Northpointe PCA Sermons

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Northpointe PCA Sermons episodes

February 02, 2025By Hammer and Storm
Scripture: Judges 4-5
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 105:1-5
Hymn — O Praise the Lord, His Deeds Make Known (Psalm 105)
Prayer of Invocation
Scripture Reading — Ephesians 6:10-20
Hymn of the Month — The Grieved Soul (Joseph Hart)
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon
Hymn — Soldiers of Christ, Arise (#540)
Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
Sermon Title: By Hammer and Storm
Scripture: Judges 4–5
I. The Need for the Lord to Triumph Over His Enemies
A. The cycle of sin repeats in Judges 4:1
Israel, the covenant people, repeatedly abandons the Lord for idols
The Lord sells his people into oppression to test and purify them, driving them back to himself
B. The two oppressors: Jabin and Sisera
Jabin is called "King of Canaan" four times (Judges 4:2–23); Canaan represents the spiritual foil to Israel — a wicked people occupying the promised land
A prior Jabin, king of Hazor, appears in Joshua 11; this connection signals that in a fallen world awaiting God's final victory, there will always be a Jabin
Sisera, Jabin's general, is the direct source of cruel oppression; his 900 iron chariots represent his military dominance
The poetry of Judges 5:28-30 reveals the depth of Sisera's cruelty — his mother's court boasts of women taken as plunder by his armies
C. The pattern of doubles throughout the account (two oppressors, two women, two generals) serves to highlight the one the story is truly about: the Lord
II. The Details of the Lord's Triumph to Deliver His People
A. The victory belongs to the Lord
Deborah's prophetic word in Judges 4:7 — "I will draw out Sisera... I will give him into your hand"
Deborah's word to Barak in Judges 4:9 — the glory will not go to Barak, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman; the focus is on the Lord who does the selling
B. The Lord orders every detail — equipment and location
The 900 iron chariots of Sisera are referenced seven times; their great weight becomes significant in the Lord's purposes
Barak is directed to specific locations: Mount Tabor, Kedesh, the Kishon River (Judges 4:6-7); Barak gives up the strategic advantage of the high ground, descending at the Lord's direction
Heber the Kenite's seemingly incidental relocation of his tent to near Kedesh (Judges 4:11) is no coincidence — the Lord is ordering the chessboard
C. The Lord delivers by a storm
Judges 4:15 — "The Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army"; the Hebrew word for "routed" often describes divine thunderstorm
The song fills in the details: Judges 5:4 — the earth trembled and the heavens poured water; Judges 5:20-21 — the stars fought against Sisera; the torrent of Kishon swept the army away
The heavy iron chariots sink in the mud; the Lord taunts his enemies — you come with iron chariots, I come with thunder, lightning, and flood
D. The Lord delivers by a hammer
Sisera flees on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber, trusting in her hospitality and the treaty between Jabin and Heber's house
Judges 5:24-27 — the poetry celebrates Jael: she gave him milk, then drove the tent peg through his temple; "where he sank, there he fell — dead"
The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 5, affirms that God in his ordinary providence makes use of means — all details great or small are God's details, even surprising secondary means
E. Jael points us to Jesus
Genesis 3:15 — the seed of the woman will crush the head of the seed of the serpent; Jael, a woman, crushes the head of a seed of the serpent
At the cross, Jesus is nailed by a hammer; at his death he declares "It is finished" — victory over sin and Satan is won
Sisera never rises from where he fell; Jesus rises from the tomb, the true seed of the woman crushing the serpent's head
Luke 10 — Jesus declares "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven"; the triumph secured in the wilderness and sealed at the cross
III. The Duty of the Lord's People to Glory in His Triumph
A. Deborah and Barak sing on the very day of victory (Judges 5:1) — twice declaring "Bless the Lord," "I will sing to the Lord"
The glory belongs to the Lord alone — not to Deborah, not to Jael, not to Barak
They model how God's people respond to redemption: with praise
B. The antidote to cold Christianity
Reformed Christians are tempted toward a "frozen chosen" formalism
The remedy is to see with Deborah and Barak — worship follows deliverance as we recount the deeds of the Lord
Philippians 4:4 — "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice" — the New Testament command to God's delivered people
38 min
February 02, 2025February 2, 2025; Sunday Morning Worship
Scripture: John 18:12-27
Order of Service
Hymn — Jesus Shall Reign (based on Psalm 72)
Call to Worship — Hebrews 1:1-4
Prayer of Invocation
Reading of the Law — Matthew 22:37-40
Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon
Confession of Faith
Pastoral Prayer
Hymn — The Solid Rock
Offering
Sermon
Lord's Supper — Rock of Ages
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Sermon Title: The Jewish Trial of Jesus
Scripture: John 18:12-27
I. The Lawlessness of the High Priesthood
A. Multiple violations of Jewish legal procedure are evident in Jesus's trial
Capital cases were required to be held in the daytime, not at night
Trials were forbidden on the Sabbath or its eve — yet this occurs on Friday
The trial takes place at Annas's private residence, not at the temple (where all cases were legally required to be heard)
The presence of a female doorkeeper confirms this is not the temple precinct
It was unlawful to strike a defendant, yet an officer strikes Jesus (John 18:22)
Under Jewish law, the defendant was not to be interrogated; witnesses were to speak first
B. The background of Annas and Caiaphas illuminates the motive
Annas served as high priest for approximately 11 years; Caiaphas for 19 years — well above the average tenure of four years
Annas had five sons who served as high priest, with Caiaphas (his son-in-law) following — a powerful dynastic legacy worth protecting
John references Caiaphas's earlier prophecy in John 11:49-52: he unknowingly foretold that one man would die for the nation, and for the scattered children of God
The reminder of that prophecy functions as reassurance to the reader: God's sovereign purposes govern these lawless proceedings
C. A strange but real comfort for believers
Jesus did not escape injustice by virtue of his divine nature — he endured it to the dregs
He is a sympathetic high priest who knows the common injustices of a fallen world
Herod waited until after the Sabbath to try Peter (Acts 12:4), highlighting the hypocrisy of those who condemned Jesus for healing on the Sabbath while breaking it themselves to destroy him
II. The Weakness of Peter
A. Peter denies Christ three times, fulfilling Jesus's prediction in John 13:38
The "other disciple" (almost universally identified as John) is known to the high priest and gains entry for Peter
John's family background (Zebedee had hired servants — Mark 1:20) suggests a well-connected household that could explain his acquaintance with the high priest
Despite having a fellow disciple beside him — a galvanizing presence — Peter still cowers before a servant girl doorkeeper
Peter warms himself with the enemy while the trial of Christ proceeds inside
B. The root cause: Peter was unprepared for what following Christ actually entails
Peter's declaration of willingness to die for Christ (John 13:37) was sincere, but he envisioned dying by the sword in battle — not bearing the cross in humiliation
Peter likely had this episode in mind when he wrote 1 Peter 4:12: "Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you"
C. God's grace in exposing Peter's weakness
God sovereignly permits his people to be left to their weaknesses so those weaknesses are exposed and growth can follow — as a parent allows a child to fail in order to mature
Peter's failure was meant for evil, but God meant it for good — it became a source of deep warning, humility, and ultimately greater dependence on grace
The question for every believer: are we learning from our failures and pursuing new obedience, or merely confessing sin and returning to it unchanged?
III. The Righteousness of Christ
A. Jesus's response to interrogation is not insolence — it is a principled appeal to lawful procedure
By directing the high priest to call witnesses (John 18:20-21), Jesus exposes the illegal nature of the proceedings
The officer's slap appeals to Exodus 22:28 ("you shall not revile a ruler of your people"), but Jesus has not cursed Annas — he has called him to obey the law
Contrast with Paul before Ananias in Acts 23:3: Paul actually did revile the high priest and retracted; Jesus made no such error
B. Jesus's declaration — "I have spoken openly to the world" (John 18:20) — reveals the consistent, non-Gnostic character of his ministry
His public teaching and private teaching are one and the same — no secret esoteric knowledge reserved for insiders
This mirrors the portrait of Wisdom in Proverbs 8:1-3: wisdom cries out at the gates, the crossroads, and the highways — not in hidden chambers
In contrast to the Greco-Roman concept of the logos as a hidden philosophical principle accessible only to elites, the true Logos (John 1:1) becomes flesh and proclaims wisdom openly to all — rich and poor, men and women, every nation
C. The word of Christ is both righteous and dangerous to the kingdoms of this world
It is righteous because it is never hypocritical — the same in private as in public, flowing from the whole person
It is dangerous because worldly power is built on manipulation, half-truths, and under-the-table dealings — the consistent righteousness of Christ exposes and condemns such systems
There will always be enmity between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness for this reason — but Christ gets the last word
Caiaphas was right: one man died for the people — to gather citizens of every tribe, nation, and tongue who bow the knee to the risen, ascended King at the right hand of the Majesty on high
34 min
January 26, 2025The Arrest
Scripture: John 18:1-11
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 96:1-9
Hymn — Psalm 96
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Faith — Apostles' Creed
Scripture Reading — Joshua 9:1-15
Hymn — Come, My Soul, with Every Care
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Prayer of Preparation
Hymn — God, Be Merciful to Me
Sermon
Hymn — Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy
Benediction — Philippians 1:9-11
Sermon Title: The Arrest
Scripture: John 18:1-11
I. The Control of Jesus
A. Jesus enters the Garden of Gethsemane having just completed the High Priestly Prayer of John 17, now ready to receive the cup from his Father
In Gethsemane Jesus prayed that the cup might pass; by John 18:11 he is prepared to drink it — calmness in the valley of sorrow comes through prayer in the midst of anguish
The Via Dolorosa (the sorrowful way) begins here; like the pilgrims in Psalm 84:5-6 who make the valley of Baca (weeping) a place of springs, Jesus sanctifies and seasons our own valleys of trouble
B. Jesus comes forward voluntarily — he is not a fugitive scattering in fear but freely acquiesces to the Father's mission (John 18:4)
C. The Greek verb for Judas's betrayal ("gave up") is the same verb Paul uses in Romans 8:32 — "he who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all"; Judas is responsible for his sin, yet it is simultaneously the Father giving the Son up for us
D. Jesus continues to care for and protect his disciples even in his arrest (John 18:8-9)
This fulfills his word in the High Priestly Prayer: "of those whom you gave me I have lost not one" (John 17:12)
Every provision God gives his people in this life is a token of the ultimate provision secured in Christ — there are no small provisions for the Christian
Jesus alone must be arrested and crucified so that his disciples might go free; he and he alone is our substitute — we did not recite "he and all his disciples suffered under Pontius Pilate"
II. The Fear of the Soldiers
A. Two groups of soldiers are present: Temple Police (servants of the Sanhedrin) and Roman soldiers, the latter deployed in extra numbers because Passover pilgrimage created risk of Jewish nationalist uprising
B. Judas was essential to the authorities because he could lead them at night to the private, frequented garden — likely a walled enclosure — without causing a public uproar among the Passover crowds (John 12)
C. When Jesus says "I am he" (egō eimi), the soldiers draw back and fall to the ground (John 18:6)
Egō eimi echoes the Divine Name given to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3) and is used throughout John's Gospel as a self-designation of Christ as the great I AM
Falling prostrate before divine revelation appears repeatedly in Scripture — Daniel, Ezekiel, and John himself in Revelation 1:17
What is unique here is that the soldiers fall before the humiliated Christ — not before a vision of glory but before the one about to be crucified; from arrest to cross it is God in the flesh being mistreated
D. The whole house of Israel and all humanity is implicated — Acts 2:36: "God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified"
As we sinned with Adam in the garden, so we sin with these authorities in Gethsemane
The 17th-century hymnwriter Johann Heermann captured this: "Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee? Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee. 'Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee; I crucified thee."
III. The Misguided Zeal of Peter
A. Peter draws a sword (likely the Roman short sword concealed under a garment) and strikes the high priest's servant Malchus, cutting off his right ear
The short sword was used for stabbing, not slicing — Peter was most likely going for the killing blow and Malchus turned his head
Luke 22:51 records that Jesus immediately healed the ear; John focuses instead on Jesus's rebuke
B. Jesus's rebuke — "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?" (John 18:11) — echoes his earlier correction of Peter: "Get behind me, Satan, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God but on the things of man"
C. The contrast between Jesus and Peter is stark
Jesus is cool, calm, and collected — he arrests the soldiers with his response
Peter gives the soldiers exactly what they expected: a zealous Jew ready to fight, like the Maccabean revolts
When the church responds to opposition with the same weapons the world uses, the otherworldly gospel is soiled and made common
D. Peter's sword-swing is not courage but fear of man, which will be fully exposed in his three denials later in the same chapter
Zeal out of fear of man sees God through the enemy — God and the Bible become unintelligible apart from the enemy
Zeal out of fear of God sees the enemy through the lens of God: "Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?"
Fear of man produces frenzied, unpredictable, ultimately cowardly behavior; fear of God produces the calm courage of Christ
E. Application: Scripture calls us to be watchful, to admonish one another, and to warn against conforming to the world (Romans 12:2) — but this must flow from fear of God, not fear of man
Our Father spared not his own Son even while we were his enemies (Romans 8:32); that is the ground of a Zeal that pleases God
Christ-like zeal brings springs in the valley of Baca — it transforms the valley of trouble and weeping rather than simply mirroring its violence
34 min
January 26, 2025The Left-Handed Man
Scripture: Judges 3:7-31
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 92:1-4
Hymn — It Is Good to Sing Your Praises (#92b)
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon — Titus 3:5-6
Hymn — How Marvelous, How Wise, How Great (#437)
Pastoral Prayer
Scripture Reading — Judges 3:7-31
Sermon
Hymn — O God, Our Help in Ages Past (#722)
Benediction
Sermon Title: The Left-Handed Man
Scripture: Judges 3:7-31
I. A Familiar Bondage
A. Israel's sin brings a reversal of fortunes (Judges 3:12)
The Lord "strengthens" (hardens) Eglon king of Moab against Israel, as he hardened Pharaoh in the Exodus
Eglon allied with the Ammonites and Amalekites — all old foes from the wilderness wanderings
They seized the city of Palms (Jericho), the first city Joshua conquered — the Exodus in reverse
B. Israel cries out, and the Lord raises up a deliverer (Judges 3:15), echoing Exodus 1
C. Sin is always regression, never progress
Adam: the ground turns from fruitful to thorns and thistles
The flood: creation unravels back to formless chaos
Israel: returns to bondage under a new Pharaoh
Paul warns against returning to former ways; the writer of Hebrews urges clinging to the New Covenant (Galatians 5:1)
D. God's mercy in sending oppression is meant to drive his people forward in righteousness, not backward into sin
II. A Fooling Savior
A. Ehud is introduced with layers of irony
He is a Benjaminite — "son of the right hand" — yet he is left-handed
The Hebrew literally reads he was "restricted in his right hand" — lame, crooked
God delivers Israel through a one-armed, weak man, mocking Israel's enemies
B. Wordplay on "hand" runs throughout the passage
Judges 3:15: tribute sent "by his hand" (singular)
Judges 3:30: Moab subdued "under the hand" (singular) of Israel
God defeats Moab with one lame hand — similar to Gideon defeating Midian with only 300 troops (Judges 7)
C. Ehud's deception employs deliberate double meaning
"Secret message" (Judges 3:19) — the Hebrew davar means both "word" and "object/thing," pointing to both a message and the sword
"Message from God" (Judges 3:20) — Elohim means the one true God to Ehud but the pagan pantheon to Eglon; Eglon is fooled by the pun
Eglon expects a right-handed man and does not suspect the sword on the right thigh, drawn with the left hand
D. God delights in making his enemies a laughing stock; the supreme example is the cross, which is folly to both Jews and Gentiles
III. A Fat Defeat
A. Eglon's name in Hebrew means "fattened calf" — one ready for slaughter
His great size reinforces the mockery embedded in his name
Similarly, Cushan-Rishathaim means "man of double wickedness" — a name of mockery ascribed by Israel
B. The servants' embarrassment adds to the humiliation of Israel's enemy (Judges 3:24-25)
C. The 10,000 Moabites slain are described as "fat and strong" — like their king, fattened calves ready for slaughter (Judges 3:29)
D. Eglon is a warning about the danger of success without acknowledging God
God sovereignly gave Eglon victory over Israel, yet Eglon did not recognize the Sovereign Lord
Deuteronomy 8:17-19: "Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth'"
Success blinds us to our dependence on God; a thankful heart remembers the source of all blessing
1 Thessalonians 5:18: "Give thanks in all circumstances"
IV. A Fleeting Peace
A. The land rests 80 years, but the cycle resumes after Ehud dies (Judges 3:30)
The haunting refrain of Genesis 5 — "and then he died" — echoes throughout Judges
Peace lasts only as long as the judge lives; when he dies, idolatry returns
B. The judges' role combines military deliverance and governing authority — they keep the law of Yahweh in the land
C. The repeated death of judges is not merely a cry for a permanent military general but for an everlasting governing authority ruling in the ways of Yahweh — an everlasting Father whose government will never end (Isaiah 9:6-7)
D. Jesus Christ is the answer to Judges' cry
He is Prophet, Priest, and King — the judge of all judges who never dies
When the church forgets Christ as its sole governing authority, peace becomes as fleeting as Israel's rest in Judges
Christ rules and defends his people now from his heavenly throne, applying his benefits by the Holy Spirit, until the new heavens and new earth dawn at his return
35 min
January 19, 2025Transcendent Unity
Scripture: John 17:20-26
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 63:1-4
Hymn — Psalm 63 (to the tune of When I Survey the Wondrous Cross)
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon — Romans 8:1-2
Scripture Reading — Joshua 8:30-35
Hymn — Teach Me, O Lord, Your Way of Truth
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn — The Church's One Foundation
Sermon
Hymn — Ye Holy Angels Bright
Benediction
Sermon Title: Transcendent Unity
Scripture: John 17:20-26
I. Transcendent Unity Is Dependent on God's Word
A. The prayer of John 17 is not only for the disciples present with Jesus, but for all who will believe through the apostolic word
John 17:20 — "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word"
Knowledge of God comes only through the incarnate Son — John 1:18
B. The Son is sent by the Father to reveal the Father's name and character
John 17:25-26 — Jesus makes the Father known; the disciples know the Father only through the Son
Moses desired to see God's face but could only see his glory passing by (Exodus 33); full revelation comes through Christ
Jesus is called "Apostle" (sent one) in Hebrews 3:1, sent by the Father to make God known
C. There is a cascading, apostolic unity: Father → Son → Apostles → Church
John 20:21 — "As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you"
To reject the apostolic word is to reject the Son who sends it; John 17:20 says belief is in their word, not merely a word that passes through them
Disunity in Corinth arose from fracturing this apostolic unity — 1 Corinthians 1 (factions following Paul, Apollos, Cephas, or Christ)
Contemporary "red-letter Christian" rejection of Paul represents the same error: to deny the apostles' word is to deny the Son's word and thus the Father
II. Transcendent Unity Is Demonstrated by God's Love
A. Christ nearly equates Oneness with love throughout the prayer
John 17:21 — "that they may all be in us"; John 17:23 — "I in them and you in me"
Scripture consistently links unity and love: husband and wife become one in covenant love; the Triune God is unified in love
B. The early Greek fathers (e.g., Irenaeus, Athanasius) used the language of deification to strain toward describing this union
Not an ontological transformation — we do not become divine in nature
Rather, we are drawn so near to the Triune fellowship of love that our relationship with the Father is described in the same terms as the Son's eternal fellowship with the Father
Analogous to sacramental language: the sign is spoken of as the thing signified to convey closeness and union
C. This Triune love shared with the church is to be visibly manifested to the world
Tertullian records the world saying of early Christians: "See how they love one another"
Charles Taylor's concept of the "immanent frame" — the modern secular world operates as though nothing transcends the here and now; the church's love is to break through that closed Dome
John 17:23 — the church is to become perfectly one; the standard is no less than the perfect union of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
D. The call to maturity in unity
The word "perfectly" carries the sense of maturity — the church must grow into a fully matured, loving body
Immature bickering among believers soils the name of the Triune God and repels the watching world
Growth in holiness must coincide with growth in unity and love for one another
III. Transcendent Unity Is Destined for God's Glory
A. John 17:24 — Jesus desires that his people be with him to see his glory
The glory in view is his exalted glory received through his finished work, resurrection, and ascension
This is the ground of the doctrine of the beatific vision — Matthew 5:8: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God"
Since God is spirit and invisible, the beatific vision is the sight of God beaming forth through the face of the incarnate God-man, Jesus Christ
John Owen: "God in his immense essence is invisible unto our corporal eyes and will be so to eternity… the blessed and blessing sight which we shall have of God will always be in the face of Jesus Christ"
B. Christ's glory is inseparable from the Father's love for the Son
John 17:24 — "because you loved me before the foundation of the world"
The doctrine of divine simplicity: God's attributes are never divided; his glory is always a loving, holy, righteous glory
If God were a single-person God, there could be no loving communion within his being; the eternal love shared within the Trinity is the very ground of his glory
C. Contemplating the glory of Christ is the principal exercise of faith (John Owen)
Owen: "Did we abound in this duty… our life in walking before God would be more sweet and pleasant… and death itself would be most welcome"
Owen on his deathbed: "Oh brother, the long-wished-for day is come at last, in which I shall see that glory in another manner than I have ever done or was capable of doing in this world"
The church presently tastes this glory by bearing one another's burdens, sharing in the one baptism and one faith, united to the one head, Jesus Christ
We await the day when we will eat and drink anew before the face of God in Jesus Christ
35 min
January 19, 2025Gods and Generals
Scripture: Judges 1:27-3:6
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 104
Psalm — Psalm 104 (Trinity Psalter Hymnal)
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism Reading — Questions & Answers 12–15
Hymn — How Marvelous, How Wise, How Great (#437)
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon
Benediction
Sermon Title: Gods and Generals
Scripture: Judges 1:27–3:6
I. The Danger of Not Keeping the Word of the Lord
A. Historical backdrop: Exodus 23 and Deuteronomy 7 command Israel to drive out the Canaanites completely and make no covenant with them
B. Judges 1:27–36 records tribe after tribe failing to drive out the inhabitants
The repeated refrain "did not drive out" indicts every northern tribe
A declining trajectory: Canaanites living among Israel (Judges 1:29) shifts to Israel living among the Canaanites (Judges 1:33)
C. The angel of the Lord at Bochim charges the people with covenant-breaking (Judges 2:1–2): "You have not obeyed my voice"
D. This sin is not unique to Israel — it echoes the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden
At its root all sin is lawlessness — living as a law unto oneself
Paul identifies the same struggle in the believer: Romans 7 — "I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing"
E. The Book of Judges ultimately points beyond the human judges to the Judge and King — the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the second Adam, Christ
What was right in his own eyes was always perfectly aligned with the Father's will
He kept the law all the way to death on a cross, fully rescuing his people from their lawbreaking
In Christ we find both the means of salvation and the model for growth in obedience
II. The Danger of Not Keeping the World Out of Ourselves
A. The Lord warned in Exodus 23: let the peoples dwell among you and their gods will become a snare to you — because God knows what is in man's heart
B. When Israel failed to keep God's word, the world inevitably got into them
Baal was a storm and fertility god; syncretistic worship was tempting in lean harvest years — an apparently practical compromise
Judges 2:10–11: a generation arose that did not know the Lord, and Israel served the Baals
Judges 2:19: with each cycle the people became more corrupt than their fathers — what Dale Ralph Davis calls "generational degeneration"
C. Application to the New Testament church
The configuration differs from Theocratic Israel — the people of God are spread broadly as salt throughout the earth, not concentrated in a nation-state
The danger, however, is the same wherever God's people are found
A. R. Fausset: "Our high calling is to be in the world, not of the world. It is not our being in the world that ruins us, but our suffering the world to be in us — just as ships sink not by being in the water but by the water getting into them."
Jesus' prayer in John 17: not that the Father would take believers out of the world, but that he would protect them from the evil one (John 17:15)
Worldliness is not neutralized by Christian labeling on entertainment or media — the guard must remain up regardless
The call is to enjoy the genuine good of God's creation wisely while guarding heart, mind, eyes, ears, and tongue from the empty and deceitful ways of the world
32 min
January 12, 2025The Assurance of God's Love
Scripture: John 17:6-19
Order of Service
Hymn — All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
Call to Worship — 1 Timothy 6:13-16
Hymn — All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Faith — Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 1
Scripture Reading — Joshua 8:18-29
Hymn — Jesus Paid It All
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn — And Can It Be
Sermon
Prayer
Hymn — O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Sermon Title: The Assurance of God's Love
Scripture: John 17:6-19
I. The Ownership of the Father and the Son of the Church — John 17:6-10
A. Jesus declares that his disciples were the Father's own before being given to the Son — this reflects the Covenant of Redemption (pactum salutis), in which the Father covenants with the Son to redeem all whom the Father gives him
B. Jesus prays specifically for the elect — not for the world — but for those given to him by the Father (John 17:9)
C. The statement "all mine is yours" could be said by any creature, but "all yours is mine" belongs to God alone — Jesus claims the incommunicable attributes of God, demonstrating his full divinity
D. The stubborn, relentless, steadfast ownership of God's people is seen in all its divine and glorious form in the God-man Jesus Christ — prophet, priest, and king — who is perfectly aligned with the Father's heart in a way no mere mortal could be
II. The Preservation of the Father and the Son of the Church — John 17:11-16
A. Responsible ownership means preserving what one owns; the Father's greatest gift to the incarnate Son is his bride, the church — Jesus Christ is not an irresponsible owner (John 17:12)
B. The loss of Judas illustrates the distinction between the visible and invisible church — Judas was never given to the Son as one of the elect (John 6:64-65)
Gift precedes and is the causal effect of both perseverance on the believer's part and preservation on Christ's part
Those not gifted to the Son remain in sin and never receive saving faith
C. Christ prays that the Father keep the disciples from the evil one (John 17:15) — the same construction as the Lord's Prayer ("deliver us from evil")
The disciples' failures — scattering, Peter's denial — do not place them in the grip of the evil one
Jesus predicted Peter's denial and prayed for his preservation: "I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail" (Luke 22:31-32)
D. Our perseverance in the faith is wholly dependent upon the Father's preservation through the intercession of our high priest Jesus Christ — every day a believer wakes and confesses Christ as Lord, they owe that to their interceding high priest
III. The Sanctification of the Father and the Son for the Church — John 17:17-19
A. Jesus prays "sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth" — the Father's word, given through the Son, is not merely true but is truth itself (John 17:17)
Receiving Christ as merely true among other truths (as illustrated by Jordan Peterson's hesitant affirmation of the resurrection) is not the same as receiving him as truth itself
Sanctification is a top-down enterprise — it comes through divine revelation, God stooping into the void to speak light into our hearts
Leon Morris: "The word of the Father is not a natural possession; it is given only by Christ. Sanctification is not effected apart from the divine revelation, and the divine revelation is eminently trustworthy — it is not only true but truth."
B. In John 17:19, Jesus says "I consecrate myself" — the same Greek word as sanctify — speaking of his self-offering in death
In the Old Testament, the high priest consecrated the animal sacrifice by laying his hands on it, transferring the sins of Israel onto it
Jesus is uniquely both high priest and sacrifice — he consecrates himself
He does this "for their sake" — the language of substitution; Christ does not die as a mere example but dies for his disciples that they would be sanctified
C. The end goal of salvation is not merely eternal life but holiness — sanctification granted by the Spirit uniting believers to the holy Son
D. Just as our perseverance rests in Christ as high priest, so also our holiness rests in Christ — he presents his atoning death before the Father on behalf of his people and intercedes: "Sanctify your people"
35 min
January 05, 2025January 5, 2025; Sunday Morning Worship
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 100
Hymn — O Day of Rest and Gladness
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon
Scripture Reading — Exodus 12:21-28
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Hymn — Speak, O Lord
Sermon
Lord's Supper
Hymn — How Deep the Father's Love for Us
Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
Doxology
Sermon Title: A Surprising Passage — The Boy Jesus in the Temple
Scripture: Luke 2:40-52
I. The Surprising Maturing of Jesus
A. Luke frames the passage with two parallel statements about Jesus' growth
Luke 2:40 — the child grew, became strong, and was filled with wisdom
Luke 2:52 — Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man
B. The incarnation required genuine human growth and learning
The Son of God assumed a true human nature — body, mind, and soul — in every way except sin
As sinless pre-fall Adam still needed to grow and learn, so did the sinless Christ
The 12-year-old Jesus sat with temple teachers for three days — honestly listening and asking questions, not showing off
C. Christ's real growth enables him to sympathize with us
He knew weakness, temptation, sorrow, and ignorance according to his human nature
He is truly our elder brother, made of the same stuff, going before us
He put in the study; aided by the Holy Spirit, he increased in wisdom — so that Paul could say he "became to us wisdom from God" (1 Corinthians 1:30)
II. The Surprising Mission of Jesus
A. The context: Mary and Joseph make the annual Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem (Luke 2:41-42)
A journey of roughly 80 miles over about four days
At the feast's end, Jesus quietly remains behind while his parents depart
B. After a day's travel and an extended search, his parents find him in the temple — the last place they thought to look
C. Jesus' first recorded words reveal his mission (Luke 2:49)
"Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"
The Greek word translated must (δεῖ) runs throughout Luke's Gospel as a thread pointing to the necessary, decreed suffering and cross of the Messiah
The divine must of his mission controlled his entire life in complete harmony with his own will
D. Jesus stands in a unique relationship to the Father
Note the contrast: Mary says "your father and I" (Joseph); Jesus replies "my Father's house" (God)
The temple — with its sacrifices and furnishings — pointed ahead to Jesus himself and his atoning work
His obedience here is a foretaste of his obedience at the cross: "the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified" (Luke 9:22)
III. The Surprising Model of Jesus
A. Jesus used his temporary freedom faithfully — not idling or getting into mischief, but increasing in godly wisdom before the face of his Father
B. After being found, he returned to Nazareth and was submissive to his parents (Luke 2:51)
His trustworthy character of obedience had been established throughout his entire childhood
His perfect obedience was necessary to qualify him as the sinless, spotless Lamb
C. Christ's obedience is our model
To young people: use your free time to increase in godly wisdom; be submissive to your parents; your whole life is before the watchful eye of the Father
To adults: remember the chief end of life is the glory of God; order your priorities accordingly
Our mission — to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves — spans every sphere of life (Mark 12:30-31)
D. Application: trust in Christ who perfectly accomplished salvation; follow him as the perfect model — not to make ourselves feel more holy, but in grateful response to what he has done
35 min
December 22, 2024December 22, 2024; Sunday Evening Worship
Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20; The Means of Grace and our Piety
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 146:1-2, 10
Hymn — Praise the Lord, My Soul (#146)
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Sin (Book of Common Prayer)
Assurance of Pardon — Hebrews 8:10-12
Hymn — Song of Mary (Magnificat) (#301)
Pastoral Prayer
Scripture Reading — Matthew 28:16-20
Prayer for Illumination
Sermon
Hymn — Speak, O Lord (#172)
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Sermon Title: Ordered, Outward, and Ordinary — The Means of Grace and Our Piety
Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20
I. The Means of God's Sanctifying Grace Are Ordered Means
A. Jesus speaks with full authority, fulfilling the vision of Daniel 7:13-14
The Son of Man is presented before the Ancient of Days and given all dominion and glory
Christ's authority is his by right as Son of God and by victory over death
B. By his royal authority, Christ commands the use of specific means: Word and Sacraments
He orders baptism (Matthew 28:19) and the Lord's Supper ("do this in my name")
He orders teaching — the proclamation of the Word
God could accomplish his purposes any way he chose, yet he chooses to work through means (cf. creation: "God said…")
II. The Means of God's Sanctifying Grace Are Outward Means
A. The means come to us from outside ourselves — suited to creatures of body and soul
Audible words spoken and heard; visible words printed and read; water, bread, and wine
Calvin: God "lisps" with us in the Word, condescending to our creaturely need
B. Word and Sacraments are one thing in two outward forms (Kevin DeYoung)
The Word is adapted to the ear; the Sacraments are adapted to the eye
The Word is first and primary — 2 Timothy 4:2 ("Preach the word"); the Westminster Larger Catechism: the Spirit makes the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word effectual
The Sacraments serve the Word and cannot be separated from it
Philip baptizes the Ethiopian eunuch only after explaining the good news from Isaiah 53
In Acts 2:42, the early church devoted itself first to the apostles' teaching, then to the breaking of bread
C. The outward means must be accompanied by the inward working of the Spirit and received by faith
The same sun that melts butter also hardens clay — the Word never returns void, but does not always confer saving grace
Application: Do not rest in mere external participation with the means; the Christ preached in the Word and shown in the Sacraments must be believed by faith
III. The Means of God's Sanctifying Grace Are Ordinary Means
A. Ordinary in the sense of being unspectacular
No laser shows or elaborate productions — just words and everyday elements
As Christ himself was born humbly in a manger, so his means are lowly and simple
Yet in both the stable and the means of grace, the spectacular one — Christ himself — is present
B. Ordinary in the sense of being the usual, regular, and perpetual means
God demonstrates grace in creation (sparrows, morning, new birth), but he orders special redemptive means only in Word and Sacrament
We have no right to go beyond these means, nor to disregard them (e.g., "I meet God in nature" is devastatingly wrong)
"I'm an ordinary means of grace guy" — the proper posture of a minister
C. The ordinary means accomplish God's saving (beginning) grace
Romans 10:17: "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"
God ordinarily calls dead sinners to life through the Word
D. The ordinary means accomplish God's sanctifying (finishing) grace
Philippians 1:6: "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion"
John 17:17: "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth"
2 Timothy 3:16: Scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness
Psalm 119:11: "I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you"
The Lord's Supper calls believers to self-examination (1 Corinthians 11), to see the cost of sin and the fullness of Christ's payment
Baptism as ongoing sanctifying means: Romans 6 — baptism is a sign of union with Christ in death and resurrection
Westminster Larger Catechism: the "much neglected duty of improving our baptism" is to be performed all our life long, drawing strength from Christ's death and resurrection for mortifying sin and quickening grace
Luther: when facing temptation, he would say to himself, "I am a baptized man"
E. Concluding exhortation
Do not neglect, take for granted, or grow weary of the means of grace
In them, Christ himself is held forth — by a steady diet of Word and Sacrament, God firms up faith and grows godliness
The goal: to walk with God and adorn the gospel (Titus 2)
34 min
December 22, 2024"Incarnation and Sanctification"
Scripture: Isaiah 11
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Isaiah 61:10-11
Hymn — O Come All Ye Faithful
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon — Romans 4:4-5
Scripture Reading — Isaiah 12
Hymn — While by the Sheep We Watched at Night
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Hymn — Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Sermon
Hymn — As with Gladness Men of Old
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Sermon Title: Incarnation and Sanctification
Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-10
I. The Humble Origins of Sanctification
A. The "stump" language of Isaiah 11:1 signals near-total devastation — the Assyrian and Babylonian judgments on Israel and Judah have left only a remnant
The last Davidic king before exile, Jeconiah (Jehoiachin), is carried off by Nebuchadnezzar; the Davidic line appears crushed
Yet at the end of 2 Kings 25, Jehoiachin is released from prison and honored at the king's table — a sign that the stump's root remains alive (echoing Joseph's story)
Matthew 1 traces the line of Jehoiachin through the exile all the way to Joseph, the husband of Mary — the seemingly insignificant stump produces a shoot when Jesus is born in Bethlehem
B. The shoot comes from Jesse, not David — pointing to a king of humble origins on a wholly different plane of righteousness from all previous sons of David
Jesse was a poor peasant farmer; David and his sons were royalty
Every son of David ultimately stumbled (David himself, Bathsheba, etc.); this new King will not
2 Corinthians 8:9 — "though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich"
C. Holiness begins as a small, insignificant shoot and grows — those united to Christ likewise count themselves lowly, growing into the maturity and holiness of the Son
II. The Divine Origins of Sanctification
A. In Isaiah 11:1 Jesus is the shoot from the stump of Jesse (Son of David), but in Isaiah 11:10 he is the root of Jesse (eternal Son of God)
This answers the question Jesus poses to the Pharisees in Matthew 22:45 — if David calls him Lord, how is he his son?
The eternal Son has always been the life-giving root of God's redemptive purposes: root of Noah, of Abraham (Galatians 3), of Moses, of David, and of the New Covenant
B. Sanctification is not about mechanics — it is about organic union with the root, Jesus Christ
A disciplined moral life outside of Christ is like a beautiful fake Christmas tree — no life in it; whitewashed tombs (Matthew 23)
To try to live a holy life outside of the Son is like trying to breathe without oxygen, or a plant growing without its roots
Of all the elements of the order of salvation, sanctification is where we are most prone to sidestep Christ and reduce it to personal discipline alone — this is Pharisaism
C. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 — Christ Jesus "became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption"; Paul does not say Jesus is the means to sanctification — Jesus Christ is our sanctification
In heaven we will be surprised: unimpressive people who knew Christ will be there; impressive, disciplined people who never knew him will not
"Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord"
III. The Spiritual Origins of Sanctification
A. The Spirit's role in the Old Testament was primarily to rest on specific individuals for specific offices (e.g., Numbers 11 — the Spirit on Moses distributed to the 70 elders; the Spirit coming upon Saul and David for kingship)
B. The Spirit's role in this King is unique — Isaiah 11:3 — he shall not judge by what his eyes see or his ears hear, but with omniscient knowledge
John 2 — Jesus "knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man"
Righteousness is the belt of his waist — closest to him, almost part of who he is
Faithfulness is the belt of his loins — his strength is his trustworthiness; he never takes back what he has promised
C. Our sanctification is not measured under the microscope of fallible, mortal judges but before the judgment seat of the infallible God-man
This is the heart of the Reformation: no pope, cardinal, or judge may bind the conscience outside of the Word of God, where Christ's judgments are found
Two common errors in striving after holiness: (a) thinking we are better than we are (the more commonly discussed error in Reformed circles), and (b) thinking we are worse than we are — both flow from judging ourselves by fallen, mortal standards
Some will hear "well done, good and faithful servant" who were told all their lives they were worthless; our judge is the gentle, lowly, meek Spirit-anointed God-man who pursues sinners to the depths
D. Christ wore the Belt of Righteousness not only for himself but for us — freed from the law's condemnation, we see the loveliness of holiness in the face of Christ and pursue it until he comes again
34 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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