Northpointe PCA Sermons

Northpointe PCA Sermons

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Northpointe PCA Sermons episodes

  • A World of Hate

    Scripture: John 15:18-16:4

    Order of Service
    • Call to Worship — Psalm 146:1-2, 7-10
    • Hymn — Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah, O My Soul
    • Prayer of Invocation
    • Confession of Faith — Nicene Creed
    • Scripture Reading — Joshua 6:15-27
    • Hymn — Lead On, O King Eternal
    • Pastoral Prayer
    • Offering
    • Prayer of Preparation
    • Hymn — Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
    • Sermon
    • Hymn — I Know Whom I Have Believed
    • Benediction
      • Sermon Title: A World of Hate

      Scripture: John 15:18–16:4

      I. The World Hates the Christian's Master

      A. The world's hatred of Christians is rooted in its hatred of Christ himself

      1. Jesus likened disciples to branches united to the vine (John 15:5); the world's true target is the root — Christ
      2. Two millennia of persecution have failed to destroy the church because the Life Source, Christ, cannot be eliminated

        3. B. The basis: John 15:20 — A servant is not greater than his master; if they persecuted me, they will also persecute you

        1. This echoes Jesus's word from John 13 at the foot-washing, and the new commandment to love as he loved

          2. C. The world hates Christlike, self-effacing love for two reasons

          1. It is a humble, self-emptying love for the unlovable that seeks nothing in return — the opposite of worldly love
          2. It exposes the world's own ugliness; like a political spin doctor, the world attacks the church to deflect attention from its own darkness

            3. D. The silver lining: John 15:20 — If they kept my word, they will also keep yours

            1. Christ will always preserve his remnant
            2. 1 Corinthians 1:22-24 — Christ crucified is folly to the world but the power and wisdom of God to those who are called
              3. II. The World Hates Christian Theology

              A. The conflict is theological, not merely sociological

              1. In John 8, Jesus used the divine name "I AM," claiming equality with the Father; the authorities sought to stone him
              2. To reject the Son's equality with the Father is to reject the Father and the Spirit — the entire Trinity

                3. B. Christ's miraculous works before their eyes filled up their guilt

                1. Matthew 11:20 — Jesus denounces cities that witnessed his mighty works yet did not repent; it will be more bearable for Sidon, Tyre, and Sodom on the day of judgment
                2. The Old Testament distinguished sins of ignorance (for which atonement was available) from high-handed, willful sins — deliberate rejection of God's manifest power brings condemnation

                  3. C. What one confesses about Christ determines one's standing before the Triune God

                  1. Confess Christ as Lord God in the flesh — you have the Father and the Spirit
                  2. Deny his full deity — you have neither the Father nor the Spirit
                  3. The Nicene confession — God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, of one being with the Father — is not a throwaway line

                    4. D. Where one stands with Christ determines love or hatred for God's word — John 15:25

                    1. They hated me without a cause — likely a reference to Psalm 69, which first-century Jews read as a Messianic psalm
                    2. Cf. John 2:17 — Zeal for your house will consume me, also quoting Psalm 69
                    3. The irony: the very law they wielded to condemn Jesus condemns them, because their law points to him as Messiah
                    4. Christology determines whether the word of God commends or condemns you
                      5. III. The World Hates the Christian Testimony

                      A. The Spirit-empowered witness of the disciples — John 15:26-27

                      1. The Holy Spirit, sent by the Father in the Son's name, bears witness to Christ
                      2. The disciples bear witness because they were with him from the beginning — the apostolic credential also stated in Acts 1:21-22 when Matthias replaced Judas

                        3. B. The Trinitarian "trickle-down" of witness

                        1. The Father sends the Son (John 1:14); the Son reveals the Father; the Son returns to the Father and sends the Spirit
                        2. The Spirit bears witness to the Son in the disciples; the disciples go in the Spirit's power to bear witness to the Son
                        3. The Bible is the product of this supernatural Trinitarian act

                          4. C. The cost of the testimony — John 16:2-3

                          1. Disciples will be expelled from synagogues; some will be killed by those who believe they are offering service to God
                          2. Certain rabbinic authorities taught that slaying heretics was an act of divine worship
                          3. Irony of God's judgment: in "offering to God" through the disciples' blood, they reject the one true offering — the Son of God; cf. Haman hanged on his own gallows in the book of Esther; Psalm 2 — God laughs at his enemies; 1 Corinthians 1 — through the foolishness of the cross God brings the wisdom of this age to nothing

                            4. D. The blood-stained book and the call to faithfulness

                            1. By tradition, all apostles except John (the author of this gospel) died as martyrs for their testimony
                            2. As Veterans Day calls citizens to honor those who died for freedom, so the blood of the martyrs and apostles — and supremely the blood of Christ — calls believers to be faithful, diligent students of the word
                            3. The Bible has come at immense cost — the blood of Christ, the apostles, and martyrs such as William Tyndale; it must not be treated flippantly
                              4. 31 min
                            4. The Goal of Piety

                              Scripture: Hebrews 11:6, 15-16

                              Order of Service
                              • Call to Worship — Isaiah 14:24-27
                              • Hymn — O Father, You Are Sovereign (#233)
                              • Prayer of Invocation
                              • Confession of Sin
                              • Assurance of Pardon — Romans 8:31-32
                              • Hymn — Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow (#158)
                              • Pastoral Prayer
                              • Sermon
                              • Hymn — Glory Be to God the Father (#213)
                              • Benediction — Romans 16:20
                                • Sermon Title: The Goal of Piety

                                Scripture: Hebrews 11:5-6; Hebrews 13:12-16

                                I. God Has All Glory in Himself

                                A. Glory (Hebrew and Greek) means that which is heaviest, weightiest, most deserving of fame and honor — that which makes a great impression by its very nature

                                B. God's glory is not a dependent glory — it does not depend on creation or on anything we do or don't do

                                C. The seraphim in Isaiah 6 declare that the whole earth is filled with God's glory — creation does not produce his glory but is filled and overflowed by it

                                1. God's glory fills creation as a vast waterfall fills a pool to overflowing
                                2. Numbers 14:21 — "All the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord"

                                  3. D. God's glory is eternal and unchanging — Peter and Paul both speak of the eternal glory of God; God who does not change has unchanging glory

                                  E. Kevin DeYoung: God did not create the world because he was thirsty for love, companionship, or greater glory

                                  II. God Is Owed All Glory from His Creation

                                  A. By the very nature of creation, all things glorify God — Psalm 19:1: "The heavens declare the glory of God"

                                  B. Even inanimate creation cannot withhold praise — at the triumphal entry Jesus declared that if the disciples were silent, the very stones would cry out

                                  C. Sin causes human hearts to suppress the right glorifying of God — we are by nature "glory thieves," wanting all glory for ourselves

                                  D. Stephen Charnock: God framed the world with order, elegance, and variety so that reasonable creatures should admire and honor him in it

                                  E. Salvation makes the obligation to glorify God even greater

                                  1. Hebrews 12:28-29 — receiving an unshakeable kingdom calls for worship with reverence and awe
                                  2. Ephesians 1 — three times Paul declares that believers exist "to the praise of his glory"
                                  3. 1 Corinthians 6:20 — "Glorify God in your body"

                                    4. F. Stephen Charnock: God created the world for his glory; he says of the redeemed, "I created you for my glory; I recreated you for my glory"

                                    III. God Gets All Glory as Our Piety Brings Us into Conformity to Christ

                                    A. Enoch as the model of Pious living — Hebrews 11:5-6

                                    1. God took Enoch because he was "commended as having pleased God"
                                    2. The Greek word for "pleased" is related to the word for a pleasing sacrificial aroma — what is fit and due to God
                                    3. Even Enoch, born in the line of Adam, could only live this way by faith — "without faith it is impossible to please him"

                                      4. B. The goal of piety is stated plainly in Scripture

                                      1. Ecclesiastes 12:13 — "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man"
                                      2. 1 Corinthians 10:31 — "Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God"
                                      3. Colossians 3:23 — "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men"
                                      4. Hebrews 13:15-16 — praise and doing good are sacrifices pleasing to God

                                        5. C. Piety that pleases God is not pietism — it is not done in one's own strength

                                        1. Enoch lived by faith in God's promises, trusting ahead in Christ
                                        2. Jesus is the one in whom God is perfectly glorified; his life and death were the perfect pleasing aroma to the Father
                                        3. The believer is called to look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2), and by faith be conformed to him through the Spirit's sanctifying work

                                          4. D. Stephen Charnock: Since God is the most excellent being, we must render him the best of our affections, the flower of our strength, the cream and top of our spirits — not what he deserves, but the best we are able to offer

                                          E. Practical application: in every vocation and sphere of life — studies, work, parenting, play — the Christian must keep the goal of piety in view: the glory of God

                                          33 min
                                        4. The True Vine

                                          Scripture: John 15:1-17

                                          Order of Service
                                          • Call to Worship — Psalm 27:4-6
                                          • Hymn — Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty
                                          • Prayer of Invocation
                                          • Prayer of Confession
                                          • Assurance of Pardon — Romans 6:22-23
                                          • Scripture Reading — Joshua 6:1-14
                                          • Pastoral Prayer
                                          • Offering
                                          • Hymn — Abide with Me
                                          • Sermon
                                          • Lord's Supper — Hymn — Behold the Lamb
                                          • Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
                                          • Doxology
                                            • Sermon Title: The True Vine

                                            Scripture: John 15:1-17

                                            I. The Vine Dresser of the True Vine

                                            A. The Father as vine dresser echoes Isaiah's Vineyard songs

                                            1. In Isaiah 5, God plants and tends the vineyard only to receive sour grapes from Israel
                                            2. In Psalm 80, Israel is depicted as a vine brought out of Egypt but ravaged; the psalmist cries for the "son of man" (Psalm 80:17) to restore the vineyard
                                            3. Jesus as the True Vine fulfills what Israel failed to produce; he is the new Israel, the new Temple, the true Manna ([Andreas Köstenberger])

                                              4. B. The vine dresser does two things: cuts off unfruitful branches entirely, and prunes fruitful branches for greater yield

                                              1. "Prune" can also mean "cut off" — a deliberate wordplay by Jesus
                                              2. Cutting was central to Israel's covenant life: circumcision symbolized either sanctification (cutting toward holiness) or being cut off from God in judgment (Romans 2)
                                              3. The two examples in the immediate context: Judas (cut off entirely) and Peter (pruned through his denial and restoration)

                                                4. C. Sanctification — the painful pruning process — is the path to joy, not misery

                                                1. John 15:9-11 — Jesus commands his disciples to abide in his love so that his joy may be in them and their joy may be full
                                                2. Jesus was the holiest and the most joyful man who ever lived; holiness is happiness
                                                3. God's divine simplicity: God does not merely have joy — he is joy; in the Son he invites his people into that joy
                                                  4. II. The Branches of the True Vine

                                                  A. This seventh and climactic "I am" statement depicts the most organic union between Christ and his people yet described in the Gospel of John

                                                  1. Earlier images (e.g., the Good Shepherd) preserve a distance between Christ and his people; the vine-and-branch image makes them organically one
                                                  2. John 15:15 — Jesus calls his disciples friends, not servants; he shares all he has received from the Father with them
                                                  3. John 15:16 — Unlike Jewish disciples who chose their rabbi, Christ chose his disciples; apart from him they can do nothing, including choosing him

                                                    4. B. Union with Christ is the controlling doctrine of this passage, understood in three phases

                                                    1. Union with Christ before the foundation of the world — Ephesians 1:4
                                                    2. Union with Christ at the cross and resurrection — Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:5
                                                    3. Union with Christ through the Spirit working faith within the believer — Ephesians 1:13

                                                      4. C. John 15:3 — "Already you are clean because of the word I have spoken to you"

                                                      1. Contrast with John 13:10, where Jesus excepts Judas; here Judas is gone and Christ speaks only to his elect
                                                      2. Peter is included in this "already clean" declaration even though he is about to deny Christ three times — his backsliding cannot sever him from the vine
                                                      3. Union with Christ in eternity past never becomes disunion in the temporal present; the Father always sees the believer through the Son
                                                        4. III. The Fruit of the True Vine

                                                        A. The fruit of the True Vine includes evangelism — the fulfillment of Isaiah 27:6, where Jacob takes root and fills the whole world with fruit, accomplished through Christ sending his disciples to the ends of the earth

                                                        B. More fundamentally, the fruit of the True Vine is the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5

                                                        1. The fruit of the Spirit consists of internal characteristics — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control — not primarily external achievements
                                                        2. Fruit must begin within the heart of the believer before it can go out to others

                                                          3. C. Prayer is the means by which the believer's will is aligned to Christ's will

                                                          1. John 15:7 — "Ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you" is conditioned on abiding in Christ
                                                          2. John 15:16 — Answered prayer is offered in the name of the Son; to pray in Christ's name is to ask only for what Christ has promised, not for worldly prosperity he never modeled or guaranteed
                                                          3. The fruit of the Spirit is ultimately Christ himself reigning in the soul — friendship with the one who is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control, displaying holy joy to an unholy and joyless world
                                                            4. 29 min
                                                          4. Piety
                                                            Order of Service
                                                            • Call to Worship — Psalm 103:1-22
                                                            • Hymn — Bless His Holy Name (Psalm 103, #103)
                                                            • Prayer of Invocation
                                                            • Confession of Faith — Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 13 (On Sanctification)
                                                            • Hymn — All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night (#158)
                                                            • Pastoral Prayer
                                                            • Sermon
                                                            • Hymn — Take My Life and Let It Be (#538)
                                                            • Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
                                                              • Sermon Title: Defining Gospel Piety

                                                              Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10

                                                              I. What Piety Is Not — Distinguishing Piety from Pietism

                                                              A. Pietism originated in 17th-century Germany and has been popularized through Wesleyan Methodism

                                                              B. Pietism shifts the center of the Gospel from Christ's accomplished and applied grace to human effort

                                                              1. It teaches that a person contributes something to salvation through personal faith and moral striving
                                                              2. It devalues doctrine and overemphasizes human effort toward moral perfection in this life
                                                              3. It teaches pursuit of holiness not out of thankfulness, but because God cannot complete the work alone
                                                                4. C. Gospel piety is not pietism — there is no room for self-powered self-improvement in Ephesians 2:1-10
                                                                II. Gospel Piety Is Walking with God

                                                                A. Brief definitions of gospel piety

                                                                1. Stephen Nichols: piety is Godly living — living out in all areas of life a Godly life unto God
                                                                2. David Gilbert (PCA pastor): gospel piety is a craving for Christ through his word that leads to Godly living
                                                                  3. B. Paul's language of walking in Ephesians 2:10 — "that we should walk in them"
                                                                3. In Ephesians 2:1-2, the pre-conversion life is described as walking in trespasses and sins
                                                                4. In Ephesians 2:10, the Gospel outcome is a new course of walking — Good Works
                                                                  5. C. Biblical precedents for walking with God
                                                                5. Genesis 5:21-24 — Enoch walked with God; commended in Hebrews 11 as one who pleased God
                                                                6. Micah 6:8 — "to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God"
                                                                  7. D. Walking with God is relational and personal — good works are defined by the character and will of the good God
                                                                  E. Walking with God is joyful — piety is not cold mechanical calculation but joyful movement with God
                                                                  III. Gospel Piety Is the Fruit of Christ's Saving Work

                                                                  A. The Gospel proclamation of Ephesians 2:4-9 — "But God," rich in mercy, makes the dead sinner alive in Christ

                                                                  1. Salvation is entirely a work of grace — "not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9)
                                                                  2. Even the faith by which a person takes hold of Christ is itself a gift from God
                                                                    3. B. The believer is God's workmanship — Ephesians 2:10
                                                                  3. "Created in Christ Jesus" — God remakes the sinner as a new creation, forming them into the image of his Son
                                                                  4. The purpose of this new creation is good works — Godly living, gospel piety
                                                                    5. C. Piety flows from Christ's saving work, not from independent human striving
                                                                    IV. Gospel Piety Is the Aim of God's Saving Preparation

                                                                    A. "Which God prepared beforehand" (Ephesians 2:10) — one Greek word used only of God

                                                                    1. Paul uses the same word in Romans 9:23 — vessels of mercy prepared beforehand for glory
                                                                    2. From eternity past, God purposed and secured both the glory and the good works of his people
                                                                      3. B. God does not merely prepare beforehand — he also secures and guarantees what he prepares
                                                                    3. A teacher or parent may prepare lessons but cannot guarantee results
                                                                    4. God alone both prepares and secures — he works in his people to will and to work for his good pleasure
                                                                      5. C. John Calvin: "The Apostle Paul does not say that we are assisted by God… rather the apostle affirms that we are God's work and that everything good in us is his creation"
                                                                      D. This does not reduce believers to robots — when God unites us to Christ and renews the will, he works with and in us
                                                                      V. Why Are We Talking About Piety?

                                                                      A. Because God does — his word teaches the duty of piety

                                                                      B. Because God wills piety in his people — he has prepared beforehand that his people should walk with him
                                                                      C. The Christian has work to do — walking to walk — but never alone, never in their own strength
                                                                      D. Walking with God is a privilege made possible by Christ's saving work

                                                                      30 min
                                                                    5. Spend and Be Spent for the Lord

                                                                      Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18

                                                                      Order of Service
                                                                      • Call to Worship — Deuteronomy 8:3
                                                                      • Hymn — In Christ Alone (#265)
                                                                      • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                      • Confession of Sin
                                                                      • Assurance of Pardon — Titus 3:4-7
                                                                      • Hymn — Come, All You Thirsty (#444)
                                                                      • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                      • Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18
                                                                      • Sermon
                                                                      • Hymn — Amazing Grace (#433)
                                                                      • Benediction — 2 Thessalonians 3:16
                                                                        • Sermon Title: Spend and Be Spent for the Lord

                                                                        Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18

                                                                        I. The Command to Work

                                                                        A. Paul issues the command in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ — making it an authoritative, Christological charge, not merely practical advice (2 Thessalonians 3:6)

                                                                        B. Two possible causes of idleness in Thessalonica:

                                                                        1. Eschatological misunderstanding — believing Christ's imminent return made work pointless
                                                                        2. Sociological pattern — lower-class members attaching themselves to upper-class "benefactors" within the church, or upper-class members viewing manual labor as beneath them

                                                                          3. C. Paul prescribes a form of church discipline short of excommunication

                                                                          1. Believers are to withdraw fellowship from the idle, letting them feel the shame of their sin
                                                                          2. They are not to be treated as enemies but warned as brothers (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15)
                                                                          3. Possibly includes suspension from the Lord's Supper as the chief symbol of church fellowship (cf. 1 Corinthians 11)
                                                                          4. The charge does not apply to those unable to work due to disability or genuine economic hardship

                                                                            5. D. Work is not a consequence of the Fall — it was given to Adam before sin entered creation; the pain of work is the byproduct of the Fall, but work itself was a pre-Fall blessing

                                                                            1. God established a six-day work week with the seventh day as rest and holy assembly, recalling his redemption
                                                                            2. The modern "TGIF" attitude treats work as a burden that interrupts leisure; a Christian vision sees Sunday rest as what gives Monday its meaning
                                                                              3. II. The Example of Work

                                                                              A. Paul worked as a tentmaker among the Thessalonians — toiling night and day so as not to be a burden (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

                                                                              1. He had the right to receive financial support as a minister of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9)
                                                                              2. He voluntarily surrendered that right to set an example and to protect the gospel from the appearance of the sophistry common in the Greco-Roman world

                                                                                3. B. Luther's Reformation contribution: the doctrine of vocation

                                                                                1. Luther coined the concept of ordinary work as vocation (calling) — all lawful work is a calling from God, not just priestly ministry
                                                                                2. Luther called vocations "the masks of God" — God ministers to people through the common, everyday labor of farmers, doctors, teachers, and others
                                                                                3. Before the Reformation, spiritual status was associated with monastic or clerical life; Luther liberated ordinary workers to see their labor as worship

                                                                                  4. C. The general principle: work is a means of being a blessing rather than a burden

                                                                                  1. The Reformers often prospered materially but viewed increased income as greater capacity to give to the poor and relieve others' burdens
                                                                                  2. How a Christian works — and what he works for — is a gospel witness to a watching world
                                                                                  3. Feeding off others while confessing Christ taints and soils the gospel

                                                                                    4. D. Examples of redirected ambition:

                                                                                    1. Augustine — brilliant and tireless before conversion, but his ambitions were aimed at worldly glory; after meeting Ambrose and coming to faith, the same energy was aimed at the glory of God
                                                                                    2. Paul — an ambitious man on the Damascus Road, but conversion redirected that ambition entirely toward Christ (1 Corinthians 9)
                                                                                      3. III. The Quietness of Christian Work

                                                                                      A. Paul's wordplay in 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12: those not busy at work become "busybodies" — the loudness of laziness contrasted with the quietness of hard work

                                                                                      B. Idleness breeds meddling and gossip

                                                                                      1. 1 Timothy 5:13 — younger widows with nothing to do become idlers, gossips, and busybodies
                                                                                      2. Those unoccupied with useful labor will occupy themselves with harmful chatter

                                                                                        3. C. Quiet, meek work is the Christian pattern — not the dog-eat-dog ambition of the world, but letting the work itself do the talking (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

                                                                                        D. Biblical examples of quiet, faithful work exalted by God:

                                                                                        1. Joseph — faithful service even amid slander and false accusation; God elevated him before Pharaoh
                                                                                        2. Daniel and Nehemiah — trustworthy workers before pagan kings, raised to positions of great influence
                                                                                        3. Ruth — quietly serving Naomi and Boaz; God blessed her and placed her in the line of King David
                                                                                        4. David — an overlooked shepherd boy; the Lord raised him to the throne
                                                                                        5. Jesus — lived quietly until his public ministry; submitted to his parents; grew in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:49-52); rejected worldly shortcuts, even from Satan; now exalted to the right hand of the Father with all rule and authority

                                                                                          6. E. Quiet work is ultimately done for the eyes of the Lord, not for the eyes of man

                                                                                          1. Loudness and meddling belong to the lazy or the worldly ambitious
                                                                                          2. Quiet, hard work belongs to God — patterned after Christ, who worked so very hard for us
                                                                                            3. 35 min
                                                                                          3. "What to Pray"

                                                                                            Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

                                                                                            Order of Service
                                                                                            • Call to Worship — Psalm 145
                                                                                            • Hymn — O Worship the King (#219)
                                                                                            • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                            • Confession of Faith — Westminster Larger Catechism Q&A 178
                                                                                            • Hymn — Come to the Waters (#444)
                                                                                            • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                            • Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
                                                                                            • Sermon
                                                                                            • Hymn — Come, My Soul, Thy Suit Prepare (#518)
                                                                                            • Benediction
                                                                                              • Sermon Title: What to Pray

                                                                                              Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

                                                                                              I. Pray for the Progress of God's Word

                                                                                              A. Paul's request for prayer is consistent with his other letters (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:25)

                                                                                              1. Paul prays for fellow believers often and asks them to pray for him, grounded in the oneness of all who are in Christ

                                                                                                2. B. Pray for the expansion of God's Word

                                                                                                1. Paul uses the image of a sprinting runner — the word should "speed ahead" rapidly, as in 1 Corinthians 9:24
                                                                                                2. The call to spread the gospel is expansive: Jesus commands his disciples to make disciples of all nations and to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth
                                                                                                3. Pray not only for distant mission fields but for neighbors, co-workers, and local community outreach

                                                                                                  4. C. Pray for the esteeming of God's Word

                                                                                                  1. It is not enough for the word to spread widely — pray that it be honored, adorned, and held as most precious by those who receive it
                                                                                                  2. Sin entered through Adam's failure to rightly esteem God's word; salvation comes when a person comes to honor and trust it
                                                                                                  3. Self-examination: Is the word most precious to you? Does it shape your mind, habits, decisions, and hope?
                                                                                                    4. II. Pray for the Protection of God's People

                                                                                                    A. Context shapes the need for prayer: Christians live in a present evil age in which the spirit of lawlessness is already at work (2 Thessalonians 2)

                                                                                                    B. Pray for the protection of God's Word's servants (2 Thessalonians 3:2)

                                                                                                    1. Paul and fellow ministers face wicked and evil men — "not all have faith"
                                                                                                    2. Threats come in covert forms (false teachers, false gospels within the church) and overt forms (persecution, imprisonment, death)
                                                                                                    3. We pray not to protect any man's status but for the sake of the gospel going forth through faithful ministers

                                                                                                      4. C. The ground of protection: the Lord is faithful (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

                                                                                                      1. Paul makes a deliberate wordplay: though not all have faith, the Lord is faithful
                                                                                                      2. God revealed himself to Moses as the Lord — merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness
                                                                                                      3. Christ will never suffer the loss of one of his own: "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son" (1 Corinthians 1:9)

                                                                                                        4. D. Pray for the protection of God's Word's people — the whole church (2 Thessalonians 3:3-4)

                                                                                                        1. God's people may suffer great loss, even their lives, but Christ will guard his people to the end
                                                                                                        2. Pray that in all manner of suffering Christ would guard believers' faith and keep them in obedience to his word
                                                                                                          3. III. Pray for the Piloting to God's Love

                                                                                                          A. Paul's closing prayer in 2 Thessalonians 3:5: "May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ"

                                                                                                          1. The directing is the Lord's work — not self-improvement or trying harder, but God himself making the way straight
                                                                                                          2. This is a prayer of assured confidence in what the Lord will do, not merely a wish

                                                                                                            3. B. The content: God's love and Christ's steadfastness

                                                                                                            1. God's love for his people — "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son"
                                                                                                            2. Christ's steadfastness — his endurance throughout his earthly life, obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross (Philippians 2:8)
                                                                                                            3. The cross is the supreme display of both God's love and Christ's endurance

                                                                                                              4. C. Application

                                                                                                              1. Has your heart been brought to know God's love for you and Christ's steadfastness for you?
                                                                                                              2. Pray this for yourself and for one another
                                                                                                              3. The chief cause of prayerlessness is pride; the Lord connects humility with prayer (2 Chronicles 7:14)
                                                                                                              4. May God's love for us stir in us love for God and steadfast faithfulness to his word
                                                                                                                5. 31 min
                                                                                                              5. October 20, 2024; Sunday Morning Worship

                                                                                                                Scripture: John 14

                                                                                                                Order of Service
                                                                                                                • Hymn — Sing a New Song to Jehovah
                                                                                                                • Call to Worship — Psalm 98:1-3
                                                                                                                • Hymn — Sing a New Song to Jehovah
                                                                                                                • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                • Confession of Sin — based on Daniel 9:4-7
                                                                                                                • Assurance of Pardon — Colossians 2:13-14
                                                                                                                • Scripture Reading — Joshua 4:1-24
                                                                                                                • Hymn — Come Thou Fountain of Every Blessing
                                                                                                                • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                • Offering
                                                                                                                • Prayer of Dedication
                                                                                                                • Hymn — Ye Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim
                                                                                                                • Sermon
                                                                                                                • Prayer
                                                                                                                • Hymn — We Come, O Christ, to You
                                                                                                                • Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
                                                                                                                • Gloria Patri
                                                                                                                  • Sermon Title: The Way, the Truth, and the Life

                                                                                                                  Scripture: John 14:1-12

                                                                                                                  I. The Promised Place of the Way, the Truth, and the Life

                                                                                                                  A. Jesus commands his troubled disciples: "Let not your hearts be troubled" (John 14:1)

                                                                                                                  1. The word "troubled" is the same strong verb used in John 13:21 — to be agitated, horrified within oneself
                                                                                                                  2. Jesus is on the eve of his death, betrayed by Judas, about to be denied by Peter — yet he pauses to comfort his disciples
                                                                                                                  3. If Christ in his darkest hour cared for his people, how much more does the glorified Christ care for us now?

                                                                                                                    4. B. Jesus speaks of preparing a place in his Father's house (John 14:2-3)

                                                                                                                    1. The Gospel of John emphasizes that Jesus has come down out of heaven; now he returns to prepare a place for his people
                                                                                                                    2. Thomas's question ("We do not know where you are going") draws out the answer: Jesus is not merely a guide to the way — he is the way

                                                                                                                      3. C. Jesus as the way must be understood in the context of the Passover

                                                                                                                      1. Just as the old covenant Passover lamb was the means of Israel's departure from Egypt toward the presence of God, so Christ as the Passover Lamb departs the earthly realm and opens the way to the Father
                                                                                                                      2. He does not go as a solitary man but to prepare a place for all those covered by his blood, making guilty sinners innocent before the righteous Father
                                                                                                                      3. Gethsemane illustrates this: "Father, is there any other way?" — the Father's silence says the debt must be paid in full before sinners can take up residence in his house

                                                                                                                        4. D. Heaven is true home — the presence of the Father through the Lamb

                                                                                                                        1. Every earthly home is consistently tainted by sin; the need for "vacation from home life" reveals this is not our true home
                                                                                                                        2. True home is the presence of the Father through Christ, who makes us fully free from sin and its effects — a home from which we will never need a vacation
                                                                                                                          3. II. The Personal Presence of the Way, the Truth, and the Life

                                                                                                                          A. Philip's request — "Show us the Father and it is enough" — draws out one of the most remarkable statements in Scripture: "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:8-9)

                                                                                                                          B. Jesus teaches the mutual indwelling of the persons of the Trinity (John 14:10-11)

                                                                                                                          1. The Father is in the Son; when the Son acts, the Father who dwells in him acts
                                                                                                                          2. Three persons in one Godhead — when one person acts, all three who inhere in that person act

                                                                                                                            3. C. Philip's request echoes Moses's request in Exodus 33

                                                                                                                            1. Moses asked to see God's glory; the response was "No one can see my face and live" — Moses saw only the backside of God's glory (Exodus 33:18-23)
                                                                                                                            2. John's prologue answers this: "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known" (John 1:17-18)
                                                                                                                            3. Jesus is the exact imprint of the Father's nature and the radiance of his glory (Hebrews 1:3) — to see the Son is to see the Father

                                                                                                                              4. D. Jesus brings heaven down to earth

                                                                                                                              1. "In him the fullness of deity was pleased to dwell bodily" (Colossians 2:9)
                                                                                                                              2. Christ's humanity veiled the glories of heaven during his earthly ministry; at the cross the curtain was torn and in his resurrection the glory of heaven shines through
                                                                                                                              3. Heaven without Christ is hell — heaven is defined not by angels or cherubim but by the holy habitation of the Father, which is found in the Son

                                                                                                                                4. E. Personal application: nostalgia for home terminates not on the artifacts (furniture, rooms) but on the people

                                                                                                                                1. To think on heaven and not run to Christ is not to have thought on heaven at all
                                                                                                                                2. Reunion with loved ones is precious, but only properly understood through Christ and with heavenly eyes
                                                                                                                                  3. III. The Powerful People of the Way, the Truth, and the Life

                                                                                                                                  A. The promise: "Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12)

                                                                                                                                  B. These "greater works" are not to be understood quantitatively or in terms of more spectacular miracles

                                                                                                                                  1. The key interpretive phrase is "because I am going to the Father"
                                                                                                                                  2. The works are greater in a redemptive-historical sense, not in a raw miraculous sense

                                                                                                                                    3. C. During Christ's earthly ministry, his works and person remained largely veiled

                                                                                                                                    1. Throughout John, people believe and then fall away or misunderstand; even Sanhedrin members believe but will not confess publicly (John 12:42)
                                                                                                                                    2. Judas betrays him; Peter denies him — the true identity of Christ is still largely hidden in this stage of redemptive history

                                                                                                                                      3. D. After the ascension, the Father and Son pour out the Holy Spirit, inaugurating a more advanced stage of God's economy of salvation

                                                                                                                                      1. The book of Acts illustrates the "greater works": over 3,000 added at Pentecost (Acts 2); 5,000 men added (Acts 4); the gospel spreading from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth
                                                                                                                                      2. Disciples publicly and boldly proclaim Christ even before hostile authorities; Stephen becomes the first martyr; Paul stands before rulers
                                                                                                                                      3. The greatest display of Christ's power is not blind men seeing or dead men rising — it is souls being converted and publicly confessing Christ as Lord and Savior

                                                                                                                                        4. E. This powerful work continues today as the Spirit-wrought body, the church, adds souls from throughout the world to the kingdom of God

                                                                                                                                        Conclusion: The three great existential questions of humanity — What direction should I take? What is the meaning of life? What happens when I die? — are answered in one person and one sentence: I am the way, the truth, and the life.

                                                                                                                                        28 min
                                                                                                                                      4. "Stand Firm"

                                                                                                                                        Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

                                                                                                                                        Order of Service
                                                                                                                                        • Prelude
                                                                                                                                        • Call to Worship — Psalm 95:1-7
                                                                                                                                        • Hymn — Come, Let Us Sing to God Our Praise (Psalm 95C)
                                                                                                                                        • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                        • Confession of Sin
                                                                                                                                        • Assurance of Pardon — Psalm 32:5
                                                                                                                                        • Hymn — Come to the Waters
                                                                                                                                        • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                        • Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17
                                                                                                                                        • Sermon
                                                                                                                                        • Hymn — My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less (#459)
                                                                                                                                        • Benediction — 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
                                                                                                                                          • Sermon Title: Stand Firm

                                                                                                                                          Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

                                                                                                                                          I. Firm Faith Is Grounded in Election

                                                                                                                                          A. The contrast of verse 13: the wicked receive a strong delusion (2 Thessalonians 2:11), but the Thessalonians believe the truth — the difference lies not in intellect but in God's electing grace

                                                                                                                                          1. The Spirit opens the ears of God's elect, chosen before the foundation of the world, to believe the truth through the gospel
                                                                                                                                          2. 2 Thessalonians 2:14 parallels verse 13: God effectually calls his saints through the proclamation of the gospel
                                                                                                                                          3. Election does not negate the necessity of gospel preaching; the gospel is the means by which God brings his elect into the fold

                                                                                                                                            4. B. The goal (telos) of election is glorification — "so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ"

                                                                                                                                            1. Romans 8:30 — the golden chain: predestined → called → justified → glorified
                                                                                                                                            2. Election stretches from eternity past, through present calling and justification, to final glorification at Christ's return

                                                                                                                                              3. C. Believers are called to swim in the assurance of election, not merely tolerate it

                                                                                                                                              1. The Reformers and Puritans saturated themselves in the comforts of election rather than its discomforts
                                                                                                                                              2. A seeker-sensitive ecclesiology has made election an embarrassment, neglecting the comfort it brings to struggling saints
                                                                                                                                              3. Election should be embraced as assurance and ground for standing firm, not treated as an awkward doctrine to be avoided
                                                                                                                                                4. II. Firm Faith Receives the Apostolic Tradition

                                                                                                                                                A. 2 Thessalonians 2:15 — "stand firm and hold to the traditions" delivered by spoken word and written letter

                                                                                                                                                1. The "traditions" (Apostolic tradition) encompass both the preached word and the written word
                                                                                                                                                2. We now have access only to what has been written down; God's Providence has given us what is sufficient in his inspired word

                                                                                                                                                  3. B. The Apostolic tradition is to be passed down to every generation

                                                                                                                                                  1. 2 Timothy 2:2 — entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also
                                                                                                                                                  2. To be a Protestant is not to be anti-tradition; tradition is "the living faith of the dead," while traditionalism is "the dead faith of the living"

                                                                                                                                                    3. C. Confessions and creeds are historic instruments for safeguarding and transmitting the Apostolic tradition

                                                                                                                                                    1. The 4th-century canonization of Scripture codified what the Apostolic tradition had already recognized as authoritative
                                                                                                                                                    2. The explosion of confessions in the 16th–17th centuries (Augsburg, Belgic, Canons of Dort, Westminster, etc.) reflects the gospel being rediscovered and safeguarded
                                                                                                                                                    3. Believers should be keenly aware of the giants on whose shoulders they stand
                                                                                                                                                      4. III. Firm Faith Rests in God's Promises

                                                                                                                                                      A. Paul's benediction in 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 — a declaration of God's covenant promises, not merely a prayer

                                                                                                                                                      1. Benedictions in Israel were given at the close of Temple and synagogue worship; the paradigmatic form is the Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:24-26
                                                                                                                                                      2. A benediction is a promise and declaration from God to his covenant people, not a request directed to God — the congregation receives it with eyes open

                                                                                                                                                        3. B. Paul places Christ before the Father in this benediction — a striking theological statement

                                                                                                                                                        1. For a Hebrew, word order conveyed prominence; placing Christ first was audacious and pointed to his full divine identity
                                                                                                                                                        2. Cf. 2 Corinthians 13:14 — all three persons of the Trinity bring blessing to the New Covenant people
                                                                                                                                                        3. This marks an important transition: New Covenant benedictions flow from the Father, Son, and Spirit together

                                                                                                                                                          4. C. God's past definitive act (he loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace) grounds the ongoing promise: he will comfort and establish his people

                                                                                                                                                          1. The Greek word for "establish" in verse 17 shares the same root as "stand firm" in verse 15 — the imperative to the saints corresponds to God's declarative promise to make them firm
                                                                                                                                                          2. Believers need not face the coming week anxiously hoping they will do good works; the benediction is God's covenant promise that he will establish his people in every good work and word
                                                                                                                                                          3. The close of the Lord's Day is a call to rest in the sure, steadfast, covenant-faithful love of God — to go into the work week confident not in self but in the God who blesses and gives peace through his Son
                                                                                                                                                            4. 29 min
                                                                                                                                                          4. A New Commandment

                                                                                                                                                            Scripture: John 13:21-38

                                                                                                                                                            Order of Service
                                                                                                                                                            • Call to Worship — Psalm 150
                                                                                                                                                            • Hymn — Sing Hallelujah, Praise the Lord
                                                                                                                                                            • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                                            • Confession of Faith — 1 Timothy 3:16
                                                                                                                                                            • Scripture Reading — Joshua 3
                                                                                                                                                            • Hymn — On Jordan's Stormy Banks
                                                                                                                                                            • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                                            • Offering
                                                                                                                                                            • Prayer
                                                                                                                                                            • Hymn — Who Is on the Lord's Side?
                                                                                                                                                            • Sermon
                                                                                                                                                            • Hymn — Lavish Love, Abundant Beauty
                                                                                                                                                            • Benediction
                                                                                                                                                              • Sermon Title: A New Commandment

                                                                                                                                                              Scripture: John 13:21-38

                                                                                                                                                              I. Christian Love Is a Matter of the Heart

                                                                                                                                                              A. Judas departs after receiving the morsel of bread, and Satan enters him — Jesus commands him to act quickly

                                                                                                                                                              1. This appears to be a direct address to Satan, as in the confrontation with Legion in Mark 5
                                                                                                                                                              2. The "opportune time" Satan awaited (Luke 4:13) has arrived — Christ's hour has come
                                                                                                                                                              3. Yet Satan's action remains subject to Christ's sovereign command

                                                                                                                                                                4. B. Judas was not merely a passive victim of possession — he had been opening the door of his heart to evil for years

                                                                                                                                                                1. John 12:6 reveals Judas was a thief who stole from the money bag
                                                                                                                                                                2. Each act of wickedness opened his heart wider to Satan's influence

                                                                                                                                                                  3. C. The disciples were completely deceived — they suspected nothing of Judas

                                                                                                                                                                  1. Even after Jesus gives him the morsel, they assume he is going to give to the poor
                                                                                                                                                                  2. Judas had convincingly feigned love for Christ before others for three years

                                                                                                                                                                    3. D. Love for God is not determined by outward display before others, but by the condition of the heart before God

                                                                                                                                                                    1. Jesus taught us to pray in secret, seeking reward from God alone, not from men
                                                                                                                                                                    2. Recent scandals among prominent evangelical leaders illustrate that outward godliness can mask a corrupt heart
                                                                                                                                                                    3. God's grace includes having sin exposed before the point of no return — pursue accountability within the body of Christ
                                                                                                                                                                      4. II. Christian Love Is Obedience to a Command

                                                                                                                                                                      A. After speaking of his glorification through the cross, Jesus gives the new commandment: love one another as he has loved them (John 13:34-35)

                                                                                                                                                                      B. In what sense is this commandment "new"? Love is not a new concept — Jesus himself quotes Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 19 as the greatest commandments

                                                                                                                                                                      1. The newness is similar to the way Paul speaks of faith in Galatians 3:23 — "before faith came" — not that faith is entirely new, but that it enters full bloom in Christ
                                                                                                                                                                      2. Hebrews 11 and Genesis 15:6 confirm that Old Testament saints lived by faith
                                                                                                                                                                      3. In the same way, love existed under the old covenant but was veiled under types and shadows — the cross brings it into full and blazing expression

                                                                                                                                                                        4. C. The newness lies in its intensity and standard: love one another just as Christ has loved you — a cross-bearing, life-laying-down love

                                                                                                                                                                        1. Talk of love in our world is cheap — rooted in sentiment, politics, and social performance rather than duty and covenant
                                                                                                                                                                        2. At this same meal Jesus raises the cup of the New Covenant — new covenant, new commandment; members of the covenant are bound to love with covenant obligation
                                                                                                                                                                        3. This is not a suggestion but a command — love is guarded by covenant guardrails, not by personal whims
                                                                                                                                                                          4. III. Christian Love Is Christ's Presence in the World

                                                                                                                                                                          A. The content of the new commandment is specifically the love of believers for one another within the body of Christ

                                                                                                                                                                          1. Jesus teaches love of neighbor and enemy broadly (the Good Samaritan, the Sermon on the Mount), but the new commandment focuses on the community of his disciples
                                                                                                                                                                          2. Tertullian (second century) recorded that unbelievers observed of Christians: "Look at how they love one another and how they are ready to die for each other"

                                                                                                                                                                            3. B. Evangelism without the visible love of the church community is stunted and ineffective

                                                                                                                                                                            1. Romans 10 affirms that preaching is necessary — how can they hear without a preacher?
                                                                                                                                                                            2. But John Chrysostom later lamented: "There is nothing else that causes the heathen to stumble except that there is no love… they admire our doctrines but are hindered by our mode of life"
                                                                                                                                                                            3. If unbelievers hear of Christ's transforming love and then observe pride, gossip, one-upmanship, and division within the church, the gospel witness is destroyed

                                                                                                                                                                              4. C. The church's love for one another is the primary visible manifestation of God's people to a watching world

                                                                                                                                                                              1. Jesus calls his disciples "little children" — soon to be adopted into the household of faith through the blood of the Son
                                                                                                                                                                              2. A better question than "How many people did you evangelize this week?" is "How well have you loved your fellow members in the body of Christ?"
                                                                                                                                                                              3. Where does such love originate? In Jesus Christ himself — believe on him and share in his love
                                                                                                                                                                                4. 33 min
                                                                                                                                                                              4. October 6, 2024; Sunday Morning Worship

                                                                                                                                                                                Scripture: John 13

                                                                                                                                                                                Order of Service
                                                                                                                                                                                • Hymn — Jesus Shall Reign
                                                                                                                                                                                • Call to Worship — Isaiah 12:1-6
                                                                                                                                                                                • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                                                                • Confession of Sin
                                                                                                                                                                                • Assurance of Pardon — Colossians 1:13-14
                                                                                                                                                                                • Scripture Reading — Joshua 2:1-24
                                                                                                                                                                                • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                                                                • Offering
                                                                                                                                                                                • Hymn — O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
                                                                                                                                                                                • Sermon
                                                                                                                                                                                • Lord's Supper
                                                                                                                                                                                • Hymn — More Love to Thee, O Christ
                                                                                                                                                                                • Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
                                                                                                                                                                                  • Sermon Title: Lowly Service Received, Rendered, and Rejected

                                                                                                                                                                                  Scripture: John 13:1-20

                                                                                                                                                                                  I. Lowly Service Received

                                                                                                                                                                                  A. The context: Jesus knows his hour has come — the hour of his death and departure to the Father

                                                                                                                                                                                  1. John 1 establishes that Jesus came from the Father's side; his mission was to purchase a people for himself
                                                                                                                                                                                  2. John 6:38-40: "I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me"
                                                                                                                                                                                  3. He loved his own "to the end" — unto death, as in Philippians 2

                                                                                                                                                                                    4. B. The shocking nature of foot-washing in the ancient world

                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Foot-washing was reserved for slaves — and specifically Gentile slaves; Jewish slaves were exempt from the task
                                                                                                                                                                                    2. Jesus takes the position of the lowest possible servant — a "Gentile dirty-dog slave"
                                                                                                                                                                                    3. He performs it during the meal rather than before, compounding the strangeness

                                                                                                                                                                                      4. C. Peter's resistance illustrates the difficulty of receiving grace

                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Jesus tells Peter: "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me" — indicating a spiritual, not merely physical, washing
                                                                                                                                                                                      2. The one already bathed needs only feet washed — likely referencing ceremonial Passover washings (baptismos) transitioning to the new covenant cleansing of conscience through Christ's blood (Hebrews)
                                                                                                                                                                                      3. Biblical faith is best described as rest — resting in the finished work of Christ, receiving it as pure gift
                                                                                                                                                                                      4. Romans 4:4-6: righteousness counted apart from works, to the one who believes in him who justifies the ungodly
                                                                                                                                                                                      5. Psalm 51:17: God desires a broken and contrite heart — we come with nothing in our hands

                                                                                                                                                                                        6. D. God is the God of the poor and the widow — his people are always those with nothing to offer

                                                                                                                                                                                        1. We come to his table as Mephibosheth — crippled, with nothing to offer, yet seated at the king's table
                                                                                                                                                                                        2. Come to the Lord's Table not with your own merit but with absolute want and lack, feeding on superabundant grace
                                                                                                                                                                                          3. II. Lowly Service Rendered

                                                                                                                                                                                          A. John 13:15: "I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done to you"

                                                                                                                                                                                          1. The word example means pattern or model — the Christian is to imitate Christ's lowly service
                                                                                                                                                                                          2. No act of service is beneath the Christian — not even the role of a Gentile slave

                                                                                                                                                                                            3. B. Christianity is always countercultural in its service

                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Every culture under the sun has gradations of dignity, worthiness, and reward in service
                                                                                                                                                                                            2. The Christian renders service with no quid pro quo — self-emptying as in Philippians 2

                                                                                                                                                                                              3. C. Christ's humiliation is not merely the path to glory — it is his glory

                                                                                                                                                                                              1. In his resurrected body, Jesus still bears nail marks (John 20)
                                                                                                                                                                                              2. In Revelation, he is still called "the Lamb who was slain" — he does not shed the marks of his lowly service even in exaltation
                                                                                                                                                                                              3. Christ's foot-washing, cross-bearing service is the glory of God manifested through his church

                                                                                                                                                                                                4. D. The victory of Christ's church is seen in its lowly love, not in power or force

                                                                                                                                                                                                1. The Pagan Emperor Julian lamented that Christian care for strangers, the poor, and the dead advanced the Christian cause more than anything
                                                                                                                                                                                                2. Christian lowly service renders Satan useless — his tools of pride and self-interest have no grip on a church whose King rules above the sun
                                                                                                                                                                                                  3. III. Lowly Service Rejected

                                                                                                                                                                                                  A. John 13:2: the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus

                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Judas's betrayal involves both his own free volition and the work of the devil
                                                                                                                                                                                                  2. Jesus, fully aware of this, still washes Judas's feet — extravagant love extended even to his betrayer

                                                                                                                                                                                                    3. B. Judas's rejection is sovereignly ordained as the pathway to Christ's greatest act of lowly service: the cross

                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. John 13:3: "Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands… he rose" — the betrayal does not catch him off guard
                                                                                                                                                                                                    2. Satan's use of Judas to reject Christ's love becomes the very means by which God displays his love par excellence at Calvary

                                                                                                                                                                                                      3. C. John 13:19: "I am telling you this now before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he"

                                                                                                                                                                                                      1. The Greek egō eimi ("I am he") echoes the divine name given to Moses at the burning bush
                                                                                                                                                                                                      2. Ezekiel 24:24: "When this happens you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord"
                                                                                                                                                                                                      3. Isaiah 43:10: "You are my witnesses… that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he" — spoken in the context of the suffering servant
                                                                                                                                                                                                      4. Yahweh is made known to the world through the suffering servant being betrayed, rejected, and crucified — the Great I Am in the flesh

                                                                                                                                                                                                        5. D. The cross is Satan's greatest weapon, yet it seals his defeat

                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Every wound inflicted on Christ — whether through casualties to the church or casualties inflicted by the church's enemies — proclaims Christ's lordship
                                                                                                                                                                                                        2. Tertullian: the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church
                                                                                                                                                                                                        3. Application: what appears as defeat in the eyes of the world is victory in Christ — go and love one another
                                                                                                                                                                                                          4. 38 min

                                                                                                                                                                                                        About Northpointe PCA Sermons

                                                                                                                                                                                                        From the publisher's feed

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