Northpointe PCA Sermons

By Northpointe Presbyterian ChurchReligion & Spirituality Christianity

Northpointe PCA Sermons episodes

March 09, 2025March 9, 2025; Sunday Evening Worship
Scripture: Judges 10
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 90:1-2
Hymn — O God, Our Help in Ages Past
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 5, Questions 12–15
Hymn 353 — Precious Lamb
Pastoral Prayer
Scripture Reading — Judges 10:1-16
Sermon
Hymn 130A — Lord, from the Depths to You I Cry
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Sermon Title: The Full Picture of Your Salvation
Scripture: Judges 10:1-16
I. The Consistent Condition of People Who Need Saving
A. Our consistent condition of forgetfulness (vv. 3–14)
Jair's legacy — 30 sons on 30 donkeys over 30 cities named after himself — a picture of man parading in himself with little regard for God
God's sevenfold saving from enemy nations (vv. 11–12) contrasted with Israel's sevenfold service to foreign gods (v. 6)
The recurring cycle: forget God → serve other gods → oppression → cry out → God saves → forget again
The Lord's repeated command throughout Scripture: "Remember" — Deuteronomy 8, 2 Timothy 2:8, Revelation 3:3
B. Our consistent condition of Fallen misery (vv. 9, 16)
Israel is "severely distressed" — the Hebrew word for misery is the same word for toil in Ecclesiastes and suffering in Job
All creation groans under the Fall (Romans 8:22); "In this world you will have tribulation"
II. The Constant Character of the Lord Who Saves
A. The Lord is constantly just (vv. 13–14)
He sold Israel into oppressors' hands — his justice does not overlook sin (Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 18:30)
"I will save you no more" — a just verdict warning against presuming on God's mercy or treating him as manipulable
God is not tame; he will not be moved by empty words or lip-service repentance while the heart remains unchanged
The tragedy when people grow so accustomed to God's mercy that they despise it in the very act of seeking it
B. The Lord is constantly love itself (v. 16)
Israel's reversal: they put away the foreign gods and served the Lord — repentance moves from words to action
"He became impatient over the misery of Israel" — literally, his soul grew short; he could bear their suffering no longer
God is not moved by the purity of our repentance (always mixed in nature) but by his own overflowing covenantal love
Isaiah 63:9 — "In all their affliction he was afflicted" — the Lord is never distant from the misery of his people
God's impatience over Israel's misery points forward to Christ — who came to share in our misery and bear in himself the full weight of the Father's wrath in our place (Romans 5:8)
35 min
March 09, 2025The Resurrection
Scripture: John 20:1-18
Order of Service
Announcements
Hymn — O Worship the King
Call to Worship — 1 Timothy 6:13-16
Hymn — O Worship the King
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon — Exodus 34:6-7
Scripture Reading — Joshua 10:29-43
Hymn — Trust and Obey
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn — The Day of Resurrection
Sermon
Hymn — The Day of Resurrection
Benediction
Sermon Title: What the Resurrection Brings
Scripture: John 20:1-18
I. The Resurrection Brings a Spiritual Body
A. Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb early while it is still dark and finds the stone removed; she runs to Peter and John assuming grave robbery, which was common enough that Emperor Claudius invoked the death penalty for it
B. Peter and John race to the tomb; John arrives first and peers in cautiously, but Peter enters immediately
They find the linen grave clothes lying there and the face cloth folded separately
The folded, removed cloths indicate the body was not stolen — grave robbers would not have unwrapped and neatly folded the burial linens
C. The grave clothes point to a theological distinction between Lazarus's resurrection and Christ's
Lazarus came out of the tomb still wrapped in his burial cloths (John 11) — he was raised as a natural body that would die again
Jesus passed through the grave clothes, indicating a transformed, glorified, spiritual body
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 — "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body"
D. Jesus's word to Mary — "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father" — reflects his Farewell Discourse
John 16:7 — "It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away the Helper will not come to you"
1 Corinthians 15:45 — "The last Adam became a life-giving spirit"
Mary, like a parent who has just found a lost child, clings to Jesus not wanting to lose him again; but Christ's resurrected body is not like Lazarus's — it ascends and sends life-giving Spirit
II. The Resurrection Brings a Personal Calling
A. Mary remains weeping at the tomb while Peter and John return home; her loud wailing shows she still believes the body has been stolen
B. Mary sees two angels in white — one at the head, one at the foot — seated where Jesus had lain
The only other instance of two figures flanking a seat in Scripture is the cherubim on either side of the mercy seat in the Tabernacle — the place where the blood of atonement was applied
Here the Lamb has been slain and Resurrection Life is restored for all who claim Christ
C. Jesus appears to Mary; she mistakes him for the gardener
Both the angel and Jesus ask the same question: "Woman, why are you weeping?" — implying a mild rebuke: did you not believe I would rise?
Jesus calls her by name — "Mary" — and she recognizes him, responding "Rabboni" (Teacher)
John 10:3 — "The sheep hear the shepherd's voice and he calls his own sheep by name"; this promise reaches its fullest reality only through and after the resurrection
D. The resurrection is a personal, name-calling event
Is Jesus your teacher who knows you by name, or are you sitting in the back taking notes and leaving when the bell rings?
Walk with him, talk with him, sit at his feet — he has been raised for such a relationship
E. Jesus declares: "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God"
Jesus is Son of God by nature; we are sons by adoption — the distinction is real but does not diminish the fellowship
Only through the Ascension can Christ send the Holy Spirit
Romans 8:15-17 — "You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!' … and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ"
Like a father who must leave his starving family to find food, Christ departs out of love so that he can send the Spirit — the food of the soul — to his people
III. The Resurrection Brings Clarity of Scripture
A. John enters the tomb, sees the evidence, and believes — the word used throughout John's Gospel for saving faith
John ties this belief directly to Scripture: "for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead" (John 20:9)
Some commentators suggest the specific text is Psalm 16:10, Leviticus 23:11, or Hosea 6:2
B. The Emmaus Road account in Luke 24:27 is the best interpretive guide: "Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself"
All of Scripture — explicitly in passages like Psalm 16, Leviticus 23, and Hosea 6 — and implicitly and typologically throughout, points to the resurrection of the Messiah
It is the resurrection that brings clarity to Scripture, not the other way around
C. Old Testament type: Elijah and the Widow's son (1 Kings 17)
Before the raising, the widow cries out in hopelessness and accusation against God
After Elijah raises her son, she declares: "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth"
Resurrection life brings clarity to God's word — a pattern pointing forward to Christ
D. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 bases the truthfulness of all of Scripture on a single event — the resurrection of Jesus Christ
If Christ is not raised, we make God out to be a liar and Scripture remains clouded by sin and death
But because the Father raises the Son, he declares: "See, my Son lives" — and all things are made clear
We are to read all of Scripture through the illuminating lens of Resurrection Life: open your eyes and see — the Son of God lives
32 min
March 02, 2025March 2, 2025; Sunday Evening Worship
Scripture: Judges 9
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 145
Hymn — All Creatures of Our God and King (#248)
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 4 (Questions 9–11)
Hymn — Lamb, Precious Lamb (#353)
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon
Hymn — The Lord Reigns (#93)
Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
Sermon Title: The Enemy Within
Scripture: Judges 9
I. The Enemy Within Produces Saviors Who Are Actually Villains
A. Abimelech, the "anti-judge," is the product of Gideon's sinful union with a concubine — a wicked man who brings chaos to Israel
He manipulates the leaders of Shechem by appealing to tribal loyalty and fear, then slaughters 70 of Gideon's sons
B. Jotham escapes and delivers a parable from Mount Gerizim
The olive tree, fig tree, and vine decline to rule — representing good leaders
The bramble (Abimelech) accepts kingship, representing a destructive, unworthy ruler
Jotham's curse: if Shechem did not act in good faith, let fire devour them and Abimelech — which is precisely what comes to pass (see Judges 9:46–49)
The irony: Mount Gerizim, the mount of blessing in Deuteronomy, becomes the mount of cursing — the great reversal theme of Judges
C. God sends a harmful spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem (Judges 9:23)
God is not the author of evil, but he uses evil spirits to accomplish his purposes
The infighting is the manifestation of wickedness turned in on itself
D. The leaders of Shechem flee to the stronghold of the House of El-Berith (Judges 9:46)
El was the chief Canaanite god, father of Baal; berith means covenant
Shechem was set apart as a Levitical city of refuge (Joshua 21:21), but instead of sheltering in Yahweh of the covenant, they shelter in a pagan god — and are destroyed
As Dale Ralph Davis observes: there is no true fellowship in evil; evil only uses its own (Revelation 17:16–17)
II. The Enemy Within Is Tribally Focused
A. The word relatives or brother drives the entire narrative
Abimelech appeals to his mother's relatives in Shechem (v. 1–2)
Shechem says "he is our brother" (v. 3)
Gaal uses tribal loyalty to stir revolt against Abimelech (vv. 26–28)
B. What is evaporating is Israel itself — there is no cohesive twelve-tribe nation, only clans, cliques, and factions
As one commentator puts it: blood runs thicker than brains
This same tendency appears in the church — splits typically begin with small disgruntled groups whispering rather than speaking face to face
C. Paul addresses this clickish, tribal mentality in 1 Corinthians 12
God has so ordered the body that greater honor is given to the less gifted, less mature, and less socially prominent — that there may be no division in the body
This is not merely a pragmatic strategy; it flows from hearts set on Christ
D. True Christian unity is not unity for unity's sake (which becomes lukewarmness)
Unity that never corrects is as much a symptom of a darkened heart as tribalism
Christian unity is a supernatural byproduct of the work of God in Christ by the Spirit — not a social achievement
Israel's factionalism flows from hearts that have left Yahweh; the church must expect the same if hearts drift from Christ
III. The Enemy Within Is Conquered by Weakness
A. Jotham — the fugitive prophet — defeats the enemy simply by speaking God's word
He does not muster an army; he speaks truth from Mount Gerizim and flees
Yet the last word of the chapter is that the curse of Jotham came upon them (Judges 9:57)
A weak fugitive gains victory over powerful enemies through God's word alone
B. Abimelech is killed by an unnamed woman who drops an upper millstone on his skull (Judges 9:53)
To be killed by a woman was considered a disgrace in that culture
This echoes Jael killing Sisera with a tent peg in Judges 4–5 — but here the woman is not even named; weakness is even more pronounced
The mighty are brought low by the utterly insignificant
C. The ultimate fulfillment: Christ on the cross
Jesus's last word in the Greek is one word — tetelestai, "It is finished" (John 19:30)
A naked, humiliated, suffering servant crushes the serpent's head through apparent weakness
Martin Luther's A Mighty Fortress: "one little word shall fell him"
D. Application: the missionary E. P. Scott
Arriving among a hostile tribe in India with spears raised, he took out his violin and sang All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
At the stanza "let every kindred, every tribe… crown him Lord of all," the spears came down and tears flowed
One little word, one little song — the conquering King wins through weakness
For the Christian: when we are weak, then we are most strong (2 Corinthians 12:10)
31 min
March 02, 2025Really and Truly Dead
Scripture: John 19:31-42
Order of Service
Announcements
Hymn — When Morning Gilds the Skies
Call to Worship — Jeremiah 31:31-34
Hymn — When Morning Gilds the Skies
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon — Matthew 11:28-30
Apostles' Creed
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn — Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed
Scripture Reading — John 19:31-42
Sermon
Prayer
Lord's Supper
Hymn — There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood
Benediction
Doxology
Sermon Title: Really and Truly Dead
Scripture: John 19:31-42
I. The Death of a Real Body That Is Physical (vv. 31–35)
A. The Jews requested that the victims' legs be broken to hasten death before the Sabbath
This was a high Sabbath — both the weekly Sabbath and the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread
Deuteronomy 21:22-23 forbade leaving a cursed man hanging on a tree overnight lest the land be defiled
B. The soldiers found Jesus already dead and pierced his side with a spear, producing blood and water
Jesus laid down his life on his own accord — no one took it from him (John 10:18)
John emphatically insists he witnessed this firsthand: "his testimony is true"
C. John's emphasis on the physical reality of Christ's death combats Docetism
Docetism (from Greek dokeō, "to seem") taught that Christ only appeared to have a physical body and only seemed to be crucified
John addresses this directly in 1 John 4:1-3: every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God
The Quran reflects Docetic influence, stating Christ was neither killed nor crucified — it only seemed so; Docetism is not merely a first-century problem
D. The physical death of Christ is the very foundation of our salvation
Donald Macleod: "The saving power of Jesus' ministry lay not in his teaching nor in his example nor in his influence but in his dying — the Lamb had to be slain"
We confess in the Apostles' Creed that he was dead and buried — that truth is where our salvation rests
II. The Death of a Body Whose Bones Are Spared (vv. 36–37)
A. Scripture is fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken" (Psalm 34:20)
The unbroken bones declare Jesus died as a righteous man — condemned by the world, but vindicated by the Father
B. The Passover Lamb typology is central: "You shall not break any of its bones" (Exodus 12:46)
John's Gospel is saturated with Passover overtones in the passion narrative
The hyssop branch used to offer Jesus sour wine echoes its use in applying the lamb's blood to the doorposts at Passover (Exodus 12:22)
Michael Morales: "The cross on which Jesus shed his blood has become the doorpost of the world"
C. Jesus is presented as both Lamb of God and Son of God (John 1:29-34)
The Passover lamb substituted for the firstborn sons of Israel (Exodus 13:13-15)
In Genesis 22:2, God commands Abraham to sacrifice his only son; the ram in the thicket substitutes — but no ram substitutes for God's own Son
Zechariah 12:10 — they will mourn for the pierced one "as one mourns for an only child… as one weeps over a firstborn"
Zechariah 13:1 — a fountain opened to cleanse from sin; the blood and water from Christ's side is the fountain of New Covenant blessing
Jesus is the only begotten Son (John 1:14; John 3:16) — the final and ultimate Passover, the unblemished and unbroken Lamb, the firstborn Son sacrificed in our place
D. William Cowper, who struggled with severe depression and guilt, expressed this in There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood: sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains
III. The Death of a Buried Body That Rests (vv. 38–42)
A. Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple and member of the Sanhedrin, honorably requested Jesus' body from Pilate
The customary Jewish practice for those crucified as cursed was burial in a common grave; Joseph arranged a new, unused tomb instead
B. Nicodemus — last seen coming to Jesus by night (John 3) — came openly, bringing approximately 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes
This lavish amount was fitting for a royal burial; the King's body was honored
John may signal that Nicodemus, having witnessed Christ's death, was finally stepping into the light
C. The burial takes place on the Sabbath — a Great, High Sabbath — and this is theologically significant
The Sabbath literally means rest; its origin is in creation — God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2)
The seventh day in Genesis, unlike the other six, has no "evening and morning" — it was an open-ended, eternal rest that Adam was to enter through obedience
Hebrews 4 teaches that the weekly Sabbath pointed to an eternal Sabbath rest that Adam failed to enter through disobedience
Isaiah 57:2 — the righteous who die are described as resting in their beds; Daniel 12:13 — Daniel's death is described as rest
D. Christ as the Last Adam fulfills the creation mandate
Jesus completes the Father's mission on the sixth day (Friday): "It is finished"
He rests all day on the seventh day (Saturday — the Sabbath)
He rises on the first day of the week (John 20:1), ushering in New Creation and the New Covenant
Sunday worship is the church's participation in New Covenant, New Creation rest — we enter the eternal Sabbath now by faith and fully then by sight when Christ returns
Christ Our Passover Lamb gives us eternal rest — now in part, and fully at his return, when God and the Lamb will be our everlasting light
30 min
February 23, 2025February 23, 2025; Sunday Morning Worship
Scripture: John 19:17-30
Order of Service
Hymn — Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Call to Worship — 1 Samuel 2:8-9
Hymn — Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon — Romans 5:6-8
Scripture Reading — Joshua 10:16-28
Hymn — A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Hymn — Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted
Sermon
Hymn — When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Benediction
Sermon Title: The Suffering, Obedience, and Triumph of the Cross
Scripture: John 19:17-30
I. The Suffering of the Cross
A. Crucifixion was universally regarded as the most brutal and degrading form of execution
The condemned was forced to carry his own crossbar to the place of execution
Hands were nailed to the crossbar, feet nailed to the upright post with legs bent
A footrest prolonged suffering by allowing the victim to breathe — death often came by asphyxiation
B. Jesus suffered the fullest humiliation
He had been scourged twice; his back was torn open; a crown of thorns drew blood from his head
Following ancient military custom, he was stripped naked — exposed before his fellow image-bearers and a holy God
Adam hid because he was naked after sin; Christ as the sin-bearer bore that full nakedness and shame (Genesis 3)
C. The Scriptures were fulfilled in his suffering
The soldiers divided his garments and cast lots, fulfilling Psalm 22:18
He was crucified between two criminals, fulfilling Isaiah 53:12 — numbered with the transgressors
Placed in the middle, he was the spectacle — the sinner of sinners bearing all sin: 2 Corinthians 5:21
Martin Luther: Christ became the greatest sinner, bearing the sin of all
D. Golgotha itself — the place of the skull — dramatized the ugliness of sin and the depths to which the Son of God descended
Donald Macleod: the barbaric site and horrific procedure proclaimed the Son of God a despised, cursed nobody
The Gospel of John's theme: Christ descended from the heights of heaven's glory to the pit — voluntarily and willingly
II. The Obedience of the Cross
A. Distinction between Christ's active and passive obedience
Active obedience: his positive fulfillment of every requirement of the law of God (Matthew 5:18)
Passive obedience: his suffering and death, taking the penalty for sin
B. Even in the agony of the cross, Christ remained actively obedient to the law
He honored his mother Mary by entrusting her care to the disciple John — fulfilling the fifth commandment
Joseph had likely died; Jesus as the firstborn son provided for his widowed mother even from the cross
C. Christ as the true fulfillment of the Isaac typology (Genesis 22)
Isaac carried the wood unknowingly; Jesus carried his cross fully aware that the knife of his Father would fall upon him
John the Baptist had declared him the Lamb of God (John 1); he is the ram provided on Mount Moriah
Unlike Isaac, no one stops the knife — Christ is the sacrifice
D. No one took Christ's life — he laid it down of his own accord
John 10:17-18: I lay down my life of my own accord; I have authority to lay it down and to take it up again
The soldiers were surprised to find him already dead — he died when he chose to die
Augustine: such power in dying should cause us to marvel at what power he holds as judge
Every jot and tittle of the moral, civil, and ceremonial law was fulfilled before he gave up his spirit
III. The Triumph of the Cross
A. Pilate's inscription — Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews — proclaimed unwittingly by an enemy of Christ
Written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek — the languages of all the known world
Calvin: by the secret moving of the Spirit, the title was proclaimed in three languages, a prelude to the name of the Son being made known everywhere
Pilate refused to change it: what I have written I have written — another instance of the thick irony running through John's Gospel
B. The final word: tetelestai — It is finished (John 19:30)
The same word used in verse 28 when Jesus knew that all was now finished
First meaning — a legal term: stamped on documents to indicate a debt had been paid in full; the debt of humanity's sin is now fully satisfied
Jesus refused the wine mixed with myrrh (a sedative offered on the way to the cross, Mark 15) but received the sour wine — drinking the cup of the Father's wrath and man's cruelty to the last drop, fulfilling Psalm 69:21
Second meaning — telos (the goal or purpose): all of Scripture, all of redemptive history, all the types and shadows of the Old Covenant reach their telos at the cross
All of Scripture had been marching toward this moment — the Son giving up his spirit as the sacrifice for sin atop Mount Moriah
C. Call to contemplation
J.C. Ryle: no greater proof of depravity than seeing nothing lovely in the cross
Isaac Watts: love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all
Brothers and sisters: sit often, meditate often, contemplate often at the cross — there the heart of God is most fully revealed
32 min
February 23, 2025Unfaithfulness
Scripture: Judges 8:4-35
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 67:1-3
Hymn — How Great Thou Art (#227)
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 3 (Questions 6–8)
Hymn of the Month — The Law of God Is Good and Wise
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon
Hymn — Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us (#525)
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Sermon Title: Unfaithfulness
Scripture: Judges 8:4-35
I. Unfaithfulness Toward the People of God
A. Gideon and his 300 exhausted men request bread from Succoth and Penuel while pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian
The officials of Succoth and Penuel refuse hospitality out of strategic fear of Midian's retaliation
Gideon pronounces judgment on both cities and makes good on his threats after capturing the kings (Judges 8:13-17)
B. This refusal mirrors Israel's treatment by the Moabites and Ammonites in the wilderness
Deuteronomy 23:3-4 — Moabites and Ammonites excluded from the assembly because they did not meet Israel with bread and water
Succoth and Penuel were fellow Israelites from the tribe of Gad — a far worse offense than pagan nations withholding hospitality
C. Tribal factionalism is beginning to emerge as a recurring theme in Judges
Judges 8:1-3 — the tribe of Ephraim had already accused Gideon fiercely for excluding them from the battle
Matthew 12:25 — every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste
D. Hospitality to the people of God is a consistent biblical obligation
Matthew 25:31-46 — the sheep welcomed Christ's little ones; the goats refused
1 John 3:17 — closing one's heart against a brother in need shows the love of God does not abide in that person
II. Unfaithfulness Toward the Leader Ordained by God
A. The rejection of Succoth and Penuel is not merely personal disloyalty to Gideon but rejection of the Lord who appointed him
This parallels Israel's wilderness grumbling against Moses and Aaron
Numbers 16:28-33 — Korah's rebellion against Moses was equated by Moses with despising the Lord; the earth swallowed Korah and his followers
Miriam's grumbling against Moses resulted in leprosy as divine judgment
B. This principle carries into the New Testament
Jesus instructs the disciples to shake the dust from their feet against towns that reject them, declaring it would be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the judgment (Matthew 10:14-15)
Galatians 1:8-9 — anyone preaching a different gospel than the apostles', even an angel, is accursed
C. At the close of chapter 8, Israel fails to show steadfast love to the family of Gideon (Judges 8:35)
This is the first summary statement in Judges about how the people treated their judge — a sign things are worsening
Gideon's family is forgotten, treating him as though he were cursed rather than a faithful servant of God
D. Faithful leaders are forgotten by their people but never forgotten by God
Gideon's mention in Hebrews 11 demonstrates God does not forget those who served him faithfully
The early church honored the martyrs — Polycarp, Stephen — preserving their memory across generations
John Foxe's Book of Martyrs galvanized the Protestant faith by recording those who fought valiantly for the truth
III. Unfaithfulness Toward God Himself
A. The people offer Gideon the kingship and he refuses the title, but his actions reveal a contradiction (Judges 8:22-23)
B. Five ways Gideon acts like an ancient Near Eastern king while denying the title
He takes the lion's share of the spoil for himself
He claims the purple garments of the Midianite kings — symbols of royalty (Judges 8:26)
He establishes a national cult center in Ophrah with the ephod
He establishes a large harem and fathers 70 sons
He names his son Abimelech, meaning my father is king
C. The ephod becomes an idol and a snare (Judges 8:27)
The ephod was a priestly garment holding the Urim and Thummim, used to discern the will of Yahweh in specific situations
Gideon was not a Levite but from the tribe of Manasseh — compare Saul in 1 Samuel 15 who was judged for performing priestly acts
A God-ordained means of grace stops being a channel to Yahweh and becomes the object of worship itself — Israel's hearts stop at the object rather than ascending to the Lord
This parallels the Roman Catholic elevation of the Mass: the means of grace becomes an idol
D. Gideon joins a long line of leaders who began humbly but did not end well
David — Bathsheba, Uriah, many wives, the census
Solomon — many foreign wives
Hezekiah — displaying his wealth to the Babylonians
Success and humility are extremely difficult to hold together for fallen humanity
E. Christ is the true and faithful Judge and King Israel needed — and we need
From the cradle to the grave Jesus remained utterly dependent on the Father: I only do what the Father tells me
At the cross, God dwindled Christ's army not to 300 but to Christ alone, the weakest and most humble king the world has ever seen
2 Corinthians 12:9 — the power of God is made perfect in weakness
The cross is the sign of the true Servant King; true power is found there, not in the things of this world
Believers are called to take up the cross, tapping into the power of God rather than the power of man
37 min
February 16, 2025Caught Between Two Worlds
Scripture: John 18:38-19:16
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 100
Hymn — All People That on Earth Do Dwell
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Faith — Nicene Creed
Scripture Reading — Joshua 10:1-15
Hymn — I Sing the Mighty Power of God
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Hymn — O Sacred Head Now Wounded
Sermon
Hymn — Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken
Benediction
Sermon Title: Caught Between Two Worlds
Scripture: John 18:38–19:16
I. Pilate's Appeal to the Reason of This World
A. Pilate presents Barabbas alongside Jesus, hoping the crowd will choose to release Jesus rather than a notorious criminal
Barabbas was an insurrectionist and murderer — despised even among the Jewish people, as his movement threatened the liberties Rome had granted them
Pilate's reasoning: surely the crowd would prefer releasing this pitiful Miracle Worker over releasing a violent criminal
The crowd cries out for Barabbas instead — when it comes to hatred of Christ, all reason goes out the window
B. Barabbas illustrates the substitutionary nature of the cross
A condemned man goes free because an innocent man stands in his place
We are all Barabbas — freed from just condemnation only because Christ stood condemned in our place
We ought to hope to see Barabbas in heaven, because our own salvation was no less impossible apart from grace
II. Pilate's Appeasement of the Ruthlessness of This World
A. Pilate has Jesus flogged, hoping to satisfy the crowd's bloodlust and secure Jesus's release
Three forms of Roman flogging — the fustigation (lightest), the flagellatio (more severe), and the verberatio (most severe, associated with crucifixion)
Jesus likely receives both the least and most severe forms — possibly explaining why he dies so quickly on the cross
Soldiers twist a crown of thorns and place it on his head; long spikes pierce the skull, causing blood to gush and the face to be distorted; a purple robe mocks his claim to kingship; he is struck in the face — fulfilling Isaiah 50:6
B. Why does God allow this cruelty before the crucifixion?
The fall of Adam brings not only the wrath of God but the wrath of man — Genesis 3 shows sin immediately producing cruelty and blame
In the Psalms of David (Psalm 52–60), David describes his pursuers as ravenous dogs, vipers, and bloodthirsty slanderers — but David always eludes them; not so for the Son of David
Jesus must drink not only the cup of God's wrath but the full cup of man's wrath as well — physical, mental, and spiritual abuse unleashed all at once
An aspect of hell is human depravity fully unrestrained; as the Father turns his face away, Jesus tastes both divine and human wrath — John 8 identifies the persecutors as sons of the devil
III. Pilate's Acquiescence to the Rulership of This World
A. Pilate brings Jesus out and declares "Behold the man" — intending to show the crowd a pitiful, harmless figure, yet unwittingly echoing John the Baptist's proclamation of the Lamb of God (John 1:29)
B. The charge of blasphemy — that Jesus made himself the Son of God — unsettles Pilate in the context of Greco-Roman belief in gods appearing in human form
Pilate's wife has warned him through a troubling dream to have nothing to do with this innocent man (Matthew 27:19)
Pilate questions Jesus privately: "Where are you from?" — Jesus gives no answer
Pilate asserts his authority; Jesus replies that all authority comes from above and that the greater sin belongs to those who handed him over (John 19:11)
Pilate is intrigued — Jesus's composure and resolve are impressive; he seeks all the more to release him
C. The chief priests play their final trump card: "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend"
The threat is to Pilate's very life — to aid a rival king is to be counted an enemy of Caesar
Pilate asks one final time, "Shall I crucify your king?" — the chief priests answer, "We have no king but Caesar"
Pilate acquiesces and delivers Jesus over to be crucified
D. Pilate represents all fallen humanity — every person is caught between two worlds when Christ comes to the door
To fully embrace Christ requires a willingness to die to this world
Two choices face every person: pick up your cross and follow Christ, or place Christ on the cross daily by clinging to the things of this world
Pilate's excuse — being trapped and duped — cannot be allowed, or it excuses all unbelief; Luke 9:23 — Christ calls us to deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow him
Christ is risen and will come again — choose wisely
32 min
February 16, 2025February 16, 2025; Sunday Evening Worship
Scripture: Judges 7
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 103
Hymn — Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (#216)
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism Reading — Lord's Day 2 (Questions 3–5), including Matthew 22:37–40
Hymn of the Month — The Grieved Soul (verses 1–5)
Pastoral Prayer
Scripture Reading — Judges 7:1–8:3
Sermon
Hymn — Jesus Paid It All (#276)
Benediction — Numbers 6:24–26
Sermon Title: Spiritual Lessons in Weakness
Scripture: Judges 7:1–8:3
I. The Spiritual Problem of Hidden Weakness
A. Gideon amasses an army of 32,000 against the vast Midianite host, described as locusts in abundance
B. The Lord identifies the spiritual problem: Israel would boast in their own strength
Judges 7:2 — "Lest Israel boast over me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me'"
The Lord strips away the veneer of self-confident strength to reveal true hidden weakness
C. The army is reduced to 300 men through two tests
First test: those who are fearful are sent home — 22,000 depart, 10,000 remain
Second test: the manner of drinking water reduces the army further to 300
The Hebrew word for "test" means to refine, as metal in fire — the Lord refines the army to the number he needs
D. This hidden weakness is pervasive since the Fall
Deuteronomy 8:17 — "Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth'"
It is the problem of pride and self-assurance — the central heart problem fueling the first sin
Summarized in William Ernest Henley's Invictus: "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul"
E. The Lord uses hard seasons to expose our hidden weakness and draw us back to himself
II. The Spiritual Provision for Exposed Weakness
A. The Lord does not merely expose weakness — he provides for it (Judges 7:9–15)
The Lord preemptively meets Gideon with his word: "I have given it into your hand"
In grace, he adds: "If you are afraid, go down to the camp with Purah your servant"
B. The Lord confirms his word through a surprising source
Gideon and Purah overhear a Midianite soldier interpreting a dream: "God has given Midian into Gideon's hand"
The Lord uses even a pagan enemy soldier to confirm his word — as he can make a donkey speak
Gideon responds with worship (Judges 7:15)
C. The lesson is not to seek confirming words from unbelievers, but to recognize that God provides his people with his Word
Common grace means even unbelievers can speak true words or perform heroic deeds, but God's people already have the sufficient provision of Scripture
God's Word holds out the ministry of Christ to his weak people
D. Paul's thorn in the flesh illustrates the same principle
2 Corinthians 12:9–10 — "My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness… when I am weak, then I am strong"
In weakness, Paul is met with the word of Christ's grace and the power of Christ's victory over sin and death
III. The Spiritual Program in Surprising Weakness
A. The 300 defeat the Midianite army through trumpets and torches (Judges 7:16–22)
The Midianites fall into confusion and turn their swords on one another
Fleeing soldiers are pursued by Gideon's men and reinforcements from surrounding tribes
B. The tribe of Ephraim joins late, captures the waters of the Jordan, and kills the two princes Oreb and Zeeb (Judges 7:24–25)
C. Weakness reappears in a surprising form: tribal pride and jealousy (Judges 8:1–3)
Ephraim rebukes Gideon fiercely for not calling them to battle sooner
This marks the beginning of fracture and rivalry among Israel's tribes — a theme that unravels across the whole Book of Judges
D. Gideon's humble response illustrates the spiritual program needed among God's people
He deflects all glory to Ephraim — a living example of Proverbs 15:1
His humility extinguishes their anger, embodying the Beatitudes in practice
E. The church today faces the same weakness of pride and disunity
Romans 12:3, 5 — "Not to think of himself more highly than he ought… we, though many, are one body in Christ"
1 Corinthians 13:4–5 — "Love does not envy or boast, it is not arrogant or rude"
F. Christ is the perfect example and foundation of the spiritual program of humility
Philippians 2:6–8 — Though equal with God, Christ emptied himself, took the form of a servant, and humbled himself to death on a cross
Gideon lays aside his right to boast to quell the wrath of man; Christ lays aside his life to satisfy the wrath of God
When reviled, Christ did not revile in return — he returned humility for human hubris
Believers have in Christ both the sufficient provision for exposed weakness and the perfect example of humility
35 min
February 09, 2025Strength Through Weakness
Scripture: Judges 6
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 24
Hymn — Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart (#528)
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Faith — Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 1 (Questions 1–2)
Hymn — The Grieved Soul (Hymn of the Month)
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon
Hymn — The Lord Is My Shepherd (#223A)
Benediction
Sermon Title: Strength Through Weakness
Scripture: Judges 6
I. The Circumstances of Weakness with Midian
A. Israel's oppression under Midian is described using the image of locusts (v. 5) — a devastating picture for an agrarian society, consuming everything in their path
B. Gideon beats wheat in the winepress in secret to hide it from the Midianites (v. 11), illustrating the depth of Israel's fear and subjugation
C. Brief history of Midian
Midian was a son of Abraham by Keturah (Genesis 25:6); initially a friendly people (Moses married a Midianite; Jethro was a priest of Midian)
The relationship turned hostile when Midian joined Moab in employing Balaam against Israel (Numbers 25)
God commanded Moses to exact retribution on Midian (Numbers 31), yet Midian has now returned stronger
D. Sin produces a grand reversal — the land meant to flow with milk and honey is desolate; enemies once defeated return with greater intensity
2 Peter 2:20 — those who escape the world's defilements and return are in a worse state than before
The progressive downward spiral in Judges: from abandoned highways (Judges 5:6) to hiding in the winepress
II. The Constitution of Weakness with Gideon
A. Gideon comes from the weakest clan of Manasseh and is the least in his father's house (Judges 6:15)
B. Gideon's weakness is displayed through his repeated need for signs
God declares his commission (v. 14) and his presence (v. 16), yet Gideon asks for a confirming sign — fire consuming the offering (resembling Leviticus 9)
Gideon tears down the Baal and Asherah in his father's house, but only at night out of fear (v. 27)
Gideon tests God with the fleece (vv. 36–40) — the verb "test" used with Yahweh as its object is never positive in Scripture; this occurs after the Spirit has already come upon Gideon
C. Gideon's accusation in verse 13 — blaming God for Israel's situation without acknowledging Israel's idolatry — echoes the grumblers in the wilderness
D. Yet Gideon appears in the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11:32), alongside Barack and others whose faith was weak and halting
Their commendation is not based on what rests in man but on the grace of God
Abraham Kuyper: the Spirit does not force a person as a stock or block, but by love and compassion energizes the feeble will — a process that is often exceedingly slow
God accommodates himself to our weakness so that timid, fearful believers can stand in the Hall of Faith
III. The Courage Amidst Weakness with the Holy Spirit
A. The "might" of Gideon rests entirely in God's presence with him — not in untapped human potential (vv. 14, 16)
B. The Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon (v. 34), transforming him from a fearful man working in secret to one publicly sounding the trumpet to muster an army
C. The conflict is not merely military but spiritual — a battle of Yahweh against Baal
The second bull and the wood of the Asherah are used for a burnt offering to the Lord — a declaration that Yahweh is the true Lord
Gideon's new name, Jerubbaal ("Let Baal contend for himself"), signals that God will display his power over Baal through Gideon
D. Though the work is entirely God's by the power of the Spirit, it is nonetheless Gideon who is commended — God does not treat humans as programmed machines (hyper-Calvinism)
God sees Gideon not as he is in his weak constitution, but as he is in accordance with God's grace and Spirit
This is how God sees his people — chosen before the foundation of the world, hidden in Christ by the Spirit (Colossians 3:3)
Christian courage flows not from hidden human potential but from the Spirit hiding us in Christ — we are more than conquerors in him (Romans 8:37)
30 min
February 09, 2025The Kingdom of God
Scripture: John 18:28-40
Order of Service
Hymn — Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty
Call to Worship — Isaiah 6:1-7
Hymn — Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty
Prayer of Invocation
Prayer of Confession
Assurance of Pardon — Psalm 103:11-13
Scripture Reading — Joshua 9:16-27
Hymn — Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn — Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns
Scripture Reading — John 18:28-40
Sermon
Hymn — I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord
Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
Gloria Patri
Sermon Title: The Kingdom of God
Scripture: John 18:28-40
I. The Sacrifice of the Kingdom of God
A. John uses irony to highlight both the guilt of Jesus's accusers and His innocence
The Jewish authorities refuse to enter Pilate's headquarters to avoid defilement, yet they are simultaneously delivering up the true Passover Lamb
Their concern for ceremonial purity contrasts with their moral corruption in seeking Jesus's death
B. The Jewish authorities' declaration that it is unlawful for them to put anyone to death fulfills Jesus's own words about the manner of His death
Rome had removed capital jurisdiction from the Jews in AD 6, investing it in the Roman governor
Jesus had foretold in John 12:32-33 that He would be "lifted up" — pointing to crucifixion, not stoning
Crucifixion was associated by Jews with being hung on a tree, and therefore with the curse of God per Deuteronomy 21:23
C. Jesus's refusal to resist arrest reflects His submission to the Father's cup of wrath
In John 18:11, Jesus rebukes Peter for drawing his sword: "Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"
In John 18:36, Jesus confirms His servants are not fighting — the cross is no accident but the foreordained instrument of God's purpose
D. The holy God's Kingdom cannot take up residence on earth without His holy justice being satisfied — the sacrifice is necessary
The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-10) calls for the holy God's Kingdom to come; that holiness demands a substitute for unholy subjects
II. The Source of the Kingdom of God
A. Pilate's question "Are you the King of the Jews?" requires nuance — Jesus responds by asking what Pilate means by "king" (John 18:33-34)
B. Jesus declares twice: "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36)
This does not mean the kingdom has no in-breaking into this world — Acts demonstrates the kingdom invading hearts and cultures throughout the globe
It means the source of the kingdom's power and authority is not derived from the world
C. The kingdom of God owes nothing to the powers of this world
Illustration: Early American founders exempted the church from taxation because paying taxes to the government would imply the government is the church's governing authority
Illustration: Reformed Theological Seminary refused government funding so that Christ, not the state, remains the source of its authority
Jesus does not beg Pilate for clemency — He owes no loyalty or resources to any earthly power
D. Satan's temptation in the wilderness was a suzerainty-treaty offer — kingdoms of this world in exchange for Christ's loyalty (Matthew 4:8-9)
Adam exchanged his vice-regency under God for a vassal relationship with the serpent
The Last Adam, Jesus Christ, remained loyal and obedient to the Father unto death, owing nothing to the fallen world's ruler
Therefore the gates of hell can never prevail against the church — the King owes Satan nothing
E. The cross is simultaneously a defeat of sin and death and a defeat of the kingdoms of this world
Christ's Regal power flows entirely from divine, heavenly resources
His kingship is sourced wholly in God — as stated in Ephesians 1:3, all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places are found in Him
III. The Servants of the Kingdom of God
A. Jesus declares His purpose: to bear witness to the truth, and those who are of the truth listen to His voice (John 18:37)
The Greek word for "witness" is the root of the English word martyr
Tertullian: "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church" — but more precisely, the blood of the Martyr (Christ) is the seed of the church
B. Pilate's question "What is truth?" is deeply ironic
His ignorance of Truth — standing before him in person — became the very means by which God propagated that Truth throughout history
For over 1,700 years the church has recited in the Apostles' Creed that Christ "suffered under Pontius Pilate" — Pilate's name is permanently bound to the truth he rejected
C. Historical illustration: Walter Mill (1558), an 82-year-old man burned at the stake in Scotland for denying the Mass as a sacrifice
Mill declared he suffered not for any crime but for the defense of the faith of Jesus Christ, willingly offering his life to God's glory
John Knox wrote that Mill's execution immediately stirred new fervency among all the godly people — his defeat became the means of the gospel spreading throughout Scotland
D. Augustine in The City of God distinguished two cities — those who live according to man and those who live according to God
"There instead of victory is truth" — the servants of the kingdom long for truth, not the victories of this world
E. The servants of the kingdom hold to a truth that derives its authority from no earthly power
Subjective, relative, convenient, or politically expedient truth belongs to the city of man
The world hates the truth of Scripture precisely because its source is divine and beyond the world's control
The servants of the kingdom are those who inherit the earth, waiting and longing for a new heavens and new earth where righteousness and truth dwell (2 Peter 3:13)
We are commanded to pray: Maranatha — Come quickly, Lord Jesus
30 min

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

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