Northpointe PCA Sermons

Northpointe PCA Sermons

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Northpointe PCA Sermons episodes

  • Not Shaken, But Stirred

    Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

    Order of Service
    • Call to Worship — Psalm 33:20-22
    • Hymn — I Will at All Times Bless the Lord (#34A)
    • Prayer of Invocation
    • Confession of Faith — Apostles' Creed
    • Hymn — Come to the Waters (#444)
    • Pastoral Prayer
    • Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
    • Sermon
    • Hymn — Christ Is Coming (#390)
    • Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
      • Sermon Title: Not Shaken, But Stirred

      Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

      I. The Pastoral Purpose of the Passage

      A. Paul writes not to satisfy curiosity but to encourage faith

      B. The governing concern: believers must not be "quickly shaken in mind or alarmed" — the image is of a ship tossed loose from its moorings
      C. The central good word running through the passage: the Lord Jesus is coming again, and his people will be gathered to him

      II. The Crisis That Shakes Our Faith in the Coming Again of the Lord Jesus

      (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3)

      A. The crisis concerning the timing of Christ's return

      1. A false word had reached the Thessalonians — supposedly from Paul — claiming the Day of the Lord had already come
      2. If Jesus had already returned and they were not gathered to him, they would have missed the very promise of being with him forever
      3. Scripture elsewhere assures us the day will be public and unmistakable — trumpets, a loud call — there will be no way to miss it

        4. B. The crisis concerning trust in Jesus's word

        1. Paul had already spoken to the Thessalonians in person about these very matters (2 Thessalonians 2:5)
        2. The false word contradicts the word of Christ delivered through his apostle — Jesus cannot contradict himself
        3. The application: when shaken, do we run to the word of the Lord, or are we quick to believe another word — a popular book, a personality, or our own hearts?
          4. III. The Correction That Stirs Our Faith in the Coming Again of the Lord Jesus

          (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12)

          A. The progressive rebellion before Jesus's coming (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 9-12)

          1. The Day will not come until the apostasia — the great falling away — occurs first; a general revolt of the visible church in which many who had the outward form of believers will be swept away
          2. Warning and comfort: those truly born again will not be swept away — John 3 teaches we must be born again; all whom the Father has given to the Son will be kept
          3. The rebellion prepares the way for the man of lawlessness — the son of destruction
            4. - He is a man, distinct from Satan (2 Thessalonians 2:9), but the instrument of Satan
            - He will exalt himself above every so-called god and object of worship, even taking his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God
            - Two possible understandings of "temple of God": (a) the church, the body of believers — consistent with Paul's normal usage; (b) the Jerusalem temple as the place of God's worship, used figuratively
            - He is not yet come in his fullness; many forerunners in history have partially fulfilled the description, but none have matched the full end-time evil — there will be only one final fulfillment
            - The mystery of lawlessness is already at work (2 Thessalonians 2:7)

            B. The providential restraint until Jesus's coming (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7)

            1. Something or someone now holds back the full unleashing of lawlessness — like levees holding back floodwaters
            2. Possible identities of the restrainer: the angel Michael (cf. Daniel 10-12); the power of the state — both are under God's providential authority
            3. Exact identification is not given to us; Paul had told the Thessalonians directly — it is not for us to know conclusively
            4. The comfort: God is providentially sovereign over all of human history; things are bad, but not as bad as they could be and one day will be

              5. C. The powerful result at Jesus's coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8)

              1. When the restrainer is removed, the Lawless one will be revealed — but Paul cannot write that without immediately bringing us to the coming of Jesus
              2. The Lord Jesus will kill the Lawless one with the breath of his mouth and bring him to nothing by the appearance of his parousia
              3. The one who spoke all things into existence will destroy the Lawless one with a word — as he commanded the storm, "Peace, be still" (Mark 4:39)
              4. As 1 John 3:8 says, the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil — begun at the first coming, concluded at the second
              5. The making-right of all things depends not on gradual human improvement but on the final intervention of God
              6. All who are found in Christ will be victorious with him — already now more than conquerors (Romans 8:37)
                7. IV. Conclusion: Do Not Miss the Forest for the Trees

                A. This passage contains many captivating details; we must not lose ourselves in them and miss the whole

                B. We may not have all the facts and details, but we know how the story ends
                C. The Lord Jesus says, "Surely I am coming soon" (Revelation 22:20) — let this stir your faith

                34 min
              7. Unbelief

                Scripture: John 12:37-50

                Order of Service
                • Announcements
                • Hymn — Come, Let Us Sing unto the Lord
                • Call to Worship — Isaiah 40:27-31
                • Hymn — Come, Let Us Sing unto the Lord
                • Prayer of Invocation
                • Confession of Faith — Philippians 2:6-11
                • Scripture Reading — Joshua 1:1-18
                • Hymn — How Firm a Foundation
                • Pastoral Prayer
                • Offering
                • Prayer of Dedication
                • Hymn — Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me
                • Sermon
                • Prayer
                • Hymn — I Surrender All
                • Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
                • Doxology
                  • Sermon Title: Unbelief

                  Scripture: John 12:37-50

                  I. Unbelief Stems from God's Judgment

                  A. Though Jesus performed many signs, the crowd still did not believe — John 12:37

                  B. John applies two passages from Isaiah to explain this unbelief

                  1. Isaiah 53:1 — "Who has believed what he heard from us?" — John 12:38
                  2. Isaiah 6:10 — God blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts — John 12:39-40

                    3. C. This is a judicial hardening — God's judgment confirming obstinate, willful rejection

                    1. Pharaoh hardened his own heart repeatedly before God hardened it in judgment
                    2. Israel in Isaiah's day repeatedly rejected the Lord before being confirmed in hardness
                    3. Romans 1 pattern: man refuses to honor God, therefore God gives them over — Romans 1:24, Romans 1:26
                    4. God hardens whom he wills and has mercy on whom he wills — Romans 9:18

                      5. D. Jesus's response to hardened unbelief: he cries out the gospel — John 12:44

                      1. Warning: do not test God's patience to the point of no return (cf. the man in the iron cage in Pilgrim's Progress)
                      2. Comfort: the power of God unto salvation remains open to all who still have ears to hear
                        3. II. Unbelief Stems from Lack of Godly Fear

                        A. Many authorities believed in Jesus but would not confess it for fear of the Pharisees — John 12:42-43

                        1. Nicodemus (John 3) and Joseph of Arimathea are the two named examples
                        2. Their faith may have grown bold after the resurrection (cf. Thomas Cranmer's recantation of his recantation)

                          3. B. This is a man-fearing faith rather than a God-fearing faith — indicted by John as deficient

                          C. The root cause: they loved the glory (kavod — weightiness, worth) that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God — John 12:43

                          D. Application: Christians today face the same pressure — culture demands faith be kept behind closed doors

                          1. When we make God look more like man, our proclamation shrinks to the size of man's glory
                          2. Remedy: contemplate the measureless majesty of God versus the measly glory of man, and open our lips
                            3. III. Unbelief Stems from Rejection of God's Word

                            A. Jesus's final public words center on the truth that his words are the Father's words — John 12:44-50

                            B. The Father's commandment to the Son is eternal life — John 12:50

                            1. For the Jewish audience, the path to eternal life was found in the Torah — the word of God
                            2. Jesus, introduced in John's prologue as the Word of God incarnate, is himself that path

                              3. C. Isaiah saw Christ's glory and spoke of him — John 12:41

                              1. Isaiah 6 was both a commission to speak to Israel in Isaiah's day and a prophecy of Israel's rejection of the Messiah
                              2. The suffering servant of Isaiah 53:1 and the hardening of Isaiah 6:10 both point forward to Christ

                                3. D. To reject any portion of Scripture is to reject the Son — the Word of God is the Son of God

                                1. Abraham believed the word and therefore had Christ — John 8:56
                                2. Old Covenant saints are saved the same way as New Covenant saints: by believing in the Word, Jesus Christ
                                3. Spurgeon: "Never was man blamed in heaven for preaching Christ too much"

                                  4. E. Call to response: turn from sin, look to Christ, and live — he is the whole counsel of God, the yes and amen to every promise

                                  31 min
                                4. According to Your Steadfast Love

                                  Scripture: Psalm 51

                                  Order of Service
                                  • Call to Worship — Psalm 67
                                  • Hymn — Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above
                                  • Prayer of Invocation
                                  • Corporate Confession of Sin — Mark 12:28-31
                                  • Assurance of Pardon — Colossians 1:21-22
                                  • Scripture Reading — Exodus 34:1-9
                                  • Hymn — O God, Our Help in Ages Past
                                  • Pastoral Prayer
                                  • Offering
                                  • Hymn — O Thou That Hearest When Sinners Cry
                                  • Sermon
                                  • Hymn — Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Wretched
                                  • Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
                                    • Sermon Title: According to Your Steadfast Love

                                    Scripture: Psalm 51

                                    I. The Problem That Necessitates Repentance

                                    A. David uses three distinct terms for sin across the psalm

                                    1. Transgression — willful rebellion against God and his authority; sin is personal, committed against the holy and sovereign Lord (Psalm 51:1)
                                    2. Iniquity — an inward disposition marked by wandering from the right way, like a pilot veering off course or a hiker going astray
                                    3. Sin — the broad term carrying the sense of missing the mark of God's holy law

                                      4. B. Our active sin is offensive to the character of God

                                      1. David's sins of adultery and murder spanned months and involved deliberate plotting (2 Samuel 11)
                                      2. Though David wronged Bathsheba and Uriah, he confesses that his sin was chiefly against God: against you, you only have I sinned (Psalm 51:4)
                                      3. We are always active in our sin — in thought, sight, speech, and deed

                                        4. C. Our sinful nature is offensive to the character of God

                                        1. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me (Psalm 51:5)
                                        2. We do not innocently fall into sin — we sin because we are sinners; this is the doctrine of original sin, imputed from Adam to all (Romans 5:19)
                                        3. The whole of human nature has been corrupted; we are not born a clean slate
                                          4. II. The Posture That Shapes Repentance

                                          A. The right posture is a broken and contrite heart

                                          1. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise (Psalm 51:17)
                                          2. God uses the knowledge of sin as a hammer to pulverize the hard, stony heart so that it becomes tender before him
                                          3. Jesus illustrates this contrast in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector — the man beating his chest, not the man with puffed-out chest, models true repentance

                                            4. B. David demonstrates the posture of grief over sin

                                            1. His sin is always before him; he longs for cleansing and sees the terrible stain of his guilt (Psalm 51:1-3)
                                            2. He has lost joy and gladness and senses the disjointing of everything within himself (Psalm 51:8, Psalm 51:12)
                                            3. He feels the burning eye of God upon his sin and a cold distance from him

                                              4. C. David demonstrates the posture of bold pleading for forgiveness

                                              1. Have mercy on me, O God — the vile sinner boldly petitions the eternal, sovereign, holy God for the very thing that is undeserved (Psalm 51:1)
                                              2. The pleading is persistent: blot out… wash me… cleanse me… purge me… create in me (Psalm 51:1-2, Psalm 51:7, Psalm 51:9-10)
                                              3. God himself ordained and inspired these words of personal repentance for corporate worship in Israel, inviting this kind of bold pleading from his people
                                              4. The sinner is not alone in pleading boldly — the Holy Spirit sustains and strengthens the disposition to repent: uphold me with a willing spirit (Psalm 51:12)
                                                5. III. The Promise That Fuels Repentance

                                                A. David's repentance is grounded in God's covenant steadfast love (hesed)

                                                1. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love (Psalm 51:1)
                                                2. God's steadfast love is not fickle and not conditioned on performance — it is the covenant love established with Abraham, Moses, Israel, and David
                                                3. David pleads with confidence: wash me and I shall be whiter than snow — not I might get clean but I shall be clean (Psalm 51:7)

                                                  4. B. The right sacrifice in which God delights points forward to Christ

                                                  1. The entire Old Testament sacrificial system — the bulls, goats, and the annual Day of Atonement — prepared the way for the one true sacrifice
                                                  2. Christ was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities; his soul made an offering for the guilt of his people (Isaiah 53:5)
                                                  3. The guilt of the believer's sin has been blotted out — it no longer belongs to us; Christ took it to the cross

                                                    4. C. The believer must still repent for the sake of fellowship and enjoyment of God

                                                    1. Repentance does not make satisfaction for sin — it is never the precision of repentance that saves (Westminster Confession of Faith)
                                                    2. As a child who knows a parent's love but experiences strained fellowship until a wrong is confessed, so the believer's enjoyment of God is fractured until sin is named before him
                                                    3. Once David repents, praise pours forth: my mouth will declare your praise (Psalm 51:15)
                                                    4. Come to Christ grieving your sin, pleading boldly for mercy — he is able, he is willing
                                                      5. 36 min
                                                    5. The Wrath of God

                                                      Scripture: Romans 12:9-21

                                                      Order of Service
                                                      • Call to Worship — Deuteronomy 7:6
                                                      • Hymn — O Worship the King (#219)
                                                      • Prayer of Invocation
                                                      • Confession of Faith — Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 49
                                                      • Hymn — Jesus, Lover of My Soul (#450)
                                                      • Pastoral Prayer
                                                      • Scripture Reading — Romans 12:9-21
                                                      • Sermon
                                                      • Hymn — How Firm a Foundation (#243)
                                                      • Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
                                                        • Sermon Title: The Wrath of God

                                                        Scripture: Romans 12:19

                                                        I. Definition of the Wrath of God

                                                        A. God's wrath is His settled anger toward sin, expressed in the repayment of suitable vengeance on the guilty sinner

                                                        B. The Greek word for wrath conveys settled, not impulsive, anger
                                                        C. The word for vengeance means the execution of proper judgment — to dispense justice in accordance with the core values of the judge
                                                        D. God's wrath is His eternal opposition to all that is contrary to Him and His rule, namely sin

                                                        II. The Wrath of God Is Eternal

                                                        A. Daniel 12:2 — some will awake to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt

                                                        B. Mark 9:43-48 — Jesus describes hell as the unquenchable fire, where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched

                                                        1. Hell's fires will never go out — there will be no relief, not ever
                                                          2. C. Mark 3:29 — blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an eternal sin, never forgiven, ruling out universalism
                                                          D. Matthew 25:41, 46 — Jesus parallels eternal punishment with eternal life; both are everlasting
                                                          E. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 — the wicked will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord
                                                        2. Destruction does not mean annihilation or obliteration
                                                        3. It means utter undoing — utter defeat, stripped of all that makes life good, made to be miserable forever
                                                          4. III. The Wrath of God Will Be Terrible

                                                          A. Matthew 13:40-42, 49-50 — the wicked are thrown into the fiery furnace; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth

                                                          B. Matthew 24:50-51 — the wicked servant is cut in pieces and put with the hypocrites; weeping and gnashing of teeth

                                                          1. Warning to those who dwell in the Lord's house with an unbelieving heart
                                                            2. C. Matthew 8:12 — the sons of the kingdom thrown into outer darkness; weeping and gnashing of teeth
                                                            D. Mark 9:48 — quoting Isaiah 66:24: the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched
                                                            E. On the symbolic language objection: even if the descriptions are symbolic, that should terrify more, not less
                                                          2. Symbolic language is used when literal language fails — the reality is far worse than words can express
                                                          3. The same logic applies to heaven — far better than we can comprehend
                                                            4. F. Revelation 6:15-16 — every class of human being will cry out for rocks to fall on them rather than face the wrath of the Lamb
                                                            IV. The Wrath of God Will Be Deserved

                                                            A. Romans 1:18 — God's wrath is revealed against all who suppress the truth in unrighteousness

                                                            1. Wrath does not come without warrant — it is not arbitrary
                                                              2. B. Romans 2:5 — the hard and impenitent heart stores up wrath for the day of wrath
                                                            2. With every act of indifference toward Christ, every affection for sin, every preference for anything over God, wrath is accumulated
                                                            3. God is just and will judge the world in terrible wrath
                                                              4. V. The Wrath of God Is Escapable — Through the Blood of Christ

                                                              A. At the end of the age, the full and final wrath will have been escapable — and it is escapable right now

                                                              B. John 3:16 — God gave His Son to absorb His infinite wrath for the sin of all who take refuge in Christ
                                                              C. Galatians 3:13 — Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us

                                                              1. Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree
                                                              2. On the cross, Christ bore the full curse of God's wrath for all who are in Him
                                                                3. D. For those in Christ, the wrath for sin has already been poured out fully upon Christ
                                                                E. Call to those outside of Christ: flee the wrath to come — today is the day of salvation
                                                                32 min
                                                              3. Why Did Jesus Come?

                                                                Scripture: John 12:27-36

                                                                Order of Service
                                                                • Call to Worship — Psalm 50:1-6
                                                                • Hymn — The Mighty God, the Lord
                                                                • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                • Confession of Faith — Westminster Confession of Faith 8.5
                                                                • Scripture Reading — Psalm 6:1-10
                                                                • Hymn — Be Still My Soul
                                                                • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                • Offering
                                                                • Hymn — Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken
                                                                • Sermon
                                                                • Hymn — The Power of the Cross
                                                                • Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
                                                                  • Sermon Title: Why Did Jesus Come?

                                                                  Scripture: John 12:27-36

                                                                  I. The Cross Brings Glory to the Father

                                                                  A. Jesus's soul is troubled (John 12:27) as the cross looms — a strong word conveying revulsion, horror, agitation, and anxiety

                                                                  1. A similar anguish appears more intensely at Gethsemane, where Jesus prays three times that the cup pass from him
                                                                  2. Yet here, as at Gethsemane, he resolves: for this purpose I have come to this hour

                                                                    3. B. The Father's audible voice from heaven declares: I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again

                                                                    1. The crowd cannot fully understand the voice — some say thunder, some say an angel has spoken — yet it serves as a cosmic witness to Christ's words
                                                                    2. I have glorified it (past) refers to Christ's entire public ministry in John 1–11, in which the Son perfectly reflects the Father (Hebrews 1:3)
                                                                    3. I will glorify it again (future) refers to the cross

                                                                      4. C. The cross glorifies God by spreading the fame of his name to the nations

                                                                      1. Malachi 1:11 — From the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations — fulfilled through the pure offering of Christ
                                                                      2. The Great Commission extends that glory: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
                                                                      3. The cross is the symbol of perfect obedience — where Israel failed to spread Yahweh's glory through obedience, Christ succeeds, obedient even to death on a cross (Philippians 2:8)
                                                                      4. The last Adam, unlike the first Adam, turns away from the serpent and spreads God's glory rather than the shame of sin to the ends of the earth
                                                                        5. II. The Cross Brings Judgment on Satan

                                                                        A. Now is the judgment of this world (John 12:31) — not the final eschatological judgment, but a judgment realized as the world places the Son of God on the cross

                                                                        1. As seen in Romans 1, part of God's wrath is giving people over to their sin — climactically displayed as fallen humanity crucifies the Lord of Glory
                                                                        2. The cross simultaneously represents grace and mercy and the heinousness of fallen mankind; as Jeremiah 17 cries, the heart is deceitful above all things
                                                                        3. The cross draws a line: either you are putting Christ on the cross and are subject to judgment, or you are covered by his blood and subject to redemption

                                                                          4. B. Now will the ruler of this world be cast out (John 12:31) — Satan is defeated at the cross

                                                                          1. Hebrews 2:14 — through death Christ destroys the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil
                                                                          2. Revelation 12 — the accuser is cast down, conquered by the blood of the Lamb

                                                                            3. C. Satan's two lines of accusation are cut off at the cross

                                                                            1. Accusation toward man against God — as in the garden, Satan slanders God as untrustworthy and withholding; this lie is silenced as God spares not his own Son
                                                                            2. Accusation toward God against man — as in Job 1, Satan parades sinners' failures before God's heavenly court; at the cross those sins are counted against Christ, fully expunged, and Satan is cast out of that court
                                                                            3. Luther: When the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him: I admit it — but I know one who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf; his name is Jesus Christ, Son of God
                                                                              4. III. The Cross Brings Salvation to the World

                                                                              A. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself (John 12:32) — the cross as the means of universal gospel proclamation and saving attraction

                                                                              B. The crowd's objection (John 12:34): the law says the Christ remains forever — how can the Son of Man be lifted up?

                                                                              1. Their understanding draws on passages such as Isaiah 9:7, Psalm 72:17, Psalm 89, and the Davidic covenant of 2 Samuel 7
                                                                              2. Jesus does not answer their question directly — the full understanding of the kingdom's fulfillment awaits the Spirit's illumination at Pentecost (Acts 2)

                                                                                3. C. Jesus's call: Walk while you have the light … believe in the light, that you may become sons of light (John 12:35-36)

                                                                                1. Christ the Light of the World is about to be taken away; believe now, so that the darkness will not master you
                                                                                2. John 1:5 — the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it

                                                                                  3. D. The great irony: the very moment Christ calls others to walk in the light, he himself will be plunged into darkness — the sun hidden, the face of God turned away — so that his soul is troubled for us

                                                                                  1. John 14:27 — Peace I leave with you … let not your hearts be troubled — our hearts are no longer troubled because Christ's heart was troubled in our place
                                                                                  2. He swallows up the darkness at the cross so that all that remains for those united to him by faith is the light of the Son
                                                                                  3. The darkness will surround believers until Christ returns — but it can never be as dark as Good Friday, and it has no match against the light of Resurrection Sunday
                                                                                    4. 35 min
                                                                                  4. Ingredients for Perseverance

                                                                                    Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1

                                                                                    Order of Service
                                                                                    • Call to Worship — Psalm 144:1-2, 9-10, 15
                                                                                    • Hymn — O Blessed Be the Lord God My Rock (Psalm 144b, stanzas 1–5)
                                                                                    • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                    • Confession of Sin
                                                                                    • Assurance of Pardon — Psalm 103:11-13
                                                                                    • Hymn — Jesus, Lover of My Soul (#450)
                                                                                    • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                    • Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
                                                                                    • Sermon
                                                                                    • Hymn — More Than Conquerors (#515)
                                                                                    • Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
                                                                                      • Sermon Title: Ingredients for Perseverance

                                                                                      Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

                                                                                      I. The Encouragement for Perseverance (vv. 3–4)

                                                                                      A. Paul opens with thanksgiving and encouragement — he calls it his duty (ought, right, proper), not merely a pleasantry

                                                                                      B. The Thessalonians' growing faith and increasing love are explicitly recognized and praised

                                                                                      C. Practical application: correction must be accompanied by encouragement

                                                                                      1. Paul's pattern throughout his letters is to lead with thanksgiving even toward troubled churches (e.g., 1 Corinthians 1:4-7)
                                                                                      2. Christians who receive only criticism and never affirmation can grow to resent the faith — illustration of Andre Agassi
                                                                                      3. Ephesians 4:29 — let no corrupting talk come out, only what builds up
                                                                                      4. Romans 15:1-2 — the strong are to build up their neighbors
                                                                                      5. Perseverance in the faith requires brothers and sisters who build up rather than tear down
                                                                                        6. II. The Evidence of Perseverance (vv. 4–6)

                                                                                        A. The Thessalonians' suffering under persecution is itself evidence of the righteous judgment of God (2 Thessalonians 1:5)

                                                                                        1. Their afflictions confirm them as worthy of the kingdom of God
                                                                                        2. Their endurance under persecution simultaneously marks out the persecutors as objects of God's holy wrath

                                                                                          3. B. Suffering for Christ is evidence of the Spirit's presence

                                                                                          1. Romans 5:3-5 — suffering produces endurance, endurance character, character hope, and hope does not put us to shame because the Spirit has been given to us
                                                                                          2. Though counterintuitive, gospel logic holds: suffering for Christ is not a sign of weakness but of the Spirit's power at work
                                                                                          3. Acts 5:41 — the apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name

                                                                                            4. C. Repaying evil with good is part of God's providential design

                                                                                            1. Vengeance belongs to the Lord; believers are not to take it into their own hands
                                                                                            2. In turning the other cheek, believers become instruments in God's hand of establishing the wicked for the day of judgment
                                                                                            3. The believer's hope remains that persecutors would repent and believe
                                                                                              4. III. The End of Perseverance (vv. 7–10)

                                                                                              A. The return of Christ brings relief to the afflicted and judgment on the wicked (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8)

                                                                                              B. Two categories of those who will face God's wrath on that day

                                                                                              1. Those who do not know God — referring to Gentiles without special revelation, yet accountable through conscience and general revelation (Romans 2:14-16)
                                                                                              2. Those who do not obey the gospel — those who have heard and refused; unbelief of all kinds falls under God's wrath

                                                                                                3. C. The punishment described in verse 9: eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 1:9)

                                                                                                1. Annihilationism is refuted — the destruction is eternal, not temporary or final obliteration
                                                                                                2. The horror of hell is the eternal separation from the sustaining presence and glory of God in whom all things now live and move and have their being
                                                                                                3. Even the wicked presently benefit from the light of God's common grace — hell is the permanent withdrawal of that

                                                                                                  4. D. The glory awaiting believers: they will marvel at Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:10)

                                                                                                  1. The word marvel means to be utterly astonished and amazed
                                                                                                  2. What God has prepared surpasses all imagination — 1 Corinthians 2:9
                                                                                                  3. Our finite minds now see through a glass dimly; then we will see face to face
                                                                                                    4. IV. The Energy for Perseverance (vv. 11–12)

                                                                                                    A. Paul's unceasing prayer is that God would make the Thessalonians worthy of his calling and fulfill every resolve for good by his power (2 Thessalonians 1:11)

                                                                                                    1. Worthiness is not self-generated — it is the work of God
                                                                                                    2. Every work of faith is accomplished by his power, not ours

                                                                                                      3. B. The ultimate purpose of God's preserving work is the glory of his Son (2 Thessalonians 1:12)

                                                                                                      1. God the Father will not give his glory to another — he gives it to the Son
                                                                                                      2. The glory of the Son is bound up with the preservation of all those the Father has given him
                                                                                                      3. Therefore God's people cannot finally fall away — God will not stake his Son's glory on the believer's own strength to persevere
                                                                                                      4. He glorifies his Son by empowering his saints through faith to make it to the end
                                                                                                      5. This is the great incentive: keep going, because the Father is jealous for his Son's glory and your perseverance is the means by which that glory is displayed
                                                                                                        6. 26 min
                                                                                                      6. Disciples of Christ

                                                                                                        Scripture: John 12:20-26

                                                                                                        Order of Service
                                                                                                        • Scripture Reading — John 12:20-26
                                                                                                        • Sermon
                                                                                                        • Hymn — He Leadeth Me
                                                                                                        • Benediction — 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
                                                                                                        • Gloria Patri
                                                                                                          • Sermon Title: Disciples of Christ

                                                                                                          Scripture: John 12:20-26

                                                                                                          I. The Curiosity of Discipleship (v. 20-22)

                                                                                                          A. The Greeks who came to Jerusalem were likely "God-fearers" — Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel but had not become full proselytes

                                                                                                          1. In the temple they were restricted to the Court of the Gentiles, with warning signs forbidding entry to the inner courts
                                                                                                          2. Jesus's cleansing of the Court of the Gentiles (recorded in the Synoptics following the Triumphal Entry) likely drew their curiosity — he had gone to bat for them

                                                                                                            3. B. Andrew's role: as in John 1, Andrew brings people to Jesus — here he and Philip together bring the Greeks' request to Christ

                                                                                                            C. Three common responses to the gospel

                                                                                                            1. Postmodern relativism — "All paths lead to God; I'm glad it works for you"
                                                                                                            2. Anger and mockery, sometimes leading to persecution
                                                                                                            3. Curious inquiry — "Tell me more" — often a sign of God's grace at work, opening a hardened heart

                                                                                                              4. D. Childlike curiosity is the posture of a disciple throughout the whole Christian life

                                                                                                              • Jesus says in Matthew 18:3 that unless faith is like a child's, one cannot enter the kingdom
                                                                                                              • Like Mary sitting at Christ's feet, the disciple never outgrows the posture of "tell me more"
                                                                                                                • II. The Creation of Discipleship (vv. 23-24)

                                                                                                                A. The Greeks seeking Jesus signals that the hour of Christ's glorification has come — in contrast to the Jewish authorities in v. 19 who are hostile

                                                                                                                1. The mission of the Son, as seen in Isaiah 9, was always to reach a people from every tribe, nation, and tongue — salvation exploding beyond Jerusalem to the ends of the earth
                                                                                                                2. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 — "Go and make disciples of all nations" — not merely converts, but followers

                                                                                                                  3. B. The grain of wheat illustration (v. 24): Christ's death is what creates the fruit of discipleship

                                                                                                                  1. His death produces resurrection life; from that life flows the fruit of the Spirit and the fruit of discipleship
                                                                                                                  2. God-fearing Gentiles could only become full disciples through the cross of Christ

                                                                                                                    3. C. The cross breaks down the dividing wall — Ephesians 2:13-16

                                                                                                                    1. Christ's blood brings those who were far off near to God
                                                                                                                    2. He creates one new humanity in place of two, making peace

                                                                                                                      3. D. Service to God and to one another apart from the cross becomes bitter — breeding judgmentalism or jealousy; but a cross-centered community stands on the same plane: sinners saved by grace

                                                                                                                      • Discipleship is not created by Christ as example or moral teacher, but by Christ crucified — as Paul says, he determined to know nothing but Christ and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2)
                                                                                                                        • III. The Cost of Discipleship (vv. 25-26)

                                                                                                                        A. "Whoever hates his life in this world" — the key word is world, conveying worldliness: sin, selfish desire, lust, greed, pride, envy, strife

                                                                                                                        1. To love the life of this world is self-destruction — the word loses is present tense in Greek: the one living for this world is already in the process of being destroyed
                                                                                                                        2. To hate one's life in this world leads to keeping it for eternal life — future tense: the one who dies to self will keep life eternally

                                                                                                                          3. B. Service equals following Christ (v. 26) — an equal sign between the two

                                                                                                                          1. Following Christ means cross-bearing and dying to self in every area: marriage, parenting, work, recreation, friendships, every avenue of existence
                                                                                                                          2. Dietrich Bonhoeffer: "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die"
                                                                                                                          3. Christ is a "package deal" — his justification, sanctification, and glorification cannot be separated; it is the whole Christ or none of Christ

                                                                                                                            4. C. The motivation for bearing the cost: the honors of the Father (v. 26)

                                                                                                                            1. Zephaniah 3:17 — the Lord rejoices over his people with gladness and sings over them with joy
                                                                                                                            2. Millions have willingly embraced death to self not by sheer willpower, but because their hearts have been captivated by the glories of Christ and the prospect of the Father's honor
                                                                                                                            3. The remedy for waning discipleship is not trying harder, but crying out for a fresh vision of the glories of the inheritance in Christ — joint heirs with him who is dead, risen, and glorified
                                                                                                                              4. 28 min
                                                                                                                            4. A King Revealed

                                                                                                                              Scripture: John 12:9-19

                                                                                                                              Order of Service
                                                                                                                              • Call to Worship — Psalm 117
                                                                                                                              • Hymn — From All That Dwell Below the Skies
                                                                                                                              • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                              • Apostles' Creed
                                                                                                                              • Scripture Reading — Zechariah 9:9-17
                                                                                                                              • Sacrament of Baptism — George Ransom Valma
                                                                                                                              • Offering
                                                                                                                              • Hymn — Crown Him with Many Crowns
                                                                                                                              • Sermon
                                                                                                                              • Sacrament of the Lord's Supper
                                                                                                                              • Hymn — My Jesus, I Love Thee
                                                                                                                              • Benediction
                                                                                                                                • Sermon Title: A King Revealed

                                                                                                                                Scripture: John 12:9-19

                                                                                                                                I. A Saving King

                                                                                                                                A. The crowd's cry of "Hosanna" comes from Psalm 118:25-26, part of the Hallel Psalms (Psalm 113–118), sung at Passover festivals

                                                                                                                                1. Palm branches were waved as worshippers sang "Hosanna" — meaning give salvation now
                                                                                                                                2. The Hallel Psalms oriented Israel toward both past salvation (the Exodus) and future deliverance (a new Exodus under the Messiah)

                                                                                                                                  3. B. Psalm 118 was understood in many Jewish circles as a Messianic psalm anticipating the coming king who would deliver Israel

                                                                                                                                  C. The Passover context is theologically significant

                                                                                                                                  1. After the fourth cup at the Passover meal, the final Hallel Psalms (Psalm 115–118) were sung
                                                                                                                                  2. In Matthew 26:30, Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn — almost certainly the Hallel — immediately before going to Gethsemane
                                                                                                                                  3. In Gethsemane Jesus cries, "Let this cup pass from me" — his own anguished hosanna — but submits to the Father's will

                                                                                                                                    4. D. Our cries of hosanna are answered because Christ's was not; he bore the cup of wrath so we would not have to

                                                                                                                                    1. Colossians 1:13-14 — God has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son
                                                                                                                                    2. Today is the day of salvation; the Passover Lamb has been offered for us
                                                                                                                                      3. II. A Humble King

                                                                                                                                      A. The second Old Testament reference in this passage comes from Zechariah 9:9, which the prior Scripture reading expounded — the king comes riding on a donkey, not a war horse

                                                                                                                                      B. Palm branches also carried militaristic and nationalistic symbolism

                                                                                                                                      1. Two centuries earlier, Simon Maccabeus drove Syrian forces from the Jerusalem citadel and was met with palm branches — a symbol of military glory
                                                                                                                                      2. The crowd would have associated palms with hopes for a conquering military king

                                                                                                                                        3. C. Yet Christ comes on a donkey, fulfilling multiple Old Testament threads

                                                                                                                                        1. Genesis 49:11 — Jacob's prophecy that the king from Judah would come with a donkey's colt
                                                                                                                                        2. Deuteronomy 17 — the law of the king: no many horses, many wives, or excessive wealth; a self-effacing, humble king
                                                                                                                                        3. 1 Kings 1:38 — Solomon rode David's mule at his coronation; no earthly king ever fulfilled Deuteronomy 17's standard
                                                                                                                                        4. Jesus fulfills it perfectly — no place to lay his head, no wealth, no wives

                                                                                                                                          5. D. The disciples themselves did not understand this until after Christ's glorification (John 12:16)

                                                                                                                                          1. John 14:26 — the Holy Spirit would bring all things to their remembrance
                                                                                                                                          2. With Christ's glorification comes the Spirit's clarification; understanding Christ as the humble, crucified king is spiritually discerned, not humanly grasped
                                                                                                                                          3. Early Christians were mocked for worshiping a crucified king (the Alexamenos graffito), but the foolishness of God is wiser than man

                                                                                                                                            4. E. John 18:36 — "My kingdom is not of this world"; this is an otherworldly king who fulfills the standards Yahweh set for kingship

                                                                                                                                            III. A Rejected King

                                                                                                                                            A. The chief priests plot to kill not only Jesus but also Lazarus, because his resurrection was drawing crowds to Christ

                                                                                                                                            1. The logic of wicked power: neutralize the witness and the crowds will disperse
                                                                                                                                            2. Lesson: Satan targets those who are recipients of Christ's resurrection life, not only Christ himself — if your testimony is "I was dead but God made me alive," you have a target on your back

                                                                                                                                              3. B. Much of the same crowd shouting "Hosanna" will within days cry "Crucify him"

                                                                                                                                              1. The very psalm they sang — Psalm 118:22 — declares: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone"
                                                                                                                                              2. The rejection of Christ by the builders and the crowd is tragic, yet it is the Lord's doing and marvelous in our eyes

                                                                                                                                                3. C. The rejected stone becomes either salvation or destruction

                                                                                                                                                1. For those who trust Christ, he is the Cornerstone on which living stones are built into the temple of God
                                                                                                                                                2. For those who reject him, he becomes a crushing, destructive Cornerstone
                                                                                                                                                3. "Hosanna — today is the day of salvation; kiss the Son lest he be angry" (cf. Psalm 2)

                                                                                                                                                  4. D. Application: keep lifting high the banner of the rejected and now glorified Christ; his rejection and crucifixion is our victory over the world

                                                                                                                                                  27 min
                                                                                                                                                4. The Day of the Lord

                                                                                                                                                  Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

                                                                                                                                                  Order of Service
                                                                                                                                                  • Prelude
                                                                                                                                                  • Call to Worship — Hebrews 12:22-29
                                                                                                                                                  • Hymn — All Glory, Laud and Honor (#325)
                                                                                                                                                  • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                                  • Confession of Sin
                                                                                                                                                  • Assurance of Pardon — Ezekiel 36:25-26
                                                                                                                                                  • Hymn of the Month — Jesus, Lover of My Soul (#450)
                                                                                                                                                  • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                                  • Sermon
                                                                                                                                                  • Prayer
                                                                                                                                                  • Hymn — Who Trusts in God, a Strong Abode (#475)
                                                                                                                                                  • Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
                                                                                                                                                    • Sermon Title: The Day of the Lord

                                                                                                                                                    Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

                                                                                                                                                    I. The Suddenness of the Day

                                                                                                                                                    A. Paul continues the subject begun in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, now approaching the same event from the angle of its timing

                                                                                                                                                    1. "Now concerning the times and the seasons" — the Thessalonians already know what Paul would say
                                                                                                                                                    2. The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, language drawn directly from Christ in Matthew 24:42-44
                                                                                                                                                    3. Matthew 24:36 — no one knows the day or the hour, not the angels, not the Son, but the Father only

                                                                                                                                                      4. B. Background: the two-phase pattern of biblical prophecy

                                                                                                                                                      1. Prophetic promises have a penultimate (next-to-last) fulfillment that anticipates an ultimate eschatological fulfillment
                                                                                                                                                      2. Example: Israel's return from Babylon under Cyrus fulfilled Jeremiah's 70-year prophecy (Jeremiah 25), yet Daniel received a further 70 weeks pointing to the ultimate restoration
                                                                                                                                                      3. Example: The rebuilt temple under Ezra and Nehemiah anticipated the fuller temple vision of Ezekiel 40-48
                                                                                                                                                      4. The Day of the Lord follows the same pattern: a penultimate fulfillment in Christ's first coming (John 12:31; John 3:18), and an ultimate fulfillment at his second coming

                                                                                                                                                        5. C. The character of the day's arrival

                                                                                                                                                        1. Sudden destruction comes upon the unready "as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman" — unexpected even when the general season is known
                                                                                                                                                        2. "They will not escape" — the day is inevitable and universal in its reach
                                                                                                                                                        3. Like the days before the flood, the world will be at ease, saying "peace and security," and then the end comes
                                                                                                                                                          4. II. Readiness for the Day

                                                                                                                                                          A. The children of light are not caught off guard (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5)

                                                                                                                                                          1. The Thessalonians' status in Christ does not hang in the balance — they are already assured children of light
                                                                                                                                                          2. Readiness is compared to a child who has his uniform and cleats on, ready to go the moment his parent arrives

                                                                                                                                                            3. B. The uniform of the Christian soldier — 1 Thessalonians 5:8; cf. Ephesians 6

                                                                                                                                                            1. Passive agency — the breastplate of faith: resting in, leaning on, and receiving Christ; clothed in his righteousness, cleansed by his blood
                                                                                                                                                            2. Active agency — the breastplate of love (agape): self-denying service, spending and being spent for Christ and his people, especially the church (Galatians 6:10)

                                                                                                                                                              3. C. The helmet of the hope of salvation

                                                                                                                                                              1. Hope flows from faith and love working together
                                                                                                                                                              2. Resting in Christ without serving produces contentment with this life and dampens hope for the day
                                                                                                                                                              3. Serving without resting in Christ exhausts the soul and likewise dampens hope
                                                                                                                                                              4. Agape love inevitably brings pain — heartache, confession, forgiveness — and causes the believer to long for the day when indwelling sin is vanquished and love is made perfect (cf. Romans 7)
                                                                                                                                                                5. III. Joyfulness in the Day

                                                                                                                                                                A. Assured status produces joyful anticipation, not dread

                                                                                                                                                                1. Paul's "but you" language in verse 4 mirrors the great "but God" assurance language of Scripture
                                                                                                                                                                2. Those assured of their standing in Christ do not wait in fear to discover which side of the judgment they are on
                                                                                                                                                                3. The Reformers and the confessions affirm that assurance, while not of the essence of faith, is to be earnestly sought — cf. 2 Peter 1:10: "make your calling and election sure"
                                                                                                                                                                4. Even weak, doubting faith — mustard-seed faith clinging to Christ — is saving faith, because salvation rests on the power of God in Christ, not the size of faith

                                                                                                                                                                  5. B. The day is a day of addition for God's people, not subtraction

                                                                                                                                                                  1. For the wicked, the day removes everything they have trusted in — a day of subtraction
                                                                                                                                                                  2. For the children of light, the day brings the fullness of what was purchased at the cross — a day of addition
                                                                                                                                                                  3. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10: "God has not destined us for wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him"

                                                                                                                                                                    4. C. Chapters 4 and 5 speak of the same eschatological event from two angles

                                                                                                                                                                    1. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 — the perspective of believers who have died: they will not be left behind but caught up together with the living
                                                                                                                                                                    2. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 — the perspective of the timing of that same day
                                                                                                                                                                    3. Both sections close with the same exhortation: "encourage one another and build one another up"
                                                                                                                                                                    4. On that day the glory of God will be its light and the Lamb will be its lamp — Maranatha, come quickly, Lord Jesus
                                                                                                                                                                      5. 27 min
                                                                                                                                                                    5. August 25, 2024; Sunday Evening Worship

                                                                                                                                                                      Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13

                                                                                                                                                                      Order of Service
                                                                                                                                                                      • Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:54-57
                                                                                                                                                                      • Call to Worship — 1 Peter 2:4-5
                                                                                                                                                                      • Hymn — Come, Christians, Join to Sing (#379)
                                                                                                                                                                      • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                                                      • Heidelberg Catechism — Question and Answer 1
                                                                                                                                                                      • Hymn of the Month — Sing Aloud to God Our Praise (#881a)
                                                                                                                                                                      • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                                                      • Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
                                                                                                                                                                      • Sermon
                                                                                                                                                                      • Hymn — I Know Whom I Have Believed (#517)
                                                                                                                                                                      • Benediction
                                                                                                                                                                        • Sermon Title: Hope and Comfort for the Believer in the Face of Death

                                                                                                                                                                        Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

                                                                                                                                                                        I. Hope in Death Comes from the Doctrine of Christ's First Coming

                                                                                                                                                                        A. Paul addresses the Thessalonians' uninformed grief over believers who have died

                                                                                                                                                                        1. Their concern: will Christians who die before Christ's return miss out on the resurrection?
                                                                                                                                                                        2. Paul's correction: they should not grieve as those without hope — grief itself is not forbidden, but hopeless grief is

                                                                                                                                                                          3. B. Pagan epitaphs reveal the hopelessness of death apart from Christ

                                                                                                                                                                          1. "I was not, I was, I am not, I care not"
                                                                                                                                                                          2. "We are nothing" — apart from the resurrection, human dignity dissolves
                                                                                                                                                                          3. Christianity restores human dignity: mankind is the image of God, the crown of creation (Psalm 8)

                                                                                                                                                                            4. C. Hope is bound not in vague spiritualism but in the concrete historical reality of Christ's death and resurrection

                                                                                                                                                                            1. 1 Corinthians 15:14-19 — if Christ has not been raised, faith is futile and the dead have perished
                                                                                                                                                                            2. Christ's individual resurrection inaugurates the new age in which the dead are raised
                                                                                                                                                                            3. As Christ goes, so go those united to him by faith — his death and resurrection are theirs corporately

                                                                                                                                                                              4. D. The bodies of believers in the grave are spoken of as asleep, not dead, because Christ has fully borne the curse

                                                                                                                                                                              1. Christ truly died, tasting the fullness of the curse (Genesis 2:17)
                                                                                                                                                                              2. The bodies of believers remain united to the resurrected Christ even in the grave
                                                                                                                                                                              3. Westminster Larger Catechism, Answer 86: the bodies of believers "rest in their graves as in their beds, till at the last day they again are united to their souls"
                                                                                                                                                                              4. Funerals are prime time to preach the gospel — our only comfort is belonging body and soul to Christ
                                                                                                                                                                                5. II. Hope in Death Comes from the Doctrine of Christ's Second Coming

                                                                                                                                                                                A. Paul introduces his teaching with apostolic authority: "by a word from the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:15)

                                                                                                                                                                                1. This likely refers to an agraphon — a saying of Jesus not recorded in the Gospels
                                                                                                                                                                                2. It is a reminder of prior teaching, not a new revelation

                                                                                                                                                                                  3. B. The dead in Christ will not be left behind or disadvantaged at the return of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:15)

                                                                                                                                                                                  C. Christ's descent will be loud and cosmic — not a secret rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

                                                                                                                                                                                  1. The Lord's cry of command — as Christ called Lazarus from the tomb, he will cry out on a cosmic scale
                                                                                                                                                                                  2. The voice of an archangel
                                                                                                                                                                                  3. The sound of the trumpet of God
                                                                                                                                                                                  4. These elements together depict the final judgment throughout Scripture
                                                                                                                                                                                  5. 1 Corinthians 15:50-52 — at the last trumpet the dead will be raised imperishable
                                                                                                                                                                                  6. John 5:28-29 — all in the tombs will hear his voice and come out

                                                                                                                                                                                    7. D. Believers alive at Christ's coming will be caught up together with the raised dead to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

                                                                                                                                                                                    1. The Greek word for "meet" (apantēsis) was a technical term for citizens going out to escort a dignitary into their city
                                                                                                                                                                                    2. Used of Paul's arrival in Rome (Acts 28:15)
                                                                                                                                                                                    3. Used in the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) — the virgins go out to meet the bridegroom and follow him back
                                                                                                                                                                                    4. The picture: believers escort Christ in the remainder of his descent to Earth for final judgment and the inauguration of the new heavens and new earth

                                                                                                                                                                                      5. E. Paul's pastoral purpose is not to fuel prophetic speculation but to quell fear

                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Believers who have died and believers who are alive will be reunited with one another
                                                                                                                                                                                      2. The greatest family reunion in history — every believer from Adam to the last saint, united with all the giants of the faith (Hebrews 11)
                                                                                                                                                                                        3. III. Hope in Death Comes from the Doctrine of Christ's Permanent Presence

                                                                                                                                                                                        A. The capstone of hope: "we will always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Reunion with loved ones is sweet, but the crescendo of hope is being with Christ forever
                                                                                                                                                                                        2. The accent is on physical presence — full bodily union and communion with the glorified Christ

                                                                                                                                                                                          3. B. The intermediate state is real and glorious, but still incomplete

                                                                                                                                                                                          1. The souls of believers who die immediately go to be with the Lord — made perfect in holiness, beholding his face
                                                                                                                                                                                          2. Yet their full union with Christ awaits the resurrection of the body
                                                                                                                                                                                          3. Analogy: like a child already on vacation in the car, joyful but not yet at the destination — the dead in Christ are already rejoicing, but the fullness of the resurrection has not yet arrived

                                                                                                                                                                                            4. C. Living believers now are like workers marking the calendar for vacation — laboring as disciples in the sure and steadfast hope of Christ who has come, died, risen, and will come again

                                                                                                                                                                                            D. Christians have every reason to face their own deaths and the deaths of loved ones with courage

                                                                                                                                                                                            1. We will become like the firstfruits of the resurrection harvest — Jesus Christ himself
                                                                                                                                                                                            2. 1 Corinthians 15 — our present suffering is momentary compared to the eternal weight of resurrection glory
                                                                                                                                                                                              3. 28 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.