Northpointe PCA Sermons

By Northpointe Presbyterian ChurchReligion & Spirituality Christianity

Northpointe PCA Sermons episodes

April 05Easter Sunday
Scripture: Romans 4:13-25
Order of Service
Choir Anthem — The Lord's My Shepherd
Call to Worship — John 20:24-28
Hymn — Worship Christ the Risen King
Prayer of Invocation
Scripture Reading — Exodus 20:1-17
Prayer of Confession
Assurance of Pardon — Romans 10:9-10
Apostles' Creed
Pastoral Prayer
Hymn — Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
Offertory Prayer
Hymn of Preparation — Jesus Christ Is Risen Today
Sermon
Lord's Supper
Hymn — When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (vv. 1–2)
Lord's Supper (distribution and communion)
Hymn — When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (vv. 3–4)
Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
Closing Hymn — Low in the Grave He Lay (Up from the Grave He Arose)
Sermon Title: Raised for Our Justification
Scripture: Romans 4:13-25
I. Right Standing with God Requires a Recognition of Our Need for Resurrection Life
A. The law of God brings wrath (Romans 4:15)
Wrath means God's fury, indignation, and anger toward lawbreakers
We are tempted to think only of God as love and mercy, ignoring his justice
B. God is not a pushover; his law cannot go unpunished
A just God demands respect and accountability from his creatures
Illustration: a lawless employee cannot presume on the boss's forgiveness indefinitely
Illustration: playing one-on-one against LeBron James exposes our true inadequacy before God's perfect standard
C. The first step toward right standing is recognizing our wrong standing
We are condemned lawbreakers who deserve death
This recognition creates the need for resurrection life
II. Right Standing with God Comes Through Faith in Resurrection Life
A. Abraham is the model of saving faith (Romans 4:16-21)
He was fully convinced God could do what he promised (Romans 4:20-21)
He believed in the God who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence (Romans 4:17)
B. Abraham's faith was faith in the promise of resurrection life
His body was as good as dead; Sarah's womb was barren — yet he believed
Time and again he was stripped of all human capacity, forced to trust the God who raises the dead
C. Saving faith is born out of respectful desperation, not disrespectful presumption
We must first come to God's law and be brought low before we cry out for mercy
Illustration: the prodigal-like employee who, facing real consequences, falls before the boss pleading for grace
True faith clings to resurrection life as its only hope, resting on God's sheer grace, not on what he owes us
III. Right Standing with God Is Accomplished Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
A. Abraham's faith was counted as righteousness (Romans 4:22-25)
This was not written for Abraham's sake alone, but for ours also
It is counted to all who believe in him who raised Jesus from the dead
B. Christ was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification (Romans 4:25)
God cannot count someone righteous unless his law is fulfilled
If Christ has not been raised, God is a liar to Abraham and we die in our sins (1 Corinthians 15)
The resurrection is the Father's public declaration that Christ's perfect obedience has been accepted
C. The empty tomb is the seal and confirmation of our justification
Lawkeeping righteousness and resurrection life go hand in hand — you cannot have one without the other
Christ's righteousness is credited to our account through faith alone
God's grace to us is not lawless grace; it is law-fulfilling grace accomplished in Christ
D. Conclusion: Are you right with God?
Look to the empty tomb and believe — God says, We are good
Go out in gratitude and reverence, working out your salvation in fear and trembling before the holy, just, and resurrecting God
34 min
March 2970 Weeks
Scripture: Daniel 9:20-27
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Isaiah 6:1-7
Hymn — Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Faith — Belgic Confession, Article 1
Scripture Reading — Luke 6:1-19
Hymn — All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Prayer of Preparation
Hymn — Speak, O Lord
Sermon
Hymn — Jesus Paid It All
Benediction
Doxology
Sermon Title: Seventy Weeks and the Coming of Messiah
Scripture: Daniel 9:20-27
I. The Context of the Prophecy: A Response to Daniel's Confession
A. Gabriel's visit comes in direct response to Daniel's prayer of confession in Daniel 9:1-19, establishing that this prophecy is fundamentally about how God will deal with sin.
B. Daniel marks time by the evening sacrifice (Daniel 9:21), even though no temple exists.
The evening sacrifice was a daily perpetual burnt offering symbolizing Israel's consecration to the Lord and their atonement for sin.
Daniel, in exile with the temple in ruins, still orients his life around Jerusalem time — he is "in but not of Babylon."
Application: Believers are pilgrims and exiles who orient their lives around the citizenship and calendar of heaven, not the secular world.
C. The word of comfort accompanying the vision — "you are greatly loved" (Daniel 9:23) — is addressed to a broken, contrite sinner pleading for mercy; this prophecy is a balm to sinners' souls.
II. The Purpose of the Prophecy: Six Redemptive Goals (Verse 24)
A. The 70 weeks (literally 70 units of seven) represent 490 years, but are best understood theologically and christocentrically rather than as a strict chronological formula.
Jesus uses the same language in Matthew 18:22 ("seventy times seven") to mean unlimited, perfect forgiveness — not a literal count.
The number builds on the Jubilee principle of Leviticus 25:8-17: seven Sabbath years (49 years) culminating in the year of release and restoration.
The land rested for 70 years of exile (2 Chronicles 36:20-21) — 10 Sabbath years; the prophecy of 490 years represents 10 Jubilee cycles, pointing to ultimate and everlasting redemption.
Jesus announces the fulfillment of Jubilee in Luke 4:18-21, quoting Isaiah 61: "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled."
B. Three negative goals: finish transgression, put an end to sin, atone for iniquity.
C. Three positive goals: bring in everlasting righteousness, seal both vision and prophecy, and anoint a most holy (place/person — fulfilled in Christ).
III. The Unfolding of the Prophecy: Verses 25–27
A. Verse 25 — The 69 weeks (7 + 62) run from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of the Anointed One.
The decree most likely refers to the decree of Cyrus of Persia (Isaiah 44:28), issued shortly after Daniel received this vision in 538 BC.
The city is rebuilt in a troubled time, confirmed in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah by Samaritan opposition and internal strife.
B. Verse 26a — After the 69th week, the Anointed One (Messiah) is "cut off and shall have nothing."
"Cut off" is the language of covenant curse and exile; circumcision symbolized this — disobedience meant being cut off from covenant blessing.
Colossians 2:11 — Christ takes the negative side of covenant curse (being cut off) so that his people receive the positive side (covenant blessing and everlasting life).
The Anointed One of verse 26 is identified with the anointed place of verse 24: Jesus is the true temple (John 2, John 1:14, John 14), the meeting place between God and man, as confirmed in Hebrews 10:19-20.
C. Verse 26b — The destruction of the city and sanctuary refers to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70 by the Roman general Titus.
Jesus applies the language of desolation to Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37-38.
Whether the "prince and his people" refers to Titus or to Christ and his new covenant people, it confirms the judgment Christ had already pronounced on the old covenant temple system.
D. Verse 27a — The Messiah makes a strong covenant with many for one week; in the midst of the week he puts an end to sacrifice and offering through his perfect sacrifice on the cross.
"It is finished" (John 19:30) — Christ fulfills and ends the old covenant sacrificial system.
Hebrews 9:26 — Christ appeared once for all to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Hebrews 8:13 — The new covenant makes the first obsolete; Hebrews was written c. AD 68, two years before the temple's physical destruction confirmed this reality.
E. Verse 27b — "On the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate" refers to the pinnacle of the temple, filled to the extremity with abomination, upon which God's decreed judgment falls.
The Hebrew word for "wing" refers to an extremity; the Greek word for "pinnacle" in Matthew 4:5 and Luke 4:9 literally means "little wing."
God uses Titus and the Roman army as his instrument of judgment — as he repeatedly used pagan empires to judge his covenant people — to confirm what Christ had already enacted against the old covenant system.
EJ Young: the Messiah having ended sacrifices, devastation continues upon the temple "until a full determined end pours forth upon the desolation."
IV. The Fulfillment: All Six Goals Accomplished in Christ
A. Transgression, sin, and iniquity are once and for all atoned for at the cross.
B. Everlasting righteousness is found in Christ — Romans 5:17-18 — a righteousness that leads to justification and life.
C. Vision and prophecy are sealed: God now speaks through his Son in these last days — Hebrews 1:1-2.
D. Christ, the Anointed One, pours out the Spirit without measure upon his new covenant people, writing the law on their hearts rather than on tablets of stone, making them the living temple of God.
E. Application: This prophecy is not fodder for speculation about end-times chronology, but comfort and assurance for all who cry out for God's mercy — the Messiah has come, sin is fully atoned for, and the Spirit has been poured out.
36 min
March 22A Lesson in Prayer
Scripture: Daniel 9:1-19
Order of Service
Hymn — Mighty God While Angels Bless Thee
Call to Worship — Revelation 5:11-13
Hymn — Mighty God While Angels Bless Thee
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Sin — from Daniel 9:4-9
Assurance of Pardon — Romans 8:31-32
Scripture Reading — Luke 5:27-39
Hymn — Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn — Come, My Soul, Thy Suit Prepare
Sermon
Hymn — Before the Throne of God Above
Benediction
Gloria Patri
Sermon Title: A Lesson in Prayer
Scripture: Daniel 9:1-19
I. Prayer Is Conditioned upon God's Promises
A. Daniel prays because he has been reading the prophetic word
In Jeremiah 25 and Jeremiah 29:10, God promised that the exile in Babylon would last 70 years
Babylon has now fallen; it is the first year of Darius, approximately 70 years after Nebuchadnezzar's reign began in 605 BC
It is the awareness of this promise that moves Daniel to lift his voice in prayer
B. The essence of prayer is calling on God to make good on his promises — praying according to what is "agreeable to his will" (Westminster Shorter Catechism Q. 98)
Daniel's bold, commanding language in verses 17–19 ("listen," "make," "incline," "open," "hear," "pay attention and act," "delay not") is grounded entirely in God's own promises
Moses interceded boldly at the golden calf on the same basis: "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel … you swore by your own self" (Exodus 32:13)
The Psalter contains similar bold appeals grounded in the Lord's prior promises
C. Christ himself prays this way
Psalm 2:8 — the Father invites the Son to ask for the nations as his inheritance
John 17:9 — Christ's high-priestly prayer: "Sanctify them … preserve those you have given me"
At this very moment Christ intercedes at the Father's right hand, calling on God to finish what he has promised for his sheep
Believers share this same privilege: to bring God's covenant promises back to him and pray, "You promised — make good on your promise"
II. Prayer Is Confession for God's Pardon
A. Confession of sin is all-comprehensive
It covers active sin ("we have done wrong"), rebellious sin ("we have rebelled"), and sins of omission ("we have not listened") — Daniel 9:5-6
It extends to all the people: Judah, Jerusalem, all Israel, kings, princes, and fathers — Daniel 9:7-8
Total depravity: every faculty of human makeup — feet, eyes, ears, will, desires — is infected by sin; no qualifiers or excuses are offered
B. The surprising "we" — Daniel includes himself
Daniel is among the most godly figures in all of Scripture, yet he says "we have sinned," not "they have sinned"
Jesus said of John the Baptist that no one born of woman was greater (Matthew 11:11), yet John said "I must decrease"; Jesus told the rich young ruler "Only God is good"
If Daniel and John the Baptist confessed sin and unworthiness, how much more must we?
1 John 1:8 — "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us"
A confessionless prayer life is impossible if one truly knows the God of Scripture; like Isaiah's "Woe is me" and Peter's "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man," encounter with a holy God demands confession
C. The corporate dimension of personal confession
The Lord's Prayer teaches us to pray "our Father … forgive us our debts" — not merely "my" but "our"
Individual salvation produces care for the purity of the whole bride of Christ
Even in the private prayer closet, believers confess corporately, interceding for the whole body in anticipation of the great assembly gathered around Christ in glory
III. Prayer Is Calling for God's Presence
A. Daniel is jealous for the glory of God
From chapter 1 onward, Daniel has witnessed God's name blasphemed: Nebuchadnezzar placed the temple vessels in Marduk's temple; Belshazzar drank from them while worshiping pagan gods (Daniel 1; Daniel 5)
In verses 16–19, the focus shifts entirely to God: "your sanctuary," "your city," "your people," "for your own sake" — Daniel cries out for God to restore his own glory and reputation among the nations
B. True prayer is soli Deo gloria centered, not ministry-centered, pragmatic, or moralistic
Ministry can become an end in itself; Daniel's prayer is a corrective — it is wholly oriented toward the glory of God
C. Daniel's assurance of pardon is bound up in the righteousness of God
In verse 16, Daniel appeals to God's "righteous acts" as the very basis for forgiveness — not in spite of God's righteousness but because of it
Martin Luther initially hated the righteousness of God because it meant condemnation; the gospel transforms this — God is righteous in forgiving sins, because the righteous one has borne them
1 John 1:9 — "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" — God's justice is satisfied in Christ, so forgiveness is the righteous act of a covenant-keeping God
Like a husband who cannot simply walk away because he has vowed himself to his wife, God has staked his glory and reputation on his covenant people all the way to the cross; he is bound — by his own righteous promise — to forgive and restore
D. Application: take hold of the promises of God in Christ
Lift your voice boldly before the God of heaven who promises eternal life in his Son
Confess sin with full recognition that assurance of pardon is yours because God is the righteous covenant maker and covenant keeper in Christ Jesus
35 min
March 22The Ordinary Means of Preaching
Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1-8; Ezek 37:4-6; 2 Tim 4:1-2
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 100
Hymn — All People That on Earth Do Dwell (Psalm 100B)
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 47, Question 122
Hymn — He Who Dwells in the Shelter of the Most High (Psalm 91B)
Pastoral Prayer
Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 8:1–8
Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 37:4–6
Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 4:1–2
Sermon
Hymn — God in the Gospel of His Son (#170)
Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
Sermon Title: The Ordinary Means of Preaching
Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1–8; Ezekiel 37:4–6; 2 Timothy 4:1–2
I. Preaching Is the Teaching of God's Word
A. The Levites in Nehemiah 8 "gave the sense" — they read clearly with interpretation, giving understanding of what was written
The Hebrew word implies prudence or good sense; preaching is sound exegesis that illumines the text for the people
The Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 could not understand Isaiah until Philip opened the Scripture and taught him Christ
B. The Spirit is the true teacher; the preacher is the instrument
John 14:26 — the Holy Spirit will teach and bring to remembrance all that Christ said
Matthew 28:19–20 — the risen Christ commands the disciples to go teaching the nations
2 Corinthians 2:13 — words "not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to spiritual people"
C. Distinction between inspiration and illumination
Inspiration is unique to the apostolic writers; that age is closed
The Spirit's illumination through preaching is nonetheless supernatural — the congregation is taught by the third person of the Trinity himself
When Christ is not magnified from the pulpit, preaching is no longer a means of grace but merely human wisdom
D. The fruit of Spirit-taught preaching is joy
The Ethiopian eunuch "went away rejoicing" (Acts 8:39) after understanding the word
Israel in Nehemiah 8:12 went away with "great rejoicing because they had understood the words declared to them"
"The joy of the Lord is your strength" — understanding Scripture produces genuine spiritual delight
II. Preaching Is the Proclamation of God's Word
A. Preaching is more than lecture; it is announcement and declaration that demands a response
Ezekiel is not called to teach the dry bones how to live — he is called to prophesy, to command their response (Ezekiel 37:4–6)
Jesus does not instruct dead Lazarus; he declares, "Lazarus, come out" — the proclamation is the means by which the Spirit enlivens
B. Throughout Acts, the apostles "proclaim Christ," always intending a response of repentance and faith
Hearers are never passive spectators; they are active participants called to repent and believe
Luther's first thesis: "When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said 'Repent,' he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance"
C. Weekly preaching serves the same orienting function that Israel's liturgical calendar served
The festivals, sacrifices, and ceremonial law imprinted on Israel's memory that God is Redeemer and they are his redeemed people
Christ has fulfilled those shadows; now week by week the proclamation of the gospel re-orients the believer to their Redeemer, preventing the drift toward idolatry
The Spirit uses proclamation as the primary tool to loosen the believer's grip on the old man and fasten him more firmly to Christ — Sunday by Sunday, "turning our hearts away from the world"
III. Preaching Is the Discipline of God's Word
A. The language of 2 Timothy 4:2 — reprove, rebuke, exhort — mirrors the language of 2 Timothy 3:16–17
All Scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness
Preaching carries that same fourfold work into the congregation
B. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 — the congregation received Paul's preaching "not as the word of men but as it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers"
Heinrich Bullinger, Second Helvetic Confession (1561): "The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God"
2 Timothy 1:13 — Timothy is to follow "the pattern of sound words" — healthy, gospel-saturated language that drips with scriptural wisdom
C. Preaching includes evangelical threatenings — gospel warnings directed even to believers
Canons of Dort, Head of Doctrine on Perseverance, Article 14: God preserves his work of grace through "exhortation, threatenings, and promises of the gospel"
John Owen: those who say all warnings of future wrath are "legal" and unfit for the gospel pulpit "would disarm the Lord Christ"
Believers need reminding of the devastating reality of sin just as they can forget the good news
D. Preaching also disciplines the self-condemning believer
The rebuke, reproof, and correction of Scripture apply equally to those crushed under guilt
As a father lifts the face of a repentant child and says "Look at me — I will never stop loving you," so the Father through preaching points the broken believer to the blood of Christ: "You are my adopted child; I will never stop loving you"
Preaching is the primary means by which the Father both warns his children away from the cliff and draws them back when they doubt his love
25 min
March 15The Ram and the Goat
Scripture: Daniel 8
Order of Service
Hymn — O God Beyond All Praising
Call to Worship — Psalm 138
Hymn — O God Beyond All Praising
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Faith — Westminster Shorter Catechism
Scripture Reading — Luke 5:17-26
Hymn — In Christ Alone
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Hymn — Be Still My Soul
Sermon
Hymn — Day by Day and with Each Passing Moment
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Doxology
Sermon Title: The Ram and the Goat
Scripture: Daniel 8
I. Who Is Being Depicted in the Vision?
A. The ram with two horns represents the Medo-Persian Empire, as identified by the angel in Daniel 8:20.
The higher horn represents Persia, which had already subjugated the Medes under King Cyrus.
The vision is set in the third year of the Babylonian king Belshazzar, near the end of Babylon's reign.
Daniel is transported in the vision to Susa, the chief capital of Persia, alongside the Ulai Canal.
B. The goat represents Greece, as identified by the angel in Daniel 8:21.
The great horn between the goat's eyes is Alexander the Great, who swiftly conquered vast territory before dying of a fever at age 32.
After Alexander's death, his kingdom was divided among four generals: Cassander (Macedonia), Lysimachus (Thrace), the Seleucids (Syria), and Ptolemy (Egypt).
C. The little horn emerging from one of the four horns (Daniel 8:9) is widely identified as Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Seleucid Empire.
He grew exceedingly great toward the south, east, and toward the glorious land (Canaan/Jerusalem).
The "host of heaven" and "stars" (Daniel 8:10) represent the saints, as confirmed in Daniel 8:24, echoing the promise to Abraham in Genesis 15 and Daniel 12:3.
D. The angelic host has a vested interest in the welfare of the saints.
An angel cries out "how long?" in Daniel 8:13, echoing the anguished language of the psalmists under persecution.
Scripture confirms angelic rejoicing over sinners saved (Luke 15) and at the birth of Christ (Luke 2).
The "prince of the host" and "prince of princes" (Daniel 8:11, 8:25) most likely refers to God himself.
II. What Is Being Depicted in the Vision?
A. The vision depicts the desecration of Jerusalem and the temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
Antiochus styled himself "Epiphanes" (God manifest), identifying with Olympian Zeus; enemies called him "Epimanes" (madman).
He killed the high priest Onias III in 170 BC and slaughtered thousands of Jews — 2 Maccabees records 80,000 killed in three days.
He abolished temple worship, prohibited the Sabbath and circumcision on penalty of death, and required pagan sacrifice in every town in Judea.
On December 25, 167 BC, the first pagan sacrifice to Zeus was offered on a heathen altar erected over the altar of burnt offering in Jerusalem.
B. The 2,300 evenings and mornings (Daniel 8:14) mark a definite but limited period of suffering with an appointed end.
One interpretation: the evenings and mornings refer to the daily sacrifices commanded in Exodus 29 and Numbers 28, yielding 1,150 days (roughly 168–165 BC).
A second interpretation follows the Hebrew day reckoning of Genesis 1 (evening and morning), yielding approximately six years and four months (roughly 171–165 BC).
Either way, God reveals to Daniel ahead of time that the suffering has an expiration date.
C. Calvin's insight: forewarning of suffering becomes a comfort and solace, preventing the faithful from sliding into despair.
D. Antiochus died not in battle or by assassination but by illness in 164 BC, fulfilling Daniel 8:25 — "he shall be broken, but by no human hand."
His death the same year as the Jewish revolt led by Judas Maccabeus and the rededication of the temple is still celebrated as Hanukkah.
E. Daniel, in exile and longing for restoration, sees the temple and land restored — but in the context of defilement and slaughter.
Like the disciples learning the Messiah would be crucified and they too would suffer, restoration comes through tribulation.
The church, like Washington's Continental Army, loses many battles but cannot be destroyed as long as it remains united to its Captain, Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9: "afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."
III. Why Does This Take Place?
A. Transgression is identified in Daniel 8:12 and 8:23 as the root cause of these judgments.
The Hebrew word for transgression in the Old Testament most commonly refers to covenant law-breaking among God's own people.
The recurring pattern of Judges — apostasy leading to foreign oppression — is in view.
B. Hellenism had infiltrated Judaism prior to Antiochus's atrocities.
A corrupt Jewish priest named Menelaus robbed the temple and collaborated with Antiochus to kill the high priest Onias, making himself high priest.
According to 2 Maccabees, it was Menelaus who persuaded Antiochus to Hellenize Jewish worship — the transgression began within Israel's own priesthood.
C. The book of Malachi (c. 450 BC) ends the Old Testament canon with the temple restored and the people in the land, yet with a corrupt priesthood (Malachi 1:10).
God declares he takes no pleasure in the corrupt offerings and would rather the temple doors be shut.
This corruption is only resolved in Jesus Christ, the true High Priest.
D. Christ comes as the true remedy for the transgression Israel could never permanently solve.
One of Jesus's first acts is cleansing the temple (John 2); his final entry into Jerusalem is also marked by cleansing the temple (Matthew 21).
At his death, the temple curtain is torn from top to bottom, opening free access to God through his blood.
Worship is no longer bound to Mount Gerizim or Mount Zion; wherever two or three gather in Christ's name, that is holy ground.
E. The greatest beast is not the external enemy but the beast of sin within.
John Owen: "Sin aims always at the utmost. Every unclean thought or glance would be adultery if it could. Every covetous desire would be oppression."
What Israel ultimately needed was not a Maccabean revolt but transgression dealt with — the beast within conquered.
When sin is slain by Christ at the cross, the external beasts become, by comparison, mere stepping stones — the cross is the high dive after which all else seems manageable.
Psalm 118: "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
F. Call to self-examination: are you focused on threats from without while sin rages within?
Sin is a roaring lion that seeks to destroy from the inside.
The answer is faith in Christ, whose atoning work at Calvary vanquishes the greatest enemy once and for all.
The suffering of God's people will end; it will give way to peace everlasting.
41 min
March 15Take and Read
Scripture: 2 Kings 22:3-13, 23:21-25, John 16:13-14
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Psalm 138:4-8
Hymn — Psalm 138B: With Grateful Heart My Thanks I Bring
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 46, Questions 120–121
Hymn — Psalm 91B: Who with God Most High Finds Shelter (#91B)
Prayer
Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 22:3-13
Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 23:24-25
Scripture Reading — John 16:13-14
Sermon
Hymn — Speak, O Lord (#172)
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Sermon Title: Take and Read
Scripture: 2 Kings 22:3-13, 2 Kings 23:24-25, John 16:13-14
I. Introduction: The Word as the Chief Means of Grace
A. This sermon begins a series on the ordinary means of grace — the Word, the sacraments, and prayer (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q. 88)
B. The Word is the chief means — the heart and soul of all the means of grace
C. WSC Q. 89: The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word, an effectual means of salvation
D. Moses provides the pattern: he took the book of the covenant and read it before the people (Exodus 24)
E. Two points: Read God's Word (1) believingly and (2) spiritually
II. Read God's Word Believingly
A. The narrative of King Josiah (2 Kings 22:3-13)
Josiah becomes king at age eight; his grandfather Manasseh was among the most wicked kings of Judah
Josiah is one of only three kings after David said to walk in all the ways of David
In the 18th year of his reign, a routine temple repair project leads to the discovery of the Book of the Law
B. The book is found and read aloud to King Josiah
When Josiah hears the words of the Book of the Law, he tears his robes — a sign of grief and being cut to the heart (v. 11)
No exposition is added; just the Word read — and Josiah believes it is God's Word
He believes God is holy, righteous, and just; that he and his people are guilty before God
He inquires of the Lord, acknowledging the wrath of God is kindled because the covenant has been broken
C. The result of Josiah's belief (2 Kings 23:24-25)
Josiah leads the people in covenant renewal and sweeping religious reform across Judah
Deuteronomy 17 required the king to make and keep a personal copy of the Word — kings for generations had neglected this duty
God works his grace for Josiah — and preserves a remnant in Judah — through the means of the Word read
D. Augustine's conversion in the garden (Confessions)
Distressed and wrestling with his love of sin, Augustine hears a child's voice saying "Take it and read"
He opens the Scripture to Romans 13:13-14 and reads of putting on the Lord Jesus Christ
"In an instant, as I came to the end of the sentence, it was as though the light of confidence flooded into my heart and all the darkness of doubt was dispelled"
The reading of the Word proved a means of God's grace for Augustine
E. Application: How do you read the Scriptures?
Do you read believing they are the very Word of God — convicting of sin, announcing God's greatness, directing life to his glory?
The Word is living and active, sharper than any sword — let us believe its power
III. Read God's Word Spiritually
A. The question raised by Josiah's response: how can reading a dusty book produce such evident heart reformation?
Many people read the words of Scripture — some devote entire academic careers to it — yet remain unchanged
Two people can sit together reading the same Bible; one walks away untouched, the other is utterly transformed
The difference lies in the work of the Spirit of God
B. The Spirit works through the Word as it is read (John 16:13-14)
Jesus' upper room discourse (John 14–16) repeatedly announces the coming of the Holy Spirit — the Helper, Counselor, Spirit of truth
The Spirit will guide Christ's people into all truth (v. 13) — truth found only in the Word of Christ
The Spirit's work is to glorify Christ: "He will take what is mine and declare it to you" (v. 14)
The Spirit's ministry is a Word ministry — to reveal Christ by the Word, especially in preaching but also in reading
C. Caution: the means do not work automatically
Some traditions teach that the means work by the mere performance of them (ex opere operato)
Apart from the Spirit of God, the Word has no light and no heat — it is God's chosen instrument, but a tool must be wielded
Isaiah 55:11: "It shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose" — this is the Spirit's work
D. The Spirit as tour guide and field guide
As tour guide: the Spirit takes you room by room through all the truth of Christ, opening blind eyes to see him (1 Corinthians 2)
As field guide: the Spirit is the one whose badge grants access to the field — to all the benefits Christ has won for his people
The Spirit does not merely show you Christ; he leads you into Christ, who is the truth, working faith as the Word is read
E. Application: Come to the Word with humility
The Word is not like a TV remote — we do not tell it what to do; we are at the mercy of the Spirit of God
Pray Psalm 119:18 before reading: "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law"
J. C. Ryle: "Our God is a God who works by means, and he will never bless the soul of that man who pretends to be so high and spiritual that he can get on without them"
Go to the Word with urgency and expectation; put it in the hands of your children, pleading with God to use it in their lives
The river cut off from its source will dry up — the person cut off from the means of the Word will run spiritually dry
37 min
March 08The Ordinary Means of Grace
Order of Service
Prelude
Call to Worship — John 1:14
Hymn — Amazing Grace
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 45, Questions 116–119 (The Lord's Prayer)
Hymn — Who with God Most High Finds Shelter (#91B)
Pastoral Prayer
Scripture Reading — Acts 2:41–47
Sermon
Closing Prayer
Hymn — How Firm a Foundation (#243)
Benediction
Sermon Title: The Ordinary Means of Grace
Scripture: Acts 2:41–47
I. Ordinary
A. The word ordinary suggests something normal, plain, or unexciting — the opposite of what we naturally crave
We desire extraordinary experiences: Pentecost, signs, wonders, mass conversions
The transition in Acts 2:41–42 is intentional — the extraordinary event of Pentecost bleeds immediately into the very ordinary means of grace: word, sacrament, and prayer
B. The key word in Acts 2:42 is devoted — meaning persistence, steadfastness, strength
The same word appears in Acts 6:4 — the apostles devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word
Used in Colossians 4:2 — "Continue steadfastly in prayer"
A cognate is used in 1 Timothy 4:13 — devote yourself to public reading of Scripture, exhortation, and teaching
Scripture never commands believers to devote themselves to tongues, ecstatic experiences, revival conferences, or political activism
C. What happens when the church abandons the ordinary for the extraordinary?
Burnout results from pressure to sustain extraordinary experiences — the extraordinary inevitably becomes the new ordinary
The church loses its footing, chasing perpetual renewal rather than standing on the foundation of the apostles with Christ as the cornerstone
Isaiah 53:2 — Christ himself had no striking appearance; he is an ordinary-looking Savior who leaves us ordinary means
Illustration: Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent — extraordinary power hidden beneath an ordinary exterior
1 Corinthians 2 — the cross is a stumbling block and foolishness, yet it is the power of God unto salvation; God's explosive power is hidden under ordinary means
II. Means
A. The means of grace are distinguished from God's decrees
God's decretive will is eternal and unchanging — his elect are predestined before the foundation of the world, unconditionally
That decree is carried out in history through particular means — the ordinary means of grace
Through gospel proclamation the Spirit works faith, union, and communion with Christ in the hearts of the elect
B. The means of grace are varied channels through which the one Word of God is brought to bear on our hearts
The word read, the word preached, the word sung, the word prayed, and the word seen in the sacraments (cf. Terry Johnson, Reformed Worship)
Scripture reading, preaching, prayer, singing, and sacraments all flow from the same authoritative source — the Word of God
C. The Reformers navigated between two errors
Rome severed word from sacrament, making the sacrament spiritually efficacious in itself apart from the gospel word — salvation bound up in the institution
The Anabaptists focused regeneration on the immediate operation of the Spirit apart from any means — effectively minimizing the institution of the church and the word
The Reformers said: the sacraments hold no spiritual efficacy apart from the word of God in Christ received by faith alone; yet the means and instruments are necessary channels by which the word, through the Spirit, convicts and shapes Christ in us
D. The variety of means produces well-rounded, mature Christians
We receive and engage our hearts in the word differently as we sing, confess, listen, pray, and see/taste/touch
Illustration: a well-rounded young person who can engage in many topics at the dinner table — the variety of means does the same for our spiritual maturity
The means move us from "Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so" to a rich, multi-faceted knowledge of Christ across all the faculties of our being
Illustration: Olympic athletes — devoted, varied training prepares them for the event; likewise God gives us these ordinary means to train our hearts and souls for the day of glory
III. Grace
A. The ordinary means communicate God's grace — he condescends to be with his sinful people through them
B. Illustration: the gracious host
A gracious host gives their guest their ear (listens), their voice (speaks), and their food (dines without demanding anything in return)
God as gracious host gives us his ear as we sing and pray; his voice as we hear his word read and proclaimed; water to cleanse us in baptism; his food as we eat and drink in the Lord's Supper — the best he has to offer, his perfect Son
All he asks is that we come with open mouths, ready to be fed
C. Warning: the bad dinner guest
The dinner party has been on the calendar all week — it is no surprise
Yet we fatten ourselves Monday through Saturday on the world and arrive with no hunger left for what God has prepared
Matthew 5:6 — "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness"
We are to come hungry, with our souls wide open, ready to receive the grace that is ours in Christ by the Spirit through faith alone
31 min
March 08The King Already and Not Yet
Scripture: Daniel 7:15-28
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Daniel 6:26-27
Hymn — Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder
Prayer of Invocation
Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon — Romans 6:22-23
Scripture Reading — Luke 5:1-16
Hymn — Who Is on the Lord's Side?
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Hymn — Jesus Shall Reign
Sermon
Hymn — We Are God's People
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Gloria Patri
Sermon Title: The King Already and Not Yet
Scripture: Daniel 7:15-28
I. The Already and Not Yet of the Enemy of the Kingdom
A. Daniel is alarmed by the vision of the fourth beast and seeks its interpretation
The fourth beast is most terrifying, with teeth of iron and claws of bronze, devouring and trampling
Daniel asks specifically about the ten horns and the little horn that arises among them
B. The fourth beast is best understood as the Roman Empire
It is during Rome's reign that the Son of Man (Daniel 7:13-14) — Jesus Christ — comes, is crucified under Pontius Pilate, rises, and ascends to the Father
Jesus' favorite self-designation "Son of Man" would have pointed any Jewish hearer directly to Daniel 7
The ten horns represent the all-encompassing nature of Roman rule — governors, the Senate, and regional kings; the Senate was once called an assemblage of kings
C. The little horn points to the rise of the Caesars
Julius Caesar defied the Senate, crossed the Rubicon, defeated Pompey, and effectively ended the Roman Republic
In 27 BC, Octavian received the title Augustus ("exalted one"), officially beginning the Roman Empire — ironically, the truly exalted one was being born in a manger (Luke 2)
The three overthrown kings may reference the First Triumvirate (Caesar, Pompey, Crassus) and Second Triumvirate (Octavian, Mark Antony, Lepidus), each dissolved when one figure destroyed the others
The little horn speaks against the Most High: Caesars claimed divine titles — Julius was called Divus Julius (divine ruler); Octavian was called Divi Filius (Son of God); later Caesars such as Domitian and Caligula declared themselves gods
D. The little horn wears out the saints for "a time, times, and half a time" — a short-lived, suddenly halted rule
The Diocletianic persecution sought to annihilate Christians within the empire
In 311, the dying Emperor Galerius issued the Edict of Toleration, suddenly ending persecution and legalizing Christianity
The Edict of Milan followed in 313 under Constantine; the Nicene Creed in 325; the Western Empire fell in 476
E. There is also a not yet reality — the little horn points beyond Caesar to the final Antichrist
1 John 2:18 — "Many antichrists have come; therefore we know it is the last hour"
Nothing is more antichrist than literally putting Christ on a cross — the Jewish leaders said, "We have no king but Caesar"
Rome's persecution of Christ and his people is a paradigm repeated throughout history until the final Antichrist is revealed and destroyed
Whenever the church suffers at the hands of earthly kingdoms, we are reminded we are living in the last hour — no less true in 2026 than in the days of John and Paul
Revelation 11:15 — "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever"
II. The Already and Not Yet of the Citizens of the Kingdom
A. The saints of the Most High receive and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever (Daniel 7:18)
The doubled "forever and ever" contrasts the beast's temporary "time, times, and half a time" — there is no sudden halt to the kingdom of God
The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church (Matthew 16:18)
B. The kingdom given to the Son of Man is also given to the saints, showing the tight union between the King and his people
The New Testament is filled with this organic solidarity: Christ the head, we the body; bridegroom and bride; vine and branches; shepherd and sheep
Acts 9 — Christ says to Saul, "Why are you persecuting me?" — to persecute the kingdom is to persecute the King
Ephesians 1:22-23 — God gave Christ as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all
C. The already reality of judgment — the New Testament presents judgment as a present reality, not only a future one
John 12:31 — "Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out"
1 Peter 3:22 — Christ has gone into heaven, at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him
Matthew 16:19 — the keys of the kingdom; binding and loosing is courtroom legal language — judgments rendered by the church in line with the gospel are enacted in heaven
Justification is a present legal declaration from the heavenly court that we are righteous before the Judge
John 3:18 — not believing is to be condemned already; the dust wiped from feet is a present curse upon the house of unbelief
D. The not yet reality of the kingdom's consummation
Matthew 24:14 — "This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" — the gospel is either a witness for or against the nations
When Christ returns to separate the sheep from the goats, the dividing line will be how they responded to the gospel of the kingdom
Inauguration gives way to consummation: faith gives way to sight; the down payment of the Spirit gives way to resurrection bodies; justification gives way to glorification; the church militant becomes the church triumphant
Romans 16:20 — "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet"
We are right now more than conquerors through him who loved us — what we conquer by faith now, we will conquer fully by sight; God will make his enemies a footstool not only for Christ but for the body, the church, the kingdom of God
33 min
March 01Beastly Kingdom
Scripture: Daniel 7:1-14
Order of Service
Call to Worship — Daniel 4:34-35
Hymn — I Sing the Almighty Power of God
Prayer of Invocation
Reading of the Law — Matthew 22:34-40
Corporate Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon — Ephesians 1:7-8
Apostles' Creed
Pastoral Prayer
Offering
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn — Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Sermon
Lord's Supper
Hymn — Till He Comes
Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
Doxology
Sermon Title: Beastly Kingdoms
Scripture: Daniel 7:1-14
I. The Terror of the Beastly Kingdoms (Daniel 7:1-8)
A. Apocalyptic prophecy as a genre conveys two primary things:
The earthly kingdoms that are dead-set against God and his people
A heavenly vision of God currently at work on behalf of his persecuted people
B. The four beasts emerge from the great sea — a symbol of chaos and destruction in the ancient world
C. The first beast: a lion with eagle's wings — the Babylonian Empire, ferocious and swift
Jeremiah 4:7 likens the Babylonians to a lion
The wings plucked off and the mind of a man given to it recalls Nebuchadnezzar's humbling in Daniel 4
D. The second beast: a bear with three ribs in its mouth — the Medo-Persian Empire, a devouring power
E. The third beast: a leopard with four wings and four heads — the Macedonian Empire under Alexander the Great, swift to conquer the known world
F. The fourth beast: exceedingly terrifying with iron teeth and ten horns — the Roman Empire
The ten horns represent ten kings (Daniel 7:24)
A little horn arises and uproots three kings — interpretation deferred to next week
G. Application: Daniel prepares God's people not to expect things to get better but to recognize the beastly nature of fallen man in power
Lord Acton: "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
Scripture repeatedly gives advance notice of this reality; Christians should not be surprised (Matthew 24; 1 Peter 4:12)
II. The Judgment of the Beastly Kingdoms (Daniel 7:9-12)
A. A sudden shift in the vision: the Ancient of Days takes his seat
A theophanic vision — not a literal description of God but a picture of his infinite wisdom and authority
The white hair depicts wisdom; the fiery throne and wheels depict his consuming, far-reaching judgment
B. The books are opened: God the true judge has been keeping account of all the actions of these kingdoms
C. As the fourth beast makes its proud boasts, Daniel is caught up to see the heavenly courtroom — the true judge who destroys the beast and burns it with fire
D. The purpose of apocalyptic prophecy illustrated: it shows the scene behind what is seen
The kings think they are steering history; the camera pans up to reveal the Ancient of Days actually in control
Daniel, a lowly exile with the temple destroyed, receives a vision of the heavenly temple with countless angels serving God (Hebrews 12:22)
With eyes of faith, we see even now that the gates of hell will never prevail against the church
III. The Replacement of the Beastly Kingdoms (Daniel 7:13-14)
A. Daniel beholds one like a Son of Man — a human figure in stark contrast to the nightmarish beasts
B. The Son of Man is also divine: he comes with the clouds of heaven, a consistent theophanic symbol in Scripture
Jesus claims this title before Caiaphas in Matthew 26:64, which Caiaphas recognizes as a claim to divinity
Contrast: the beasts come out of the raging sea from below; the Son of Man comes from above (John 8)
C. The Son of Man is presented before the Ancient of Days in a scene of coronation
He is given dominion, glory, and a kingdom — all peoples, nations, and languages shall serve him
This correlates with Daniel 2:44: the God of heaven sets up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed
D. This coronation is a present reality: Christ now rules at the right hand of the Father
Acts 2:34-36: Peter declares that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ, seated at his right hand
The Spirit is poured out from the heavenly sanctuary into the hearts of God's people from all nations
Christ's kingdom expands as disciples are made of every nation and tongue
E. Application: live not by sight but by faith that looks beyond the veil
As antichrists boast, there is one in the heavenly places who has been given all authority
Christ will ride on the clouds of heaven, make his enemies a footstool, and hand the kingdom to the Father (1 Corinthians 15)
37 min
March 01Finding the Lost
Scripture: James 5:19-20
Order of Service
Call to Worship — 2 Corinthians 6:14-16
Hymn — Abide with Me (#159)
Prayer of Invocation
Heidelberg Catechism Reading — Lord's Day 44, Questions 113–115 (Tenth Commandment)
Hymn — Psalm 91: Who with God Most High Finds Shelter (#91B)
Pastoral Prayer
Sermon
Hymn — Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (#429)
Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
Sermon Title: Finding the Lost
Scripture: James 5:19-20
I. Correction Is a Blessing to the Corrector
A. James closes his epistle abruptly, calling the church to restore wandering members — echoing the shepherd who leaves the 99 to find the one lost sheep
Throughout the preceding five chapters, James has addressed various forms of wandering: love of riches, neglect of the poor, reliance on intellectual assent alone, sins of the tongue
B. The Greek of James 5:19-20 is intentionally ambiguous, allowing the blessings of covering sins and saving from death to apply to the corrector as well as the corrected
C. Failing to correct a wandering brother or sister is a sin of omission
James 4:17 — "Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin"
Ezekiel 3:18-21 — God holds the watchman accountable for failing to warn the wicked
Acts 18:6 — Paul declares his innocence: "Your blood be on your own heads"
Acts 20:26-27 — Paul innocent of all blood because he declared the whole counsel of God
D. The pattern for church discipline begins with individual members, not elders — Matthew 18:15-20
Private sin addressed privately; the goal is restoration before elders are ever involved
BCO Chapter 57, Question 5 asks members not only to receive discipline passively but to actively study the purity and peace of the church
II. Correction Is a Blessing to the Corrected
A. The effectiveness of correction is inseparable from the depth of relationship between corrector and corrected
Correction received from someone who has invested, encouraged, and built trust produces conviction
Correction from a stranger or someone who only engages to criticize produces hurt, anger, and distance
Joel Beeke: even unfair criticism contains kernels of truth, but correction without relationship severs rather than strengthens
B. Before correcting, ask: Have I invested in this person? Have I built trust?
If not, the first step is relationship — invite them to lunch, earn the right to speak
Correction outside of strong bonds displays self-righteousness rather than selfless love
C. We need one another because we cannot clearly see our own sin — nor always see the good God is working in us
Friends can detect areas of sin in our lives that we cannot see ourselves
Friends can also remind us of God's grace when we are wrongly despairing
We need brothers and sisters both to correct us in the ditch of sin and to encourage us in the ditch of false condemnation
III. Correction Is a Blessing unto Eternal Life
A. The stakes of verse 20 are eternal — to bring back a wandering sinner is to save a soul from death
This is not merely temporal, medical, or bodily work; it is eternal life-saving work
Sin leads to death; Christ gives his people the privilege of calling wandering brethren back to the narrow path (Matthew 7:13-14)
B. "Cover a multitude of sins" does not merely mean the wanderer has many sins — it means sin spreads like gangrene when left unchecked
Allusion to Proverbs 10:12 — "Love covers all offenses"
Unchecked sin spreads through the whole soul and corrupts others
C. Correction blesses onlookers as well as the one corrected
Possible allusion to the correction of Peter by Paul in Galatians 2:11-14 — even Barnabas fell under conviction; those sent from James would have been corrected as well
1 Timothy 5:20 — public sin rebuked publicly so that the rest may stand in fear
Witnessing correction sobers the watching community
The corrected person may share their experience, convicting others in the same sin
The corrected person may later become a corrector, spreading the aroma of Christ
D. Closing exhortation: love one another's eternal souls — encourage in the ditch of false condemnation, correct in the ditch of willful sin — so that together we may share in the eternal blessings of Christ our great Shepherd who finds us and brings us all the way home
29 min

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

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