Christ Centered. Reformed Theology. Sermons from Providence Community Church in Crosslake MN. Soli Deo Gloria!
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Our title today is drawn from the second of three promises/benefits connected to the fear of the Lord, listed in verse 23. Here Solomon proclaims that the fear of the Lord leads to life and those who have it rest satisfied. He goes on to assure us that the believer who fears the Lord will not be visited by harm. Our verses today give practical applications of godly fear that yield the satisfaction…
The record of significant events orchestrated in the providence of God to advance His purposes in history provide occasion to introduce characters of consequence in the book of Esther. Among them, Mordecai, Esther’s cousin & adoptive father, and Esther (Hadassah) herself. Last message we asked: “Where is God in Esther?” (Our heading question introducing the book). The answer continues to unfold…
Paul’s letter reads like a lone voice crying in the wilderness of a pagan empire. Paul reveals in our text that he had pushback on other missionary fronts in addition to opposition he faces in Corinth as the truth of Christianity clashed with the sinful philosophy of the day. Yet here we are over 2000 years later, and his voice has decisively won the battle of history. It is difficult these days…
Proverbs 19:23 serves well as a theme verse to outline this chapter of Solomon’s collection of wise sayings. This verse reprises the meta-theme of wisdom literature: ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’, attaching it to practical blessings. According to Solomon : “the fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied, he will not be visited by harm.” As with other…
Proverbs 18:10 describes the name of the Lord as a strong tower. The renown and character of our great God is where the righteous man finds his identity, meaning, standards, safety, authority. provision, and assurance. Proverbs 18, indeed with much of the entire book, can be understood as revealing pathways to the tower of God's presence and power in the life of a believer. Today we learn to take…
Historical background: the kingdom and events unfolding in the book of Esther pick up roughly where the contemporary events of the book of Daniel had left off. The timeline of Kings and consequences coinciding with Israel's exile and return are relevant to the context of Esther. Nebuchadnezzar had conquered Jerusalem in 605 BC leading Daniel and others captive to the city of Babylon. The next…
In the providence of God, the recurring challenge of heretical ideas infecting the understanding of the early church set the stage for outlining nonnegotiable Christian teaching. When Paul addresses the doctrine of resurrection in this chapter, he is providing another example of gospel teaching essential to salvation provided the Corinthians, along with the church of all ages, would hold fast to…
How can we run to the name of the Lord as our strong tower? While the first 8 verses of Proverbs 18 primarily identify and refute enemies of wisdom inspiring towers of Babel, verses 9-18 direct us toward the true source of refuge established according to the character and renown of the Lord. When counsel gleaned from the written Word of God is consistently applied, we ground our lives on the…
Taking verse 10 as an organizing analogy for Proverbs 18, this chapter presents a ‘tale of two towers’ in wisdom literature terms. Will the foundation and framework of our lives be built on the attributes of God, or upon the shifting sands of foolishness? The answer hinges on the object of our soul’s attention. Is it the character and renown, that is the NAME, of the Lord that we build our lives…
The Psalms, as summarized by the closing song in each of the first 4 book divisions in the Psalter, present Messiah Prayers in two senses. First: they serve as prayers of petition for the Messiah to come. Secondly, they function as prayers of intercession for the Messiah to pray on behalf of His people. The great high priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17 corresponds to the prayer requests of the…
