Category: Weekly Thoughts

The sermon is from Luke 15:1-10– “This Man Receives Sinners”.  “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” – Luke 15:2

The utterance of the Pharisees and scribes was dripping with scorn, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Unknowingly, however, they preached the Gospel! They promoted the good news of the kingdom of God! As the Apostle Paul declared, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” (1 Timothy 1:15). So, no one has fallen too far into sin! Paul, the foremost of sinners (See Galatians 1:11-16; Philippians 3:4-7), experienced the grace, mercy, and love of the Triune God – and so can you! (See Matthew 11:28-30).

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Luke 14:25-35– “Crowd Control”.  “Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, ….” – Luke 14:25

Jesus, on several occasions, practiced “crowd control.” We see a record of this in Luke 14:25-35. We can also see that he does the same thing in John Chapter 6, verses 60-71. Church growth experts probably would not have him on their board of directors. But Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He “shoots straight” with his early disciples and he does the same with us. He knows that, “Fierce may be the conflict, strong may be the foe ….” He prepares us for the reality of Christian difficulty and persecution. But the hymn quoted above goes on to say, “… round his standard ranging, victory is secure; for his truth unchanging makes the triumph sure.”

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Luke 13:22-30 – “The Narrow Gate into the Narrow Way”.  “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” – Luke 13:23

How many people will be in heaven? Some may ask this question in a speculative sort of way. It is interesting in our passage that the preaching and teaching of Christ prompted the question. What in his preaching created such dim prospects for mankind? Notice verse 24, Christ states (and it is a commandment), “Strive to enter through the narrow door.” We are certainly reminded of Christ’s teaching in Matthew, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14). The wiser question is, “Will I be in heaven? Will YOU be in heaven?”

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The sermon is from Luke 13:1-9– “When Sinners are Slain and Towers Fall”.  “… but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” – Luke 13:3, 5

Both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ began their ministries with a message of repentance (See Mark 1:4; 14-15). The Apostle Peter took the cue on the Day of Pentecost and concluded his sermon by saying, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins ….”(See Acts 2:38). So, the doctrine of repentance is an essential doctrine of the Christian faith. But what does it mean to repent? The Children’s Catechism states so clearly – “How do you repent of your sin? I must be sorry for my sin, and hate and forsake it.” And, then, the Catechism goes on to teach – “Why must you hate and forsake your sin? Because sin displeases God.” Modern preachers must mimic Christ and the Apostles by declaring, “… unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Acts 17:16-21– “How Can Christians Love Our Nation in 2023?”.  “So he reasoned in the synagogue … and in the marketplace every day …” – Acts 17:17

As we approach July 4th of 2023, how can we, as Christians, love our nation – the United States of America? 21st Century America rivals 1st Century Athens in her attraction to idols (Acts 17:16). There is really no need to mention specifics. Many in the United States have exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the idols of this world (Romans 1:21-23). What is the answer for the chaos and turmoil around us? The answer is Jesus Christ. He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) May God help us to love our nation by reasoning with our family and friends about Jesus Christ. If they come to Christ by faith, he will not cast them out (John 6:37).

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Luke 12:13-21 – “The Deceitfulness of Riches”.  “But God said to him, ‘Fool!’ ….” – Luke 12:20

Christ exercises his prophetic office from his throne of glory at the right hand of God. He did it in the 1st Century; he does it now in the 21st Century. Those who say that Christ’s message is irrelevant in a “post-modern” culture have not read Luke 12:13-21. People squabbled over inheritances in the 1st Century; people still do today. People in the 1st Century needed a severe warning about the danger of covetousness; we need the same warning today. He warns us in these verses, but he also points us to a richness “… toward God.” We discover this in union with Christ alone, by faith alone; in him, says Paul, “… are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3)

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Luke 10:38-42 – “The Woman who Served; The Woman who Sat”. “But the Lord said to her, ‘Martha, Martha …’” – Luke 10:41

Martha has gotten a bad rap over the years from Christian authors and commentators. She was slow, it seems, to recognize the untold wonders of this moment in human history. Thousands of generations had lived before this time who would never witness the Incarnate Son of God on earth. Thousands of generations would live after this time who would never be granted the privilege to sit at the feet of the Incarnate Son and receive instruction from his very lips. And this unique privilege took place in only three of his 33-years on earth. So, Martha, in a way, missed out on the significance of the moment. And, she persisted in her focus on serving rather than sitting to learn (John 12:2). But Martha was loved by Christ (John 11:5). And really in the end, that is all that matters. Jesus loves his people despite all their faults and foibles.

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Luke 10: 25-37 – “Is the Good Samaritan Your Role Model?”.  “… do this, and you will live.” – Luke 10:28

How would you answer the question, “What is the gospel?” I once heard of a man who answered this question using Luke 10:27 – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Is that really the gospel? Is that really “good news?” Are we not all miserable failures when it comes to loving God with all our souls, strength, and minds? Do we love our neighbor as ourselves 100% of the time? Of course not! The man’s answer consisted in a focus on obedience to God’s moral law; the gospel fixes our attention on Christ alone and what he has done for us in his perfect life, sacrificial death, and his victorious resurrection over sin and the grave. That is the gospel! (See 1 Corinthians 15:1-9)

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Matthew 10:5-15 – “Come On-a My House”. ““And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” – Matthew 10:7

Jesus Christ preached with urgency. You may ask, why? The answer is rather simple – “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” To preach with urgency means to proclaim a message of importance that requires swift action. Do we truly realize that the kingdom of God is in our midst and this reality requires swift action (See Luke 17:20-21)? Jesus currently rules and reigns over his eternal kingdom. He is raised from the dead and seated at God’s right hand on the promised Davidic throne (See 2 Samuel 7:12-13, 16; Acts 2:24-36). It is little wonder, then, that we find in the Bible the following proclamation (2 Corinthians 6:2) – “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” And, it is little wonder we find the following summons (Hebrews 3:15) – “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts ….”

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Luke 9:57-62– “Following Jesus Wherever, Whenever”. “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:62

Have you ever plowed farmland on a tractor or behind a mule? Most of us are unfamiliar with this agricultural practice and therefore clueless as to what it means to plow a straight furrow. Plowing requires focus and attention and singleness of purpose. It requires one to look ahead, pick a landmark at the end of the field, and plow without deviation. If the farmer looks back, he will veer off his straight course, and plow a crooked furrow. Likewise, Christ teaches that Christian discipleship is very similar. It requires focus and singleness of purpose. The Apostle Paul understood this. He states in Philippians 3:14, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA