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. 5d ago

    Abraham and the Family

    Scripture: Genesis 11:27-12:9 Order of Service Call to Worship — Nehemiah 8:9-10 Hymn — Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee Prayer of Invocation Confession of Sin — Psalm 51 Assurance of Pardon — Psalm 51:17 Scripture Reading — Luke 9:23-36 Hymn — Fairest Lord Jesus Pastoral Prayer Offering Prayer of Dedication Hymn — Speak, O Lord Sermon Hymn — The God of Abraham Praise Benediction Sermon Title: Abraham and the Family Scripture: Genesis 11:27–12:9 I. Abraham and the Promised Family A. The toledot ("these are the generations of") formula appears ten times in Genesis, carrying the promise of Genesis 3:15 — the offspring of the woman who will crush the serpent's head — forward through the genealogical line. After the fall, the godly line runs from Seth to Noah to Shem to Terah to Abram. Just as Acts 1:8 is the programmatic promise for the book of Acts, Genesis 3:15 is the programmatic promise for all of redemptive history. B. Abraham is not called arbitrarily; he is the son of Terah, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Seth, son of Adam — the line of the promised offspring of the woman. The spiritual offspring of the serpent is also traced: Cain mirrors the wicked line; Ham mirrors Cain in the post-flood narrative. John 8 and Romans 2 clarify that this is a spiritual lineage, not merely physical. C. Luke's genealogy in Luke 3:23-38 traces Christ back through Shem, Noah, Seth, and Adam, showing that Genesis 3:15 is the programmatic promise for all of redemptive history culminating in Jesus Christ, the true offspring of the woman. II. Abraham and the Families of the Earth A. Genesis 12:3 promises that in Abram all the families of the earth shall be blessed. In context, "families of the earth" refers to the lines of Shem, Ham, and Japheth dispersed after the flood (Genesis 9:18-19). Ham (father of Canaan) represents the wicked line — Babylon, Egypt, Assyria all descend from him. Noah's curse and blessing in Genesis 9:25-27 establish that Shem will subdue Canaan, and Japheth will dwell in the tents of Shem. B. When God promises in Genesis 12:7 to give the land of Canaan to Abram's offspring, Abram recognizes Noah's prophecy coming to fulfillment and builds an altar in thanksgiving. Altars in Genesis regularly mark a moment of recognizing God's promise being revealed. The Gentile nations (sons of Japheth and even Ham) are grafted into the line of Shem through faith in Christ — Romans 11 and Romans 16:20. C. Redemption is a family reunion: Paul tells the Athenians in Acts 17:26 that God made from one man every nation, and calling a sinner to faith is calling them back home to their father. The parable of the prodigal son pictures salvation as coming home. Isaiah 19:24-25 envisions Egypt and Assyria (sons of Ham) alongside Israel as God's own people — Ham, Japheth, and Shem reunited in Christ. III. Abraham and the Supernatural Family A. The note in Genesis 11:30 — "Now Sarai was barren; she had no child" — is a deliberate disruption of the uniform genealogical pattern, signaling that the promised offspring will not come by natural means alone. Against the steady repetition of the toledot genealogies, Sarai's barrenness stands out like an imperfection in a masterpiece, drawing the reader forward. This anticipates the supernatural birth of Isaac to barren Sarah, the son of promise. B. Matthew's genealogy in Matthew 1 uses the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew toledot ("the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ"), deliberately echoing Genesis and presenting itself as the final and culminating toledot. The steady "and he fathered" pattern is broken at Matthew 1:16: "Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born" — Joseph did not father him. This points to the virgin birth: the offspring of the woman, supernaturally conceived, is the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15. C. The Emmanuel principle — "I will be your God and you will be my people" — seen in the nation (Exodus 6:7), in the Davidic king (2 Samuel 7:14), and in the new creation (Revelation 21:3) — finds its origin and root in the family of Abraham. Christ's Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-19 is the line of Shem going out to subdue the nations and bring all families of the earth to blessing. Believers share in the victory of Christ — the head of the serpent crushed — as they take refuge under the tent of Christ, the son of Abraham, the son of Shem, Emmanuel, God with us.

  2. 5d ago

    The Name of the Son

    Scripture: John 20:30-31 Order of Service Call to Worship — Psalm 107:1-3 Hymn — Now Thank We All Our God (#181) Prayer of Invocation Catechism Reading — Westminster Larger Catechism, Questions 9–11 Hymn — The Apostles' Creed (#560) Pastoral Prayer Scripture Reading — John 20:30-31 Sermon Hymn — O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing (#291) Benediction Sermon Title: The Name of the Son Scripture: John 20:30-31 I. The Name Jesus A. The name Jesus is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Joshua, meaning "Yahweh is salvation," and is consistently linked in the Old Testament to Yahweh's strength (chayil). Isaiah 12:2 — "The LORD God is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." Psalm 27:1 — "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" Psalm 118:14 — "The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." B. This pattern of Yahweh's saving strength originates in the Song of Moses after the Red Sea crossing in Exodus 15:1-21; just as Yahweh threw horse and rider into the sea, so Jesus is Yahweh come down to destroy sin. C. Matthew 1:21 — the angel instructs Joseph: "You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Unlike Joshua of old, through whom Yahweh brought salvation, Jesus himself is Yahweh salvation incarnate. Micah 7:19 uses Red Sea language to describe God casting all our sins into the depths of the sea — a picture of Christ's total, conquering victory over sin. D. The salvation Jesus brings is not merely a pardon but a conquest: he suffocates sin, treads it underfoot as a conquering king, and throws it into the depths of the sea. E. The object of this mighty work is particular — "his people" — underscoring the personal, covenantal nature of Christ's saving work. II. The Name Christ A. Christ is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew Messiah, meaning "the Anointed One"; anointing in the ancient world carried two implications. The anointed one is subject to and in service of the one who anoints (the Father is greater; Christ only does what the Father commands). The anointing is the seal of God's choice — this is the Father's chosen one (illustrated by Aaron's staff in Numbers 16 and David sparing Saul in 1 Samuel 24). B. The anointing of Christ took place at his baptism in the Jordan, where the Spirit descended and the Father declared, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" — echoing David's anointing in 1 Samuel 16. John the Baptist's cry, "Behold, the Lamb of God," before the baptism introduces priestly anointing language alongside kingly language. Some scholars note that Jesus was approximately 30 years old at his baptism, the age at which a high priest was anointed, and that John the Baptist was of the Levitical line. C. At the Transfiguration, the Father again seals and anoints Christ — this time adding "Listen to him," identifying Jesus as the God-approved, God-sealed prophetic voice. D. To confess Christ is to confess the one anointed to all three Old Testament offices: prophet, priest, and king — and to exclude all rival claimants (Muhammad, Joseph Smith, and others). III. The Name Son — His Only Begotten Son A. The creed's phrase "only begotten Son" refers to the divine nature of the Son as described in John 1:14 and John 1:18; he is not a high-ranking angel (as Arianism and Jehovah's Witnesses claim) but fully God as the Father is fully God. B. Hebrews 1:3 describes the Son as "the exact imprint" (hypostasis) of the Father's nature — the same substance and essence; everything that makes the Father God makes the Son God. C. The phrase "eternal generation of the Son," first coined by Origen in the second century, guards against Arianism's error that "there was a time when the Son was not." The Son's generation is eternal because he shares the Father's eternality as part of his divine substance. Heresy at this point typically defines God by human categories (if begotten, then once non-existent), reversing the proper order: human reality is derivative of and defined by divine reality, not the reverse. D. The proper order is: the eternal gives meaning to the temporal, not the reverse — eternal love between Father and Son is the basis for human love; eternal generation is the basis for human generation. E. To confess "his only begotten Son" is to deny the right of any human philosophy, higher criticism, or secular worldview to define God on human terms; God alone, through the Son, has the prerogative to define himself. IV. The Name Lord A. The Greek word kyrios (Lord) denotes power, authority, control, and legal ownership; it translates the Hebrew Adonai, which the scribes used as a reverent substitute for the covenant name Yahweh in the Septuagint (approximately 7,000 occurrences). B. To call Jesus "Lord" (kyrios) in a Jewish context was to identify him with Yahweh, the great I AM. Thomas's confession in John 20:28 — "My Lord and my God" — is best understood as "My Yahweh and my Elohim." John 8:58 — "Before Abraham was, I am" — Jesus applies the divine name to himself directly, and his Jewish opponents immediately seek to stone him for blasphemy. Isaiah 40:3 — "Prepare the way of Yahweh" — is applied by Mark at the opening of his Gospel to John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus. C. The title Lord also carries a Davidic, royal-coronation meaning rooted in Psalm 110:1 — "Yahweh said to my Adonai, sit at my right hand." Jesus uses this passage in Matthew 22:41-45 to challenge the Pharisees: if David calls him Lord, how can he merely be David's son? Peter quotes Psalm 110 in his Pentecost sermon in Acts 2:34, concluding: "God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." Psalm 110:1 is also cited in Hebrews 1:13 in the context of Christ's exaltation above the angels. D. The ascension is the coronation of the greater David; confessing "our Lord" is the church's acclamation — "long live the everlasting King" — in obedience to the Father's command. Philippians 2:9-11 — God has bestowed on him the name above every name, so that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. We confess his lordship now, in glad submission, so that the day of his return will be a day of salvation rather than of dread.

  3. Aug 2

    God, The Father Almighty

    Scripture: Revelation 4:6-11 Order of Service Prelude Call to Worship — Romans 11:33-36 Hymn — Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (#224) Prayer of Invocation Westminster Larger Catechism Reading — Questions 6–8 Hymn — God, Maker of Heaven and Earth (#560) Pastoral Prayer Scripture Reading — Revelation 4:6-11 Sermon Hymn — How Great Thou Art (#227) Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14 Sermon Title: God, The Father Almighty Scripture: Revelation 4:6-11 I. We Believe in a Monotheistic God A. The creed's opening "I believe in God" is first and foremost a statement of monotheism, grounded in the Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4. The Shema does not merely deny other gods; it declares Yahweh to be in a class entirely his own — the only true possessor of divinity. All pagan gods are knockoffs; Yahweh alone is the genuine article, the source from whom all dim smackings of the divine in paganism derive. B. The Greek word pistis (believing/trusting) in the creed carries far more than intellectual assent to theism — it conveys active trust and leaning upon this God. We are not merely acknowledging a first cause; we are staking our lives and hopes entirely on the one God. Having tasted the real, we cannot return to the knockoff. C. Monotheism is not the natural evolutionary product of primitive religion becoming sophisticated, as secular critical scholarship argues. Scripture's declarations of God's oneness are almost never tied to practical benefits but to his distinctive attributes — as seen in Isaiah 44:6-8. Monotheism is an intrusion of the one God making himself known by power in the midst of a pagan world — a revelation, not a human conclusion. II. We Believe in a Personal God A. The creed uses the definite article the Father rather than my or our Father, conveying two distinct realities. First, it speaks of God as the source and father of all human life by creation — Malachi 2:10; Acts 17:25, 29. Second, it refers to God as the first person of the Trinity, the eternal Father of the eternally begotten Son. B. Following Cornelius Van Til, God is not merely a being who has personality as an attribute — God is absolute personality as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Personal relations flow eternally within the Godhead: the Father knowing and loving the Son, the Son knowing and loving the Father, through the Spirit. This is why the God of the Hebrews is unlike all other gods — Deuteronomy 4:7. C. In Matthew 11:27, Jesus reveals a perfect relational knowledge (yada) between Father and Son that we are invited into. We do not come to God in prayer to make him personal; we come because he is already, by his very nature, personal. Through the ascension and the pouring out of the Spirit, the Son's Father becomes our Father — we cry "Abba, Father" (John 20:17; Romans 8:15). III. We Believe in a Creator God A. The creed calls God Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth — he creates ex nihilo, out of nothing, by the word of his power alone. This is not a bigger version of human creativity working with pre-existing material; it is almighty creation from nothing. The title is Father Almighty, not merely God Almighty — he is both all-powerful creator and benevolent father who declares all he has made very good. B. The creed is deliberately polemical against Gnosticism and its Greek dualism, which held that one evil god (the Demiurge) created the material world and a good god rules the spiritual realm. The creed counters this by affirming one benevolent Father as maker of both heaven (spiritual realm) and earth (material realm) — Psalm 19:1; Revelation 4:6-11. Both the heavenly and earthly realms praise the same God, reflecting the unity of creation under one creator. C. This ancient polemic remains urgently relevant today — gender confusion ideology is a modern form of Gnosticism. The claim that one must escape or transform the body because God has made it wrong is inherently Gnostic — Greek dualism 2.0. The creed answers: only good comes from the benevolent Father, maker of heaven and earth — James 1:16-17. D. There are no new heresies — only old heresies in new costumes; the worn, tried, and true historic creeds and confessions are sufficient to combat them in every age.

  4. Aug 2

    Introduction to the Patriarchs

    Scripture: Galatians 3:15-29 Order of Service Announcements Hymn — We Come, O Christ, to Thee Call to Worship — Acts 2:32-36 Hymn — We Come, O Christ, to Thee Prayer of Invocation Confession of Sin — Isaiah 53:6 Assurance of Pardon — Galatians 3:13-14 Apostles' Creed Pastoral Prayer Offering Hymn — My Faith Has Found a Resting Place Sermon Lord's Supper — Hymn: Shepherd of Souls, Refresh and Bless (stanzas 1–2) Lord's Supper — Institution and Distribution Prayer of Thanksgiving Hymn — Shepherd of Souls, Refresh and Bless (stanzas 3–5) Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26 Gloria Patri Sermon Title: Introduction to the Patriarchs Scripture: Galatians 3:15-29 I. The Promise to the Patriarchs Reveals the Character of God A. Paul contrasts the Abrahamic promise with the Mosaic law, insisting in Galatians 3:15 that a ratified covenant cannot be annulled or added to. The Judaizers treated God like a shady salesman — sweetening the promise to Abraham but then burying it under 616 legal qualifications. This Marcionite error (two gods: a harsh law-God vs. a loving Christ-God) persists in every age, including our own post-Christian culture. B. God neither annuls nor adds to the covenant promise given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; He is a trustworthy, promise-keeping God. The promise is not conditioned on the recipient's readiness or lawkeeping. Throughout the patriarchal narratives (Genesis 12–36) we will see the promise appear in jeopardy from a human perspective, yet God remains faithful. C. Faith, defined in Hebrews 11:1 as "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen," is the dominant theme of the patriarchal history. II. The Promise to the Patriarchs Reveals the Commandments of God A. Galatians 3:21 asks: "Is the law contrary to the promises of God?" — Paul answers with an emphatic "Certainly not!" The law is not an opponent of the promise; it is a scaffolding erected to hold the promise high. The promise does not serve the law; the law serves the promise. B. Israel's redemption from Egypt was grounded in the Abrahamic promise, not the other way around. Exodus 2:24 — "God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." The law at Sinai follows from redemption: "I am the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt; therefore you shall have no other gods before me." C. The giving of the law at Sinai reveals the high moral character of the God of promise. The Ten Commandments are the character of God inscribed in stone; they do not contradict but enhance the promise. A God who commands "You shall not bear false witness" (Exodus 20:16) is himself a God who does not lie — therefore His promises are sure. D. The dangerous inversion (making the promise serve the law) produces pharisaism — the idea that one must climb the ladder of lawkeeping before receiving grace. III. The Promise to the Patriarchs Reveals the Christ of God A. There is a deliberate contrast between "annul/add" in Galatians 3:15 and "added" in Galatians 3:19. The law was not added to the covenant promise; it was added to sinful human hearts to expose them. Romans 7:7 — "I would not have known sin except through the law." B. The law functions as a guardian (paidagogos) driving sinners to Christ, the offspring of Abraham (Galatians 3:24). The law was not added to distance us from the promise but to draw us to the one to whom the promise pointed — Jesus Christ, son of Abraham, son of David, Son of God. Christ fulfills the law on our behalf and pays the penalty we could never pay. C. God does not become a debtor to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or to us — He becomes a debtor to His own word. God cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13); therefore the 616 laws must be fulfilled by Him in a self-sacrificing way. The incarnate Son — the offspring promised in Galatians 3:16 — signs the contract, takes on every qualification of the law, and fulfills it for His people. D. The result: all who are in Christ are Abraham's offspring and heirs according to promise (Galatians 3:29), whether Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female (Galatians 3:28). Galatians 2:20 — "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." This truth forms the theological foundation for the entire sermon series on the patriarchs in Genesis 12–36.

  5. Jul 26

    Prayer and Doxology

    Scripture: 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 Order of Service Hymn — Sing to the Lord a New Song (based on Psalm 98:1) Call to Worship — Nehemiah 9:6-8 Hymn — Come, Let Us Sing to the Lord Prayer of Invocation Heidelberg Catechism Reading — Questions 128–129 Scripture Reading — Luke 9:10-22 Hymn — My Jesus, I Love Thee Pastoral Prayer Offering Prayer of Preparation Hymn — Be Thou My Vision Sermon Hymn — O God, We Praise Thee Benediction Doxology Sermon Title: Prayer and Doxology Scripture: 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 I. Doxology Is the Reason for Our Petitions to God A. The word for that introduces the doxology ("for yours is the kingdom…") grounds and undergirds all the preceding petitions of the Lord's Prayer. We do not pray for daily bread, forgiveness, or deliverance for our own sake, but because glory, kingdom, and power belong to God alone. Herman Witsius: "The doxology instructs us what ought to be the end of all our petitions — not our own advantage, but the manifestation of the kingdom, power, and glory of God." B. The Lord's Prayer itself frames all petition within the glory of God — it begins by orienting the heart upward to God's name, holiness, and kingdom, and all petitions flow from that as means of magnifying him. C. The scene in Revelation 7 — multitudes from every tribe, nation, and tongue surrounding the throne — illustrates that we are swept up in the glory of God, not displaying our own. There will be no fair-weather fans in glory; those who never sought God's glory in life will not celebrate it in eternity. The parable of the wedding garment: "How did this man get in without a wedding garment? I never knew you." D. If prayer is not doxological, it collapses into complaint and bitterness when God does not give what we ask — unlike Job's Job 1:21 "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord." E. A doxological framework properly orients prayer toward God so that whether he gives or takes away, life becomes a witness to his glory; ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) should rightly conclude with Doxology. II. Doxology Is the Recognition of the Permanence of God A. The word forever accompanying "kingdom, power, and glory" speaks of God's eternal nature, best understood through the biblical category of permanence rather than only in abstract philosophical terms. B. God conveys his eternal nature concretely through genealogies in Scripture — lists of the dead that testify to the permanence of God's covenant kingdom advancing through the offspring. David prays, "Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever" (1 Chronicles 29:10), yet also acknowledges "our days on earth are like a shadow and there is no abiding." God defines his eternal being in relation to mere mortals by means of covenant — he is not merely "eternal in the abstract" but the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob forever. C. Christ's answer to the Sadducees in Matthew 22:31-32 demonstrates this: "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — he is not God of the dead but of the living." Jesus grounds the resurrection not in a philosophical argument from divine eternity but in the covenant-keeping faithfulness of God to his people. The eternal God condescends to define his eternal attributes in terms of the mortals he weds himself to in covenant. D. The covenant reaches its culmination in Jesus Christ — born of a virgin, the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8) — the yes and amen to the eternal covenant fulfilled in his blood. III. Doxology Is the Reassurance of the Promises of God A. The word amen that closes the doxology means literally "to be firm, reliable, trustworthy" — it is not a mere formulaic closing but an expression of faith resting on God's promises. Witsius: "By this word we express our sincere acknowledgment of the kingdom, power, and glory, our earnest desire to obtain such blessings, and our faith resting on the promises of God." In 1 Corinthians 14:16, Paul asks how an outsider can say "amen" to a thanksgiving he cannot understand — our amen is an informed "yes, I understand and rest in the promises of God fulfilled in Christ." B. The decisive text is 2 Corinthians 1:20: "All the promises of God find their yes in him… that is why it is through him we utter our amen to God for his glory." Christ himself is our amen — the assurance of all God's promises already fulfilled. When we utter our amen through Christ, we are not saying "Lord, I hope you will one day make good on these promises" — we are saying "Lord, I open my mouth wide to receive all that has already been fulfilled in Christ for me." C. Mark 11:24 — "Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours" — is intelligible only in light of Christ as our amen and intercessor at the Father's right hand. In Christ, I am already a conqueror as I long for evil to be fully vanquished. In Christ, I am already a son of God as I wait for the revealing of the sons of God. In Christ, I am already raised in heavenly places as I wait for a resurrection body. In Christ, I am already a citizen of the kingdom as I long for the new heavens and new earth. D. Our assurance in prayer is not grounded in our feelings, emotions, or how much sleep we had — it is grounded in Christ, the amen incarnate, who stands as our surety at the right hand of the Father. Heidelberg Catechism Q. 129: "Amen means this shall truly and surely be, for it is much more certain that God has heard my prayer than I feel in my heart that I desire such things from him."

  6. Jul 26

    Preacher:

    Scripture: Title: Order of Service Call to Worship — Revelation 5:11-14 Hymn — Before the Throne of God Above (#277) Prayer of Invocation Westminster Larger Catechism — Questions 1–5 Hymn — O Lord of Hosts, How Lovely (#84b) Pastoral Prayer Sermon Hymn — The Apostles' Creed (#560) Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14 Sermon Title: Why the Church Needs Creeds and Confessions Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 I. Creeds Promote Church Maturity A. The writer of Hebrews rebukes believers who remain on milk rather than growing to solid food — Hebrews 5:12-14 Growth in doctrinal knowledge is not optional but required for those called to Christ. The modern evangelical "ABC gospel" (J. I. Packer) — a truncated presentation of Christ apart from creation, regeneration, the church, and holiness — produces pastoral problems downstream. B. 1 Peter 3:15 commands believers to always be ready to give a defense for the hope within them. Many Christians can recite a memorized gospel formula but cannot elaborate or answer follow-up questions. The Apostles' Creed provides a robust framework: Trinitarian theology, Christology, pneumatology, and ecclesiology. C. The goal is to move from knowing the right answer to being able to "show the work" — from Jesus Loves Me to a deep and mature knowledge of the triune God and his church. II. Creeds Preserve Church Unity A. Fellowship (Greek: koinonia) is not merely shared interests but an organic bond among those united to Christ by the Spirit — 1 Corinthians Bonds deepen as common interests in Christ are narrowed and made more specific. General commonality ("we're both Christians") is a good starting point, but creeds draw believers into closer doctrinal unity. B. The early church in Acts 2:42-47 grounded its shared life in devotion to the apostles' teaching, not merely in vulnerability or shared programs. C. Broken doctrinal commonality breaks fellowship — 1 John 2 shows that those who departed did so because they were not truly of the same doctrinal community. The ancient Hebrew Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) functioned as a creed that safeguarded Israelite identity in a polytheistic world. Creeds move Christian unity from the general to the specific, strengthening true koinonia. III. Creeds Protect the Church from Heresy A. The Apostles' Creed arose primarily to combat Gnosticism — the teaching of secret knowledge that was spreading through the early church like gangrene. B. 1 Timothy 4:1-3 warns that in later times some will depart from the faith by following deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons. Historic creeds and confessions are all responses to specific heresies threatening the church. The Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 illustrates what happens when the church gathers to produce a creedal ruling — without it, chaos reigns. C. Creeds hold teachers and preachers accountable to the orthodoxy handed down once for all to the saints. The Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 could not understand Scripture without a guide — creeds help distinguish orthodox teachers from counterfeits. Creedal boundaries do not quench Spirit-given illumination but ensure new understanding is always checked against firmly established orthodoxy. D. The Apostles' Creed is not new doctrine but a summation and clarification of truth already fully revealed — just as the Shema summarized the first commandment and 1 Timothy 3:16 summarized the apostolic witness to Christ.

  7. Jul 19

    Deliver Us From Evil

    Scripture: James 1:12-18 Order of Service Call to Worship — Psalm 95:1-7 Hymn — Come, Christians, Join to Sing Prayer of Invocation Confession of Sin Assurance of Pardon — Proverbs 28:13 Confession of Faith — Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 127 Scripture Reading — Luke 9:1-9 Hymn — Softly and Tenderly Pastoral Prayer Offering Prayer of Dedication Hymn — Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Sermon Hymn — Onward, Christian Soldiers Benediction Doxology Sermon Title: Deliver Us From Evil Scripture: James 1:12-18 I. Sanctification Involves the Pursuit of God Who Is Good A. The word "evil" is far broader than our culture or the modern church typically acknowledges. 1 John 5:19 — the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 2 Corinthians 4:4 — Satan is called the god of this world. Matthew 7:11 — Jesus calls his own disciples "evil," not just notorious sinners. B. We must reckon honestly with our own evil, not merely with the evil "out there." The hymn God, Be Merciful to Me (based on Psalm 51) forces this confession: "I am evil, born in sin." Sanitizing this language undercuts the depth of our need for salvation and for sanctification. C. Sanctification must begin with the recognition that only God is good. Jesus to the rich young ruler: only God is good — therefore sell all and follow me (Mark 10:17-22). The Preacher in Ecclesiastes pursues every pleasure under the sun and concludes it is all vanity; the conclusion is fear God and keep his commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Herman Bavinck: fallen man is an enigma whose solution can only be found in God — we grope after counterfeits, asking each one, "Are you my salvation?" D. Sanctification is therefore not a self-improvement program or mere avoidance of outward evil, but a complete dying of self and conformity to the God who alone is good. Thomas Chalmers: the greater delights of a new affection implanted by the Spirit make the things of this world look like dung, so that we gladly mortify the old man to pursue God. The sixth petition — "deliver us from evil" — is a cry to be kept from wandering back to the chains from which we were redeemed. II. Sanctification Involves the Leading of God Who Is Shepherd A. "Lead us not into temptation" does not imply that God ever tempts anyone. James 1:13-14 — God cannot be tempted with evil and tempts no one; each person is tempted by his own desire. James warns: "Do not be deceived" — only good and perfect gifts come down from the Father of lights (James 1:16-17). B. Yet God may at times withdraw his restraining grace and give fallen man over to his evil desires. Romans 1 — God's wrath on the reprobate is manifested by handing them over to their debased desires until their conscience calls evil good. This underscores why we must pray this petition: without God's restraining hand, we are destined for destruction. C. The petition asks God as shepherd to lead us away from settings where the flesh will be ensnared. Psalm 103:13-14 — the Lord shows compassion because he knows our frame and remembers we are dust; he knows our weakness even better than we do. Illustration: a wise parent removes the distraction (turns off the TV) rather than merely telling a child to ignore it — the sixth petition is children of the dust asking the Father to do the same. Providence seen retrospectively: God has often led us away from places of temptation entirely unbeknownst to us. D. Providential leading alone is not sufficient; the Spirit must also train our desires. Merely keeping temptation away without inward renewal leaves us vulnerable the moment God's external protection is removed. By the training of the Spirit we are to cut off the hand, gouge out the eye — to desire the paths that lead to the good life. A second form of providence: God leading not in spite of us but through us, as the Spirit trains us to long willingly for pleasant places, beside still waters. Pilgrim's Progress — Prudence asks Christian why he desires Mount Zion; Christian answers that he longs to see alive the one who hung dead on the cross and to be rid of all that burdens him. Psalm 84:5 — blessed is the man in whose heart are the highways to Zion. III. Sanctification Involves the Deliverance of God Who Is Savior A. The Greek of the petition is better rendered "deliver us from the evil one" — Satan himself, the prince of demons. B. We need Christ as savior not only at conversion but throughout the entire process of sanctification. Jesus to Peter: "Satan demanded to have you … but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail" (Luke 22:31-32) — Christ's intercession guards faith already given, not merely the moment of new birth. Salvation has both a once-for-all dimension (Ephesians 2:8 — "you have been saved") and a continuing process (1 Corinthians 1:18 — "to us who are being saved"). As once-for-all sacrifice, Christ secures a justification that is righteous and forgiven forever; as continuing high priest, he guards and protects his sheep from the wolves that seek to devour. C. We are in constant danger and therefore in constant need of a constant savior. Illustration: an aerial photograph reveals sharks swimming undetected near bathers — we have no idea how many spiritual dangers surround us at any moment. In glory we will see how close the devouring lion truly was, and how great our shepherd and savior truly is. Christ keeps the sharks away so that within the boundaries he has set, we can strive after God with all we have — we can sleep because we have an eternal watchman who never slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:3-4). D. As exiles in Satan's land, we are constant prey; therefore we cry without ceasing: lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, in and through Christ our priest-king.

  8. Jul 19

    Make Way for the King

    Scripture: Ruth 4:13-22 Order of Service Call to Worship — Isaiah 2:2-5 Hymn — Praise the Lord, All You Nations (#117b) Prayer of Invocation Catechism — Westminster Shorter Catechism Questions 29–30 Hymn — O Lord of Hosts, How Lovely (#84b) Pastoral Prayer Scripture Reading — Ruth 4:13-22 Sermon Hymn — The Church's One Foundation (#404) Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26 Sermon Title: Make Way for the King Scripture: Ruth 4:13-22 I. The Lord's Gracious Provision in the Picture of a Marriage A. Boaz takes Ruth as his wife, securing enduring provision through covenantal relationship. Ruth the Moabitess — once an outsider, an enemy of the God of Israel, destitute and gleaning scraps — is raised to a new status as the wife of Boaz. Boaz gives her his name, his home, and all that he has; she will never again want for anything. B. Boaz is a small picture of Christ, the greater husband and redeemer, who takes to himself a bride from far off. Paul reminds gentile believers in Ephesians 2:12-13 that they were once separated from Christ, alienated, and without hope, but have now been brought near by the blood of Christ. As Ephesians 5:25 teaches, husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Christ gives his name, his home, and himself to his people; he nourishes and cherishes his bride. C. When tempted to despair of what Christ provides, remember the picture of marriage — it is a promise of enduring, everlasting provision secured by covenant relationship. II. The Lord's Gracious Provision in the Picture of a Son A. The Lord himself gave Ruth conception — it is he who opens and closes the womb, as seen with Sarah, Leah, Rachel, Hannah, the mother of Samson, and Elizabeth. Ruth 4:13 is deliberate: "the Lord gave her conception" — this is only the second time in the book that the Lord is the subject of a verb (cf. Ruth 1:6, where the Lord visited his people and gave them food). Ruth had been married ten years with no children, implying barrenness; the Lord's personal visitation reverses this. B. The son is highlighted especially as provision for Naomi, not only Ruth. The women of the neighborhood bless the Lord: "He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age" (Ruth 4:14-15). Naomi, who returned empty, is brought to fullness — she has a grandson who is heir to the Lord's provision for her life. C. Believers need friends like the women of the neighborhood who can help us see and name what the Lord is doing in our lives. D. The Lord's grace is personal — given personally, received personally, and enjoyed personally. III. The Lord's Gracious Provision in the Picture of a Lineage A. The genealogy from Perez to David is not incidental; it is a record of God's faithfulness to his covenant promises, generation by generation. The phrase "she bore a son" echoes Genesis 3:16 and the promise of the seed of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent. The construction "these are the generations" mirrors Genesis genealogies, which are a record of the search for that promised seed. B. Obed is in the line of Judah, through whom God promised a kingly line in Genesis 49:8-10: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah." The line runs through Obed to David, and through David to the covenant promise of 2 Samuel 7 — that one in his line would sit on an everlasting throne. Obed's name means "servant" — pointing forward to the one who came not to be served but to serve and give his life a ransom for many. C. Jesus is the greater Boaz and the greater Obed — the suffering servant and conquering king that Isaiah holds together in one Messiah. He is the restorer of life and nourisher of his people; he continues to nourish believers as they hold fast to him in faith, including at the Lord's Table. He came to lead his people back to God and in the ways of God — bearing the iniquity of his people, led as a lamb to the slaughter, and raised in resurrection. D. The call of the passage: put your trust in the greater Boaz, the one who comes through the line of Obed — his life is yours by faith in him.

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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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