Northpointe PCA Sermons

Northpointe PCA Sermons

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Northpointe PCA Sermons episodes

  • November 22, 2020; Sunday Morning Worship

    Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:9-22

    Order of Service
    • Call to Worship — Isaiah 12:1-6
    • Prayer of Invocation
    • Catechism Recitation — Sixth Commandment (Westminster Shorter Catechism)
    • Scripture Reading — 2 Samuel 1:1-16
    • Membership Vows — Reception of Communicant Member
    • Prayer for New Member
    • Pastoral Prayer
    • Hymn — To God Be the Glory
    • Sermon
    • Hymn — Day by Day
    • Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
      • Sermon Title: The Companionship Paul Longed for at the End of His Life

      Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:9-22

      I. The Companionship of Friends

      A. Paul urgently calls Timothy to come before winter — his beloved son in the faith

      1. The ports close in winter, so Timothy must come soon (2 Timothy 4:9, 21)
      2. Paul also needs his cloak left with Carpus at Troas for the coming cold (2 Timothy 4:13)

        3. B. Demas has deserted Paul out of love for the present world (2 Timothy 4:10; cf. Colossians 4:14; Philemon 24)

        1. Paul's heart is set on the heavenly kingdom; Demas's heart is set on earthly pleasures
        2. The desertion stings — Demas was once a member of Paul's inner circle

          3. C. Mark is a picture of forgiveness and reconciliation (2 Timothy 4:11)

          1. Mark had abandoned Paul on the first missionary journey (Acts 13) and caused a sharp dispute with Barnabas (Acts 15)
          2. Now Paul wants Mark by his side — he is useful for the ministry
          3. Paul does not want to die with bitterness or unresolved division among brothers

            4. D. Luke's faithful companionship reflects God's sweet providence (2 Timothy 4:11)

            1. Luke accompanied Paul through his third missionary journey, arrest, shipwreck, Malta, and both Roman imprisonments
            2. Luke was a physician — God in his goodness gave Paul's closest companion the gifts Paul needed most

              3. E. Paul longed specifically for Christian friends — companions who share in the eternal things of Christ, not merely passing interests of this world

              II. The Companionship of Books

              A. Paul requests the books and parchments left at Troas (2 Timothy 4:13)

              1. The books were likely papyrus scrolls; the parchments were durable and expensive goatskin or sheepskin writing surfaces
              2. Most likely these contained at least portions of the Old Testament in Greek (the Septuagint), and possibly other writings to lift Paul's soul

                3. B. The written word has a unique power over the human soul

                1. Neil Postman (Amusing Ourselves to Death, late 1980s) noted that reading demands serious intellectual engagement — the reader must come armed and alone with the text
                2. Postman observed that Christianity, being based on the written word, is a demanding and serious religion; when delivered as easy entertainment, it becomes something else altogether
                3. God chose to reveal himself through the written word — the Reformation took flight precisely when Scripture was printed and spread in the language of ordinary people

                  4. C. Paul, who had been caught up to the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12), still longed for books — not another grand vision

                  1. John Calvin on this passage: let all — great and small, learned and simple — profit their whole lives so that they never cease learning until they no longer see in part but behold the glory of God face to face
                  2. If Paul continued learning as he neared death, how much more must we continue to grow in the knowledge of God's Word
                    3. III. The Companionship of Christ

                    A. At his first defense Paul stood completely alone — no advocate, no support (2 Timothy 4:16)

                    1. He forgives those who did not come, just as Christ received his disciples who had fled in fear
                    2. The church in Rome likely stayed away out of fear of suffering the same fate

                      3. B. The Lord stood by Paul and strengthened him to fully proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles (2 Timothy 4:17)

                      1. This fulfilled the promise of Acts 23:11: Take courage — as you have testified in Jerusalem, so you must testify in Rome
                      2. Paul was rescued from the lion's mouth — metaphorical for death, not a literal arena (Paul as a Roman citizen would be beheaded, not fed to beasts)
                      3. Paul routinely turned his defense trials into gospel proclamations, putting his accusers on the defensive (before Felix, Festus, and now in Rome)

                        4. C. The word courage (tharsei) is spoken only by Jesus in the New Testament

                        1. Matthew 9:2 — to the paralytic: Take courage, your sins are forgiven
                        2. Matthew 9:22 — to the woman with the discharge of blood: Take courage, your faith has healed you
                        3. Matthew 14:27 — to frightened disciples on the storm-tossed sea: Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid
                        4. John 16:33 — in the upper room: Take courage, I have overcome the world
                        5. Acts 23:11 — to Paul in prison: Take courage
                        6. Christ speaks this word to the weak, guilty, and struggling — turning their gaze from their circumstances to himself

                          7. D. Paul knows that death will not destroy him but usher him into the heavenly kingdom (2 Timothy 4:18)

                          1. His heavenly advocate stands at God's right hand, interceding for him — and for all who belong to Christ
                          2. Paul's doxology: To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

                            3. Conclusion: What Paul longed for throughout his life is what he longed for at its end — the companionship of the church, the companionship of the written Word, and the companionship of Christ. The same Christ who stood by Paul stands by every believer, saying: Courage — I have overcome the world.

                            42 min
                          3. November 22, 2020; Sunday Evening Worship

                            Scripture: Proverbs 3:13-26

                            Order of Service
                            • Call to Worship — Psalm 89:5-8
                            • Prayer of Invocation
                            • Congregational Prayer Requests
                            • Pastoral Prayer
                            • Scripture Reading — Proverbs 3:13-26
                            • Sermon
                            • Benediction
                              • Sermon Title: The Value of Wisdom for Mankind, Creator, and Son

                              Scripture: Proverbs 3:13-26

                              I. The Value of Wisdom for Mankind (Proverbs 3:13-18)

                              A. The meaning of blessed (Hebrew אַשְׁרֵי, ashre)

                              1. Distinct from בָּרַךְ (barak) — immediate, tangible conferral of blessing
                              2. Ashre denotes a present state of blessing whose full, tangible manifestations come in the near or distant future, conditioned on a right relationship with God
                              3. Parallel to Jesus's Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12 — "blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted"
                              4. Paralleled also in Job 5:17 — those whom the Lord disciplines are called ashre

                                5. B. The significance of "Adam" in verse 13

                                1. The ESV renders the Hebrew adam as "the one," but it should be understood as Adam/man/mankind — all three senses are present
                                2. The unit is bookended: verse 13 opens with adam (mankind) and verse 18 closes with the Tree of Life — a deliberate allusion to the Garden of Eden
                                3. The first Adam, representing all mankind, failed to heed wisdom, followed the word of the serpent, and was barred from the Tree of Life; the result was thorns, thistles, strife, and death (cf. Genesis 4)

                                  4. C. Wisdom contrasted with worldly riches (Proverbs 3:14-15)

                                  1. Silver, gold, and jewels symbolize worldly kingdom power; wisdom surpasses them all
                                  2. Paralleled in the temptation of Christ (Matthew 4) — Satan offers the last Adam the kingdoms of the world; Christ refuses, citing Deuteronomy 6:13
                                  3. Christ is the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:22) — where the first Adam turned from wisdom, the last Adam perfectly heeds it

                                    4. D. The Tree of Life restored in Christ

                                    1. Revelation 22:14 — blessed are those who wash their robes so they may have the right to the Tree of Life
                                    2. All humanity represented in the first Adam inherits thorns, thistles, and death; all represented in the last Adam receive access to the Tree of Life and eternal blessedness
                                    3. This maps onto Romans 5:12-19 — the two-Adam framework that encompasses all of redemptive history
                                      4. II. The Value of Wisdom for God as Creator (Proverbs 3:19-20)

                                      A. Wisdom's role in establishing creation (verse 19)

                                      1. "Founded" and "established" both carry the Hebrew sense of something firmly fixed and immovable
                                      2. Parallel structure with verse 13: just as finding wisdom and understanding characterizes the blessed man, so wisdom and understanding are the means by which God founded the earth and established the heavens
                                      3. The one who heeds wisdom will be as firmly fixed and unshakable as creation itself — as immovable as the mountains

                                        4. B. Wisdom's role in sustaining creation (verse 20)

                                        1. "The deeps broke open" alludes to Genesis 1:9 — God gathering the waters and letting dry land appear
                                        2. The dew dropping from the clouds pictures God refreshing and sustaining his firmly established creation from the heavens above to the depths below
                                        3. Not only does wisdom firmly fix — it also refreshes and sustains

                                          4. C. God's divine intelligence in creation

                                          1. Creation ex nihilo displays God's power; the grand complexities of what he makes display his wisdom — his divine intelligence
                                          2. The Hebrew word for wisdom, חָכְמָה (hokmah), denotes holistic knowledge — knowing all parts of a thing and how every aspect connects
                                          3. In Job 38-41, God meets Job in the whirlwind and surveys the entire universe — a lesson not primarily in power but in wisdom; Job is silenced
                                          4. Proverbs 30:1-4 — Agur confesses he cannot ascend to heaven or comprehend the ways of wind and water; such holistic wisdom belongs to God alone
                                          5. This is why Proverbs 9:10 insists the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom — only by coming before the Creator in awe does wisdom begin
                                            6. III. The Value of Wisdom for the Son (Proverbs 3:21-26)

                                            A. The narrowing of the lens

                                            1. Verses 13-18: wisdom for all mankind — the widest scope
                                            2. Verses 19-20: wisdom in God's own creative work — the widest possible scope
                                            3. Verses 21-26: the father narrows the focus directly to his son — "My son, do not lose sight of these"
                                            4. Analogy: a father who recounts the courage of ancestors through history and then says to his child, "My son, be strong and courageous"

                                              5. B. Symmetry between God's care of creation and God's care of the son who heeds wisdom

                                              1. Verse 22 — wisdom will be life to the soul, just as God establishes life in creation
                                              2. Verse 23 — the son will walk securely and not stumble, mirroring the firmness of God's established creation
                                              3. Verses 24-26 — sleep will be sweet; no fear of sudden terror; the Lord will be his confidence and keep his foot from the snare — God sustains the obedient son just as he sustains creation

                                                4. C. Jesus's application of this principle in Matthew 6:25-30

                                                1. "Look at the birds of the air… your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"
                                                2. "Consider the lilies of the field… if God so clothes the grass, will he not much more clothe you?"
                                                3. Jesus draws the same line from General Revelation to special Revelation that Proverbs 3 draws

                                                  4. D. The marriage of General Revelation and Special Revelation

                                                  1. General Revelation cannot communicate the Plan of Salvation, but it is not merely disconnected from special Revelation
                                                  2. Special Revelation reveals our adoption as sons in the household of God; creation then shows us what our Father's care for his children looks like
                                                  3. Creation is an instruction manual for God's love and sustaining grace toward his blood-bought children
                                                  4. Calvin (Institutes) emphasized that creation teaches us of God's love and care — opening creation up as a living display of the Father's heart
                                                  5. God is not a different God in General Revelation than in Special Revelation; the God who creates and sustains the cosmos is the same God who creates and sustains his new creation in his Son
                                                    6. 32 min
                                                  6. November 15, 2020; Sunday Evening Worship

                                                    Scripture: Luke 12:1-5

                                                    Order of Service
                                                    • Call to Worship — Hebrews 10:19-23
                                                    • Pastoral Prayer
                                                    • Prayer for Illumination
                                                    • Scripture Reading — Luke 12:1-5
                                                    • Sermon
                                                    • Benediction
                                                      • Sermon Title: Beware the Leaven of Hypocrisy

                                                      Scripture: Luke 12:1-5

                                                      I. The Danger of Hypocrisy

                                                      A. Context: Jesus's confrontation with the Pharisees in Luke 11:37-54

                                                      1. A Pharisee sought to publicly shame Jesus for not performing the ritual handwashing before dinner
                                                      2. Jesus responds by pronouncing six woes over the Pharisees, scribes, and lawyers for burdening the people and perverting God's law in pursuit of their own power and praise
                                                      3. Parallel passage in Mark 7:1-8 shows this conflict was ongoing — the Pharisees prized man-made traditions over God's commandments

                                                        4. B. The scene in Luke 12:1 — an innumerable crowd gathers; Jesus turns and addresses his disciples specifically

                                                        1. Jesus's warning is directed to the church: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy
                                                        2. Hypocrisy is the attempt to appear to be what one is not — a lie so deep the hypocrite often deceives himself

                                                          3. C. Why leaven is the apt image

                                                          1. Leaven (yeast) spreads silently and pervasively through every batch of dough it touches
                                                          2. Hypocrisy — religion performed as outward show without inward faith in Christ — spreads the same way and can destroy the church from within
                                                          3. The Pharisees' error: they were motivated not by personal holiness but by covetousness for the approval and praise of men
                                                            4. II. The Delusion of Hypocrisy

                                                            A. Jesus's warning: nothing hidden will remain hidden (Luke 12:2-3)

                                                            1. Whatever is spoken in the dark will be heard in the light; what is whispered in secret will be proclaimed from the housetops
                                                            2. Hypocrisy fails in the end — when Christ comes to judge, all will be disclosed

                                                              3. B. The judgment that exposes the hypocrite

                                                              1. The graves will be opened, the books will be opened, and only those written in the Book of Life will stand
                                                              2. Jesus's woe over Judas Iscariot illustrates the fate of the hypocrite: Matthew 26:24 — it would have been better for that man if he had never been born
                                                              3. Playing religion without genuine faith in Christ is an altogether different religion — it cannot save from sin and God's wrath
                                                                4. III. The Destruction of Hypocrisy

                                                                A. The root cause of hypocrisy is idolatry — the craving for the approval of men (Luke 12:4-5)

                                                                1. The hypocrite fears those who can kill the body but has no fear of God
                                                                2. Jesus redirects fear to the one who, after death, has power to cast into hell — God alone is to be feared
                                                                3. Hypocrisy is yet another fig-leaf attempt to cover sin rather than turning in repentance and faith to Christ

                                                                  4. B. Application to the believer who has lost their first love

                                                                  1. The answer is not a program of more works — that is the wrong direction
                                                                  2. The answer is Christ: time at the feet of Jesus, in his word, and in prayer
                                                                  3. Pray as David prayed: Restore to me the joy of your salvation — Psalm 51:12

                                                                    4. C. Practical exhortation: resist the devil and stand firm in the faith — 1 Peter 5:8-11

                                                                    1. God will, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you through the ministry of the Word in the church

                                                                      2. D. The antidote to hypocrisy is sincere love — Romans 12:9-21

                                                                      1. Let love be without hypocrisy; abhor evil; cling to what is good
                                                                      2. Be kindly affectionate, fervent in spirit, patient in tribulation, steadfast in prayer
                                                                      3. Live peaceably with all; overcome evil with good
                                                                      4. The opposite of hypocrisy is sincerity — the church is called to be sincere Christians
                                                                        5. 50 min
                                                                      5. Jesus as Our Priest

                                                                        Scripture: Hebrews 4:14-5:10

                                                                        Order of Service
                                                                        • Call to Worship — Psalm 95:6 and Psalm 100
                                                                        • Hymn — Glory of the Lord (played through)
                                                                        • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                        • Confession of Faith — Westminster Shorter Catechism, Questions 63–64
                                                                        • Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 31
                                                                        • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                        • Sermon
                                                                        • Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
                                                                        • Hymn Sing (parking lot)
                                                                          • Sermon Title: Jesus as Our Priest

                                                                          Scripture: Hebrews 4:14–5:10

                                                                          I. The Heart of Jesus as Our Priest

                                                                          A. Context: The book of Hebrews was written to an audience in danger of drifting from Christ back to Judaism under persecution; the author repeatedly calls them to behold Jesus

                                                                          B. Jesus's superiority over the Old Testament priesthood (Hebrews 4:14–5:10)

                                                                          1. The high priest's role: appointed to act on behalf of men before God, offering gifts and sacrifices for sins (Hebrews 5:1)
                                                                          2. Jesus fulfills and surpasses this office

                                                                            3. C. First qualification: the high priest must be divinely appointed

                                                                            1. Aaron was divinely appointed; so also Christ (Hebrews 5:4-6)
                                                                            2. Confirmed by two royal psalms: You are my Son, today I have begotten you (Psalm 2) and You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110)
                                                                            3. Even Jesus did not appoint himself — he was appointed by God

                                                                              4. D. Second qualification: the high priest must be able to sympathize with those he represents

                                                                              1. The anchor of the passage: We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15) — the double negative emphasizes how highly capable Jesus is in sympathy
                                                                              2. This is not merely psychological or emotional awareness, but participation in our weakness
                                                                              3. Tears and smiles like us he knew — Jesus knows our frailty, fragility, wounds, and inner conflict
                                                                              4. The devil's great lie: no one understands your weakness; the text refutes this

                                                                                5. E. Jesus's temptation was greater than ours

                                                                                1. He was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15)
                                                                                2. He experienced temptation to the fullest because he never yielded — our temptations cease when we fail; his did not
                                                                                3. Window into this: his prayers with loud cries and tears, most likely a reference to Gethsemane (Hebrews 5:7)
                                                                                4. He has been down there and further down (Sinclair Ferguson) — no struggle we have is outside his intimate awareness

                                                                                  5. F. Jesus is a strong swimmer, not a drowning person

                                                                                  1. He is tempted as we are, yet without sin — he is able to hold up our weak hearts
                                                                                  2. He is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:6) — he will never be done, never exhausted, never quit
                                                                                  3. The old testament priesthood was a revolving door; Jesus's priesthood endures forever
                                                                                    4. II. The Call of Jesus as Our Priest

                                                                                    A. Hold fast (Hebrews 4:14)

                                                                                    1. Grip Christ afresh and be gripped by him, come what may
                                                                                    2. He has passed through the heavens and brought us into the presence of God

                                                                                      3. B. Draw near with confidence (Hebrews 4:16)

                                                                                      1. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you (James 4:8)
                                                                                      2. How does the accuser attempt to drive us away — through despair over failures, shame, a sense that God is disappointed?
                                                                                      3. Be brave to believe the love God has for you in Christ

                                                                                        4. C. The throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16)

                                                                                        1. It is a throne — it cannot be stopped, will not lose, will endure
                                                                                        2. It is not a throne of punishment or judgment or disappointment — it is a throne of grace
                                                                                        3. Grace is enthroned over every part of your life; draw near and keep drawing near
                                                                                        4. The call is to approach with the confidence of a child who knows the father's heart — without hesitation, without pausing to see if he is too busy
                                                                                          5. 33 min
                                                                                        5. November 8, 2020; Sunday Evening Worship

                                                                                          Scripture: Proverbs 3:1-12

                                                                                          Order of Service
                                                                                          • Call to Worship — Psalm 105:1-3
                                                                                          • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                          • Congregational Prayer Requests
                                                                                          • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                          • Scripture Reading — Proverbs 3:1-12
                                                                                          • Sermon
                                                                                          • Benediction
                                                                                            • Sermon Title: The Blessings and Disciplines of Wisdom

                                                                                            Scripture: Proverbs 3:1-12

                                                                                            I. Wisdom Brings Blessings (Proverbs 3:1-4)

                                                                                            A. The passage follows a pattern: command followed by incentive

                                                                                            1. Verse 1-2: Keep God's commandments → receive length of days, life, and peace
                                                                                            2. Verse 3-4: Bind steadfast love and faithfulness on your heart → find favor and good success before God and man

                                                                                              3. B. These blessings are physical and material, not merely eternal — but this is not prosperity gospel

                                                                                              1. Proverbs gives general maxims for life, not guarantees against suffering
                                                                                              2. Following God's wisdom generally produces overall success and peace

                                                                                                3. C. The word "teaching" in verse 1 is the Hebrew torah — God's law; it is to be written on the tablet of the heart (Proverbs 3:3)

                                                                                                1. The heart — the seat of motives, desires, and loves — is to be filled with and shaped by God's law
                                                                                                2. Proverbs 3:15: Wisdom is more precious than jewels; nothing you desire compares with her
                                                                                                3. Prosperity-gospel thinking puts material blessings on the tablet of the heart; true wisdom puts God and his law there

                                                                                                  4. D. The blessing of abundance in verse 10 echoes the covenantal language of Deuteronomy — blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience

                                                                                                  II. Wisdom Calls for Self-Sacrifice (Proverbs 3:5-8)

                                                                                                  A. The theme is self-abasement — saying no to self and yes to God

                                                                                                  1. Verse 5: Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not lean on your own understanding
                                                                                                  2. Verse 7: Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn from evil

                                                                                                    3. B. True fearing of the Lord requires humbling ourselves and casting aside self

                                                                                                    1. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25: True wisdom is found in Christ crucified — a stumbling block and folly to the world
                                                                                                    2. Our own wisdom places Christ on the cross; we must throw it aside to bow before him

                                                                                                      3. C. Coming to Christ in humility results in God's law written on our hearts

                                                                                                      1. 2 Corinthians 3:3: God's people are letters written not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts
                                                                                                      2. This fulfills the new covenant promises of Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36
                                                                                                        3. III. Wisdom Requires Giving (Proverbs 3:9-10)

                                                                                                        A. Verse 9: Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce

                                                                                                        1. This is not giving scraps — it is giving God the best, the first fruits, abundantly

                                                                                                          2. B. Wisdom here is connected to faith — trusting God with our best

                                                                                                          1. The Hebrew word for "trust" (and "lean") conveys the idea of throwing yourself completely onto something
                                                                                                          2. Illustration: a child leaping off a diving board into a father's arms — trust is shown by the leap, not just the words

                                                                                                            3. C. Leaning on your own understanding leads you to invest your best in earthly things; God's wisdom calls you to invest your best in him

                                                                                                            1. Psalm 13: David, stripped of material blessings, still declares "he has dealt bountifully with me" — because he trusted in God's steadfast love
                                                                                                            2. The prosperity gospel is a lie — God's bounty is seen most clearly when we stop leaning on our own understanding
                                                                                                            3. 1 Corinthians 2:9: No eye has seen, nor ear heard, what God has prepared for those who love him
                                                                                                              4. IV. Wisdom Involves Discipline (Proverbs 3:11-12)

                                                                                                              A. Verse 11-12: Do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for he disciplines those he loves

                                                                                                              B. "Discipline" conveys painful correction that gets the wayward child's attention and calls them back to God

                                                                                                              1. "Reproof" belongs to the legal sphere — the authority figure establishing what is right, refusing to be a party to wrongdoing

                                                                                                                2. C. God disciplines his people so they might be holy as he is holy, and display his holiness to an unholy world

                                                                                                                1. Exodus 19: Israel was to be a kingdom of priests, shining God's holiness to a dying world
                                                                                                                2. God disciplines because he loves his adopted children and longs for them to share in the joy and fellowship of a holy God

                                                                                                                  3. D. The father-son relationship in Proverbs is presupposed, not earned

                                                                                                                  1. John 10:27: My sheep hear my voice and they follow me
                                                                                                                  2. Proverbs is not an invitation to become a son by obeying; it is instruction for those who already know the Father's redeeming love

                                                                                                                    3. E. Hebrews 12:5-11: Confirms and expounds Proverbs 3:11-12

                                                                                                                    1. God treats us as sons — all sons receive discipline; those without discipline are illegitimate
                                                                                                                    2. Earthly fathers discipline for a short time; God disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness
                                                                                                                    3. Discipline is painful in the moment, but yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those trained by it
                                                                                                                      4. 35 min
                                                                                                                    4. A Ministry Fulfilled

                                                                                                                      Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:5-8

                                                                                                                      Order of Service
                                                                                                                      • Call to Worship — Psalm 99
                                                                                                                      • Hymn
                                                                                                                      • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                      • Catechism Recitation — Westminster Shorter Catechism, Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11)
                                                                                                                      • Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 30:16-31
                                                                                                                      • Baptism of Keegan and Peyton Hall
                                                                                                                      • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                      • Sermon
                                                                                                                      • Hymn
                                                                                                                      • Benediction
                                                                                                                        • Sermon Title: A Ministry Fulfilled

                                                                                                                        Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:5-8

                                                                                                                        I. The Confidence a Fulfilled Ministry Instills (2 Timothy 4:6)

                                                                                                                        A. Paul describes himself as already being poured out as a drink offering

                                                                                                                        1. The drink offering in the Old Testament (Numbers 15:5, 7, 10) consisted of wine poured on the altar, symbolizing the pouring out of life
                                                                                                                        2. In Philippians 2:17, Paul used conditional language ("even if I am poured out"); here it is certain — his death is already in process
                                                                                                                        3. Paul views his death not as murder by wicked men but as a sacrificial offering to God, because his entire life had been a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1)

                                                                                                                          4. B. Paul describes his death as a "departure" — a Greek nautical term meaning loosing a ship from its moorings

                                                                                                                          1. For one who has lived for self, death is a fearful binding to the dust; for one who has died to self, death is a loosing from this world to gain Christ
                                                                                                                          2. Philippians 1:23 — "My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better"
                                                                                                                          3. 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 — hold loosely to this world; the present form of it is passing away
                                                                                                                            4. II. The Perseverance a Fulfilled Ministry Entails (2 Timothy 4:7)

                                                                                                                            A. Three declarations: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith"

                                                                                                                            1. Military metaphor (fighting) and athletic metaphor (racing) — Paul does not claim to have won, only to have fought and finished
                                                                                                                            2. Both soldiers and athletes in the first century swore an oath of fidelity; Paul has kept faith with his covenant Lord, staying within the bounds of the gospel once delivered to the saints
                                                                                                                            3. The fight for the gospel is a good fight — worthy of blood, sweat, and tears, as World War II is widely considered a just and necessary conflict

                                                                                                                              4. B. Encouragement to all Christians in the race

                                                                                                                              1. Different believers face different obstacles — perpetual sin, tragedy, doctrinal struggle, hard circumstances
                                                                                                                              2. The psalms of lament — one third of the 150 psalms — are written for limping, exhausted, dejected believers; nearly every one ends with an encouragement to keep moving forward
                                                                                                                              3. Whether sprinting or limping, keep fighting and keep running to fulfill the Lord's calling
                                                                                                                                4. III. The Prize a Fulfilled Ministry Expects (2 Timothy 4:8)

                                                                                                                                A. The crown of righteousness continues the soldier and athlete metaphor

                                                                                                                                1. Olympic victors received a wreath crown; soldiers who fought valiantly received a crown of grass — the highest military honor, equivalent to the modern Medal of Honor
                                                                                                                                2. The righteous judge who awards this crown is Christ — contrasted with the notoriously unjust judges of the Olympic games and with Nero, the unjust emperor about to execute Paul

                                                                                                                                  3. B. The crown is not earned by works but received by faith

                                                                                                                                  1. It is a faith-righteousness crown — faith that looks to Christ as Savior whose righteousness is imputed, and as Lord who pours out the Spirit so that believers become the righteousness of God
                                                                                                                                  2. On the day of Christ's appearing the dead will be raised (1 Corinthians 15) and the crown awarded to all who have loved his appearing
                                                                                                                                  3. Those who receive crowns will cast them at Christ's feet, as the elders do in Revelation 4

                                                                                                                                    4. C. The crown belongs to all who love his appearing — not those who merely dread his judgment and get their house in order out of fear

                                                                                                                                    1. Paul frames both the charge to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:1) and the promised reward (v. 8) around Christ's appearing as judge
                                                                                                                                    2. Loving his appearing is a test of where we stand with this world and with Christ — do we hold tightly to this world and loosely to Christ, or loosely to this world and tightly to Christ?
                                                                                                                                    3. The call to cry out daily: Maranatha — Come quickly, Lord Jesus, come
                                                                                                                                      4. 31 min
                                                                                                                                    4. The Necessity of Preaching

                                                                                                                                      Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-4

                                                                                                                                      Order of Service
                                                                                                                                      • Announcements
                                                                                                                                      • Call to Worship — Psalm 117
                                                                                                                                      • Prayer of Adoration
                                                                                                                                      • Confession of Faith — Third Commandment (Westminster Shorter Catechism)
                                                                                                                                      • Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 30:1–15
                                                                                                                                      • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                      • Hymn — Holy Spirit Living Breath of God
                                                                                                                                      • Sermon
                                                                                                                                      • Hymn — Be Thou My Vision
                                                                                                                                      • Benediction — Numbers 6:24–26
                                                                                                                                        • Sermon Title: The Necessity of Preaching

                                                                                                                                        Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1–4

                                                                                                                                        I. The Command to Preach God's Word

                                                                                                                                        A. Paul charges Timothy with solemn solemnity, calling God and Christ Jesus as witnesses — 2 Timothy 4:1

                                                                                                                                        1. The Greek word for "charge" carries a judicial flavor, as in giving testimony before a judge
                                                                                                                                        2. Christ will judge the living and the dead; part of that judgment falls on preachers regarding faithfulness to the Word

                                                                                                                                          3. B. The tight connection between what Scripture does and what preaching does

                                                                                                                                          1. 2 Timothy 3:16 — Scripture corrects, rebukes, reproves, and teaches
                                                                                                                                          2. 2 Timothy 4:2 — Timothy's preaching is to reprove, rebuke, exhort, and teach
                                                                                                                                          3. The preached Word is the Word of God (cf. Second Helvetic Confession: "The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God")

                                                                                                                                            4. C. Preaching is the primary means by which God draws and sharpens his people

                                                                                                                                            1. Romans 10:14 — faith comes by hearing; God's means is preaching, not merely distributing Bibles
                                                                                                                                            2. Galatians 3:1 — Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified before the Galatians through the preaching of the gospel

                                                                                                                                              3. D. The preacher's task is to deliver the King's word to prepare the people for the King's coming

                                                                                                                                              1. James 3:1 — teachers will be judged with greater strictness
                                                                                                                                              2. Timothy's ministry is to be dominated by the one breathed-out Word of God, not by his own many words
                                                                                                                                              3. A preacher is not giving a TED talk or motivational speech; he is causing the Word to bear down upon the souls of God's people
                                                                                                                                                4. II. The Constancy of Preaching God's Word

                                                                                                                                                A. "In season and out of season" — Timothy is to preach consistently and continuously — 2 Timothy 4:2

                                                                                                                                                1. Ulrich Zwingli began the Reformation at the Great Minster in Zurich on January 1, 1519, by introducing lectio continua preaching — continuous, expositional preaching through whole books of the Bible
                                                                                                                                                2. This tradition of preaching all of Scripture, book by book, is the pattern held to at the church

                                                                                                                                                  3. B. The verbs of verse 2 — reprove, rebuke, exhort — are all connected to discipline

                                                                                                                                                  1. Every sermon is an act of discipline; formal church discipline (e.g., excommunication) is only one expression of a broader reality
                                                                                                                                                  2. Faithful preaching will at times cause discomfort; the goal is holiness, not comfort
                                                                                                                                                  3. As Luther said, we are simultaneously sinner and saint; preaching kills off the old man and puts on the new

                                                                                                                                                    4. C. The balance: "with complete patience and teaching" — 2 Timothy 4:2

                                                                                                                                                    1. Faithful preaching is not relentless hellfire and brimstone
                                                                                                                                                    2. 1 Timothy 1:16 — Paul received mercy so that Christ might display his perfect patience; a preacher must not contradict Christ's patience toward sinners
                                                                                                                                                    3. Reproving and rebuking must be carried out with grace and mercy swimming through the preacher's veins
                                                                                                                                                      4. III. The Challenge of Preaching God's Word

                                                                                                                                                      A. A future and present reality: people will not endure sound teaching — 2 Timothy 4:3–4

                                                                                                                                                      1. Already present in Ephesus: 1 Timothy 1:3–4 — Paul urged Timothy to charge certain people not to teach different doctrine or devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies
                                                                                                                                                      2. This will intensify as redemptive history moves toward the day of judgment

                                                                                                                                                        3. B. Sin always seeks to rationalize and intellectualize itself

                                                                                                                                                        1. People accumulate teachers to suit their own passions — they want intellectual cover for sinful desires
                                                                                                                                                        2. This is how evil comes to be called good: sin gathers teachers to rationalize it

                                                                                                                                                          3. C. Itching ears — a love of the new, innovative, and culturally current — 2 Timothy 4:3

                                                                                                                                                          1. The world's model of success demands constant innovation ("adapt or die")
                                                                                                                                                          2. The church's model of success is counter-intuitive: faithfully telling the old, old story generation after generation
                                                                                                                                                          3. The church is called to embrace her beautiful strangeness — her worship, her confessions, her hymns, and especially her preaching should not look like the surrounding culture
                                                                                                                                                          4. Reproving, rebuking, and exhorting will never be cool — but it will always be the primary means by which God draws, edifies, and prepares his people
                                                                                                                                                          5. Gene Edward Veith: "Only a church which resists being merely of one generation can be relevant to them all"

                                                                                                                                                            6. D. The irony of relevance: the church is most relevant when she refuses to chase relevance

                                                                                                                                                            1. The Lord's Day should give the congregation a taste of holy strangeness distinct from the common reality of Monday through Saturday
                                                                                                                                                            2. Faithfulness to the preached Word prepares God's people for the coming of the King who will judge the living and the dead
                                                                                                                                                              3. 34 min
                                                                                                                                                            3. November 1, 2020; Sunday Evening Worship

                                                                                                                                                              Scripture: Proverbs 2

                                                                                                                                                              Order of Service
                                                                                                                                                              • Call to Worship — Psalm 118:1-9
                                                                                                                                                              • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                                              • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                                              • Scripture Reading — Proverbs 2
                                                                                                                                                              • Sermon
                                                                                                                                                              • Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
                                                                                                                                                                • Sermon Title: The Pursuit, Purity, and Protection of Wisdom

                                                                                                                                                                Scripture: Proverbs 2

                                                                                                                                                                I. The Pursuit of Wisdom (Proverbs 2:1-6)

                                                                                                                                                                A. Wisdom is pursued with every faculty of the whole person

                                                                                                                                                                1. With the ear — attentive listening (Proverbs 2:2)
                                                                                                                                                                2. With the mouth — calling out in prayer (Proverbs 2:3)
                                                                                                                                                                3. With the heart — treasuring and inclining (Proverbs 2:2)

                                                                                                                                                                  4. B. The pursuit is tireless and industrious, like searching for hidden silver (Proverbs 2:4)

                                                                                                                                                                  1. Wisdom is not obtained in a day; it requires diligent, sustained effort
                                                                                                                                                                  2. Illustration: A million dollars guaranteed to be in a field — one would never stop searching until it was found

                                                                                                                                                                    3. C. Grace and hard work operate together in the pursuit of wisdom

                                                                                                                                                                    1. Grace is seen in God's promise — wisdom is graciously offered, not earned (Proverbs 2:6)
                                                                                                                                                                    2. Grace is seen in God's presence — He hears those who cry out for help during the pursuit (Proverbs 2:3)
                                                                                                                                                                    3. The gracious promise itself provides the incentive to pursue diligently; antinomianism contradicts Scripture's call to effort in godliness
                                                                                                                                                                      4. II. The Purity of Wisdom (Proverbs 2:7-15)

                                                                                                                                                                      A. Wisdom in Scripture is inseparably bound to God's moral law, not merely intellectual attainment

                                                                                                                                                                      1. Moral categories run throughout the chapter: uprightness, integrity, justice, righteousness, and deliverance from evil (Proverbs 2:7-9)
                                                                                                                                                                      2. This distinguishes biblical wisdom from ancient Near Eastern wisdom traditions (Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Babylonian), which were primarily about shrewdness and business acumen

                                                                                                                                                                        3. B. Sin corrupts the mind — the noetic effects of sin

                                                                                                                                                                        1. Eve's deception illustrates how moral compromise opens the door to intellectual error (Genesis 3)
                                                                                                                                                                        2. Rejecting God's moral law leads to believing anything; as Paul states, one does not know as he ought to know (1 Corinthians 8:2)

                                                                                                                                                                          3. C. The heart is the command center for all faculties, including the mind

                                                                                                                                                                          1. Scripture does not make a stark division between heart and intellect; where the heart is, the mind will be also
                                                                                                                                                                          2. Illustration: Gunked pipes must be cleansed before they can function properly — so the mind, filled with sin, must be purified
                                                                                                                                                                          3. Knowledge in Scripture is almost always an internal, whole-person knowing, not merely a mental exercise
                                                                                                                                                                            4. III. The Protection of Wisdom (Proverbs 2:11-22)

                                                                                                                                                                            A. Wisdom guards against evil men (Proverbs 2:11-15)

                                                                                                                                                                            1. Evil becomes most alluring when practiced boldly and without shame
                                                                                                                                                                            2. Those who tirelessly feed on God's Word will not be swayed — they will flee from evil in all its forms

                                                                                                                                                                              3. B. Wisdom guards against the adulterous woman (Proverbs 2:16-19)

                                                                                                                                                                              1. She has committed spiritual adultery by breaking her covenantal obligations to God (Proverbs 2:17)
                                                                                                                                                                              2. Her smooth, slippery words promise life, vitality, and excitement — but lead only to death (Proverbs 2:18-19)
                                                                                                                                                                              3. Illustration: A professor at Reformed Theological Seminary annually asked his marriage and family class, "You want to sell all that [the benefits of marriage] for ___?" — wisdom causes one to hold on to life and flee
                                                                                                                                                                              4. Those hotly pursuing God's wisdom will be like Joseph — they will see the danger and run

                                                                                                                                                                                5. C. Wisdom leads to preservation within the covenant community (Proverbs 2:20-22)

                                                                                                                                                                                1. Proverbs primarily warns the covenant people against wickedness within the covenant community, not merely outside it
                                                                                                                                                                                2. The distinction between the visible and invisible church: not all who profess are truly of God's elect remnant — see Romans 9 and the concept of the remnant throughout Scripture
                                                                                                                                                                                3. The fruit of the invisible church is an upright walk and tireless pursuit of God (Proverbs 2:21)
                                                                                                                                                                                4. Mere confessors who do not keep God's commandments will be cut off (1 John 2:3-6); they were never truly of God's people (1 John 2:19)
                                                                                                                                                                                  5. 32 min
                                                                                                                                                                                5. Assurance 1 John 5:13-15
                                                                                                                                                                                  Order of Service
                                                                                                                                                                                  • Call to Worship — Psalm 134
                                                                                                                                                                                  • Hymn — I Sing the Glorious Praises of My God
                                                                                                                                                                                  • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                                                                  • Heidelberg Catechism — Question 1
                                                                                                                                                                                  • Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 29
                                                                                                                                                                                  • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                                                                  • Hymn — He Will Hold Me Fast
                                                                                                                                                                                  • Sermon
                                                                                                                                                                                  • Hymn
                                                                                                                                                                                  • Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
                                                                                                                                                                                    • Sermon Title: Assurance of Salvation

                                                                                                                                                                                    Scripture: 1 John 5:13-15

                                                                                                                                                                                    I. The Experience of Assurance

                                                                                                                                                                                    A. John's purpose in writing — 1 John 5:13

                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Compare with John 20:30-31: the Gospel is written so readers might believe; the Epistle is written to believers so they might know
                                                                                                                                                                                    2. "Know" carries the sense of certainty and assurance, not merely intellectual knowledge
                                                                                                                                                                                    3. Assurance is not of the essence of faith — one can have saving faith without full assurance; assurance is an added blessing

                                                                                                                                                                                      4. B. Reasons our assurance is shaken (Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 18)

                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Negligence in preserving it
                                                                                                                                                                                      2. Falling into a particular sin that wounds the conscience
                                                                                                                                                                                      3. Sudden or vehement temptation
                                                                                                                                                                                      4. God withdrawing the light of his countenance

                                                                                                                                                                                        5. C. Application to struggling believers

                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Those swimming in unrepentant sin must turn from sin and lean on God's mercy
                                                                                                                                                                                        2. Those without assurance despite not living in gross sin are not alone — John wrote an entire epistle for such people
                                                                                                                                                                                        3. Confessing with lips and believing in the heart that Jesus Christ is Lord is sufficient ground for assurance
                                                                                                                                                                                          4. II. The Grounds of Assurance

                                                                                                                                                                                          A. The object of faith is always Christ — 1 John 5:13

                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Assurance does not come from looking at our faith; it comes from looking on Christ in faith
                                                                                                                                                                                          2. 1 John 5:20-21 — Christ is the true God and eternal life; run from idols

                                                                                                                                                                                            3. B. The error of grounding assurance in sincerity or feelings

                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Modern evangelicalism has often placed the ground of assurance on the sincerity of the sinner's prayer or emotional experience
                                                                                                                                                                                            2. Baptism rightly understood is a sign of what God does monergistically for sinners, not what we do for God

                                                                                                                                                                                              3. C. Illustration: Frank and Bob on Passover night (D.A. Carson)

                                                                                                                                                                                              1. The firstborn sons of Israel were spared not according to the degree of their fathers' faith, but according to the blood of the lamb on the doorpost
                                                                                                                                                                                              2. Our assurance likewise rests on the blood of the Lamb, not on the measure of our faith or feelings
                                                                                                                                                                                                3. III. The Blessings of Assurance

                                                                                                                                                                                                A. Assurance expressed in confident prayer — 1 John 5:14-15

                                                                                                                                                                                                1. "Confidence" in v. 14 is another word for assurance
                                                                                                                                                                                                2. "We know" in v. 15 — present tense, written as a settled fact, similar to Paul's use of the past tense for glorification in Romans 8
                                                                                                                                                                                                3. Petitions are answered when asked according to God's will

                                                                                                                                                                                                  4. B. John moves from eternal life to prayer, not merely to confidence in death

                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Just as Christ is the ground of assurance in salvation, he is the ground of assurance in prayer
                                                                                                                                                                                                  2. We no longer need an earthly priest — Christ our great High Priest has torn the curtain and opened the way to the Father
                                                                                                                                                                                                  3. John Newton: He has washed us with his blood, he has brought us nigh to God

                                                                                                                                                                                                    4. C. The error of grounding confidence in prayer on what God can do rather than what God has done

                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Staking prayer on future divine power leads to testing God and eventual dejection
                                                                                                                                                                                                    2. True confidence in prayer is rooted in Christ's finished work — in him we already have every spiritual blessing and eternal life (Ephesians 1)
                                                                                                                                                                                                    3. Keep eyes fixed on Christ, the ground of all assurance, in every prayer
                                                                                                                                                                                                      4. 33 min
                                                                                                                                                                                                    4. October 25, 2020; Sunday Evening Worship
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Order of Service
                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Call to Worship — Psalm 96
                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Prayer of Invocation
                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Pastoral Prayer
                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Scripture Reading — Proverbs 1:20–33
                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Sermon
                                                                                                                                                                                                      • Benediction
                                                                                                                                                                                                        • Sermon Title: The Cry, Consequences, and Comfort of Wisdom

                                                                                                                                                                                                        Scripture: Proverbs 1:20–33

                                                                                                                                                                                                        I. The Cry of Wisdom (vv. 20–23)

                                                                                                                                                                                                        A. Wisdom cries out in the streets, marketplaces, and city gates — not to an elite few, but to all people in every facet of life

                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Contrasts with the domestic wisdom of Proverbs 1:8–19 — wisdom now extends to commerce, courts, and civic affairs
                                                                                                                                                                                                        2. Wisdom is available to all: from the home to the marketplace to the city bench

                                                                                                                                                                                                          3. B. The three groups addressed in v. 22: the simple (gullible, no moral compass), the scoffers (those who delight in mocking God's wisdom), and the fools (who hate knowledge)

                                                                                                                                                                                                          C. The gracious invitation of v. 23: "If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you" — a judicial call to account met with a promise of instruction

                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. "Behold" — emphatic: look at what God will do for those who turn
                                                                                                                                                                                                          2. Parallelism: "pour out my spirit" is equivalent to "make my words known to you" — God will lead the repentant in his wisdom and word

                                                                                                                                                                                                            3. D. God is not silent — he cries out in every facet of creation

                                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Psalm 19:1–7: the heavens declare God's glory; creation pours out speech day and night
                                                                                                                                                                                                            2. David seamlessly connects the book of nature (vv. 1–6) to the book of special revelation (v. 7): "The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul… making wise the simple"
                                                                                                                                                                                                            3. Herman Bavinck: "The world… leads them not away from God but to God. It is a creation of God, a mirror of his perfections."
                                                                                                                                                                                                            4. It is ironic that modern science — the very study of God's wisdom in creation — has become a refuge for atheism
                                                                                                                                                                                                              5. II. The Consequences of Rejecting Wisdom (vv. 24–32)

                                                                                                                                                                                                              A. The great reversals of hebraic wisdom

                                                                                                                                                                                                              1. God laughed at the fool's calamity (v. 26) — the mockers of v. 22 are now mocked; cf. Proverbs 1:18 — you become what you worship
                                                                                                                                                                                                              2. Matthew 7:1–2: "With the judgment you pronounce you will be judged" — what you hand out in life is handed back to you
                                                                                                                                                                                                              3. Those who sought God in v. 28 will not find him — because God sought them and they refused; now the roles are reversed

                                                                                                                                                                                                                4. B. The long-suffering mercy of God contrasted with the swiftness of judgment

                                                                                                                                                                                                                1. "How long… how long" (v. 22) — God continually and patiently pleads with the wicked
                                                                                                                                                                                                                2. Judgment, when it comes, is sudden — like a storm, like a whirlwind (v. 27)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                3. Thomas Watson: "God's strange work is his judgment; God's familiar work is his mercy" — wrath is the consequence of a perpetually deaf ear to God's merciful pleas

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  4. C. Those judged have chosen their own judgment (vv. 31–32)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. "They shall eat the fruit of their own devices" — like a parent telling a disobedient child, "You have chosen this consequence"
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  2. The simple are killed by their turning away; the complacency of fools destroys them
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    3. III. The Comfort of Receiving Wisdom (v. 33)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    A. "Whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease without dread of disaster"

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Objective security in Yahweh gives rise to a subjective state of peace and freedom from dread
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    2. Illustration: two groups on two boats in a storm — emotions differ not because of personality, but because of the vessel; heed wisdom and you are in the ship of Yahweh

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      3. B. The personification of wisdom finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1. 1 Corinthians 1:24: Jesus is called "the power of God and the wisdom of God"
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      2. John 1 (the Prologue): Jesus is the Logos — the hidden wisdom behind creation is not a force or principle but a person
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      3. The cry of wisdom is the cry of Christ; the consequences of rejection are the consequences of rejecting Christ; the comfort of receiving wisdom is the comfort of being in Christ
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      4. Christ continues to cry out: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      5. The assurance of salvation — certainty of being in Christ by faith — means there is nothing to dread; the ship of Yahweh is the ship of Christ
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        6. 29 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.