Providence Community Church

From Kingdom individual, to Kingdom corporate, to Kingdom transhistorical... the planting parables illustrating the amplitude of the Kingdom of Heaven reach their crescendo with the mustard seed and leaven pairing. These 4 verses are saturated with historical/prophetic context. Understanding the O.T. Ramifications of Jesus' 3rd discourse should infuse in his followers an enduring sense of divine n...

The context surrounding and infusing the parable of the weeds includes... 1.) A grouping of Kingdom comparisons illustrating amplitude 2.) Another separation from explanation by location and audience 3.) The pairing of the dragnet parable at close of discourse. 4.) The parable appears as a second planting analogy highlighting seed distinctions rather than soil to describe the corporate environment...

A Subtitle for this message could be: “Christianity is in our National Interest”. In the dated American tradition of 'election sermons', Jedediah Morse is quoted as saying: “To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that degree of civil freedom, and political and social happiness which mankind now enjoys.” In contrasting illustration, the continent of Africa has instituted some 500 plus const...

The cavalier attitude of the Corinthian church evident in their approach to communion (the Lord's table) prompted sobering exhortation from the apostle. He poses the questions in verse 22: “Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?” If our indolence and pride are so easily blinding, we would do well to submit to this reorienting admonition to the church. How do we measure up...

The parable of the sower is the first of the kingdom comparisons in the 3rd discourse of Matthew. The first 3 parables, of the 7 in this section, are all agricultural in their imagery and communicate in escalating fashion, the realm of the kingdom of God from its individual aspects as touching the human heart to the corporate aspects, to its historical reality. Note additionally: the genius of the...

The third discourse of Matthew unfolds in 7 parables. Setting the stage for the theological significance of this method of Christ's teaching, as well as the intrinsic truths contained in the parables, is an insert of explanatory purposes standing between the parable of the sower and its interpretation to the disciples (10-17). The JFB commentary notes: “ To the parables of our Lord, there is nothi...

One measure of commitment to themes of the Psalms is to take note of how often the wicked appear in today's worship songs. This observation should prompt us to consider the following. Have we forgotten the ultimate purposes of God in history? Have we forgotten His decrees from the garden judgement? Have we minimized God's victorious campaign over His enemies? Have we ignored His strategic purposes...

The Change of tone in II Corinthians chapter 10 has caused critics to doubt the cohesiveness of the letter through the years. This shift in Paul's focus makes perfect sense, however, when one considers the basic structure of the epistle. Paul gives the prescription (suffering my design) followed by the diagnosis (self-serving apostasy). Evidently this exhortation was difficult for Corinth, as hist...

To illustrate the scope of God's sovereignty, Luther was quoted as saying: “Even the devil is God's devil”. In Revelation 17:17 Johns speaks of the characters of history related to the purposes of God including (17:15) people, multitudes, nations, and languages... “For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, un...

How do you motivate a microscopic minority to stand against the prevailing political and religious winds of their day at the cost of their lives for a cause they can't fully realize in their lifetime while loosing their fortunes, reputations, families, comforts, livelihood, and security along the way? ANSWER: Make them witnesses to the fact that Christ has been raised from the dead and equip them...

David appeals to the ultimate Judge and Advocate utterly incapable of error as he pleads his cause. This court case looks forward to a verdict served through Christ alone that will justify and vindicate the poor in spirit. The cries of persecution are lost in shouts triumphant as every last enemy of our souls and enemies of God's glory are silenced and prosecuted in final judgement at the final re...

The final words to Corinth are a dramatic contrast when set beside common benedictions today. It is immediately apparent that we waste parting opportunities after considering Paul's apostolic farewells. May more of our “see you laters, have a good one's, God bless's, and goodbyes be rephrased in light of scripture's inspired salutations and invocations. Behold the Trinity in the apostle's signatur...

Jesus excoriated the Pharisees and Sadducees in Mat 16:1-4 for interpretive blindness. They were asking, yet again, for a sign from heaven while they remained oblivious to the signs of their times. The mirror of the law in front of their faces would have revealed their generational adultery if they only had eyes to see. Jesus had already declared the red and threatening sky of judgement justly han...

This sermon is a Biblical response to the following quote from D.A. Carson- “The first generation has the gospel, the second generation assumes the gospel, and the third generation looses the gospel.” I submit to you and will endeavor to qualify from the Word of God that this has been the history of the church of late primarily because so many have despised the generational framework of covenant....

Borrowing John Pringle's words on Corinthians, the Gospels also offer “...astonishment when we take into view the peculiarly formidable obstacles that opposed its progress in the places that were selected as the scenes of its triumph” - As Jesus confronts authorities ranging from the religious establishment to demonic principalities and powers, the inauguration of the Kingdom of God is set in glor...

Psalm 34 surprises us in its historical context considering its title and parallel account in 1 Sam 21:10-15. Here David regroups from feigned madness to sophisticated artistry. This, the second of 7 acrostic poems, weaves a spectacular thread in the tapestry of redemptive revelation from its ingenious parallelism to its messianic premonition.

The restoration & upbuilding of the church is Paul's closing aim in 2 Corinthians. History & scriptural context remind us of the experiences of this cultural improbability. Corinth provides the church of all time with an extreme test case for the cultivating power of the gospel. If Christianity can flourish here... There is never a situation in history where the soil is so fallow it can re...

Lest we be guilty of glancing over the day to day interactions in the gospel record as we would a foot note in a thesis paper, behold the eternal resonance of this exchange! When Jesus declares “The Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath” He is saying by Biblical contextual definition: “The Son of Man is Lord of the redemptive and assuring covenantal signature of God heralding through creation and holy...

This prayer recorded in Matthew shines like an other-worldly jewel normally reserved for beholding in heavenly glory! The curtain of our finite world is pulled back to hear the worship of heaven. Themes celebrated by the Godhead are here proclaimed in doxological beauty. This summary of John 17 underscores Christ's priesthood bringing together themes of worship, kindness, and severity. Its literar...

Psalm 33 definitively outlines actual worship. The context and descriptions are devoid of modern compartmentalizing notions of religion. Worship in truth circumscribes all of our experience and consciousness. By this measure discernment can be applied. Does the spirit of the age betray a convenient redefinition of terms so as to co-opt the unsuspecting impressionable consumer? By this standard in...

II Corinthians 13:5-7.... Paul's instructions for testing oneself ought to serve as smelling salts in the nose of modern apathy and unqualified security in the church. Let us examine the rigorous standards of fealty to Christ the apostle has in mind when he closes his exhortation to this fledgling church with a command for spiritual introspection. It would serve believers well at any juncture to h...

Rom 11:22 exhorts us to behold the kindness and severity of God in the context of the gracious salvation of the Gentiles. In light of this admonition of the apostle... How does the modern church measure up? Are we dangerously close to being cut off having only considered the kindness of God and not His severity? Paul is clear we cannot appreciate the fulfillment of redemptive prophecy without a Bi...

Isaiah's cameo appearance in Mat 12 identifies a key to Matthew's structure in his gospel record. We find here clues that connect the Old and New Testament accounts of the messiah as well as an outline for Matthew's account of Jesus' ministry in between the great discourses. Here is glorious evidence of narrative/imperative continuity.

The didactic context of Psalm 32 heralds the redemptive pattern of authentic confession and contrition. Its title denotes instruction as a 'maskil'. Its content, like the beatitudes of Mat 5:2-12, guide us from brokenness to bounty, from repentance to rejoicing, from contrition to celebration, and from humility to hope in eleven incomparably rich verses.

1. The Bible defines revival... 2. The inviolable relationship between history and worship History definition ought to be: THE RECORDATION OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN RELATIONSHIP TO TIME