Reformed & Expository Preaching

Our Eternal Solution (1 Corinthians 1:18-25; LD 6)

Introduction We know that we are in deep trouble. Adam had the chance to do what was right, and he failed to do it. The problem is that we can only dig the hole deeper. We think that credit card debt is bad, but our debt is far worse. Our debt will never go away, even in death. We can't out-work it, out-live it, or out-think it. So our problem is very severe and beyond overwhelming. Lord's Day 6 of the Heidelberg Catechism helps us to see the eternal solution. Only God can implement this solution. Sin's Problem: We Need a Mediator The catechism reminds us that we need a mediator. The very thought of a mediator means that something has gone wrong. A mediator means two parties are at odds. The very introduction of the concept of a mediator introduces an admission of our guilt. God is 100% righteous. We are 100% at fault. There is no way we can work to please God when we are 100% in debt. There is no payment plan. And the mediator's task is staggering: take people who have fully offended a perfect God and bring them into his presence as fully righteous. This is the greatest laundering effort ever in history! In fact, it is not hiding dirty money, but fully redeeming it to remove all controversy that surrounds it. Our cleansing requires someone who is both truly human (because it was humanity that offended God) and truly God (because no mere human can bear an infinite, eternal penalty and survive it). A human enduring his own sin would be in hell forever and never get out. There is no way that a person could pay the debt on behalf of another. This is why we need a person who is divine to endure an eternal punishment. The person also has to be human to stand in the place of the creature that offended. Only a divine person united to a human nature can absorb eternal wrath in a moment of time. Only Christ is such a mediator. God's Solution: The Folly of the Cross Paul addresses a church drunk on elitism. They love their gurus. They love how they can flaunt their spiritual gifts. Ironically, Paul, who had every credential to out-elite them all, goes straight to the cross. He does not call his accomplishments to their attention as he does in Galatians. No, he goes straight to the cross. That's a jarring move, because the cross was not a sentimental symbol like we make it today. No, the cross is a declaration of shame. In Roman culture, crucified criminals weren't even officially recorded. In Jewish culture, to be hung on a tree meant you were a covenant breaker, cursed by God. When the disciples watched Jesus die on the cross, they had every reason to think they'd been deceived. In their mind, God declared a messianic fraud who transgressed God’s holiness. Paul knows all of this! He preaches it anyway. Why? Because the "foolishness" of the cross is precisely the point. Christ, who never broke the covenant, was publicly displayed as though he had, and that is why we need him. And because death could not hold him, the resurrection vindicates him completely. At Christ's weakest moment, he won the greatest victory. Worldly wisdom missed the cross. The Jews demanded signs and missed the sign of the cross. The Greeks sought wisdom and missed the wisdom of God standing right in front of them. Thus, the wisest people of this age did not see the wisdom of the cross. This is why Paul calls attention to the cross. If we do not see the wisdom of God’s plan, then we will not see redemption. God's Proclamation: The Gospel Must Keep Being Preached Knowing the facts about Christ isn't enough on its own. Calvin puts it plainly: as long as Christ remains outside of us, he is of no benefit to us. The work of Christ has to become our work. The Lord uses Gospel preaching that lays out Christ’s cross to bring his people into their new relationship with Christ. The Corinthians had witnessed extraordinary manifestations of the Spirit, and probably interviewed eyewitnesses of the resurrection. However, Paul still keeps going back to the gospel. This message is not a one-and-done message. It is a message that is continually preached, and we continually need this message. The catechism traces this same pattern across all of redemptive history: the gospel was announced in Genesis 3:15, repeated to the patriarchs, foreshadowed in every sacrifice and ceremony, proclaimed by the prophets, and fulfilled in Christ. Generation after generation, God's people were sustained by this same message. It was repeated and repeated because we so easily forget Christ’s message. We fail to see that without the gospel message, we have nothing. The cross of Christ is the message that Christ had to suffer for an insufferable people. We are such people. We don't outgrow the gospel. We need to hear it continually, because it is the ongoing means of grace by which God keeps his people alive and moving toward glory. It is in Christ, going to the cross, that God’s wisdom is shown. It is in the cross that Christ is ultimately vindicated in his resurrection and ascension. His work was so perfect that the heavenly courts vindicated him. Conclusion So how do we solve our unsolvable, eternal problem? We don't. We can't. But God has. He sent his Son. His son, who is fully God, fully man, stands in our place as the covenant breaker. We transgressed, but Christ did not. Christ bore what we deserved, was raised to prove he'd conquered it, and now the gospel goes out as the living word that unites us to him. The world will call it foolishness. Paul's response: “Fine. Call it folly. In that folly is life.” So let us not be ashamed of the Gospel. Let us keep hearing, submitting to the preaching, and clinging to the substance of the message: Christ. Let us exude the joy that we have been redeemed by the living God. That is our significance, our credibility, and our only boast is in Christ. Let us find it there, and live in it. Amen.

Keep Going: How to Persevere in Holiness When You're Weary | Hebrews 12:1-2 (Chapter 9)

Drawing from Devoted to God and Hebrews 12:1–2, this message calls Christians to persevere in the lifelong pursuit of holiness. The Christian life is described as a race. This is a marathon that requires endurance, focus, and continual dependence on Christ. Believers face two primary obstacles: weights and sin. Weights are not necessarily sinful, but they distract and slow spiritual progress. Sin, on the other hand, clings closely and must be actively resisted. True growth in sanctification involves laying aside both issues. We are called to remove distractions and fight sin. We might think we do this in our own strenth. This is not true. Rather we do this while continually “putting on” Christ. The key to perseverance is fixing our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. He not only provides the ultimate example of endurance but also the power and grace we need to live out the Gospel. Through His finished work and ongoing priestly care, we are strengthened to press on in him. We are not stepping out to do, but we are walking in Christ. He has stepped out and He has done. God also provides means to help us endure: Community that encourages and guards against spiritual drift Memory of God’s Word and promises to anchor our faith Church leadership and fellowship to guide and support growth Trials and discipline, which God uses to shape us into Christlikeness Surrounded by a “cloud of witnesses” and supported by the body of Christ, believers are called to run the Christ race with resolve. We are called to pursue holiness while encouraging others to do the same. In the end, perseverance is not about self-effort alone, but about holding fast to Christ, trusting His work, and continuing forward in faith until the race is finished.

Holy War: Feasting and Devotion to Destruction (Esther 9:1-19)

(I realize that I said Assyria several times in the sermon rather than Persia. I confess I was still fighting some brain fog from a cold. I mispoke, and the story takes place in Persia.) Introduction The gospel has two sides: the joy of salvation for those who come under Christ's yoke today. The other side is the sobering reality of judgment for those who do not bow the knee to Christ today. When Christ comes again, all will bow the knee. There are some who will see this as a joyful reunion, and others will be terrified. The book of Esther brings both into view. Esther is more than just a historic story of Persia. Esther is projecting a cosmic battle between God's decree and the decrees of the earthly empire. The real issue: whose word will stand? Holy War in Susa The day Haman's lot was designated for the Jews' destruction becomes the day of their feasting celebration. The Jews' victory is summarized by killing 500 men and Haman's 10 sons. The language used in the passage deliberately echoes Joshua's conquest language. One example is the repeated detail that they took no plunder. This is cherem warfare: complete devotion to God. The picture is one of tragedy. The greatest tragedy is a king who is indifferent to the loss of life in his empire. We see the pragmatism of this age. However, the Lord is projecting the final Har-Meggdon (Armageddon), which is the mountain of judgment. The Lord shows that not only will his people be protected, but they will be vindicated. The Cursed Hanged on the Tree Esther's request to impale Haman's sons publicly draws on both Persian custom and Deuteronomy 21. It was back in Deuteronomy that the covenant breaker was hanged on a tree. Yes, this is a practice in Persia to put the kings on display after conquering an enemy. However, there is more to the story. The ten sons have hung upon a tree. However, it is not just the ten sons, but the fourfold repetition of "the ten sons" signals total completion: the Amalekite line, ancient enemy of God's people, is finished. God's ancient promise is fulfilled. The serpent seed that sought to destroy the Lord’s covenant line is officially on display for all to see that they are cursed by God. The Consummation Feast The Jews' celebration is described as rest from their enemies. This communicates to us the deliberate rest, which is language pointing to the heavenly banquet. The empire's opening feast displayed hollow glory; this feast displays genuine victory. It is a picture of the Feast of the Lamb, the Gog and Magog battle resolved, and God's people enjoying true shalom in their Redeemer. This is where we see the joy of taking on the yoke of Christ. It is the true rest and peace from our enemies, including our own sin. The book began with the feast that celebrated the empire’s splendor, but we see that this empire will not stand. The book ends with a glimpse of the final rest: the heavenly banquet. However, we still see that this life is not all roses and puppy dogs. The empire is still very pragmatic, and not a principled kingdom seeking to truly promote the Lord’s shalom. Where is Persia in all its glory today? Clearly, as a wilderness people, we are reminded that Joshua did not give the Lord’s people rest. We long for the day of ultimate victory. Yes, we taste the victory today in Christ. He has been raised, and we are seated with him in glory. The Spirit empowers us to conform to him, but we still long for the fullness of our benefits. Conclusion Purim is the feast that is named after Haman's lots. He desired that the day would be his victory day. However, he ironically revealed Persia’s judgment. Ironically, the day he thought “the gods” would hand him victory became the day when the true God published his own victory. The message for us is the same publication Peter delivers: Christ will return. People may ask when Christ will come, but we need to remember that Christ will come like a thief in the night. The flood, the Exodus, and even Purim teach that our Lord’s intention is to physically commune with his people. Christ is coming. All knees will bow. Let us be a people who bow the knee to Christ today and take his gracious yoke upon us.

The Law Goes Deep: God's Law in the Life of Grace | Romans 8:4 & Matthew 5:17 (Chapter 8)

If we're saved by grace and sanctified by the Spirit, what's the role of God's law? Romans 8:4 points us to the answer: Christ came so "the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk according to the Spirit." In this session we explore Chapter 8 of Sinclair Ferguson's Devoted to God, unpacking how law and grace work together. These are not ncessarily competing concepts in the Christian life. However, we need to be careful as we define this. Love and Law Aren't Opposites Some accused Paul of rejecting God's law (Acts 21:21), but Paul consistently upheld it (Romans 3:31). Love motivates obedience; the law directs love. As Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Three Ways Jesus Fulfills the Law Drawing from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:17), Ferguson identifies three dimensions of how Christ fulfills the law for our sanctification: Permanent Significance — The law, especially the Ten Commandments, reflects God's own character and his original design for humanity. Its principles endure, shaping us as image bearers being renewed in Christ (Colossians 3:10). Obedience in Teaching — Jesus lived the law perfectly, not grudgingly but with delight. He also revealed its depth: adultery begins in the heart, murder with a word (Matthew 5:21–28). True righteousness flows from a Spirit-transformed heart, not external performance. Fulfilling All Dimensions — Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial law through his once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1–4) and the civil law by building a global, multi-ethnic church. The moral law remains, now written on our hearts by the Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33). Married to Christ, Not the Law Christians are not under the law as a system of condemnation, but under "the law of Christ" (1 Corinthians 9:21) — united to him as a bride to a husband (Romans 7:4). The Spirit empowers what the law directs. As Ralph Erskine beautifully put it: "The gospel gives me feet and hands... it bids me fly, and gives me wings." This harmony transforms duty into delight. Takeaway God's law is not a burden. We need to see it as a guide reflecting his holy character. Our catechism states it well when the Heidelberg Catechism reminds us that the law is our guide for grateful living after being redeemed from our sin and misery. we are empowered to live it out through Christ and his Spirit. It is true that we will never achieve perfection in this age, however, we are undergoing a progressive transformation, metamorphosis, toward the heavenly calling God has placed on our lives.

Relationship in the Church (1 Peter 4:7-11)

The sermon reminds us that "the end of all things is at hand.” This might cause fear, but it should not. Rather, it should be a joyful declaration of the new reality we live in since Christ's ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We are born again, brought into Christ's kingdom by grace alone, and called to live as pilgrims with one eye on the world around us and one on the glory to come. In light of this reality, the Apostle Peter urges believers to cultivate relationships within the church that glorify God. The message highlights four key imperatives for how we are to relate to one another: Be sober-minded for the sake of your prayers, which is a clear mind that frees us from sin's fog, enabling us to see the needs and dangers around us, rely on God, and intercede effectively for our brothers and sisters. Love one another earnestly, which means a constant, enduring love that forgives repeatedly ("70 times 7"), covering a multitude of sins through mutual forgiveness rather than alienation. Showing hospitality without grumbling is challenging because this is a genuine, open-hearted involvement in others' lives. We are called to share joys and sorrows, imparting wisdom and energy, and welcoming without expectation of return or hidden complaints. Serve one another with God's gifts. Every believer has received gifts from God's varied grace. We identify and use them not by self-focused assessments, but by looking to the needs of others—speaking God's words and serving in deeds as faithful stewards. Though we fall short daily, God is still glorified in our relationships through Jesus Christ. It is Christ’s perfect work, ongoing intercession, sanctifying Spirit, and example of sacrificial love. Our imperfect church community foreshadows the eternal fellowship awaiting us when Christ returns. We are called to live out our new identity in Christ, drawing us closer to our Savior and one another.