sermons | study
These are sermons preached during our Sunday worship services. (Recordings were not always successful, so there are gaps in the postings.)
God's relationship with his people is founded on his covenant with them. Unlike human religions that are dependent upon human intentions and efforts, the covenant of redemption is based upon the promises of God to himself and his people. This transforms the way we approach God in prayer, a fact that is reflected in Psalm 25.
The fourth-century Christian Eusebius of Caesarea wrote of Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King, and Reformed leaders made frequent use of this structure. The previous two sermons focused on Jesus as Prophet and Priest; his text focuses upon Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Many passages from the Old Testament narratives of the nation Israel seem so foreign to us that they are hard to interpret. Two helpful interpretive tools are to discover the historical and literary setting and to look for images and ideas that point to Christ.
Because God's word of promise is central to the covenants he cuts, it is no surprise that the role of prophet is important in the covenant God makes with Israel. The prophets serve God and his people in history, while also pointing to Jesus Christ, the ultimate prophet
God's eternal purpose to bring into being creatures in his image to share his glory is made a reality in time and space through the promises made and kept by the Trinity. These promises were not casual comments easily carried out, but were carefully thought out commitments kept at immense personal cost. They are covenants made in blood.
In the account of Jesus' temptation, we can discern him as the Second Adam, the One who will conquer temptation as the First Adam did not. Not only does this episode reveal Jesus as righteous redeemer, but it also provides us with a pattern for resisting temptation ourselves.
All the historical covenants instituted by God are progressive manifestations of the eternal covenant of redemption. These historical, or earthly covenants, begin at creation with a covenant made with the human race as a whole, but they narrow in scope as we approach God’s revelation of himself and his redemptive work in Jesus Christ, which is the fullest and final revelation of God’s covenant of redemption. Isaiah 42 provides us with a prophetic view of Christ as the fulfillment of God's covenant promises
This is the fourth in a series of sermons on the biblical concept of covenant. The first three sermons aimed at learning what the Bible teaches concerning God's sovereignty in the covenants he makes, the agreement of the Trinity in the covenant of redemption, and God's purpose of calling into being a covenant people for himself. This sermon considers a passage that helps us to understand what God's covenant of redemption means for his covenant people.
In the two preceding sermons, we considered the sovereignty of God in his making of covenants and the covenant of redemption that he made as the Triune God in eternity. This sermon focuses on the fruit of that covenant of redemption: the creation of a covenant people for himself.
The covenant of redemption, while not specifically named in Scripture, is clearly evident throughout the Bible by implication. This covenant, entered into by the Triune God in eternity is, in fact, foundational to all the covenants God makes with his creation.
This Genesis text serves as an excellent introduction to the biblical concept of covenant that is central to an understanding of God's redemptive plan that unfolds in human history.
