We come before the Lord in trust. We have to do this because without it, nothing we do in worship will prevail with Him. We trust Him, we have faith in Him, because this is the only way that creatures can receive blessing from Him. With His blessing, preaching against sin brings conviction and change. …
The “Issue” Isn”t the Issue
In the message today, we will be considering the potency of the cross of Jesus Christ, and we will be glorying in the fact that He is Lord over all things. This message necessarily brings the Church into conflict with the unbelieving world, and there is no way to paper over the difference. But though …
Turning From a World That is Ours
The Lord Jesus promised us that the meek would inherit the earth. The prophets foretold this as well, saying that the earth would be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the water covers the sea. They will not hurt or destroy in all the holy mountain. The apostle tells us that the …
Why You Must Come
Let all the nations be glad. The Lord is God, and He is extending His reign to the uttermost parts of the earth. Since He is doing this, just as He promised, we cannot by our sins and compromises keep it from happening. But our sins and compromises can keep us from exulting in the …
No Doctrinal Grape Nuts
As many of you noted, the front page newspaper article last weekend made clear that some local unbelievers are very unhappy about the influence that our church is having in the community. We are grateful that we are having enough influence to be noticed, and we are equally grateful that our opponents have been judicially …
What His Work Tastes Like
You are the people of God, and this means that you have been saved, you are being saved, and you will be saved. The Scriptures teach us to believe that we have been saved definitively, and yet not to rest in some carnal fashion upon our laurels. We are also warned against that constant temptation …
An Artillery Exhortation
In the colonial era, it was the practice of ministers to preach what were called “artillery sermons” just before elections. The sermon today is an artillery sermon, taken in a broad sense, but I wanted to be a bit more specific here, with this artillery exhortation. In the civil realm, you will be casting ballots …
A Remote Control With New Batteries
The Word of God tells us in countless places that we are to live with a view toward everlasting consequences. God tells us that our motivation in this should be hunger for blessing from Him. The moralistic philosopher Kant tried to teach us that a deed is not really moral unless it is done from …
But He Invited Both of You
We have been called to liberty, but this liberty is no occasion for the flesh. We are granted full forgiveness, but this is not granted so that we might begin sinning with impunity. How can we who died to sin still live in it? The works of the flesh are plain, Paul tells us. But …
Here Am I And the Children You Have Given
The glory of the Lord fills His Temple, and the seraphim cover their faces. We are ascending before the Lord God now, and we too must cover our faces. God has made provision for us in this, and we cover ourselves in Jesus Christ. We ascend into the heavenlies in Him and through Him. We …