; those who humble themselves will be exalted
                                      3. Christ, who counted equality with God not a thing to be grasped but humbled himself to death on a cross, is the true model of courage
                                      4. Crossbearing humility under Christ is where true courage rests; at his return, the veil hiding the cowardice of all who reject him will be torn away
                                        5. III. The Desolation and Ruin from God Stops the Mouth of Man

                                        A. The lion imagery in Nahum 2:11-13 reflects Assyrian royal and religious identity

                                        1. Assyrian kings styled themselves as lions; King Ashurbanipal reportedly cried "I am lion" going into battle
                                        2. The lioness represents Ishtar, the chief goddess of Assyria — rendered useless in Nineveh's hour of need
                                        3. Temple servants of Ishtar mourn not financial loss but the failure of their god (Nahum 2:7)

                                          4. B. The voice of the Assyrian messengers who mocked the Lord is permanently silenced (Nahum 2:13)

                                          1. Parallel to 2 Kings 18 where the Rabshakeh mocked the Lord God of Israel before King Hezekiah
                                          2. Parallel to Daniel 6:22 where the Lord stops the mouths of lions to protect his covenant servant
                                          3. The Assyrian voice was inseparable from Assyrian power — lose the empire, lose the voice

                                            4. C. There is only one Lion whose voice cannot be silenced — the Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5-6)

                                            1. The Lion of Judah is also the Lamb led to the slaughter — his voice endures precisely because it is grounded in the world's rejection of him, not the world's approval
                                            2. The lion of Nineveh's roar depended on worldly power and status; the Lion of Judah's roar is dependent on the word of God and his self-giving sacrifice
                                            3. All must bow to the Lion of Judah now — that his roar on the last day may be salvation and not desolation
                                              4. 35 min
                                            4. Bad News for One is Good News for Another

                                              Scripture: Nahum 1:12-2:2

                                              Order of Service
                                              • Hymn — Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah, O My Soul
                                              • Call to Worship — Psalm 146:1-2, 10
                                              • Hymn — Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah, O My Soul
                                              • Prayer of Invocation
                                              • Confession of Faith — 1 Timothy 3:16
                                              • Scripture Reading — Joshua 24:1-15
                                              • Hymn — A Christian Home
                                              • Pastoral Prayer
                                              • Offering
                                              • Prayer of Dedication
                                              • Hymn — Spirit of the Living God
                                              • Sermon
                                              • Hymn — How Deep the Father's Love for Us
                                              • Benediction
                                                • Sermon Title: Bad News for One is Good News for Another

                                                Scripture: Nahum 1:12–2:2

                                                I. The Bad News for Assyria

                                                A. God pronounces the erasure of Assyria's name and legacy (Nahum 1:14)

                                                1. Ancient kings feared dying without an heir to carry on their name; Assyrian noblemen's names were eventually erased from their monuments
                                                2. God declares He will cut off the carved and metal images from the house of their gods — their temples will be destroyed
                                                3. Fulfilled in 612 BC when Babylon, the Medes, and the Scythians crushed Nineveh; the gods Ashur, Nabu, Nergal, and Ishtar disappeared from history

                                                  4. B. Assyria itself had desecrated the temples of conquered nations (2 Kings 18:33-35)

                                                  1. The Rabshakeh taunted Hezekiah: no god of any nation had delivered it from Assyria
                                                  2. God now turns the same fate upon Assyria's own temples and gods

                                                    3. C. God declares, "I will make your grave, for you are vile" (Nahum 1:14)

                                                    1. German archaeologists found the coffins of Assyrian kings smashed and empty
                                                    2. Nabopolassar, the Babylonian king, unwittingly echoed Nahum's prophecy when he recorded throwing off Assyria's heavy yoke

                                                      3. D. The deeper significance: God wipes out the memory of the enemy of His covenant people

                                                      1. For centuries critical scholars doubted Nineveh even existed — until excavations near Mosul, Iraq in the 1840s confirmed its existence and grandeur
                                                      2. This confirms (a) the Bible's historical reliability, and (b) God's promise to erase the enemy from memory
                                                      3. Looks forward to Revelation 21:4 — the former things, sin, death, and sorrow, will pass away entirely
                                                        4. II. The Good News for Judah

                                                        A. God's affliction of Judah through Assyria was purposeful, but temporary (Nahum 1:12)

                                                        1. Judah's bondage was God's own judgment for their wickedness, including the sin of King Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33:11)
                                                        2. God is sovereign over all affliction — He allowed Satan to afflict Job and Paul (2 Corinthians 12)
                                                        3. Yet God grows impatient with the misery of His people (Judges 10:16)
                                                        4. His anger is but for a moment; His favor is for a lifetime (Psalm 30:5)

                                                          5. B. The announcement of peace restores a festive, worshiping spirit (Nahum 1:15)

                                                          1. Under the Assyrian yoke, Israel could not celebrate her festivals with a free and joyful spirit
                                                          2. Bondage to a foreign enemy silences the mouths of God's people — cf. Psalm 137:1-4: "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?"
                                                          3. When God breaks the yoke, His people can once again sing and keep their feasts

                                                            4. C. This points to the freedom Christ brings (Galatians 5:1)

                                                            1. Christ has burst open the bonds of the law that condemned us because of sin
                                                            2. Christians are commanded to rejoice (Philippians 4:4)
                                                            3. No one should have a more festive, joyful spirit than the believer set free in Christ
                                                              4. III. The Good News of Jesus Christ

                                                              A. The historical relief from Assyria proved short-lived

                                                              1. Babylon destroyed Nineveh in 612 BC and broke Assyria's yoke
                                                              2. Only 25 years later, Babylon came and annihilated Judah and the temple
                                                              3. The ultimate problem for Israel was never Assyria or Babylon — it was their sin (2 Kings 23:26)

                                                                4. B. Nahum 1:15 echoes Isaiah 52:7, which leads directly into the Suffering Servant passage

                                                                1. Isaiah 53:4-6: He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; the chastisement that brought us peace was upon Him
                                                                2. Only the vicarious, substitutionary atonement of Christ brings truly lasting good news
                                                                3. Political and military deliverance can only produce a fleeting, festive spirit; if sin's chains remain, we remain in bondage regardless of outward freedom

                                                                  4. C. Paul applies Nahum 1:15 and Isaiah 52:7 to gospel proclamation in Romans 10:15

                                                                  1. "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news"
                                                                  2. Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ
                                                                  3. Believers are called to get on the rooftop and proclaim the risen, sinless, covenant-keeping King
                                                                  4. In Christ, the year of the Lord's favor (Luke 4:18-21) has been proclaimed and fulfilled — rejoice forevermore
                                                                    5. 28 min
                                                                  5. May 18, 2025; Sunday Evening Worship

                                                                    Scripture: Judges 17

                                                                    Order of Service
                                                                    • Call to Worship — Psalm 99
                                                                    • Hymn — The Lord God Reigns in Majesty (Psalm 99b)
                                                                    • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                    • Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 13 (Questions 33–34)
                                                                    • Hymn — My Song Is Love Unknown
                                                                    • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                    • Scripture Reading — Judges 17:1–13
                                                                    • Sermon
                                                                    • Hymn — This Day at Thy Creating Word (#154)
                                                                    • Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
                                                                      • Sermon Title: Confused Religion, Blessing, and Success in the Days of the Judges

                                                                      Scripture: Judges 17:1–13

                                                                      I. A Confused Religion

                                                                      A. Judges divides into three sections: chapters 1–2 (introduction), 3–16 (the judges), and 17–21 (final section)

                                                                      1. Chapters 17–21 are purely descriptive — the narrator never explicitly approves or condemns the actions recorded
                                                                      2. Four times the author provides the interpretive key: "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25)

                                                                        3. B. Micah's worship is syncretistic — mixing pagan elements with Yahweh worship

                                                                        1. He sets up carved and metal images in a private shrine (literally "house of God")
                                                                        2. He makes an ephod, which belonged exclusively to the Levitical high priest (originally Aaron)
                                                                        3. The ephod contained the Urim and Thummim for discerning God's will; Micah's use likely amounts to divination, an abomination before God
                                                                        4. The ephod's twelve stones represented the unity of the twelve tribes — worn by Micah's non-Levite son, it is a direct contradiction of that unity, especially in an era of rampant tribalism

                                                                          5. C. Micah's worship is also formalistic and individualistic

                                                                          1. He believes possessing the right materials and personnel (eventually a Levite) guarantees God's blessing
                                                                          2. His worship is private and personal rather than corporate and representative
                                                                          3. Micah ordains the Levite himself (Judges 17:12) — God never calls or ordains him

                                                                            4. D. This ancient confusion maps onto problems in the church today

                                                                            1. Syncretism: self-worship blended into corporate worship
                                                                            2. Formalism: sacramentalism in high-church settings; "right elements = right standing" in low-church settings
                                                                            3. Individualism: "I love Jesus but not his church" worship
                                                                            4. Root cause in all cases: lack of authoritative structure — no king, no Word ruling
                                                                            5. Remedy: worship ordered according to God's Word — 1 Corinthians 14:40: "All things should be done decently and in order"
                                                                            6. This frees worshipers from emotionalism — God blesses worship done in accord with his Word, not worship contingent on feeling a certain way
                                                                              7. II. A Confused Blessing

                                                                              A. On the surface, Micah's confession and restoration of the silver appears positive

                                                                              1. He returns the 1,100 pieces of silver; his mother blesses him in the Lord's name
                                                                              2. Contrast with Zacchaeus in Luke 19:8–9: genuine repentance brought salvation; here the outcome is very different

                                                                                3. B. The mother's blessing becomes a curse

                                                                                1. She dedicates silver to the Lord, then uses 200 pieces to make a carved and metal image
                                                                                2. The exact Hebrew pairing "carved image and metal image" appears in Deuteronomy 27:15 — the first and most prominent of twelve curses God pronounces upon Israel
                                                                                3. The pattern mirrors the Ten Commandments: right worship (Deuteronomy 27:15) governs right social relationships (the curses that follow)
                                                                                4. Judges 17–21 as a whole replays this Deuteronomy 27 pattern: disordered worship produces disordered social relationships throughout the remaining chapters

                                                                                  5. C. The root of the confusion: God is replaced by self

                                                                                  1. The mother's pride in her son overrides her obedience to God's Word — she has forgotten Deuteronomy 27:15
                                                                                  2. Rewarding Micah with a share of the silver he stole is tantamount to rewarding his sin
                                                                                  3. Luke 14:26: Jesus demands that love for him surpass love for family — paradoxically, this is the only way to truly love our loved ones
                                                                                  4. True love for others flows from the true worship of Christ as King; without the King there is no true love among the people of God
                                                                                    5. III. A Confused Success

                                                                                    A. Micah's acquisition of the wandering Levite appears providential and heartwarming

                                                                                    1. The Levite had no inheritance in the land and was looking for a place to stay
                                                                                    2. Micah hires him for ten pieces of silver per year, clothing, and room and board
                                                                                    3. The Levite becomes like a father figure to Micah; Micah concludes: "Now I know that the Lord will prosper me because I have a Levite as a priest" (Judges 17:13)

                                                                                      4. B. This apparent success rests under God's curse, not his blessing

                                                                                      1. It is possible to pursue religious faith and ministry that "exudes success in every respect and yet rest under the curse of God's judgment" (Dale Ralph Davis)
                                                                                      2. Matthew 7:22–23: "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name…?' And I will say to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness'"

                                                                                        3. C. The prominence of money signals a corrupt motive throughout the passage

                                                                                        1. Silver appears repeatedly: the 1,100 pieces (v. 2), the dedication (v. 3), the 200 pieces for the image (v. 4), the ten pieces for the Levite (v. 10)
                                                                                        2. Worship is tied to materials and financial transaction rather than to grace received
                                                                                        3. Outward prosperity and worldly markers of success are being mistaken for divine approval

                                                                                          4. D. True success according to God is displayed at the cross

                                                                                          1. The suffering, crucified King cries, "It is finished" — that is God's definition of success
                                                                                          2. It is not enough to have a king; we must have the crucified King, and take up our own cross
                                                                                          3. Die to self and to others for Christ — live for the smile of God, not the smile of man
                                                                                            4. 31 min
                                                                                          4. The Nature of God's Judgement

                                                                                            Scripture: Nahum 1:1-11

                                                                                            Order of Service
                                                                                            • Announcements
                                                                                            • Presentation of Senior Bibles — Proverbs 3:5-8
                                                                                            • Call to Worship — Psalm 145:1-2, 3, 21
                                                                                            • Hymn — All Creatures of Our God and King
                                                                                            • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                            • Confession of Sin
                                                                                            • Assurance of Pardon
                                                                                            • Scripture Reading — Joshua 23:1-16
                                                                                            • Hymn — Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
                                                                                            • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                            • Offering
                                                                                            • Hymn — Great King of Nations, Hear Our Prayer
                                                                                            • Sermon
                                                                                            • Prayer
                                                                                            • Hymn — The Lord Is My Refuge
                                                                                            • Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
                                                                                            • Doxology
                                                                                              • Sermon Title: The Nature of God's Judgment

                                                                                              Scripture: Nahum 1:1-11

                                                                                              I. The Cosmic Nature of God's Judgment

                                                                                              A. God's judgment is depicted in creation-shaking, cosmic terms (Nahum 1:2-8)

                                                                                              1. God coming "in the whirlwind" echoes his appearance to Job — he takes Job on a tour of creation to demonstrate his sovereign sustaining power; similarly, God couches his judgment of Nineveh in creation terms
                                                                                              2. Upheaval of creation as a reversal: the sea dried up, Bashan and Carmel wither, Lebanon's forests laid waste, mountains quake and melt (Nahum 1:4-5)
                                                                                              3. Mountains and hills were symbols of permanence and strength in the ancient Near East — yet they melt before God's wrath (Nahum 1:5)
                                                                                              4. "Who can stand before his indignation?" — his wrath poured out like fire, rocks broken to pieces (Nahum 1:6)

                                                                                                5. B. The flood imagery of God's judgment (Nahum 1:8)

                                                                                                1. Recalls Noah's flood — God destroying all except those preserved
                                                                                                2. Recalls the Red Sea — Israel passes through safely; God crashes the waters on Pharaoh's army
                                                                                                3. The cosmic upheaval at Christ's crucifixion fulfills this imagery: darkness for three hours, the earth shaking, rocks splitting (Matthew 27:51)
                                                                                                4. The floodwaters of God's wrath were poured out on Christ at the cross; believers are baptized into Christ as Israel was baptized into Moses (1 Corinthians 10:2), so that God's judgment passes over those hidden in the Passover Lamb

                                                                                                  5. C. Application: Hide yourself in Christ by faith now, so that at his coming you will not call for the rocks to hide you from his wrath

                                                                                                  II. The Personal Nature of God's Judgment

                                                                                                  A. The shift from third-person description to direct address (Nahum 1:9-11)

                                                                                                  1. "What do you plot against the Lord?" — Nineveh is addressed directly
                                                                                                  2. Sennacherib's invasion of Judah in 701 BC and his threat against Hezekiah: Hezekiah prays in 2 Kings 19:16 that God would see Assyria mocking the living God
                                                                                                  3. God sends an angel of death to destroy 185,000 Assyrians; Sennacherib returns to Nineveh and is killed by his own sons — a foretaste of Nineveh's final destruction
                                                                                                  4. In 612 BC, an alliance of the Medes and Babylonians utterly annihilated Nineveh, and the Assyrian Empire never rose again

                                                                                                    5. B. God is named "Lord" (Yahweh) eight times in the passage — his personal covenant name for his people

                                                                                                    1. He is called a "jealous God" (Nahum 1:2) — jealous over his covenant people facing Assyrian atrocities
                                                                                                    2. God calls Israel his son (Exodus 4); when the covenant people are persecuted, the Father's fury is intensified and personal
                                                                                                    3. Paul in Colossians 1:24 teaches that afflictions against the church are afflictions against Christ — the Father's wrath reaches a boiling point when the body of his Son is persecuted

                                                                                                      4. C. God's longsuffering is purposeful, not passive (Nahum 1:3)

                                                                                                      1. He "guards" or holds back his wrath — his slowness to anger allows the cup of iniquity to fill up completely
                                                                                                      2. Genesis 15:16 — God delays judgment on the Amorites until their iniquity is complete; 400 years later Joshua destroys them
                                                                                                      3. 1 Thessalonians 2:16 — God's wrath comes upon those who fill up the measure of their sins "completely"
                                                                                                      4. His judgments are not capricious; the cup of wrath poured out is always in proportion to the cup of sin that has been filled

                                                                                                        5. D. God's law is not abstract — it is his very heart expressed to us

                                                                                                        1. Psalm 119 seamlessly equates love for God's law with love for God himself
                                                                                                        2. John 14:15 — "If you love me, you will keep my commandments"
                                                                                                        3. To break God's law is to break God's heart; to refuse repentance and refuse the Son who fulfilled the law is to make his judgment intensely personal in the new covenant era
                                                                                                          4. III. The Comforting Nature of God's Judgment

                                                                                                          A. The name Nahum means "comfort" — paradoxically, this book of judgment is a book of comfort for oppressed Israel

                                                                                                          1. Miroslav Volf (Exclusion and Embrace) observes that those who have lived through genocide find deep comfort in the reality of divine judgment — Western complacency often obscures this
                                                                                                          2. Nahum 1 was likely written as a book (unique among the prophets) to serve as an underground pamphlet of comfort for Israelites under the Assyrian yoke
                                                                                                          3. Nahum 1:2-8 is written as a psalm or hymn, likely recited or sung — like Paul and Silas singing hymns in a Philippian prison

                                                                                                            4. B. The Lord is a stronghold for those who take refuge in him (Nahum 1:7)

                                                                                                            1. "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him"
                                                                                                            2. Image of a hero who holds the rescued person close with one hand while fighting off the enemy with the other — God with one hand destroys the wicked; with the other he holds his people to his chest

                                                                                                              3. C. The comfort of Psalm 23 reread in light of God's judgment

                                                                                                              1. The shepherd's rod was a weapon to fight off predators, not merely a symbol of peace — David himself used it against lions and bears (1 Samuel 17)
                                                                                                              2. "Your rod and your staff, they comfort me" — the rod that destroys the enemy is inseparable from the comfort of the sheep
                                                                                                              3. If Christ has only a staff but no rod, there is no true comfort for his sheep; he must be both Savior and Judge, Lamb and Lion, Priest and King

                                                                                                                4. D. The believer's comfort in Christ's judgment

                                                                                                                1. Those hidden in Christ — who hate sin, long for the removal of wickedness, and weep over suffering — find deep comfort in the coming judgment of Jesus Christ
                                                                                                                2. Even now he leads his people through the valley of death and fights their enemies in secret
                                                                                                                3. One day the rod will come down in its full fury, and his people will be saved from sin, Satan, and death — "Come quickly, Lord Jesus"
                                                                                                                  4. 30 min
                                                                                                                4. May 11, 2025; Sunday Evening Worship

                                                                                                                  Scripture: Judges 16:23-31

                                                                                                                  Order of Service
                                                                                                                  • Call to Worship — Psalm 93
                                                                                                                  • Hymn — The Lord Reigns Over All (Psalm 93, #93)
                                                                                                                  • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                  • Heidelberg Catechism Reading — Lord's Day Questions 31–32
                                                                                                                  • Hymn — My Song Is Love Unknown (#326)
                                                                                                                  • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                  • Scripture Reading — Judges 16:23–31
                                                                                                                  • Sermon
                                                                                                                  • Hymn — There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood (#340)
                                                                                                                  • Benediction
                                                                                                                    • Sermon Title: The Lord Alone — Worthy of Praise, Answering Prayer, Winning Victoriously

                                                                                                                    Scripture: Judges 16:23–31

                                                                                                                    I. The Lord Alone Deserves Praise

                                                                                                                    A. The Philistine lords gather in the temple of Dagon to offer sacrifice and rejoice, crediting their god with delivering Samson — Judges 16:23–24

                                                                                                                    B. This is theological history written for God's people, not merely ancient record

                                                                                                                    1. Israel had previously worshiped Dagon and the gods of the Philistines — Judges 10:6
                                                                                                                    2. The passage is meant to convict the reader: does the mocking of God and his servant grieve you?
                                                                                                                      3. C. Application: examine your heart toward the worship of God
                                                                                                                    3. Are you grieved when God's name is taken in vain, or when you yourself treat it flippantly?
                                                                                                                    4. Are you grieved by apathy toward God's Word, the Lord's Day, and corporate worship?
                                                                                                                    5. We may never worship Dagon, but we can still fail to worship the living God as we ought
                                                                                                                      6. D. The Lord alone deserves all glory and recognition for his works — Proverbs 20:12
                                                                                                                      II. The Lord Alone Answers Prayer

                                                                                                                      A. Samson, blind and captive, does not grumble or despair — he calls on God — Judges 16:28–29

                                                                                                                      B. Samson addresses God by two names

                                                                                                                      1. Adonai Yahweh — the great covenant God who makes and keeps promises
                                                                                                                      2. Elohim — the most high God, the one God
                                                                                                                        3. C. Samson's specific requests: "Remember me and strengthen me"
                                                                                                                      3. He does not trust in his own strength but in his God's
                                                                                                                      4. His prayer matches the purposes and plan of God, and God answers
                                                                                                                        5. D. God is not a genie; he is the sovereign covenant Lord who answers according to his will and purposes — Matthew 6:10
                                                                                                                        E. Samson's impulse to pray in the midst of trial is a model for believers, even if his death is not
                                                                                                                      5. Jesus likewise prays in the midst of his trial
                                                                                                                      6. Are you calling on God when prayer feels like speaking to a wall?
                                                                                                                        7. III. The Lord Alone Wins Personally

                                                                                                                        A. The account ends with Samson's death accomplishing more than his entire life — Judges 16:30

                                                                                                                        1. Not only the quantity but the quality of those who died — all the lords of the Philistines
                                                                                                                        2. Through Samson's sacrificial death, the Lord strikes a decisive blow at the heart of Philistine power
                                                                                                                        3. The oppression of Israel by the Philistines ends — understated but unmistakable
                                                                                                                          4. B. It was not Dagon but Yahweh who accomplished this victory — he wins personally
                                                                                                                        4. He planned it; he was the providential hand behind all events
                                                                                                                        5. His preferred means in Judges is to work through chosen persons
                                                                                                                          6. C. Samson as type pointing forward to Christ
                                                                                                                        6. Before Samson's birth, his life was announced as unto a purposed salvation — so also Christ — Matthew 1:21; Luke 1
                                                                                                                        7. Samson's death crushes the heads of enemies — a picture of the seed crushing the serpent's head
                                                                                                                        8. Christ's death accomplishes full, not merely begun, salvation — he puts away sin, defeats death, and casts down the accuser
                                                                                                                        9. Christ's death is substitutionary — he bore the condemnation we deserve — Romans 8:1
                                                                                                                        10. Death is swallowed up in victory; the resurrection guarantees death's sting is no more
                                                                                                                        11. Samson prayed "Remember me" — as did the thief on the cross, who received the promise of paradise
                                                                                                                          12. D. Key dissimilarities between Samson and Christ
                                                                                                                        12. Samson was deeply flawed; Christ is the profoundly faithful, sinless Savior
                                                                                                                        13. Samson began salvation; Christ is the founder and finisher of salvation — 2 Corinthians 5:21
                                                                                                                        14. Samson dies and is buried — the end; Christ dies, is buried, and rises — the beginning of new life
                                                                                                                          15. E. The message of the book of Revelation and of the Samson narrative: God wins
                                                                                                                        15. No athlete or military commander can guarantee victory as God does
                                                                                                                        16. In Christ, believers are made winners — adopted as sons and daughters who share in his victory
                                                                                                                          17. 36 min
                                                                                                                        17. Walking By Sight and Not By Faith

                                                                                                                          Scripture: Judges 16:1-22

                                                                                                                          Order of Service
                                                                                                                          • Call to Worship — Psalm 104
                                                                                                                          • Hymn — Psalm 104A
                                                                                                                          • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                          • Heidelberg Catechism Reading — Lord's Day 11, Questions 29–30
                                                                                                                          • Hymn — My Song Is Love Unknown (#326)
                                                                                                                          • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                          • Sermon
                                                                                                                          • Hymn — Take My Life and Let It Be (#538)
                                                                                                                          • Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
                                                                                                                            • Sermon Title: Walking by Sight and Not by Faith

                                                                                                                            Scripture: Judges 16:1-22

                                                                                                                            I. The Eyes of the Flesh Lead to Disordered Affections

                                                                                                                            A. Samson serves as a microcosm of all Israel — doing what is right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25, Judges 14:1-3)

                                                                                                                            1. In Judges 16:1, Samson sees a prostitute and goes in to her — his eyes again lead him astray
                                                                                                                            2. His eyes being gouged out is fitting judgment: live by the eyes, die by the eyes

                                                                                                                              3. B. Delilah is the first named woman in the Samson narrative — her name means "flirt" or "one of amorous behavior"

                                                                                                                              1. She is a Proverbs 5 woman, not a Proverbs 31 woman
                                                                                                                              2. For the first time, Samson is said to love a woman — his heart and affections have followed his eyes

                                                                                                                                3. C. The deeper problem is not merely what the eyes see, but what lies unchecked in the heart

                                                                                                                                1. James 1:14 — each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his own desire; the eyes do not create desire but awaken what is already there
                                                                                                                                2. David had a problem in his heart before he saw Bathsheba; Samson had a problem before he saw Delilah
                                                                                                                                3. John Flavel, Keeping the Heart: "A neglected heart is a leak at the bottom"
                                                                                                                                4. The antidote is not merely "be careful what you look at" but Proverbs 4:23 — "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life"
                                                                                                                                  5. II. The Eyes of the Flesh Lead to Lack of Duty

                                                                                                                                  A. Samson plays foolish games with Delilah across three episodes while the Philistines lie in ambush

                                                                                                                                  1. Seven fresh bowstrings — he breaks free
                                                                                                                                  2. New ropes — he breaks free
                                                                                                                                  3. Seven locks woven into a web — he breaks free
                                                                                                                                  4. Finally worn down, he divulges his secret

                                                                                                                                    5. B. Contrast: in verses 1–3, Samson is alert and escapes Gaza; now, captured by Delilah, he is playful rather than watchful

                                                                                                                                    C. Parallel with David in 2 Samuel 11:1 — at the time when kings go out to battle, David remained in Jerusalem, at leisure, and fell into sin

                                                                                                                                    D. To live for the eyes of the flesh smothers all sense of duty

                                                                                                                                    1. It creates the mindset that life should be all fun and games ("YOLO")
                                                                                                                                    2. Israel at the golden calf: 1 Corinthians 10:7 — "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play"
                                                                                                                                    3. Samson in the land of the enemy, idol before his eyes, plays — and it is his destruction

                                                                                                                                      4. E. Secret spiritual duties maintain our life with God

                                                                                                                                      1. John Flavel: "Observed duties maintain our credit with men, but secret spiritual duties maintain our life with God"
                                                                                                                                      2. Jesus instructs secret prayer (Matthew 6) and charges Peter, James, and John to watch and pray at Gethsemane
                                                                                                                                      3. Mark 13:33 — "Be on guard. Keep awake, for you do not know when the time will come"
                                                                                                                                        4. III. The Eyes of the Flesh Lead to Loss of Strength

                                                                                                                                        A. Samson's physical feats are striking (carrying the gates of Gaza to the hill before Hebron), but his real weakness precedes any physical loss

                                                                                                                                        1. The name Delilah also means "weakened" — Samson is weakened mentally, spiritually, and morally even while physically strong

                                                                                                                                          2. B. The haunting climax: Judges 16:20 — "He did not know that the Lord had left him"

                                                                                                                                          1. Samson gave all his heart to Delilah; the Lord departed
                                                                                                                                          2. Judges 16 is the only chapter in the Samson narrative where the phrase "the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him" does not appear
                                                                                                                                          3. Samson's strength was never in his hair — it was in the Lord; his hair was the symbol of his Nazirite consecration; cutting it symbolized cutting off God

                                                                                                                                            4. C. Samson mirrors Israel — presuming on God's favor while living for the eyes of the flesh

                                                                                                                                            D. The remedy points to Christ

                                                                                                                                            1. Matthew 5:29 — "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out"; what happened physically to Samson must happen spiritually to God's people
                                                                                                                                            2. The Philistines sought to humble Samson to overpower him — ironically, God uses Samson's humiliation to destroy the Philistines
                                                                                                                                            3. So also through the humiliation of Christ the enemy is destroyed and put to open shame, and Christ pours out his Spirit to replace hearts of stone with hearts of flesh
                                                                                                                                            4. A blind Samson, through the strength of the Lord, ultimately fulfills his duty — so also God's people, no longer living by sight, are called to live by faith, duty-bound to the humiliated and now exalted King who will come again
                                                                                                                                              5. 31 min
                                                                                                                                            5. God's Offensive Grace

                                                                                                                                              Scripture: Jonah 4

                                                                                                                                              Order of Service
                                                                                                                                              • Call to Worship — Psalm 93
                                                                                                                                              • Hymn — God the Lord, a King Remaineth
                                                                                                                                              • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                              • Confession of Sin
                                                                                                                                              • Assurance of Pardon — Romans 5:8-9
                                                                                                                                              • Confession of Faith (Apostles' Creed)
                                                                                                                                              • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                              • Offering
                                                                                                                                              • Hymn — Amazing Grace
                                                                                                                                              • Sermon
                                                                                                                                              • Lord's Supper — Institution from Luke 22:14-21
                                                                                                                                              • Hymn — Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face
                                                                                                                                              • Benediction
                                                                                                                                              • Doxology
                                                                                                                                                • Sermon Title: God's Offensive Grace

                                                                                                                                                Scripture: Jonah 4

                                                                                                                                                I. The Problem of God's Offensive Grace

                                                                                                                                                A. Jonah's anger at God's relenting from judgment upon Nineveh (Jonah 4:1)

                                                                                                                                                1. God's relenting was described as a "great evil" to Jonah — he was exceedingly displeased
                                                                                                                                                2. The question central to the whole book: Why is Jonah angry?

                                                                                                                                                  3. B. What Jonah knows — he knows his God rightly by his Word (Jonah 4:2)

                                                                                                                                                  1. Jonah prays to a personal God who hears prayer — even bringing his anger to God is commendable
                                                                                                                                                  2. He confesses the great Old Testament refrain of God's character — gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love — echoing God's self-revelation to Moses in Exodus 34:6
                                                                                                                                                  3. He prays God's own character back to him — a model for our own prayers
                                                                                                                                                  4. Jonah is no unbeliever; he has personally experienced God's patient grace through the fish in chapter 2

                                                                                                                                                    5. C. What Jonah neglects — he fails to submit his own wisdom to God's

                                                                                                                                                    1. His heart is full of thoughts about his country, Israel — he cannot set aside his concern for his own people
                                                                                                                                                    2. Jonah reasons by his own wisdom that sparing Nineveh would not serve Israel's best interests
                                                                                                                                                      • Nineveh (capital of Assyria) was a likely instrument of future judgment upon Israel — fulfilled roughly 30 years later
                                                                                                                                                      • Nineveh's repentance would further highlight Israel's continued refusal to repent
                                                                                                                                                      • Jesus alludes to this in Matthew 12:41
                                                                                                                                                      • Sin distorts Jonah's grasp of and rest in his gracious God — blurring vision, jumbling affections
                                                                                                                                                      • Jonah had himself been a beneficiary of God's grace (chapter 2: "Salvation belongs to the Lord") yet now despairs of life because of that same grace extended to others
                                                                                                                                                      • Hugh Martin: Jonah sins by not submitting his own wisdom to the divine purposes of God

                                                                                                                                                        • D. God graciously confronts Jonah's sinful anger (Jonah 4:4)

                                                                                                                                                        1. "Do you do well to be angry?" — God draws Jonah toward repentance, as he did with Adam and with Cain
                                                                                                                                                        2. God wants Jonah to humble himself and restore his trust in God's saving purposes

                                                                                                                                                          3. E. Application: submitting our wisdom to God's in suffering

                                                                                                                                                          1. Paul in Romans 9:3 was willing to be cut off from Christ if only his Jewish kinsmen might be saved — a parallel holy longing for one's own people
                                                                                                                                                          2. Suffering and trials can be the very means of God's grace in our lives and in our children's lives
                                                                                                                                                          3. Paul in Romans 5:3-5 — suffering produces endurance, character, and hope
                                                                                                                                                          4. Our better Jonah, Jesus, shows the perfect submission: "Not my will, but yours be done" — trusting the Father's wise grace even through suffering and death
                                                                                                                                                            5. II. The Program of God's Offensive Grace

                                                                                                                                                            A. God's grace toward Jonah in the sign of the plant (Jonah 4:6-8)

                                                                                                                                                            1. Jonah silently marches outside the city to watch what will become of it
                                                                                                                                                            2. God graciously appoints a plant to shade Jonah and relieve his discomfort — even as Jonah refuses to repent
                                                                                                                                                            3. Jonah is exceedingly glad for the plant — but with no gratitude toward God; his affections become entangled with the comfort of the gift itself
                                                                                                                                                            4. God then appoints a worm to destroy the plant and a scorching east wind, leaving Jonah faint and again wishing to die
                                                                                                                                                            5. The plant is a living illustration — God is giving Jonah a refresher course in the wisdom of his grace

                                                                                                                                                              6. B. Jonah doubles down in his anger (Jonah 4:9)

                                                                                                                                                              1. "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die"
                                                                                                                                                              2. His affections are too easily attached to here-today, gone-tomorrow good gifts
                                                                                                                                                              3. His mind remains set on earthly comforts and self-serving wisdom

                                                                                                                                                                4. C. God is free in his gracious program (Jonah 4:10-11)

                                                                                                                                                                1. Jonah pitied the plant for which he labored nothing — yet God may pity the 120,000 people of Nineveh whom he made
                                                                                                                                                                2. God is free to extend his mercy to whomever he will — Jonah has put God in a box of his own making
                                                                                                                                                                3. Romans 9:14-16 — "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy… it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy"
                                                                                                                                                                4. We fall into Jonah's error whenever we conclude that any person — friend, family member, or ourselves — is beyond hope of saving

                                                                                                                                                                  5. D. God is extravagant in his gracious program

                                                                                                                                                                  1. More than 120,000 persons in Nineveh — all benefited from God's relenting grace
                                                                                                                                                                  2. "And also much cattle" — a strange ending pointing to the vastness of God's common grace and his freedom to preserve any life he chooses; not suggesting salvation for cattle, but illustrating the boundlessness of God's care for his creation
                                                                                                                                                                  3. God's special saving grace is vast — for any who truly repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
                                                                                                                                                                  4. Paul prays in Ephesians 3:18-19 that believers would comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge
                                                                                                                                                                    5. 33 min
                                                                                                                                                                  5. Who Turned up the Temperature?

                                                                                                                                                                    Scripture: Judges 15

                                                                                                                                                                    Order of Service
                                                                                                                                                                    • Call to Worship — Psalm 95:1-7
                                                                                                                                                                    • Hymn — Come, Let Us Sing to the Lord (#95)
                                                                                                                                                                    • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                                                    • Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 10 (Questions 27–28, On Providence)
                                                                                                                                                                    • Hymn — O God Beyond All Praising (#241)
                                                                                                                                                                    • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                                                    • Scripture Reading — Judges 15
                                                                                                                                                                    • Sermon
                                                                                                                                                                    • Hymn — Mighty God, While Angels Bless Thee (#218)
                                                                                                                                                                    • Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
                                                                                                                                                                      • Sermon Title: Who Turned up the Temperature?

                                                                                                                                                                      Scripture: Judges 15

                                                                                                                                                                      I. The Folly of God's Enemies

                                                                                                                                                                      A. The Philistines repeatedly attempt to subdue Samson, but every seeming success leads to greater failure

                                                                                                                                                                      1. The father-in-law's offer of a younger daughter fails to appease Samson (Judges 15:1-2)
                                                                                                                                                                      2. The burning of Samson's wife and father-in-law provokes a great slaughter — Samson strikes them "hip and thigh" (Judges 15:8)
                                                                                                                                                                      3. The Philistines raid Judah seeking Samson, confident when he is delivered bound with two new ropes (Judges 15:9-13)

                                                                                                                                                                        4. B. The Spirit of the Lord rushes upon Samson; the ropes melt off his arms and he slays a thousand men with a donkey's jawbone (Judges 15:14-16)

                                                                                                                                                                        1. The jawbone, like the ram caught in the thicket for Abraham, is no accident — God ordained its placement
                                                                                                                                                                        2. The enemies' arrogance in continuing to advance illustrates their blindness to who they are fighting against

                                                                                                                                                                          3. C. God's enemies throughout history follow the same pattern of arrogant folly

                                                                                                                                                                          1. Psalm 2:1-5 — the nations plot in vain; God holds them in derision
                                                                                                                                                                          2. Those who mocked Christ on the cross thought they had won, yet their foolishness led to their own judgment
                                                                                                                                                                          3. Comfort for believers: God is victorious over his enemies; the book of Revelation declares, in short, "God wins"
                                                                                                                                                                            4. II. The Weakness of God's People

                                                                                                                                                                            A. The tribe of Judah — from whom David and Christ descend — displays spiritual blindness and ungodly fear (Judges 15:9-17)

                                                                                                                                                                            1. Three thousand men of Judah go to bind Samson rather than join him against the enemy
                                                                                                                                                                            2. They seek only the restoration of temporary peace: "Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us?"

                                                                                                                                                                              3. B. God had already declared his saving purpose through Samson from birth (Judges 13:5) — "he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines" — yet Judah is blind to it

                                                                                                                                                                              C. This weakness mirrors our own spiritual blindness

                                                                                                                                                                              1. We fear men rather than God; we seek comfort rather than trusting God's providential purposes in hardship
                                                                                                                                                                              2. Christ, the full and final Savior, was not recognized by his people and was handed over to enemies — for thirty pieces of silver, a "little comfort"
                                                                                                                                                                              3. Application: Fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28); look in faith to Christ who freed us from our true enemies, sin and death
                                                                                                                                                                                4. III. The Provision for God's Servant

                                                                                                                                                                                A. After the battle, Samson is severely thirsty and cries out to God in dependence (Judges 15:18)

                                                                                                                                                                                1. He attributes his victory to God, not himself
                                                                                                                                                                                2. He asks not for fame or riches, but for water — a basic need

                                                                                                                                                                                  3. B. God splits open a hollow place at Lehi and water flows out; Samson drinks, his spirit returns, and he revives (Judges 15:19)

                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Parallels God bringing water from a rock for Israel in the wilderness
                                                                                                                                                                                  2. God teaches Samson to trust him for provision — a lesson Samson will desperately need in the darkness to come

                                                                                                                                                                                    3. C. This points to a greater Servant and a greater provision

                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Jesus on the cross said, "I thirst" (John 19:28) — yet was denied refreshing water; instead he drank the cup of God's wrath for sin
                                                                                                                                                                                    2. Because Christ drank that cup, all who trust in him are given the living water of his righteousness unto eternal life
                                                                                                                                                                                    3. Jesus at the well: "Whoever drinks of the water I will give him will never be thirsty again" (John 4:14)
                                                                                                                                                                                    4. Application: Come to Christ and drink; apart from him every cup is full of sand and will not satisfy
                                                                                                                                                                                      5. 40 min
                                                                                                                                                                                    5. Boundless Grace and Mercy

                                                                                                                                                                                      Scripture: Jonah 3

                                                                                                                                                                                      Order of Service
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Call to Worship — Psalm 100
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Hymn — All People That on Earth Do Dwell
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Confession of Sin
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Assurance of Pardon — 2 Corinthians 5:21
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Scripture Reading — Joshua 21:43–22:9
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Hymn — Let Children Hear the Mighty Deeds
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Offering
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Hymn — Arise, My Soul, Arise
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Sermon
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Hymn — Marvelous Grace of Our Loving Lord
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Benediction
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Doxology
                                                                                                                                                                                        • Sermon Title: Boundless Grace and Mercy

                                                                                                                                                                                        Scripture: Jonah 3

                                                                                                                                                                                        I. The Result of God's Far-Reaching Grace Is Obedience to His Commands

                                                                                                                                                                                        A. Jonah receives the command a second time — Jonah 3:1–2 nearly mirrors Jonah 1:1–2

                                                                                                                                                                                        1. The contrast is in Jonah's response: chapter 1 he flees; chapter 3 he obeys
                                                                                                                                                                                        2. God's discipline — the storm, the fish, and Jonah's prayer of repentance in Jonah 2 — drives Jonah full circle back to the original command

                                                                                                                                                                                          3. B. The fruit of redeeming grace is thankful obedience

                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Spurgeon: true thanksgiving is expressed not merely in words but in obedience — "thanks-living"
                                                                                                                                                                                          2. Jonah 2:9: "Salvation belongs to the Lord" — Jonah's repentance leads to his obedience

                                                                                                                                                                                            3. C. Application: Address the "main sin" from which other sins flow

                                                                                                                                                                                            1. David's rooftop sin (2 Samuel 11) — adultery, deceit, and murder all flow from the root sin; Psalm 51 confesses the root
                                                                                                                                                                                            2. Jonah's main sin is disobedience to God's command; all his miseries flow from it
                                                                                                                                                                                            3. John Owen: chief sins must be addressed with full vigor and violence
                                                                                                                                                                                            4. Challenge: identify and mortify the root sin, not merely its symptoms
                                                                                                                                                                                              5. II. The Result of God's Far-Reaching Grace Is Heeding His Warnings

                                                                                                                                                                                              A. Jonah's proclamation: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown" — Jonah 3:4

                                                                                                                                                                                              1. No condition is stated in Jonah's message; God's relenting flows from his free grace alone, not obligation
                                                                                                                                                                                              2. Nineveh's response is immediate and comprehensive — fasting, sackcloth, and ashes from least to greatest, including the king (Jonah 3:5–9)

                                                                                                                                                                                                3. B. The theme of God's warnings runs throughout all Scripture

                                                                                                                                                                                                1. God's warning to Adam in the garden — Genesis 2:17
                                                                                                                                                                                                2. 120 years of warning before Noah's flood
                                                                                                                                                                                                3. Repeated warnings to Israel — Amos 4:6–12: "Yet you did not return to me, declares the Lord"
                                                                                                                                                                                                4. Paul's call to repentance in Athens — Acts 17
                                                                                                                                                                                                5. 2 Peter 3:9: God is patient, not wishing any to perish

                                                                                                                                                                                                  6. C. The warnings of judgment are an expression of God's grace, not his wrath

                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Amy Carmichael: "We are not asked to understand, but simply to obey"
                                                                                                                                                                                                  2. The warning spells the day of salvation — it is meant to drive us to cling to Christ before the day comes like a thief
                                                                                                                                                                                                    3. III. The Result of God's Far-Reaching Grace Is Apprehending His Mercy

                                                                                                                                                                                                    A. Two wrong responses to God's warning

                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Denial — "There is no God of judgment"
                                                                                                                                                                                                    2. Despair — knowing God's wrath but unable to believe he will show mercy (Jonah in chapters 1–2)

                                                                                                                                                                                                      3. B. The king of Nineveh apprehends God's mercy — Jonah 3:9: "Who knows? God may turn and relent"

                                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Joel 2:12–13: "Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will turn and relent?"
                                                                                                                                                                                                      2. Genuine repentance is not formulaic or transactional; it flows from a broken and contrite heart — Psalm 51:17

                                                                                                                                                                                                        3. C. God relents from disaster upon Nineveh — Jonah 3:10

                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. God is under no obligation; his mercy flows from the freedom and goodness of his will
                                                                                                                                                                                                        2. God did not relent his wrath at Calvary — he poured it out on Christ as the propitiation for sin
                                                                                                                                                                                                        3. Awareness of Christ's atoning work should produce not presumption but pleading mercy

                                                                                                                                                                                                          4. D. Application: The Beatitudes describe the posture of those who apprehend God's mercy

                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Matthew 5:3–4: "Blessed are the poor in spirit… blessed are those who mourn"
                                                                                                                                                                                                          2. True happiness in the Lord comes through obedience, heeding warnings, and resting in abundant mercy
                                                                                                                                                                                                          3. "Trust and obey" — there is no other way to be happy in the Lord
                                                                                                                                                                                                            4. 35 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.