TBC Glassboro Sermons and More

Psalm 139 is a contemplation of God. If the church faces a struggle today, it is that there is a lack of intimacy between believers and God. The Israelites of old suffered the same dilemma. Hence, David pens this psalm addressing the lack of intimacy between God and believers. Recovering intimacy begins with a contemplation of God.

Having provided assurance of Jesus’ Messiahship and encouragement to those disciples struggling with false expectations, Matthew presents the next round of Pharisaical opposition and rejection. The rejection becomes so pronounced that the Pharisees publicly announce that Satan empowers Jesus, not the Holy Spirit. Thus, in Matthew 12:22-32, Jesus addresses the issue of the unpardonable sin.

Psalm 139 is a contemplation of God. If the church faces a struggle today, it is that there is a lack of intimacy between believers and God. The Israelites of old suffered the same dilemma. Hence, David pens this psalm addressing the lack of intimacy between God and believers. Recovering intimacy begins with a contemplation of God.

Following the Sabbath debate, Matthew presents an interlude to the opposition and rejection of Jesus. He reminds his readers in Matthew 12:15-21 that Jesus is the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. This particular pericope can be summarized in three words — “Behold, My Servant!” Matthew uses Biblical prophecy to present the Servant’s charge, commission, and character.

Psalm 138 is a song of worship. Why do people come to worship? Some come out of a sense of tradition, guilt, family obligation, to earn favor with God, or please the pastor. Then there are those who come to worship because they want to please God. Here, in this psalm, David addresses the motives of worship.

Interestingly, the issue of the spirit verse the letter of the Law comes into play in Matthew 12:9-14. This narrative portion is part of the larger pericope establishing Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath. In verses one and two, the Pharisees questioned the Lord’s Sabbath authority. Then in verses three through eight, the Lord’s Sabbath authority was established. In verses nine through fourteen, the Lor...

Psalm 137 is a song of wailing. During the Exile, Israel was unable to sing songs of joy, nor could they sing of entering God’s Temple to worship Him. They find themselves in a foreign land and thus they sang songs of lament and loss. Today, many believers find themselves in a similar situation. They are going through deep waters, trials, suffering, and the like. Unable to sing a song of joy, they...

Having spoken about the Creation and Canaan Rests, Jesus turn His attention towards Sabbath Rest in Matthew 12. Amid dealing with the growing opposition and rejection of the Pharisees, Jesus reveals Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath in Matthew 12:1-14. As Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus’ authority is questioned, established, and proven. Because of the depth of this material, the text of Matthew 12:1-4...

The Wonderful Mercy Of God (Part 2) - Psalm 136 by Rev. Gregory G. Capel, Jr.

Having rebuked the cities and recognized His Father, Jesus concludes His condemnation of the unrepentant with a promise of rest for the repentant in verses twenty-seven to thirty. Whereas, the unrepentant are left in ruin, the repentant are given rest. What is this rest of which Jesus speaks?

Psalm 136 conveys the wonderful mercy of God. One of the great themes of the Hebrew Scriptures is that God is a God of mercy. The term mercy renders the Hebrew term ḥesed, meaning unfailing love, kindness, or goodness. Mercy or ḥesed is often related to God’s covenant. Because of His mercy or ḥesed, God is faithful to His covenants.

That more revelation results in more significant judgment, it is essential to understand that not all judgments are created equally. In developing a theology of eternal judgment, there are degrees of punishment in the Lake of Fire. A more harsh punishment will be given to those who receive and reject God’s Word than those who did not receive and reject It. Consider the contrast between Capernaum a...

Psalm 135 is a call to worship in the temple. True worship is done in spirit and in truth. That truth comes from a genuine knowledge of God.

Finally, in Matthew 11:16-19, Jesus deals with the third danger of false expectations — disbelief. The narrative builds upon John’s doubts, and the crowd’s distrust. Doubts left unchecked lead to distrust; distrust runs amok and leads to disbelief.

Psalm 135 is a call to worship in the temple. True worship is done in spirit and in truth. That truth comes from a genuine knowledge of God.

Besides doubts, false expectations are also dangerous because they lead to distrust and disbelief as explained in Matthew 11:7-19. The narrative continues building upon John’s doubts revealing the crowds reaction and Jesus’ response. A believer’s weaknesses, while not disqualifying him from service, often have ramifications upon others. In the case of John, the crowd latches onto his doubts as as...

Psalm 134 is a psalm of blessing. According to the superscription, this is a song of ascents, meaning this psalm was sung as the worshipers arrive in Jerusalem for one of the three great feasts. This particular scene in the psalm occurs in the darkness of the early morning hours, as the pilgrims ascended Mount Zion to come and worship God at the Temple. The first two verses are spoken by the pilgr...

A new narrative section begins in chapters eleven and twelve, focussing on the opposition and rejection of Jesus. The timeframe of the events of these two chapters stretches over the second year of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Opposition and rejection result from many notions, such as false expectations. Hence in Matthew 11:1-19, Matthew warns of the dangers of false expectations. False expectations a...

Psalm 133 is written of the blessedness of unity between believers. This short psalm was written by David as he contemplated upon the unity of Israel. It also has much to consider regarding the unity among believers in the Church.

In Matthew 9:27-38, Jesus demonstrates His authority over darkness, deafness, and disbelief. He demonstrates authority over darkness by restoring sight to the blind. Jesus’ authority over deafness is demonstrated by casting out demons and restoring sound to the deaf. He demonstrates authority over disbelief by rescuing those in spiritual darkness.

A Song of God’s Temple and Throne - Psalm 132 (Part 2) by Rev. Gregory G. Capel, Jr.

Genesis 1 presents the steps God took in creation. First, God took steps to form that which was tōhû and bōhû (i.e., unformed and unfilled) and then proceeded to take that which He formed and filled it. Thus, days one through three, God is forming creation and days four through six, God is filling creation. On the third day, God performed two created acts. The first act was the separation of the w...

Psalm 132 is a song of God’s temple and throne. This psalm was likely written for one of the feast days, perhaps the Feast of Tabernacles. Verses eight through ten appear in 2 Chronicles 6:41-42 as part of Solomon’s prayer when dedicating the Temple.

The Hebrew prophets announced that the Messiah had the power to reverse death and restore life. According to Isaiah 25:8, “[The Messiah] will swallow up death for all time,” and Isaiah 26:19 announces that when the Messiah comes, “Your dead will live.” In Matthew 9:18-26, Jesus’ authority over death is on display. His authority is displayed through a desperate father, a desperate woman, and a deli...

Psalm 131 is a song of childlike trust. David the psalmist meditates on his relationship with God.