Providence Community Church

The multifaceted, multilayered richness of the Gospel record demands a trained eye for some of its most brilliant, literary gems. Matthew 26 begins to usher in the events of Calvary directly while illustrating prior themes, reinforcing over-arching truths, and retroactively filling in blanks of contextual understanding. The narrative account in the Garden as Jesus begins to agonize under the weigh...

The anguish of a soul who trusts in the Lord provides an occasion to showcase the attributes and power of the covenant keeping God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. The beauty and grace of David's writing in his darkest hour is testimony to its divine inspiration. Psalms of particular elegance in theme and structure have served the church as unifying anthems through the ages. The ancient church...

The record of events immediately leading up to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus are a flurry of activity in the gospel. From the perspective of an ignorant or casual observer, they would seem inconsequential, chaotic, and tragic. From the vantage point of prophetic expectation and sovereign understanding, however, each detail glows with supernatural significance. Though Jesus himself f...

Man by virtue of his rebellion against God (since original sin became the universal human experience), has been interested in moral ambiguity, blurry lines, grey areas, undefined ethical distinctions, and neutral ground. He imagines if such is the case with the nature of things, than he can be like God and form his own universe out of the chaotic elements of his own experience. He can provide defi...

Call to Worship (Remembering Stanley Clark)

As the genius of Hebrew's author continues to astound the spiritually attentive reader, it becomes more and more clear that the illuminating power of New Covenant realities equips the true believer with cross-covenantal understanding rivaling that of any pre-incarnation prophet. The difficult prescriptions and parameters of the Old Covenant shadows are a faint memory in light of their object and f...

Through the course of our Matthew study we have seen numerous occasions where the teaching blocks of the record mutually reinforce the immediate narrative in the flow of gospel events. We've labeled this literary observation 'narrative/imperative continuity'. Our text today combined with the final discourse in Matthew's gospel is a great example of this phenomenon. This moment in the text is also...

How ought the reality of the judgement seat of Christ inform our understanding of the gospel? For many these days the “good news” they expect has nothing to do with the reality of an eternal reckoning. A great effort is waged in every age to purge our consciousness of the reality of death and accounting before a Holy God. Jesus and His apostles could not be more antithetical to these modern sensib...

It seems likely this Psalm would accompany David’s troubled latter years as king of Israel. Like many stories of near death experiences, this Psalm seems to flash before our eyes with glimpses of eternal significance. It is as if David suddenly proclaims a snapshot of redemptive history in song. 8 short verses seem to contain the shape of God's unfolding plan for His covenant people of all time se...

The concluding thoughts in Hebrews chapter 9 restate and expand the sentence found in verses 11 and 12. “But when Christ appeared as a High Priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) He entered once for all into the holy places not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blo...

The multifaceted nature of the interim stages of the Kingdom of God continue to be the great concern of Jesus' latter teaching ministry. An entire paradigm shift is necessary for the disciples to grasp the reality of God's sovereign hand in unfolding redemptive history. The last discourse deals at great length and detail with time lapses between unmistakable and spectacular divine interventions. I...

In Matthew 13:10-17 there is a record in the words of Jesus for the reason He spoke in parables. One aspect of Christ's purpose in this teaching context is described as a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy “You will indeed hear but never understand... for this people's heart has grown dull and with their ears they can barely hear and their eyes they have closed...” In context, therefore, we find par...

Psalm 60 opens with the longest title of the Psalter and provides us with insightful and surprising historical background information. It seems clear from this paragraph that Psalm 60 was written as the anthem to commemorate the summarily victorious warfare campaigns of Israel’s greatest general: David. Given this context, we find this warrior's song dramatically unique. It is not the self-exaltin...

Hebrews 9:15 is one of those spectacular gospel saturated verses that summarizes in one sentence, what the entire Bible expounds. The truth of this single verse understood and appreciated would provide a well spring of eternal worship suitable for the throne room of God. In context, Heb 9:15 is heavy- laden with theological significance that we will endeavor to explore in today's message. In typic...

Our Lord continues to enlighten His disciples on Kingdom of God realities. In this case, ideas related to timing feature prominently. This master of household and servants analogy is followed immediately by two waiting parables making use of preparation and economic imagery. There is a stewardship call for those who wait for the Lord and the promised fulfillment of His will in history. Waiting is...

Today's message will be a brief excursus from our ordinary format to help reinforce our understanding of Biblical eschatology. We will rewind a little, slightly overlapping last week's text in order to develop, by comparative study, a concept I've labelled “Event Oracle”. This sermon will endeavor to explore the distinctive character of Biblical revelation especially as it relates to the correspon...

The final structured discourse in Matthew is divided between a litany of specific catastrophic signs of judicial reckoning prophesied in condemnation of the temple and its representative apostasy, idolatry, and application points in preparation of these events. Today’s text marks a transition in Jesus' admonition and instruction to His disciples that begins to focus their attention on timing and a...

David provides another installation for the 'Do Not Destroy' Miktam catalogue in the Psalter. While many of David's life situations come to mind as we read this Psalm, the title refers specifically to the circumstances behind the inspiration of Psalm 59. This chapter in David's life included the events that led to His long-time fugitive status. Its easy to imagine the direct usefulness of a song l...

The author of Hebrews has thoroughly employed the thematic content of the covenants of old to reveal the communion and perfection achieved in the gospel of Jesus Christ. His argument recapitulates 'lesser to greater' reasoning with each topic of revelation explored. Among these are expositions with reference to prophets, patriarchs, promises, priestly order, covenant, and in our chapter today... r...

The inaugural events of the rule and reign of Christ spoken with prophetic power and illustrative language cannot be fully understood or appreciated apart from their greater linguistic and revelatory context. The Word of God demands attention paid closely to itself for coherent understanding. The self-authenticating nature of scripture is key, not just to its CLAIMS as the Word of God, but to its...

The last great discourse in Matthew's gospel signals a seismic shift in redemptive history marked by signal events. Sparks fly and powers clash as Daniel's 70 weeks come to fruition... According to J.C. Ryle, this should come as no surprise to us. He writes: “.. The ending of a dispensation given with so much solemnity at Mt. Sinai might well be expected to be marked with particular solemnity; The...

In Psalm 58 we have a classic text illustrating the faith of the believer with respect to the future of this world. Psalms like this give us insight as to David's eschatology. It was convictions firmly rooted in the cosmic and condescending sovereignty of God that kept David from retreating into the cave of apostasy as he wrote his prayerful songs of anguish in nooks and crannies all over the coun...

Hebrews 1:1 signals a milestone reached in special revelation – a superlative threshold has been crossed eclipsing the former administration/era/order. The direction and movement of redemptive history has been from “the prophets” to “His Son”. From mere human messengers to Jesus Christ... The Word become flesh. He is the heir of all things and singlehandedly responsible for the creative power behi...

Commentators have noted that the structure of Matthew's gospel includes 5 sermons bracketed by identical literary devices. In chapters 5-7, after His disciples approach Him, Jesus delivers His 1st discourse: “The Sermon on the Mount”. We have identified the working theme of “Kingdom Constitution” for this passage. Discourse #2 appears in chapter 10, theme: “Kingdom Commission”. #3 appears in chapt...

Having recently studied II Sam 24 and noting the parallel text in I Chron 21... the contrasts in the record of scripture with respect to the events surrounding the temple appear telling and striking. The pharisees who are condemned in Matthew 23 by the 7 woes of Christ are truly the 'anti-Araunah' figures in this account. David, as king of Israel, had ascended this very mount centuries before to i...