Northpointe PCA Sermons

Northpointe Presbyterian Church
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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.

  1. 3d ago

    God's Justice

    Scripture: Genesis 18:16-33 Order of Service Welcome and Announcements Prelude Call to Worship — Revelation 5:11-12 Hymn — O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing Prayer of Invocation Prayer of Confession (corporate and silent) Assurance of Pardon — 2 Corinthians 5:21 Scripture Reading — Luke 11:1-13 Hymn — The Lord's Prayer (sung) Pastoral Prayer Offering (with Offertory Prayer) Hymn of Preparation — O Father, You Are Sovereign Prayer of Illumination Scripture Reading — Genesis 18:16-33 Sermon Closing Prayer Hymn of Dedication — Amazing Grace Benediction Gloria Patri Sermon Title: God's Justice Scripture: Genesis 18:16-33 Introduction A. The passage is about the justice of God and God's invitation to Abraham to share in it. Abraham was chosen so that he might command his household to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice (Genesis 18:19). The exchange with the Lord is a lesson in what God's justice looks like. B. God's justice is not merely retributive. Retribution (eye for an eye, the penalty fitting the crime) is one real aspect of God's justice. Job's three friends wrongly reduced God's justice to retribution alone, and God said they had spoken wrongly of him. Heresy flows from finite man shrinking God's infinite attributes down to size. God's justice is dynamic and multifaceted. Retribution will come on Sodom and Gomorrah, but first Abraham learns other facets. I. God's Justice Is Shared with His Friends A. God treats Abraham as his friend and covenant partner. "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?" (Genesis 18:17). Abraham is called God's friend in Isaiah 41:8 and James 2:23. In verse 19 "I have chosen him" is literally "I have known him," the language of intimate friendship, as in John 15:15. B. Friends of God intercede. Moses interceded for Israel after the golden calf (Exodus 32:12), and Abraham interceded for Sodom. Christ interceded on the cross and now intercedes at the Father's right hand for those he has made his friends by his blood. C. S. Lewis observed that friendship love is purposeful, as the friend moves toward the other to befriend him. This is the love God has for those he brings into fellowship with himself. C. Their intercession is jealous for God's character. They do not say "be nice, Lord." They appeal to his holy and righteous character: "Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is just?" (Genesis 18:25). Prayer is more than a wish list. God wants persistent petitions that appeal to his revealed character, as in Luke 11. To approach God as a friend, you must know him. A weak prayer life may come from not knowing God enough, so start by knowing him more through his Word. II. God's Justice Is Slow to Anger A. Unbelievers often reject the God of the Old Testament as a vindictive, fire-breathing dragon, as the New Atheists argued. Genesis 18 refutes that picture. B. God already knows the state of Sodom (Genesis 18:21), yet he enters this exchange with Abraham. This is God accommodating himself to us in human terms (anthropomorphism, or "baby talk" in Calvin's phrase). The purpose is that Abraham would know God's justice in its fullness, which is merciful and slow to anger. C. "Slow to anger" is literally "long in the nostrils." It takes a long time for the Lord's nostrils to flare. He is a grace-and-mercy-breathing Lord. "He does not afflict from his heart" (Lamentations 3:33). The Puritans called wrath God's strange and foreign work. God made the world good to display his love, not his wrath. Like a parent forced to discipline a child, he does not afflict willingly. He is patient, not wishing any to perish (2 Peter 3:9). He made us in his image and wants to lavish his love on us. III. God's Justice Is Satisfied with Righteousness A. Abraham's friendship is reverent and fearful. He humbles himself as "dust and ashes" and pleads from 50 down to 10 (Genesis 18:22-33). The Lord agrees each time: "For the sake of 10, I will not destroy it" (Genesis 18:32). B. The key principle is representative justice. "I will spare the whole place for their sake" (Genesis 18:26). A righteous minority shelters the wicked majority. The same principle appears in Noah and his family, and in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15. Through one man's sin the many die, and through one man's righteousness the many are made righteous. C. This explains God's longsuffering. It explains why Adam and Eve were not crushed immediately, why Noah was spared, and why the rainbow remains. In his divine forbearance God passed over former sins to show his righteousness, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:25). D. Application: the gospel. Sodom was not spared because not even 10 righteous were found. We can be saved because there is one righteous man, Jesus Christ, and we hide ourselves in his righteousness, not our own filthy rags.

  2. 3d ago

    How Do We Please God?

    Scripture: Colossians 1:9-14 Order of Service Call to Worship — Psalm 46 Hymn — A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (#244) Prayer of Invocation Catechism — Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 33 Hymn of the Month — Not What My Hands Have Done (#435) Pastoral Prayer Scripture Reading — Colossians 1:9-14 Sermon Prayer Hymn of Dedication — Wholehearted Thanksgiving (#9B) Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14 Sermon Title: How Do We Please God? Scripture: Colossians 1:9-14 I. We Please God by Bearing Fruit A. The question every believer asks Because we live by faith and cannot see God, every true believer is at some point anxious about whether he is pleasing God. Paul prays that the Colossians would walk worthy and be fully pleasing to God (Colossians 1:10). Three Greek participles that follow show what pleasing God looks like: bearing fruit (with growing in knowledge), being strengthened, and giving thanks. B. Increasing in the knowledge of God is part of bearing fruit We tend to define fruit only practically (giving, church attendance, prayer, missions), but Paul ties fruit-bearing tightly to knowing God. Scripture elsewhere prizes knowing God: Jeremiah 9:23-24, Psalm 46:10, and John 17:3. Doctrine is not a hobby or side gig. Coming to church to feed on the means of grace by faith is itself fruit-bearing. In the parable of the sower, the good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it (Matthew 13:23). C. Knowledge and practice go together Fruit is borne "in every good work," in every sphere of life: family, work, and church. Knowledge gives wisdom to discern how to act, as in Proverbs 26:4 and its companion verse. Sanctification is not natural maturity. John Owen distinguishes the killing of sin from simply growing out of it, because it comes through growth in the knowledge of God in Christ. D. Fruit-bearing is organic, not artificial It flows from the new birth by the Spirit. The church is the greenhouse, where the word (the seed) and the Spirit (the water) cause growth. Do not depreciate study. Fruit-bearing happens in study and in the gathered church, not only outside its walls. II. We Please God by Being Strengthened A. God is the source of the believer's power (Colossians 1:11) The passage emphasizes God's actions: his will, his might, and the Father who qualifies, delivers, redeems, and forgives. Our practical obedience depends entirely on God's power. This power gives endurance and patience in suffering, not worldly protection or wealth. B. The Colossian context The church was pressured by syncretism, which blended Greek philosophy and religion with gospel language. This explains Paul's emphasis on knowledge and wisdom, and on perseverance in suffering. C. Perseverance of the saints On Reformation Sunday, the "P" of TULIP finds support here. God completes the work he begins (Philippians 1:6). The view that "God will never leave you, but you can leave God" is not what verse 11 says. Paul rests perseverance on "all power" according to God's glorious might, leaving no room for man's power. That you have not become an apostate is a miracle of God's omnipotence. D. Joy depends on God's power The catechism's "estate of sin and misery" is not gloomy. The loss of God's presence was the loss of true joy. Joy apart from God, though real in common grace (Matthew 5:45), is incomplete and counterfeit. Unbelievers are like those in The Matrix, content in ignorance and unaware of their condition. The fallen world is a tragedy within the biblical metanarrative of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. Salvation is God's power breaking the spell and restoring the joy of his presence in Christ. III. We Please God by Giving Thanks A. The Father qualifies us for the inheritance (Colossians 1:12) "Qualify" was a Greco-Roman performance word, like an Olympian qualifying for the games, but here God does the qualifying. The inheritance is imperishable and unfading (1 Peter 1:4). It is not just heaven but the new heavens and new earth (2 Peter 3). It is the Jerusalem above (Galatians 4, Revelation 21). God has met the terms of the inheritance for us. B. The Father delivers us from darkness (Colossians 1:13) The domain of darkness is spiritual darkness. At his arrest, Jesus declared, "This is your hour, and the power of darkness" (Luke 22:53). In the cross and resurrection Christ defeated the power of darkness, and all who are united to him are transferred into his kingdom. C. The Father redeems and forgives (Colossians 1:14) Redemption and forgiveness are legal and debt terms, not merely subjective kindness. Solomon's temple prayer asks for forgiveness at the place of sacrifice (2 Chronicles 6). On the Day of Atonement, blood was sprinkled on the ark, which held the law, so the law's wrath was appeased. Christ's final sacrifice propitiates God's wrath, fulfills the law, and forgives our debts. D. Conclusion We please God by bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of him, by being strengthened by his power, and by giving thanks to the Father for the redemption won in Christ.

  3. Oct 18

    Faith, Hope, and Love

    Scripture: Colossians 1:3-8 Order of Service Welcome and Announcements Call to Worship — Philippians 2:5-11 Hymn — Ye Servants of God (#284) Prayer of Invocation Catechism — Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 32 Hymn — Not What My Hands Have Done (#435) Pastoral Prayer Scripture Reading — Colossians 1:3-8 Sermon Closing Prayer Hymn — O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go (#514) Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14 Sermon Title: Faith, Hope, and Love Scripture: Colossians 1:3-8 I. Faith: Trust in Christ Jesus in Accord with the Scriptures A. Introduction: the triad of theological virtues Paul follows his greeting with a thanksgiving, as in all his letters except Galatians. The triad of faith, hope, and love appears in 1 Corinthians 13:13. Love is greatest because faith will give way to sight and hope to reality, while love remains. The three cannot be separated. As with the Trinity or the fruit of the Spirit, to have one is to have all three. Recommended reading: Faith, Hope, Love by Mark Jones. Colossae is one of two churches Paul did not plant. Epaphras, the church planter, is mentioned in Colossians 1:7. B. The object of faith is Christ Jesus, the promised Messiah The gospel is a person, Jesus the Christ, as Sinclair Ferguson stresses in The Whole Christ. Peter's confession, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," is a supernatural faith revealed by the Father (Matthew 16:13-18). The church is built on this confession. Any lesser Jesus, whether a good example, a moral teacher, a social justice figure, or a sinless prophet, is sinking sand. C. Faith is in Christ in accord with the Scriptures In Acts, Paul constantly argues from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. The inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture are tied to the faith that saves. If we lose the Scriptures, we lose the Christ. Our faith rests on the Hebrew Scriptures, not on a Greek philosophical Jesus, even in the prologue of John. D. Faith receives Jesus on God's terms, not our own "The word of the truth, the gospel" and "the grace of God in truth" (Colossians 1:5-6) mean receiving Christ as he comes from the Father's word. Pilate's question, "What is truth?" (John 18:38), is answered by the Truth standing before him. This means living by every word from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4) and saying "it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). II. Hope: Laid Up in Heaven A. The location of hope matters Paul speaks of "the hope laid up for you in heaven" (Colossians 1:5). Hope placed in earthly things, which are a vapor (Ecclesiastes), can crush us. This is the "hope is a dangerous thing" of The Shawshank Redemption. Paul says, in effect, "Get your hopes up," and put them in heaven. B. Illustration: Billy Crystal He abandoned belief in God after losing a close friend and his home of 46 years. His faith was tied to things that could be taken away, and that shaped his whole view of the world. C. Hope gives a different outlook on the world The gospel is "bearing fruit and increasing" in the whole world (Colossians 1:6), even amid the persecution in Acts. Faith sees that the harvest is plentiful (Matthew 9:37) and that the kingdom grows from a mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32). Illustration: flowers blooming in the Atacama Desert. Christians see flowers springing up in a fallen world. This shapes how we pray, for example for the Iran war and for grace to the Ninevites, and what we mean by "world without end" in the Gloria Patri (forever and ever, ending in the new heavens and new earth). D. Hope is secure in the Lord Jeremiah, amid the rubble of Jerusalem, says "The Lord is my portion... therefore I will hope in him" (Lamentations 3:24). Whether our house burns or friends are lost, our hope is untouched because it is secured in heaven. III. Love: For All the Saints, in the Spirit A. Love for all the saints "Saints" is always a collective, plural term in the New Testament (Colossians 1:2, 1 Corinthians 1:2). To think of myself as a saint is to think of all the saints everywhere who call on the Lord's name. This is why Presbyterians value presbytery and the general assembly: the church extends beyond the local congregation. Our hope of heaven goes only as far as our faith in Christ, and it is shaped by how far our love extends. Revelation 7 pictures people of every tribe, nation, and tongue (Revelation 7:9-10). Illustration: love for Notre Dame makes the stadium meaningful, and so loving the saints now prepares us for that multitude, including Epaphras and those named in Romans 16. B. Love "in the Spirit" (Colossians 1:8) The repeated "in" (in Christ Jesus, hope in heaven, grace in truth, love in the Spirit) describes one reality. True worship is "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). Doctrine is meant to reach the heart and not leave us "brains on a stick." C. Love is a weight that carries us "You are what you love." Augustine said, "My weight is my love. Wherever I go, my love is carrying me." Agape is service love, a worship love that moves toward its object in action. It is neither mere feeling nor stoic duty. Christ equates love of money with service to money (Matthew 6:24). Litmus test: Where are your feet, mind, and hands consistently going? D. Conclusion Faith is trust in the Christ in accord with the Scriptures, on God's terms. Hope is stored up in heaven where the fleeting earth cannot touch it. Love is for Christ in the Spirit and for all the saints who call on his name.

  4. Oct 18

    Mysterious Dinner Guests

    Scripture: Genesis 18:1-15 Order of Service Welcome and Announcements Call to Worship — Jeremiah 32:17-19 Hymn — God Is Our Refuge and Our Strength Prayer of Invocation Confession of Faith — Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 1 Scripture Reading — Luke 10:38-42 Hymn — The Lord's My Shepherd Pastoral Prayer Offering Offertory Prayer Hymn — In Christ Alone Prayer of Illumination Scripture Reading — Genesis 18:1-15 Sermon Closing Prayer Hymn — All My Heart This Night Rejoices Benediction Doxology Sermon Title: Mysterious Dinner Guests Scripture: Genesis 18:1-15 Introduction A. Last week's passage (chapter 17) gave the sign of circumcision and the promise that Sarah would bear Isaac, whose name means laughter. Here Sarah laughs. B. The three mysterious men are best understood as three angels, one of whom is Yahweh, the angel of the Lord. This is a theophany, or more precisely a christophany: the Son appearing to the saints before his incarnation. C. We should not shy away from the Bible's mystery. Its restraint, compared with pagan myth that fills in every detail, is a mark of authenticity. D. The encounter has a purpose. The three men serve as a confirming witness to Abraham's faithfulness, a covenant witness to God's faithfulness, and a convicting witness to Sarah's faithlessness. I. A Confirming Witness to the Faithfulness of Abraham A. Abraham's obedience in circumcising his household (chapter 17) is now matched by his faithfulness in hospitality. He runs to meet the guests, bows, and calls them "my Lord," recognizing them as men of high honor, and likely recognizing Yahweh among them. He prepares a meal fit for a king, including fresh meat, which was a rare and generous offering in the ancient Near East. The image of the president showing up at your door shows Abraham's eagerness: "Sarah, the King of Kings is here!" B. Hebrews 13:2 likely has this episode in mind: some have entertained angels unawares. C. Christian hospitality is rarely discussed in the church today, even though Scripture speaks of it often. We live in an isolated age of fortress-like homes, social media, and screens (The Anxious Generation). Hospitality is one of the most effective ways to counter that isolation and offer a world touching only screens the human touch. The preacher is not asking for a hospitality guru, only that we put it on our radar, pray about it, and start small. It can mean simply being visible to neighbors and fellow believers, or being vulnerable enough to receive hospitality. II. A Covenant Witness to the Faithfulness of the Lord A. Unlike the king and queen in The King's Speech, who decline to stay for dinner, the Lord graciously says, "Do as you have said." B. The promise is confirmed in the context of a meal. In the ancient Near East a meal ratified and solidified a covenant. The Lord promises, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." C. The two angels serve as witnesses, in line with Deuteronomy 19:15 and Numbers 35:30. Sarah's denial in verse 15 is legal courtroom language, with Yahweh as judge. D. God goes to great lengths to make Abraham trust his promise. He calls Abraham in Genesis 12. He enacts the covenant by passing through the severed carcasses in Genesis 15. He puts the covenant sign in Abraham's flesh in Genesis 17. Now he dines with Abraham. It is like a candidate who calls personally and then knocks on your door to eat with you. E. Luke 19:5: Jesus tells Zacchaeus, "I must stay at your house today." The King of heaven, on his way to die for the sins of the world, has time to dine with sinners. Jesus is always knocking. He wants to assure us of his promises so that we trust him, and so that we may dwell in his home forever. III. A Convicting Witness to the Faithlessness of Sarah A. Sarah, eavesdropping at the tent door, laughs to herself. The laugh is private, and Abraham does not hear it, but God knows it. She lies because she is afraid. She has been caught in unbelief by the omnipresent and omniscient God. The Lord simply says, "No, but you did laugh." B. The Lord is always "on the other side of the bookshelf," as in the warehouse story where a coworker's gossip was overheard. God sees what we hide even from those closest to us. C. The purpose of this episode is Sarah's transformation. Her name means princess, but in chapter 16 she is more like a wicked stepsister, mistreating Hagar, and in chapter 17 she does not believe the promise. Hebrews 11:11 says that by faith Sarah received power to conceive, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Conviction under the gaze of God brought her to believe that nothing is too hard for the Lord. D. Luke 1:37: "For nothing will be impossible for God." The angel announces the virgin birth, which points to Christ. E. Application Some may be fooling everyone around them but hear the Lord say, "Ah, but you did." The guilt is meant to drive us to Jesus Christ, born of the virgin, who saves wretches and is the power of God unto salvation. Like Sarah, we are called to receive him, sinner and all. He is knocking, and he longs to lavish us with his love and promises.

  5. Oct 11

    Introduction to Colossians

    Scripture: Colossians 1:1-2 Order of Service Welcome and Announcements Call to Worship — Colossians 3:14-17 Hymn — Blessed Be the Tie That Binds (#409) Prayer Catechism — Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 31 Hymn of the Month — Not What My Hands Have Done (#435) Pastoral Prayer Scripture Reading — Colossians 1:1-2 Sermon Prayer Hymn — Rejoice, Believer, in the Lord (#486) Benediction Sermon Title: Introduction to Colossians Scripture: Colossians 1:1-2 I. Who Is Paul? (Verse 1) A. Background of the letter Colossians is one of the prison epistles (Colossians, Philippians, Ephesians, Philemon), written during Paul's first Roman imprisonment, around AD 60-62. Philemon belonged to the church at Colossae. His runaway slave Onesimus became a believer, and he is mentioned again in Colossians 4. Paul did not plant the church at Colossae. Only Rome and Colossae were churches he wrote to without having planted them. This shows the intimate bond of love between believers who have never met. We should not skip the greetings of the epistles, because rich theology undergirds them. B. Paul's name and mission Paul is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Saul (see Acts 13). He uses it because his mission was to be a minister to the Gentiles. Paul writes "Christ Jesus," with Christ first for emphasis. This stresses Jesus' office as the Jewish Messiah, the light to the nations who shines through his sent ones. C. Paul is an apostle, a sent one, by the will of God It is an official, authoritative office held by those who witnessed the risen Lord. To receive or reject the Son is to receive or reject the Father (Luke 10:16). Jesus himself is the first Apostle (Hebrews 3:1). There is a "trickle-down apostleship" from the Father to the Son to the apostles to the church. Timothy is called "our brother," not an apostle, so no one today should claim the title. Paul's inclusion of Timothy is a sweet picture of ministry fellowship (compare 2 Timothy 4:11). D. The apostolic stamp The epistles carry the "organization stamp" of Christ, like a letter bearing the Detroit Tigers logo. J. Gresham Machen argued that faith includes receiving all the apostolic doctrine, against the liberal tendency to keep Jesus' words and discard Paul and Peter. We should read the epistles with the giddiness of a child receiving a letter. II. Who Are the Colossians? (Verse 2a) A. "Saints and faithful brothers" "Saints" (hagioi) means those set apart to the Lord. "Faithful" most likely means believing. "Saints" is never used in the singular in the New Testament. It always refers to God's people as a corporate body (1 Peter 2:10). We should think of ourselves as part of a body of saints. Sainthood is not conferred by a pope but shared together in Christ. B. "In Christ at Colossae" Believers live in two spheres: spiritually in Christ and physically in a particular city. Lewis Johnson notes that neither pure secularism nor pure monasticism is the alternative. Paul's letters are shaped by the circumstances of the city addressed. Paul would write to "the saints in Christ at Meridian." Herman Bavinck sought to apply Reformed theology to the actual time and place God has set us in. The aim is to confront the culture, not conform to it, and to know the unique temptations and opportunities of our city. C. Application Do we know our neighbors, and are our homes open to others? Visitors often notice the warmth of the church family, and we want the surrounding community to feel it too. Rosaria Butterfield's The Gospel Comes with a House Key is recommended. We are saints in Christ at Meridian. III. Who Is God? (Verse 2b) A. "Grace to you and peace from God our Father" Paul combines the Hebrew greeting (shalom, peace) with a play on the Greek greeting (chairein, greetings), which becomes charis, grace. William Barclay says he molded the greetings of two nations into one, as in Ephesians 2. The order matters: grace comes first and makes way for peace. Undeserved favor, through Christ's blood and imputed righteousness received by faith alone, brings reconciliation with the Father. B. A benedictory greeting A benediction is a good word from the Lord, not a prayer or petition. Raised hands signify a posture of passive reception by faith. Grace and peace spoken by a God-appointed authority echoes the priestly blessing of Numbers 6:24-26. C. The priestly blessing as the capstone of a larger story (Michael Morales) Exodus 25 gives instructions for the tabernacle, where God will dwell with his people. Exodus 40 ends on an ominous note: Moses cannot enter because the glory fills the tent. Leviticus answers how a tent of dwelling becomes a tent of meeting, through the priesthood and sacrifice. The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16) sits at the center of the book. The result is the blessing of Numbers 6, in which God's name, grace, and peace rest on a forgiven people. The answer to the dilemma was God's own provision. D. Fulfillment in Christ Our High Priest Jesus has entered the true holy of holies with his own blood, and now speaks grace and peace through his apostle. After the blessing in Numbers, Israel marched into the wilderness. We likewise travel as pilgrims through the wasteland, covered by God's grace and peace received by faith. We should not skip over the greetings of the epistles but delight in and contemplate them.

  6. Oct 11

    Marvelous Grace

    Scripture: Genesis 17:15-27 Order of Service Welcome and Announcements Call to Worship: 1 Samuel 2:1-2 Hymn: Holy God, We Praise Your Name Prayer of Invocation Prayer of Confession (with a corporate reading of Psalm 51:1-4) Assurance of Pardon: Psalm 51:17 Scripture Reading: Luke 10:25-37 Hymn: O Thou That Hear'st When Sinners Cry Pastoral Prayer Offering (with Offertory Prayer) Hymn: For All the Saints Prayer for Illumination Scripture Reading: Genesis 17:15-27 Sermon Prayer Hymn: Marvelous Grace of Our Loving Lord Benediction Gloria Patri Sermon Title: Marvelous Grace Scripture: Genesis 17:15-27 I. The Marvelous Grace of God toward Sarah A. Introduction: the new features of the covenant in Genesis 17 The covenant with Abraham appears in three stages: the promise in Genesis 12, the covenant ceremony in Genesis 15, and the new features in Genesis 17. It is the same covenant with new features added, like a new iPhone or hot sauce on a dish. Every passage could be titled "the marvelous grace of God," because God cannot deal with fallen humanity apart from covenant grace. B. Sarah is the only woman in Scripture renamed by God She is not usually listed among the godly role models like Ruth, Hannah, or Deborah. Paul uses her allegorically in Galatians 4 as a picture of freedom from sin. Sarai and Sarah both mean "princess." God claims her as his princess, the mother of kings. C. Sarah's last appearance was unflattering In Genesis 16 she mistreats Hagar and echoes the fall of Adam and Eve. In a Cinderella pattern, Hagar is the mistreated servant and Sarah is the wicked stepsister, yet God calls Sarah his princess. D. Grace is not God tapping into hidden potential Grace is not an inspirational underdog story in which God draws out a spark already within us. That view leaves room for boasting and leaves despairing people with nothing to hope in. 1 Corinthians 1:26-28: God chose the foolish, weak, and despised so that no one may boast before him. Grace is the slipper fitting the wicked stepsister. It is offensive, and it changes us and makes the unlovely lovely. II. The Marvelous Grace of God toward Abraham A. Abraham's last appearance was also unflattering In Genesis 16 he listens to Sarah as Adam listened to Eve, then answers her complaint with "she's your servant, do what you please." For 13 years he has believed that Ishmael is the son of promise. B. God's patience with a veteran believer Abraham is not an unbeliever being drawn to faith. He is a believer whose faith was already counted as righteousness. God allowed him to believe this for 13 years and meets him with blessing and promise rather than chastisement, like the father of the prodigal who throws a party. God is more patient with us in sanctification than we are with ourselves. This patience is not a license to sin. Like a patient parent, it softens us toward the Father. He repeats his call to us: "Walk before me and be blameless" (Genesis 17:1). C. Isaac means laughter Abraham laughs mockingly at God's promise, but Isaac's name also carries the sense of joy and delight, likely a shortened form of "the smile of God." God laughs with joy over the son of promise, pointing to the Messiah (Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 3:17). Like a father beaming at the hospital after a birth, God the Father delights in his Son. The world mocks the virgin birth, but the Lord rejoices over the boy in the manger and all who are in him by faith. III. The Marvelous Grace of God toward Abraham's Household A. Abraham's faithful obedience Moses emphasizes exactly who was circumcised: Abraham, Ishmael, those born in the house, and those bought from foreigners. Two groups stand out. B. Ishmael At 13 he receives the sign of the covenant. Though he is associated with Islam today and will father 12 princes (a kind of counterfeit Israel) and be a "wild donkey of a man," God does not curse him. He blesses him and promises to make him a great nation. C. Foreigners bought with money Abraham means "father of a multitude of nations," and here that promise appears in miniature. The last time the nations appeared together was at Babel in Genesis 11, in rebellion against God. Galatians 3:7-8: the Gentiles are justified by faith and grafted into Abraham's household. D. Application: no place is too far for God's grace Today, in Iran, Afghanistan, Libya, Nigeria, and Pakistan, people from Ishmael's lands are being brought to faith in Christ, often under persecution. The gospel is the power (dunamis, dynamite) of God that can blow through any barricade in a sinner's heart. We pray for hard-hearted neighbors, rebellious children, and lost family members, because grace is not just grace but marvelous grace.

  7. Oct 7

    Psalm 89

    Scripture: Psalm 89 Order of Service Prayer of Invocation Pastoral Prayer Scripture Reading — Psalm 89:38-52 Sermon Benediction Sermon Title: Complaint, Covenant, and the Faithfulness of God Scripture: Psalm 89:38-52 I. The Shame and Defeat of the King A. The psalmist describes the apparent abandonment of the Davidic king — the throne is empty, the strongholds are in ruins, and enemies rejoice (Psalm 89:38-45). B. Crucially, the psalmist attributes this defeat not to chance but to God's sovereign action: "You have exalted the right hand of his foes" (Psalm 89:42). C. The psalmist holds two attributes of God together simultaneously — God's faithfulness to the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7) and God's sovereignty over the suffering of his people. D. This points to the doctrine of divine simplicity — God is not made up of parts; he is his attributes. God does not cease to be righteous when acting in love, or cease to be faithful when acting in sovereignty. The Psalter disciplines us to hold all of God's attributes together rather than compartmentalizing the ones we find comfortable. II. The Fleeting Nature of Life A. The psalmist cries, "Remember how short my time is" (Psalm 89:47), using the language of vanity — a mere breath — reminiscent of Ecclesiastes. B. Every human being must reckon with the brevity of life; the question is how one responds to it. The world's answer is to fill life with experiences and achievement. The psalmist's answer — a complaint of faith — is to cry out for God's covenant presence: Lord, my life is short; pour out the blessings of your covenant upon me. C. The conclusion of Ecclesiastes provides the parallel answer: fear God and keep his commandments — this is how one deals with the vanity of life. III. A Calling for God's Covenant Faithfulness A. The psalmist appeals directly to God's sworn promise: "Where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David?" (Psalm 89:49). B. The uniqueness of Yahweh among ancient near-eastern gods is that he alone makes covenants with his people, giving them concrete promises to bring back to him in prayer. God's remembrance of his covenant is illustrated in Genesis 8 when he sees the rainbow and remembers his promise to Noah. Moses intercedes boldly after the golden calf, calling God to remember his redemptive purposes — and God relents (Exodus 32). C. The psalmist is not merely praising the covenant — he is praising the God of the covenant, whose character guarantees that his promises will be kept. D. This is the great privilege of the covenant people: in times of sorrow, confusion, and apparent contradiction of God's promises, believers may cry out, "Lord, remember your covenant," and God welcomes that prayer as one of faith, knowledge, and trust. E. Psalm 89 closes Book Three of the Psalter, a book marked by exilic darkness; Book Four (Psalm 90) begins the movement of God's people back toward restoration and the presence of God.

  8. Oct 4

    Redemption Applied

    Scripture: Romans 8:26-30 Order of Service Call to Worship — Psalm 45:1, 16-17 Hymn — O Father, You Are Sovereign (#233) Prayer of Invocation Westminster Larger Catechism — Question 30 Hymn — Not What My Hands Have Done (#435) Pastoral Prayer Scripture Reading — Romans 8:26-30 Apostles' Creed Sermon Hymn — Union with Thee (#448) Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14 Sermon Title: Redemption Applied Scripture: Romans 8:26-30 I. The Communion of Saints A. The Greek word koinonia (fellowship) points to a specific, capital-F fellowship — not merely casual Christian friendship, but the gathered assembly of God's people in worship. Christ's most intimate language with his disciples in John 13–17 occurs in the context of the Lord's Supper; in John 15:15 he calls them friends. The Lord's Supper was called a "love feast" in the early church, uniting believers to Christ and to one another. B. Post-resurrection appearances tie the breaking of bread to the recognition of Christ's presence. The disciples on the Emmaus road recognize Christ when he breaks bread (Luke 24). Christ prepares breakfast for his disciples on the shore; the early Jerusalem church breaks bread together (Acts 2, Acts 20:7). 1 Corinthians 10 — the cup is a participation in Christ's blood; the bread a participation in his body; one bread, one people. C. The order of the Apostles' Creed is intentional: Holy Spirit → Church → individual salvation benefits, reflecting the Confession's teaching that there is no ordinary hope of salvation outside the church (WCF 25.2). Calvin frequently cited Cyprian: "The church is our mother." Just as tornadoes ordinarily pass through certain regions, God ordinarily feeds and grows his people through the church — the storehouse of the means of grace. Throughout Acts, individual salvation and membership in the church are inseparably correlated. II. The Forgiveness of Sins A. The name Jesus means "he will save his people from their sins"; to confess faith in Jesus is to confess the forgiveness of sins. B. The guilt of sin is fully expunged at the cross — justification brings not only a clean slate but the positive, active righteousness of Christ imputed to the believer. J. Gresham Machen's reported dying words: "I thank God for the active obedience of Christ; without it there would be no hope." There is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). C. Freedom from the guilt of sin is inseparably linked to freedom from the power of sin. Guilt enslaves — illustrated by the film Manchester by the Sea, in which a father consumed by guilt becomes a lifeless vessel, unable to receive forgiveness. Martin Luther's tireless gospel labor flowed directly from his experience of freedom from condemnation in Christ. Paul's apostolic energy similarly arose from being "drunk" on his freedom from guilt in Christ. D. The Roman Catholic doctrine of infused grace collapses justification and sanctification, making final justification dependent on one's cooperation with grace — a prison house the Reformers rightly rejected. E. Forgiveness proclaims: sin is no longer master; the believer is no longer a slave to sin but a slave to righteousness — hearing Christ say, "Go and sin no more." III. The Resurrection of the Body A. The creed explicitly denies the Gnostic heresy that Christ is Lord only of the spirit; Christ redeems body and soul. B. The Gospels repeatedly show Christ caring for the body as a confirming sign of his messiahship (Luke 7) — blind see, lame walk, lepers cleansed, deaf hear, dead raised. C. The Levitical law's treatment of bodily uncleanness establishes that physical death, not only spiritual death, is an offense before the living God; Christ becomes incarnate to redeem and glorify our bodies. 2 Corinthians 5:10 — each one will receive what is due for what he has done in the body. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 — the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit; glorify God in your body. The Epicurean spirit — "what I do with my body does not matter as long as I am spiritual" — is anti-biblical and pervades contemporary culture. D. By faith Joseph directed that his bones be carried into Canaan (Hebrews 11:22) — he wanted his dead bones in the land of the living, where the God of life would meet his people. E. Believers are to treat their bodies not in light of the dust they will become, but in light of the resurrection glory they will become — united to Christ the firstfruits of the resurrection harvest. IV. The Life Everlasting A. Life everlasting follows and is inseparable from the resurrection of the body; the eschaton is not a disembodied heaven but the resurrection of body and soul into the full presence of the triune God. B. Eternal life is not monotonous repetition (cf. Groundhog Day) but the inexhaustible riches of the triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — perpetually flooding over glorified creatures who can never reach the bottom of those riches. C. The life everlasting is pictured in Revelation 21–22 as beholding the glory of God and the Lamb without fear, trembling, or sin clouding the vision. Majestic things beheld from a distance — great waves, towering mountains, a lightning storm — become terrifying when one enters their midst. To behold the awesome, dread God and remain unmoved, thrilled rather than destroyed, is the promise of life everlasting for those in Christ. We will no longer see through a glass dimly or receive merely a breadcrumb and a small cup; we will behold his glory with no stain of sin in full crystal clarity.

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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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