Northpointe PCA Sermons

Northpointe PCA Sermons

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Northpointe PCA Sermons episodes

  • February 5, 2023; Sunday Evening Worship

    Scripture: Galatians 5

    Order of Service
    • Call to Worship — Revelation 1:4-7
    • Hymn — Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder (#172)
    • Westminster Shorter Catechism — Questions 88 & 89
    • Hymn — Brethren, We Have Met to Worship (#381)
    • Pastoral Prayer
    • Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:1-15
    • Sermon
    • Hymn — Not What My Hands Have Done (#461)
    • Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
      • Sermon Title: The Gospel Means Freedom

      Scripture: Galatians 5:1-15

      I. How Gospel Freedom Is Received

      A. Christ accomplishes freedom

      1. Paul has been building this theme throughout the letter: Galatians 1:4, 3:13, 3:23, 4:4-5, 4:7
      2. Christ was born under the law, kept the whole law, and bore the curse of the law on behalf of his people
      3. John 8:36 — "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed"
      4. Freedom from self-working: no longer captive to the anxiety of maintaining one's own spiritual account; conscience is free and quiet, not fearing God's wrath (Luther)
      5. Freedom from the tyranny of sin, Satan, and death — vanquished enemies (Calvin)

        6. B. God calls to freedom

        1. Paul mentions God's calling twice: verses 8 and 13
        2. Effectual calling: God enlivens, convicts, renews the will, and persuades the sinner to believe on Christ
        3. Freedom in Christ is received because God has personally called his people to it — as his word of creation accomplished what he intended, so his word of new creation brings his people to freedom
          4. II. How Gospel Freedom Is Wrecked

          A. The danger of other doctrines

          1. Verse 1: the immediate command — "stand firm and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery"
          2. Roman Catholic teaching: justification by checking off prescribed boxes, reducing one's eternal sentence through works
          3. Broad evangelical teaching: christless moralism — what must I do? Give away wealth, move into poor neighborhoods, compromise on sin to show acceptance
          4. Galatians 5:9 — "A little leaven leavens the whole lump"; even a small admixture of works-righteousness corrupts the whole

            5. B. The outcome of other doctrines

            1. Verse 4 — "You are severed from Christ": trusting in self-goodness declares Christ's work wasted, amounting to a life of spitting in the face of Jesus
            2. Paul reserves his strongest condemnation for the false teachers who cut others off from the truth
            3. Verse 12 — "Let them emasculate themselves": echoing the psalms of imprecation, this is not a wish that any be prevented from salvation, but a prayer that the wolf threatening the flock be fully and finally cut off for the sake of God's glory and the safety of the church (Calvin)
              4. III. How Gospel Freedom Is Rightly Used

              A. In hopeful waiting — Galatians 5:5

              1. 2 Corinthians 3:17 — "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom"; the Spirit applies gospel freedom through faith, not law-keeping
              2. "The hope of righteousness" has two interconnected meanings:
                • Believers are already declared righteous in Christ, yet await final, public vindication before all creation on the day of Christ
                • Daily, believers need to be reminded of their righteousness in Christ as a balm against despair and the temptation to trust in their own merits
                • The call: stand firm, keep believing the gospel, live in the hope of what is already yours and will one day be confirmed

                  • B. In loving action — Galatians 5:13-15

                  1. Gospel freedom is not freedom to indulge the flesh or to use and abuse others for selfish ends
                  2. The animalistic imagery of "biting, devouring, consuming" pictures life under a false gospel — competing works, shoving for position
                  3. Gospel freedom is freedom to love: the whole law is fulfilled in one word — Galatians 5:14, quoting the second great commandment
                  4. John 13 — Christ's new commandment: "As I have loved you, so you are to love one another"; love within the body bears witness to the watching world
                  5. The question for the church: what is our love for the body proclaiming to the world?
                  6. Gospel freedom propels the believer to love God and neighbor, to serve others even at great cost — this is the transformation the gospel works
                    7. 34 min
                  7. Kingdom Distinctives

                    Scripture: 2 Samuel 10

                    Order of Service
                    • Announcements
                    • Hymn — All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
                    • Call to Worship — Philippians 2:6-11
                    • Hymn — All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name (continued)
                    • Prayer of Invocation
                    • Confession of Faith — Apostles' Creed
                    • Scripture Reading — John 6:52-59
                    • Pastoral Prayer
                    • Offering
                    • Prayer of Dedication
                    • Hymn — The Solid Rock
                    • Sermon
                    • Lord's Supper
                      • Words of Institution — Matthew 26:26-29
                      • Hymn — When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (vv. 1–2)
                      • Bread
                      • Cup
                      • Prayer of Thanksgiving
                      • Hymn — When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (vv. 3–4)
                      • Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
                        • Sermon Title: Kingdom Distinctives

                        Scripture: 2 Samuel 10

                        I. The Kingdom of God Extends a Distinctive Kindness

                        A. David seeks to honor the covenant loyalty (hesed) his family received from Nahash, king of the Ammonites, by sending servants to console Nahash's son Hanun (2 Samuel 10:1-2)

                        B. Hanun's princes advise him to distrust David, and Hanun shames David's servants by shaving their beards and cutting their garments — an act tantamount to a declaration of war (2 Samuel 10:3-5)

                        1. Shaving half the beard was a public emasculation and humiliation in the ancient Near East
                        2. Cutting the robes to expose the men was a symbolic act of castration and contempt

                          3. C. A parallel exists with Rehoboam in 1 Kings 12: listening to foolish counsel rather than following David's example of covenant kindness leads to destruction

                          1. Rehoboam's heavy burdens on Israel split the United Monarchy
                          2. Hanun's cruel counsel begins the Ammonites' own destruction

                            3. D. The Hebrew word hesed (covenant loyalty/kindness) appears twice in verse 2, linking this passage to David's kindness toward Mephibosheth in the previous chapter

                            1. Chapters 7–10 show a "trickle-down" effect of covenant faithfulness: God's covenant with David (2 Samuel 7) → David's victories (2 Samuel 8) → kindness to Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9) → kindness extended even beyond Israel to Nahash's house (2 Samuel 10)
                            2. Horizontal kindness toward neighbors flows from being overwhelmed by the vertical kindness of God
                            3. As we feed on the gospel and are filled with God's love, that love cascades outward to the world
                              4. II. The Kingdom of God Holds a Distinctive Faith

                              A. Hanun, knowing he has committed an act of war, musters a massive coalition force — Ammonites joined by the Syrians of Beth-rehob, Zobah, Maacah, and Tob — against Israel (2 Samuel 10:6-8)

                              B. Joab finds himself boxed in front and rear and divides forces with his brother Abishai (2 Samuel 10:9-10)

                              C. Joab's words of faith are the heart of this section: "Be of good courage…and may the Lord do what seems good to him" (2 Samuel 10:12)

                              1. Joab's faith is not in a guaranteed outcome but in the goodness of God himself
                              2. He does not say "The Lord will certainly give us victory" — his trust is in God's attribute of goodness, not in a specific deliverance
                              3. God often speaks through unlikely people; Joab is a flawed, even tragic figure, yet God uses him here to model genuine faith

                                4. D. Contrast with a deficient faith that is actually faith in self or in favorable circumstances

                                1. The skeptic's demand: "If God did this, then I would believe" — placing God on the dock (C. S. Lewis)
                                2. The believer's temptation: defining God's goodness by personal outcomes, leading to paralysis and fear
                                3. Fear of embarrassment, fear of illness, fear for children, fear of death — all flow from a faith bounded by circumstances rather than grounded in who God is

                                  4. E. Illustration: The Moon Is Always Round by Jonathan Gibson — behind the dark clouds of circumstance, God remains always good

                                  1. The application: live by faith in the God who is good, whether at Golgotha or in glory
                                  2. Fight for the city of God with courage rooted in God's eternal goodness, not perceived outcomes
                                    3. III. The Kingdom of God Needs a Distinctive King

                                    A. The Syrians are routed by David; their commander Shobach is killed; the servants of Hadadezer make peace with Israel and become subject to David (2 Samuel 10:15-19)

                                    B. The question is raised: why does the author focus on the Ammonites in chapter 10 when chapter 8 already summarizes David's broader conquests?

                                    1. Chapter 11 reveals the answer: it is while Israel is at war with the Ammonites that David stays home and commits adultery with Bathsheba and arranges the murder of Uriah
                                    2. The word hesed that opens chapter 10 points back to David's faithfulness; the Ammonite setting at the close points forward to his catastrophic failure

                                      3. C. Chapters 6–10 of 2 Samuel present David at his greatest — but chapter 11 exposes that even the most righteous earthly king remains a sinner

                                      1. The same pattern appears in Solomon: 1 Kings 7-10 (the temple, wisdom, the Queen of Sheba) followed by 1 Kings 11 (apostasy through his wives)
                                      2. Both David and Solomon, for all their glory, are ultimately not distinct enough from the kings of the nations

                                        3. D. The kingdom of God therefore needs a king who is distinctly sinless

                                        1. A Roman centurion standing beneath the cross declared: "Surely this is the Son of God" — this is it
                                        2. Christ is the king David and Solomon could only foreshadow — he has won the final victory over sin and death
                                        3. The Lord's Table this morning is the table of that sinless King, who invites his people to come, taste, and be fed
                                          4. 33 min
                                        4. January 22, 2023; Sunday Evening Worship

                                          Scripture: Galatians 4:21-31

                                          Order of Service
                                          • Call to Worship — Psalm 91:1-2
                                          • Hymn — To God Be the Glory (#55)
                                          • Catechism — Westminster Shorter Catechism Questions 86 & 87
                                          • Hymn — Be Thou My Vision (#642)
                                          • Pastoral Prayer
                                          • Scripture Reading — Galatians 4:21-31
                                          • Sermon
                                          • Hymn — (#455)
                                          • Benediction
                                            • Sermon Title: The Power, Place, and Persecution of True Freedom

                                            Scripture: Galatians 4:21-31

                                            I. The Power of True Freedom

                                            A. Paul uses Abraham's two sons as an allegorical illustration of two kinds of offspring

                                            1. Ishmael — born of the slave woman Hagar, born according to the flesh (human effort)
                                            2. Isaac — born of the free woman Sarah, born according to promise and according to the Spirit

                                              3. B. The people of God have always been a people born by the Spirit, not by the flesh

                                              1. Isaac's supernatural birth to the barren Sarah is a prototypical example
                                              2. Jesus makes the same point in John 3:5-7: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit"
                                              3. Nicodemus, a teacher of the law, should not have marveled — it was already in the Torah

                                                4. C. Paul rebukes those desiring to be under the law: are you not reading your own scriptures? (Galatians 4:21)

                                                D. To live by the Spirit is to live in constant dependence and helplessness before God, trusting him alone

                                                1. Sarah living according to the flesh: giving Hagar to Abraham through her own scheming
                                                2. Sarah living according to the Spirit: utterly helpless, trusting only in God's promise
                                                3. Augustine: "God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to receive them"

                                                  4. E. Every religious system outside of Scripture ultimately redirects trust back to human effort

                                                  1. Islam — Christ is acknowledged as a sinless prophet, but salvation depends on your own effort
                                                  2. Mormonism — sounds orthodox on the surface, but ultimately depends on human effort
                                                  3. Roman Catholicism — affirms orthodox Christology, but adds human effort through works and tradition
                                                  4. All systems outside the closed Canon share this common ingredient: they take eyes off Christ alone

                                                    5. F. The Canon of Scripture is thoroughly Christ-centered from beginning to end

                                                    1. Begins with the promise of the seed of the woman crushing the serpent (Genesis 3:15)
                                                    2. Ends with the promise of Christ's return (Revelation 22:20-21)
                                                    3. Anything seeking to take eyes off Christ is of the flesh, not of the Spirit
                                                      4. II. The Place of True Freedom

                                                      A. Paul sets forth two covenants and two Jerusalems (Galatians 4:24-26)

                                                      1. Present (earthly) Jerusalem corresponds to Hagar — slavery
                                                      2. Jerusalem above (heavenly) is free — she is our mother

                                                        3. B. Paul quotes Isaiah 54:1 — the restoration of Zion fulfilled in redemption and citizenship in heavenly Zion

                                                        C. True freedom is found where Christ is seated — Colossians 3:1-2

                                                        1. "Set your minds on things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God"
                                                        2. An earthly mindset is produced by slavery to the law and human effort as the means of salvation

                                                          3. D. Herman Ridderbos: God's word of power to barren Sarah, the promise to Israel in captivity, and the preaching of the gospel are united — all share the common element of the Divine word giving life, freedom, and redemption; all find their home in Christ

                                                          E. The earthly types and shadows of the old covenant were always meant to point to the heavenly reality

                                                          1. The earthly Tabernacle was a copy and shadow of the heavenly original (Hebrews 8)
                                                          2. In Christ, the heavenly reality itself has arrived

                                                            3. F. The veil that blinds to heavenly Jerusalem is removed only in Christ — 2 Corinthians 3:15-17

                                                            1. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom"
                                                            2. This heavenly mindset comes not by human effort or law-keeping, but only by the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit
                                                              3. III. The Persecution of True Freedom

                                                              A. Just as Ishmael persecuted Isaac, those born of the flesh persecute those born of the Spirit — Galatians 4:28-29

                                                              B. The persecution Paul has in view here is not Roman imperial persecution, but a more crafty and insidious persecution from within the covenant community

                                                              1. The Judaizers had infiltrated the church and were enslaving Gentile consciences to the law
                                                              2. Paul's command: cast out the slave woman and her son — expel false gospel peddlers from the church

                                                                3. C. This persecution can be summarized as the enslaving of the conscience by anything outside of the gospel of Christ

                                                                1. The Reformers understood this — no bishop or pope has the right to bind consciences outside of the one gospel
                                                                2. If anything outside of Christ alone is used as a litmus test for standing before God, that is persecution of the children of God

                                                                  3. D. Examples of false litmus tests that persecute the freedom of believers

                                                                  1. Allegiance to a political movement or party
                                                                  2. Method of educating one's children
                                                                  3. Allegiance to philosophical systems or cultural commentators
                                                                  4. Loyalty to certain preachers, podcasts, or media personalities

                                                                    5. E. Charles Hodge refused to bring politics into the pulpit, recognizing the insidious nature of this persecution; the best of the Reformed churches have followed suit

                                                                    F. The church is to be a consistent place where Christ and Christ alone is magnified and exalted, in every era of redemptive history, regardless of surrounding culture

                                                                    30 min
                                                                  5. January 22 2023; Sunday Morning Worship

                                                                    Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:24-??

                                                                    Order of Service
                                                                    • Call to Worship — Psalm 34:1-3
                                                                    • Hymn — When Morning Gilds the Skies
                                                                    • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                    • Confession of Faith — Belgic Confession
                                                                    • Scripture Reading — Acts 17:16-34
                                                                    • Hymn — Rejoice, All Ye Believers
                                                                    • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                    • Offering
                                                                    • Prayer of Dedication
                                                                    • Hymn — Thine Is the Glory
                                                                    • Sermon
                                                                    • Prayer of Application
                                                                    • Hymn — Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
                                                                    • Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
                                                                      • Sermon Title: Evidence of the Davidic Kingdom Come

                                                                      Scripture: 2 Samuel 8:1-18

                                                                      I. The Evidence of Subjugation

                                                                      A. Chapter 8 records not merely the defeat but the subjugation of Israel's enemies

                                                                      1. Philistines subdued (2 Samuel 8:1)
                                                                      2. Moab becomes servants and pays tribute (2 Samuel 8:2)
                                                                      3. Syrians become David's servants and bring tribute (2 Samuel 8:6)
                                                                      4. King Toi of Hamath brings silver, gold, and bronze (2 Samuel 8:9-10)
                                                                      5. Edom becomes David's servants (2 Samuel 8:14)

                                                                        6. B. The nations listed in verse 12 carry deep significance, going back to Israel's origin stories

                                                                        1. Philistines, Amalekites, Ammonites, Moabites — enemies from the Exodus and wilderness wandering
                                                                        2. In Exodus 13, God directed Israel around Philistine territory
                                                                        3. In Numbers 23-24, Balaam prophesied destruction of those who opposed Israel in the wilderness

                                                                          4. C. This subjugation publicly demonstrates that God's Abrahamic Covenant promises are coming to fruition through the conquering Davidic King — nations serve the anointed one, they "kiss the Son" (Psalm 2)

                                                                          D. The New Covenant fulfillment: Christ's resurrection is the public declaration that he is the conquering King over heaven and earth (Acts 17:30-31)

                                                                          1. All people everywhere are commanded to repent
                                                                          2. Two paths: subdued by Christ's Spirit as disciples, or subdued by Christ's wrath as enemies
                                                                          3. Application: Are you living under the subjugation of Christ, or as his enemy?
                                                                            4. II. The Evidence of Righteousness

                                                                            A. David's campaign against Hadadezer of Zobah extends from the far north to the far south in Edom, showing David rules over all Israel (2 Samuel 8:3-8)

                                                                            B. David hamstrings the chariot horses, keeping only enough for 100 chariots

                                                                            1. This unusual act reflects the law of the king in Deuteronomy 17:16 — the king shall not acquire many horses
                                                                            2. David dedicates all captured silver, gold, and bronze to the Lord rather than hoarding it (2 Samuel 8:7-11), consistent with Deuteronomy 17 forbidding excess silver and gold

                                                                              3. C. David administered justice and equity to all his people (2 Samuel 8:15)

                                                                              1. The Hebrew words for justice and equity together carry the idea of mercy and care for the downtrodden, orphans, widows, and outcasts
                                                                              2. Justice and equity for all people — David judges impartially, without partiality to rich or poor

                                                                                3. D. New Covenant fulfillment: impartiality and equality before God is a major theme of the New Testament

                                                                                1. Paul combats partiality at Corinth — the wealthy eating while the poor go hungry
                                                                                2. Galatians 3:28 — neither Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, male nor female; all one in Christ Jesus
                                                                                3. James calls Christ's rule the "law of liberty" — all who come to Christ have equal claim to it
                                                                                4. The church, as the body of the King, is called to administer his justice and equity to all people impartially
                                                                                  5. III. The Evidence of Organization

                                                                                  A. David's administration of justice and equity is tied to the organized offices he establishes (2 Samuel 8:16-18)

                                                                                  1. Specific men are appointed to specific administrative roles
                                                                                  2. These offices are not independent but do the king's bidding within their respective specialties

                                                                                    3. B. This organized structure answers the dilemma of the book of Judges

                                                                                    1. Judges: no king, everyone doing what is right in their own eyes — wickedness reigns
                                                                                    2. With a king and governing authority established, the result is justice and equity

                                                                                      3. C. New Covenant fulfillment: Christ, enthroned in heaven, pours out his Spirit and organizes his church

                                                                                      1. In Acts, the apostles plant and organize churches by the Spirit following the directives of the King
                                                                                      2. In the Pastoral Epistles, Paul instructs the church to appoint elders and deacons to administer Christ's rule — his law of liberty — bringing justice and equity to the covenant community

                                                                                        3. D. Application: Christians are not called to live as individuals on an island (the way of Judges) but to submit to the organized governing structure Christ has established in his church

                                                                                        1. The church's sessions, presbyteries, and assemblies are courts — governing authorities by which the King rules his people
                                                                                        2. Submission to the courts of Christ on earth seals the heart to the heavenly courts above
                                                                                          3. 33 min
                                                                                        3. January 15, 2023; Sunday Evening Worship

                                                                                          Scripture: Galatians 4:8-20

                                                                                          Order of Service
                                                                                          • Call to Worship — Psalm 98:1-3
                                                                                          • Hymn — Come Let Us Sing unto the Lord (#16)
                                                                                          • Catechism Reading — Westminster Shorter Catechism Q&A 84–85
                                                                                          • Hymn — Not What My Hands Have Done (#461)
                                                                                          • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                          • Sermon
                                                                                          • Hymn — Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken (#345)
                                                                                          • Benediction — Hebrews 13:20-21
                                                                                            • Sermon Title: The Shape, Tragedy, and Remedy of Turning Back

                                                                                            Scripture: Galatians 4:8-20

                                                                                            I. The Shape and Tragedy of Turning Back

                                                                                            A. The Galatians' former condition: enslaved to false gods

                                                                                            1. Their life before the gospel was marked by captivity to lifeless idols and vain religious speculations
                                                                                            2. Paul contrasts this with what they received: not merely knowing God, but being known by God

                                                                                              3. B. The significance of being known by God

                                                                                              1. To be known by God conveys rich covenantal intimacy — his eternal love set upon his people
                                                                                              2. As in Romans 8:29, "foreknew" means God fore-loved and fore-chose his people from the foundation of the world
                                                                                              3. This knowing is a fact for believers, not merely a feeling

                                                                                                4. C. The tragedy of turning back to weak and worthless elementary principles

                                                                                                1. The Galatians had left pagan idolatry behind, but under the influence of the Judaizers were now adding law-keeping to faith in Christ
                                                                                                2. Per Galatians 4:10, this included observing religious days, months, seasons, and years — shadows that pointed to Christ
                                                                                                3. To return to the shadows when you have the substance is Paul's grievance: why trade the substance for the shadow?

                                                                                                  4. D. We can make the same error with good things today

                                                                                                  1. Scripture can be misused as a textbook for self-advancement rather than as the means by which we are led to Christ
                                                                                                  2. Church attendance can become a self-serving social tradition rather than the gathered worship of God's people
                                                                                                  3. When good means are misused they become weak and worthless — elementary principles

                                                                                                    4. E. The tragedy of fractured relationships caused by turning back (Galatians 4:13-18)

                                                                                                    1. Paul recalls the rich fellowship and sacrificial care the Galatians once showed him — willing to give him their very eyes
                                                                                                    2. The Judaizers' influence has poisoned that fellowship so that Paul must ask: "Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?"
                                                                                                    3. Turning away from Christ toward elementary principles almost always produces fracture, jealousy, and haughty thoughts within the body
                                                                                                      4. II. The Remedy for Turning Back

                                                                                                      A. Paul's pastoral goal mirrors what he states in Colossians 1: toiling and struggling with all Christ's energy to present every believer mature in Christ

                                                                                                      1. This is the goal of every faithful pastor: preach Christ and present his people as mature in him

                                                                                                        2. B. The Galatians' lost blessedness (Galatians 4:15)

                                                                                                        1. They had received the gospel with makarios — deep happiness and blessedness
                                                                                                        2. Paul's pointed question: "What then has become of your blessedness?" — where is the joy you once had in Christ?
                                                                                                        3. Diagnostic questions for today: Do you still find joy in Christ preached? Is he your greatest happiness? Does the Word move the needle of your heart?

                                                                                                          4. C. The central remedy: Christ himself formed in the believer (Galatians 4:19)

                                                                                                          1. Paul is in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in the Galatians — vivid language for the goal of gospel ministry
                                                                                                          2. The Spirit works through the Word — read and preached — to form Christ in the believer: we begin to think what he thinks, love what he loves, do what he does, even suffer what he suffers
                                                                                                          3. The fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5 — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control — is the life of Christ being formed in his people by the Spirit as Master Gardener

                                                                                                            4. D. The goal is full formation, not partial

                                                                                                            1. The whole Christ is to be formed in the whole person — all the mind, all the will, all the affection
                                                                                                            2. The promise: he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion
                                                                                                            3. The call: further up and further in — keep running toward Christ, do not turn back to elementary principles
                                                                                                              4. 33 min
                                                                                                            4. January 15, 2023; Sunday Morning Worship

                                                                                                              Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:18-29

                                                                                                              Order of Service
                                                                                                              • Hymn — Glorify Thy Name
                                                                                                              • Call to Worship — Psalm 113
                                                                                                              • Hymn — Glorify Thy Name
                                                                                                              • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                              • Confession of Sin
                                                                                                              • Assurance of Pardon — Romans 10:9-10
                                                                                                              • Scripture Reading — Acts 17:1-15
                                                                                                              • Hymn — God in the Gospel of His Son
                                                                                                              • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                              • Offering
                                                                                                              • Prayer of Dedication
                                                                                                              • Hymn — Praise My Soul the King of Heaven
                                                                                                              • Sermon
                                                                                                              • Hymn — My Faith Looks Up to Thee
                                                                                                              • Benediction
                                                                                                                • Sermon Title: Responding to the Dumbfounding Grace of God

                                                                                                                Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:18-29

                                                                                                                I. Praise God for His Gracious Word

                                                                                                                A. Yahweh is a speaking God whose words are saturated with grace

                                                                                                                1. The refrain of God's speech runs throughout the passage: "you have spoken" (2 Sam. 7:19, 25, 28-29); "your words are true"; "all that we have heard with our ears"
                                                                                                                2. This distinguishes Yahweh from all false gods of the ancient Near East, who were not speaking gods

                                                                                                                  3. B. David addresses God as Adonai Yahweh (Lord God) eight times — unique in 2 Samuel

                                                                                                                  1. Adonai = Master, total authority; Yahweh = the Covenant God of Israel
                                                                                                                  2. David is not a manifestation of God; he is a servant wholly dependent on God's word

                                                                                                                    3. C. God's gracious word flows from the heart of God, not the heart of man

                                                                                                                    1. 2 Samuel 7:20-21 — "according to your own heart you have brought about all this greatness" — the language of gracious election
                                                                                                                    2. God does not look down the corridors of time and choose David because of David's worthy heart; the promise flows entirely from God's own heart
                                                                                                                    3. Application: In every difficulty, suffering, and confusion, God says, "I give you my word" — and his word, unlike our own introspective consolations, is the only anchor that can lift a downcast soul
                                                                                                                      4. II. Praise God for His Gracious People

                                                                                                                      A. Israel is unique only because of what God has graciously done for them (2 Samuel 7:23-24)

                                                                                                                      1. David's language about Israel mirrors his language about Yahweh — "who is like your people Israel?" — echoing "there is none like you"
                                                                                                                      2. God's redemption of Israel from Egypt was not merely physical but spiritual: he redeemed them from "a nation and its gods" (2 Sam. 7:23)
                                                                                                                      3. Application: God is not aloof to those who anguish over wayward covenant children and loved ones; he sees, he knows, and he pities their spiritual bondage — continue to hope in the covenant-keeping Lord

                                                                                                                        4. B. Through Israel, God made himself a name spread among the nations

                                                                                                                        1. The surrounding nations consistently attributed the fame of Yahweh to the Exodus — the great turning point that put Yahweh's name before the world

                                                                                                                          2. C. God's redemptive grace toward Israel is Torah (instruction) for all mankind (2 Samuel 7:19)

                                                                                                                          1. The Hebrew word for "instruction" here is Torah — God's redemptive plan centered on Israel and David's house is an instruction manual for all humanity
                                                                                                                          2. Paul echoes this theme: Romans 4:23-24 — Abraham's justification by faith "was not written for his sake alone, but for ours also"; 1 Corinthians 10:11 — Israel's wilderness failures "were written down for our instruction"
                                                                                                                          3. God's people have always been a people of the Book; the written, inscripturated word ensures that the gospel is not left to a game of telephone but is codified by the Holy Spirit as a Torah for all mankind to the ends of the earth
                                                                                                                            4. III. Petition God According to His Gracious Promise

                                                                                                                            A. David's bold petition models how God's people are to pray (2 Samuel 7:25-29)

                                                                                                                            1. The key word is "confirm" (v. 25) — Hebrew meaning "to stand, to arise" — David asks God to cause his word to stand firm: "do as you have spoken"
                                                                                                                            2. This bold language from a self-described lowly servant raises the question: where does David find such courage?

                                                                                                                              3. B. David's courage to pray boldly is grounded in God's revelation of his covenant promise (2 Samuel 7:27)

                                                                                                                              1. "You have made this revelation to your servant… therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer"
                                                                                                                              2. It is essential to hold God's revelation and covenant together: God reveals himself as a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God so that his children can say, "But you promised"

                                                                                                                                3. C. God's revelation is not a random word cast into the atmosphere — it is a personal, covenantal word

                                                                                                                                1. Revelation is personal; revelation is covenantal; revelation is purposeful
                                                                                                                                2. In these last days, God's ultimate covenantal condescension is his Son, who fulfills the Davidic covenant and through whom all God's promises are "Yes and Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20)
                                                                                                                                3. New Covenant believers can come through Christ to the Father and cry, "Abba, Father — do as you promised"; and as last-days people we pray with confidence: Maranatha — come quickly, Lord Jesus
                                                                                                                                  4. 34 min
                                                                                                                                4. January 8, 2023; Sunday Evening Worship

                                                                                                                                  Scripture: Galatians 4:1-7

                                                                                                                                  Order of Service
                                                                                                                                  • Call to Worship — Psalm 113
                                                                                                                                  • Hymn — Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (#53)
                                                                                                                                  • Catechism — Westminster Shorter Catechism Questions 82 & 83
                                                                                                                                  • Hymn — Who Is on the Lord's Side? (#587)
                                                                                                                                  • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                  • Scripture Reading — Galatians 4:1-7
                                                                                                                                  • Sermon
                                                                                                                                  • Hymn — Amazing Grace (#460)
                                                                                                                                  • Benediction
                                                                                                                                    • Sermon Title: Slave, Redeemed, and Son — The Inheritance of Adoption

                                                                                                                                    Scripture: Galatians 4:1-7

                                                                                                                                    I. Slave Heirs (Galatians 4:1-3)

                                                                                                                                    A. Paul likens the people of God before Christ's coming to a child-heir placed under guardians and managers, treated as a slave until the time appointed by the father.

                                                                                                                                    B. Both Jews and Gentiles are described as enslaved to the "elementary principles of the world" before the fullness of time.

                                                                                                                                    1. This language appears in Colossians 2 to describe mystical paganism; here Paul applies it also to those who misuse God's law as a means of salvation.
                                                                                                                                    2. Paul is not equating God's law with pagan ritual, but indicting the misuse of the Mosaic covenant as a means to salvation — the error of the Judaizers in Galatia.
                                                                                                                                    3. The proper use of the law (as teacher/pedagogue, per Galatians 3) is to expose sin and drive sinners to Christ; to use it as a means of salvation is to make it an idol.

                                                                                                                                      4. C. Warning against Pharisaism within conservative Christianity.

                                                                                                                                      1. The Pharisees used God's law as an idol and missed Christ completely.
                                                                                                                                      2. The Bible is not our salvation; it is revelation pointing us to where salvation is found — in Christ alone.
                                                                                                                                      3. A Bible wielded as a cultural trump card rather than as a mirror revealing sin and driving us to Christ places us among those enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.
                                                                                                                                        4. II. Redeemed Heirs (Galatians 4:4-5)

                                                                                                                                        A. "God sent forth his Son" — language indicating the pre-existence of the Son, sent from heaven, born of a woman.

                                                                                                                                        1. The phrase "born of a woman" (without the definite article) stresses Christ's humility and condescension, not the identity of Mary.
                                                                                                                                        2. This is a polemic against elevating Mary; the emphasis is entirely on Christ and his incarnation.

                                                                                                                                          3. B. Christ was "born under the law to redeem those who were under the law."

                                                                                                                                          1. Jews were under the Mosaic law; Gentiles were under the moral law written on their hearts (Romans 2:14-16).
                                                                                                                                          2. The decalogue is a codification of what is imprinted on every image-bearer's heart by nature; conscience itself bears witness to God's law.
                                                                                                                                          3. Christ redeems all of Adam's race — not only Jews — from slavery to the elementary principles of the world.

                                                                                                                                            4. C. Christ's active and passive obedience.

                                                                                                                                            1. Active obedience: throughout his life Christ kept every requirement of God's law, being born in original righteousness.
                                                                                                                                            2. Passive obedience: at the cross Christ bore the full condemning and exposing power of the law on behalf of sinners — knowing that condemnation as no one else ever has.
                                                                                                                                            3. Illustration: unlike climbers of Mount Everest who celebrate at the summit, Christ at the peak of the law's demands laid himself on the cross at Calvary — and he did it alone, entirely for us.

                                                                                                                                              4. D. The fullness of time (plēroma) — the moment appointed by God before the foundation of the world.

                                                                                                                                              1. Time itself is God's creation (Genesis 1:14); every day, month, and year drives toward its fulfillment in Christ.
                                                                                                                                              2. Time is often humanity's greatest enemy because sin and death reign, making the shortening of life a source of anxiety and fear.
                                                                                                                                              3. Christ's redemption redeems time itself; believers are called to orient every moment toward the kingdom (Matthew 6; Ephesians 5:15-17).
                                                                                                                                                4. III. Son Heirs (Galatians 4:6-7)

                                                                                                                                                A. The Spirit does not make us sons; rather, because we are sons, God sends the Spirit of his Son into our hearts.

                                                                                                                                                1. The analogy is unbroken: the heir, even while under guardians, is still the heir; sonship is the ground of receiving the Spirit, while the Spirit gives existential experience of that sonship.
                                                                                                                                                2. Ridderbos: "The sonship of believers may be called the ground for the receiving of the Spirit; at another, the gift of the Spirit may be designated as the means through which believers become conscious of their kinship."

                                                                                                                                                  3. B. Adoption as sons was purposed before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-4).

                                                                                                                                                  1. Our adoption is not merely experienced at conversion; it was decreed in eternity past.
                                                                                                                                                  2. Union with Christ in redemptive history (the cross, over 2,000 years ago) and union with Christ in the order of salvation (experienced at conversion) are both true simultaneously — the dynamic of election and salvation.

                                                                                                                                                    3. C. The Spirit cries "Abba, Father" within us.

                                                                                                                                                    1. This is not a cold, rote recitation but a passionate, joyful cry from the depths of the redeemed heart.
                                                                                                                                                    2. Ridderbos: in distinction from the law, which is an external authority unable to change the heart, the Spirit as the gift of the new covenant penetrates the heart to quicken and renew it.
                                                                                                                                                    3. When believers cry "Abba, Father," it is Christ himself, by his Spirit, crying it through them to the ears of his Father — the ultimate incentive for joyful, heartfelt praise.
                                                                                                                                                      4. 34 min
                                                                                                                                                    4. Kingdom Covenant

                                                                                                                                                      Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:1-17

                                                                                                                                                      Order of Service
                                                                                                                                                      • Announcements
                                                                                                                                                      • Hymn — All Praise to God Who Reigns Above
                                                                                                                                                      • Call to Worship — Psalm 107
                                                                                                                                                      • Hymn — All Praise to God Who Reigns Above
                                                                                                                                                      • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                                      • Confession of Faith — Nicene Creed
                                                                                                                                                      • Scripture Reading — Acts 16:25–40
                                                                                                                                                      • Hymn — My Faith Has Found a Resting Place
                                                                                                                                                      • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                                      • Offering
                                                                                                                                                      • Prayer of Dedication
                                                                                                                                                      • Hymn — The Church's One Foundation
                                                                                                                                                      • Sermon
                                                                                                                                                      • Lord's Supper
                                                                                                                                                      • Hymn — Nothing but the Blood (vv. 1–2)
                                                                                                                                                      • Distribution of Bread
                                                                                                                                                      • Distribution of Cup
                                                                                                                                                      • Prayer of Thanksgiving
                                                                                                                                                      • Hymn — Nothing but the Blood (vv. 3–4)
                                                                                                                                                      • Benediction — 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24
                                                                                                                                                        • Sermon Title: Kingdom Covenant

                                                                                                                                                        Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:1–17

                                                                                                                                                        I. The Kingdom Covenant Consists of a Full House

                                                                                                                                                        A. David desires to build the Lord a house (temple) in Jerusalem

                                                                                                                                                        1. After bringing the Ark into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6), David seeks to unify Yahweh's throne with his own throne in one capital city
                                                                                                                                                        2. He wants a permanent structure (temple) rather than a temporary tent (tabernacle) to signify the stability of God's rule alongside his own

                                                                                                                                                          3. B. God responds with a wordplay on "house" — He will build David a house (dynasty), not the other way around

                                                                                                                                                          1. The immediate/penultimate fulfillment: Solomon builds the temple (1 Kings 1), but Solomon's reign is not eternal and the temple is eventually destroyed
                                                                                                                                                          2. The ultimate fulfillment: David's greater Son, Jesus Christ, builds a house of living people — the church

                                                                                                                                                            3. C. The New Testament applies temple/house language to the church

                                                                                                                                                            1. 1 Corinthians 3:9 — "You are God's field, God's building"
                                                                                                                                                            2. 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 — "You are God's temple and God's Spirit dwells in you"
                                                                                                                                                            3. 1 Peter 2:5 — "Like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house"
                                                                                                                                                            4. Ephesians 2:19–20 — Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ as the cornerstone

                                                                                                                                                              5. D. God's chief concern is not brick and mortar but a people — those who trust in Christ are heirs of these Davidic Covenant promises

                                                                                                                                                              II. The Kingdom Covenant Is Fulfilled by Grace

                                                                                                                                                              A. God, not David, is the active agent throughout the passage

                                                                                                                                                              1. The repetition of divine action: "I brought up… I have moved… I took you… I have been with you… I have cut off your enemies… I will make your name great… I will appoint a place…" (2 Samuel 7:6–10)
                                                                                                                                                              2. Man does zero percent of the work in bringing in the Kingdom — God does it all

                                                                                                                                                                3. B. God's covenant is unlike ancient Near Eastern royal custom

                                                                                                                                                                1. Ancient Near Eastern kings would win victories, credit a god, and build a temple in return — a transactional relationship
                                                                                                                                                                2. The God of Israel condescends out of sheer love, not for his own benefit but for the welfare of his people

                                                                                                                                                                  3. C. God's tabernacling with his people is an act of pure grace

                                                                                                                                                                  1. The tent/tabernacle imagery: God identifies as a sojourner who wanders with his people
                                                                                                                                                                  2. John 1:14 — "The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us"
                                                                                                                                                                  3. Application: Whether feeling like a sojourner in a post-Christian culture or from the inner conflict of sin (Romans 7), Christ by his Spirit pitches his tent within the soul and goes with his people

                                                                                                                                                                    4. D. The reward Christ gains from his gracious condescension is his people — his bride, his treasure, his possession

                                                                                                                                                                    III. The Kingdom Covenant Is Realized in a Fulfilling Son

                                                                                                                                                                    A. God declares a unique father-son relationship with David's offspring (2 Samuel 7:14)

                                                                                                                                                                    1. This is the first time in redemptive history that God calls an individual the Son of God (corporate Israel was called God's son in Exodus 4, but never an individual)
                                                                                                                                                                    2. "Son of God" thus becomes the royal title for the king who sits on David's throne

                                                                                                                                                                      3. B. God outdoes David's ambition — rather than mere unity of place (a shared capital city), God promises unity through a father-son relationship

                                                                                                                                                                      C. Penultimate fulfillment in Solomon

                                                                                                                                                                      1. 1 Kings 1:48 — David blesses God for granting someone to sit on his throne
                                                                                                                                                                      2. Solomon fulfills this in a foreshadowing/typological sense — he builds the temple and sits on David's throne

                                                                                                                                                                        3. D. Ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ

                                                                                                                                                                        1. Psalm 110:1 — "The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand" — Solomon was not David's Lord and never sat at God's right hand
                                                                                                                                                                        2. Jesus rides triumphantly (on a donkey) and is established as King over heaven and earth
                                                                                                                                                                        3. Hebrews 1 — After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high
                                                                                                                                                                        4. Jesus is not merely on a type of God's throne but on the very throne of God — the exact imprint of the Father's nature, Son in essence

                                                                                                                                                                          5. E. Believers share in the Son's royal sonship

                                                                                                                                                                          1. In the Old Testament "son of God" was a royal title; New Covenant believers are now called sons of God — royal heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven
                                                                                                                                                                          2. Christ's Spirit builds up the Father's house — people from every tribe, nation, and tongue — as Royal Sons adopted as heirs
                                                                                                                                                                          3. The consummation: the Father will put every enemy under the feet of King Jesus, and his people will dwell with him forever
                                                                                                                                                                            4. 34 min
                                                                                                                                                                          4. January 1, 2023; Sunday Morning Worship

                                                                                                                                                                            Scripture: Matthew 24

                                                                                                                                                                            Order of Service
                                                                                                                                                                            • Announcements
                                                                                                                                                                            • Hymn — All Creatures of Our God and King
                                                                                                                                                                            • Call to Worship — Psalm 105:1-6
                                                                                                                                                                            • Hymn — All Creatures of Our God and King
                                                                                                                                                                            • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                                                            • Confession of Sin — Psalm 38
                                                                                                                                                                            • Assurance of Pardon — 1 John 1:9
                                                                                                                                                                            • Scripture Reading — Acts 16:16-24
                                                                                                                                                                            • Hymn — Be Still My Soul
                                                                                                                                                                            • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                                                            • Offering
                                                                                                                                                                            • Hymn — Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy
                                                                                                                                                                            • Sermon
                                                                                                                                                                            • Hymn — Marvelous Grace of Our Loving Lord
                                                                                                                                                                            • Benediction
                                                                                                                                                                              • Sermon Title: Be Ready for the Coming of the Son of Man

                                                                                                                                                                              Scripture: Matthew 24:36-51

                                                                                                                                                                              I. The Certainty and Unknowability of Christ's Return

                                                                                                                                                                              A. Jesus answers the disciples' question — what will be the sign of his coming and the end of the age — with a striking admission: no one knows the day or the hour

                                                                                                                                                                              • Not the angels, not even the Son, but the Father only (Matthew 24:36; cf. Mark 13:32)
                                                                                                                                                                              • Anyone who claims to know the timing of Christ's return contradicts the plain testimony of Jesus

                                                                                                                                                                                • B. The main point of the discourse: Jesus is coming back, and his disciples must be ready

                                                                                                                                                                                • His return is imminent; it ought to be in the forefront of the believer's mind at all times
                                                                                                                                                                                • The proper posture of a disciple is hopeful and vigilant expectation
                                                                                                                                                                                  • II. Be Ready — The Warning from the Days of Noah

                                                                                                                                                                                  A. Jesus illustrates his instruction with the history of the flood (Matthew 24:37-39; cf. Genesis 6)

                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Noah was warned by God and commissioned to build the ark as a proclamation of coming judgment
                                                                                                                                                                                  2. Noah was a herald of righteousness — preaching both by word and by action (cf. 2 Peter 2:5)
                                                                                                                                                                                  3. The people carried on life as usual — eating, drinking, marrying — heedless of the warning

                                                                                                                                                                                    4. B. As it was in Noah's day, so will be the coming of the Son of Man

                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Many will be caught unaware and unprepared despite clear biblical warnings
                                                                                                                                                                                    2. Christ addresses this warning primarily to those inside the church, not the world

                                                                                                                                                                                      3. C. The distinction of the taken and the left (Matthew 24:40-41)

                                                                                                                                                                                      1. This is not a secret rapture, but a distinction within the visible church between the truly elect and the unbelieving
                                                                                                                                                                                      2. The parables of chapter 25 (the wise and foolish virgins, the faithful and wicked servants) support this interpretation
                                                                                                                                                                                        3. III. Be Holy — The Call to Vigilance and Personal Holiness

                                                                                                                                                                                        A. Jesus commands his disciples to stay awake and keep watch (Matthew 24:42)

                                                                                                                                                                                        1. This is a call to vigilance over the heart, the mind, and the private thought life
                                                                                                                                                                                        2. As Paul writes, we are to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5)
                                                                                                                                                                                        3. We are to be holy in all conduct, as he who called us is holy

                                                                                                                                                                                          4. B. The root sin of the wicked servant is unbelief that his master would return (Matthew 24:48-51)

                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Our susceptibility to sin is greatest when we forget that the Master may return at any moment
                                                                                                                                                                                          2. The uncertainty of the hour is a mercy — the Master may interrupt our sin at any time
                                                                                                                                                                                          3. This is a solemn warning to watch over our own souls
                                                                                                                                                                                            4. IV. Be Busy — The Example of the Faithful Steward

                                                                                                                                                                                            A. The faithful and wise servant is found doing precisely what his master commissioned him to do (Matthew 24:45-47)

                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Believers are called to live upright and holy lives in every sphere — work, family, suffering, and age
                                                                                                                                                                                            2. The Word of God, illumined by the Holy Spirit, makes clear what each believer has been commissioned to do

                                                                                                                                                                                              3. B. The calling of every Christian is to persevere in faith with hopeful expectation

                                                                                                                                                                                              1. The reward is with Christ, and he brings it with him at his return
                                                                                                                                                                                              2. Revelation 22 reminds us that he will render to everyone according to their work

                                                                                                                                                                                                3. C. Application for the New Year

                                                                                                                                                                                                1. Enter this year with invigorated commitment to personal holiness
                                                                                                                                                                                                2. As new creations in Christ, be conformed more and more into the image of the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit
                                                                                                                                                                                                3. At all times look toward that day — even so, come Lord Jesus
                                                                                                                                                                                                  4. 35 min
                                                                                                                                                                                                4. Christmas Eve Communion Service
                                                                                                                                                                                                  Order of Service
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Call to Worship — Hebrews 1:5-12
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Hymn — Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Scripture Reading — Luke 2:1-20
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Hymn — See Amid the Winter's Snow
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Sermon
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Prayer of Thanksgiving
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Hymn — In the Bleak Midwinter
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Communion
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Closing Hymn — Silent Night
                                                                                                                                                                                                  • Benediction
                                                                                                                                                                                                    • Sermon Title: The Glory of God's Humility in the Incarnation

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Scripture: Luke 2:13-14

                                                                                                                                                                                                    I. The Glory of God's Creation

                                                                                                                                                                                                    A. The angelic multitude singing praises at the announcement of Christ's birth is a unique occasion in Scripture

                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. In the Old Testament, angels are active as messengers and servants, but a gathered angelic choir is rare
                                                                                                                                                                                                    2. Job 38:1-7 provides the closest parallel: at the original creation, the "sons of God" (the heavenly court; cf. Job 1:6) shouted and sang for joy

                                                                                                                                                                                                      3. B. The angels' song at Christ's birth mirrors their song at the original creation

                                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Just as the angels sang at God's first creation, they sing again at God's New Creation in his Son
                                                                                                                                                                                                      2. The Spirit who hovered over the waters in the beginning now hovers over the womb of the Virgin Mary
                                                                                                                                                                                                      3. The angels cannot help but burst forth in praise to the God of their salvation and of creation
                                                                                                                                                                                                        4. II. The Glory of God's Humility

                                                                                                                                                                                                        A. Psalm 8 declares that God made man "a little lower than the heavenly beings"

                                                                                                                                                                                                        B. The writer of Hebrews applies this psalm to Jesus with a significant change

                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Hebrews 2:7 says God made Jesus for a little while lower than the heavenly beings
                                                                                                                                                                                                        2. By taking on human nature, God himself becomes, for a time, lower than the angels

                                                                                                                                                                                                          3. C. It is Christ's condescension — not his exaltation — that causes the angels to sing

                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. We tend to associate power with grand, majestic displays — armies, cosmic events, vast wealth
                                                                                                                                                                                                          2. But the angels are in awe of a humility no man could have fathomed: God born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes
                                                                                                                                                                                                          3. The angels burst forth in praise at the announcement of his humiliation, not waiting for his resurrection or exaltation

                                                                                                                                                                                                            4. D. Ezekiel Hopkins: the manger and the cross were not places of glorious appearance to carnal reason, yet they display a greater glory than all the armies of heaven standing ready to do God's will

                                                                                                                                                                                                            E. The Apostle Paul calls the Incarnation the mystery of godliness — an event neither man nor angels could have predicted

                                                                                                                                                                                                            1. That God would become man, be subject to kings and rulers, say "yes sir" and "yes ma'am," and still be sustaining all things by his power is both awesome and bewildering
                                                                                                                                                                                                            2. This mystery calls us to join the heavenly anthem and praise the God-man, Jesus Christ
                                                                                                                                                                                                              3. 12 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.