The author of Hebrews reminds his audience at the beginning of chapter 2 to “pay closer attention” to the Word they have heard preached. The elements of this morning’s service likewise call us to careful attention to the path God has laid for us. Hear Me, All You People—Psalm 49 urges that we “hear” and “listen” to the promise of…
The final portion of Hebrews 1 concludes a long discussion of the supremacy of God’s Son, which we’ve been walking through the past three weeks. The elements of this morning’s service were chosen to reflect this theme. The Scripture readings call Jesus the “head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18) and the “blessed and only sovereign” (1 Timothy 6:15).…
According to Phillipians 2:9, the Father has bestowed upon Jesus “the name that is above every name.” His name is “glorious,” adored within His temple and loved by strangers whose hearts are filled with its “blissful theme.” The Lord declares of Him in Psalm 2, “You are My Son; I have brought You forth this day.” He is called “Alpha…
This morning we will explore the central them of the book of Hebrews: as Pastor Jamie put it during devotions earlier this week, “Jesus is best.” Every Scripture, hymn, and psalm in the service points to some aspect of Jesus’ greatness. He is a great King above all gods (Psalm 95), and He reigns exalted over all creation (O Come…
I feel like I have to warn to all our visitors—the music this morning may be more unfamiliar than usual. We are coming to the end of a series on 2 Timothy, in which Paul reflects upon his own ministry and passes the torch to a new generation. To illustrate this principle of covenant succession (one generation in the faith…
The world often makes the distinction between “the truth” and “my truth.” The world today has “judgement free zones” and “safe spaces.” In Paul and Timothy’s day, there was also a desire to make “safe spaces” where people would turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myth. As Paul reminds Timothy, so we are reminded this…
The hymns and psalms we sing this morning call us to stand firm in the face of persecution, clinging to the Scriptures as our anchor in the storm. Glorious Things Of Thee Are Spoken declares that God’s Word cannot be broken and that we are surrounded with “salvation’s walls,” while The Lord Ever Hear You—Psalm 20 cries out to the…
Paul’s description of the “times of difficulty” that Timothy is likely to face in his leadership of the church is rather distressing. He will face people who are “arrogant,” “abusive,” “brutal,” and “treacherous” (just to list a few of the adjectives used), who oppose the truth and attempt to deceive the faithful with false teachings. But Paul ends this passage…
This morning’s sermon text once again finds the Apostle Paul dispensing fatherly wisdom to Timothy. He warns the young pastor not to become embroiled in foolish controversies (vss. 16-17, 23), but instead to ground himself in God’s Word (vs. 15). If he were dispensing his advice in the present day, I can imagine him using some of the language in…
At the beginning of 2 Timothy 2, Paul urges his disciple to find the strength he needs in the person and work of Christ Jesus. While this is certainly an important reminder for a young pastor, it applies equally to each of us—something that the elements in this morning’s service point to. As one of the hymns we sing puts…