Northpointe PCA Sermons

Northpointe PCA Sermons

By Northpointe Presbyterian ChurchReligion & SpiritualityChristianity
Download on the App Store

Northpointe PCA Sermons episodes

  • The Fullness of Time: Christmas According to the Epistles

    Scripture: Colossians 1:15-20

    Order of Service
    • Call to Worship — Isaiah 9:2-7
    • Hymn — Angels from the Realms of Glory
    • Prayer of Invocation
    • Confession of Faith — Colossians 1:15-20
    • Scripture Reading — Isaiah 7:10-17
    • Hymn — Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
    • Pastoral Prayer
    • Offering
    • Hymn — O Come, All Ye Faithful
    • Sermon
    • Hymn — Good Christian Men, Rejoice
    • Benediction
    • Doxology
      • Sermon Title: The Fullness of Time: Christmas According to the Epistles

      Scripture: Colossians 1:15-20

      I. The Image of God in Original and New Creation

      A. In original creation, Christ is "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation" (Colossians 1:15)

      1. "Firstborn" does not mean Christ was literally born, but signals his preeminence and authority
      2. Psalm 89:27 uses "firstborn" to denote the highest kingly authority, not natural birth
      3. The doctrine of the eternal generation of the Son: the Son has no beginning but is eternally begotten of the Father

        4. B. In new creation, Christ is the firstborn from the dead, in whom all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell (Colossians 1:18-19)

        1. The word "for" in verse 19 is explanatory: Christ is preeminent because the fullness of God dwells in him
        2. Before Adam was created in the image of God, the perfect, eternal image of God already existed in the Son
        3. Sin (Hebrew: "missing the mark") means failing to conform to that eternal image; the Son incarnate shows us how it is done
        4. All things were created not only through him but for him — he is creation's goal and climax (Colossians 1:16)
          5. II. The Beginning of Original and New Creation

          A. In original creation, Christ is before all things and in him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17)

          1. The language echoes Genesis 1:1 — "In the beginning" points to Christ as creator of the original order

            2. B. In new creation, Christ is the head and beginning as the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18)

            1. 1 Corinthians 15 calls Christ the first fruits of the resurrection harvest — when he rises, new creation dawns
            2. Illustration: Noah's dove returning with an olive leaf (Genesis 8:11) — when we see Christ raised as first fruits, the flood waters of God's wrath have subsided
            3. Paul's language in verse 19 ("pleased to dwell") echoes Psalm 68:16 (LXX): God was well pleased to dwell in Zion; the Incarnate Son is now the true Mount Zion
            4. Therefore Hebrews 12 can say believers "have come to Mount Zion" — they have come to the Incarnate Son
            5. "Head" carries a double meaning: authority over the church, and source/headwaters of life — as in John 7, rivers of living water flow from Christ to the ends of the earth
              6. III. The Sovereign over Original and New Creation

              A. The word "all" saturates every verse of the passage, emphasizing Christ's total lordship

              1. Firstborn of all creation; all things created through and for him; all things hold together in him; in everything preeminent; all the fullness dwells in him; reconcile all things (Colossians 1:15-20)
              2. His sovereignty extends over the visible and invisible — thrones, dominions, rulers, authorities, both earthly and heavenly realms

                3. B. The hymn's 21 lines are structured symmetrically: 10 lines on Christ as sovereign over original creation, 10 on new creation, with verse 17 as the pivotal segue

                1. Verse 17 is in the Greek perfect tense: the Son held all things together at original creation and continues to hold them together — sovereignly sustaining fallen creation until the fullness of time
                2. Illustration: Just as a coach holds the game together through three quarters to deliver the final victory blow, the Son holds all things in Fallen creation together to bring it to its appointed climax
                3. The fall, the flood, David's sin, Solomon's idolatry, Israel's exile — none of these is the end of the story, because the Son sovereignly holds all things together toward the cross and empty tomb
                4. At the cross, Christ disarms and puts to open shame all rulers and authorities, vindicating his sovereign lordship over all creation
                5. Christ continues to hold all things together now, until he comes again — echoing Abraham Kuyper: "There is not a square inch in the whole of creation over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, 'Mine!'"

                  6. C. Pastoral application: We now see through a glass dimly (1 Corinthians 13), but this is a comfort, not a rebuke — we are not expected to see it all clearly now; we will fully know when he comes again

                  29 min
                6. December 10, 2023; Sunday Evening Worship

                  Scripture: Ecclesiastes 6

                  Order of Service
                  • Hymn — Hallelujah, Praise the Lord (#10)
                  • Call to Worship — Psalm 150
                  • Prayer of Invocation
                  • Psalm Reading — Psalm 23
                  • Hymn — The Lord Is My Shepherd (#87)
                  • Pastoral Prayer
                  • Scripture Reading — Ecclesiastes 6
                  • Prayer of Illumination
                  • Sermon
                  • Hymn — It Is Well with My Soul (#691)
                  • Benediction — 1 Peter 5:10
                    • Sermon Title: Harsh Realities Under the Sun

                    Scripture: Ecclesiastes 6

                    I. The Harsh Realities Invite Our Honesty

                    A. The "under the sun" perspective frames the entire chapter

                    1. Ecclesiastes 6:1 opens with "there is an evil that I have seen under the sun" and 6:12 closes with the same phrase, forming a bracket around the passage
                    2. This perspective encompasses all of human life lived in a fallen world — toil, broken relationships, insatiable striving

                      3. B. We must be honest about the problem of mankind

                      1. Ecclesiastes 6:7 — all the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied
                      2. At the Fall, man's desire went beyond his reach; the heart of man is never fully satisfied with what it is given
                      3. The tenth commandment — "do not covet" — strikes at the root of this heart problem; the answer to "how much is enough?" is always "just a little more"

                        4. C. We must be honest about the Providence of God

                        1. The preacher is no atheist — God is the giver of life, wealth, honor, and possessions, and also of the power (or lack thereof) to enjoy them
                        2. Ecclesiastes 6:10 — "whatever has come to be has already been named," i.e., what God decrees comes to pass
                        3. Scripture holds human culpability and divine sovereignty in tension — as in Genesis 50, where Joseph tells his brothers, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good"
                        4. From our under-the-sun perspective, this does not always make easy sense; honest questions arise that the passage does not fully answer
                          5. II. The Harsh Realities Ought to Humble Us

                          A. We must be humbled by recognizing our limitations

                          1. We do not possess the power in ourselves to find satisfaction in God's good gifts — this power is given or withheld by God
                          2. Ecclesiastes 2:10 — even when pleasure is found in toil, that pleasure is the whole reward; our vision is shortsighted
                          3. The Fall has muddled our thoughts, wills, and affections — we must learn to be skeptical of our own desires and appetites rather than trusting them
                          4. Application: do not simply "follow your heart" or "be true to yourself"; let Scripture train you to recognize your limitations and rest in a good heavenly Father

                            5. B. We must be humbled by quieting our litigations — the indictments we hurl at God

                            1. Ecclesiastes 6:10–11 — man is not able to dispute with one stronger than him; more words bring more vanity
                            2. Compare Isaiah 45:9 — "Woe to him who strives with him who formed him… does the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?'"
                            3. There is a difference between honest lament offered in faith (as modeled in the Psalms and even by Christ) and an accusing, fist-clenching complaint against God
                            4. The key distinction: do your questions draw you toward God, or drive you away from him?

                              5. C. The chapter closes with two unanswered questions that set up the rest of Ecclesiastes

                              1. Ecclesiastes 6:12 — "Who knows what is good for man while he lives?" and "Who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?"
                              2. These questions are born of honest humility; they are not addressed to God but reflect man's inability under the sun to solve the riddle of life
                              3. The full, satisfying answer is withheld until Ecclesiastes 12; God alone knows what is truly good and what has lasting significance

                                4. D. The chapter ultimately drives us to Christ

                                1. It brings us to the end of ourselves so that we might be drawn to the one who is stronger than us
                                2. Christ has himself tasted the vanity and misery of life under the sun, bearing it on our behalf
                                3. In Christ alone is found full satisfaction and perfect joy — the answer to every question the chapter raises
                                  4. 34 min
                                4. December 3, 2023; Sunday Evening Worship

                                  Scripture: Ecclesiastes 5:8-20

                                  Order of Service
                                  • Call to Worship — Psalm 117
                                  • Hymn — From All That Dwell Below the Skies (#7)
                                  • Ministry Presentation — Daniel Cobbert (RUF at Mississippi College)
                                  • Pastoral Prayer
                                  • Scripture Reading — Ecclesiastes 5:8-20
                                  • Prayer of Illumination
                                  • Sermon
                                  • Hymn — Take My Life and Let It Be (#585)
                                  • Benediction
                                    • Sermon Title: The Miserable Pursuit and the Joyful Gift

                                    Scripture: Ecclesiastes 5:8-20

                                    I. The Miserable Pursuit of Justice (vv. 8–9)

                                    A. Corruption and injustice reach all the way to the top — even to the king

                                    1. A better translation of v. 9 reflects the negative tone continuing from v. 8: "the profit of a land is taken by all officials; a king is served by cultivated lands"
                                    2. Solomon says: don't be amazed — greed and injustice characterize fallen rulers at every level

                                      3. B. This is the general condition of mankind, as Paul echoes in Romans 3:10 (quoting Psalm 14 and Psalm 53) — none is righteous, not even one

                                      C. Practical application: do your civic duty, vote, contact representatives — but do so according to reality, not illusion

                                      1. Paul appealed to his Roman citizenship; Israel was told to seek the welfare of Babylon
                                      2. Do not let your anger over injustice become consuming; Ecclesiastes frees us from illusory expectations

                                        3. D. The comfort of the Gospel: the government rests on Christ's shoulders; righteousness will one day rule — our eyes are lifted above the kingdoms of this world to the kingdom of God won in Christ

                                        II. The Miserable Pursuit of Riches (vv. 10–17)

                                        A. Loving money brings no satisfaction (v. 10) — the more wealth increases, the more others consume it (v. 11)

                                        1. The lottery winner illustration: sudden wealth attracts people who only want a share; popularity fades
                                        2. This is not a comparison between two laborers but between one who loves money and one who labors

                                          3. B. The rich man cannot sleep; the laborer sleeps soundly (v. 12)

                                          1. Satisfaction comes from eating in proportion to one's labor, not from excess
                                          2. Restlessness echoes Augustine: "our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God"

                                            3. C. Riches squandered leave nothing for the next generation (vv. 13–14)

                                            1. The "curse of the lottery winner" — countless stories of those who win fortunes and die penniless
                                            2. Citizen Kane: Charles Foster Kane's dying word "Rosebud" — the sled of his boyhood innocence — illustrates that all the riches in the world cannot satisfy

                                              3. D. Mark 10:23-25 — Jesus says it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God

                                              1. Jesus addresses his disciples as children in the context of riches — pointing to helpless dependence on God
                                              2. Life begins and ends in complete dependence; riches create the illusion of independence and self-sufficiency

                                                3. E. Riches pursued as an end are toiling after wind (v. 16-17) — days filled with darkness, vexation, sickness, and anger

                                                III. The Joyful Gift of Work (vv. 18–20)

                                                A. The key word throughout vv. 18–20 is toil — Solomon calls it a gift (v. 19)

                                                1. The Hebrew word for toil also carries the sense of suffering — one who toils for money knows only the suffering of toil; one who sees toil as God's gift finds joy in it
                                                2. Contrast with Ecclesiastes 1:3 — "what does man gain by all his toil?" — here the perspective shifts from gain to gift

                                                  3. B. Work itself is a creation gift from God — Genesis 2:15: God placed Adam in the garden to work it and keep it

                                                  1. The fall makes work toilsome (thorns and thistles), but does not remove it as gift
                                                  2. Cain and Abel (immediately after the fall): Abel brings the firstborn and fat portions — giving back to God the rightful owner; Cain withholds the best, treating his labor as his own possession

                                                    3. C. The elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son (cf. Luke 15:29-31) — "I've served you and never disobeyed"; the father replies: "all that is mine is yours" — nothing is earned; everything is on loan from God

                                                    D. The secret to contentment in any station of life: seeing all things as gift rather than gain

                                                    1. John Owen buried ten children yet wrote extensively of the joy of knowing the Triune God — preoccupied with God, not with loss
                                                    2. Philippians 1:29 — it has been granted (given generously) to believe and to suffer for Christ's sake — even suffering is gift, conforming us to Christ

                                                      3. E. Verse 20 — "God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart"

                                                      1. The man-centered life is preoccupied with gain; its days are filled with misery
                                                      2. The godly person's mind is so enraptured with God the great Gift Giver that there is no room to dwell on miseries — the mouth is open wide in praise

                                                        3. F. Closing call: Are you preoccupied with worldly gain, or with the joyful gift — even the inexpressible gift of God's own Son? (2 Corinthians 9:15)

                                                        32 min
                                                      3. Spiritual Paralysis

                                                        Scripture: John 5:1-18

                                                        Order of Service
                                                        • Call to Worship — Psalm 145:1-2, 9, 21
                                                        • Hymn — All Creatures of Our God and King
                                                        • Prayer of Invocation
                                                        • Confession of Faith — 1 Timothy 3:16
                                                        • Scripture Reading — Jonah 4
                                                        • Hymn — Amazing Grace
                                                        • Pastoral Prayer
                                                        • Offering
                                                        • Prayer of Dedication
                                                        • Hymn — Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
                                                        • Sermon
                                                        • Hymn — I Surrender All
                                                        • Benediction
                                                          • Sermon Title: Spiritual Paralysis

                                                          Scripture: John 5:1-18

                                                          I. The Sin of Man — The Source of Spiritual Paralysis

                                                          A. Jesus deliberately seeks out this particular man among all the invalids at the pool of Bethesda

                                                          1. The man had been paralyzed for 38 years — a detail John includes intentionally to highlight the magnitude of divine power at work
                                                          2. This mirrors John 11, where Jesus waits four days before raising Lazarus to demonstrate his divine power
                                                          3. The healing fulfills Messianic expectation: Isaiah 35:6 — the lame will leap when the Messianic age dawns

                                                            4. B. Jesus's words in John 5:14 — "Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you" — indicate the man's condition resulted from his sinful lifestyle

                                                            1. The Greek construction suggests an ongoing sinful way of life, not necessarily one specific act
                                                            2. Not all suffering is the direct result of particular sin — Job and John 9 (the man born blind) make this clear
                                                            3. Yet Scripture also shows suffering can result directly from sin: 2 Samuel 12 (David and Bathsheba), Acts 5 (Ananias and Sapphira), 1 Corinthians 11 (unworthy partaking of the Lord's Supper)

                                                              4. C. The man's failure to reflect on his sin leaves him spiritually blind even after physical healing

                                                              1. Like an alcoholic who doubles down on drinking after an accident caused by his drinking, this man does not contemplate the cause of his condition
                                                              2. Proverbs teaches that sin has real and consequential effects — physically, relationally, and spiritually
                                                              3. Unless we recognize the cancer within, we cannot be open to the remedy — and we will miss Christ altogether
                                                                4. II. The Fear of Man — The Sustaining Force of Spiritual Paralysis

                                                                A. Jesus seeks the man out a second time in the temple (John 5:14), yet the man immediately reports Jesus to the Jewish authorities

                                                                1. His response is Judas-like — he betrays his benefactor to hostile religious leaders
                                                                2. He fears the Jewish authorities more than he fears God, who stands before him calling him to repentance

                                                                  3. B. The man has technically broken the Sabbath according to man-made rules codified in the Mishnah

                                                                  1. One of 39 definitions of prohibited Sabbath labor was moving an object from one domain to another
                                                                  2. This offense could carry the penalty of death or severe communal shame

                                                                    3. C. The fear of man in this passage is not secular but religious — the man is in the temple, worshiping

                                                                    1. Fear of man is not always overt cowardice before secular culture; it often appears in religious forms
                                                                    2. The extra-biblical Sabbath laws were originally enacted to resist Greco-Roman cultural influence — but what began as resistance to secularization became its own system of man-made rules
                                                                    3. Martin Luther's experience illustrates the danger: counter-culturalism rooted in the fear of God is biblical and humble; counter-culturalism rooted in fear of culture produces its own idols and misses Christ
                                                                    4. A fear-of-God counter-culturalism is Christ-centered and self-effacing; a fear-of-man counter-culturalism is self-exalting and hobby-horse-driven
                                                                    5. On the last day we will answer to God alone, not to the religious or cultural gatekeepers of our era
                                                                      6. III. The Pride of Man — The Solidifying Force of Spiritual Paralysis

                                                                      A. Just as Adam's pride in Genesis 3 solidified the fall when God gave him opportunity to repent, the Jewish leaders' pride solidifies their hardness against Jesus

                                                                      1. God gave Adam the opportunity to confess; instead Adam blamed the woman — pride entrenched the fall
                                                                      2. The Jewish leaders similarly cannot pause to marvel that a man paralyzed for 38 years is walking; their focus is entirely on their violated rule

                                                                        3. B. The leaders are not struggling with an intellectual or doctrinal problem about Christ's equality with God

                                                                        1. They are not even open to the possibility that he might be equal with God — their pride forecloses inquiry
                                                                        2. Jesus says elsewhere: if you will not believe my words, believe the works — because these are works only God can do (John 10:38)
                                                                        3. Their man-made rules have made them incapable of being surprised by God

                                                                          4. C. Spiritual health requires a teachable spirit — openness to correction and to being surprised by God

                                                                          1. Abraham in Genesis 15 had to be corrected about his expectation of a son; in that correction God surprised him — "So shall your offspring be" — and Abraham believed and it was counted to him as righteousness
                                                                          2. If we are not open to correction, God becomes merely a larger version of ourselves — bland and predictable
                                                                          3. The Triune God who has life in himself and became man to reveal himself is worthy of endless wonder

                                                                            4. D. Conclusion: Spiritual wholeness comes through three things

                                                                            1. Recognition of the cancer within — honest acknowledgment of personal sin
                                                                            2. Fear of God rather than fear of man
                                                                            3. A teachable spirit open to correction and to the surprising works of God in and through Jesus Christ
                                                                              4. 29 min
                                                                            4. November 19, 2023; Sunday Morning Worship
                                                                              Order of Service
                                                                              • Hymn — Come, Christians, Join to Sing
                                                                              • Call to Worship — Psalm 95:1-7
                                                                              • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                              • Confession of Sin — based on Psalm 38
                                                                              • Assurance of Pardon
                                                                              • Scripture Reading — Jonah 3
                                                                              • Hymn — O Thou That Hearest When Sinners Cry
                                                                              • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                              • Offering
                                                                              • Hymn — My Faith Looks Up to Thee
                                                                              • Sermon
                                                                              • Closing Prayer
                                                                              • Hymn — Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners
                                                                              • Benediction — Hebrews 13:20-21
                                                                                • Sermon Title: The Path to Saving Faith

                                                                                Scripture: John 4:43-54

                                                                                I. The Path to Saving Faith Involves a Jealous Provocation

                                                                                A. The contrast between the Galileans and the Samaritans establishes the theme

                                                                                1. In John 1:11-12, John's prologue states that Jesus came to his own and his own did not receive him — this is played out in chapter 4
                                                                                2. The Samaritans, without any miracles, spend two days with Jesus and conclude in John 4:42 that he is "the Savior of the world"
                                                                                3. The Galileans, by contrast, only welcome Jesus as a miracle worker, not as Messiah

                                                                                  4. B. John's purpose mirrors Paul's apostolic strategy in Romans 11:13-14

                                                                                  1. Paul magnifies his ministry to the Gentiles in order to make his fellow Jews jealous and thus save some
                                                                                  2. John similarly presents the blessings of Messiah poured out on the hated Samaritans to provoke the Jewish remnant to embrace Jesus as Christ

                                                                                    3. C. Godly jealousy stirs believers toward repentance and renewed faith

                                                                                    1. A good jealousy causes us to turn from complacency and return to our first love, as Jesus urges the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2
                                                                                    2. A bad jealousy seeks to tear down the godly rather than emulate them — this is the jealousy of the scribes and Pharisees
                                                                                    3. Living in community with other believers is a key means by which God stirs cold or lukewarm faith back to life
                                                                                      4. II. The Path to Saving Faith Involves a Condescending Love

                                                                                      A. The official approaches Jesus as a miracle worker, not yet as Messiah and Savior

                                                                                      1. Jesus cuts to the heart of the man's faith in John 4:48: "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe"
                                                                                      2. Yet the man persists in desperation, and Jesus does not turn him away

                                                                                        3. B. Christ condescends to the weak even when he cannot commend their faith as strong

                                                                                        1. In Matthew 8, Jesus commends the strong faith of the Centurion who says "just say the word"
                                                                                        2. In Matthew 9, Jesus goes with the weak ruler without commending his faith, yet still heals his daughter
                                                                                        3. Westminster divine William Bridge: "Christ forestalls the strong and he follows the weak... strong faith shall be more commended, but weak faith shall be much encouraged by the condescending love of Christ"

                                                                                          4. C. Faith is not bolstered by contemplating our own faith but by contemplating Christ's condescending love

                                                                                          1. The Incarnation is itself the supreme act of condescension — Christ coming down from the top of the hill to walk at our pace
                                                                                          2. It is Christ who lifts us by his strength, not ours
                                                                                            3. III. The Path to Saving Faith Involves a Personal Fulfillment

                                                                                            A. The official's second belief is a deeper, personal faith

                                                                                            1. His servants report the boy's recovery; he asks the hour — it was the seventh hour (1 p.m.), the precise moment Jesus said "your son will live"
                                                                                            2. John's use of "he himself believed" contrasts this with his earlier, more surface-level belief, and he and all his household believed

                                                                                              3. B. This mirrors the two-stage belief of the Samaritans in John 4:39-42

                                                                                              1. The Samaritans first believed the woman's testimony
                                                                                              2. After a personal encounter with Christ they say, "We have heard for ourselves and know that this is indeed the Savior of the world"

                                                                                                3. C. What produces saving faith is a personal encounter with Christ's supernatural fulfillment of his promises

                                                                                                1. The official encounters not secondary means (medicine) but the immediate, miraculous, ex nihilo power of Christ restoring his son by the word alone
                                                                                                2. As Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 15, if Christ has not been raised, he is a liar — the supernatural is non-negotiable to saving faith
                                                                                                3. C.S. Lewis: Jesus is either Lord, lunatic, or liar — he has not left open the option of being merely a great moral teacher
                                                                                                4. Saving faith is not merely acknowledging the supernatural in general but personally owning Christ — falling down as Thomas did and saying "My Lord and my God," and as Paul did in calling it "my gospel"

                                                                                                  5. D. Summary: the path to mature saving faith involves

                                                                                                  1. Living the Christian life in community with the saints (jealous provocation)
                                                                                                  2. Contemplating and receiving the condescending love of Christ who meets us in our weakness
                                                                                                  3. Personally encountering the promises of Christ fulfilled for you and for me
                                                                                                    4. 29 min
                                                                                                  4. Northpointe 30th Anniversary Celebration
                                                                                                    Order of Service
                                                                                                    • Song — Surely It Is God Who Saves Me (based on Isaiah 12)
                                                                                                    • Call to Worship — Psalm 100
                                                                                                    • Hymn — All People That on Earth Do Dwell
                                                                                                    • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                    • Confession of Faith — Apostles' Creed
                                                                                                    • Scripture Reading — Psalm 36
                                                                                                    • Hymn — Great Is Thy Faithfulness
                                                                                                    • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                    • Hymn — Holy Spirit Living Breath of God
                                                                                                    • Offertory Prayer
                                                                                                    • Hymn — Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken
                                                                                                    • Sermon
                                                                                                    • Prayer of Benediction
                                                                                                    • Hymn — The Church's One Foundation
                                                                                                    • Benediction
                                                                                                      • Sermon Title: The Longlasting Church Across Generations

                                                                                                      Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:14-16

                                                                                                      I. The Church as an Assembly of People

                                                                                                      A. The Greek word ekklesia ("called out ones") defines the church as people, not a building

                                                                                                      • Paul tells Timothy the Next Generation church is not primarily about buildings but about God's assembled people
                                                                                                      • 1 Timothy 3:14-15 — "the household of God" is the church, the called-out ones united to Christ

                                                                                                        • B. True humanity restored in the church

                                                                                                        1. The world trends toward artificial and fake humanity — avatars, AI, robots replacing human touch
                                                                                                        2. The church is to be a safe haven of true humanity restored in and through the man Jesus Christ
                                                                                                        3. John 15:13 — "No greater love has anyone than this, that one lay down his life for his friends"

                                                                                                          4. C. The cross is the instrument of true humanity's restoration

                                                                                                          1. The most inhumane act in history — the cross — is also where true humanity par excellence is displayed
                                                                                                          2. The church becomes a safe haven as it follows Christ in picking up the cross and laying down life for one another
                                                                                                            3. II. The Church as a Foundation of Truth

                                                                                                            A. 1 Timothy 3:15 — the church is "a pillar and buttress of truth"

                                                                                                            1. John Calvin: the church is called the pillar of truth because the office of administering doctrine, which God has placed in her hands, is the only instrument of preserving the truth
                                                                                                            2. Ultimate truth is not found in the university, Capitol Hill, AI, or social media — it is found in the Church of Jesus Christ

                                                                                                              3. B. The church is a pillar of eternal, not temporal, truth

                                                                                                              1. The truths of the world are like vapor — bound up in fads, cultural moments, and changing headlines
                                                                                                              2. People are driven to and fro by every wave and wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14)
                                                                                                              3. The church offers immovable, unshakable, eternal truth that causes time to stop

                                                                                                                4. C. The church is called to preach the Word

                                                                                                                1. 2 Timothy 4:2 — "Preach the word, in season and out of season"
                                                                                                                2. The church is a pillar and buttress of eternal truths drawn from the Eternal Word, pointing to the Eternal Son, speaking of eternal life in him alone
                                                                                                                3. North Point has lasted 30 years by being about the people of God and remaining a pillar and buttress of eternal truth
                                                                                                                  4. III. The Church as a Body of Confessors

                                                                                                                  A. 1 Timothy 3:16 — Paul passes on an early creedal confession concerning "the mystery of godliness"

                                                                                                                  1. Most commentators believe this is an ancient creed circulating in the early apostolic church
                                                                                                                  2. It has a parallelistic structure mirroring Hebrew poetry, built on three sets of opposites

                                                                                                                    3. B. The three sets of opposites in the confession

                                                                                                                    1. Flesh and Spirit — manifested in the flesh (Incarnation, taking on the miseries of fallen mankind); vindicated by the Spirit (resurrection and ascension by supernatural power over sin and death)
                                                                                                                    2. Angels and Nations — seen by angels (heavenly citizens witness Christ); proclaimed among the nations (earthly citizens witness Christ)
                                                                                                                    3. World and Glory — believed on in the world (lower earthly realm); taken up into glory (ascended, seated at the right hand of the Father)

                                                                                                                      4. C. Christ fills both heaven and earth with his godliness

                                                                                                                      1. He is the Chief Cornerstone and sure Foundation of the household of God
                                                                                                                      2. When he returns, all not united to him will be shaken and destroyed; all united to him will remain as permanent as he is

                                                                                                                        3. D. The church remains a body of confessors by holding high the banner of Christ alone

                                                                                                                        1. The mystery of godliness is not found in pastors, elders, deacons, or members — only in Christ and Christ alone
                                                                                                                        2. Martin Luther: "When the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this — I admit that I deserve death and hell; what of it? For I know one who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where he is there I shall be also."
                                                                                                                        3. North Point must carry on as a cross-shaped people, a pillar and buttress of truth, settled on the sure Foundation — Christ and Christ alone
                                                                                                                          4. 30 min
                                                                                                                        4. Harvest Come

                                                                                                                          Scripture: John 4:27-42

                                                                                                                          Order of Service
                                                                                                                          • Hymn — Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
                                                                                                                          • Call to Worship — Psalm 103:1-22
                                                                                                                          • Hymn — Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
                                                                                                                          • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                          • Confession of Sin
                                                                                                                          • Assurance of Pardon — 1 John 2:1-2
                                                                                                                          • Scripture Reading — Luke 19:1-10
                                                                                                                          • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                          • Offering
                                                                                                                          • Hymn — O God of Love, O King of Peace
                                                                                                                          • Sermon
                                                                                                                          • Lord's Supper
                                                                                                                          • Hymn — Behold the Lamb (verses 1–2)
                                                                                                                          • Prayer of Thanksgiving
                                                                                                                          • Distribution of Bread
                                                                                                                          • Distribution of Cup
                                                                                                                          • Hymn — Behold the Lamb (verses 3–4)
                                                                                                                          • Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
                                                                                                                          • Doxology
                                                                                                                            • Sermon Title: Harvest Come

                                                                                                                            Scripture: John 4:27-42

                                                                                                                            I. The Harvest Realized Through the Entrance of Jesus

                                                                                                                            A. The disciples urge a tired and hungry Jesus to eat, but Jesus declares his true food is to do the will of the Father and accomplish his work (John 4:31-34)

                                                                                                                            B. Jesus draws on a familiar Jewish proverb — "four months until the Harvest" — and declares the fields are already white for harvest, because the Reaper himself has arrived (John 4:35)

                                                                                                                            C. Jesus's declaration alludes to Deuteronomy 8:3 — man does not live by bread alone — the same words he speaks to Satan after 40 days of fasting, mirroring Israel's 40 years in the wilderness

                                                                                                                            1. Immediately after this, Jesus proclaims the year of the Lord's favor (Luke 4:18-19) and announces the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17)
                                                                                                                            2. The Harvest extends beyond Israel — to Samaria and to the ends of the earth, to those sitting in darkness in Naphtali and Zebulun, the Galilee of the Gentiles

                                                                                                                              3. D. When Jesus speaks of disciples reaping where they did not labor, this refers to John the Baptist and the entire Old Covenant economy that prepared the way

                                                                                                                              1. The writer of Hebrews says the Old Testament saints did not receive what was promised — they sowed but did not see the full fruit (Hebrews 11:39-40)
                                                                                                                              2. Their labors are perfected and fulfilled in the New Covenant ministry that dawns with Christ
                                                                                                                              3. The sower and the reaper rejoice together — Old Testament saints and New Covenant believers share in the same Harvest (John 4:36)

                                                                                                                                4. E. The Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 functions like a great hall of legacy — we are inspired to join that family, reaping what they labored to sow, and to one day rejoice together with Abraham, Moses, and David over the Harvest

                                                                                                                                II. The Harvest Realized Through the Exposure by Jesus

                                                                                                                                A. The Samaritan woman's testimony — "come see a man who told me all that I ever did" — is the instrument that causes many Samaritans to believe (John 4:29, John 4:39)

                                                                                                                                B. Jesus did not literally tell her everything she had done; rather, he entered her personal space — exposing her shame, her five husbands, and her current unlawful relationship — penetrating the secret life she carried

                                                                                                                                1. In first-century Judaism, divorce was easily granted by the man; the woman may have carried both sin-shame and the shame of being unwanted and discarded
                                                                                                                                2. Even the disciples were shocked that Jesus spoke with a Samaritan woman — she was doubly marginalized

                                                                                                                                  3. C. The culture encourages us to present only our best selves — through daily niceties and social media — but this masks the reality that every person bears a story of heartache, guilt, sin, and shame

                                                                                                                                  D. The woman does not flee in shame but drops her water jar and runs to her neighbors with joy — exposure by Christ is not like exposure by the world

                                                                                                                                  1. The world exposes in order to devour and destroy
                                                                                                                                  2. Christ exposes in order to prepare the heart to receive the living water of the Spirit that wells up into eternal life (John 4:14)
                                                                                                                                  3. It is a sour-but-sweet, joyful gospel pain — it hurts, but it opens the heart wide to receive Christ and walk as a new creation

                                                                                                                                    4. E. Kingdom Harvest is filled with souls exposed not before a devouring world, but before Christ — a joyous exposure that leads to new life

                                                                                                                                    III. The Harvest Realized Through an Encounter with Jesus

                                                                                                                                    A. The Samaritans first believe because of the woman's testimony, but after two days with Jesus they declare: "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world" (John 4:42)

                                                                                                                                    1. There is a belief that comes through testimony, and a deeper belief that comes through personal encounter with Christ

                                                                                                                                      2. B. It is an American Evangelical tendency to rely on the powerful testimonies of others — treating them like inspirational stories — and to allow the testimony to replace the word of God as the primary instrument of the Harvest

                                                                                                                                      C. Powerful testimonies from church history — Augustine, Luther, John Newton — can become a crutch: we say "that is my God, the God of Augustine," rather than asking whether he is our God personally

                                                                                                                                      1. The Psalter functions similarly: David's specific experiences of God's deliverance become the common song of all God's people, as David invites the reader to come and join in the praise — as Philip says to Nathanael, "Come and see" (John 1:46)

                                                                                                                                        2. D. We must read powerful testimonies, past and present — but when we close the book, we must get on our knees and have our own encounter with Christ

                                                                                                                                        1. The goal is to move from spectator to participant — to be able to say with the Samaritans: "Come and see for yourself; come and taste with me that the Lord is good"
                                                                                                                                        2. The Harvest is not just for them — it is for you; the God who saved a wretch like Newton saves a wretch like me
                                                                                                                                          3. 33 min
                                                                                                                                        3. November 5, 2023; Sunday Evening Worship

                                                                                                                                          Scripture: Ecclesiastes 5

                                                                                                                                          Order of Service
                                                                                                                                          • Preparation Reading — Ecclesiastes 5:1–7
                                                                                                                                          • Call to Worship — Philippians 2:5–11
                                                                                                                                          • Hymn — All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name (#296)
                                                                                                                                          • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                          • Psalm Reading — Psalm 22:1–22
                                                                                                                                          • Hymn — Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed (#254)
                                                                                                                                          • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                          • Scripture Reading — Ecclesiastes 5:1–7
                                                                                                                                          • Sermon
                                                                                                                                          • Hymn — O Worship the King (#2)
                                                                                                                                          • Benediction
                                                                                                                                            • Sermon Title: Thoughtful and Reverent Worship

                                                                                                                                            Scripture: Ecclesiastes 5:1–7

                                                                                                                                            I. Thoughtless Worship Is Irreverent Worship

                                                                                                                                            A. Solomon's command to "guard your steps" when approaching the house of God reflects the Old Testament pattern of careful, prepared approach to a holy God

                                                                                                                                            1. Exodus 3 — Moses told to remove sandals on holy ground
                                                                                                                                            2. Exodus 20:10, 22 — Israel commanded to consecrate themselves before approaching Mount Sinai; priests warned to consecrate themselves lest God break out against them
                                                                                                                                            3. Leviticus 15:31 — Israel kept separate from uncleanness lest they defile God's tabernacle

                                                                                                                                              4. B. The New Testament equally calls for reverent approach to God

                                                                                                                                              1. Hebrews 12:28–29 — Offer acceptable worship with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire
                                                                                                                                              2. Hebrews 12:25 — Greater revelation brings greater responsibility; we cannot refuse him who speaks from heaven

                                                                                                                                                3. C. For New Covenant Christians, preparation for worship means taking hold of Christ by faith — his righteousness clothes us and his blood cleanses us to approach a holy God

                                                                                                                                                1. Preparation should begin well before Sunday; Saturday evenings at minimum, following the pattern of Exodus 20's two-day consecration
                                                                                                                                                2. Corporate worship is serious: where two or three are gathered, Christ himself is present
                                                                                                                                                3. Many Christians' confusion about God's purposes in their lives may stem from a failure to take Sunday worship seriously — treating Monday through Saturday as primary and corporate worship as secondary
                                                                                                                                                  4. II. Thoughtless Worship Is Ignorant Worship

                                                                                                                                                  A. The fool in Ecclesiastes 5:1 does not know he is doing evil — he thinks God is pleased with his worship

                                                                                                                                                  1. This is not a wolf in sheep's clothing, but a sincere worshipper worshipping in ignorance (Derek Kidner)
                                                                                                                                                  2. Cain in Genesis 4 offers the scraps of the ground and is genuinely surprised that God is displeased — a picture of ignorant worship

                                                                                                                                                    3. B. "Going through the motions" or "professional" worship: the patterns are present but the heart and ears are disengaged from the content of the service

                                                                                                                                                    C. We are called to worship in spirit and truth — "my heart is in the right place" is not sufficient if one is not worshipping the God who has revealed himself in his Word

                                                                                                                                                    1. Ignorance is no excuse: God has fully and finally revealed himself in the Son
                                                                                                                                                    2. Romans 12:1–2 — The call to a transformed mind is for every Christian, not only trained theologians
                                                                                                                                                    3. The hidden assumption that ignorance reduces responsibility before God is exposed and rejected; the fullness of revelation has come whether one engages it or not
                                                                                                                                                      4. III. Thoughtless Worship Is Inverted Worship

                                                                                                                                                      A. The foolish worshipper is characterized by many words and a rash mouth; the contrast is with one who is quiet and ready to listen

                                                                                                                                                      1. Ecclesiastes 5:2 — Be not rash with your mouth; God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few
                                                                                                                                                      2. The fool approaches God as a peer or intimate companion, assuming no need to listen

                                                                                                                                                        3. B. Vows in Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 illustrate the worshipper who draws attention to his own piety rather than to God

                                                                                                                                                        1. Rash vows made to impress others actually pave the way for the worshipper's own destruction, since God will require what was vowed
                                                                                                                                                        2. This is the spirit of the Pharisee — praying to God while scanning the room to compare and glorify himself

                                                                                                                                                          3. C. Loud-mouthed, showy worshippers are ultimately man-worshippers; they fear man, not God

                                                                                                                                                          1. Ecclesiastes 5:7 — When dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear
                                                                                                                                                          2. True worshippers know how to be silent, because they know God's thoughts are far above theirs — his thoughts are higher than our thoughts

                                                                                                                                                            3. D. Conclusion: Corporate worship is not "me time" but God's time — not a place to have intellectual preferences satisfied, but to be confronted with the Almighty and his holy Word

                                                                                                                                                            1. We must shut out the static of Monday through Saturday and come prepared
                                                                                                                                                            2. The posture of true worship: Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening (cf. 1 Samuel 3:9)
                                                                                                                                                              3. 27 min
                                                                                                                                                            3. The Priesthood of All Believers

                                                                                                                                                              Scripture: 1 Peter 2:4-10

                                                                                                                                                              Order of Service
                                                                                                                                                              • Hymn — A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
                                                                                                                                                              • Call to Worship — Hebrews 12:18-24
                                                                                                                                                              • Hymn — A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (congregational singing)
                                                                                                                                                              • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                                              • Confession of Faith — Westminster Shorter Catechism (Q&A on faith and repentance)
                                                                                                                                                              • Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:1-10
                                                                                                                                                              • Hymn — In Christ Alone
                                                                                                                                                              • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                                              • Offering
                                                                                                                                                              • Prayer of Dedication
                                                                                                                                                              • Hymn — Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation
                                                                                                                                                              • Sermon
                                                                                                                                                              • Hymn — How Firm a Foundation
                                                                                                                                                              • Benediction
                                                                                                                                                                • Sermon Title: The Priesthood of All Believers

                                                                                                                                                                Scripture: 1 Peter 2:4-10

                                                                                                                                                                I. The Source of the Believer's Priesthood

                                                                                                                                                                A. Peter quotes three Old Testament passages to establish Christ as the Cornerstone

                                                                                                                                                                1. Isaiah 28:16 — the chosen and precious Cornerstone in Zion
                                                                                                                                                                2. Psalm 118:22 — the stone the builders rejected becomes the Cornerstone
                                                                                                                                                                3. Isaiah 8:14 — a stone of stumbling and rock of offense

                                                                                                                                                                  4. B. What is declared of Christ is declared of believers

                                                                                                                                                                  1. Christ is a living Stone (1 Peter 2:4); we are living stones (1 Peter 2:5)
                                                                                                                                                                  2. Christ is chosen and precious; we are a chosen race, precious in God's sight
                                                                                                                                                                  3. The Greek word for "honor" in verse 7 shares the same root as "precious" in verse 4 — those who come to the precious Stone become precious themselves

                                                                                                                                                                    4. C. Believers share in a royal priesthood through union with Christ the King-Priest

                                                                                                                                                                    1. Christ is not a Levitical priest but a priest after the order of Melchizedek — king of Salem and priest of God Most High (Genesis 14:18; Hebrews 7)
                                                                                                                                                                    2. United to Christ by faith, believers become royal priests — a kingdom of priests
                                                                                                                                                                    3. There is only one mediator between God and man: the man Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5)
                                                                                                                                                                    4. Luther: "He who is a Christian has Christ, and he who has Christ has all things that are Christ"
                                                                                                                                                                      5. II. The Sacrifices of the Believer's Priesthood

                                                                                                                                                                      A. Old Covenant Levitical priesthood provides the pattern for understanding priestly service

                                                                                                                                                                      B. Spiritual sacrifice #1 — Singing and worship

                                                                                                                                                                      1. Levites sang perpetually in the temple (1 Chronicles 9:33)
                                                                                                                                                                      2. Believers teach and admonish one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16)

                                                                                                                                                                        3. C. Spiritual sacrifice #2 — Surrendering earthly possessions and clinging to God as inheritance

                                                                                                                                                                        1. Levites received no land inheritance; God was their possession
                                                                                                                                                                        2. Believers are called exiles whose inheritance is kept in heaven (1 Peter 1; 1 Peter 2:9)
                                                                                                                                                                        3. We hold this world loosely and use earthly goods to love the poor and serve God's people

                                                                                                                                                                          4. D. Spiritual sacrifice #3 — Intercessory prayer

                                                                                                                                                                          1. Old Covenant priests interceded for the people
                                                                                                                                                                          2. Believers pray at all times in the Spirit with perseverance for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18)
                                                                                                                                                                          3. Prayer is a priestly activity belonging to every believer

                                                                                                                                                                            4. E. Spiritual sacrifice #4 — Proclaiming God's excellencies

                                                                                                                                                                            1. Israel was called a kingdom of priests to spread God's redemptive grace to the nations (Exodus 19:6)
                                                                                                                                                                            2. Believers proclaim the excellencies of him who called them out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9)

                                                                                                                                                                              3. F. Luther's 1520 treatise To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation demolished the two-estate system (spiritual vs. temporal) and placed layperson and clergy on equal footing before God

                                                                                                                                                                              1. The mundane and ordinary are sanctified by Christ; all of life is priestly service
                                                                                                                                                                              2. Whatever you do, do to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31)
                                                                                                                                                                              3. Christ was born in a manger and worked as a carpenter — he sanctifies the common and ordinary
                                                                                                                                                                                4. III. The Security of the Believer's Priesthood

                                                                                                                                                                                A. Luther's pilgrimage to Rome (1511) illustrates the failure of works-based assurance

                                                                                                                                                                                1. Climbing the Scala Sancta on his knees, reciting prayers on each step to release a loved one from purgatory
                                                                                                                                                                                2. Reaching the top, Luther felt not comfort but dejection, crying: "Who knows whether this is true?"
                                                                                                                                                                                3. His nagging doubt drove him to Scripture, where he discovered assurance through the priesthood of all believers

                                                                                                                                                                                  4. B. Peter uses emphatic grammatical structure to reinforce the believer's secure identity in Christ

                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Three times in this passage the word "you" is placed at the front of the Greek sentence for emphasis (vv. 5, 7, 9)
                                                                                                                                                                                  2. Believers are: living stones, a holy priesthood, precious and honored, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own possession
                                                                                                                                                                                  3. 1 Peter 2:10 — "Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy"

                                                                                                                                                                                    4. C. Peter's original audience — largely Gentile converts formerly called "filthy dogs" and given to idolatry — are now declared precious and holy in God's sight through faith union with Christ

                                                                                                                                                                                    D. The Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory undermined assurance by implying that believers could not pass immediately into God's presence at death

                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Indulgences and purgatory exploited the believer's natural sense of unworthiness
                                                                                                                                                                                    2. The priesthood of all believers answers this: God comes down to us in Christ and makes us saints not on account of our deeds but Christ's alone

                                                                                                                                                                                      3. E. Luther's Small Catechism (1529) — the second article captures his journey from doubt to certainty

                                                                                                                                                                                      1. "I believe that Jesus Christ… is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost creature… not with silver and gold but with his holy, precious blood"
                                                                                                                                                                                      2. Luther moved from climbing steps and asking "Who knows if this is true?" to declaring "This is most certainly true"

                                                                                                                                                                                        3. F. Application: What stairs are you currently climbing in search of assurance?

                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Assurance is not found in moral achievement, emotional intensity, or religious ritual
                                                                                                                                                                                        2. Assurance rests in Christ alone — the firm and precious Cornerstone on which every believer stands
                                                                                                                                                                                        3. You are chosen, precious, a holy royal priesthood in Christ — yes, even you
                                                                                                                                                                                          4. 33 min
                                                                                                                                                                                        4. October 22, 2023; Sunday Morning Worship

                                                                                                                                                                                          Scripture: John 4:1-26

                                                                                                                                                                                          Order of Service
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Hymn — Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Call to Worship — 1 Timothy 1:15-17
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Hymn — Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (continued)
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Confession of Faith — Apostles' Creed
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Scripture Reading — Jonah 2:1-10
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Hymn — Revive Thy Work, O Lord
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Offering
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Prayer of Dedication
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Hymn — Blest Be the Tie That Binds
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Sermon
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Hymn — We Come, O Christ, to You
                                                                                                                                                                                          • Benediction
                                                                                                                                                                                            • Sermon Title: Breaking Down Walls — The Water, the Washing, and the Worship

                                                                                                                                                                                            Scripture: John 4:1-26

                                                                                                                                                                                            I. The Water of the Spirit

                                                                                                                                                                                            A. Setting: Jesus, tired and thirsty, stops at Jacob's Well in Samaria and asks a Samaritan woman for a drink

                                                                                                                                                                                            1. The woman's shock reflects the deep hostility between Jews and Samaritans rooted in history going back to Assyria's conquest of the Northern Kingdom in 722 BC
                                                                                                                                                                                            2. The Samaritans accepted only the Samaritan Pentateuch and revered Mount Gerizim as the proper place of worship, not Mount Zion

                                                                                                                                                                                              3. B. The woman misunderstands Jesus literally, as others have done throughout John's Gospel

                                                                                                                                                                                              1. In John 2, the crowd misunderstood "destroy this temple" as referring to the physical building
                                                                                                                                                                                              2. In John 3, Nicodemus misunderstood "born again" as a physical rebirth
                                                                                                                                                                                              3. Here the woman takes "living water" to mean literal, physical water

                                                                                                                                                                                                4. C. Jesus is speaking of the Holy Spirit, poured out through him into the souls of his people, welling up to eternal life (John 4:14)

                                                                                                                                                                                                1. The Father pours out the Spirit on the Son without measure (John 3:34); the Son in turn pours out the Spirit on his people
                                                                                                                                                                                                2. Jesus is greater than Jacob because he gives the water of the Spirit; greater than the temple because he is the true temple from which the Spirit flows

                                                                                                                                                                                                  3. D. Application: We live in what Max Weber called a "disenchanted world," unable to think beyond the physical and empirical

                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Charles Taylor's "immanent frame" — life reduced to what can be seen, tasted, and touched
                                                                                                                                                                                                  2. Paul confronted this same tendency among supernaturalist Jews in Acts 26:8: "Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?"
                                                                                                                                                                                                  3. Real life is found not in the things of this world but in the invisible Spirit poured into invisible souls
                                                                                                                                                                                                    4. II. The Washing Away of Sin

                                                                                                                                                                                                    A. Before the woman can receive the gift of the Spirit, she must recognize who Jesus is — the Gift Giver (John 4:10)

                                                                                                                                                                                                    B. Jesus abruptly redirects the conversation: "Go, call your husband" (John 4:16)

                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Jesus already knows she has had five husbands and is not married to her current partner
                                                                                                                                                                                                    2. This confrontation with sin prepares her to properly receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

                                                                                                                                                                                                      3. C. Conviction of sin is a chief mark of the Spirit's work

                                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Peter's sermon at Pentecost cut the crowd to the heart; they cried, "What shall we do?" (Acts 2:37)
                                                                                                                                                                                                      2. Peter's answer: "Repent and be baptized…for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38)
                                                                                                                                                                                                      3. Jesus declares in John 16:8: "When the Spirit comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment"

                                                                                                                                                                                                        4. D. Salvation is spoken of in past, present, and future tenses in the New Testament

                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Present tense: "to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18)
                                                                                                                                                                                                        2. Future tense: "we shall be saved by his life" (Romans 5:10)
                                                                                                                                                                                                        3. Christ must remain our Savior, not merely our Lord, life coach, or motivational speaker — his yoke is easy only when he remains our Savior
                                                                                                                                                                                                          4. III. The Worship of the Saints

                                                                                                                                                                                                          A. The debate over the proper place of worship: Mount Gerizim (Samaritan) vs. Mount Zion (Jewish) (John 4:20)

                                                                                                                                                                                                          B. Jesus affirms that in the Old Covenant era, salvation and covenant blessing were rightly located in Jerusalem, not Samaria (John 4:22)

                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. The Samaritans worshiped in ignorance because they lacked the complete canon of Scripture
                                                                                                                                                                                                          2. The canon of Scripture is not an academic debate — it determines whether one worships the true God or an unknown god
                                                                                                                                                                                                          3. The Westminster Confession of Faith begins by naming the canon precisely because right worship depends on right Scripture

                                                                                                                                                                                                            4. C. The hour has now come for worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24)

                                                                                                                                                                                                            1. The earthly temple was always a temporary copy of the Heavenly reality (Hebrews 8)
                                                                                                                                                                                                            2. Even Jonah's prayer from the fish's belly reached "your holy temple" — God's heavenly dwelling, not the Jerusalem building (Jonah 2:7)
                                                                                                                                                                                                            3. Now that God has come down in the person of the Son, his people have become the temple; worship extends to the ends of the earth and joins the angels and saints surrounding the throne of the Lamb

                                                                                                                                                                                                              4. D. Worship in spirit and in truth requires both heart and doctrine

                                                                                                                                                                                                              1. Spirit — the disposition of the heart: broken, contrite, prepared, and engaged
                                                                                                                                                                                                              2. Truth — the doctrine of the mind: grounded in God's Word and the teachings found therein
                                                                                                                                                                                                              3. All emotion with no truth is not true worship; all doctrine with no heart is not true worship; the two must go hand in hand

                                                                                                                                                                                                                4. E. Application: A building without true worshippers is a house, not a home

                                                                                                                                                                                                                1. Grand European cathedrals stand empty — once homes for God's people, now abandoned buildings
                                                                                                                                                                                                                2. In the early church, what mattered was not the dimensions or beauty of the meeting place but the worshippers within (Acts 2)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                3. Call to prepare hearts every Lord's Day and to engage minds in the closed canon of Scripture, so that God is pleased to make his dwelling among his people
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  4. 37 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.