Northpointe PCA Sermons

By Northpointe Presbyterian ChurchReligion & Spirituality Christianity

Northpointe PCA Sermons episodes

June 18, 2023June 18, 2023; Sunday Evening Worship
Scripture: Psalm 84
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 103:1-5
Hymn — This Is My Father's World (#111)
Prayer of Invocation
Psalm Reading — Psalm 2 (responsive)
Hymn — All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name (#296)
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon
Hymn — God Be with You Till We Meet Again (#386)
Benediction
Sermon Title: The Blessings of Dwelling in God's House
Scripture: Psalm 84
I. The Blessing of Dwelling in God's House (Psalm 84:1-4)
A. The psalmist's longing for the courts of the Lord
"How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts" — an expression of deep desire, not mere duty
Soul, heart, and flesh all oriented toward the Living God
B. Background: The Sons of Korah
Descendants of Korah the Levite, who led a revolt against Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16)
God judged Korah, yet spared his children — "the children of Korah did not die" (Numbers 26:11)
Assigned as temple doorkeepers (1 Chronicles 26); a humble, menial, but faithful office
Psalm 84 is their song — a deacon's psalm, a psalm of servants
C. The blessed are those who long to dwell with God's people in worship
God pronounces blessedness not on those seeking entertainment, but on those who delight in communing with the saints
For New Covenant believers, the gathered church is the dwelling place of God — wherever God's people assemble, there is God's house
The fullest satisfaction and deepest joy are found in communion and worship with God's people
II. The Blessing of Having God as Your Strength (Psalm 84:5-8)
A. Blessed are those whose strength is in the Lord
God upholds his people; he supplies the strength to live the life of faith
Only those dependent on the Lord receive the Lord's strength
Contrast with the celebrated self-made, self-sufficient man — the psalmist declares the opposite as true blessedness
B. "Whose hearts are the highways to Zion"
The blessed have a single-minded focus on communing with God
Their ultimate goal is God himself — to know him, worship him, and enjoy him
God must not be viewed merely as a means to our desired ends; union and communion with God himself is the greatest blessing of the gospel
C. They go from strength to strength, appearing before God in Zion
Their reward is God himself — they want to be with God, and God grants that blessing
III. The Blessing of Trusting in the Lord (Psalm 84:9-12)
A. The Lord is both provider and protector
"No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly" — the Lord's provision
"The Lord God is a sun and shield" — the Lord's protection
B. "A day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere" (Psalm 84:10)
The psalmist would rather be a doorkeeper in God's house than dwell in the tents of wickedness
Because God is everything to him — his provision, protection, light, and deepest desire — no earthly riches can compare
C. Application and call
Do you love to be in the house of the Lord, gathered with the body of Christ, Lord's Day by Lord's Day?
If that desire is absent, humbly ask God to reveal what has stolen the affections of your heart, and turn back to behold and rejoice in Jesus Christ
32 min
June 18, 2023Song of Deliverance
Scripture: 2 Samuel 22
Order of Service
Hymn — O Worship the King
Call to Worship — Revelation 4:8-11
Hymn — O Worship the King (congregational singing)
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Faith — Belgic Confession, Article 1
Scripture Reading — Acts 23:1-22
Hymn — He Leadeth Me
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn — Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder
Sermon
Closing Hymn — Blessed Assurance
Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
Doxology
Sermon Title: Song of Deliverance
Scripture: 2 Samuel 22
I. Deliverance Comes Through Providence (vv. 4–20)
A. David in dire straits cries out to the Lord (2 Samuel 22:5-7)
Death and Sheol encompass him; he is in desperate need
Echoes throughout 1–2 Samuel: David the fugitive from Saul, David fleeing Absalom
B. God's dramatic response employs cosmic, theophanic language (2 Samuel 22:8-20)
Foundations of heaven tremble; channels of the sea laid bare
Language evokes the parting of the Red Sea and God's thundering at Sinai
C. The hidden Providence of God is the Mighty God of Sinai at work
God's name is often not explicitly invoked in 1–2 Samuel, yet he works providentially for David
Taking inventory of God's faithfulness reveals his mighty hand in ordinary circumstances
Application: God's preservation of his children in a fallen world is the work of Almighty God
Colossians 2:15 — at Calvary God disarmed rulers and authorities, triumphing over them openly; only eyes of faith can perceive it
The Lord currently thunders from heaven, working all things for his children's good and his own glory (Romans 8:28)
II. Deliverance Comes Through Faithfulness/Righteousness (vv. 21–31)
A. The righteousness David claims is not a spotless, perfect righteousness but a righteousness of trajectory (2 Samuel 22:21-25)
The orientation and trajectory of his heart is set toward God's law
This answers the objection that David could not have written this after the sin with Bathsheba
B. The Beatitudes illuminate this section: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness" (Matthew 5:6)
David places God's statutes before his heart daily (2 Samuel 22:23)
David is poor in spirit, not boasting in works but in the Lord who is his lamp and shield (2 Samuel 22:29-31)
David aligns with the tax collector, not the self-righteous Pharisee
C. Old Testament saints called righteous are not sinlessly perfect; their righteousness includes faithful use of the sacrificial system
Noah called blameless (Genesis 6); his first act off the ark is a burnt offering (Genesis 8)
Only after smelling the substitutionary sacrifice does God stay his wrath upon fallen creation
The hunger for righteousness is satisfied in a perfect substitute — pointing forward to Christ
D. Jeremiah Burroughs: "In the Covenant of Grace, God accepts the desire for the deed"
Thirsting for righteousness quenches base sinful desires
The soul cannot desire righteousness unless righteousness has already begun in it
E. Application: Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness?
Do you look to Christ not only for justification (his righteousness imputed) but also for sanctification?
Is the trajectory of your soul oriented toward Christ and his Word?
If so, your chief foes have already been and will be destroyed
III. Deliverance Comes Through Giftedness (vv. 32–49)
A. David uses striking first-person language to describe his victories (2 Samuel 22:38-43)
"I pursued… I consumed… I thrust them through… I beat them fine as dust"
David's extraordinary gifts as a soldier are evident throughout 1–2 Samuel
B. Yet all credit is ascribed to God — the gifts and the success both come from him
God gifted David and went alongside him to give him success
Deliverance is for those who recognize their talents as gifts from God and use them for his glory
C. Critique of the modern cultural view of self-creation and self-discovery
The modern man delays or wastes God-given gifts in an endless search for an undiscovered self
Romans 12 — "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them" (imperative)
You are a creature made in the image of God; God, not you, determines where you are gifted
D. Application: Use your gifts for God's glory and find joy in him
Do not waste your life comparing your gifts to others or striving for gifts God has not given
Be content with and faithful in the gifts God has bestowed; there is joy in using them for his glory
E. Summary: God's deliverance — won by and in the Lord's Anointed — is for those who
See his mighty Providence at work in Redemptive promises
Orient their lives by faith around God's Word, clinging to Christ
Use the gifts of God for the glory of God and their enjoyment in him forever
35 min
June 11, 2023June 11, 2023; Sunday Evening Worship
Scripture: Matthew 6:1-4
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 117
Hymn — From All That Dwell Below the Skies (#7)
Prayer of Invocation
Psalm Reading — Psalm 1 (responsive)
Hymn — Like a River Glorious (#699)
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon
Hymn — Lord, Thou Lov'st the Cheerful Giver (#434)
Benediction
Sermon Title: The Secret Life of Pious Generosity
Scripture: Matthew 6:1-4
I. Introduction: A Warning About Motivation in Piety
A. The new section of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6) shifts from Jesus as lawgiver (ch. 5) to the life of Kingdom people lived before the face of God
B. Outline of Matthew 6 (following Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Verses 1–18: The religious life of Kingdom people before God (giving, prayer, fasting)
Verses 19–34: The general life of Kingdom people before God
C. Verse 1 serves as the introduction to the whole subsection (vv. 1–18), not merely a header for giving
The warning against practicing righteousness before people to be seen recurs in vv. 2, 5, and 16
The promise of the Father's reward recurs at the close of each illustration: vv. 4, 6, 18
D. Two questions from verse 1
What is piety? — The habitual practice of religious devotion before God; the culture and nurture of the soul (Lloyd-Jones); distinct from moral righteousness (ch. 5) — this is religious righteousness in one's direct, vertical relationship with God
Why the warning? — Jesus knows the fallen heart's tendency to redirect glory from God to self; the danger ranges from public display to the quiet, subtle self-congratulation of the heart
II. Pious Generosity Is Not for the Gratification of Self (Matthew 6:2)
A. The nature of almsgiving
Almsgiving = costly giving of oneself (time, money, material goods) to a person lacking daily necessities; deeds of mercy and pity
Rooted in Old Testament duty — Deuteronomy 15 establishes generous provision for the poor as a religious obligation
In both Deuteronomy 15 and Matthew 6, the heart's motivation is central — not the act itself, which is assumed
B. The danger of hypocrisy
The Greek word for hypocrite originally described a stage actor wearing a mask; the problem is transferring that role-playing into everyday religious life
Modern equivalents: posting charitable acts on social media to be seen; the quiet internal self-congratulation ("well done, self") that can subtly fuel future giving
Jesus' command — "do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" (Matthew 6:3) — calls for generosity so habitual that self-awareness of the act barely registers; not a prohibition on planned generosity, but a warning against dwelling on and savoring one's own giving
C. The reward of hypocrisy
"They have received their reward" — the Greek word used here (misthos) carries the sense of wages, what is naturally due
The praise of others and the self-satisfied feeling are the full and final payment — fleeting and ultimately empty
The spirit of the age ("obey your thirst") encourages self-gratification, but self-serving generosity yields only a passing feeling
III. Pious Generosity Is for the Glorification of God (Matthew 6:3-4)
A. The right audience for giving
The sinful heart is the problem, not the act of giving — Christ's work and the Spirit reorient our motivation
Every act of generosity involves a giver and a receiver, but the true intended audience is the Father who sees in secret
We give to the needy in the presence of God, before the face of our Redeemer — Jeremiah 17:10: "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind"; Psalm 139: "You have searched me and known me"
God is no cold, distant deity — he is intimately and personally invested in his people; his all-seeing knowledge is terror only to those outside his covenant, but comfort and motivation to his children
B. The nature of the reward (Matthew 6:4)
A different Greek word for reward is used here than in vv. 1–2 — this word focuses on the action of giving and the source, emphasizing God's personal initiative in rewarding
Present dimension: genuine joy in the moment of giving when motivation is pure — an empty stomach filled, a naked back clothed; both giver and receiver experience joy
Future dimension (primary emphasis): eternal rewards in the kingdom — parallel language in the sections on prayer and fasting points to eschatological reward; Scripture finds nothing awkward in speaking of rewards for God's people
Heavenly rewards will be abundant, without jealousy or a sense of unfairness — overflowing from the hand of a rich and loving Father
C. The glory of God as the goal
God is most glorified when his people trust him as their Rich Rewarder and look to please him rather than themselves
We step down from the throne of our own hearts and let him reign
The believer in Christ has already been given all things in Christ — generosity flows from that reality and returns glory to him
IV. Conclusion: What Is Driving Your Generosity?
A. Three possible engines: self-congratulation, the praise of others, or the God who sees and rewards
B. Generosity is assumed for Kingdom people — the question is always the motivation
C. Give for His glory; he rewards what is given for his glory; he delights to give good gifts to his children
35 min
June 04, 2023June 4, 2023; Sunday Evening Worship
Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 145:1-2, 10-13
Hymn — All Creatures of Our God and King (#115)
Prayer of Invocation
Shorter Catechism Q&A (Question 107 — conclusion of the Lord's Prayer)
Hymn — The Lord's Prayer (#725)
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon
Hymn — Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee (#645)
Benediction
Sermon Title: Love for Enemies as the Mark of Heavenly Life
Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48
I. Love for Enemies Confirms Heavenly Generation
A. The nature of love Jesus describes
Love entails truth, obedience, and sacrifice — not merely warm feelings
Love is most fully seen when directed toward enemies and the unlovely
B. Heavenly birth evidenced by love of enemies
John 3:3 — to be born again is to be born from above; heavenly generation produces heavenly love
The command's logic: love your enemies so that you will be called sons of God — a cause-and-effect revealing regeneration
Loving only those who love you is the mark of worldly, fleshly birth — what tax collectors and Gentiles do (Matthew 5:46-47)
C. Love of enemies expressed in two arenas
Public action — committed, active love (Agape) that moves toward the unlovely even when inconvenient
Private prayer — bringing enemies before the throne of grace; interceding for those who hate and wrong us (Matthew 5:44)
II. Love for Enemies Sees Common Grace
A. The doctrine of common grace (Matthew 5:45)
Special grace — God's saving grace applied to the elect
Common grace — God's goodness bestowed on all image-bearers alike: sun and rain fall on the evil and the good
B. Common grace and points of contact with unbelievers
God grants unbelievers insight in science, philosophy, and moral intuition as image-bearers
Paul quotes the pagan philosopher Epimenides in Acts 17 — "In him we live and move and have our being" — modeling engagement through common grace
Early apologists (Justin Martyr) used Plato and Aristotle as launching pads for Christian apologetics
Francis Schaeffer: even with a non-Christian, we have a point of contact — every person is made in the image of God, verbalizes, loves, and has moral motions
C. Total depravity rightly understood enables love
Fallen man is not as evil as he could possibly be — he still bears sparks of the image of God
Satan redirects those sparks downward toward creation rather than the Creator; sin means "missing the mark"
Points of contact allow us to say, as Paul did: "You worship an unknown God — let me tell you who he is" (Acts 17:23)
D. Warning against Pharisaism
The Pharisees' absence of common grace led to the maxim "hate your enemy"
Becoming heresy watchdogs — always looking to pounce — drives people away
Love moves disagreements from angry debate into the arena of conversation, reason, and care for the soul
III. Love for Enemies Completes the Saints
A. The call to perfection (Matthew 5:48)
"Perfect" (Gk. teleios) means mature and complete — not sinless perfection in this life
The fulfillment of the moral law (the Decalogue) is love — love God and love neighbor; love of enemies is the apex of that fulfillment
B. All love flows from God's own love for enemies
Romans 5:10 — while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son
Both common grace and special grace flow from God's posture of love toward those who are enemies
Christ's love is not diminished by the filthiness of its object — his purity makes the filthy clean and lovely
C. The future tense of the command contains a promise
"You will be perfect" — a promise embedded in the imperative for all who are regenerate
Parallels the Beatitudes: those who hunger for righteousness will be satisfied (Matthew 5:6)
God is at work by his Spirit now, conforming believers to the image of his Son — love of enemies is the instrument and evidence of that sanctifying work
26 min
May 28, 2023The Kingdom of God in a Fallen World
Scripture: 2 Samuel 20
Order of Service
Hymn — God, All Nature Sings Thy Glory
Call to Worship — Psalm 104
Hymn — God, All Nature Sings Thy Glory
Prayer of Invocation
Corporate Confession of Sin — 1 John 1:10
Assurance of Pardon — Isaiah 12:2–3
Scripture Reading — Acts 22:22–30
Hymn — O Father, You Are Sovereign
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Hymn — O God, Our Help in Ages Past
Sermon
Hymn — Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Benediction
Sermon Title: The Kingdom of God in a Fallen World
Scripture: 2 Samuel 20
I. The Kingdom in a Fallen World Consists of Sad Endings
A. The ten concubines David left behind when fleeing Absalom are cared for but permanently isolated — living as widows until death (2 Samuel 20:3)
These women were violated by Absalom at the counsel of Ahithophel (2 Samuel 16)
Their suffering traces back to David's own sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, and Nathan's prophecy of consequences (2 Samuel 12)
David's personal sin reaches far beyond himself, producing innocent victims
B. Historical illustration: Lady Jane Grey
A devout, Reformed young woman of 17 who never sought the throne, thrust into power by John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland
Her reign lasted only nine days; she was convicted of high treason and beheaded despite her innocence
Her final words echoed Christ: "Lord, into your hands I commit my spirit" — the kingdom's story in a fallen world is filled with tragic and sad endings
II. The Kingdom in a Fallen World Consists of Tainted Victories
A. Joab eliminates his rival Amasa through treachery (2 Samuel 20:8–10)
David had appointed Amasa as general to replace Joab as an olive branch to Judah (2 Samuel 19)
Joab feigns a brotherly greeting, concealing a sword in his left hand, and strikes Amasa dead
Joab then leads the army to victory over Sheba and is listed first among David's officials (2 Samuel 20:23) — David cannot remove him
B. David's relationship with Joab compared to America's alliance with Stalin in World War II — a necessary but morally compromised partnership
C. Historical illustration: Constantine's victory at Milvian Bridge (AD 312) and the Edict of Milan (AD 313)
Brought genuine relief from persecution and humanizing civil reforms
But also introduced civil magistrates wielding authority over the church, opening the door for so-called Christian emperors — like Constantius — to persecute orthodox believers (e.g., those holding to the Nicene Creed)
The kingdom in a fallen world is filled with tainted victories and complicated heroes
III. The Kingdom in a Fallen World Consists of Close Calls
A. Joab besieges Abel of Beth-maacah in pursuit of Sheba; the entire city is nearly destroyed (2 Samuel 20:14–22)
B. A wise woman intervenes, calling the city "a mother in Israel" and "the heritage of the Lord" — appealing to Joab not to destroy the Lord's people
A negotiation is reached: Sheba's head is thrown over the wall; Joab withdraws
A righteous pursuit of a rebel nearly became a wicked destruction of the Lord's own inheritance
This echoes Saul's slaughter of the priests at Nob (1 Samuel 22) — David's kingship momentarily resembled Saul's
C. The pattern continues in church history and today: leaders charged to shepherd the flock sometimes place the flock under their thumb
IV. Conclusion: Turn Your Eyes Upon Christ
A. The world uses the church's sordid history as a weapon against her — sometimes the accusations are factually wrong and should be corrected, but our posture should not be defensive
B. Our hope is not in the pristine history of the church but in the pristine person and work of Jesus Christ
C. Mark's Gospel — likely sourced from Peter — does not hide Peter's failures: his rebuke of Jesus, his boasting, his denial (Mark 14)
Peter wanted readers' hope to rest not in Peter but in the sinless Christ who dies for sinners
D. There will continue to be sad endings, tainted victories, and close calls in the church — because the church is made up of sinners, and wheat and weeds grow together
Yet the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against the bride of Christ (Matthew 16:18)
Before a watching and accusing world, point not to yourself or to Christian heroes — point to Christ
33 min
May 28, 2023Romans 12:14-21
Scripture: Matthew 5:38-42
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 150
Hymn — To God Be the Glory (#55)
Prayer of Invocation
Shorter Catechism — Question 106 (Sixth Petition)
Hymn — I Need Thee Every Hour (#674)
Pastoral Prayer
Scripture Reading — Romans 12:14-21
Scripture Reading — Matthew 5:38-42
Sermon
Hymn — Though Troubles Assail Us (#95)
Benediction
Sermon Title: Responding to Personal Adversity with a Kingdom View
Scripture: Matthew 5:38-42
I. Background: The Principle of an Eye for an Eye
A. Jesus quotes from the Old Testament law — Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, Deuteronomy 19:21
The principle was originally intended for judges in a courtroom setting, not personal retaliation
It was also meant to constrain unequal retribution — punishment was not to exceed the crime
B. In Jesus' day the principle had been twisted into a license for personal vengeance and free-for-all retaliation
C. God is the Supreme Judge; vengeance ultimately belongs to him
Deuteronomy 32 — "Vengeance is mine, I will repay"
Paul quotes this directly in Romans 12:19 — "Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God"
Earthly judges are servants of God's justice (Romans 13)
II. Respond to Personal Adversity with a View to Your King's Justice
A. Jesus commands, "Do not resist the one who is evil" (Matthew 5:39)
The Greek suggests both personal retaliation and personal resistance
The attitude to be corrected is: "I have been wronged and will maintain my personal rights at all cost"
B. Jesus gives four examples of personal adversity
An insulting slap on the cheek
A legal claim on personal property
An inconvenient demand on one's time
A request to lend money
C. The call is not passivity but a trained, patient moderation in light of God's justice
Adversity brings us to the training grounds of sanctification
Calvin: Christ trains the minds of believers to moderation and justice, that by suffering they may learn to be patient
D. American Christians have a strong natural sense of personal rights; Jesus teaches there is a time to lay them aside
We need wisdom and discernment to know when and when not to assert our rights
The cross is the ultimate picture of God's justice — wrath poured out on Christ for his people; those not covered by his blood will pay personally and eternally
III. Respond to Personal Adversity with a View to Your King's Generosity
A. Your King is eternally generous toward you
Romans 12:12 — "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation"
We tend to invest the full value of our rights into temporary, fleeting things rather than eternal ones
C.S. Lewis: we are far too easily pleased, making mud pies in a slum when a holiday at the sea awaits
Christ promises eternal riches, a better country, a lasting city — you have rights to eternal treasures
B. Your King is mercifully generous toward your neighbor
Luke's parallel account: "The Father is kind to the ungrateful and the evil; be merciful, even as your Father is merciful"
Romans 12:17, 21 — "Pay no one evil for evil… do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good"
Your response in the face of adversity bears witness to the watching world — it may be the means by which the Father calls someone to repentance
Heaping burning coals (Romans 12:20): patient endurance of wrong before an enemy's eyes is a witness to the coming judgment
God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good; rain falls on the just and unjust (Matthew 5:45) — the temporary mercy shown to the ungodly may be an opportunity for you to point them to the eternal generosity that could be theirs
IV. Conclusion: Where to Look
A. Jesus draws our sight to himself throughout the Sermon on the Mount — he is the lawgiver, the fulfiller of the law, and our example
Consider what adversity, mocking, and scorn Christ himself faced on the cross
Look to the justice of your King — vengeance is the Lord's
Look to the generosity of your King — he has given you all, always, forever in himself
B. You are a stranger, alien, and pilgrim; your full rights and privileges await you in glory
In the meantime, be ready to give up what is only temporary
Respond with an eternal, pilgrim mindset — think and respond accordingly
34 min
May 21, 2023May 21, 2023; Sunday Morning Worship
Scripture: 2 Samuel 19:9-43
Order of Service
Announcements
Opening 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 Faith — Heidelberg Catechism, Question 54
Scripture Reading — Acts 21:37–22:21
Hymn — And Can It Be
Pastoral Prayer
Offering Prayer
Hymn — Before the Throne of God Above
Sermon
Closing Hymn — O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus
Benediction — Hebrews 13:20-21
Sermon Title: Mere Confessors and True Confessors of the King
Scripture: 2 Samuel 19:9-43
I. Strength Versus Weakness
A. The opportunistic confessors ingratiate themselves to David through strength of numbers
Shimei returns with a thousand Benjaminites (2 Samuel 19:17)
Ziba rushes to meet David with 15 sons and 20 servants, symbols of power and influence in ancient Israel (2 Samuel 19:17)
The northern tribes boast of their ten shares in the king (2 Samuel 19:43)
B. The true confessors are depicted as weak and dependent
Mephibosheth is lame and dependent on his servant Ziba even to mount a donkey
Barzillai is aged and losing his faculties, described as physically diminished
C. Joni Eareckson Tada's paralysis illustrates the spiritual principle: weakness drives true dependence on God
Her testimony: "Paralysis is my greatest mercy"
2 Corinthians 12:10 — "When I am weak, then I am strong"
D. Application: Where are you finding your strength — in numbers, accomplishments, and influence, or in leaning on Almighty God?
II. Pride Versus Humility
A. The opportunistic confessors are preoccupied with being first
Shimei hurries and claims to be the first of the house of Joseph to meet David (2 Samuel 19:20)
Ziba rushes down to the Jordan ahead of others (2 Samuel 19:17)
The northern tribes claim they were the first to speak of restoring the king (2 Samuel 19:43)
B. The true confessors are unconcerned with personal gain or position
Barzillai declines David's invitation to Jerusalem, not wanting to be a burden (2 Samuel 19:34-36)
Mephibosheth says "Let Ziba take it all, since my Lord the King has come safely home" (2 Samuel 19:30)
Mephibosheth's response echoes the true mother before Solomon in 1 Kings 3 — the one who truly loves is willing to give up everything for the beloved
C. The great good news for the king's servants is that the king has come home safely
Psalm 20:6-8 — Israel prays for the king going into battle: "Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed"
John 16:28 — Christ says "I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father"
The King has passed through the wilderness of the cross and returned safely to the Father's right hand
D. Application: Mere confessors love Jesus for what he gives them; true confessors love Jesus and rejoice simply that he is victorious and enthroned
III. Hate Versus Love
A. Abishai and Joab represent overzealous confessors who run ahead of the king in exacting judgment
Abishai demands Shimei's execution for cursing the Lord's anointed (2 Samuel 19:21), just as he had in 2 Samuel 16
Joab previously killed Abner in vengeance, jeopardizing David's covenant and kingdom (2 Samuel 3)
David rebukes Abishai: "Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day?" (2 Samuel 19:22)
B. Shimei's clemency is temporary — David knew his repentance was merely self-serving
In 1 Kings 2, David charges Solomon to bring Shimei to justice in due time
Judgment belongs to the king; servants must not act unilaterally
C. The parallel in the New Testament: James and John ask Jesus to call down fire on the Samaritans who rejected him (Luke 9:54); Jesus rebukes them
D. True confessors balance the justice of God with the love, mercy, and grace of God
Exodus 34:6 — "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love"
The Hebrew word for loyal in 1 Kings 2:7 (David's charge to honor Barzillai's sons) is hesed — the same steadfast love God declares of himself
Romans 13:10 — Love is the fulfillment of the law
1 Corinthians 13:13 — "The greatest of these is love"
E. Application: Do not let a hate-filled world draw you into responding in kind; love your enemies, for it is love that shatters hearts and places burning coals on their heads (Romans 12:20)
F. To true confessors — those who rest in weakness, walk in humility, and swim in the steadfast love of God — belongs the heavenly banquet, as Barzillai's sons were invited to eat at the king's table (1 Kings 2:7)
31 min
May 21, 2023May 21, 2023; Sunday Evening Worship
Scripture: Matthew 5:33–37
Order of Service
Call to Worship — James 1:16–18
Hymn — For the Beauty of the Earth (#116)
Prayer of Invocation
Westminster Shorter Catechism — Q&A 105 (Fifth Petition)
Hymn — Marvelous Grace of Our Loving Lord (#465)
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon
Hymn — 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus (#679)
Benediction
Sermon Title: Truth, Oaths, and the Disciple's Word
Scripture: Matthew 5:33–37
I. Fallen Man's Truth
A. The Pharisees and scribes developed artificial oath systems to avoid accountability
Rabbinic tradition distinguished binding from non-binding oaths (e.g., swearing by the temple vs. toward it)
These systems perverted the purpose of oaths — replacing honest reliance on God with loopholes for deception
B. We create our own modern equivalents: white lies, crossed fingers, misdirection
All deception ultimately stems from self-preservation
The root lie is the serpent's: you can be like God — you can sustain yourself apart from him
When a person no longer trusts God to preserve them, they will preserve themselves through deceit
C. The ninth commandment — you shall not bear false witness — is at its core a question of trust: do you trust God alone to preserve you?
Gossip, flattery, hyperbole, and misdirection all serve self-interest and self-exaltation
Truth forces honesty about who we really are; lies sustain the illusion of the self we want to project
II. God's Truth
A. Jesus dismantles the rabbinic loophole system by asserting God's total sovereignty over all creation
Heaven is God's throne; earth is his footstool; Jerusalem is the city of the great king; even the hairs of your head belong to him — Matthew 5:34–36
There is no crevice in creation where God's name is absent; his signature is on every square inch
B. Because all creation bears God's name, truth must follow us everywhere
Science, mathematics, research, and all inquiry involve handling God's creation — it must be done honestly
To use God's creation to deceive is to take his name in vain and soil his reputation
C. We are stewards of God's household, entrusted to handle his creation with care and integrity
A steward handles another's property with greater scrupulousness than their own
Deception and manipulation are incompatible with faithful stewardship of what belongs to God
III. The Church's Truth
A. Clarifying a historic misinterpretation: Jesus is not prohibiting all oaths
God himself swears by his own name — Hebrews 6
The covenant formula between Yahweh and Israel was an oath structure
Paul uses the phrase as God is my witness as an oath idiom
The target is the unbiblical use of oaths to deceive, not oaths as such
B. The command let your yes be yes and your no be no calls disciples to a character that renders artificial oaths unnecessary — Matthew 5:37
Untrustworthy people must hype their language to garner trust; the disciple's consistent truthfulness should make that unnecessary
The early church was remarkable to both Jewish and Greco-Roman observers for being people of their word — in contrast to the sophists who prized eloquence over truth
C. In a fallen world, being a person of truth means bearing a cross
Jesus himself was terse before his accusers; his truthfulness led him to the cross
Disciples who are people of truth can expect suffering — being truthful in a dog-eat-dog world requires dying to self
The motive is not winning arguments but winning souls to the truth of Jesus Christ — Galatians 2:20
D. The call: rest in the sovereign God who preserves you, die to self, and be people of truth
24 min
May 14, 2023May 14, 2023; Sunday Evening Worship
Scripture: Matthew 5:31-32
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 148:1, 11-13
Hymn — Give to Our God Immortal Praise (#3)
Prayer of Invocation
Catechism — Shorter Catechism Q&A 104
Hymn — Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting (#188)
Pastoral Prayer
Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 24:1-4
Scripture Reading — Matthew 5:31-32
Sermon
Hymn — A Christian Home (#719)
Benediction
Sermon Title: Marriage in a Divorce Culture
Scripture: Matthew 5:31-32
I. Marriage Is Important Because It Protects the Spouse
A. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 24:1 and corrects the Jewish misinterpretation of the word "indecency"
Rabbinical schools in Jesus's day had stretched "indecency" to mean virtually any displeasure a husband had with his wife (e.g., overcooking food as grounds for divorce)
The Hebrew word for "indecency" is rare and elsewhere conveys a particularly heinous act — not a trivial complaint
B. Jesus narrows the legitimate ground for divorce to sexual immorality (Greek: porneia)
Porneia refers to heinous sexual misconduct: adultery, incest, fornication, and similar acts
1 Corinthians 7 adds abandonment as an additional ground (Paul)
C. The original intent of Deuteronomy 24:1-4 was to protect women, not to provide an easy exit from marriage
A certificate of divorce allowed a woman to remarry without social disgrace
The prohibition on taking back a remarried ex-wife was meant to slow men down and discourage hasty divorce
D. Marriage as covenant reflects God's own covenant faithfulness
As Yahweh is steadfast in love toward Israel despite Israel's failures (Hosea), spouses are called to the same steadfast commitment
Covenant commitment is the spouse's assurance of security — "until death do us part"
II. Marriage Is Important Because It Protects Sex
A. The severity of the penalty for adultery in Leviticus 20:10 reveals how seriously God guards sex within marriage
The adulterous spouse was effectively to be regarded as dead
A wronged spouse who took back a repentant adulterer performed an act of extraordinary mercy — like raising someone from the dead
B. Jesus connects this passage to his preceding teaching on lust (Matthew 5:27-30)
Cutting off the hand and eye includes fidelity within marriage
Proverbs 5 and 1 Corinthians 7 both commend contentment with the spouse of one's youth as the remedy for sexual temptation
C. The tenth commandment's prohibition on coveting one's neighbor's wife undergirds sexual contentment in marriage
Sexual discontentment outside of marriage is insatiable — like addiction, each new experience requires another "fix"
The answer remains what it was at creation: a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife (Genesis 2:24)
D. The church must hold the line on the biblical vision of sex and marriage as a refuge for those wounded by the sexual revolution
III. Marriage Is Important Because It Protects Society
A. Jesus warns that divorce outside of proper biblical grounds causes adultery to ripple outward — affecting not just the couple but others who remarry (Matthew 5:32)
B. Jesus addresses his disciples specifically — the foundation of the church — calling them to be salt and light within a divorce culture
Evangelicals divorcing at rates equal to or greater than unbelievers represents a failure of this calling
The church cannot be a safe house for the sexually broken if it conforms to the culture's view of marriage
C. The Cultural Mandate in Genesis 1:28 begins with family: "be fruitful and multiply"
The fall fractured this mandate precisely at the point of marriage — Adam blamed Eve, discontentment entered
The genealogy of Cain illustrates how marital unfaithfulness (Lamech's polygamy) leads to social violence and lawlessness
D. The church as the Bride of Christ — the last Adam — is to reflect the spotless, covenant love of Christ for his people
Christ is not discontent with his bride; he cleanses and sanctifies her
Christian marriages are to shine that same light into a divorce culture, serving as Salt and Light to the watching world
28 min
May 14, 2023How Do We Receive Good News?
Scripture: 2 Samuel 18:19-19:8
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Hebrews 10:19-25
Hymn — We Gather Together
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Sin — Psalm 38
Assurance of Pardon — Psalm 103
Scripture Reading — Acts 21:27-36
Hymn — Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Hymn — Blow Ye the Trumpet, Blow
Sermon
Hymn — O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
Benediction
Sermon Title: How Do We Receive Good News?
Scripture: 2 Samuel 18:19–19:8
I. The Good News Is Received with Swift Giddiness (vv. 19–30)
A. Ahimaaz the son of Zadok eagerly desires to run and tell David the good news of the Lord's deliverance
Joab warns him that David will not receive the news as expected, since David commanded that Absalom not be killed
Joab sends the Cushite instead; Ahimaaz insists and is finally permitted to run
Ahimaaz takes the longer but easier route through the plain and outruns the Cushite
B. Ahimaaz's eagerness reflects a godly naivety — he expects David to rejoice because Yahweh has delivered the kingdom
He anchors his announcement in the Lord's saving act: "The Lord has delivered him from the hand of his enemies" (2 Samuel 18:19)
His naivety resembles new believers who expect everyone to share their excitement over the basics of the gospel
Jesus says the kingdom belongs to those who receive it like a child — this kind of naivety is welcomed by God
C. Ahimaaz's swift joy is rooted in his sacrificial service to the king
He and Jonathan had risked their lives as spies in Absalom's Jerusalem (2 Samuel 17)
He mirrors the disciple John, who was present at Calvary and ran with swift joy to the empty tomb
Those who have been in the thick of suffering with and for Christ run fastest and with greatest joy toward the King
D. Application: our service to Christ determines the depth of our joy in the gospel
If Christ is merely convenient, gospel joy will be small or absent
If life is Christ, we will run like Ahimaaz, like John, and swim like Peter — with childlike, giddy joy toward the King
II. The Good News Is Received with Sorrowful Guilt (vv. 31–33)
A. The Cushite delivers the full news plainly: Absalom is dead; the Lord has delivered the king
David responds with extreme anguish — he repeats "my son" five times and "Absalom" three times
Some natural sorrow of a father over a lost son must be acknowledged
B. David's grief is deeper than natural sorrow — it is guilt-ridden
God's word through Nathan in 2 Samuel 12:10 promised the sword would never depart from David's house as punishment for his adultery and murder
Absalom is the third child David has buried since that judgment: the son of Bathsheba, Amnon, and now Absalom
"Would I had died instead of you" reflects David hearing Nathan's words echoing: you shall not die, but your son will
C. Guilt-ridden sorrow paralyzes David and deafens him to the good news of the Kingdom
Both the Cushite and Ahimaaz rightly direct praise to Yahweh for the deliverance, but David cannot hear it
David's tears are directed inward to Absalom, not upward to the Lord
Absalom had murdered Amnon, usurped the throne, publicly violated David's concubines, and sought David's death — this is not a figure warranting such prolonged mourning
D. Unresolved guilt can make us blind, deaf, and dumb to Kingdom deliverance
Illustration: refusing a costly gift out of false humility is an offense to the giver — so too refusing the free gift of Romans 6:23 out of wallowing guilt offends the Giver
Do not measure holiness by how much you wallow in sin — that is the kind of godliness Satan wants: guilt without the good news
The liturgy of confession is paired with the assurance of pardon — we are not left to wallow; we receive God's word of forgiveness
Sorrowful guilt not placed at the foot of the cross prevents us from skipping like a child and praising God
III. The Good News Is Received with Selfish Grief (2 Samuel 19:1–8)
A. David's mourning is so loud it turns the victory of all Israel into mourning
The people steal back into the city ashamed, as though they had fled in defeat
Joab rebukes David sharply: David's servants saved his life, his sons' lives, his daughters' lives, and his wives' lives
B. Joab's rebuke is on target: "You love those who hate you and hate those who love you" (2 Samuel 19:6)
Joab warns David that if he does not go out and speak kindly to his servants, not one man will remain with him that night
David rises, takes his seat at the gate, and the people come before the king
C. Lesson 1: Selfish grief breeds ungratefulness toward those who truly love us
David's servants had said he was worth ten thousand of them — Absalom never said anything like that
Personal grief is not a legitimate excuse to mistreat others or live in ingratitude
The culture of our day validates self-absorbed grief at others' expense — the church needs the corrective voice of Joab
D. Lesson 2: Selfish grief robs the people of God of their joy
Ahimaaz ran with all his enthusiasm to David, only to be turned aside and deflated
Our disposition toward the gospel either spreads the aroma of joy or the aroma of grief to those around us
Ephesians 5:18-21 — be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, giving thanks always
Gospel joy is not a personality type — it is a Spirit-wrought joy that flows from faithful use of the ordinary means of grace: the Word read and proclaimed, prayer, the sacraments, and singing to one another and to God
May we run like Ahimaaz, run like John, and swim like Peter — spreading the aroma of gospel joy wherever we go
36 min

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

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