Providence Community Church

Historical context helpful to an understanding of the parable of the laborers in the vineyard includes the following: 1.) In the history of special relation 'vineyard' is often employed as a metaphor illustrating aspects of God's communion with His covenant people. 2.) A work day consisted of the time from sunrise to sunset. Divide this time by 12, and each of these segments constituted 1 hour. 3....

In Matthew 19:21-22, the Word of Christ and worldly values reach a distinct impasse. Jesus Christ the Son of man – God incarnate – Savior – Messiah – Creator – Lord – Priest – Prophet – King – Sacrifice – Rock – Cornerstone – Light – Way – Truth – Life – Living Water – Son of David – Lamb of God King of kings... personally addresses an inquisitor with the words of absolute salvation... “Come, foll...

As Christ takes the occasion of questioning to reveal the Kingdom of God – this incident in Mat 19 provides a perfect opportunity to identify model citizens or subjects of the Kingdom of Heaven. The message of New Covenant membership continues to surprise His hearers as their notions, impressions, experience, and understanding are challenged by Jesus. In this passage, 2 occasions in the narrative...

Since the 1920's, 'social studies', as a formal branch of education, has concerned itself with the relationships and function of society, subsuming the study of history, government, economics, civics, sociology, geography, and anthropology. Psalm 48 proves to us from the genius of scripture that this is nothing innovative as modern man might claim. The Bible offers us an introductory course in tru...

In chapters 3 and 4, the author of Hebrews takes Psalm 95 as his text and applies the lessons of wilderness wanderings and Canaan promise to his audience with sermonic clarity and emphasis. The application of this text is strikingly relevant to his readers then and now. It is important and powerful to note in this sermon within a sermon that the authority cited is absolutely unambiguous. Even here...

Matthew Henry died in 1714, but the following words could have been written yesterday... “If we consider what mischiefs to families and states, what confusions and disorders, would follow upon arbitrary divorces, we shall see how much this law of Christ is for our own benefit, and what a friend Christianity is to our secular interests.” There were no bakeries closing down in the 18th century for r...

The fourth discourse in Matthew (Chap 18) could be divided into four sections under adjectives that characterize the members of Christ's church as loyal subjects of the kingdom of God.... His citizens are: Lowly (1-4), Loving (7-14), Lawful (15-20), and Long-suffering (21-35). In the form of a parable – the most attention in this passage is given to the obligation of forgiveness as it relates to t...

Our message title today is meant to expose our humanistically induced level of discomfort with the government of God. One unique talk show host in our current atmosphere of political confusion is fond of saying: “Every government is a theocracy, its just a question of who your 'theo' (God) is.” By this he means, of course, the highest authority recognized in a society. Psalm 47 emphatically remind...

John 12:16 tells us that the messianic prophesies of the Old Testament and the person of Jesus were relatively disconnected ideas in the minds of the apostles until Jesus was glorified. Acts chapter 2 provides a great 'before and after' contrast for us in the very first apostolic sermon preached after the eye opening experience of the promised Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Suddenly, with rabbinic clar...

The gospel of John records the triumphal entry alongside other events at the close of Jesus' public ministry. This chapter of the gospel narrative is condensed, yet saturated, with potent meaning. John 12:24 declares in Jesus' own words: “ Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Next week (Resurrecti...

The Brevity of Life and the Sovereignty of God -- Joe Reed

Christ the Shepherd, Christ the Lamb --by Stanley A. Clark Lamb of God - Nikolaus Decius (1541) O Lamb of God, most holy! Who on the cross diet suffer, And patient still, and lowly, Yourself to scorn did offer; Our sins by Thee were taken Or hope had us forsaken: Have mercy on us, Jesus!

Psalm 46 exhorts the worshipper in verse 10 to “be still and know that I am God”. The assurance, confidence, and peace in the heart of the believer is exclusively established upon the foundation of faith in the sovereignty of God. Our frantic efforts, anxious striving, fearful defense mechanisms, and self preservation stresses all find their remedy in “beholding the works of the Lord” (8). A frequ...

Hebrews 3:6 assures confessing believers that we are the house of Jesus Christ provided we meet the conditions of “...holding fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope...”. The undeniable thematic aim of Hebrews resurfaces in chapter 3 imploring the church to audit herself by scriptural standards of fidelity to the founder of our salvation (2:19) – Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our...

The gospel of Matthew presents us with discourse #4 in Chapter 18 and Christ's theme is clearly 'the church'. We could, perhaps, further outline Mat 18 into 4 subdivisions under the heading: “The Church of Jesus Christ is...” 1. Lowly – of spirit (verses 1-4) 2. Loving – and sacrificially so, to the 'least of these' (5-14) 3. Lawful – in her disputes (15-20) & 4. Long suffering – in her forgiv...

One of the most discouraging, typical, and telling scenes in the history of Israel's existence as a freed nation occurs upon Moses' descent from the mountain of law revelation. The scene that greets him in the valley causes Moses' anger to burn hot against his nation. The Lord's wrath also burned hot enough to consume this 'stiff-necked' people. The state of degenerate heart and mind evident in th...

Psalm 45 is the lone wedding song in the psalter and as such, it's 17 verses are dedicated to underscoring the transcendent meaning of marriage with manifold poetic imagery. Like the Song of Solomon, the lyrical structure of Ps 45 is theatrical, character specific, and rhapsodic (expressing deep emotion in rapturous overtures and melodic beauty). The author of Hebrews cites verses 6 & 7 as rev...

The author of Hebrews is employing Old Covenant prophetic categories identifying patterns of messianic identity and thereby proclaiming the glory of Christ. This book continues to unfold expounding the absolute monergism intrinsic to the incarnation and its effects for all in Christ. The work of Christ alone is celebrated in its manifold fulfillment and comprehensive finality. Christ is declared i...

Our text today is more than fitting for a sanctity of life themed sermon and demonstrates, in its context, how basic our attitude toward children is to our understanding of, and participation in, the Kingdom of God. Jesus opens His 4th great discourse taking a little child as His object lesson and the church as His theme. The foundational truths of Christianity are thus expounded and a basic litmu...

After the 'Selah', Psalm 44 unfolds as a prophetic hymn for the persecuted church. This is a representative appeal prerecorded in the Psalms for God's afflicted people of all ages who share in the sufferings of Christ. The installment of this song in the Psalter is empirical evidence of the compassion of the Lord on those who endure anguish and torture for His namesake in this veil of tears. These...

It is often the case in remote corners of scripture such as Ps 44, that our blurry modern eyes need to be rubbed by the Holy Spirit’s transcendent power to illumine. Prayer, meditation, and careful study in context of wider revelation are normative means to open our understanding to the otherwise obscure. Ps 44 may seem shrouded in caustic tenor and self-incriminating candor at first glance, but s...

Stanley Clark on Reading Scripture. Read through the Bible in a year with us using the plan located here: https://www.navigators.org/www_navigators_org/media/navigators/tools/Resources/Discipleship-Journal-Bible-Reading-Plan-9781617479083.pdf

The latter portion of the 'Carmen Christi' (Hymn to Christ) declares the third aspect of essential Christology: Exaltation or glorification. This text also includes immediately the ramifications of the doctrine of Christ as we note in verse 10 ...every knee bows and tongue must confess Jesus is Lord to the glory of the Father (by surrender or subjection). In addition the practical outworking for t...

Thought to be among the earliest hymns of the Christian church, Phil 2:6-11 poetically and profoundly exposits essential Christology of scripture. Here is declared the preincarnate, eternal sonship of Christ as YHWH, His voluntary condescension in incarnation ultimately demonstrated at calvary, and His triumphal glorification/vindication through resurrection and ascension. Today's sermon considers...

Having considered this monolithic milestone in Matthew’s gospel from the contextual perspectives of the disciple's reaction and the ministry arc of Christ, we turn our attention to bigger picture realities heralded in the transfiguration of Jesus. This reference point in the grand unfolding of history’s theme is saturated with redemptive, prophetic, supernatural, didactic, theological, biographica...