Spirits on SermonAudio

This sermon explores the criteria for being considered great in the eyes of God, using the life of Mary and John the Baptist as primary examples. The central message emphasizes that true greatness is not defined by worldly success or recognition but by a life of intentional obedience, holiness, and surrender to God's will. Key themes include the necessity of working without a precedent, maintaining a pure mind, and accepting the challenges and attacks that come with faithful service. The tone is pastoral and convicting, urging believers to prioritize their relationship with Christ over daily distractions and to rely on the Holy Spirit's power for daily living. The speaker encourages the congregation to examine their hearts, ensure their salvation is secure, and commit to raising families and influencing others for the Kingdom of God.

This sermon was preached on October 25, 2026 at Antioch Presbyterian Church, a congregation of Calvary Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America located in Woodruff, South Carolina. Pastor Zachary Groff preached this sermon entitled "One Mediator Between God & Man" on Exodus 24:12-18. For more information about Antioch Presbyterian Church, please visit ⁠antiochpca.com⁠ or contact us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected].

The sermon concludes a study of Ecclesiastes by focusing on the final chapter's call to remember the Creator in youth and to fear God as the ultimate duty of man. It distinguishes between the dread of the wicked and the reverential, affectionate awe that characterizes the believer's relationship with God, noting that this proper fear is the beginning of wisdom. The message emphasizes the distinction between the decaying outward man and the inward man, which is renewed day by day by the Holy Spirit, ensuring that salvation rests on God's mercy rather than human works. Through the example of Jeremiah, the sermon illustrates how God's compassions are new every morning, providing stability and strength to believers amidst life's vanities and trials. The tone is pastoral and encouraging, urging the audience to find their identity and security in the eternal work of Christ rather than in the fleeting nature of earthly existence.

In the second half of John 7, everyone in Jerusalem has a theory about Jesus, and John lets readers watch them guess wrong. Jesus settles it by standing up and speaking for himself. He comes from the Father, though the crowd thinks it knows all about his hometown. He is returning to the One who sent him, so the time to seek him is short. On the great day of the Feast of Booths, when the priests poured out water at the altar, he cries, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink," and promises the Spirit as rivers of living water that flow through believers to others. The officers sent to arrest him come back saying, "No one ever spoke like this man." Each hearer must still answer who Jesus is.

His career as a preacher began in 1544 where he first preached in Ross, and then in Dundee, where, with great admiration of all that heard him he expounded Paul's epistle to the Romans. At the instigation of the Cardinal, a certain man named Robert Mill tried to stop his preaching. He said to Wishart, in a public place, that he should not trouble their town any longer, that he would not suffer it to continue. Wishart thought about this for a little with his eyes raised up to heaven, and then looking sorrowfully upon the speaker and people, he said – God is my witness that I never intended your trouble, but your comfort; your trouble is more dolorous to me than it is to yourselves; but I am assured that, to refuse God's word, and to chase me from you, his messenger, shall not preserve you from trouble, but shall bring you into it: for God shall send you ministers that shall neither fear burning or banishment. I have offered you the word of salvation; with the hazard of my life I have remained among you: now ye yourselves refuse me, and I must leave my innocency to be declared by my God. If it be long prosperous with you, then I am not led by the spirit of truth; but if unlooked for trouble comes upon you, acknowledge the cause, and turn to God, who is gracious and merciful; but if you turn not at the first warning, he will visit you with fire and sword."

Paul in his second missionary journey was bringing the Gospel to Philippi and as soon as a girl was released of her evil spirit, they had Paul and Silas arrested. They were beaten and jailed because they brought the spiritual freedom of Jesus Christ. Their reaction of thanking and praising him in the midst of pain and prison is an example for all of us. Grab your Bible, turn to Acts 16, and follow along with Pastor Mike.

(AI Generated Summary) This sermon traces the theological development of God's people from the era of the Judges through the Davidic monarchy, highlighting the persistent failure of human leadership and the necessity of divine intervention. It argues that the request for a king represented a rejection of God's sovereign rule in favor of physical security, a pattern that continued with Saul's disobedience and the eventual scattering of Israel. The central message posits that the Old Testament promises of an eternal dynasty and a unified people find their ultimate fulfillment only in Jesus Christ, who is identified as the true offspring of David and the cornerstone of the new covenant. Through His work, the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile is broken, creating one new humanity that serves as the dwelling place of God by the Spirit. The sermon concludes by affirming that the church's identity as a chosen race and holy nation is grounded not in ethnic descent or human effort, but in the grace and faith found exclusively in Christ.