Northpointe PCA Sermons

Northpointe Presbyterian Church
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

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

  1. 3d ago

    A Perilous Plan?

    Scripture: Ruth 3 Order of Service Call to Worship — Hebrews 12:28-29 Hymn — Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (#224) Prayer of Invocation Confession of Faith — Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 5, Paragraph 5 Hymn — Psalm 103C (#103C) Pastoral Prayer Scripture Reading — Ruth 3 Sermon Hymn — And Can It Be (#431) Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26 Sermon Title: A Perilous Plan? Scripture: Ruth 3 I. A Plan Fraught with Complexities A. Naomi's genuine concern for Ruth drives her to action — she desires Ruth to find rest, security, and a husband who will care for her after Naomi is gone, and she sees Boaz as the means to accomplish this (Ruth 3:1-2). B. Naomi's plan is morally perilous, whatever her intentions. Some commentators see Naomi sending Ruth to entice Boaz into sexual sin in the manner of a Moabite. Others (including David Strain) see Naomi engineering a situation to signal to Boaz that Ruth is available and ready for marriage — that the harvest is over, the widow's garments should come off, and the time to act is now. Either way, sending Ruth alone in the dark of night to a sleeping, well-fed man at the threshing floor — in the era of the judges when everyone did what was right in their own eyes — is morally compromised and dangerous. C. The lesson: sin persists in the hearts of God's saints. As Strain observes, Naomi — not Ruth — is acting more like the Moabite: "You can take the child of God out of Moab, but it's not nearly so easy to get Moab out of the child of God." While the power of sin is broken in the believer, its presence remains; we must remain vigilant, for sin is ever crouching at the door (Genesis 4:7). We must meet remaining sin with the good news of God's grace in Christ and overmaster it. II. A Promise of Place for Wanderers A. Ruth obeys, uncovers Boaz's feet, and lies down; Boaz wakes at midnight to find an unrecognized woman at his feet (Ruth 3:6-8). B. Ruth's words in verse 9 are unexpected and marvelous: "Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer" (Ruth 3:9). The word for "wings" can also mean "corners of a garment" — a common Middle Eastern marriage proposal idiom. Ruth is not seducing Boaz; she is maintaining her godly integrity while asking him to marry her. She calls Boaz back to his own words in Ruth 2:12, where he blessed her as one who had taken refuge under the Lord's wings — she is now asking him to be God's instrument to fulfill that blessing. The Lord uses the same "spreading the garment" language of his covenant marriage to Israel in Ezekiel 16:8. C. Boaz praises Ruth as a worthy woman and promises to redeem her, but discloses there is one nearer redeemer who must be given first opportunity (Ruth 3:10-13). D. Ruth represents every wanderer in need of rest (Hebrew: manoah, echoing the name of Samson's father in Judges — an ironic name expressing Israel's chronic restlessness under the tyranny of enemies). Sin makes spiritual wanderers of all of us, driving us to seek rest in money, success, reputation, achievement, or pleasure. Unlike with Boaz, with Christ there is no question of a nearer redeemer — he alone is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Christ says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). III. A Picture of Fullness for the Empty A. Before Ruth departs in the early morning, Boaz fills her cloak with six measures of barley so she will not return to Naomi empty-handed (Ruth 3:14-15). B. The gift of grain directly addresses Naomi's own self-assessment: "I went away full and the Lord has brought me back empty" (Ruth 1:21). The same Hebrew word for "empty" appears in both passages. Boaz discerns Naomi's continued struggle to trust God's goodness and intentionally sends her a tangible picture of what the Lord is doing — a care package with a message from the Redeemer himself. C. Naomi finally receives it; her final word is "Wait" — no more meddling, no more manipulation, no more rushing (Ruth 3:18). This echoes Psalm 27:14: "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord." "Wait" is the word of a heart at rest in God. D. Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of this picture of fullness. As Strain puts it: "There is no promise that hardship and sorrow or loss or pain will never again intrude into your life, but there is a promise that emptiness need never again characterize your heart." He who was rich became poor; he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, becoming obedient unto death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8), so that all who are empty and come to him in faith will be filled with life abundant. There is more grace in Christ than you can exhaust; he is your satisfaction and fills you to overflowing.

    30 min

  2. 3d ago

    Loved From the Beginning

    Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-6 Order of Service Call to Worship — Psalm 117 Hymn — All People That on Earth Do Dwell Prayer of Invocation Confession of Sin Assurance of Pardon — Romans 8:1 Scripture Reading — Luke 8:26-39 Hymn — Jesus Shall Reign Pastoral Prayer Offering Hymn — How Sweet and Awesome Is the Place Prayer for Illumination Sermon Hymn — Jesus, Lover of My Soul Benediction — Ephesians 3:16-19 Hymn — Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow Sermon Title: Loved From the Beginning Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-6 I. The Wrong Foundation for God's Love A. Many Christians silently doubt God's love, fearing that voicing those doubts will make them more real or reveal they do not truly belong to Christ. B. The root error is building one's understanding of God's love on personal performance — faith, obedience, purity, or works. This creates a crushing, transactional burden: God loves me more when I do well, less when I sin. Even mature believers such as R.C. Sproul wrestled with this doubt, so Christians need not feel alone or disqualified for struggling. C. The thesis: God does not love you for your sincerity, obedience, circumstances, or performance. God loves you in his Son, Jesus Christ. II. In Christ, God Chose You A. Ephesians 1:4 — God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him. Being chosen to holiness and blamelessness assumes we do not possess them in ourselves; Christ's holiness becomes ours by union with him. God did not look into the future and foresee our faith or good works as the basis of election; he chose us according to the good pleasure of his will (Ephesians 1:5). B. Because election is rooted eternally in Christ before creation, it is secure and unchangeable — it cannot rise or fall with our daily performance. C. The parallel with Joshua illustrates this: every gain in the promised land was already Joshua's by promises made centuries earlier to Abraham — how much more certain are God's promises to us, secured in our Joshua, Jesus. D. John Calvin observed that whenever we ask why God called us, blessed us, or opened heaven to us, the answer is always the same: he chose us before the foundation of the world. III. In Christ, God Adopted You A. Ephesians 1:5 — God predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will. The Greek word predestined simply means "to destine beforehand," making the concept inescapable in the text. Roman adoption practice illustrates the richness of the term: the adopted son was sold three times, transferred fully to the new father, and received all rights and privileges of a natural-born son. B. Application of Roman adoption: we are no longer under obligation to our former father the devil, no longer children of wrath or sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2), but full heirs of eternal life and the kingdom. C. Two essential features of this adoption: God does it in love and with pleasure — not out of cold obligation. God does it through Jesus — Christ shares the privileges of his Sonship (fellowship with the Father, eternal life, glory, authority over the new creation) with his adoptive brothers and sisters within their creaturely capacities. D. Jesus is not a divine delivery person bringing salvation as a package; he is the location and sphere of our salvation — Christ himself is our election and our adoption, the means and the appointed end. E. Johannes Brenz, a friend of Martin Luther, expressed this: the Lord cared about you before the world was made; how much more will he care for you now that you exist and are in Christ. IV. In Christ, God Bestows Grace and Every Blessing A. Ephesians 1:3 — the Father has already blessed us (past tense) with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ — not some, not half, but all. B. Spiritual blessings surpass earthly ones because, as Jerome noted, the earth is too small to contain a spiritual blessing; they are secured not by our strength but in the person of Christ. C. Ephesians 1:6 — the summary word for all God gives us in Christ is grace: freely bestowed, unconstrained by anything outside God himself. A student of Luther noted that works always carry doubt with them; those who base salvation on works can never be certain — this is the anxiety that gnaws at believers in the night. God's grace was bestowed on us in the Beloved before the foundation of the world, making it utterly independent of our performance. D. John Newton's dream illustrates the security of grace: the angel retrieved the precious jewel Newton had thrown overboard and said, "Still yours — but I will keep it for you, because you cannot hold it in your own strength." So Christ holds our salvation for us. E. This grace does not lead to licentiousness; we were chosen unto holiness and blamelessness, and those in Christ will live for Christ — but holy living is our response to God's love, not its basis (Romans 6). V. The Call to Rest in Eternal Love A. Christians must shift the foundation of their understanding of God's love from the unstable ground of their own works and faith to the free, eternal love of God revealed in Jesus Christ. B. Only this foundation will lift the shame from the self-condemning believer who walks with hunched shoulders, knowing he is unworthy. C. Only this foundation will humble the proud, showing that salvation cannot be earned but only received through faith in Christ. D. God's love song over his people is: I have loved you from before time began — I love you still — in my Son Jesus — and my love will never be corrupted, stopped, reversed, or destroyed.

    35 min

  3. Jun 21

    Daily Bread

    Scripture: Matthew 6:7-11, 31-34 Order of Service Call to Worship — Daniel 7:13-14 Hymn — O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing Prayer of Invocation Confession of Sin — Psalm 51:1-4 Assurance of Pardon — Psalm 51:17 Confession of Faith — Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 125 Scripture Reading — Luke 8:16-25 Hymn — Ye Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim Pastoral Prayer Offering Hymn — Day by Day Sermon Hymn — Children of the Heavenly Father Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26 Sermon Title: Daily Bread Scripture: Matthew 6:7-11, 31-34 I. We Are Bodily Dependent Children A. The fourth petition — "Give us this day our daily bread" — is intentionally ordinary, following the lofty heavenly petitions of the Lord's Prayer, resisting the error of over-realized eschatology. Over-realized eschatology seeks to pull future kingdom realities into the present, leading to asceticism or radical activism. Colossians 2:20-23 warns that self-made religion and severity to the body have no value against the flesh. B. Spiritual kingdom truths are realized not by denying bodily existence but by living into our creaturely dependence. The Heidelberg Catechism (Q&A 125) teaches that neither our care and work nor God's gifts can do us good without God's blessing — a direct refutation of practical deism. God is not merely the "first cause" who sets nature in motion; he must continually bless secondary means for them to function as means of blessing. C. We receive daily provisions as "kingdom come" children — in moderation, as a guard against idolatry and as protection of our hope in the eternal abundance of the marriage feast of the Lamb. Israel in the wilderness illustrates the danger: grumbling for a feast rather than receiving manna was an over-realized eschatology that led to idolatry. The Lord's Supper pictures this rightly — a small foretaste of the abundance we will enjoy face to face with Christ at the marriage feast. II. We Are Time-Oriented Children A. From creation, man was made to live and work within time — day by day under the expanse God set in the heavens (Genesis 1:1). B. Ecclesiastes 3:13 teaches that eating, drinking, and taking pleasure in toil is God's gift to man. "Lean into your creaturehood. Live into your temporality. Dig into your toil." — there are gifts found in the ordinary grind of daily work. "God seeks what has been driven away" — whatever is lost or disappointing in this world of thorns and thistles will be restored, because God will restore the years the locusts have eaten. C. The Lord's Prayer does not promote escapism from daily life but brings meaning and purpose to it. Colossians 3:17 — "Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus." A data- and poll-obsessed culture seeks meaning in what is subject to constant change; creatures of time need the permanence of eternity as their stability. D. Creatureliness and time are not evil — they were present at the very beginning and were always meant to find their meaning in the eternal God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. III. We Are Eternally Bound Children A. Throughout Scripture, God uses created things as metaphors pointing to himself — rock, refuge, sun and shield, vine, shepherd, bread, cornerstone, light, lamb, lion, dove, fire, wind, water. B. All of creation is one grand signpost pointing back to the eternal God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Even language itself — letters as symbols — points to God who is the eternal Word, the one who gives meaning to all words. Ephesians 4:6 — "There is one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Colossians 3:11 — "Christ is all and in all." C. Daily bread eaten in faith becomes a cosmic event — every ordinary act of eating, drinking, working, and resting is a signpost to eternal glory. As we eat daily bread, our hearts turn to the one who is the eternal bread from heaven giving eternal life. As we enjoy spouse, children, friends, water, rest, work, and seasons of life, each points upward to the triune God who is our highest good. Whatever we do — whether we eat or drink — do it to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), knowing nothing is wasted in the permanent and eternal decrees of God.

    38 min

  4. Jun 21

    There is a Redeemer

    Scripture: Ruth 2:14-23 Order of Service Call to Worship — Psalm 2:10-12 Psalm — Why Do the Heathen Nations Rage (Psalm 2) Prayer of Invocation Westminster Shorter Catechism — Question 20 Hymn — Psalm 103C (verses 5–8) Pastoral Prayer Scripture Reading — Ruth 2:14-23 Sermon Hymn — Thou Art the Way (#266) Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26 Sermon Title: There Is a Redeemer Scripture: Ruth 2:14-23 I. A Picture of the Redeemer's Manner A. Ruth and Naomi are destitute widows — Ruth goes to glean in the fields, hoping only for leftovers, as provided for in Deuteronomy 24:19. B. Boaz goes far beyond normal custom in his provision for Ruth. He invites her to eat bread and wine with the workers at mealtime (Ruth 2:14). He personally serves her roasted grain — a landowner doing a servant's work. She eats until she is satisfied and has food left over — a picture of overabundant provision. C. Boaz instructs his workers to allow Ruth to glean from the best of the harvest, even from already-bundled sheaves (Ruth 2:15-16). No one may reproach or rebuke her. She returns home with an ephah of barley — roughly 30 pounds, enough to produce over 37 loaves of bread. D. This manner of provision points to the Lord's own abundant care for his people throughout Scripture. Leviticus 25:19 — the Lord promises his people will eat their fill. Psalm 78:25 — the Lord sends manna in abundance. Psalm 23:5 — "My cup overflows." E. Boaz points forward to Christ, the greater Redeemer and greater Boaz. Jesus announces his mission in Isaiah 61:1-2 — good news to the poor, liberty to the captives. When Jesus feeds the multitudes, the people ate their fill with baskets left over — a sign of extravagant spiritual provision. Jesus declares in John 6:35: "Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." No one who comes to Christ empty goes away empty still; there is more grace in him than we can exhaust. II. The Pronouncement of the Redeemer's Motivation A. Ruth returns to Naomi with arms full — both the leftover meal and the abundant grain — and Naomi sees it all (Ruth 2:18). Naomi has believed God has dealt bitterly with her; her heart has grown cold and her sight darkened. Yet God has been pursuing her all along, even in her bitterness. B. When Naomi learns the field belongs to Boaz, her eyes are opened and she bursts out in praise (Ruth 2:20). "May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead." She praises not merely Boaz but the Lord's own hesed — covenant kindness, steadfast love — working through him. C. The driving motivation behind all God's redemptive work is his hesed — his covenant love. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who keeps his covenant faithfulness through generations. John 3:16 — the Father's eternal, extravagant love sent the Son to be the provision for our spiritual need. God loves his people with an everlasting, steadfast love that has no beginning and no end. D. Like Naomi, we are prone to forget God's hesed when trials press hard upon us. We grumble, complain, and try to take control — seeing only bitterness, not his goodness. The story of Ruth calls us back: God does not forsake his people; he provides all the grace we need and more in Christ. Christ the Redeemer, motivated by love, came to give not just life but abundant life (John 10:10).

    35 min

  5. Jun 14

    Are There Any Good Men in the World?

    Scripture: Ruth 2:1-13 Order of Service Call to Worship — Psalm 105:1-4 Hymn — O Praise the Lord, His Deeds Make Known (#105C) Prayer of Invocation Shorter Catechism — Question and Answer 21 Hymn — Come, My Soul, and Bless the Lord (#103C) Pastoral Prayer Scripture Reading — Ruth 2:1-13 Sermon Hymn — Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee (#491) Benediction Sermon Title: Are There Any Good Men in the World? Scripture: Ruth 2:1-13 I. Introduction: The Character of Boaz A. The setting — barley harvest begins in late April, a time of abundance and celebration for Israel, and Ruth and Naomi arrive at its beginning, not its end, revealing God's sweet providence. B. Boaz is a relative of Elimelech — this family connection will play a significant role in the kinsman-redeemer theme developed later, rooted in Deuteronomy 25. C. Boaz's name means "in him is strength" — in the era of the judges, when men are depicted as weak and cowardly (cf. Judges 4, where Barak refuses to fight Sisera without Deborah, and Jael — a woman — kills Sisera), Boaz stands as a man of genuine strength. D. Boaz is described in Ruth 2:1 as a "worthy man" — the Hebrew combines gibbor (great man) and hayil (worthy, excellent), conveying power, dignity, and honor, in stark contrast to the rape, theft, murder, and manipulation filling the book of Judges. E. Boaz is a godly man — his first words in verse 4, "The Lord be with you," and his workers' response, "The Lord bless you," show that in a time when Israel followed the fertility god Baal (Judges), Boaz credits Yahweh as the provider of the harvest. F. Illustration — Gerta and Kurt Klein: Gerta, a Polish Jewish teenager who survived three years in Nazi labor camps, described the first American soldier she saw (Kurt Klein, who would become her husband) as sounding like "the voice of God" because he spoke to her with kindness and dignity after years of brutal treatment. Boaz must have had a similar effect on Ruth and Naomi amid the wickedness of the judges' era. II. The Character of Ruth A. Ruth is Naomi's strength — where Naomi is consumed by bitterness and grief (having renamed herself Mara, meaning "bitter"), Ruth provides the active, forward-moving strength that Naomi cannot muster, much as Martin Luther called on his congregation to pray on his behalf when he and his wife lacked the strength to pray after burying their daughter. B. Ruth is humble — the word "glean" occurs twelve times in this chapter. Rather than succumbing to bitterness and inaction as Naomi has, Ruth takes humble advantage of Israel's lawful provision for the poor, widows, sojourners, and orphans (grain left in field corners and dropped stalks), refusing to let sorrow blind her to the provisions God has placed before her. C. Ruth is persistent — verse 7 notes she worked "from early morning until now, except for a short rest," embodying the Reformation principle that any vocation, however menial, can be done zealously to the glory of God. Her suffering produces endurance, not self-pity or excuse-making. Romans 5:3-5 — "suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope." Suffering is not primarily a cause of depression and blame-shifting (as the world claims), but an opportunity to put faith into action. III. Boaz Notices Ruth: The Redemptive Power of Seeing A. The theme of "seeing" and "finding favor" recurs in verses 10 and 13 — Ruth asks why Boaz would "take notice" of a foreigner; the eyes are a gateway to the heart, for good or ill. Sinful seeing leads to sinful action — Eve in Genesis 3, David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11. James 1:14 — "each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire" — the luring is connected to what the eyes see. Jesus' warning in Matthew 5:29 — "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out" — calls us to guard not just our sight but the heart from which all things flow. B. Redeemed seeing leads to loving action — God sees Israel's affliction in Exodus 3; Jesus sees the crowd and has compassion in Mark 6:34; Boaz sees Ruth and acts in steadfast lovingkindness. C. The book of Ruth was read aloud in Israel's liturgical calendar at the Feast of Weeks (commemorating the giving of the law, seven weeks after the Exodus) — reminding Israel that lovingkindness is the fulfillment of the law, not cold obedience. D. Boaz as type points to the greater need — the era of judges cries out for a king; 1 Samuel 16 gives David, but David's eyes lust after Bathsheba and Nathan declares in 2 Samuel 12, "You are the man." E. Pontius Pilate's unwitting proclamation in John 19 — "Behold the man" — points to Christ as the truly good man: humbled through suffering, identifying with the lowly, with eyes unstained by sin that see and redeem the afflicted. Christ is the fulfillment of the law not merely by keeping every point of it, but because his pure eyes proceed from a heart untainted by sin. By the Spirit, Christ restores our eyes to see the afflicted — prostitutes, tax collectors, Samaritans at a well (John 4) — and act in mercy and steadfast love toward them. IV. Application: Being Good Men and Women in a Fallen World A. The world is constantly searching for a good man — may it find him in believers who live out Christlike love. B. True goodness does not originate in us but flows from the righteousness of Christ poured into our hearts by the Spirit, renewing our wills, affections, and eyes. C. Practically, redeemed eyes trained by grace will notice the "Ruths" of the world whom others pass by, and draw near to them with dignity, kindness, and steadfast love.

    31 min

  6. Jun 14

    Your Will Be Done on Earth as in Heaven

    Scripture: Deuteronomy 29:29 Order of Service Call to Worship — Psalm 103 Hymn — Praise to the Lord, the Almighty Prayer of Invocation Confession of Faith — Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 124 Scripture Reading — Luke 8:1-15 Hymn — O for a Closer Walk with God Pastoral Prayer Offering Hymn — Thy Word Is Like a Garden, Lord Sermon Hymn — All for Jesus Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14 Sermon Title: Your Will Be Done on Earth as in Heaven Scripture: Deuteronomy 29:29 I. A Mind Set on Heaven and Not on Earth A. The Lord's Prayer orients the heart toward heaven — hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done — before turning to earthly needs. B. The location of the Father's throne matters: the "third heaven" (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) is the unseen realm of God's uncanny, holy presence, distinct from the sky (first heaven) and outer space (second heaven). C. Isaiah's vision in Isaiah 6 illustrates the awe demanded by the God of the third heaven — the seraphim shield their eyes, and Isaiah cries, "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips." D. Modern culture, described by Charles Taylor as the "immanent frame," confines the imagination to the first and second heavens, effectively eliminating transcendence. Ancient Near Eastern religions worshipped gods bound to elements of creation; only Yahweh is the God of the third heaven. When God is reduced to the first two heavens, his revealed will in Scripture becomes unnecessary — knowledge of God is sought through empirical discovery alone. The church today reflects this loss of transcendence when professing Christians condone what Scripture condemns. E. Obedience to God's will is inseparable from knowing where he gives it — from his transcendent, unchangeable throne, not from creation. God's will, rooted in the third heaven, is immutable and not subject to revision by new human discoveries. Training the mind on heavenly truth requires disciplined daily doses of the Word, prayer, and worship (Colossians 3:2). II. A Mind Set on God and Not on Man A. The philosophical debate over "freedom of the will" almost always concerns man's will — but only God possesses a truly free will. B. The divine name Yahweh — "I AM WHO I AM" — first revealed in Exodus 3 — expresses God's absolute independence and self-existence. God's will flows entirely from his own being; nothing outside him determines or constrains it. To be dependent on creatures would be for God to cease being the great I AM. C. The doctrine of divine simplicity means God does not merely have freedom — God is freedom. He does not have a measure of goodness, righteousness, or love; he is goodness, righteousness, and love. Therefore, true freedom for human beings is found only in conformity to God's will, not apart from it. D. Creation was designed to serve mankind (the Sabbath was made for man), but God's service flows from absolute freedom, not slavish dependence. E. Christ's high priestly prayer in John 17 — "that they may be in us" — is a prayer that the absolute freedom of the triune God would be shared with his people through conformity to the Father's will. F. Even the 250th anniversary of American independence should remind Christians that only God is truly free; human freedom is derivative and grows through absorption into his will. III. A Mind Set on Redemption and Not on Slavery A. The Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) established that Christ has two natures — fully divine and fully human — in one person. B. The Third Council of Constantinople (681 AD) further affirmed that Christ has two wills: a human will and a divine will. Christ's human will is not an individual preference but the common human faculty shared by all — hunger, thirst, the desire for rest. This is distinct from personal idiosyncratic desires. C. Gregory of Nazianzus: "That which Christ does not assume, Christ cannot redeem." If any common human faculty — including the will — is not assumed by Christ, it remains unredeemed. Hebrews 2 affirms he became like us in every way, yet without sin, to redeem every faculty of our humanity. D. Christ demonstrates the redeemed human will in two decisive moments: In the wilderness, resisting Satan: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." In Gethsemane: "Not my will, but your will be done" — the perfect human will submitted to the Father. E. Outside of Christ there is no freedom of the will — only bondage to sin; in Christ, the will is set free (Galatians 5:1). Satan's tactic is to convince the saints they deserve bondage and can do nothing but follow the flesh — just as an abusive husband convinces a wife she deserves the abuse. Paul's answer by the Spirit: "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." F. The prayer "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" has already been accomplished in Christ, who descended from heaven to do the Father's will perfectly, finishing it on the cross at Golgotha. G. Therefore, set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2) — not on the flesh sown in Adam, but on Christ, who was sown to the Father's will on our behalf.

    42 min

  7. Jun 7

    Friendship

    Scripture: Ruth 1:6-22 Order of Service Hymn — God, All Nature Sings Thy Glory (#253) Call to Worship — 1 Chronicles 16:28-36 Prayer of Invocation Apostles' Creed Hymn — Bless the Lord, O My Soul (Psalm 103, #103C, stanzas 1–4) Pastoral Prayer Scripture Reading — Ruth 1:6-22 Sermon Hymn — Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me (#400) Benediction Sermon Title: Friendship Scripture: Ruth 1:6-22 I. Naomi Urges Her Daughters-in-Law to Return Home (vv. 6–15) A. The Lord visits his covenant people with food — a sign of special grace, not merely common grace Physical famine in the land signals spiritual famine, as taught in Leviticus God acts in spite of Israel's faithlessness — he draws near in their misery Wordplay: the Hebrew word for bread (lehem) echoes Bethlehem ("house of bread") — God provides bread for the house of bread B. Naomi urges Orpah and Ruth to return to their mothers' houses (Ruth 1:8-9) In the ancient world, widowhood was nearly a death sentence — livelihood depended on a husband's name and inheritance Naomi acts in love, urging them toward remarriage and a secure future Naomi calls them "my daughters" (vv. 11, 12, 13) — indicating a tight-knit, mother-daughter bond C. Naomi alludes to the levirate law — Deuteronomy 25:5-10 The brother-in-law (Latin: levir) was obligated to marry his deceased brother's widow and carry on his name Naomi is too old to provide another son; she does not want to burden them with waiting This law prepares the reader for the coming role of Boaz as kinsman-redeemer D. Orpah kisses Naomi goodbye, but Ruth clings to her (Ruth 1:14) The Hebrew verb for "cling" is strong — used in 1 Kings 11:2 of Solomon's heart clinging to foreign women and their gods Echoes the marriage language of Adam and Eve: a man shall leave father and mother and cleave to his wife Orpah's departure is described as returning to "her people and to her gods" — separation from Naomi is separation from Yahweh (Ruth 1:15) II. Ruth's Oath of Loyalty (vv. 16–18) A. Ruth's declaration is unconditional and comprehensive (Ruth 1:16-17) She renounces her Moabite people, culture, and gods She binds herself to Naomi's people and to Naomi's God She seals the commitment with an oath invoking Yahweh — not Chemosh, the chief god of Moab B. The contrast between Orpah and Ruth Orpah loves Naomi the person; Ruth clings to what Naomi represents — the one true God New Testament parallel: John 6 — many disciples leave Jesus over hard sayings; Peter says, "Where shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" To leave Naomi would be to return to false idols; to cling to Naomi is to cling to the covenant God of Israel C. Application: Christian friendship is meant to draw others not merely to ourselves but to the God they see in us We should aspire to be people others cling to because of Christ, not merely because of personal kindness Our relationships ought to point to a truth and reality that goes beyond us III. Naomi Returns to Bethlehem (vv. 19–22) A. The whole town is stirred at Naomi's return (Ruth 1:19) Naomi's original departure to Moab — enemy territory — was itself an act of faithlessness She returns shamed: husband dead, sons dead, accompanied by a Moabite woman B. Naomi renames herself Mara ("bitter") (Ruth 1:20-21) Parallel to Job — Job 27:2 — who also loses everything and calls God's hand against him Naomi does not need platitudes or advice; she needs a shoulder to cry on God's mysterious providence: he provides exactly that comfort through a Moabite woman C. The key word shuv ("return/repentance") occurs 12 times in chapter 1 The author could have used other Hebrew verbs for return but chooses the word most associated with repentance — turning back to the Lord Naomi's departure to Moab and her sons' foreign marriages are implicitly condemned Her return is a return to the land where God's covenant promises are bound D. The barley harvest (Ruth 1:22) — a cliffhanger and foreshadowing Closes an episode of death, grief, and destitution Points forward to the harvest scenes where the drama of redemption will unfold with Boaz IV. Closing Applications A. Salvation comes through stubborn love If it were up to Naomi, she would have sent Ruth away and died in shame — as Job repeatedly wished for death It is Ruth's stubborn, unwanted love that becomes Naomi's salvation — a picture of the gospel 1 John 4:10 — it is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son The "hound of heaven" — God's love is more stubborn than our sin, shame, and guilt; John 6:44 — the Father drags us to the Son B. The call to covenant friendship Ruth's bond with Naomi is not based on cultural ties, shared ethnicity, or material prospects — it is grounded in the God Naomi serves She bypasses her sister-in-law Orpah (a natural companion) to cling to a daughter of Yahweh John 13:34 — love one another as Christ has loved you; 1 John 2:9-10 — love of the brother is the mark of walking in the light; Galatians 6:10 — do good to all, but especially to the household of faith Love all people (the Orpahs), but cling to the covenant people of God (the Naomis) The modern church has often inverted this priority — the love most needed is first among the brothers and sisters in Christ, not only directed outward

    38 min

  8. Jun 7

    Your Kingdom Come

    Scripture: Colossians 1:11-14 Order of Service Call to Worship — Psalm 100 Hymn — All People That on Earth Do Dwell Prayer of Invocation Prayer of Confession Assurance of Pardon — Matthew 11:28-30 Heidelberg Catechism Confession of Faith — Question 123 Pastoral Prayer Offering Hymn — I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord Scripture Reading — Colossians 1:11-14 Scripture Reading — Matthew 6:7-10 Prayer for Illumination Sermon Prayer Lord's Supper Hymn — When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (stanzas 1–2) Lord's Supper — Bread Lord's Supper — Cup Prayer Hymn — When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (stanzas 3–4) Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26 Sermon Title: Your Kingdom Come Scripture: Colossians 1:11-14 and Matthew 6:7-10 I. Sovereignty and the Kingdom of God A. God's sovereignty is rooted in his role as Creator Psalm 95:3-5 — the Lord is sovereign king because he made all things Isaiah 43:15 — he is likewise sovereign over his covenant people because he created them B. God's sovereignty is expressed through naming that which he creates In Genesis 1, God names what he creates — sun, moon, stars, day, night — as a stamp of sovereign ownership God renames the foundation stones of the old covenant: Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel Jesus, the last Adam, renames the foundation stones of the new covenant — Cephas (Peter), Boanerges (James and John) — displaying co-rule with the Father Just as the Father names the Son, the Son names the apostles; just as the Father sends the Son, the Son sends the Spirit at Pentecost (John 20:21) In 1 Corinthians 15, Christ ultimately hands the kingdom back to the Father — his sovereign rule over the church is in service of the Father's glory C. The contrast: Babel (Genesis 11) — the kingdoms of this world seek to make a name for themselves To pray "your kingdom come" is to renounce self-sovereignty and receive the name the Father gives us in Christ It is to long for new creation — life out of death by the Spirit — to come in its fullness II. Righteousness and the Kingdom of God A. Righteousness defined: law-abiding, law-conforming; the kingdom of God is a kingdom of righteous citizens In all earthly kingdoms, the buck stops at mortal man; no law stands above the human sovereign In Israel, the king was required to know and rule by God's law (Deuteronomy 17) — the buck stops at Yahweh B. Scripture as the "norming norm" — the non-normed standard that guides all other authority Creeds and confessions are important but are normed by Scripture Absolute sovereignty gives way to absolute righteousness: "you shall" and "you shall not" C. Christ fulfills all righteousness and ushers in the kingdom by the Spirit Born under the law, he fulfills the absolute standard — not the traditions of men but the norming norm Isaiah 32:1 — "A king shall reign in righteousness" — now fulfilled at the Father's right hand Christ's righteousness is imputed to believers by faith; we stand justified before the holy God D. The righteousness of God answers the problem of evil Evil does not make sense because it is chaos — the absence of God's righteous word ruling and reigning Rather than only asking "why?", we are called to cry out "your kingdom come, your righteousness fill the land" Righteousness is not merely a word to drive us to Christ for personal salvation; it is the answer to injustice and suffering throughout all creation Maranatha — "your kingdom come" — is the proper response to a world not yet fully normed by the righteousness of God III. Glory and the Kingdom of God A. The meaning of glory The Hebrew kavod means "heavy" — God is worthy of worship, honor, and praise Glory is most often depicted in Scripture as light — God's glory is a "heavy light" B. The light of Day One (Genesis 1:3) is the glory of the Son John 1:1-4 — the Word is the life and light of men; the prologue of John intentionally echoes Genesis 1 Hebrews 1 — the Son is the radiance of God's glory; the Sun (s-u-n) that gave light before the sun (s-u-n) was created is the Son (s-o-n) Revelation 22 — in the new creation there is no need of sun or moon; the Father is its light and Christ its lamp — the circle is complete C. The Shekinah glory progressively revealed and now indwelling believers The pillar of cloud and fire over the tabernacle; Moses's face reflecting God's glory on Mount Sinai John 1:18 — the Son, eternally face to face with the Father, comes as the greater Moses; grace and truth come through the fullness of glory in the Son At Pentecost, tongues of fire — the pillar of fire — descend into the hearts of believers; the Shekinah glory now dwells within the church as the temple of the living God Romans 8 — creation groans for the revealing of the sons of God, the sons of glory D. The kingdom consummated: the New Jerusalem as the glorious bride Revelation 21:2 — the holy city, New Jerusalem, descending as a bride adorned for her husband As Adam beheld Eve and said "bone of my bone," Christ will behold his resurrected, glorified bride — "bone of my resurrected bone" Three closing questions: Whose name are you seeking? Whose righteousness are you living by? Whose glory are you pursuing? Father, your kingdom come — sovereignty, righteousness, and glory all fulfilled in Christ

    37 min
See All (526)

About

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

Information