Topic
Sanctification
1,682 sermons · All topics
Of the Church (2LCF 26)
Matthew 7:6 — 'Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine' — is not a withdrawal from gospel witness but a call to Spirit-given discrimination between brothers in Christ and hardened enemies of the gospel. The sermon works through the contrast between Matthew 7:1–5 (censorious judgment toward brothers) and 7:6 (the prohibition against treating dogs and pigs as brothers, and vice versa), showing that the same Jesus who forbids a judgmental spirit also forbids a naive one. Drawing on Calvin, Spurgeon, and the apostolic precedents in Acts and the Pauline epistles, the exposition applies the text in three directions: guard against judgmentalism toward brethren, remove your own plank before correcting others, and seek wisdom to identify genuine enemies of the gospel without lazily writing off ordinary sinners.
2 Samuel 13:1-22
The rape of Tamar by her half-brother Amnon (2 Samuel 13:1–22) is examined as the beginning of God's covenantal judgment on David's house, fulfilling the word of Nathan the prophet in 2 Samuel 12. Before entering the narrative, the study clears apparent contradictions in the Mosaic legislation on rape and incest (Deuteronomy 22; Leviticus 18; 20), demonstrating that the Pentateuch treats rape as equivalent in gravity to murder and that the disputed passage in Deuteronomy 28–29 describes consensual seduction, not rape. The passage is then worked through under four headings — Amnon's lust, Jonadab's counsel, the act itself, and its aftermath — with sustained attention to what each character reveals about the nature of sin, the failure of justice, and the sovereignty of God even in sordid judgment.
Free Grace Baptist Church - May 22, 2016 PM
Colossians 3:12–14 grounds Christian virtue not in moral effort but in the sovereign grace of God — the elect are holy and beloved not because they were found worthy, but so that they might become so. This sermon works through the identity and character of the new man in Christ, showing that tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, forbearance, and love are not conditions for election but fruits of it. The believer is called to forgive as Christ has forgiven — casting sin into the depths rather than holding it over others — and to put on love as the bond that holds every other virtue together.
2 Samuel 12:15-31
David's sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah bring severe temporal consequences even after divine forgiveness is granted: the infant son dies, and the Davidic household faces ongoing judgment. Yet grace appears most strikingly in the very aftermath of these crimes — God loves Solomon, names him Jedidiah, and advances the Davidic Covenant despite David's catastrophic failure. The sermon draws from 2 Samuel 12:15–31 to show that forgiven sinners still bear temporal chastisement, that sovereign grace is not undone by human wickedness, and that faithful worship — not withdrawal — is the proper response of the suffering saint.
Free Grace Baptist Church - May 15, 2016 PM
Scripture commands parents to teach their children the ways of God — not occasionally, but diligently, formally and informally, from morning to night. Drawing on the biblical warrant from Genesis through the New Testament epistles, this sermon traces the family worship mandate across the whole canon: God's covenantal purpose for Abraham in Genesis 18, the Shema of Deuteronomy 6, the example of Joshua, the assumption of the Psalms, the teaching of the Proverbs, Paul's command in Ephesians 6, and the example of Timothy's mother and grandmother. The elements of family worship are then set out in order: commitment to public worship and the sanctification of the Lord's Day come first, followed by the family altar with its singing, prayer, Scripture reading, and the use of creeds and catechisms as tools for forming children in conceptual, confessional faith.
The Warning Concerning the Religious Leaders
Matthew 23:1–12 presents Jesus' warning to the crowds and disciples concerning the scribes and Pharisees, exposing the pride that drives hypocrisy, legalism, religious show, and self-exaltation. Jesus affirms the scribes' and Pharisees' office insofar as they teach the law of Moses accurately, yet condemns their practice as utterly contrary to that law. He then calls his disciples to a thoroughgoing humility, grounding it in the sole authority and teachership of Christ and the brotherhood of all believers. The sermon applies this to every form of spiritual performance — from social media piety to celebrity pastor culture — and summons the unconverted to the easy yoke of Christ.
The Practice of Family Worship
God commands parents to instruct their children in His Word — not occasionally, but diligently, formally and informally, in every setting of daily life. This sermon surveys the biblical warrant for family worship across both Testaments, from God's covenantal purpose for Abraham in Genesis 18 through Paul's charge to fathers in Ephesians 6, establishing that the propagation of biblical religion through the home is not optional but normative for the covenant community. The elements of family worship are then treated in order: commitment to public worship as the irreducible foundation, the sanctification of the Lord's Day, the use of the family altar (including psalm-singing, prayer, Scripture reading, and catechism), and the usefulness of historic creeds and confessions. The sermon closes with a direct charge to recognize the importance of family worship, implement it without delay, and persevere in it as a primary means of evangelism toward one's own children.
Of the Church (2LCF 26.13)
The conduct required of an offended church member, and the proper interpretation of Matthew 7:1–6 in relation to church discipline, stand at the center of this study of 2LCF 26.13. The confession forbids the offended party from absenting themselves from worship or disturbing church order while awaiting the church's further proceeding, and calls them instead to wait upon Christ. Matthew 7:1–6 is not a blanket prohibition against all judgment but a condemnation of the censorious, nitpicking, fault-finding spirit that disregards the law of God and one's own sin. The sermon closes with the exhortation to remove the plank of self-righteous censoriousness before seeking to help a brother with his speck.
2 Samuel 12:1-14
Nathan's confrontation of David in 2 Samuel 12:1–14 exposes the anatomy of sin, judgment, and grace in the covenant dealings of God with His king. The parable of the ewe lamb springs the trap of conscience, the indictment rehearses the goodness God had lavished on David before his fall, and the consequences announced — a sword that would not depart from his house — demonstrate that divine forgiveness does not abolish temporal chastisement. The two-word confession 'I have sinned against the Lord' and Nathan's immediate assurance 'the Lord also has put away your sin' together illustrate that atonement is the exclusive work of Christ, not the product of the sinner's anguish or penance.
The Christian Mother
Proverbs 31:28–30 presents the virtuous woman as one whose fear of Yahweh is the foundation and fountainhead of her entire life and household ministry. This sermon examines the Christian mother under four heads — her spiritual condition, her influence, her authority, and her responsibility — grounding each in the covenantal structure of Scripture from Proverbs, the Pentateuch, and the New Testament. The fear of the Lord is not natural to fallen humanity; it is a gracious work of God that produces practical godliness, and the mother who walks in that fear becomes the most powerful human instrument in the formation and potential salvation of her children. Husbands are called to praise such wives, children to rise up and bless such mothers, and every believer to measure the worth of a woman not by charm or beauty but by her reverent trust in God.
The Ascension of Christ
The bodily, visible, local ascension of Christ into heaven forty days after his resurrection is not a peripheral doctrine but the hinge on which the entire exaltation of the Mediator turns. This sermon expounds Acts 1:9–11 in three movements: the historical reality of the ascension (real, visible, bodily, local, and glorious), its theological significance (fulfillment of Scripture, completion of Christ's priestly work, his enthronement at the Father's right hand, and the glory given to him as Mediator), and its practical benefits for the church (the gift of the Holy Spirit, the perpetual intercession of Christ, and the guaranteed second coming). Believers are called to draw courage from Christ's present reign, flee to the cross before the judgment that the ascension makes inevitable, and rest in the advocacy of the enthroned Savior who always lives to make intercession.
2 Samuel 11
2 Samuel 11 records David's descent from idleness into adultery with Bathsheba and premeditated murder of Uriah the Hittite. The narrative's deliberate pacing and ironic contrasts expose David functioning as a lawless pagan king while Uriah — a foreign-born mighty man — embodies covenantal integrity. The study traces three movements: the sin itself, the escalating cover-up, and the divine verdict, warning that sin's hardening deceitfulness compounds rather than resolves itself, and that standing against temptation depends not on willpower but solely on the grace of God.
Free Grace Baptist Church - May 1, 2016 PM
The precious blood of Christ as the sole ground of Christian redemption is the focus of this Lord's Supper meditation drawn from 1 Peter 1:18-19. The sermon first establishes the necessary denial — that redemption cannot come through corruptible things such as silver and gold, idolatrous religion, the ceremonial law, or the aimless traditions of the fathers. It then unfolds the proper assertion, showing that the blood of Christ is called 'precious' because of the high value Peter assigns it, the identity of the one who sheds it (the God-man, Christ Jesus), the manner in which it is shed (the cross death), and what it accomplishes (the definite redemption of guilty sinners). Believers are urged to approach the Lord's Supper with cheerful and examined compliance, knowing they congregate on the Lord's Day not out of mere tradition but because the God-man shed his blood for sinners on Calvary.
Of the Church (2LCF 26.12-13)
Church discipline is not the invention of elders or ecclesiastical tradition but the revealed mind of Christ, set forth in Matthew 18:15-17 and grounded in the covenantal logic of church membership. This session of a confession study on 2LCF Chapter 26 walks through the escalating steps of discipline — private confrontation, the introduction of witnesses, and the appeal to the whole church — demonstrating that each step is designed for the recovery of the offender, not his destruction. The session concludes by addressing the implications of the final step of excommunication: what it means to treat a man as a heathen and tax collector, whether he may still attend worship, and how the confession itself provides redress when church authority is abused.
The Whole Armor of God
Ephesians 6:10–18 calls believers to put on the whole armor of God — not for ceremonial display but for genuine hand-to-hand combat against principalities, powers, and the spiritual hosts of wickedness. The armor is not native to the believer but is provided entirely through union with Christ: truth, imputed righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, and salvation constitute the defensive elements, while the Word of God is the offensive sword. The sermon argues that the Christian life is a lifelong fight requiring daily, persevering diligence — not passive rest — and closes by urging both believers and unbelievers to recognize that lasting victory over sin is possible only through the blood of atonement and the grace of the triune God.
The Kindness Shown to Mephibosheth
David's covenant with Jonathan, sealed decades before 2 Samuel 9, drives him to seek out Mephibosheth — a lame, fearful descendant of his enemy Saul — and lavish upon him protection, restored inheritance, and a permanent seat at the royal table. The Hebrew word hesed (covenant faithfulness, steadfast love) names a kindness that goes far beyond bare duty, and David's exercise of it toward an unworthy enemy typifies the grace that Christ, David's greater Son, bestows upon helpless, ungodly sinners. The sermon presses two practical conclusions: covenant promises are perpetually binding regardless of changed circumstances or the passage of time, and the grace received from God must become grace poured out toward others.
Free Grace Baptist Church - April 24, 2016 AM
Matthew 7:13–27 closes the Sermon on the Mount with four pressing contrasts — two gates, two trees, two professions, and two builders — each calling hearers not merely to receive information but to act upon the words of Christ. The reading and exposition press the distinction between nominal profession and true faith: those who cry 'Lord, Lord' and point to their own works are cast away, while those who do the Father's will are shown by the rest of Scripture to be those who believe the gospel. The application is direct — to build on sand is to hear Christ's words and refuse them, and the only safe foundation is faith in what Christ has accomplished.
The Warning and Report
Paul closes his final letter by warning Timothy against Alexander the coppersmith, whose opposition was directed not against Paul personally but against the Word of God, and by giving a theologically ordered account of his own imprisonment. The sermon traces how Paul's confidence in God's retributive justice, his experience of the Lord's present strengthening, and his certainty of future heavenly preservation together produce doxology rather than complaint. Seven marks of Paul's apostolic character — vigilance for God's Word, concern for the church, dependence on the Lord, worship, care for friends, hope for glory, and faithful ministry to the end — are set before the congregation as a pattern for gospel ministers and the church alike. The primary application is that faithful proclamation of God's truth, not celebrity or popularity, is what God requires of his ministers.
The Covering of Sin
Proverbs 28:13 presents both the ruin of the one who covers sin and the mercy awaiting the one who confesses and forsakes it. This exposition works through the problem of sin-covering under four heads — the scriptural assumptions behind it, biblical examples of it, the various means sinners employ to conceal transgression, and the cursed result in this age and the age to come. The solution is penitential faith in Christ alone: genuine confession lays the hand on the great sacrifice, and true forsaking proves the sincerity of that confession. Believers and unbelievers alike are called to stop concealing sin and to cast themselves upon the mercy of God, which is the only covering that satisfies divine justice.
2 Samuel 9
David's covenant faithfulness to Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9 illuminates two doctrines: the binding nature of covenant obligation and the typological relationship between David and his greater Son, Jesus Christ. The Hebrew word hesed — covenant love that exceeds the bare requirements of duty — governs David's intention and execution of kindness toward a lame, vulnerable enemy of the throne, and serves as a shadow of the gospel wherein Christ protects, provides for, and grants position to those who are insignificant, unworthy, and hostile. The sermon calls hearers to faithful covenant-keeping in marriage, parenting, and every solemn promise, and to marvel that believers, like Mephibosheth, eat continually at the king's table by grace alone.
Free Grace Baptist Church - April 10, 2016 PM
Paul's final personal requests in 2 Timothy 4:9–13 reveal the apostle's heart in his last imprisonment: his longing for Christian fellowship, his grief over Demas's love of the present world, his gracious restoration of John Mark, and his practical wisdom in calling for a cloak and books. The sermon presses hearers to value the assembling of the saints, to guard against worldliness, to refuse to hold grudges against those who have stumbled, and to follow Paul's example of tireless gospel strategizing even in the eleventh hour.
The Visit, the Cloak, and the Books
Paul's final personal requests to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:9–13 — the urgent summons to visit, the cloak left at Troas, and the books and parchments — reveal the interior life of an apostle facing death in a Roman prison. Three lessons emerge: the indispensable value of Christian fellowship, the forgiving and forward-looking spirit that reconciled Paul to John Mark, and the bookish, industrious mind that turned a prison cell into a command post for gospel strategy. The passage calls God's people to crave Christian communion, to refuse grudge-bearing, and to read widely for the service of Christ.
2 Samuel 8:1-18
2 Samuel 8 records David's military conquests as the God-ordained stabilization of Israel's land in preparation for Solomon's temple-building, rooted in the promises of the Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel 7. The chapter is expounded under three headings: the advancement of the kingdom through David's campaigns from north to south, the stability of the kingdom seen in the dedication of spoils to Yahweh and the administration of judgment and justice, and the power behind the kingdom — not David's military skill, but Yahweh's faithful preservation of His servant wherever he went. David's reign is treated as typologically anticipatory of Christ's kingdom: conflict precedes conquest, the wealth of the nations is consecrated to Israel's God, and the Son of David exercises universal dominion in judgment and justice as promised in Psalm 2 and Isaiah 9 and 11. The study closes with a call to recover the church-militant posture, trusting the same God who gave David victory to bring victory to the new covenant church through the weapons of prayer, preaching, and faithful witness.
The Greatness of God
David's prayer in 2 Samuel 7:22–24 structures a twofold ascription of greatness to God: first for who God is in Himself (His unity, triunity, immutability, impassibility, and incomparability), and then for what God has done for His people in redemption, preservation, and positional covenant blessing. The sermon applies David's method directly to the New Covenant, arguing that the greater privileges of the New Covenant demand a correspondingly greater response of worshipful prayer and adoration. The closing movement presses the congregation toward the Lord's Supper as a concrete occasion to extol God's greatness in the very pattern David modeled at the throne of grace.
The Lawyer and the Great Commandment
Matthew 22:34–40 records a Pharisaic lawyer testing Jesus with the question of which commandment is greatest — a live dispute in rabbinic Judaism with deadly intent behind it. Jesus answers by citing the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4–5) as the first and great commandment and Leviticus 19:18 as its inseparable companion, demonstrating that the whole Decalogue hangs on love to God and love to neighbor. The sermon argues that these two commandments expose every person's total failure to render the perfect, personal obedience God demands, driving the hearer to the only One whose obedience is reckoned to all who trust Him. Believers are exhorted to examine whether their love to God is genuine and whole-hearted, expressed in Sabbath observance, rejection of idolatry, and tangible love for the brethren.
2 Samuel 7:18-29
David's prayer in 2 Samuel 7:18–29, offered in response to the Davidic covenant, models the proper shape of Christian prayer: confession of unworthiness before God, ascription of greatness to God alone, and petition grounded in God's own promises rather than personal merit. The sermon traces how David's prayer moves from humble acknowledgment of grace, through a declaration that God's incomparable greatness is displayed in Israel's redemption and preservation, to specific petitions that mirror the structure of the Lord's Prayer. Particular attention is given to the scope of the Davidic covenant as a charter for all humanity — elect from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation — fulfilled ultimately in the Lord Jesus Christ. The sermon calls hearers to bring God's promises back to Him in prayer, to prioritize praise before petition, and to understand redemption as liberation unto possession, not liberation unto autonomy.
The Hope of the Resurrection
Paul's closing words in 2 Timothy 4:6–8 set before the church three interlocking realities: his present situation as a condemned man being poured out as a drink offering, his past perseverance across the full course of Christian warfare, and his future hope — the crown of righteousness awarded by the righteous Judge on the day of resurrection. The sermon argues that the resurrection hope is not a passive consolation but the very engine of faithful Christian living: Paul fought, ran, and kept not as an ascetic but because of the surpassing worth of Christ and the certainty of what awaits. Believers are exhorted to examine whether they are presently fighting, running, and keeping — for what is said in the eleventh hour can only be said because of what was done faithfully in hours one through ten.
Free Grace Baptist Church - March 20, 2016 PM
Hebrews 4:16 invites believers to approach God in prayer with boldness — not a boldness rooted in the fervency or volume of one's own devotion, but a confidence grounded entirely in the finished priestly work of Christ. The sermon works through five headings in the verse: the simple exhortation to come, the christological basis for that coming (the exaltation and sympathy of the great High Priest), the nature of the boldness required, the object of approach (the throne of grace), and the timely mercy and grace promised there. The application presses believers to use prayer as a God-ordained means of grace, especially in seasons of peculiar weakness, assured that their warrant before God is Christ's doing and dying — not the temperature of their own hearts.
The Defection from the Truth
When the apostle Paul commands Timothy to 'preach the Word' in 2 Timothy 4:2, he immediately supplies the reason: a time is coming when professing Christians will not endure sound doctrine. This sermon expounds 2 Timothy 4:3–5, tracing four sequential steps of doctrinal defection — boredom and apathy toward the truth, heaping up teachers who satisfy itching ears, active turning away from the truth, and final embrace of fables — and sets over against that decline the fourfold call to Timothy: be watchful, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry. The church's responsibility is to receive the truth, recognize its proper mission defined by the marks of the church, and rejoice in the means God has ordained rather than demanding a prescription of its own devising.
Colossians 1:10-14
Paul's prayer in Colossians 1:9–14 reveals what the apostle considered most essential for the people of God: not merely physical welfare, but a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him. This study works through the four participial phrases of verses 10–14 — fruitfulness in good works, growth in the knowledge of God, God-wrought patience and long-suffering with joy, and thankfulness — showing how each flows from being filled with the knowledge of God's will. The practical challenge is double: to pray for others in the manner Paul prays, and to examine honestly whether one's own life resembles what Paul prays for.