Living for the Day of the Lord

   II Peter 3:10-13

I.   What Does the Future Hold? (verses 10-13)

II.  What Kind of People Should We Be? (verses 11-12)

III. How Can We Speed the Coming of the Lord? (verses 12-13)

"Christians need to remember the ultimate, “bottom-line,” purpose of ‘end times’ passages: to make us better Christians in the here and now. Careful study of ‘end times’ passages in the Bible is, of course, appropriate and necessary. And our own human curiosity naturally leads us to speculate about just how and when the events those passage teach will actually take shape in history. But we must not study the ‘end times’ for its own sake or for the gratification of our curiosity. Christians bitten by the ‘end times bug’ usually end up with vision problems - a tunnel vision in which all they see is the ‘the last days.’ We must never forget, as Peter makes clear in verse 11, that biblical eschatology is to stimulate in believers a holy and godly lifestyle. In fact, you will find no passage in the New Testament on the last days that does not have that kind of specific, practical focus." ~ Douglas Moo

The Drive for Holiness

  Sept. 26, 2021                  

 I Peter 1:14-21 

 Rev. Bruce Brown

I.        The Motivation of Present Identity (verses 14-16)

II.              The Motivation of Future Judgement (verses 17-18)

III.            The Motivation of Past Redemption  (verses 18-21)

“This gospel, this good news, is the primary motivation for our holiness as we sojourn in a hostile world during the time of our exile. Because God is holy, he will judge sin. We deserve such judgment. But instead of judgment, we receive mercy because God has purchased us with the blood of Jesus. Because we have been delivered from the bondage of our former ways, we are now to display our Father’s holiness during our time on the earth. When we meditate on this gospel and continue believing this gospel, we will be warned by God’s judgment and motivated by God’s grace to walk in holiness—to become more like him as we journey toward the day when we meet him—not only as our King, but as our Father."              ~ Juan Sanchez  

So Great a Salvation!

 I Peter 1:10-16 

                               Rev. Bruce Brown

I.       The Investigation of Prophets   (verses 10-11)

II.       The Revelation that Angels Love  (verses 12-13)

III.       The Application of Our Hope   (verses 13-16)

"...we can experience today some of that future glory. Charles Spurgeon used to say, “Little faith will take your soul to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your soul.” It is not enough that we long for heaven during times of suffering, for anybody can do that. What Peter urged his readers to do was exercise love, faith, and rejoicing, so that they might experience some of the glory of heaven in the midst of suffering now." ~ Warren Wiersbe 

Mature Ministry

September 12, 2021 

Titus 1:1-4 

 Rev. Bruce Brown 

I.     The Goal: The Faith of the Elect (verses 1-4)

II.    The Content: The Truth of Godliness  (verses 1b-2)

 III.   The Method: The Proclamation of His Word (verse 3)

“How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his saber clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care.  Remember, as God's minister, you are God’s sword – His instrument – I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name.  In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument will be the success.  It is not great talent God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus.  A holy officer is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”  ~ Robert Murray McCheyne 

Living Hope

 Living Hope Peter 1:1-9 

Rev. Bruce Brown 

I.       The Hope in our Situation (verses 1-2) 

II.      The Hope with our Sorrow (verses 3-6) 

 III.     The Hope of our Sincerity (verses 7-9)  

“He {Peter} calls it a living hope.  Why?  It is a living hope because it is grounded on the living Word of God (1 Peter 1:23) and was made possible by the living Son of God who arose from the dead. A “living hope” is one that has life in it and therefore can give life to us. Because it has life, it grows and becomes greater and more beautiful as time goes on. Time destroys most hopes; they fade and then die. But the passing of time only makes a Christian’s hope that much more glorious.”  ~ Warren Wiersbe  

In the Courtroom with Christ

Zechariah 3:1-10 

Mr. Tyler Spry

1.    The Accuser (verse 1)

2.    The Advocate (verse 2)

3.    Sin Removed (verses 3-4)

4.    Righteousness Received (verses 4-5)

5.    Walking Rightly (verse 7)

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by. And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.”

The Roughest of Outlines

Mark 1:1-13

  Mr. Caleb Eldridge

August 22, 2021

a.     Verses 1-3: Jesus: New Adam, New Israel, and New Exodus

b.    Verses 4-6: John the Baptizer: The Elijah we have been waiting for

c.     Verses 7-8: The Master of Mankind becomes the servant of men

d.    Verses 9-11: Recreation, Renewal, and Representation

e.    Verses 12-13: Jesus succeeds where Adam and Israel Fail

Inspirational Quotation:

"I do not worship matter, I worship the God of matter, who became matter for my sake and deigned to inhabit matter, who worked out my salvation through matter." (John of Damascus)

Speaking Hope to the Weary Heart

Psalm 42

(with reference to 43) 

Rev. Bruce Brown

I.         The Psalmist's Sorrow (verses 1-4, 6-10) 

II.       The Psalmist's Strength (verses 5, 8, 11) 

III.  The Psalmist's Salvation (verses 1-4, 6) 

"There are countless lessons to learn from this Psalm... but perhaps the most urgent is this, the psalmist grieves, remembers, and composes himself with a sermon to his soul, not once, or even twice, but three times! The psalmist never felt as if he were being needlessly repetitive or that his pleadings were akin to nagging. Rather, he was spiritually relentless, refusing to concede the battle to his enemies, knowing that his God was the kind of God who quenches the thirst of those who faithfully seek him for the water of renewal and hope."  ~ Sam Storms 

A Confident Heart in a Corrupted World

                                     Psalm 36

                           Rev. Bruce Brown

I.     The Corruption of the Human Heart (verses 1-4)

II.   The Character of the LORD's Heart (verses 5-9)

III.   The Confidence of the Believer's Heart (verses 10-12) 

“Unbelievers do not acknowledge that it is in God they live, move, and have their being, but rather imagine that they are sustained by their own power; but David, on the contrary, here affirms from the experience of the godly, that the fountain of life is in God.  By this he means, that there is a not a drop of life to be found without him, or which flows not from his grace… true godliness springs from the knowledge of God, and again, the light of faith must necessarily prepare us to uprightness of heart.  At the same time, we ought always to bear in mind, that we only know God aright when we render to him the honor to which he is entitled; that is when we place entire confidence in Him.”  ~ John Calvin

Fight, O Lord!

Psalm 35

   Rev. Bruce Brown

I.    David's Ignorance and Prayer for Protection (verses 1-10)

II.   David's Intention and Prayer for Rescue  (verses 11-18) 

III.  David's Innocence and Prayer for Vindication (verses  19-28) 

"Those who criticize David for his imprecatory prayer in verses 4-8 should remember that first he prayed for their help and healing. Saul’s men “tore David apart” with their wicked words (v. 15). Like court jesters, at their meals they made him the butt of their vicious jokes (v. 16; and see 69:12)… David’s experience reminds us of Jesus Christ, the son of David, who was also hated without a cause (John 15:25) and falsely accused and attacked by those for whom He had shown nothing but truth and love. God delivered David from his enemies, but the Father “spared not his own Son” (Rom. 8:32) but willingly gave Him to die for the sins of the world."  ~ Warren Wiersbe 

“Rejoicing in the LORD’s Unfailing Love ”

Psalm 33

                 Rev. Bruce Brown            

I.  The Joy of the LORD is Our Strength (verses 1-3)

  II.     Rejoicing in His Work of Creation (verses 4-9) 

    III.     Rejoicing in His Work in History (verses 10-15)

IV.     Rejoicing in His Work Amidst Difficulty (verses 16-22)  

"However loving and skillful a human father might be there are always dangers in life that are beyond us, and no one is able to guarantee the physical, much less spiritual safety of another.  Yet with God there can be no misplacing of confidence, no error of trust.  How could there be?  God has made the entire universe by his mere word and by the breath of his mouth.  He foils evil plans, not merely of individuals but of nations.  God's purposes prevail.  His plans prosper.  He constantly looks upon the affairs of the world to care for His people -- to bless, defend, preserve, and prosper them.  No one who trusts in the LORD is ever disappointed."  ~ J. M. Boice 

“The Way to Joyful Relief”

        Psalm 32

       Rev. Bruce Brown

I.       The Misery with Silence (verses 3-4)

II.     The Miracle of Forgiveness (verses 1-2, 5)

III.    The Mercy in Instruction (verses 6-11) 

“God will continually watch over us… I am glad God promises to do that for us.  For great as forgiveness is, the one who has sinned and been forgiven does not want to repeat the sin or again fall into error but rather wants to go on walking in the right way and so please our heavenly Father.  How are we to do that unless God continues to keep His eye on us?  If we ignore that care and refuse that counsel, we will be like brute beats that have no understanding (vs. 9).  If we persist in our folly, we will be like the wicked who experience many woes (vs. 10).  But if we listen to God, obey him, and so walk in his right way, we will be able to rejoice in God.  And we will be able to teach others also, which is what David has been doing in this psalm.”    ~ James M. Boice

The Rod and Restoration

II Samuel 12:15-31

Rev. Bruce Brown

I.    The LORD’s Rod and Personal Anguish  (verses 15-23)

a.    David Before Death (verses. 15-17)

b.    David After Death (verses 18-23)

II.  The LORD’s Restoration and Public Triumph  (verses 24-31)

a.    A Restored Household (verses 24-25)

b.    A Restored King (verses 26-31)

"David’s restoration as a man and as king was remarkable. It was not perfect, and it was not complete. But it was enough to point us to the kingdom of God in which all things will be put back in their proper order. That is what the death of Jesus was about (see Colossians 1:20). At the very heart of the restoration of all things is the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:14; 2:13; 3:13). The Lord Jesus Christ restores people who come to him, just as he will one day gloriously restore all things."  ~ John Woodhouse

The Path to True Freedom

July 4, 2021

 II Samuel 12:1-15

Rev. Bruce Brown

   I. The LORD Liberates by the Word (verse 1)

  II. The LORD Liberates Through Wisdom (verses 2-7)

 III. The LORD Liberates in Wrath  (verses 8-15)

"David’s confession provides a model because it was direct and open, and without excuse. “I have sinned,” he said, and so also should we when our transgressions are revealed. Moreover, David acknowledged that his sin was chiefly against God himself. Not that he had not sinned grievously against many people, but his sin’s chief wickedness was its offense to the Lord. Remember that this confession takes place after a most terrible punishment has been pronounced. But David did not quarrel with God’s severity against him. He was without defense in God’s court, and he confessed his sin without reservation."  ~ Richard Phillips

Crime and Cover Up

 II Samuel 11:1-27

 Rev. Bruce Brown

June 27, 2021                      

I.      The Causes of David's Crime   (verses 1-5)            

II.    The Cover-Up David Commits (verses 6-2

 III.  The Conviction in David's Case (verses 26-27)

"David’s fall urges Christians to pray for themselves and especially for the protection of their leaders. This is why Jesus taught: “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41). Paul likewise exhorts us: “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2). Lesser men and women of faith than David are cautioned by his fall to keep close to God and pray for the Father to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6:13)."  ~ Richard Phillips

Kindness and Courage

II Samuel 10:1-19

 Rev. Bruce Brown

                    June 20, 2021                      

I.    The King’s Covenant Love Brings Contempt  (verses 1-5)

II.   The King’s Commander Imparts Courage  (verses 6-14)

III.  The King’s Crushing Conquest  (verses 15-19)

"The early church recognized that the rebellion against God’s Christ described in Psalm 2 came to its hideous fulfilment at the cross of the Christ, and continues in the persecution of the Christ’s people. For it was Psalm 2 which they turned into prayer when they were first persecuted (Acts 4:25-29). Hanun did not take a personal dislike to the delegation. He disgraced them because of his antagonism towards David. And we, if we suffer as Christians, are suffering for Christ’s sake."  ~ Tim Chester 

Kindness to a Dead Dog

 II Samuel 9

    Rev. Bruce Brown

                       June 13, 2021                      

I.     The King's Ardent Search (verses 1-6)

II.    The King's Adopted Son (verses 7-11) 

III.  The King's Abundant Supper (verses 12-13) 

"Christians may be certain to receive all the blessings of adoption as God’s children because of the words “for Christ’s sake.” These words provide the key to all the blessings of God’s covenant, for as Paul extolled, God “has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3). John said that our “sins are forgiven for his name’s sake” (1 John 2:12). For Christ’s sake we are justified, adopted, sanctified through the Spirit, and glorified in the end as the people of God. All these eternal riches are offered to sinners through faith in Jesus. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” he urged (Matt. 11:28). “Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (Rev. 22:17)."  ~ Richard Phillips 

The Conquering King

 II Samuel 8:1-18

Rev. Bruce Brown

June 6, 2021                      

I.    The King’s Conquest (verses 1-6, 13-14)

II.   The King’s Collection (verses 7-12)

III.  The King’s Catalog (verses 15-18)

“Both Old and New Testaments testify that, on the whole, mankind and nations do not long to receive but live to resist Christ’s reign and that He will establish His rule at the last not by popular demand but by armed might (see, e.g. Ps. 2; Isa. 11:3-5; Joel 3:9-17; Zech. 14:1-5, 12-15; 2 Thess. 1:7-8, 2:8-10).  The church tends to mute this strong biblical note… But surely the cross has taught us that no one defeats the dominion of darkness in a bloodless coup.  Nor will history simply ooze into the Kingdom of God.  That Kingdom will come at the last because Christ, David’s seed, imposes it over all objection and opposition and conquers all His and our enemies.” ~ Dale Ralph Davis  

The Glory of Following Christ

  John 21:20-25

Rev. Bruce Brown

May 30, 2021                      

I.   The Demand to Follow in Contentment (verses 20-22) 

II.  The Necessity to Follow with Care (verses 23)

III. The Glory of Following in Confidence (verses 24

"Each of our lives is a sovereign creation of God. Our worth and our effectiveness, God’s favor in our lives, is not to be determined by comparison with others. We are not to be involved in unprofitable musings about the relative providences of our lives—how one brother has it easier than another, or how one ministry is fraught with hardship and another is not, or why one believer becomes famous and another remains obscure. We are each simply to follow Christ."  ~ Kent Hughes 

Restoring Love

John 21:15-19

 Rev. Bruce Brown

May 23, 2021     

 I.     A Place of Humility (verses 15-17)

II.    A Position of Ministry (verses 15-17)

III.   A Path of Adversity (verses 18-19)

"What, after all, is the great secret of loving Christ? It is an inward sense of having received from Him pardon and forgiveness of sins. Those love much who feel much forgiven. He who has come to Christ with his sins, and tasted the blessedness of free and full absolution, he is the man whose heart will be full of love towards his Savior. The more we realize that Christ has suffered for us, and paid our debt to God, and that we are washed and justified through His blood, the more we shall love Him for having loved us and given Himself for us. Our knowledge of doctrines may be defective. Our ability to defend our views in argument may be small. But we cannot be prevented feeling. And our feeling will be like that of the Apostle Peter--"You, Lord, who know all things, You know my heart; and You know that I love You."" 

~ J.C. Ryle